Crusade of Mecademus

In 732, Mecademus I, then Mattias Ruyt, a human from Dorrel learned of the recent Sacking of Urchell by the orcs from his friend and companion the dwarf Tsorn Oregleam. Swayed by his friends tales of the horrible defeat of the dwarves by the orcs and the scattering of the Urchellian forces, Mecademus pleaded with the King of Dorrel, Jorgus to send out his armies and rally the dwarves to retake the holy city of Urchell. Thrice, King Jorgus refused the young general, but finally with the help of King Tolbrin the Tall of Urchell, he relented. Placing the full might of the Dorrelian army under Mecademus' command, Mecademus set out from Dorrel to unite the scattered dwarven army and marched into the mountains toward Urchell.

Their first trial lay at the trading city of Galda, a melting pot of dwarvan and human culture. The orcs, testing their newfound muscle, had struck out from Urchell and were aimed at the small city. When Mecademus and Tolbrin arrived with their forces, the orcs were at the gate. Tolbrin sustained a near fatal arrow wound in the battle, after fighting heroically. Mecademus challenged the orcish leader, Krall the Griphand to single combat on the walls of Galda and slew him. Demoralized, the orcs retreated back into the mountains, and the coalition rested.

Days later, the dwarf citadel of Umon Ukal fell to the retreating orcs. When Mecademus and the army arrived, they found only a broken and burning skeleton of the once proud city. Tolbrin, whose younger cousin Galfbrin had presided over Umon Ukal, swore a blood oath never to suffer the orcs in dwarven lands any longer, and the host advanced.

With the single road to Urchell heavily guarded by orcs, Tolbrin lead the troops through the Chasm of Durthaen. Many were slain in the perilous darkness underneath the mountain, including Selderen of Midwood, leader of a small elvish contingent that had come to their aid.