The War of the Two Brothers

Military action

A conflict between Gadeon of Dumnonia and Gradlon of Kernev, leading to the founding of the Empire of Ys.

Upon his death, Conan Meriadoc divided his kingdom of Dumnonia between his two sons, Gadeon and Gradlon. Gadeon was to rule the island of Albia, while his brother was to rule continental Armorica. This arrangement was not to last, as Gadeon seized his brothers crown and exiled him from Dumnonia.   With only a handful of ships, Gradlon sought to establish himself elsewhere, launching a siege on the Island Kingdom of Fjallkonan, home of the Witch-Queen Malgven and her ailing Husband. The siege failed to break the impregnable magic defenses of Gullfoss and the army shattered, leaving Gradlon alone on the black shores of the island as his fleet sailed away. However, his valiant fearlessness and skill had not gone unnoticed by his enemy, and Malgven approached him with a proposition. As an outsider, he was not under the Ere-hud that protected the King from his subjects, including Malgven. Gradlon could therefore kill the King of Fjallkonan and together, they would take back his Kingdom in Armorica. Gradlon agreed, and dispatched the old ruler, allowing Malgven to seize the throne. True to her word, she provided her ally with Morvac'h, a black horse with a fiery mane, capable of running on water as if it were land. They rode across the waves, Malgven's Witches close behind in great flying longships, quickly overtaking Gradlon's original fleet, which scattered in a panic as they thundered by.   They landed on the Southern Coast of the Armorican Peninsula, where Malgven raised an army of Korrigan to march northwards. Unlike his father, Gadeon had no compunctions about using the arkane of Faerie to his advantage, enlisting the aid of a powerful Albied Mage's Cabal and a Dragon to counter Malgven's Witches. The army's met at what would become the Meneziou Are mountains. A great battle erupted, magic tearing the ground asunder, giant juts of stone erupting from the earth. Meanwhile, Malgven battled the Dragon of Dreger and its rider, Mikael of Leon high above the waters along the Ar Mor Emrodez. Malgven was thrown into a mountain, destroying a large part of it. To this day, it is known as Menez-Mikael.   Gradlon's forces were victorious in the battle of Meneziou Are, but Malgven had been defeated in the North. An agreement was made, separating Dumnonia into Kernev under Gradlon and Dreger, under Gadeon. With Malgven's magical aid, Gradlon built the wondrous city of Ker-Ys, the jewel of Armorica.   Gradlon ruled for several years with Malgven, until the arrival of Saint Guenole of the Faith. Guenole convinced the King to become one of the Faithful, which did not sit well with the Witch Queen. She pulled her witches out of Kernev and returned home to Fjallkonan, leaving Gradlon with their child, Princess Ahes Dahut. Gradlon's reign was prosperous until the Fall of Ys.