The Reirgarorian Civil War

In 302BD, amid growing tension between multiple families over land rights and access to the iron ore veins around Mt. Stenverde; the Grimmstone Clan kidnaps the youngest son of the Ashcaller Clan in order to force the Ashcallers to relinquish their rights to the precious farmland west of the Ashcaller fortress Fire Fall. In response the Ashcaller Clan gathers their entire force of 800 warriors and marches upon the Grimmstone Clans fortress Kalsten Keep.
At the same time, the TuskTaker clan having become corrupted by the Blood Daemon Ograth proceeds razes some of farmland around Fire Fall and The End. Having committed his entire force to Kalsten Keep, Gunnar Ashcaller writes a message to Torstein Kharne and asks him to destroy the daemon worshippers and in return, he'll allow Clan Kharne to take most of the land belonging to Clan TuskTaker and will pledge his forces to one war of his choosing. Upon receiving this message, Torstein Kharne was already preparing his 1,500 warriors to march on Skallehem and accepted his proposal and sent a contingent of warriors to protect the remaining Ashcaller farmland. 
Upon hearing of the war brewing in the east, Andor Kormak sets his eyes on the Thunderkjarl fortress Tempest. Seeing that Clan Kharne was marching east, the ThunderKjarls have no one to call for help. Quietly, Andor Kormak and his 1,000 men begin marching towards Tempest. 
A week after Torstein Kharne begins the march to Skallehem, Ivor TuskTaker sacks the village of Wolfwater which is a very symbolic village for Clan Kharne. Enraged, Torstein rushes to meet Ivor on the field of battle before he can retreat to his fortress. 80 miles from Skallehem, Torstein catches up to the TuskTaker warriors and first battle of the Reirgarorian Civil War begins. 
Clan Kharne crashed into 300 of the Tusktaker men just as the sun rises and the battle is decisive after only 20 minutes of battle. What the warriors discover after the battle sickens them as they discover daemonic symbol carved into the skins of the TuskTaker warriors and that some of the warriors have begun to mutate slightly. Torstein Kharne also discovers that Ivor was not on the field of battle. A siege will be necessary to break these daemon worshippers. 
At the same time that Ivor TuskTaker sacks Wolfwater, Gunnar Ashcaller arrives at Kalsten Keep and expects to meet with Halvard Grimmstone to discuss the return of his son. Instead, Gunnar finds less than half of the Grimmstone forces and no Halvard though most of the Grimmstone family is there. His confusion is lifted when Halvard Grimmstone attacks from the woods to the north of Kalsten Keep and traps the Ashcaller forces between Kalsten Keep and the attacking army. Despite having superior numbers, Clan Ashcaller is losing due to being outmanoeuvred. Knowing it's their only chance, Gunnar Ashcaller seeks Halvard Grimmstone out in the midst of battle. 15 minutes after battle commences, Gunnar find Halvard before he has lost half of his forces. A great fight commences that ultimately decides the fate of both families. The fight ends when Gunnar disarms Halvard of Nightbringer (the Grimmstone Family axe) and brings its shimmering black blade down on the top of his helm, splitting the iron and the skull underneath. Gunnar then decapitates Halvard to raise the mangled head for all to see. When the Skalds wrote of the battle, they wrote that Gunnar spent the whole battle shouting "WHERE IS MY SON?!" 
Upon seeing the death of their Jarl and the rejuvenated Ashcaller warriors running at them the remaining Grimmstone forces fled back into the woods. Gunnar chose not the chase the fleeing men down and focus on Kalsten Keep, a decision he will regret later. Gunnar gave the fortress and family inside an ultimatum. Let us in, return my son and we won't wipe your family and it's fortress from existence. 
When the gate opened and Gunnar's young son is bought out by Gunhild Grimmstone they had sealed their fate. Gunnar takes his son back and pauses before ordering the family seized. Some fought back but all were taken alive and Gunnar himself killed them one by one with Nightbringer, their own family axe. 
As Gunnar Ashcaller is ending the Grimmstone family, Andor Kormak arrives at Tempest and begins his siege. Thorst Thunderkjarl sees the building of siege towers before him and makes a bold decision. He gathers all of his men and sallies out to surprise Andor Kormak and kill him before the siege can begin. Thorst is actually successful in killing Andor but he makes a critical mistake in that he killed Andors Hersir: Varin Frostwind. Now, despite breaking the Kormak army and killing their Jarl, he is in a worse spot than before now that he has enraged Clan Frostwind and a significant amount of Clan Kormaks warriors escaped back to Hjorstol. 
Now having built his siege towers, Torstein Kharne must take Skallehem before the winter begins. Just before the first flakes of snow fall upon the walls of Skallehem Torstein Kharne begins his masterpiece. Clan Kharne simultaneous assaults all sides of the fortress with Torstein Kharne leading the charge. With these simultaneous attacks, the defenders are quickly overwhelmed by the ferocious Kharne warriors. The battle looks all but over until Ivor Tusktaker takes to the field of battle; his sword consumed by an unnatural flame and a strange rune glows on the pommel. Ivor is easily carving through the warriors who try to take him down until Torstein Kharne - wielding Furys End - rises up to end Ivors carnage upon his men. Torstein waves his men back as Ivor is his to kill. Despite being the last Tusktaker in Skallehem Ivor fury was indefatigable and the contest between Torstein Kharne and Ivor Tusktaker raged into the night before Torstein could deal the killing blow. Upon Ivors death his sword - Ograths Talon - is picked up by a warrior of Clan Kharne and is immediately consumed by madness and attacks Torstein Kharne. Torstein defends himself and another warrior ends the life of his fellow brother. It is at this point that Torstein gives the order to destroy Skallehem and Ograths Talon. 
Category:History
Category:Wars