The War for the Antlers

The War for the Antlers was fought in 175 AA between the forces of the Kingdom of the Claw and the Kingdom of the Dusklands. It was a strategic victory for the Dusklands, who gained the castle of the Antlers by the end of hostilities.

## Prelude

As King Crispian III Celtigar's power waned in the region of the Narrow Sea, he began to see the more powerful and more stable Kingdom of the Dusklands as a growing threat. In order to dissuade King Steffon Darklyn from attempting an annexation of the Claw, King Crispian ordered a preemptive attack be made while they still had a hope of stopping the Darklyns.

## The War for the Antlers

### The Raid on the Resting Bay

Prince Triston Celtigar captained his brother's fleet, and they set sail for Rook's Rest on the coast of the Blackwater Bay. As no word had reached Lord Jonos Staunton of the impending danger, his fleet was caught at considerable disadvantage when the Clawmen entered the bay.

Despite his best efforts to sortie against the attackers, Lord Staunton could do little but watch his fleet and his port burn. Prince Triston left the Resting Bay victorious, giving House Celtigar an auspicious start to the war.

### The Battle of Hayfield

As Rook's Rest had so recently come under attack and was so close in proximity to the lands of the Claw, King Steffon Darklyn issued the order that they should not seek retaliation but prepare for a siege. Darklyn called his banners to Rosby and began to assemble a host to invade the Claw in response to this provocation, but he required time to do it.

King Celtigar's host had already marshalled at the Antlers, however, and under the command of Lord Ethan Buckwell it marched south to Hayford Hall. Lord Gerold Hayford took the men he'd marshaled for King Darklyn and moved to meet the Clawmen in the field, and in a bloody the Darklyns suffered a second defeat. Lord Hayford and Lord Hyle Hogg perished on the field, though they captured Lord Cedric Hasty in the retreat.

Lord Buckwell advanced on to Hayford Hall and took the keep without a siege, as their forces had been depleted by the preceding battle.

### The Battle of the Princes

Naval power, as ever, proved integral to the strategies of both Kings. King Darklyn ordered an assault on the Velaryon seat of Driftmark while King Celtigar turned his victorious fleet towards the Aegonfort, on the banks of the Blackwater Rush.

The two fleets engaged, however, in open water. Celtigar's fleet was far larger and took an early upper hand. Even though the Dusklanders managed to sink a fair portion of Celtigar's fleet, the Celtigar men were better sailors and had enough ships to absorb the losses. Darklyn began losing men, and quickly.

In a desperate move Prince Renfred Darklyn took his flagship and sought out Prince Triston Celtigars. The two ships locked in combat, and Darklyn and his men made to board Celtigar's ship. As the ship began to list, the two men dueled. Those few crew who remained aboard until the end said that even was water lapped about their ankles the two Princes fought until, at last, Prince Renfred mortally wounded Prince Triston.

It was a cruel trick of fate then that Prince Renfred's ships had already fled to the west, leaving him aboard the half-sunk hulk to be taken prisoner. Lord Hyle Sunglass looked less than favorably upon the killer of his prince, and made the decision to deposit all prisoners-- including Prince Renfred-- on the quarantined Isle of Dragonstone, where they would contract the Grey Plague and over time become stonemen.

### The Sacking of the Antlers

King Darklyn had a keen mind for war, however. Despite the setbacks he'd faced at Rook's Rest and Hayfield, he knew that the relatively small host of Clawmen could not defend all this territory against their numerically superior foes. He issued orders to Lord Preston Rosby and Lord Symond Stokeworth: march north and seize the Antlers. King Steffon made plans to retake Hayfield personally.

In the night soldiers of Houses Rosby and Stokeworth scaled the walls of the Antlers, seizing the gatehouse and throwing open the gates to the joint host. In an almost bloodless turn, they'd seized a major keep.

News of this setback, coupled with the return of Lord Sunglass, sent King Crispian Celtigar into a rage. He had lost a valuable prisoner to the stonemen on Dragonstone along with a goodly portion of his fleet and his own brother besides. He set sail for the mainland to deal with the threat himself.

### The Duel of the Kings

Hayfield played host to the majority of the Clawmen on the mainland, and King Darklyn laid siege to the castle with all haste. Lord Buckwell had few supplies and was not prepared for a siege, leaving the Kingdom of the Claw in a desperate situation: their army was surrounded, soon to be starving; their navy broken. King Crispian was not blind to this fact, and sent word to King Steffon. He would be willing to parlay.

The two kings met at Hardhall, where the remaining Clawmen had marshalled. King Crispian issued terms for a white peace, one where he could retain some measure of dignity after such a humiliating defeat. King Steffon would not hear of it, demanding recompense for the destruction of the Resting Bay and the ships lost in combat with his fleet. The two men would argue for some time before a compromise would be reached. There would be a final duel to determine the outcome of the war: King would draw steel against King. If King Steffon emerged victorious, House Darklyn would hold the Antlers. Were the opposite to happen and King Crispian won, House Celtigar would receive Hayfield.

So it began, ill-advised though the duel was. Initially both men seemed equal, but over time Darklyn gained the upper hand. At last he broke King Crispian's defense and slashed at his exposed throat, sending the proud King of the Claw to the dirt to bleed out. The Clawmen erupted into a furor but were calmed by their new king, Adrian Celtigar. The young king agreed to honor his father's terms and ceded the Antlers to their nemeses in House Darklyn.

## Aftermath

When a rider approached the siege camp at Hayfield, they passed through to the gates to inform the garrison of the end of hostilities. This would be the first that Lord Ethan Buckwell heard of his lands being used as collateral on Westeros' largest bet, and it enraged him. He would now be a vassal to the man he'd been fighting for two years, King Steffon Darklyn.

This would be the largest consequence of the War of the Antlers, and thus the name for the conflict would be coined. It would not go without noting that the war produced near to two hundred prisoners that were sent to Dragonstone, ensuring the survival of the Grey Plague for many decades to come.