War of the Winds

The first war of the Hit Roleplaying Series, "Late Night With Jam", the War of the Winds was a conflict originally fought between New Rome and the Soup Empire. It would grow to include both House Cliffhall and Derpscovy. Much of the fighting would occur in the soupist swamp and the lands surrounding the Cliffhall palace. The war would end in a Cliffhall victory over Derpscovy, whilst the Soup Empire would defeat New Rome and manage to force the Cliffhalls into a stalemate.

The warmongering Soup Empire would come into competition with the young and eager New Rome over valuable access to the river that ran along the border of the Soupist's home swamp. In a series of escalating skirmishes, the Soupists would be able to seize complete control of their side of the river and even take over many of the fords and bridges that crossed it. Panicked, New Rome went to their allies House Cliffhall to ask for help, which House Cliffhall provided with an direct intervention. The Soup Empire captured Robb Cliffhall, but that was not enough to pressure the Cliffhalls into a peace. In response, the Soup Empire went to Derpscovy. While the two had never been on friendly terms, and often fought over their shared border, their competition fostered a healthy respect. Furthermore Derpscovy's King, Bison, saw this war as an opportunity to compete with the Cliffhalls for influence. He sent Cirion Leon demanding House Cliffhall yield the rich lands of their palace to Derpscovy. When they declined, Derpscovy would join the war on behalf of the Soup Empire, turning this regional conflict between the Soupists and their much weaker neighbor into a war between great houses.

The first true battle of the war would be a Derpscovian assault on the palace. Bison I thought that a shock charge would take the Cliffhalls by surprise and lead to a swift victory, but they were prepared and repelled the Derpscovians easily. They took Cirion Leon as a prisoner and injured both Bison I and Jamtein Adsum. With the Derpscovians beaten temporarily, the Cliffhalls would turn their attention to the Soup Empire. In a slow and drawn out campaign, the Soupists harassed them and kept them contained in the palace. During this time, the Cliffhalls would kill one of the Soupist council members, Unknown. As revenge, the Soupists would execute Robb Cliffhall. King Connor Cliffhall himself would lead the Cliffhall army into the swamps, to try and defeat the Soup Empire in their homeland. The assault would fail, with both the King and his son Soup (not to be confused with the Soupists or Soup Empire) being severely injured. The Ciffhalls would return from the swamps empty handed, but they had secured their own lands and even threatened the homeland of the Soupists.

## The Bloody Rise of House Cliffhall

Derpscovy had been beaten temporarily, but remained a significant power in the realm. King Bison I and Jamtein Adsum led a party under a white flag to negotiate in exchange for the release of Cirion Leon, one of King Bison's closest advisors. The King and his men were welcomed into the palace by Soup Cliffhall, who was regent whilst his father recovered from his injuries. Instead of being led to a negotiating table, however, the King was led to Cirion's cell. There, they were set upon by the guardsmen of House Cliffhall. King Bison and many of the senior Derpscovian nobility and courtiers were murdered or maimed, seemingly crippling the kingdom. Jamtein Adsum would escape, and Cirion Leon would go missing soon after. This massacre left House Cliffhall as the sole power in the realm, as New Rome has been absorbed by them or otherwise dissipated, and the Soupists were recovering from their guerilla war.