Queen Dacey's War

Queen Dacey's War was a brief conflict that followed The Weeks War in 210AA between the Kingdom of the Claw and the Kingdom of the Dusklands.

## Prelude

Following The Weeks War, Queen Dacey Celtigar ascended to the throne of the Claw Kingdom ruling over a divided land. Some of her Lords still feeling a sting of defeat over being beaten by a girl. Others called Dacey a Kinslayer for taking Tom Waters’ head herself. The Claw Kingdom was divided and unstable and King Steffon Darklyn, who long ago stole the Antlers from House Celtigar, looked to make his move to secure the Claw as his own Kingdom for once and all.

## Queen Dacey's War

### **The News of War**

Only a fortnight after her coronation did news comes of a fleet massing at the Aegonfort in Blackwater Bay. Many of Dacey’s supporters urged the young Queen to move in an intercept, however, Dacey remembered it was that sort of attitude that cost her grandfather Crisipian III The Antlers and their long time ally in House Buckwell. Instead she ordered the fleet of the Claw brought to Driftmark to use the island as a staging ground.

She devised a plan with her council to ensure that Darklyn’s forces would never even reach land. Lord Velaryon was still scorned by his defeat in the Week’s War. All the same, Queen Dacey ordered every single ship, former enemy and ally alike, to a mass. The Queen laid out her plan, some of her vassals disliking the idea, but she was firm in her belief that it would work.

### **The Taking of Sweetport Sound**

Darklyn’s fleet first moved upon the ancestral home of House Sunglass. To their surprise the castle was near empty. Lord Jacelyn Rosby assumed this was because Queen Dacey had heard of their movements and had ordered a retreat. Foolishly, he believed this war would be an easy victory. The Darklyn Armada moored for the evening at Sweetport Sound and Lord Rosby slept as the new Lord of the Keep.

In the night he was awoken to screams and shouting. A few dozens burning cogs sailed like fiery ghosts through the night directly towards the fleet of the Dusklands. In their panic to save the fleet, Captain Rolland Dargod ordered the anchors cut to execute evasive tactics. It worked and a majority of the fleet was saved.

Lord Petyr Bywater ordered the fleet turned round for repairs but Lord Rosby ordered that they press on, not allowing for Celtigar to send them upon the retreat just yet. The ships were now without anchors and continued on North.

### **The Battle of The Black Dragons Bay**

The Darklyn Armada snuck through the gap between Driftmark and Dragonstone. A daring maneuver as the currents of that area pushed towards the desolate, diseased island. As they passed by a large fire appeared on the coast of Driftmark. The Darklyn forces paid little mind to it.

Shortly after they were ambushed by an overwhelming contingency of Celtigar ships. With open ocean to the east, Claw forces to the North and West and Dragonstone to the South the Darklyn fleet was caught. Many ships were forced up onto Dragonstone’s shore, leaving hundreds of sailors and men stranded to die to its wild habitat.

Those the survived retreated North, as per the original plan. However, the Darklyn forces now lacked the strength to take Claw Isle. Lord Bywater, now in command as Lord Rosby had been marooned on Dragonstone, ordered the Fleet to round Crackclaw Point. They would land on the Northern shores and attack from the South.

### **The Battle of the Claw Strait**

The final blow to the Darklyn Fleet came as the passed between the Point and Claw Isle. The Celtigar Fleet from before still on their tail, Lord Bywater made the daring decision to save time on the journey and pass between the Point and Claw Isle.

This decision damned what remained of the Fleet. A secondary force, much smaller than the initial Claw Fleet cut off the Darklyn Armada trapping them in the strait. Out maneuvered and already beat half to hell the Darklyn forces put up as much of a fight as they could muster, but ultimately they were overwhelmed. Lord Bywater was captured in the fighting, one of the few surviving commanders.

## Aftermath

King Steffon had fallen ill to the Great Spring Sickness. In his stead, his son negotiated the end of the war with Queen Dacey via raven. Queen Dacey, despite the behest of her supporters, did not ask for territory. Instead she offered to return Lord Bywater and not assault the now poorly defended shores of the Dusklands in return for a large tariff and a forty year peace between the regions. The young Darklyn Prince agreed to the terms and the short lived war came to an end.