The Brother's War

The Brother's War was a conflict in the Torrentine that raged between 273 and 274AA, where Mace I Dayne's younger brother Matthos Dayne sought to impose his claim to the throne.

## Prelude

Following Mace I’s defeat in the War of the Vulture King(252AA-253AA), he sought solitude, and for much of the remainder of his reign, he grew distant from many of his advisors and his family. In 270AA, Tansy Barker and Lord Mace’s wife, had died. Lord Edric Barker had many more daughters to offer, but King Mace refused him in a fit of anger. Maesters consider this the true seed of rebellion. In 271AA Matthos Dayne, the king's younger brother, had returned from overseas, having made his way into the Five Year War for Myr. During this time, he had converted to Divisionism. Lord Barker approached Matthos Dayne, with a daughter to offer in marriage, and whispers of a crown.

## The First Battle of Starfall

Having spent the better part of 272AA gathering strength, finding support from Lord Briar and Lord Wade, the rebels were ready to strike. In early 273 AA Matthos Dayne marched two-thousand men from Waterdown to Starfall. Still aloof and in solace, Mace ignored the warnings of his Spymaster that there were men marching towards Starfall. Within a week, Matthos was at the gates of Starfall. King Mace, however, was still a fierce fighter and brave warrior. Preparing to fight for his crown, he readied all the men of Starfall to fight, preparing to cross the bridge to the land where his brother lay. However, he never got the chance. Inside the castle, his spymaster, Ser Trebor Wade, had his men open the gates at night, letting Matthos Dayne in.

A battle raged till dawn, but at the end, Matthos Dayne had taken Starfall. Though this was not a total victory. Mace had escaped, along with many of his men. Within a fortnight, Matthos was crowned as High King of the Torrentine. He called to him his brothers vassals, and married Lord Barkers daughter as well.

## The Refusal of Sandstone

Despite many of the supporters of King Mace escaping, Lord Benedict Qorgyle did not. For this, Matthos I took the head of Lord Benedict, placing it upon a spike on Starfalls walls. The new Lord Regent Qorgyle, Mors, was outraged at the death of his brother, and called forth his men to march on Wadewater and punish the keep of Lord Edric Barker.

Bringing 1500 men with him, he began to lay siege to Waterdown, shooting down any ravens coming from the castle.

## A Tale of Two Kings

Mace I was met with Lord Blackmont and Lord Dayne of High Hermitage, two loyal lords. Lord Myles Blackmont supported marching straight on Starfall and taking it from the usurper, while Lord Vorian Dayne of High Hermitage argued for attacking Wyrmwood, the keep of House Briar. However Mace sought another solution. The King, too proud to ask for the aid of the Bloodroyal, as Lord Myles had also suggested, decided on facing his brother in the field. Together, with four thousand men, they marched towards Starfall.

### **The Usurper Marches, and the Pious Son:**

Matthos I Dayne quickly got wind of his brother marching towards him, and fell for the bait. Marching his strength of three thousand to meet his brother in the field, he left Lord Briar in charge of Starfall in his wake, along with his infant son, Joffrey Dayne.

During the course of the war, the son of Mace I had been away from the fighting, having been with Lord Regent Qorgyle for many moons. When Lord Regent Qorgyle arrived at Waterdown with Maric, he had entered the war. A deeply pious man to the point of annoyance, Maric II was firmly against his uncle Matthos, but had always disliked his own father. Lord Regent Qorgyle demanded the castellan to surrender, but Ser Maron Barker refused.

## The Battle of Waterdown

Early in the morning, Lord Regent Qorgyle ordered his men to assault the walls and gates of Waterdown. The battle raged for hours, but soon enough, the castle was theirs. Lord Regent Qorgyle lost his second son, but slew Ser Maron Barker and all his line that day as well. Quickly gathering his forces, he set forth to Starfall.

## The Four Days of Battle at High Hermitage

Several miles from High Hermitage, the scouts of King Mace fell upon the outriders of Matthos, beginning a skirmish that lasted for several hours, the men of Matthos driving back the scouts to Mace I’s camp. Battle was imminent. Early in the morning, Mace I took the initiative and rode forth from his camp with his full force. There he met Matthos in battle, clashing swords with him. The fight went on till midday, when both sides pulled back, the first day ending with dead men, and no victory.

The second day was an attempt to ride through the camp of Mace I by Lord Barker, bringing his heavy horse to wreak havoc upon the enemy. King Mace was taken unawares, and Lord Blackmont was slain, though Lord Edric Barker was badly wounded and many of the knights that were ahorse lay dead. The third day the two armies met again, with Mace I’s right flank bearing down upon Matthos’s left. The two Daynes met one another, with Matthos a hair away from taking the head of his brother. The left flank of Matthos broke, but reformed to hold the line, with the the pikes of Matthos tearing up Mace’s men.

The fourth and final day of battle was the beginning of the end for King Matthos. Between morning and midday, the armies met. King Matthos was on his last legs, as King Mace brought down his right flank once again on the left. They broke, and attempted to reform with their pikes, but now, King Mace sent in his heavy horse, that had been left unused for the past few days.

Unable to send his own horse to counter, the knights smashed into the side of the pikemen, breaking them and sending the army into a rout. King Matthos was beaten, but the war was not yet done.

## The Battle of the Wailing Bridge

Returning to Starfall in defeat, King Matthos sought to fortify his keep. There, he met Lord Regent Qorgyle and Prince Maric at the gates. A swift battle ensued, and King Matthos’ remaining troops fell into the keep proper, raising the drawbridge to lock himself in. Lord Barker was trapped outside when King Mace arrived. For the death of Benedict Qorgyle, the new Lord Regent Qorgyle took his head. Facing defeat, Lord Briar suggested attacking in the night to slay Mace and end the war.

In the deep of the night, five hundred men snuck out to attack King Mace in the night. There, Matthos and Mace fought for hours, brother fought brother, and when the sun rose, Mace lay dead…. As did Matthos.

## Aftermath

The war seemed over, until Lord Briar declared Matthos' young son Joffrey Dayne as the High King of the Torrentine. Being strained of men, the newly crowned Maric II Dayne was settling down for a siege of the keep proper of Starfall until they starved out, until word came that the newly crowned Bloodroyal was marshaling an army to come to the aid of Maric II against Lord Briar and his fake Boy-King. It all came to moot, when Joffrey died a week later of unknown causes, and the garrison surrendered. The war was over. Maric II took Lord Briars daughter as his wife, and his three sons as hostage, while the new Lord Barker gave hostages to Lord Regent Qorgyle.