War of Vengeance

The War of Vengeance was a massive conflict between the expanding High Elf Empire, and the Dwarven Empire of Karak Ankor. This was would lead to the exhaustion of both people and inevitably lead to the expansion of many evil forces.

Background
During the reign of Caledor II of the High Elves, trade routes between Elves and Dwarfs that had been closed during the Elven Civil War were reopened, and the Elven colonies in Europe flourished while humanity were little more than savages.

Prelude
Malekith, the Witch King, ordered Dark Elves dressed as High Elves to attack Dwarf traders and seize their wares. King Gotrek, failing to see through the deception, wanted recompense from Ulthuan, which Caledor II - lacking the good sense and wisdom of his father, Caledor I - refused, and insulted the Dwarfs by implying they beg. After demanding twice the original reparations for this new slight, Caledor II sent the Dwarf ambassador back with his head shaved. Dark Elves stirred up trouble among the European Elven colonies, and soon war began.

First Siege of Tor Ellesi
Tor Ellesi (present-day L'Anguille in Bretonnia), an Elven colony in the Old World, was besieged by Dwarfen armies under King Gotrek - swearing to shave his head if he could not obtain the weregild, while the Dwarf ambassador - due to the shame of having his beard shaved - became a Troll slayer. Caledor, outraged at the assault, sent a mighty expedition from Ulthuan to relieve Tor Ellesi, leaving Ulthuan dangerously weakened. The conflict ground on as the sides were evenly matched, the holds of Karak Ankor and Ulthuan of the High Elves were unassailable, Dwarfs burning down virgin forests just to spite the High Elves as Europe was awash with combat.

Fourteenth Siege of Tor Ellesi
Caledor II, having slain Prince Snorri Halfhand, son of King Gotrek, was growing frustrated with the protracted nature of the War, dismissed his generals and later charged the Dwarf infantry during the Fourteenth Siege of Tor Alessi, only to be slain by King Gotrek, who seized the Phoenix Crown and retreated to Karaz-a-Karak.

The End
Shortly before beginning a suicidal siege of Karaz-a-Karak, the Dark Elves struck at Ulthuan, forcing the High Elves to remove their forces from the Old World and fend off the Dark Elves, thus ending the War of the Beard.

Aftermath
Due to the recent Dark Elf attacks, and depletion of the High Elf military due to the War of the Beard, Ulthuan ordered the evacuation of all remaining High Elves - both civilian and soldier - from the ravaged European colonies, warning those that remained they would not be protected by Ulthuan. Though many left, those that felt they had little loyalty to Ulthuan remained and travelled to the Forest of Athel Loren, and High Forest for protection, and became the Sindar Elves.

The Dwarfs, though victorious, were left dangerously weakened, and unable to successfully combat Greenskin and Skaven incursions.

Both races were much weakened by the War, and are but shadows of their former selves, and left a lingering bitterness between the two races.

Brok Stonefist and Lord Salendor
Brok Stonefist, head of the Dwarf force of Karak Azgul with centuries of experience with the Dwarf network of tunnels, earned great fame by rallying the shattered force of Karak Azgul and routing a High Elf army by using his prescient knowledge of the tunnel network. For this feat he was named Ungdrin Ankor Rik, or 'Lord of the Tunnels' by the Dwarfs, and Arhain-tosaith, 'shadowy one of the earth' by the High Elves. However, he was soon to meet his nemesis Lord Salendor of Tor Achare, for which he was evenly matched. For the next hundred years they would clash, in such battles as the Battle of Blind River. However the bloody conclusion would be the Battle of Athel Maraya. After fighting inch-for-inch for the doomed city of Athel Maraya, Dwarfs set fire to the city. As both High Elves and Dwarfs fled the burning city, Brok and Salendor - unwilling to flee or heed the warnings of their comrades - fought to the death among the inferno, and are said by the Elves to haunt the city millenia later, locked in eternal combat.