A Novel set in the World of Greyhawk
by Thomas Kelly
The Hateful Wars (498-510 CY), also called “The Purge” by the mountain dwarves and “The Catastrophe” by the denizens of the Pomarj, refers to more than a decade of fierce battles in the valleys, narrow passes, tunnels, mines, and citadels of the Lortmil Mountain Range. The Hateful Wars involved an unlikely alliance between all three Ulek states, the elven kingdom of Celene, the dwarves and gnomes of the Lortmil Mountains, the Archclericy of Veluna, and the gnomes of the Kron Hills. These strange allies labored together for a dozen years to completely cull the Lortmil Mountains of their many indigenous tribes of kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, flind, orcs, and ogres. The origins of the wars reach back more than eight centuries, even back to the dwarves’ first arrival in the Lortmil Mountains, and repercussions of those wars continue to wrack the central Flanaess to this day. Tales of the Hateful Wars are still rehearsed by those who remember the events: the dwarves, the gnomes, and the elves. Rarely do their accounts agree on the details, but all admit the central role of the house of Corond and the daughter of the Prince Olinstaad of Ulek, Kristryd Olinsdotter. The Saga of Kristryd Olinsdotter is performed at the Bardic Circle Guild Hall in Gyrax every summer at the annual Richfest festival.
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Original Chapters of Serial Version
You can use the links below to access the original, unedited versions of the chapters as they appeared on Greyhawkstories.com. The original versions of the material include citations, documentation, and attribution for material included in the story. (Note that, the original chapter titles and numbers do not always correspond with the final version in the final PDF and E-book.)
Chapter One: Ehlonna’s Blessing
Chapter Two: The Wedding of Kristryd Olinsdotter
Chapter Three: Ways Fraught with Peril
Chapter Five: The Stolen Anvil
Chapter Seven: The Fey Mysteries
Chapter Nine: The Lay of Larethian
Chapter Ten: The Queen’s Wrath
Chapter Eleven: Declarations, Councils, and War
Chapter Twelve: The Suel Spell
Chapter Thirteen: The Drawing of the Veil
Chapter Fourteen: A Voice in the Dark
Chapter Sixteen: Head of the Medusa
Chapter Seventeen: The Stirges’ Nest
Chapter Eighteen: Moonarch of Sehanine
Chapter Nineteen: Under the Moonarch
Chapter Twenty: Spells & Stratagems
Chapter Twenty-One: The Ignoble Act
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Halfblood Prophecy
Chapter Twenty-Three: Among the Tested
Chapter Twenty-Four: Terror in the Hall of Scrolls
Chapter Twenty-Five: Black Ichor
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Caging of Gretyll
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Undermountain Queen
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Durgeddin the Black
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Bagbag’s Troubles
Chapter Thirty: Hammer and the Anvil
Chapter Thirty-Two: Hedvyg’s Reflection
Chapter Thirty-Three: Ghosts of Velstar Keep
Chapter Thirty-Four: Dengar’s Treason
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Scribbet on the Stone
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Siege of Jurnre
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Battle of Riechsvale
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Siege of Castle Hagthar
Chapter Forty: Heroes of the Fey Kingdom
Chapter Forty-One: Back from the Dead
Chapter Forty-Two: Hail, Kristryd
Chapter Forty-Three: Comes the Trampling Host
Chapter Forty-Four: Siege of Hoch Dunglorin
Chapter Forty-Five: Ceremonies
Chapter Forty-Six: Into the Abyss
Chapter Forty-Seven: End of War
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