The Culling of the Clansmen

### Outcome

Retrieval of House Royce's bronze armor, Greatly reduced clansmen numbers, Established House Royce's martial ability

The **Culling of the Clansmen**, also known as **The Culling**, was a series of skirmishes fought within The Vale between a coalition led by House Royce and supported by House Waynwood, House Redfort, House Melcolm, and later House Grafton against The Mountain Clansmen.

While bloody and brutal, it cemented the Valemen's control over The Vale and vastly reduced the numbers and spirits of the Mountain Clansmen.

## First Strike (317 AC)

Despite the recent raids dealt to the lands near Runestone, Lord Andar Royce I and his wife Usula went for a romantic ride regardless. With only a handful of guards with them, they were easily overpowered and slain by Mountain Clansmen. A sole guard managed to escape the ambush and get word to recently knighted Gerold Royce. His father was slain and their ancestral bronze armor was taken by the Mountain Clansmen. Word got out of this event and the deceased Andar Royce I received the moniker "Bronze Fool", yet Gerold Royce and his twin brother, Donnel, did not sit idly by.

In the years following the death of Andar Royce I, Lord Gerold Royce set to arranging marriage alliances between nearby houses Waynwood, Redfort, and Melcolm.

## The Initial Campaign (319 AC - 325 AC)

With the weddings coming to a close, the alliances were secured. Wasting no time, the coalition agreed to meet at Iron Oaks to discuss their strategy. On route to Iron Oaks, House Royce bannermen stumbled upon a skirmish between the Redsmiths and Howlers, two smaller clans. Seizing the opportunity, Lord Gerold Royce led the charge and turned the battle in the favor of the Howlers. Sparing the meager clan, they were coerced into joining their efforts of war against the other clans in exchange for safety and power.

### Betrayal at Iron Lake (320 AC)

With the Howlers as bait, they were sent out to negotiate food with the Black Ears and the Moon Brothers by the lake near Iron Oaks. Unbeknownst to the tightly knit clans, the Howlers had joined the coalition. As soon as the clansmen were near, the coalition cavalry beset them. Using the lake to surround them, many clansmen were slain that day. Among the coalition, the lake became known as "Iron Lake", for the similarity to Iron Oaks and the taste of blood in the air and water.

### A New Ally (320 AC)

With the knowledge of the Howlers, the coalition was able to track down the Black Ears and Moon Brothers as they fled into the Mountains of the Moon. Finally, they were able to trap them within a valley with the surprising help of the Painted Dogs clan. After slaying their original targets, the coalition turned the fighting to the Painted Dogs, who threw down their weapons and surrendered in response. While some called for their deaths, as they did with all hostages, Lord Gerold Royce spared their clan, offering a deal similar to what the Howlers agreed to.

### Mountain Massacres (321 AC - 324 AC)

Assisted by the Howlers and the Painted Dogs, the coalition was able to decimate the local clans of the Milk Snakes, Redsmiths, and Sons of the Tree in gruesome and prolonged mountain combat. Only the Sons of the Mist could not be found, though the rest of the clans certainly made their presence known with countless hit-and-run tactics that were only exacerbated by the terrain.

### A Rising Flame (325 AC)

Haggard, yet satisfied, with their efforts in the Mountains of the Moon, the coalition departed the treacherous terrain and sent out scouts for their next targets. While most scouts never returned, those that did carried crucial information: the Burned Men had created a coalition of their own, mostly with the Sons of the Mist and the remnants of other clans. More importantly, the goal of their campaign was in sight as one of the scouts reported that a clansman named Dywen had been seen wearing the bronze armor that had belonged to the murdered Andar Royce I.

With reports of raided farms near the river by Old Anchor, the coalition rushed ahead only to find that it was a trap. The coalition leadership was overextended and ambushed the the Burned Men, dealing heavy losses to the Valemen. While their numbers were not near that of the coalition, and reinforcements quickly arriving, the battle was ultimately won by the coalition, yet it was a pyrrhic one. A majority of the clansmen were able to retreat down river via crude rafts.

The rest of the year was taken to recover from their prolonged mountain skirmishes and to devise a new strategy for dealing with the Burned Men and their orbiting clans. During this break, the Painted Dogs returned to the Mountains of the Moon yet the Howlers persisted with the coalition. With word of the coalition's casualties and the promise of revenge against the Burned Men that had slain Ser Godric Grafton only decades ago, Lord Gerold Grafton added his support to Royce's forces with fresh knights from Gulltown and supplies.

## The Final Campaign (326 AC - 330 AC)

With their men rested and a new strategy devised based off of fresh scouting reports, the coalition grew confident they could end the clansmen threat and reclaim the bronze armor.

### The Fracture (326 AC)

After tracking down what was thought to be the temporary camp of the Burned Men, the coalition engaged in a night ambush against the clansmen. Following the battle, hostages were taken and tortured to death so as to get information on Dywen's whereabouts. During the interrogation it was revealed that the clans had suffered from infighting and the Sons of the Mist decided to abandon the Burned Men, who retreated to the Mountains of the Moon. Nevertheless, the remaining Sons of the Mist that had been defeated in the battle were slain.

### Friend Turned Foe (327 AC)

With the Howlers' assistance, the Painted Dogs were tracked down and caught off-guard in transit through a valley. The fighting was fierce and tight. Towards the end of the battle, the Painted Dogs joined the fray but decided to support the Burned Men rather than the coalition. Surrounded by clansmen, the coalition fought their way out of the valley but found that the Burned Men had retreated while the Painted Dogs were left to die. Following this battle, the Painted Dogs were not seen for the rest of the campaign.

### Dywen's Demise (328 AC)

Leader and wearer of the bronze armor, Dywen, was able to rally together the remnants of previously butchered clans of Milk Snakes, Redsmiths, and the Black Ears for a final stand against the coalition. Despite being trapped against a mountain top, the clansmen were able to use the high ground to their advantage and inflicted great losses against the coalition. As the battle waged on, Lord Gerold Royce was able to fight Dywen in single combat and put an end to his life. As the bronze armor was retrieved, an avalanche was triggered by the clansmen in a last ditch effort. Many men were lost to the collapse and the clansmen used the opportunity to escape with a valuable hostage: Donnel Royce, Gerold's twin brother.

### Gerold's Gambit (330 AC)

After Donnel Royce was able to get some Valemen to escape captivity to deliver a message to the coalition, his whereabouts became known. With this, the coalition was able to ambush the Black Ears and the Moon Brothers that supported them. At the risk of losing the life of his hostage brother, Lord Gerold Royce led the ambush. The fighting was pathetic, as the Black Ears had had their numbers greatly reduced since the last battle. With the archers at the ready, they shot those that held Donnel captive but not before they were able to cut off his ears, deafening him.

With that battle finished, the bronze armor retrieved, and his brother alive, Lord Gerold Royce called an end to the campaign. Nevertheless, other Valemen put the blame on the Howlers for not being able to scout out the Black Ears faster so as to possibly save Donnel from being deafened. Just as a fight was about to break out, Lord Gerold Royce put a stop to it by making good on his promise he had made to the Howlers. The Howlers were able to settle the lands near Runestone and to this day they volunteer to assist House Royce.