 The tunnels of Barendir, known for their sparkly crystals. | |
| Conflict | |
|---|---|
| Keldagrim - Troll Country War | |
| Date | |
| Approx. 160 of the Fifth Age | |
| Place | |
| Barendir | |
| Outcome | |
| Dwarven victory, decrease in Troll strength, death of prominent troll general Dwarf Bone | |
| Combatants | |
| Keldagrim, Dwarven Black Guard, The Mining Consortium | Troll Country |
| Commanders | |
| Supreme Commander Bisi, Lieutenant Veldaban, Colonel Grimsson | Dwarf Bone, Pretty Flower |
| Strength | |
| Unknown, believed to be several thousand foot soldiers, conscripts and Black Guard, unknown number of dwarf multicannons | Unknown, believed to be several thousand troll troops |
| Casualties | |
| Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Barendir was a battle between the dwarves of Keldagrim and the Trolls that inhabited a nearby mountain range. It was at this battle that the Dwarven Black Guard's Colonel Grimsson was injured in combat.
Background[]
In the early Third Age, as the world was rent apart by the cataclysmic God Wars, the dwarven race was threatened with extinction. Despite their efforts to defend themselves, the dwarves soon realised that they would not survive prolonged conflict. Almost the entire dwarven race, much like the gnomes, fled beneath the surface of Gielinor, hiding themselves from the deadly wars above.
The dwarves hid beneath Trollweiss Mountain, a massive mountain that borders what is now the eastern Fremennik Province. While this protected the dwarves for some time, a new threat soon surfaced; the trolls, a species of humanoid monsters native to the mountain range.
Even to this day, the dwarves are locked in a constant struggle with the trolls. While the dwarves have gained the upper hand, the dwarves and trolls have engaged in serious combat many times, the Battle of Barendir being one notable modern example.
The Battle[]
| “ | It was a few years ago. The trolls had been attacking our miners, so the Supreme Commander sent a Black Guard regiment to deal with them. I was just a lieutenant at the time. Our commanding officer was Colonel Grimsson. He was a real slave-driver. The new recruits think Colonel Grenda is bad, but Grimsson was ten times worse. We had to attack a position where the trolls were entrenched. The trolls rained rocks down on us from behind cover, and attacked from side-tunnels and pits. We lost hundreds of men. There were bodies everywhere, and the smell of blood was… I wish I could forget it. Colonel Grimsson led the charge. He burst through the barricades that the trolls had set up, and I saw him in combat with the troll general. We took the cavern, but Grimsson kept hacking at the trolls as they fled. He was screaming like a demon and his whole face was covered in blood from a wound to his forehead. Then the trolls were gone, but Grimsson didn’t stop fighting. He attacked anyone who came near him. He wounded several soldiers. | ” |
— Veldaban on the battle
|
Colonel Grimsson, the hero on the dwarves' side.
Although known details are few, the Battle of Barendir is believed to have been fought in the caves outside of Keldagrim. A tribe of trolls, apparently seeking to gain entry to Keldagrim, soon found themselves locked in combat with the Dwarven Black Guard, Keldagrim's military force led by Supreme Commander Bisi.
The battle lasted for some time, with both sides taking heavy casualties. Only when Colonel Grimsson, a noted dwarven soldier, entered the fray did the dwarves gain the upper hand.
Grimsson single-handedly forced the trolls back, slaying any that crossed his path. Eventually he was faced with the trolls' leader, Dwarf Bone, whom he slew in a one-on-one battle. The fight, however, left Grimsson with a massive scar on his face and in an even more deteriorated mental state.
Despite his wounds, Grimsson continued to fight, attacking madly even as the trolls retreated. His brutal performance earned him his nickname, "The Butcher of Barendir". Ultimately, the Black Guard was victorious.
Aftermath[]
Although the dwarves had won, the threat of the trolls continued. Even to this day, skirmishes between the two are common.
Colonel Grimsson became increasingly violent following the battle, lashing out against his fellow soldiers. After a brutal attack on a companion, Grimsson was dismissed from the Black Guard. Hreidmar, the director of The Red Axe, took him in as a right-hand man, affectionately referring to him as "The Blood Colonel".
Gallery[]
| Part 2 of the Rise of the Red Axe quest series | |
| NPCs | |
| Items |
 Kelda seed Kelda hops Kelda stout Green square stone Yellow square stone Letter A chair Beer glass |
| Rewards |
 Mature dwarven stout |
| Music |
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| Miscellaneous |
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