Second War of Thorns

The **Second War of Thorns** was a war that started under the rule of King Baelic I of the Kingdom of Gilneas, shortly after his father Aderic I's death. Unlike Aderic, Baelic did not draw the loyalty of the pagan people of Gilneas, and after the disastrous end of the War of Silverpine and the slow decline of the rights of the still existing pagans of Gilneas, they rebelled under the old banner of the Wickers.

## History

In the years following the War of Aderic, the pagan druids of Gilneas had slowly died out across the nation. Where they could once be found in small communities in nearly all corners of Gilneas, they had been cut down during the war and the eventual religious tolerance caused a large amount of conversion amongst their population. While some could still trace their blood back to the pagan natives, many had become integrated into the new dominating Gilnean society, causing these communities to become ever more isolated. Regions such as the Blackwald or the Ashen Coasts became some of the few regions where the pagans could intermingle and still be found in great abundance. In the years to follow under Baelic, Aderic's son, the pagan peoples were mistreated by many of the lords of the Ashen Coasts, their demands for justice going ignored. Rising up under the old banner of the Wickers, the pagans of Wickenden once more rallied those who would listen under their banner.

Wickenden had remained unconquered or found by the various peoples of Gilneas. It was said only King Aderic knew of its location, and Aderic was sworn to take the secret to his grave, which he did. Unfortunately, this allowed the Wickers a great deal of freedom to plot against his son Baelic. Five years after Aderic's death, the pagans struck out, conquering the Ashen Coasts with their magic once more and using the various masons to construct a large keep within the central Reach, on the border of the Dark Woods. Named Ironwood Keep, the Wickers were led by a second Wicker King, who crowned himself using the first king's gnarled thorn crown that had been recovered from his charred corpse. The crown had mysteriously survived the fire, and when the second king crowned himself he was engulfed by thorns as the first king had been. Where a formerly idealistic man once sat, a sadistic ruler took his place once the crown sat upon his head. Taking up their old ways of slavery, the wickers enslaved the conquered Duchy of the Ashen Coasts and made war with Baelic and the rest of Gilneas.

Through careful planning, the Wickers conquered the Fallow Crest and invaded central Gilneas, where Baelic resided. Fending off the Wicker Invasion, Baelic led a group of warriors into the heart of the Ashen Coasts to free whomever would be willing to serve Gilneas once again from the Wickers. They found that the House of Cobalstant had been resisting the Wickers since their conquering of the Ashen Coasts and had rallied within the Cobal's Hold where the Wickers were unable to take. Unwilling to risk their last bastion falling, the Cobalstants only offered token support to the king, though wickers by the name of the Darkoaks answered the call with greater fervor. Despite their shared blood, the Darkoaks had no love for their kin. Explained to be from the Elder Blood clan, the Oakenborn, the Darkoaks split away from their people after seeing the tremendous cruelty brought about by the second Wicker King after he donned the crown. With many of the Oakenborn now being persecuted as a result, the Darkoaks and those who followed them aided the crown.

Along with the Darkoaks came the Greyfields, the most prominent family within the region. The aged Brandon Greyfield had placed his men under Baelic the instant he arrived within their lands and had rebelled against the Wickers at his king's command. Unfortunately, Brandon did not live to see his people freed as he eventually passed in his sleep mid way through the war. His son, Galin, continued his father's goals in his stead. As such, the Greyfields and the Darkoaks helped King Baelic invade and conquer Ironwood Keep. There the Second Wicker king, now an amalgamation of thorns and roots, was put to the flame as the first one had been and the war was ended as the Wickers retreated back into their forests or bent the knee to the new king.

## Aftermath

In the aftermath of the Second War of Thorns, the Wickers numbers dwindled severely within Wickenden. Many did not return to the city, rather they smuggled away into the Gilnean cities they sought to conquer and integrated into Gilneas' society. Others were slain with the king in Ironwood Keep, which was later granted to the Darkoaks for their service. The Wicker Crown was taken from the second King's body as it had once more survived the flames, and was to be tossed into the sea. However, the caravan carrying the crown was waylaid and the crown stolen away. The Darkoaks, now the House of Darkoak alongside several other families, became nobles of the northern Reach. In exchange, they struck their wicker heritages to become a full part of the kingdom.

Desiring to see Gilneas united, King Baelic sought out no reparation of the pagan peoples of Gilneas and instead welcomed them back into the fold so as to heal the wound that had been made quickly. This act of mercy was well received by the old ways followers, and many accepted the offer and were reabsorbed back into Gilneas within their own communities. Baelic also cut down on the injustices done to these people that had resulted in their rebellion in the first place. In time, they once more intermingled and were slowly converted into the dominating society of the kingdom.

Once more, Wickenden was never found.