The War for the West

Military action

The war that shaped the lands of Hariel Majour...

The War for the West marked the first major threat to the nascent throne of Wyeth. It began when a competing kingdom, the Monarchy of Nerithar challenged the sovereignty of Markhan Wyeth's fledgeling nation. This led to a nearly hundred year, bloody conflict with wins and losses on both sides.   One defining moment was the destruction of the seat of Wyeth itself, the castle of Aranost, and the sacking of the capital city. By all accounts, the war should have ended there, but Markhan Wyeth was always a tough and stubborn ruler. He marshaled his forces into a retreat to what is now the new seat of Wyeth. At the time, it was a holding of the newly prominent city of Angleport, and Markhan subjugated it for his own purposes.   From here, the forces of Wyeth planned a counter strike, one giant "battle for all" on the contested fields of Lygold, set perfectly between the two nations (a neutral territory at that time). The battle that ensued was so violent that Lygold was since renamed "The Sodden Fields" or "The Fields of Blood."   Through superior tactics, if not superior numbers, Wyeth fractured and routed Nerithar's lines. Then they marched on Nerithar's capital, leveling it to the ground. Nerithar sued for peace shortly after.   As a condition of their surrender, the nation of Nerithar would dissolve, yet it would not be fully absorbed by Wyeth. In fact, the crown allowed the fractured holdings of Nerithar to become "self ruled," thus forming what we know of today as The Freemantle. Further Wyethian kings have occasionally come to regret that decision, as they've been plagued by infighting and attempts on the crown many times since giving the fractured states their autonomy.   Most are uncertain of why Markhan Wyeth decided to divide his conquered lands in this manner. Many chose to become vassal states to Wyeth, but some operated out of true independence. Some think Markhan simply feared dealing with the governance of that many squabbling holdings. Others think that it might have had to do with the related expenses. Either way, the Freemantle has been "self ruled" ever since, save for the brief period when the free cities came together to challenge the crown, only a few hundred years past.