I. The World of Warhost - Chronicles of the Circle

An Extract from the Warhost World Manuscript

This is the first entry in Chronicles of the Circle, a weekly record of the history, tensions, and powers that shape the world of Warhost.

We begin not with a single kingdom or faction, but with the world itself.

What follows is an official extract from the Warhost World Manuscript. It acts as the foundation upon which all future Chronicles will build.

The record is presented as written.

Introduction

The world known in ancient times as Aelthirra lies at the heart of what humankind now calls the Circle of Lands. It constitutes a realm shaped by bygone empires, devastating wars, and fragile human dominion. Once ruled by the Elves in harmony with stone and forest, it now stands divided between ambitious kingdoms, haunted by ruins, and overshadowed by ancient threats.

Here are recorded the principal ages, conflicts, and powers that define the Warhost setting within the known world.

The Three Ages

The Aelthirion: The Age of Elves

The first great era of recorded history was the Aelthirion, remembered by humans as the Age of Elves. During this time, the Elves ruled Aelthirra from living cities of leaf and stone, bound together by ancient roads and refined arcane craft. Their dominion stretched from sea to sea, and their authority was rarely challenged.

Humans existed mainly as scattered tribes upon the margins of elven lands, while dwarven holds prospered within the mountains. Trade moved freely between Elves and Dwarves, linking forest and stone through ancient roads and hidden passes. In this age, dwarven smiths worked closely with elven mages, binding controlled magic into crafted artefacts of metal, gem, and rune. These works were not weapons of excess, but tools created to endure and to serve the harmony of the age.

Trade, learning, and magic flourished, and the world was bound together by relative stability. Among the Elves, this age is remembered as the time when Aelthirra stood whole.

The Thirnaeth Aelthirion: The Great Orc War

The Aelthirion ended with the coming of the orc hordes from beyond Aelthirra, descending through the Northern Mountains. Pouring through an ancient pass, the Orcs launched brutal invasions that plunged the Elves into a century of warfare.

This age, known to the Elves as the Thirnaeth Aelthirion, the Ruin of the Enduring Age, and to humans as the Great Orc War, shattered elven supremacy. Forests were burned, cities abandoned, and populations displaced in endless campaigns along the northern frontier.

The Dwarves did not march to war in this age, but neither did they fall. As the orc tide broke across the North, the mountain holds were sealed and fortified. Dwarven clans fought bitter defensive wars beneath the stone, holding their gates and tunnels against repeated assault. Their strongholds endured, but at great cost, and the Dwarves emerged diminished, wary, and determined in their isolation.

At the same time, the Elves’ pursuit of ever greater magical mastery culminated in the Sundering of Magic, unleashing unstable and destructive arcane forces across Aelthirra. Though the Orcs were eventually driven back and the Drakon Gate was sealed, victory arrived at a terrible cost. Elven civilisation was irreparably weakened, and their age of dominance was broken.

The Age of Fractured Crowns

Following the sealing of the Gate and the withdrawal of the Elves, political authority gradually shifted to humankind. Former tribes united through conquest, oaths, and alliances, giving rise to the Human Kingdoms of the Circle of Lands. From these kingdoms emerged the office of the High King, recognised by possession of the Sceptre of Power, which unified multiple crowns under lawful authority.

This era, known as the Age of Fractured Crowns, is not characterised by broken thrones or disputed legitimacy. The Sceptre rests in recognised hands, and the Council of Kings still gathers in Ardenfell. The fracture of the age does not lie in sovereignty, but in alignment.

The fall of Byland to renewed Orc incursion has left one kingdom occupied, but not destroyed. Its sovereignty persists in exile through the Broken Warhost, officially recognised by decree as the lawful successor to the realm. This affirms that allegiance, not land alone, defines authority within the Circle.

Velgard’s influence has increased as control of navigable rivers has become crucial to trade and war. Marhold’s maritime power has grown. Caerthain guards its mountain passes more fiercely than before. Serevarra pushes for decisive action along its marches, ruled by a queen who commands both crown and flame. Kaelan’s immortal monarch and death-bound host remain lawful members of the Circle, though their presence unsettles many.

With the Elves withdrawn from open affairs, dwarven guilds reopened ancient routes and established new trade pathways between the Human Kingdoms. No longer confined to guarded passes and sealed holds, they now live openly within human cities and strongholds as merchants, engineers, and master smiths. Through control of trade routes and the movement of goods, dwarven craft and wealth have become embedded within the power structures of the Circle.

Magic, scarred by the Sundering, remains volatile and feared. Although it is organised within formal Schools, instability persists beneath systematic practice. Elven power endures only within scattered enclaves and their hidden city. Orc warhosts have once again breached the Gate and advance into the Bylands, holding human soil beyond the frontier.

The World in the Present Age

In the present age, the Circle of Lands, once Aelthirra, remains a realm of fading legends and uncertain futures. Elven ruins are scattered across forests and plains. Orc warbands raid within the Circle, advancing south from the Bylands. Human kingdoms vie for advantage while claiming unity beneath the Sceptre.

Dwarven prosperity has shifted the balance of influence across the lands. Their roads, forges, and engineering support cities and strongholds alike. In some kingdoms, this causes resentment, as human lords grumble at their reliance on dwarven craftsmanship. In others, it fosters dependence, with crowns bolstered by alliances that are hard to break.

Among the most perceptive, it inspires quiet caution, for control of trade and construction can prove as decisive as control of armies.

Relics of the Aelthirion remain buried within forgotten vaults and shattered cities, tempting adventurers, warlords, and scholars alike.

Every encounter fought in this age is defined by the legacy of the Elves, the marks of the Great Orc War, and the ambitions of mortal rulers across the Circle.

This is the world of Warhost.*

 

Pronunciation Guide: Elven Terms

Aelthirra - AYL thir rah

Aelthirion - AYL thir ee on

Thirnaeth Aelthirion - THIR nay ath AYL thir ee on

Drakon - DRAH kon

*Design Note
Warhost is written within the long tradition of fantasy wargaming. It uses familiar ideas because they provide a shared language, enabling readers and players to step into the world quickly and focus on story, strategy, and consequence.

The world itself is entirely original. Its history, cultures, magic, and conflicts were created specifically to serve narrative play and grounded warfare. Familiar forms provide the framework. What happens within them belongs to Warhost alone.

 

On the Tabletop

Villages rebuilt on ancient ruins. Watchtowers strengthened but not restored. Trade routes bustling yet carefully patrolled. Wooded edges where something waits. Barrow mounds disturbed by choice. This is not an age of shining unity, but one of fragile order. Build your tables accordingly.

What is written here is remembered.