First Wolgos Trek
The First Wolgos Trek, beginning in 7504 CE and ending in 7514 CE, was the first large-scale exile experienced by the Wolgos and a shaping event in their history and culture. This migration was defined by hardship, resourcefulness, and an unyielding desperation to survive. As the Wolgos relinquished their ancestral territories to the Häverists under a reluctant peace agreement, they faced the harrowing reality of ensuring their species' survival in the face of having no other recourse but to comply with their exile to assure their survival.
The foundation of the Wolgos' eventual retreat began with the invasion of Dhonowlgos during the Helreich-Wolgos War (7499–7504). Initially, the war was concentrated in Northern Stoldavia and other Wolgos-occupied territories, such as Mörenburg, with the Blue Mountains serving as a formidable defensive position for Wolgos forces. However, Helreich and their allies' determination to save the Anarian continent from what they called the Wolgos beasts led to the decimation of Wolgos lines in occupied territories and their retreat to their homeland. By mid-7503, after a series of fierce engagements in the stormy sea, the Wolgos navy was severely crippled and left only in control of their northern coasts. The remnants of the Wolgos southern navy retreated north to the whaling harbours of the Piqsuk Islands, where they would repair and begin the task of keeping the Dhonowlgos-retail corridor safe from enemy incursions.
Helreich's overwhelming air and naval superiority led to the devastation of Wolgos coastal cities. Entire urban centres, like Tkoysdhom, were reduced to smouldering ruins under relentless bombardment. As the Häverists made their brutal advance into Dhonowlgos, Wolgos leadership issued an evacuation order for civilians, cultural artefacts, and military forces, including the Hlirke and civilian militias. This was not a mere retreat—it was a calculated effort to preserve their people, heritage, and future. Over the course of 14 months, the first wave of evacuees—primarily women, children, and key personnel essential to the survival of the Wolgos—were transported to the New Xedun colony. These initial evacuees relied on an improvised fleet of fishing boats, cargo ships, and hastily retrofitted vessels to navigate the storm-laden seas. Despite the chaos and loss of countless lives in Dhonowlgos and the sea corridor to Altaia, this early evacuation established the logistics for their exile and survival in New Xedun.
Following the end of the war, the larger bulk of the population embarked on a gruelling evacuation that stretched over five years. The second phase of the migration was no less perilous. A ragtag assembly of almost four thousand ships, including retrofitted steamships, fishing boats, and cargo vessels, struggled against the treacherous conditions of the northern Stolvic Ocean, overloaded with passengers and supplies. Storms and ice claimed numerous vessels, plunging many into icy waters. Hunger and disease plagued the refugees, and conflicts over dwindling resources turned desperation into violence. Adding to the peril, clashes with native Telwotti populations—nomadic hunter-gatherers fiercely protective of their icy northern homelands—further escalated the suffering, leaving casualties on both sides.
The journey began in Dhonowlgos, with evacuees traveling to the Piqsuk Island which at this time became a temporary city before crossing the volatile Stormy Sea. Hastily constructed northern ports became the epicentre of the evacuation, where overcrowded steamships carried thousands toward refuge in New Xedun. The Piqsuk Island, serving as an oceanic waypoint for refugees, bore witness to a constant flow of refugees; Piqsuk's harbour grew with the use of pontoons and wrecks and the wailing station grew into a temporary settlement cobbled from crates, old sails and discarded wrecks, the whaling station kept working to feed the masses, and often whales and fish were dumped on the harbour for the masses of wolgos to descent on the carcasses to butcher them clean in moments.
The Hlirke, battered from years of war and great losses, retreated to New Xedun and northern Altaia, where they formed a protective vanguard, shielding the retreating masses from pursuing Helish forces and latter from opportunistic nations and privateers. Even in the face of mounting chaos, the Wolgos demonstrated resilience and unity, transforming this catastrophe into a chance to rebuild.
The overland portion of the trek, beginning at the rugged Landsight Peninsula and its icy islands, presented its own unique trials. Refugees braved sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms as they journeyed by sleigh, haiter mounts, or on foot. The journey relied on colonial waystations originally established to supply rangers, now repurposed as sanctuaries. These stations provided limited food, shelter, and guidance, and were often overcrowded and strained under the weight of the migration. The Hlirke rangers worked hard to fell trees and dig into the permafrost to build trenches to serve as temporary refuges for the exiled wolgos. Entire convoys were lost to blizzards, with survivors recounting tales of harrowing battles against the weather, heroic Hlrike guiding the refugees and desperate measures taken to survive.
The First Wolgos Trek itself became a monumental feat of logistical coordination. Steam-powered convoys transported critical supplies while armed escorts repelled enemy forces and defended against Telwotti hostilities. Engineers and craftsmen laboured tirelessly to repair vehicles, maintain ships, and keep the operation moving forward. The Hlrike hastily laid a between the land sight peninsula and the New Xedun telegraph network that proved indispensable, enabling the coordination of supply lines, the issuance of weather warnings, and communication between key outposts. Yet, for many Wolgos, survival during the trek depended not on technology but on sheer willpower and communal determination.
The conclusion of the First Wolgos Trek in 7514 CE marked the establishment of New Xedun as the Wolgos' new homeland. This industrialised colony, nestled in the untamed Altaian wilderness, became the centre of the Wolgos world. Traditional Wolgos values fused with modern advancements, ensuring the survival of their culture and species. Out of the ashes of defeat, the Wolgos laid the foundation for the Bind, the Hlirke dictatorship that would shape their future for the next century.
| Wolgos Sub-species | |||||
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Physiology topics: Wolgos Psyche - Wolgos Development From Birth to Adulthood - Death for the Wolgos - Wolgos Sexuality - Wolgos Masculinity - Wolgos Womanhood | |||||
| Historic and current Nations of the Wolgos | |||||
| Dhonowlgos | The Bind | Hergom ep swekorwos | United New Kingdoms | ||
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| ~3000 CE - 7505 CE | 7508 CE - 7603 CE | 7608 CE - Present | |||
| History & Geography |
History of Dhonowlgos: History of Dhonowlgos - Stained Era - Era of Rising Lilies
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| Politics & Economy |
Dhonowlgos Politics: Politics - Foreign Relations
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| Society & Culture |
Dhonowlgos Society: Monuments - Society - Brochs of Dhonowlgos
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| History & Geography |
History of The Bind: History - Geography - Military - Science - Brochs of The Bind
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| Politics & Economy |
Politics of The Bind: Politics - Military - Administrative Divisions of the Bind
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| Society & Culture |
Society in The Bind: Brochs of The Bind - communication in The Bind - Demographics
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| History & Geography |
History of The United New Kingdoms: History
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| Politics & Economy |
Politics of The United New Kingdoms: Politics - Military
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| Society & Culture |
Society and Culture in The United New Kingdoms: Wolgos Culture in the UNK - Demographics - Humans of the UNK
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