The Anarchy

The Anarchy, also called the Time of Little Lords, and the Time of Strife, was a period of Joran history lasting roughly a century. Following the dethronement of the Sabot Dynasty, the kingdom of Grander Joraje fell into chaos, with the local barons and Ritter gaining much more power than they had in previous centuries, coming to overshadow the dukes which had dominated the region for the last 50 years. These local rulers would carve out their own small realms, and would vie with rivals for power and land. It was a time of instability and unsure life, with bandits and reivers becoming common, and the near total breakdown of law and order would occur.

The Anarchy would play host to a number of small scale wars, which would see the gradual vassalisation of many barons under more powerful nobles, and the consolidation of their power. It would end in 251 with the Battle of Hallers Ford, seeing Asrephald of Loren defeat Karstel the Clever, and the House of Loren becoming the most powerful nobles in Joraje, becoming the Dukes of Stribrna Joraje.

## Overthrow of Lalet and the Diet of Death

When the Vechtese landed in Tandemy, the nobility of Joraje sought to throw them back into the sea. However, Lalet, King of Grander Joraje, refused to take action against the refugees, rather, he ceded all of Tandemy to them to rule as their own kingdom, including several vital towns and trade routes. The Ducal nobility, including Kafesta, plotting to overthrow the weak king.

They would successfully depose the monarch in the Plot of Herdel Hort, in 152, when he was dethroned and later murdered. However, while the dukes were holding a diet, the so-called Diet of Death, to decide the new king, most were assassinated with poisoned wine. Who ordered their deaths, and why, is unknown, though the result was the total collapse of the Kingdom.

## Collapse of Order

Following the Diet of Death, in the absence of the Dukes and many of the counts, the Barons and some Ritter would seize power for themselves, consolidating their local territories into domains of their own. Compounding this, many raids by foreign peoples from the south and west would begin, on a larger scale than ever before, and, unable to call upon the vast armies of the Kingdom for aid, many of the Margraves and Border Counts would secede and form their own minor states for their own defense.

The ultimate result of the increased raids and the infighting of the local lords was the utter and total collapse of law and order throughout the region. With no dukes or kings to reign in the barons and their ambitions, they would begin fighting among themselves. The instability and lawlessness would promote banditry, and travel was considered to be no longer safe, with various communities becoming isolated due to the fear of travelers being attacked. By the year

## Realms of Little Lords

164, Grander Joraje had totally collapsed, and many minor estates were established across Joraje, often called the *Little Realms*, or the *Ritter Realms*. By this point, the barons had begun to consolidate their power and estates, and began to look outward, into expanding their influence into neighboring regions. Many small wars and skirmishes would begin during this time, between barons who sought to increase their own power.

The beginning of the anarchy would see widespread devastation across the countryside, as the barons fought wars against each other, primarily using mercenaries and small groups of levied militia. As the soldiers marched, they would often pillage a region, for both food and plunder, and would leave the villages desolate, and many local famines would begin as the result of these *Ritter Wars*. These Ritter Wars would continue until about 220, when smaller estates and their lords would be vassalized by other, more powerful lords.

### List of Ritter Wars

The following is an approximate list of the recorded Ritter Wars fought during the anarchy, organized by their approximate date of start.

* War of the Red Knights (156-157)
* War for the Genda Stream (160-161)
* War of Persecution (160-~250)
* The Dozen Lord War (160-178)
* War of Gespar’s Folly (162-163)
* War for Herra Keep (167)
* First War of Ara (170-172)
* War of Baron Kal (172-173)
* Siege of Varasta (175-176)
* Hrada War (176-179)
* War on the Ploughwater (180)
* War of Oberhaus Wald (181)
* War of the Brigands (182-185)
* Revolt of Dursgerg (184-186)
* War of Silver-Paid Mercenaries (185)
* Conflict for the Mines (188)
* War of the Dead-Knight’s Chalice (189-190)
* Second War of Ara (190)
* Slave Revolt of Ardeana (191-192)
* The Harvest War (192)
* The War of Two Towns (195-197)
* The Great Border Raid (198)
* Jan’s War (200)
* Tandemy Raid (201)
* War of the Green Knights (205)
* War of the Faerie Fort (208-210)
* Thirteen Years War (211-224)
* Arryet War (215)
* Great Galley War (216)
* Great War in Karred (217-223)
* Bandit War (218)

### Effects of the Ritter Wars

Due to the instability, many of the commoners of Joraje turned to banditry, out of either need or want of profit. When the mercenaries who fought in the Ritter Wars were unable to be paid, or when the war was ended, they would also often become bandits, to continue their profitable plundering. Thus, travel would be hampered by the threat these brigands posed, and much trade would be slowed or stopped, with only the Ploughwater and other rivers being relatively safe from attack.

As the bandits and warring Ritter continued their activities into the 170s, many villages and homesteads would begin erecting palisades and large hedges to provide some measure of defense against the violence of the outside world. Also during this time, the first true “Joran Castles”, or Hrads, would begin to be constructed by the Little Lords, to withstand the sieges laid against them by their rivals and foes. These castles, influenced by both the old Joran hillforts and the castles introduced to the region by the Vechtese, would become a common sight, with about 3 castles every 40 square-kilometers.

## Latter Anarchy and Consolidation

By about 220, many of the Little Realms were being vassalized, conquered, and absorbed into their neighbors, and dominant nobles would begin to emerge, such as the House of Loren and the House of Amrats. Their realms would grow in size and power, and slowly they would come to dominate the neighboring Ritter-Realms, using both their (comparitively) massive armies and economies. These larger realms would come into conflict with each other, and eventually they would unite into the Duchy of Stribrna Joraje.

As power became consolidated in the hands of fewer, more powerful lords, banditry began to dwindle, and the Latter Anarchy would see more trade and travel than the previous two generations.

Great Realms would, throughout the Latter Anarchy, begin to battle each other, in an attempt to gain more power and influence, and, during the last years of the Anarchy, to determine which of the realms would unite the region.

### Great Realms

* County of Loren
* Barony Karred
* Barony Credowe
* Vesmark
* Free City of Buorna
* Armatsdalf
* Tandemark
* City of Harda
* Artelstat League

## Anarchy's End and the Rise of Loren

During the final decade of the Anarchy, many of the Great Realms had either fallen to, or been vassalized by, County Loren under Asrephald. or Armatsdalf, under Karstel the Clever. The two states, led by two brilliant commanders, both sought to become the premere Joran state, and would have no comprimise. Both rulers would see themselves installed as the Duke of Joraje, and their rival killed.

### War of the Two Counts

The War of the Two Counts was the ultimate and final war during the Anarchy. County Loren and Armatsdalf would engage in open hostilities in 249, and they would begin campaigns into the other's territories.

Karstel the Clever would sieze the city of Buorna, and would begin constructing a large fleet of Lordly Galleys on the River Ploughwater in preparation of a large campaign, one which would see the destruction of the Loric state, and his ascendancy to the Ducal rank.

Forseeing the invasion, and having not the numbers to defeat Karstel on his own, Asrephald would send a messenger to Nordervesting, where he appealed to the Duke of Tanderland, the Old , for support, arguing that once Karstel had destroyed Loren, he would certainly come and expel the Vechtese of Tanderland, and reclaim the region. Asrepald, on the other hand, would recognize his claims to the region as legitimate, and would support him in future conflicts. Thus, an alliance was formed between Loren and Tanderland, and a united force of Loric and Vechtese soldiers and knights would ride forth, to intercept the Armatish army.

### Battle of Haller's Ford

The two forces met at Haller's Ford, a large, waist high ford where the River Doldau meets the River Ploughwater. The Loric footmen, supported by Vechtish archers, waded into the water and engaged the Armatish infantry who were crossing. Meanwhile, a large battle was occurring on the river, with galleys, Lordly and Common, battling on the sluggish waters.

As the battle raged on, and the Loric galleys made headway into their foes, a force of Armatish knights surprised the allied force by appearing on their flank, having crossed the Doldau by way of the bridge at Savasa. Lead by Karstel's son, Enrik, they formed to begin a charge, but the Blind Duke, knowing the certain doom of the allied cause, should this charge be successful, gathered the Vechtish and Loric knights, and rode forth, leading a charge of his own. The Armatish knights would be thrown into chaos, and Enrik would be slain in the fierce fighting.

Seeing the flanking force of knights, the greatest warriors in Armatsdalf, rout, the infantry engaged in the river lost heart, and began to flee. Karstel, himself seeing his son's banner fall, threw himself into the river in all his armor, and drowned.

### Aftermath

Following Hallar's Ford, there would be a few skirmishes, though Armatsdalf would formerly surrender in 251, when Stafaney, widdow of Karstel, surrendered to Asrephald. Armatsdalf would be incorperated into the newly proclaimed Duchy of Stribrna Joraje, ruled by House Loren. Asrephald and his desendants would rule the Joran people for nearly 250 years, and the Anarchy would officially end with the Rise of the Second Dynasty