Retribution Campaign

In 1456, an army of fire giants and Gol'hakh led by the Asvard Fjoll descended upon Orias Vual. This army was so large, and moved so fast against the city that it surrendered after a token defense. The leader of Gorthundor's army was a mortal hero named Raxcvillibus Dumu-loc. He led the armies of Gorthundor for 12 years, scoring victory after victory in northern Ma'Ohari and in the bowels of Dhark Bolg. Raxcvillibus was greatly respected by his troops, yet seen as a potential contender by a jealous Gorthundor.

On 11 Bloom 1462, Raxcvillibus was captured by loyalists of Gorthundor. They bound him, and then took him to the battlements overlooking Malephar. He was catapulted into this lava lake, where his mortal essence died.

Raxcvillibus had not gone unnoticed to Higher Powers, both Thasmudyan and Asmodeus saw potential in him. They both agreed to bless him with unholy power, raising him from the fires of Malephar - creating the first hell knight.

Raxcvillibus swam and crawled his way out of the lava lake and made for the Underdark, in his hand a priceless rod of ruby. With this powerful rod of command, the very Rod of Ruby that denotes Asmodeus as Overlord of the Hells. Raxcvillibus rallied bandits, mercenaries, and others looking to settle scores with Gorthundor's Goth-Dyvermoir. In less than a month, thanks to the loaned ruby rod, Raxcvillibus assembled an army of 15,000. This army consisted of people from Sephu'phis, Aebilchunus, Gurutharni, and Hlothraza. They first marched against the Pyramid of Conflict. When this place was captured, it was returned to the Pyrmidian Ghouls; the same people who had lost it to Raxcvillibus seven years earlier when he was a general under Gorthundor. This unusual gesture of good-will, and not the Ruby Rod, convinced them to help Raxcvillibus in the battle to take Orias Vual and bring an end to Gorthundor.

In the last month of 1462, in what was a lighting fast war, the Retribution Campaign came to an end. Raxcvillibus captured Orias Vual and its Emperor Gorthundor. In the siege, a large number of soldiers refused to take up arms against Raxcvillibus. In what is thought to have been collusion on the part of Gorthundor's daughter, Raxcvillibus easily took the city and then did not stake claim to it. Rule of Orias Vual fell to the Vinjof Sillodis, headed by Gorthundor's daughter and high priestess Oni'tira.

Gorthundor's end was one of humiliation. He was loaded like a mule with chests of coin and loot and then made to haul it out of the city. When that business was done, Raxcvillibus had Gorthundor cursed with a spell that removed any immunities to fire. He then had him fired from the city in the same catapult that sent him careening into Malephar.

As spoils of victory, Raxcvillibus took 500,000 in gold from the city's treasury, 40 fire giants, and 5,000 firenewts. Asmodeus's Rod of Ruby disappeared from Rax's possession and with it the charmed were free to return to their homelands. Many volunteered to stay on, influenced by pay and the charisma of their leader.