The Western Khanate, one of the successor kingdoms of the Great Khanate, was sporadically
troubled by gnoll warbands erupting onto the plains from the Mountains of the Moon in the
North. The mounted troops of the Khanate were, however, well-versed in tracking down
and eliminating these threats. The last great general to be Western Khan, however, was Tulun Khan
who died in 476. His son Hitul and the subsequent Khans were more interested in lives of luxury
than warfare. As long as trade prospered and taxes and tribute poured in they had very
little interest in strengthening their realm. The Western Khanate became a series
of increasing independent city states with local militias replacing the once feared Horde
of the Khans.
Still it took a remarkable event to shake the Khans out of there complacency. In 615 a huge gnoll,
being what men called a 'flind', managed to unite several gnoll warbands in the name of his
demonic god Yeenoghu. Individual city militias were often overwhelmed by this new army led
by the flind they named Zenoggu the Slaughterer. In 618 the key city of Tanaku fell with few of
its inhabitants escaping the subsequent bloodbath and the Silk Road itself was threatened.
Tamir Khan roused himself from his indolence and led out a combined force of the city militias
together with his own personal guard. At first Zenoggu retreated before Tamir but this was a feint.
It would appear that Yeenoghu, well pleased with his servants efforts, had agreed to provide demonic
assistance to his troops. When Tamir finally caught up with Zenoggu he found a force which greatly
outnumbered his own and was reinforced by Leucrottas, Demons and Ghouls. Only a few of Tamir's cavalry
on the swiftest horses escaped the battle.
By 622 the last cities in the Western Khanate had fallen and the Gnoll Horde poured into Sankhar.
Rurik the Wise, king of Sankhar, had, however, not been idle while the Khanate was disintegrating.
Not only had he sent West for help and obtained the promise of Reetland and Cambrian troops should
the Gnoll Horde invade but he decided to fight fire with fire and trained and deployed war mages,
a practice that was generally frowned upon in the West.
The Horde caused much devastation in the countryside but was finally forced to face the combined troops
of the three Western Kingdoms on the Plains of Sankhar. Zenoggu was not used to facing a professional
army who did not break when his troops charged, nor had he faced forces that employed war mages.
The Horde broke and ran and was pursued back far into the Western Khanate. That realm, however, had
been devastated and the Sankhats could do no more than offer to take in the Khanate citizens as refugees.
Although the Gnolls had been defeated they remained a sufficient threat on the Eastern Plains to
make travel on the Silk Road impossible and the towns and cities that had punctuated the route
were in any case in ruins. To this day no caravans have managed to brave the ancient trade route
to or from Kadia.