The Army of Darkness was a massive force of nearly 60,000[1] yugoloths, orcs, bugbears, hobgoblins, gnolls, flinds, ogres, and trolls that assaulted Myth Drannor in the early 8th century DR.[2] They were led by the Trio Nefarious who organized the monsters into tightly regimented battalions, which made it the biggest army that Faerûn had ever seen (while some orc hordes were of comparable size, they lacked their structure and direction).[3]
Organization[]
It was led by nycaloths. Aulmpiter was leader and tactician; Malimshaer was head scout, saboteur, and spy; while Gaulguth was field commander.[1]
Each nycaloth had a legion of five battalions under their command, except Aulmpiter, who had six. Each battalion was led by a summoned mezzoloth general, who each led five regiments of troops. These eighty regiments were each led by colonels who were either the chieftains of the larger tribes who made up the warriors in said regiment or more summoned mezzoloths. Under the colonels were the majors, who tended to be the chiefs of the smaller tribes or further mezzoloths. Under them were the captains and commanders, who consisted mainly of the sons and daughters of the aforementioned chieftains, or again mezzoloths. The giants who joined were all automatically given one of these two ranks (most of them were hill giants who commanded by 'allowing' their mezzoloth second-in-commands to suggest tactics). The commanders each controlled twenty-five warriors (five lots of four soldiers and a sergeant).[1]
This organization was the key to the success of the Army, without it, Myth Drannor would have been much less likely to fall as it eventually did.[4] The city did only fall however, once the nycaloths were all slain. The monsters reverted to their normal horde tactics and swept down upon the city en masse.[5]
History[]
It took twenty-nine months for the army's forces to be gathered.[6] [7]
The first military action the army took part in was the attack on the mining and trading encampments in the western Moonsea (eventually this area would become Zhentil Keep) in late autumn of the Year of Despairing Elves, 711 DR. By the Feast of the Moon of that same year, the Army attacked the Cormanthor Forest. This was the beginning of the Weeping War.[6][5]
Appendix[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Steven E. Schend (1998). The Fall of Myth Drannor. Edited by Cindi Rice, Dale Donovan. (TSR, Inc.), p. 14. ISBN 0-7869-1235-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Steven E. Schend (1998). The Fall of Myth Drannor. Edited by Cindi Rice, Dale Donovan. (TSR, Inc.), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-1235-9.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1998). The Fall of Myth Drannor. Edited by Cindi Rice, Dale Donovan. (TSR, Inc.), p. 13. ISBN 0-7869-1235-9.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1998). The Fall of Myth Drannor. Edited by Cindi Rice, Dale Donovan. (TSR, Inc.), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-1235-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steven E. Schend (1998). The Fall of Myth Drannor. Edited by Cindi Rice, Dale Donovan. (TSR, Inc.), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-1235-9.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.