The Orcgate Wars and the Great Rising of Orcgates [Archive] - Wizards Community

The Orcgate Wars and the Great Rising of Orcgates [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Herr Doktor
10-21-03, 12:26 PM I'm doing some reasearch on the Orcgate wars and I came across this passage in Prayer's From the Faithful.In so doing, she undoubtedly preserved the sacred item from destruction—for Naneethrama, the Sacred Throne of
Skulls, Undelos, and all were swept away in the Great Rising of the Orcgates, in 955 DR, when a fell power (some say
Thayan archmages experimenting with dangerous spells, others insist that the gods of the orcs themselves were responsible) suddenly brought into being scores of dimensional portals that spewed forth orcs from the mountain caverns of the far North to lay waste to half a hundred cities and realms all over Faerūn.
I'm guessing that this speaks of an entirely different occurence as it happens nearly 1000 years after the Orcgate Wars. Is there any connection between the dimensional portals and Thayan spellcasters mentioned here and what occured over 1000 years ago during the Orcgate Wars?
loki87
10-21-03, 12:50 PM I'm not intimately familiar with the Orcsgate Wars, but I thought they went on for quite a long time (centuries or maybe even a millenium), so this may not be a mistake. Of course, "the Great Rising" sounds like the beginning, so I'm probably wrong.

*shrugs* :bored:
Herr Doktor
10-21-03, 01:03 PM I think they were much shorter than you've been brought to believe. Here are a couple of excerpts from various realms timelines: -1076 DR Orcgate opens.

-1075 DR First battle of the Orcgate Wars. Orcs overrun many northern settlements, slaying thousands.

-1071 DR Battle of the Gods. Re is slain by the orc-deity Gruumsh.

-1069 DR Orcs driven from the south.
-1075 Orcgate Wars in Thay.

-1069 Orcs in Thay defeated; many flee north and west
Iakhovas
10-21-03, 01:58 PM Indeed. The Orcgate Wars occured between -1076 DR and -1069 DR. I suspect the designer simply got the dates wrong. It's been known to happen from time to time.

Faerūn: Chronology of the Forgotten Realms (http://www.geonomicon.com/chronology/temporum/faerun.htm)
loki87
10-21-03, 02:11 PM Like I said, I'm wrong! :angel:
Lashan
10-22-03, 07:42 AM I've had something bothering me since Races of Faerun came out. I always thought that the Orcgate Wars were when orcs came to this plane. Like many other races, orcs didn't live on Toril before this planar invasion.

So, what of this "grey orc" in Races of Faerun. I admit that it has been a while since I read it, so if I am mistaken, please correct me. Aren't these orcs the decendants of Orcgate orcs? So, there are other orcs who have lived on Toril all this time, and the grey orcs are the ones that came from the Orcgate Wars and are "super orcs"?
Garen Thal
10-22-03, 09:03 AM Originally posted by Lashan
I've had something bothering me since Races of Faerun came out. I always thought that the Orcgate Wars were when orcs came to this plane. Like many other races, orcs didn't live on Toril before this planar invasion.

So, what of this "grey orc" in Races of Faerun. I admit that it has been a while since I read it, so if I am mistaken, please correct me. Aren't these orcs the decendants of Orcgate orcs? So, there are other orcs who have lived on Toril all this time, and the grey orcs are the ones that came from the Orcgate Wars and are "super orcs"?

The grey orc presented in Races of Faerūn is meant to represent the descendants of the orcs which came to Toril during the Orcgate Wars. They first came to Faerūn in -1081DR, forming the orc tribes east of the Heartlands.

The mountain orc, prevelant in the North and the Western Heartlands, is much older in Toril's history.

The reason that they have been divided into two distinct races is that orcs have very obviously lived on Faerūn for longer than 2500 years. The history of various peoples bears this out, and there needed to be some account for the difference between the various orc timelines.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Herr Doktor 10-21-03, 12:26 PM	I'm doing some reasearch on the Orcgate wars and I came across this passage in Prayer's From the Faithful.In so doing, she undoubtedly preserved the sacred item from destruction—for Naneethrama, the Sacred Throne of Skulls, Undelos, and all were swept away in the Great Rising of the Orcgates, in 955 DR, when a fell power (some say Thayan archmages experimenting with dangerous spells, others insist that the gods of the orcs themselves were responsible) suddenly brought into being scores of dimensional portals that spewed forth orcs from the mountain caverns of the far North to lay waste to half a hundred cities and realms all over Faerūn. I'm guessing that this speaks of an entirely different occurence as it happens nearly 1000 years after the Orcgate Wars. Is there any connection between the dimensional portals and Thayan spellcasters mentioned here and what occured over 1000 years ago during the Orcgate Wars?
loki87 10-21-03, 12:50 PM	I'm not intimately familiar with the Orcsgate Wars, but I thought they went on for quite a long time (centuries or maybe even a millenium), so this may not be a mistake. Of course, "the Great Rising" sounds like the beginning, so I'm probably wrong. shrugs :bored:
Herr Doktor 10-21-03, 01:03 PM	I think they were much shorter than you've been brought to believe. Here are a couple of excerpts from various realms timelines: -1076 DR Orcgate opens. -1075 DR First battle of the Orcgate Wars. Orcs overrun many northern settlements, slaying thousands. -1071 DR Battle of the Gods. Re is slain by the orc-deity Gruumsh. -1069 DR Orcs driven from the south. -1075 Orcgate Wars in Thay. -1069 Orcs in Thay defeated; many flee north and west
Iakhovas 10-21-03, 01:58 PM	Indeed. The Orcgate Wars occured between -1076 DR and -1069 DR. I suspect the designer simply got the dates wrong. It's been known to happen from time to time. Faerūn: Chronology of the Forgotten Realms (http://www.geonomicon.com/chronology/temporum/faerun.htm)
loki87 10-21-03, 02:11 PM	Like I said, I'm wrong! :angel:
Lashan 10-22-03, 07:42 AM	I've had something bothering me since Races of Faerun came out. I always thought that the Orcgate Wars were when orcs came to this plane. Like many other races, orcs didn't live on Toril before this planar invasion. So, what of this "grey orc" in Races of Faerun. I admit that it has been a while since I read it, so if I am mistaken, please correct me. Aren't these orcs the decendants of Orcgate orcs? So, there are other orcs who have lived on Toril all this time, and the grey orcs are the ones that came from the Orcgate Wars and are "super orcs"?
Garen Thal 10-22-03, 09:03 AM	Originally posted by Lashan I've had something bothering me since Races of Faerun came out. I always thought that the Orcgate Wars were when orcs came to this plane. Like many other races, orcs didn't live on Toril before this planar invasion. So, what of this "grey orc" in Races of Faerun. I admit that it has been a while since I read it, so if I am mistaken, please correct me. Aren't these orcs the decendants of Orcgate orcs? So, there are other orcs who have lived on Toril all this time, and the grey orcs are the ones that came from the Orcgate Wars and are "super orcs"? The grey orc presented in Races of Faerūn is meant to represent the descendants of the orcs which came to Toril during the Orcgate Wars. They first came to Faerūn in -1081DR, forming the orc tribes east of the Heartlands. The mountain orc, prevelant in the North and the Western Heartlands, is much older in Toril's history. The reason that they have been divided into two distinct races is that orcs have very obviously lived on Faerūn for longer than 2500 years. The history of various peoples bears this out, and there needed to be some account for the difference between the various orc timelines.