The Giantfolk Incursion (420 AW)

Overview

The Giantfolk Incursion was a brief but catastrophically destructive period in the year 420 AW, marked by relentless raids by the Giantfolk tribes of the North-East against the coastlines of the Northern and Eastern Continents. The sheer scale of the threat forced an unprecedented, albeit temporary, alliance between the rival superpowers of Steamfort and Kigum.

The Volcanic Trigger

The true cause of the Incursion was hidden from the world. For centuries, the Giantfolk tribes of the Lifeless Swells had lived in relative isolation, worshiping the elemental fire of the deep earth.

In early 420 AW, the slumbering Ancient Red Dragon, Ignis-Kaan, stirred beneath the volcanic peaks. Seeking to destabilize the continent and plunge the world into a chaotic war from which he could emerge as a fiery tyrant, Ignis-Kaan channeled his magic to trigger a series of massive volcanic eruptions.

The eruptions decimated the Giantfolk's hunting grounds and poisoned their water sources. Believing this to be a sign of anger from their elemental gods, and driven to desperation by famine, Jarl Throm-Ka united the tribes and launched a massive invasion southward.

The Ironclad Vanguard

The Giantfolk's arrival was heralded by a fleet of massive, crude longships that ignored traditional naval tactics. They attacked coastal settlements with brutal efficiency, their massive stature rendering traditional infantry lines useless.

Recognizing that neither Steamfort's mechanization nor Kigum's magic could repel the invasion alone, diplomats from both cities met in secret. The result was the Treaty of the Iron Anvil, a temporary cessation of the Cold War and the formation of a joint task force: The Ironclad Vanguard.

Joint Operations

The Ironclad Vanguard represented the pinnacle of combined Aethervale technology and magic:

• Aether-Shielded Mechs: Steamfort's towering iron mechs were reinforced with Kigum's protective wards, allowing them to withstand the fiery boulders hurled by Fire Giants.
• Arcane Bombardment: Steamfort's ironclad airships provided heavily armored platforms from which Kigum's elite battle-mages could rain devastating area-of-effect spells down upon the Giantfolk hordes.

The Battle of the Boiling Coast

The decisive conflict occurred on the northern shores of the Eastern Continent. Jarl Throm-Ka led a massive assault against a hastily constructed joint military base.

The battle raged for three days. The Ironclad Vanguard held the line, utilizing their combined arms tactics. The turning point came when a coordinated strike by Steamfort's airships dropped specialized, magically enhanced cryo-bombs designed by Kigum's archmages, freezing the bay and trapping the Giantfolk fleet.

Throm-Ka, realizing his forces were being routed, challenged the commanders of the Vanguard to open combat. He was defeated by a combined assault, forcing the surviving Giantfolk to retreat back to the harsh north.

Aftermath

The Giantfolk Incursion proved the devastating potential of a combined Steamfort-Kigum military force. However, once the threat was repelled, old suspicions quickly resurfaced. The Treaty of the Iron Anvil was allowed to expire, and the Cold War resumed with even greater tension, as both sides had now seen the full capabilities of the other's military technology.

Ignis-Kaan, observing the failure of his proxies, returned to his slumber, deciding to bide his time and await a more subtle opportunity to bring ruin to the world.