War of the Union

The **War of the Union** was a bloody and treacherous war in 220 and 221 A.K. between House Anthony and Geoffrey, against the Union: House Carlysle, Radclyffe and Stormeblood.

## Background

King Keith Carlysle III returns from the battles against the Brotherhoods in the northern province of Radclyffe with a very positive look on Lord Owyn and his family and lands. His daughter Cheryl reached her sixteenth year some months later, which is considered to be the best year to marry a woman to a man. Keith considered some matches, but he wanted his daughter to be happy too. He eventually sent her to Clyffeton, but he did not tell her his goal. He wanted her to fall in love with one of Owyn's sons, which succeeded. She married Eryc Radclyffe and rumours reached the surface that Keith wished House Radclyffe to replace House Anthony in the rankings of power and wealth.

## Prelude

This angered Lord Oscar Anthony, who sent his son Lawrence to Clyffeton to set matters straight. He arrived and tried to convince Owyn and Cheryl that he would be a much better match and demanded that the marriage was cancelled. They both denied, however, and Lawrence panicked, afraid to disappoint his father. He knocked Cheryl over with a candle and set the castle on fire. This injured many nobles, including Victoria Stormeblood, whom he took and dragged up on the ramparts. He threatened her and Cheryl, but she kicked him off and Owyn came to save her. They fought on the walls, but Owyn was killed and thrown down. Eryc took Lawrence and threw him in the dungeons.

## War

### **Prince of Scaeptre**

Julian Carlysle, Cheryl's older brother and heir to the throne, heard about the incidents and immediately rode north to Clyffeton. He took a thousand men and traveled through the wild to comfort his sister and visit the funeral of Owyn. On the King's Way, they were all ambushed by a host of Anthony men, who were sent by Lord Oscar. Julian escaped, but many of his best knights were either killed or taken captive.

### **Lord of the Gate**

In the city of the Gate, Lord Oscar Anthony weighs over his options. His conclusion is that war is inevitable, but that he needs help against the possible entire strength of House Carlysle, Radclyffe, and Stormeblood. He sends letters to Lord Alymar Geoffrey of Geoffport and Lord Raymonde Laghnall of Westwatch. After hearing the news of her son, Claire, Oscar's wife, panics and falls to the ground in another one of her monthly attacks. She has a sort of vision and seems to tell us the future of this and further wars:

*Wait*, she continued, *no! You will kill, not die!*

*The king will die, and the king will help. South and West shall clash, and North shall clash, while East thinks.*

*Remember the Bastard king! His past shall be remembered and his future utilized…*

### **First Assembly in Clyffeton**

Eryc organizes an assembly of several lords of Radclyffe and with his younger brother Robyn, Cheryl and Victoria. None of the other lords really treat them seriously, as they are all still young. They debate about the fate of Lawrence. Lord Todryck Ruby offers to have him hanged that very day, but Cheryl convinces her husband to be careful and he eventually decides to keep him captive during the war. After the war is won, he will be executed, but perhaps it would even prevent the war if Oscar could be talked to.

After the assembly, Eryc drags Lawrence from his cell, for his anger is finally coming out. He beats him up and commands him to spill any information he might posess about House Anthony's strength or tactics. He remains silent, however, and Cheryl stops him from doing any further damage. Lawrence tells them he has lost faith in his House, and that he wishes to serve House Radclyffe to the end of his days, Houseless. Cheryl immediately accepts, causing Eryc's anger, and she tells Lawrence he may serve her as soon as the war is done. Eryc leads her upstairs, angry, when Lord Russell Stormeblood arrived with a part of his host.

### **Bounty Hunt**

The Anthony host returns with all their captives full off information, and Oscar rewards them appropriately. He is told, however, that Julian has escaped to parts unknown. He commands his advisor to find the leader of this host and bring him to his office. Some moments later, Apollo Agnys arrived in all his pride and bowed before his lord. He tells Oscar he enjoyed ambushing and killing the Carlysles, and the Lord of the Gate orders him to find Julian and kill him. He says Julian is of utter importance to the wars to come.

### **Second Assembly in Clyffeton**

Eryc assembles Cheryl, Robyn, Victoria, Russell and his wife Pearl to the second assembly. Russell asks what they mean to give House Stormeblood in order for them to join the alliance. Pearl interrupts him, however, and tells them she only has one condition. The Carlysle-Radclyffe pact was made through a marriage, so she asks if Victoria and Robyn could be married as well. This angered Victoria quite a lot, and she barged off to her chambers. Eryc accepts, and so does Robyn. Russell returns to Castle Rho to gather the largest army possible.

Later that night, Myles Thurham tells Eryc that a search party to find Julian has been sent from the Capital, led by a woman. He also fears for Julian, as Apollo is known as one of the finest killers alive.

### **Union of Three Houses**

In Clyffeton, Cheryl breaks down mentally and gets into a fight with her longtime friend and maid Izzy. She considers returning home to the Capital during the war, when Eryc enters and tells her the funeral is finally happening. The common folk and the nobles are all present as smoke fills the night air, and the emotions take hold of Cheryl. She walks forward and makes a rash decision. She holds a speech and convinces Eryc to sign a true pact, which says they will protect each other and fight for each other at all times. He and Robyn sign, and later Victoria, Russell and Pearl join as well. This forms the Union of Three Houses.

### **Ashes into Blood**

The king was resting in his city with his wife Evelyne: eating in his tub, making silly jokes, talking sexy. His wife exits and leaves for their bedchambers. He climbs out some moments later as well, and calls for his squire to hand him a towel. Suddenly, two hands grabbed him by the neck and threw him on the edge of the bath multiple times. The king was kicked and hit on the temple multiple times. He called for his squire Antonys, who returned and tried to fight the attacker, but he stabbed him in the stomach. Keith ran for the attacker, but he stopped and froze as soon as he lowered his hood. Oscar Anthony stood before him, knife in hand, and sliced his throat.

### **Queen of Scaeptre**

Julian's betrothed, Teresa Pelaris, leads a search party into the wild and encounters a castle in the Gatelands, where she believes Julian might be. According to a witness, she ravaged the courtyards and killed many innocents. She burned trees and poles, and sent the nobles away. Julian was nowhere to be found, however.