 A squad of the Imperial Guard fight off a troll invasion. | |
| Beginning | End |
|---|---|
Late Fifth Age
|
Ongoing
|
| Place | |
| Combatants | |
Trolls of Death Plateau
|
|
| Commanders | |
| Casualties | |
Many trolls, Morningstar
|
Many soldiers
|
| Concurrent war | |
| Previous war | |
| Next war | |
None
| |
The Burthorpe - Troll Country War is a series of conflicts that occur between the Burthorpe Imperial Guard and the dangerous and aggressive mountain trolls of Death Plateau. It is of importance for the Imperial Guard that Burthorpe, the last major settlement in Asgarnia with its own government, win the war in order to prove themselves, for otherwise the White Knights of Falador will take over the town, ending its semi-independency.[1] The war consists mainly of small battles or invasions in and around the Burthorpe area, though the trolls are known to have infiltrated as far south as Taverley, a peaceful and quiet druid town that has since had to provide shelter for many Burthorpe refugees. It continued during the gruesome War of 164, which heavily featured Burthorpe and Prince Anlaf, as Commander Daquarius led an armed regiment there to take over the town.
The ongoing efforts of the Imperial Guard appear to be led by Commander Denulth, with Crown Prince Anlaf remaining hidden in his castle, presumably at the fear of assassination after his father, King Vallance's, mysterious illness he believes to be a plot set up by the White Knights. The trolls do not appear to have an established leader, although several attacks have been conducted under troll generals such as Morningstar, Cliff, Anvil and Magic Stick.
History
Beginning
The war began somewhere in the fifties of the Fifth Age, when Prince Anlaf, having become an adolescent, was granted leadership of the town of Burthorpe, by his father, King Vallance of Asgarnia, in order to gain experience. He founded the Burthorpe Imperial Guard to battle the frequently incoming troll forces from the north-west and fortified the town, in particular Burthorpe Castle, to better resist the attacks. This was seemingly successful, for the war has lasted to this day without any major damage to Burthorpe.
In 162, his father fell ill to the point where he could no longer appear in public nor govern the kingdom. The White Knights took advantage of this and Sir Amik Varze became the de facto leader of Falador. The hostile Kinshra, a Zamorakian military organisation in Asgarnia, was outlawed and a political war erupted between the two. Anlaf wanted to claim his birthright as ruler of Asgarnia, but was denied this. Angry at this, he declared Burthorpe independent from Asgarnia and forbade the Imperial Guard in defending the kingdom from the Kinshra during the ensuing Battle of North Falador a year later.
Political interest
During the War of 164, Burthorpe was a major place on conflict when a Kinshra-aligned witch known as The Sybil was sent there to put Anlaf under her control. This succeeded and he was brainwashed into being Zamorakian. Later, the then-commander Daquarius Rennard invaded Burthorpe and the Imperial Guard were forced to defend the town, leaving the trolls free to attack. Fortunately for the former, the trolls did not seem to invade any more frequently than they did normally. When the war ended, Anlaf's mind was restored and the Imperial Guard could focus on the incoming attacks once more.
However, the hostilities between Falador and the Kinshra had all but ceased. Campaigns such as the famous Dawn Ascent required hefty funding and the money had started to run low for the White Knights. As such, Burthorpe became a place of financial interest and the White Knights threatened to take over the town and remove Anlaf from the throne. They were reminded about the trolls, however, for those would invade and attack Asgarnia should the Imperial Guard be disbanded. The White Knights realised the danger of this and agreed to let Burthorpe have its independency, on the condition that they win the war against the trolls.[1] As such, the war has become a primary focus for Burthorpe.
Current situation
The narrow path that leads from Death Plateau to Burthorpe, with a wounded soldier near it.
By 169, Burthorpe and, to a much lesser extent, its neighbouring town Taverley had become a warzone. Many soldiers had fallen to the trolls, which had since become able to enter Burthorpe and Taverley unseen to perform ambush attacks. The druids of Taverley performed a ritual to appeal to Guthix so that he would turn the tide in Burthorpe's advantage - however, as the god died at the end of that year, this was seemingly useless. While the Imperial Guard remain vigilant and get some minor outside help, most notable being the Faladian Temple Knight Sir Owen, the trolls seem to attack more frequently and take the lives of more men with each invasion.
The Imperial Guard have successfully managed to secure an underground cave that leads to a one of the cliffs of the Troll Country with the aid of an adventurer. From there, they can ambush any trolls heading for Burthorpe from Death Plateau, a major victory for Burthorpe.