The Search for Detective McBabe was an extended period of conflict that occured in the run up to the War of the Blue Oblivion. Whilst not being a Battle in itself, the Search is considered to be the first engagement of the War as it is in this conflict that the first shot of the war was fired.
The Search for Detective McBabe began when the League received a coded message from the infamous Detective Inspector McBabe, and assigned the Swords of the Soundboard to locate McBabe and find out whether or not he knew the location of Shirazzle Dazzle. After finding McBabe, the Swords of the Soundboard were informed of a dreaded plot that McBabe had uncovered that could mean the end of civilisation as they knew it - but before he could elaborate, McBabe was shot in the head by a high-powered sniping spell.
Before McBabe's body had even hit te ground, the Swords of the Soundboard heard the demoic laughter of Mr Merrilocks, a twisted servant of the Revenant, a creature thought long dead. Truly disturbed by this turn of events, the Swords of the Soundboard recovered McBabe's body and departed for Inon II to report their findings to the League.