The War of the Spottswood

The War of the Spottswood was a conflict that began 84AA between the Kingdom of the Greenbelt against a coalition of House Martell and House Dayne, and ended in 86AA. This was the first war following the Dornish Civil War. The war ended in a a territorial stalemate.

## **Prelude**

When the Treaty of Hellholt was signed in 13AA it formed three kingdoms, forevermore dividing Dorne. Beyond this it came with several by-laws to prevent further warring and destruction, at least for a time. A fifty year armistice was included at the behest of King Dayne. And so any sort of fighting could have large repercussions on any of the three kingdoms.

The Great Game of Dorne became an underhanded one, dealing in spies, deception, and betrayal. For half a century things toiled on. The year came, 63AA as it was outlined in the document, and many Dornish smallfolk feared a return to form, to an older way. But the year came and went without much much noise to be made. Then the next year came and went, then another twenty. It was in 84AA when it seemed Dorne remembered what war was. And it was Yronwood who remembered first.

## **The War of the Spottswood**

### **The Taking of the Spottswood**

In 84AA Yoren I Yronwood, Bloodroyal of the Greenbelt sent an army nearly four thousand strong over the border into the Principality. The elderly King of the Greenbelt knew he was not long for this world but did not wish for the peace to continue, his hatred for House Martell too great.

Word soon reached Princess Mariah Martell the an army had marched on and taken the Spottswood. Princess Mariah was new to her rule, only a year under her belt, all the same she refused to let this atrocity stand. She called upon her men to march upon Spottswood and retake it.

Meanwhile the Santagars, the family which held the Spottswood was put to the sword. Lady Spottswood, her Lord Consort Husband, all of her brothers and sisters, save for her young son Tarik, who was taken as a hostage by Lord Maron Fowler. The young boy was returned to Yronwood in chains as a hostage and bargaining chip should things go south. As the Dornish forces gathered more news poured into Sunspear.

A large Yronwood fleet had appeared in Lemonwood’s bay and taken the city with a water based assault. Lord Dickon Dalt, at the time attending Mariah’s court flew into a rage and demanded that they march straight on Lemonwood to reclaim it. Mariah allowed the angered man to lead a coalition of three thousand soldiers to reclaim his home.

After Lord Dalt departed Mariah penned a letter to King Cailin I Dayne of the Torrentine, begging him for help. Calling Yronwood’s actions an atrocity for breaking such a long standing streak of peace. Cailin responded with an affirmative and began marshalling forces for an invasion of the Greenbelt.

### **The Battle of Lemonwood**

Dickon Dalt arrived outside the walls of his own home to find Lord William Lamb in command of the city. They argued and discussed for only a few minutes before Dalt ordered his men to ready siege equipment. Inside Lord William Lamb forced the residents of the city to reinforce the walls or be slaughtered. Dickon’s own wife and daughter having been reduced to bed warmers for Lord Lamb.

Fueled by anger and mocked pride Lord Dalt decided to assault the Keep after only two months of sieging. Little to no equipment was prepared. The battle was an utter farce with Dalt’s me metaphorically breaking themselves off the walls of his own Keep. Little over one thousand Martell men walked away from the fight when Dalt’s second-in-command, Lady Sallera Brook, ordered a retreat. Lord Dalt was killed in the battle. After hearing this news his lady wife threw herself from the highest tower in Lemonwood, taking her own life.

Mariah was now enraged by Lord Dalt’s actions, feeling her family and lands mocked and made fools of by Yronwood’s men. She ordered Lady Brook and her remnant army to return immediately. Her Lords and Court argued for days over what to do. Finally, Mariah devised a strategy.

### **The Battle of Lemonwood Bay & The Recapture of Spottswood**

The majority of Martells navy sailed from Sunspear a week later. Mariah and her army marched west for Spottswood. Meanwhile in the Torrentine, Cailin and his men marched east for the borders of the Greenbelt.

The fleet of Martell meets Yronwood’s in the bay just outside of Lemonwood, the ports destroyed. In the waters just outside of the city the two navies clashed. It was clear from their formation that Yronwood had been preparing to retreat, leaving their rear open for Martell to bugger. And bugger they did, sinking nearly all of Yronwood’s ships and capturing the others.

Further North Martell and her forces took Spottswood in the night. However, to Mariah’s frustration no one was their beyond a skeleton force. The leader of these forces, a Manwoody scion went under Mariah’s dagger to discern the location of the now missing Yronwood garrison. However, the boy died before anything was learned. As well, the Yronwood men had killed all the ravens, leaving Mariah unable to warn her allies of what was coming. She ordered her scouts and outriders to scour their lands and find this army.

### **The Battle of Salt Shore**

The missing garrison soon turned up knocking on the doors of Salt Shore. Unfortunately for this garrison, Princess Martell had not called on much of Gargalen’s forces, leaving the Keep very well protected. Needing access to their port, the Lord Fowler ordered the Keep taken. Much like Lord Dalt a year prior, the attacking forces were slaughtered on the field, breaking themselves against the walls of Salt Shore. Lord Fowler himself being captured by Lady Nymeria Gargalen. She then sent word to her Princess informing her of all that had happened.

To the east, Cailin Dayne’s men struck and seized Hellholt in the night. A raven flew to Sunspear, which was then relayed to Spottswood. Mariah was pleased. It was time for the final step.

Having heard of this slew of defeats, and with Dayne now in the fray, Yoren knew he had lost. He sent a raven to Spottswood attempting to sue for peace with Mariah. However, Mariah would hear none of it. She regrouped her armies at Spottswood and marched into Greenbelt territory.

### **The End of the War**

Yoren’s bastard son Dickon Bone took a large Yronwood garrison to take Hellholt back from Dayne. Yoren took solace in the fact that he still held young Lord Santagar.

Dickon and his men assaulted Hellholt in the night a fortnight later. However, Dayne and his men were ready, defending and sending Dickon and his men running north back to Yronwood. They never made it and were cut off by Mariah and her forces marching in to link up with Dayne’s. The remaining Yronwood army was shattered and captured, Dickon himself killed in action.

The coalition then marched on and besieged Yronwood. Yoren and his garrison held out for four months before coming to the table to discuss surrender terms. The boy Santagar would be returned to his post as Lord of Spottswood. The remainder of Yronwood’s Navy, currently captured by Martell, would remain with Martell. Lord Fowler would remain in Sunspear as a hostage for one year as insurance to ensure Yronwood’s compliance.

Yronwood agreed to the terms and Martell and Dayne went home. A year later, Lord Fowler returned home, dying of a slow acting poison shortly thereafter. A few months later, Mariah Martell died in her sleep, seemingly also of poison, though nothing could be proved.