In the year 233, after Shan Deral had been at peace for over 200 years, the forces of the Ghorak Zo fell like a bolt of lightning upon the unsuspecting nations of the Ascendancy. Where the Zo came from is not known for certain, or how exactly they discovered the magic portals that served to transport them to Shan Deral. There are rumours that Dwarven mystics know more than they are telling about such things. We, however, shall not concern ourselves overly with such questions.

What matters for our story is the result. An army of Ghorak Zo appeared as if by magic out of the Sword of the World Mountains, and spread fire and rapine in great swathes across the lands of Keril, Sul and Rosyaye.

In great haste did Mobius assemble his mighty Sentinels, and sally forth to do battle with these fierce invaders; the people of Keril, with bravery and loyalty, stood once more by his side in this fight against the Zo. After a series of fierce battles most of the invading Zo were eventually driven back through their magic portal, and Shan Deral was saved.

But not all the Ghorak Zo left Shan Deral. A relatively small remnant, left behind in the flight of the greater Zo army, was trapped on the Shan Deral side of the magic portal. Mobius, in wisdom and mercy (for we must give credit where credit is due), settled these Zo in Shan Deral and bade them live in peace.

But although we must recognise the essential generosity of this policy, we must also admit that it was in this policy that Mobius also made the most monumental mistake of his entire career, a mistake that would eventually take many thousands of lives, and lay waste the land for generations. For, in looking for a land in which to settle the Ghorak Zo, Mobius cast his eye upon a mountainous region (so the Zo would feel at home), close to fertile plains (so the Zo could be self-sufficient in food production), containing a fortress of great strategic importance for which the Zo could act as a fierce and secure garrison.

Mobius cast his eye upon The Bone Fields.

The great fortress city of Mountain's Reach was given to the Zo for their own. The Human protectorate of Upper Keril, the Fen'neko protectorate of Low Norlan, the adjacent Halfling protectorate, together with assorted other regions such as the city of Tuhl, were all taken from their original owners, and Zo were settled in their place. In other words, regions which had been watered with the blood of Human and Fen'neko generations; regions that were so central to the racial identity of Humans and Fen'neko; the fortress city that had been the pride and joy of Humans for time immemorial; all these things were to be taken away and given instead to a group of aliens who had, just the previous year, indulged in rapine and slaughter across Shan Deral.

We can only speculate why Mobius did this. Did he truly just misjudge the deep emotional attachments of Humans and Fen'neko to these regions? Was it a deliberate policy of degradation, designed to demonstrate the undeniable military superiority of Mobius? Did Mobius just not care, did he just choose the most convenient solution with no thought to the consequences? We, of course, cannot tell.

All we know is that, when the plans of Mobius became known, Shan Deral exploded.