1st Lambertian-Visimarian War

The **1st Lambertian Visimarian War** is a conflict well known throughout the realm of Clamund due to the well known rivalry between the Kingdom of Lambert and the Holy Empire of Visimar that was fought between 562 to 568.

The **1st Lambertian-Visimarian War** is one of the first major conflicts fought between the Holy Empire of Visimar and a major alliance of kingdoms in the Western Realm. This war would start a series of rivalries between the Holy Empire and the Kingdom of Lambert for the foreseeable future.

## Background

The 1st Lambertian Visimarian war came to be just years after the completion of the Jade Road, a trade route which connected Midheim to the borders of the Lambertian Kingdom. The hostilities and early skirmishes put an abrupt end to the trade boom era in the Mid Region. This conflict was made a reality due to the Holy Empire's disdain for the lackluster laws regarding dwarves and elves in the Kingdom of Lambert, causing the Church to demand their subjection and subsequent killing. The war officially begun after the churches attempt to send a Confessor to the court of King Graham II in order to assassinate him with a holy reason for heresy. After the assassination attempt failed miserably, with the confessor missing his target and being caught and killed, both the Empire of Visimar and the Kingdom of Lambert raised their hosts for the upcoming war.

## History

### Early Conflict (562-563)

As hosts were raised by both sides, King Graham II knew that the might of the Holy Empire could sweep his kingdom away if he fought alone. Because of this fact, he called upon the Elf Kingdom of Kunid, the Dwarf Kingdom's of Nord and even some Barons from the Earldom of Flynn for assistance in the upcoming conflict. As several Visimarian hosts as large as ten thousand men marched into the Kingdom of Lambert, they were met with hosts of equal size, mixed with dwarven colony militias and elven warriors. The Battle of Broken Hill was the first major battle which was fought along the borders of the two kingdoms. The battle would see a decisive victory for the Lambertians as the early knights, many of whom were laden with scale armour for the rider and their horses, struggled and were bested by the light foot and spear formations of the Elves. This battle opened the way for the host's of Lambert to pillage the Holy Empire for its vast stores of wealth in the coming years.

### Raids on the Empire (563-565)

After the battle of Broken Hill, King Graham and his hosts moved into the Holy Empire's territory in order to sack and pillage the lands for any valuables. Luckily for the Lambertians and their allies, centuries of no invasions from a foreign power, especially any in the North West Empire, allowed for many churches of paragon to be sacked for vast amounts of wealth, enriching the commanders who led the raids across the border. These raids lasted for over a year by Lambertian Host's and lasted until 565 when looters and deserters were squashed by a new host of Visimarian nobles led by the Emperor Ragnfred the Holy, while chasing out the rest. This was done by Ragnfred by splitting his army into smaller armies of around 500 men who would then split apart further to uproot bandit camps and Lambertian raiders, dispersing swift justice by hanging those caught.

### Visimarian Counterattack (565-566)

After the settling of the frontiers by Emperor Ragnfred's host, the army once again joined as they marched into the Kingdom of Lambert, finding yet another army reinforced with fresh troops from the western provinces. The Siege of Watcher's Keep would see a token force of the Emperor's army led by Lord Commander Dalmar besiege one of Lambert's only frontier castle's facing the Visimarian frontier. While the siege was happening, a northern army who marched north of the Irontear River that was led by Emperor Ragnfred the Holy who besieged and eventually sacked Angeldenn in late 566 using portions of the palantine guard taken from Midheim as well as over 100 knights and their levy. The sack left the town razed for over ten years before it could properly recover.

### The Battle of Sandwich Field (567-568)

After King Graham's return from the raids in Visimarian territory and losing his way due to the bandit-ridden lands caused by the war, he gathered a host of ten thousand foot soldiers and five hundred knights to meet a contingent of the imperial army outside of the village of Tatodenn in the Sandwich field. The Battle of Sandwich field would be the final battle of the war as the defeat of Dalmar's extended army and siege camp forced Emperor Ragnfred's contingent to return back to Visimar to prepare for a counter-attack upon their defeat. The battle would be in favor of the newly raised Lambertian army as King Graham anticipated the need for additional levies on standby, thus leading him to keep his western baronies from entering the fray too early. Using his fresh army, Graham routed the forces of Dalmar while capturing him during his escape from the battlefield.

### Visimarian Defeat (568)

Shortly after Ragnfred's return from Lambert, he was forced upon by an assassin while walking through a courtyard in Castle Odin who injured him fatally using a poisoned blade. After dealing with the assassin, Ragnfred rode to Soapstones Castle along the Visimarian Border in a cart where he would sign a peace treaty with Lambert in the presence of King Graham II and return to Midheim where he would rule for another year before the poison he was affected by from the attack would kill him. Victorious, the Kingdom of Lambert would spend the rest of the decade razing bandit outposts and camps that plagued the Duchy of Lanslet as well as the Barony of North Star.