Second Dragonspear War

The Second Dragonspear War was a series of conflicts that took place in the, between the rampaging Hordes of Dragonspear and several armies united in defense. Included among the defenders were the combined forces of several Lords' Alliance powers, elves from the Misty Forest and Laughing Hollow, as well as the dwarves of Clan Stonehand, and those from Illefarn.

Location
The war took place in the Western Heartlands and along the Sword Coast. Some battlegrounds included lands around the The Way Inn, the town of Daggerford, the Misty Forest, and the source of fiendish army, Dragonspear Castle.

Causes
In the years following the First Dragonspear War, several baatezu from Avernus discovered the gate that connected the Nine Hells to the material plane at the heart of Dragonspear Castle. While at first only a few devils passed through the portal in secret, others soon followed until they claimed the castle as their own. They came to be led by the malevolent pit fiend Baazka.

Initial Conflicts
The first belligerent actions of the war were a series of raids on the Misty Forest, made by the Marauders of the Dragonspear army. A contingent of goblins and kobolds rampaged through the forest, but were turned away by the elves and druids that lived within.

The Marauders returned a few weeks later, accompanied by bugbears and ogres of The Storm. The elves and druids were able to turn the invaders and their victory was close at hand. Unfortunately, the ancient black dragon Maelestor Rex swooped over the Misty Forest and rained its acid breath over the allied defenders. The elven lines were broken and the horde continued their frenzied assault.

As the fiendish horde ravaged the countryside of the Sword Coast, refugees came pouring in to Daggerford in droves. Duke Pwyll "Greatshout" made a call to arms and rallied the town's army. The Daggerford army was soon joined by a band of adventurers, and guardsmen from the 3 company of Waterdeep's High Guard, led by Frey Silverblade.

Battles
The next major battle took place just outside The Way Inn. The adventurers, Daggerford's militia, and the 3 company soldiers were all stationed around the inn, which sat atop a hill overlooking the nearby road. The Marauders of the Dragonspear Horde came directly up the road, in a disadvantageous position. The defenders emerged victorious and the cornugon commander of the Marauders, Vrag, swore revenge.

A group of mercenaries led by the ranger Uhmbrick vowed to join the cause, as they considered the Daggerford commander Dauravyn Redbeard to be a trusted old friend. The allied army and their new companions remained at the inn while the adventuring party left to scout the decimated Misty Forest.

While the army left a small detachment behind, the majority of their forces moved south shortly thereafter. Their numbers were bolstered by the elves led by Sylyndyrryl Moonspinner, along with the dwarves that fought under Cyrag Hammerbone. Not long after the army left, The Way Inn was destroyed by the hordes' black dragon.

Following the destruction of the inn, the Hordes of Dragonspear assaulted the town of Daggerford.

Following the battle, the Army Banner of Daggerford militia was lost as the defenders were forced to retreat back behind Daggerford city walls. The orcs and devils dragged the banner back into Dragonspear Castle, reveling in a battle's victory. The Army Banner was proudly erected on top of the tallest spire of the castle as a war trophy. With the enemy stronghold being perceived as impregnable, the Daggerford militia's morale plummeted. The Duke knew that demoralization was sure to result in a crushing defeat, and recovering the banner was essential to survival. However impossible the task seemed, one soldier, Kaylet Wespil, volunteered for the suicide mission. With Duke's permission, the woman rode to her cottage a few miles away from Daggerford and retrieved a small lockbox left to her by her heroic father. Later the same day, Kaylet Wespil returned to the Duke's tent, carrying the Army Banner of Daggerford. The woman cashed a favor in from a bronze dragon ally of her father. On the wyrm's back, she flew over the castle and snatched the banner without the enemy's notice. The Duke commissioned the dragon's aid with the ensuing battles, and the militia morale was high once again.

The final battle of the war took place in the wooded fields outside Dragonspear Castle, with the entirety of both forces present. While the allied forces were greatly outnumbered by the horde, the adventuring party that accompanied them managed to turn the tide of battle. Having previously acquired the dragonspear in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the castle, they presented it to Maelestor Rex. Knowing that the weapon's destruction meant he could regain his free will, the dragon unleashed its acidic breath on the spear and turned on his fiendish oppressors. Baazka was stabbed through the heart by a worshiper of Tempus, with the elven blade Illydrael. The sword broke in half as Baazka fled through the gate.

Once they routed the horde of devils and monsters, allied forces eradicated the last remaining fiends from within the castle itself. After nearly two years of fighting, the Second Dragonspear War was at an end.

Aftermath
After the Horde army was broken and the evil forces of Dragonspear Castle were stopped, the adventurers were considered heroes by the people of Daggerdale. Priests of the god Tempus constructed a shrine within the castle, like the ruined Hold of the Battle Lions temple built after the first war. The shrine remained a bulwark against the forces of the Nine Hells well into the 15 century.

The Way Inn was rebuilt over the course of the following year.

Overall, the conflict strengthened the relationship between Daggerford and Waterdeep, two powers united under the Lords' Alliance. The Council of Guilds established a barracks in the smaller town, which doubled as a home-away-from-home for the Waterdhavian 3 company that fought so valiantly in the war.

In the, Caelar Argent led the Shining Crusade under the false promise of freeing the souls of those who had died during the Second Dragonspear War.

Combatants
The Hordes of Dragonspear, led by the pit fiend Baazka, comprised three distinct contingents. The Marauders of Vrag numbered nearly a thousand goblins and kobolds that engaged in suicidal raids, the Blood Guard had half their number of orcs and hobgoblins in what was the main assault force, and The Storm was a couple hundred bugbears and ogres that fought under cover of the black dragon, Maelestor Rex.


 * Notable Individual Combatants:
 * Baergon Bluesword, a cleric of Tempus that helped defend during the Battle of Daggerford
 * The Barghest, a ruthless half-orc that had previously fought in the first war
 * Kaylet Wespil, a militia woman of Daggerford who recovered the Army Banner of Daggerford and enlisted help of a fierce bronze dragon who aided against the forces of Dragonspear.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Hordes of Dragonspear
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford