Mace I Dayne

**Mace Dayne** was the king of the Torrentine and Lord of Starfall from 241AA until his death in 272AA, where he was succeeded by his son, Maric II Dayne.

## History

Born the son of Queen Ashara I Dayne and her husband, Prince-Cosort Beric Durrandon, Mace showed far more of his father's blood than his mother's, being quick to anger and quick to fight. Many a time did Good Queen Ashara see her unruly son brought before the court for punching the pageboys, or for harrassing the serving girls.

Immediately upon assuming the throne at his mother's untimely death, Mace threw the former spymaster Symond Briar into a cell, claiming that Symond had poisoned the Queen. Many among the court knew of the former affair between the two, and found it easy to believe that Symond had poisoned her in a fit of jealousy. The actual murderer remains unclear to this day, but Symond spent the rest of his life in a cell.

## Rising Tensions

In 252AA a series of raids in the Torrentine began to disrupt life for Nobles and Peasants alike. Many reporting to King Mace I Dayne that these raiders were members of a Vulture King’s flock. Mace attempted to resolve the matter quickly, ordering increased patrols and heightened security. However, this did little to help. Eventually word came that these raiders seemed to have origin the Kingdom of the Greenbelt.

Mace Dayne wrote The Bloodroyal to request his assistance in the matter. The Bloodroyal refused and the attacks increased. Mace began to suspect that the Bloodroyal was protecting and mayhaps even funding this Vulture King. Mace once again wrote the Bloodroyal, this time threatening war. Archibald III Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, did not take this threat lightly.

## The War of the Vulture King

Mace amassed the power of the Torrentine and marched into Greenbelt territory. To get even for all the perceived slights, Mace ordered his men to sack villages just like the raider had. Word of this reached Archibald, who amassed his armies and marched off to meet Mace in the field.

Meanwhile Mace decided it was time to take a Keep and settled his eyes upon the near vacant Skyreach. With Lord Fowler off with the Yronwood host, Mace had free reign and took the Keep with ease. With Skyreach under his control, he left Lord Blackmont in control and return to raiding.

Meanwhile Lord Wyl had yet to appear with his forces. Instead a large section, shy of the numbers Yronwood requested, and the heir of Wyl appeared to Archibald. Yronwood, angered by this, marched on Skyreach. The Keep was assaulted, and with Lord Fowler’s knowledge of the inner workings of the Keep, took it with ease. Lord Blackmont was slaughtered.

Archibald ordered Lord Uller to take half the army and pursue Mace. The rest of the army under Archibald and Lord Fowler invaded the Torrentine in return.

### **The Battles of Blackmont & Hellholt**

Archibald and his men marched into the poorly defended Torrentine and marched across its lands with little resistance. Eventually they reach Blackmont. Archibald ordered the Keep sacked. With no proper defense, the men took to the Keep in the night. Archibald personally kidnapping Blackmont’s sister and son.

Archibald sent a raven to Starfall informing them that Blackmont had fallen. Archibald then ordered a retreat, taking Blackmont’s family as hostages. Meanwhile Lord Uller and Mace met each other in the field not far from Hellholt. The armies met in the field with Uller and Wyl’s men overpowering Mace’s forces. King Mace ordered a retreat back into the Torrentine with Uller in pursuit.

### **Lord Wyl’s Quest and the End of the War**

After sending off most of his men and his son, Lord Wyl took his remaining forces and searched the Red Mountains and Boneway for this mysterious Vulture King. For moons, whilst the armies fought and the war raged, Lord Wyl scoured the Red Mountains, following the trail this Vulture King left behind.

Finally he found the man’s camp and his few hundred followers. In the night Lord Wyl ambushed them. The camp was burned to the ground, the raiders put to the sword and the Vulture King himself killed in battle. Lord Wyl took the body and a few others with him and marched south.

Mace and his men retreated to Kingsgrave to regroup, having taken heavy losses against Uller. Starfall soon sent word of Blackmont’s sacking as well as the hostages taken. Mace was furious and vowed vengeance against House Yronwood.

Meanwhile Lord Uller and The Bloodroyal regrouped. Archibald sent the hostages back to Yronwood and regrouped his armies. He held a council in which they began planning a full scale invasion of the Torrentine. However, in this time Lord Wyl appeared and presented the slightly rotted corpse of the Vulture King and urged his king to sue for peace. Archibald reluctantly agreed and sent word to Mace.

The two Kings met on the border of their territory. Archibald presented the dead Vulture King to Mace. Archibald explained, once again, that he did not sanction the attacks and did not know the Vulture King’s location. He then laid out simple terms: Lady Blackmont would stay as Yronwood’s wife and the young Blackmont as a squire until the boy turned 18 and as insurance to stave off anymore attacks. Mace accepted the terms, knowing that he lacked the strength to resist a Yronwood invasion.