The Orc King

The Orc King is the first novel of the Transitions series by R.A. Salvatore.

"An uneasy peace between the dwarves of Mithral Hall and the orcs of the newly established Kingdom of Many-Arrows can't last long. The orc tribes united under Obould begin to fight each other, and Bruenor is determined to finish the war that nearly killed him and almost destroyed everything he's worked to build. But it will take more than swords and axes to bring a lasting peace to the Spine of the World. Powerful individuals on both sides may have to change the way they see each other. They may have to start to talk. But it won't be easy."

Summary
King Obould Many-Arrows has completely blocked off Keeper's Dale to prevent any counter attack from the Dwarves of Mithral Hall and has begin building the first settlements of his new kingdom. A few of the more powerful priests who have pledged allegiance to him have become dissatisfied with Obould now that he has stopped his sweep into the Silver Marches and call up Chieftain Grguch of Clan Karuck, the legendary half-ogre leader from his home in the Underdark.

Bruenor Battlehammer, convinced that a hole that Regis fell into in the Fell Pass was the way to the fabled fallen nation of Gauntlgrym organizes a party to investigate, hoping to find dwarven weapons to help fight off the Orc menace. Taking Drizzt Do'Urden, Regis, Thibbledorf Pwent, Torgar Hammerstriker & Cordio Muffinhead down into said hole, they are attacked in short order by several giant ethereal marauders and later a nightwalker and nightwing. After a tough fight, the party discover something extraordinary in the city they have found: Statues of Orcs and Dwarves, Gruumsh and Moradin in the same room and, more surprising, not fighting with each other. They gathered up as many scrolls from a library as they could and took them back to Nanfoodle, Bruenor's Gnomish alchemist/illusionist.

Meanwhile, Catti-brie and Wulfgar have set off with the spring melt to try and find Wulfgar's missing daughter Colson, despite Catti-brie's badly injured leg they travel on foot to Silverymoon where Catti-brie's relationship with Alustriel grows deeper and they recieve a lead that Cottie Cooperson may have taken Colson south to Nesmé. When they reach Nesmé, they find it to be a completely different place, much grander than even before the siege from the giants and then trolls.

Galen Firth is running things now so Wulfgar goes to him to demand that Colson be given over to him. Despite having absolutely no liking for Wulfgar, Galen Firth decides that it would be best, politically, to acquiesce. With Colson in tow, Wulfgar tells Catti-brie that he has decided to take Colson back to her real mother and that he is going back to Icewind Dale to rejoin the Elk Tribe. Catti-brie is the only one of their friends who has not yet realised Wulfgar's plans and is shocked but does not stop him from leaving. When he gets there, Meralda and Feringal Auck do take the child, amidst Colson's screams for her 'da'.

While all of this is going on, Grguch and his clan have begun a campaign against the elves of the Moonwood, who have been highly successful at attacking the orc settlements along their borders. The elves are surprised at the ferocity of the counter-attack but Tos'un Armgo leads them to safety. Grguch's next attack though is a lot more effective. With help from his chief shaman, currently bolstered magically by Jack the Gnome, Grguch's half-orcs manage to rout the elves again and, unfortunately, kill Innovindil and Sunset.

Hralien travels to Mithral Hall to ask for Drizzt's help in tracking Tos'un, who the elves blame for Innovindil's death, thinking that he aids the orcs again. Drizzt agrees and they both leave. That same day, Alustriel arrives with an entourage of wizards to help build the new bridge across the River Surbrin so that the dwarves will again have an efficient access route to the rest of the Silver Marches and trade can be restarted. Bruenor is angry that Alustriel won't send the armies of the confederation against the orcs and is determined to show that the scrolls they recovered from the underground city tell of how the orcs betrayed the dwarves.

One of the orc shaman-conspirators, Toogwik Tuk rouses a thousands-strong army from along the eastern edge of Many-Arrows that Grguch sends headlong against the not-quite-finished dwarven wall that protects Mithral Hall's eastern flank. Alustriel's wizards had prepared spells intended for the bridges construction so were-ill-prepared to fight off the orc horde and had to retreat across the river through dimension doors but not before Catti-brie got her first taste of wielding to power of magic (thanks to some items that Alustriel had given her). The orcs were gone once the wizards had prepared their battle spells and the entire building site had been looted. Alustriel and her remaining wizards agreed to stay to help rebuild the wall and finish the bridge, but she would still not send her armies against the orcs, much to Bruenor's rage.

Drizzt finds Tos'un and defeats him in battle (Khazid'hea urged Tos'un to). Drizzt captures him and they join Bruenor in his anger-fuelled plan to assassinate Obould. Grguch discovers Obould's plan to send a peace envoy to Bruenor and plans an attack on Obould's camp so that Grguch can overthrow him. Tos'un, Hralien, Drizzt, Regis, Torgar, Cordio, Shingles McGruff and Bruenor attack just as Clan Karuck and his assembled horde attack as well. Obould and Grguch have a showdown whilst Jack the Gnome helps Grguch cheat by casting spells at Obould. Drizzt deals with the spellcasters whilst Bruenor saves Obould's life by attacking Grguch instead of him.

Jack and Grguch are both killed and Obould is invited to sign a peace treaty with many of the members of the Silver Marches, officially recognizing Dark-Arrows as its own state.