The Union of Maol-Moirel

**The Union of Maol-Moirel, The Great Clan Union, or the Clans of Maol-Moirel** is a territory in the Eastern Region that comprises of clans confederated under a defensive pact under the guise of several great clans. The Union of Maol-Moirel is one of the first human territories to break free from wizard king rule early in history, but their formation would come dozens of years later when their conquest of the coast allowed them to establish military dominance along the Iron Gullet. The union is home to deplorable land and constant warfare as clan ritualistic combat ruins the lives of clanspeople and commoners and endangering the lives of travelers intending to cross the clan's territories. This constant state of warfare should attribute to the decentralized nature of the union which leads to its history of constant warfare.

## History

### Early History - 120-410

The early formation of the great clans who would form the union of Maol-Moirel would derive from the great clans of Maol and Moirel and their sub-clans, many of whom dotted the western and northern parts of the union's territory. Many of the clans have extensive histories of fighting against wizard king rule. These clans would form military expeditions to the coast where pirates and raiders have taken it to themselves to establish hillforts and lairs across the coastline. In 120, several clans would lay waste to these forts and claim them as their own, establishing the military dominance of the clans people in the region. In the following months, several great clans would come together in the union's capital and form what is known as the Union of Maol-Moirel, unionizing the two great clans and their sub-clans in a defensive pact which would last for hundreds of years.

Early history of the union would involve taking control of the lands east and south of their territory as the great clans of Maol-Moirel had control over only the western and northern parts of the Eastern Region along the Iron Gullet. Several warbands would conquer the independent clans and by 200, most of the clans in the region that weren't in free state or royal territory were under the union of Maol-Moirel, significantly increasing the military dominance of the union.

#### Yellow Mold Famine - 222

The Yellow Mold Famine is a famine that wrecked the union in 388 following crop failure and a lack of hunting which starved the entirety of the region. As most clans lacked the access to hunting territory and good soil, most clans either perished in the famine or integrated into bigger clans who could feed them. Overall, over 50,000 clanspeople were thought to have died because of the famine

The Kingdom of Visimar at the time, who was more open to positive diplomacy with the union, promised several clans that bordered their kingdom with foodstuff capable of saving them from the crisis in return for fealty when the time came. A majority of the border clans were initially insistent on allowing the exchange and when it did happen when the kingdom sent over three hundred carts of food and seeds, their relations turned in the favor of the kingdom.

### Maol-Moirel-Visimarian War of Conquest - 410-413

In 410, the Emperor Dagobert V, following the impeachment of Saba the Beheader due to his unwillingness to start a war with the clans, declared war on the Union of Maol-Moirel with the intention of conquering it's lands. After the events of the Yellow Mold Famine and Puul's Rebellion, the union was more destabilized than ever. This was apparent after the declaration of war when the union's forced only gathered to around 10,000 compared to the empire's 35,000. Many clans in the northern territory would also defect to the empire after generational promises led to their change of loyalty, swelling the numbers of the empire.

Fighting would be scattered but by 413, Dagobert would march into the capital of the union after winning the Battle of Gilno Plains and demand the surrender of the great clan leaders who would give in to Visimarian rule, turning the union into the Holy Chiefdoms of Visimar; a new province in the empire. Rebellions would immediately plague the lands in 413 following the defeat as dozens of unsatisfied chiefs, now deposed of their individual power and forced to adhere to the rule of installed Visimarian lords and wardens, raised their clans in rebellion in an attempt to retake their union. Many clans in the south would start these rebellions beginning in 413 due to their reluctancy to join in the fighting before the war ended using weapons stockpiled from not raising their forces and giving them to the deserters and fleeing clansmen from the war to fight for them instead.

Unfortunately, many regional wardens would have an iron fist approach to dealing with rebellions following their demeaner towards the clans which would lead to widespread killings and exterminations of entire clans by Visimarian and mercenary death squads. Most of the killings would begin in 214 with several clans being entirely destroyed and would not stop until 220, stopping any rebellion from sprouting for over a dozen years at the cost of over 75,000 dead clanspeople.

### Reconquest of Maol-Moirel - 601-604

The Reconquest of Maol-Moirel would begin in 601 following a secret pact made by the original great clans to retake control over their ancestral land. As much planning was made into the development of their schemes, secret moves and incited commoner rebellions would begin in 601 which would target local lords and their soldiers, allowing assassins or spies to infiltrate where it was weak and kill any officials. Although most plots failed, many Visimarian lords and wardens were assassinated during this time.

By 603, a general rebellion would be raised by a majority of the Maol-Moirel clans against Visimarian garrisons and the regional army that shook the empire to its core. The Battle of Albyn Flat outside the Visimarian-aligned town of Albyn would be the first and only battle of the reconquest as over 25,000 clansmen battled with under 5,000 Visimarians of the imperial regional regional army, utterly vanquishing and driving the Visimarians across the border.

By the start of 604, the clan army begun to raid into the empire's territory, and with little in the way of financing another expedition due to the War of the Crown and the widespread dissent of nobles across the empire, Emperor Ealdred II would offer peace to the rebellion in return for them to return to their union and a treaty would be signed by mid-604.

### The 50 Year War - 621-666

The Union of Maol-Moirel would be involved in the 50 Year War as they were apart of the Coalition of Five Kingdoms. When the Kingdom of Lambert sent men over their borders in 621, the Union would be forced to declare war as well as the other kingdoms within the Coalition when the Holy Empire of Visimar declared war on the Kingdom of Lambert.

The Union's involvement in the conflict would largely be focused in the southern region as levied clans were sent to the free cities to wreck havoc whether or not they were involved or allied with the Holy Empire. In 625, the Battle of Pisac would be a small battle but a significant one as the clan army of 5,000 would fight and route the free state alliance of over 7,000 men, many of whom were largely untrained freemen forced into fighting by their lords.

## The Maol-Moirel Council

This council serves the purpose that any other council in Clamund would such as the Council of Kings or some other kingdoms council. Many notable clan members that are prevalent in the Union usually have a spot or two within this council, which could consist of over a hundred chieftains when it's in full attendance. The council has the advantage of having a realm wide say in purposed laws and policies. This is a very inclusive sort of government as there are no men of power left out in decisions which not only boost the popularity of this sort of governance but also doesn't allow a tyrant of a monarch to subdue the kingdom and make it their own.