The forces of The Gaunt Duchy breached The Black Walls, first at Cardenfall and then all along their length, though it came at a terrible cost, and left behind a thick, poisonous Black Cloud.
The forces of The Gaunt Duchy breached The Black Walls, first at Cardenfall and then all along their length, though it came at a terrible cost, and left behind a thick, poisonous Black Cloud.
In an attempt to prevent the approaching forces of The Kingdom of Somercrag from siezing the land between The Witwell Mountains and The Redford River, the forces of The Kingdom of Irogonie, including a number of Dualists, triggered the effects of The Black Walls surrounding the cities of Fairdeep, Stathgow and Southmarket, unleashing Black Clouds that hung over those cities, making it dangerous to impossible to enter them, and killing the population immediately.
Because of this, these cities became known as The Black Cities.
At the The Battle of Starfield an army of The Kingdom of Irogonie led by Prince Lur Lighthelm was met by the forces of The Gaunt Duchy led by ser Tyon Cray as well as a second force led by ser Sola Somercrag and Sola's Vanguard.
The battle resulted in the death of the Irogonian Crown Prince and the routing of the Irogonie forces. It was shortly followed by the complete surrender of the Kingdom of Irogonie.
On the day of the mid-winter Solstice ser Newall Foxworth was wedded to Lady Ophelia Hayford, the younger sister of Duke Brennar Hayford.
The wedding was arranged by ser Sola Somercrag and her Chancellor Lady Laycie Sawler as a reward for ser Newall's actions during The Battle of Starfield.
As part of this arrangement ser Newall founded House Foxworth of Fairstrand and took up the Lordship of part of the land ceded to The Kingdom of Somercrag .
The Foxworth party crossed Starfield with difficulty, ser Newall's psychological condition being seriously affected by the return to the place of his injury.
In crossing the battlefield Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford encountered A Badly Wounded Soldier who had seemingly Been Stranded There since the battle. His clothing was so badly weathered that it was impossible to tell which colours he wore, and he was so delirious from exhaustion, hunger and dehydration that he could barely speak, let alone answer questions.
Once across the battlefield they entered Saltreach, the first settlement within their new holding of Fairstrand.
On the first day of spring in 441KS House Foxworth of Fairstrand gave its first audience to petitioners and held its first Council session.
Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford chaired these sessions in her role as ser Newall Foxworth's Steward due to his ongoing recovery.
Fulcrum Justan Varrith entered into the service of House Foxworth of Fairstrand to advise them on Dualism and to eventually open a Church in The Old Tower.
Following reports of poachers in The Dyrwood, Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford sets forth a new program in which criminals can volunteer for a period of indentured servitude to earn a pardon for their crimes. The first of these, the poachers, are pressed into service building The Challinder Road, which will provide a bypass around The Deephaunt for trade between Saltreach and Clayhost.
Over the course of the months between his meeting with Queen Malina Somercrag in The City of Bayglen and The Tourney at Fairstrand 441KS, ser Tyon Cray hatched a conspiracy to use the upcoming Tourney to capture Prince Dalran and ser Mitchar Hespeak, the surviving children of House Somercrag of Bayglen and use them to leverage the Queen into accepting the evidence against ser Kyra Crowler and her part in The Ambush on the Kingsroad.
This conspiracy began with a conversation between ser Tyon and his neighbour Lord Erac Tallman, but spread to include three Duchal Leaders, and ignited The Revolution of 441KS which led to ser Tyon ascending to the throne of The Kingdom of Somercrag.
Although the The Kingdom of Somercrag gathered in Fairstrand's Dyrwood for a Tourney, the event came to be infamous for the actions of its Grand Melee, which launched The Revolution of 441KS.
As the victor of The Battle of Bayglen, King Tyon I Cray appointed six Dukes - Lady Jaenis Skanler, Lord Croll Blackbar and Lady Mariella Gaunt-Goulsblud to resume their previous positions, ser Edgarth Hayford to be restored to his father's seat once he had been recovered from his position as a hostage of the remaining Royalist Soldiers, Hallkatla Darklyn to take up her father's seat which she had won from him during the war, and ser Newall Foxworth to take up a new Duchal seat over the the lands North of The Witwells that had been ceded from The Kingdom of Irogonie at the end of The Irogonie Aggression.
Mattheo Foxworth was discovered to not be amongst the Revolutionary forces in Bayglen Castle. It had been presumed that he was amongst those recieving the care of a Spire Advisor or Barber-Surgeonne in one of the castle's rooms, but now the assumption is that he is amongst the forces commanded by ser Astris Conklyn hunting down the last Royalist Soldiers in Allerton and Haycastle.
On the first day of the new year King Tyon I Cray was crowned by a gathering of his Dukes and Duchesses.
A great number of guests attended the momentous event, not only Somercrag's Lords and Ladies, but also Princett Nym Cimber at the head of a large part from The Kingdom of Rotheval and Prince Emerson Arturson of The Irogonian Royal Family.
As an additional part of the celebrations, the newly crowned King officiated the wedding of Lady Terin Foxworth and Lady Hellna Gaunt, arranged during The Tourney at Fairstrand 441KS. With the sad passing of her brother during the The Battle of Bayglen, Hellna was now to inherit The Gaunt Duchy.
The King also used this moment to dispense justice over the captured Royalist Soldiers. Ser Kyra Crowler was personally executed by the King before the gathered crowd. Other captured soldiers were given an opportunity to bend the knee to the king or be executed in the Castle's grounds, away from the public eye. Non military prisoners were given the opportunity to bend the knee or be exiled from the capital.
In a private meeting with Tyon's Royal Council Ser Allon Southbay was told that while the king would uphold his resolution of The Siege of Haycastle, he did not support it. He also directed the new Lord to strip Edam of his ranks and titles.
Finally, ser Mattheo Foxworth was knighted in absentia for his service in the various battles of the Revolution. Ser Newall Foxworth left Bayglen that evening to attempt to find his missing son.
To pay for King Tyon I Cray's wedding, his vassals were expected to increase their tithes to him from one-quarter of their income to one-third. They would also be expected to contribute to the celebrations by arranging entertainment and food for the guests, as well as gifts to the newlyweds.
House Tarre of Sentinel Point hosted a Tourney on behalf of their liege, House Foxworth of Fairstrand.
This marks the social debut of Matthias Foxworth, Caddeus Gaunt and Matthis Hayford.
The Continent of Greland was shaken by earthquakes. They seemed to be centered on The Lamas Plains, where a number of great chasms opened, though they affected everything between The Witwells and The Rotheval Mountains to some extent.
Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford concieved a response to the eruption of The Boxsart Hills, inspired by her own relocation of the oppressed peoples of Barrowton many years ago. Throughout The Kingdom of Somercrag the Duchal Houses would each be responsible for raising fund. These funds would be used to create stores of food, clothing, and other supplies, as well as to to outfit the ships of Somercrag's Royal Fleet for the rescue opertion. The ships would make several trips around the coast of The Continent of Greland, ferrying smallfolk from the worst affected areas on the shores of The Hurst Channelto various ruined or abandoned settlements throughout Somercrag to be settled.
The Continent of Greland was again shaken by earthquakes. They seemed to be centered on The Eastern Lamas Plains, where a number of great chasms opened, though they affected everything between The Witwell Mountains and The Rotheval Mountains to some extent. In Fairstrand, the dried riverbed that passed North of Starfield cracked and widened, destroying the landbridge that had spanned it there and leading a branch of The Redford River to change path. Downstream, the slowly-rebuilding port City of New Southmarket was washed away.
With the passing of their ninth birthday the oldest of Lady Ophelia and ser Newall Foxworth's children were deemed ready to begin their education.
Beginning in March of 451KS Tyon Foxworth served as Squire to ser Evin Malls in The Hollow.
This was ended prematurely in 454KS by the Slaughter at The Hollow.
Beginning in March of 451KS Brienna Foxworth served as Squire to ser Aladaniola Ghaydon in her role as Kingsguard to Princess Dorthy Cray, the Crown Princess of The Kingdom of Somercrag, herself a guest of House Cimber, the Royal Family of The Kingdom of Rotheval.
This was ended prematurely in 454KS by the Slaughter in the Rothevalian Court.
House Roseadwyn of Redmouth hosted a Tourney on behalf of their liege House Foxworth of Fairstrand.
News of ser Katriana Foxgard's attacks on The Hollow and Switham reached Faircastle two days later.
Duke Newall and Lady Ophelia Foxworth responded by raising their armies, calling on their Vassals to do the same, and marching across The Redford River in force to wage war against The Kingdom of Irogonie.
By the 22nd the Foxworth's Vanguard was camped outside of Thurnon, awaiting the arrival of the remainder of their forces to begin laying siege to the city.
Early in the morning in the Twenty-Third of March, as The King's Eye was seen to fall from the sky, word reached the House Foxworth forces stationed around the city of Thurnon of an Irogonian army approaching from the North. However, at the same time, the banner of The Kingsguard of Tyon I Cray was spotted on the road from the South.
ser Newall Foxworth elected to send the armeis under the command of ser Derrick Quay and ser Krann Engelbrecht to deal with the Irogonians, while remaining knights under his command awaited the arrival of the Kingsguard.
They chose a spot where the road approaching the city forded a small river, with a hill on the near side. They arrayed their forces along the riverbank, the skilled palanxes of House Engelbrecht of Horndreath holding the center, the various archers and crossbows flanking them, and the cavalry under ser Derrick riding up the Eastern side of the battlefield to outflank the approaching column.
The only commander to be injured in the battle was ser Giyana Chaseman but her Household Knights successfully withdrew her injured body from the field to be tended by a Barber-Surgeonne.
The hammer of the cavalry smashed the Irogonians against the anvil of the phalanxes scattering the remaining forces and preventing the reinforcement of the city.
Early in the morning in the Twenty-Third of March, as The King's Eye was seen to fall from the sky, word reached the House Foxworth forces stationed around the city of Thurnon of an Irogonian army approaching from the North. However, at the same time, the banner of The Kingsguard of Tyon I Cray was spotted on the road from the South.
ser Newall Foxworth elected to send the armeis under the command of ser Derrick Quay and ser Krann Engelbrecht to deal with the Irogonians, while remaining knights under his command awaited the arrival of the Kingsguard.
Shortly before the Kingsguard arrived in camp, a smaller group of knights arrived unheralded - the members of Sola's Vanguard who had answered the Duke's call.
Just minutes later the Kingsguard arrived, led by ser Astris Conklyn. They rebuked Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford attempts at diplomacy, ordering the gathered knights and soldiers to disbandand return to their own lands while they attempted to take ser Newall and Lady Ophelia into custody.
The Foxworths resisted arrest, and the scene soon became violent, a brief clash ending with the deaths of four Kingsguard - ser Galaban Ordem at the hands of ser Bramble Epper, ser Mortin Bettley by ser Prestan Greydall, ser Roland Blacke by ser Berthold Durbach, and ser Olys Massrak at the hands of ser Newall Foxworth himself. The remaining Kingsguard cut down nine of the Foxworths' Men-at-Arms before finally being subdued and arrested themselves.
Lady Ophelia arranged for the bodies of the slain Kingsguard to be returned aboard The Royal Gull.
With their scouts having discovered an unsecured entrance to the network of sewers and floodwater channels below Thurnon, Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford led a party to infiltrate the city under cover of night, to throw open the North-Western gate and allow her husband's army to storm the city with as little bloodshed as possible.
She was accompanied by the members of Sola's Vanguard, except for ser Prestan Greydall, who had been called back to The Peak where the remainder of his house had declared for King Tyon I Cray.
The party was successful in infiltrating the city, however the garrison of the gatehouse raised the alarm before they could capture the gate mechanism, and in the ensuing fighting Lady Ophelia took a crossbow bolt to the shoulder. Nonetheless, the gatehouse was seized and the gate opened for the army to advance.
With the North-Western gate to the city thrown open by Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford and the members of Sola's Vanguard, ser Newall Foxworth ordered his army forward.
Although the gatehouse had been seized, the alarm had been raised and the city's walls bustled with crossbowmen and archers while the engineers manning siege weapons mounted to towers began to calculate trajectories. The foxworth army faltered, but ser Newall, knowing that his wife lay injured within the gatehouse, could not. He commanded his loyal Household Knights forward unsupported.
As the Foxworth knights made the gatehouse, so too did the first of the Irogonians, and a bloody exchange of blows followed. Sola's Vanguard charged into the fray to relieve the knights, allowing Alis, riding behind ser Newall, to dismount and attend to Lady Ophelia.
For a moment, as the martial prowess of the knights cleared the gatehouse. it seemed that the battle had been won in one decisive melee. This illusion was shattered by the arrival of cadre of White Knights. They first rode down the exhausted members of Sola's Vanguard, before following up into the Household Knights and routing them in a matter of seconds.
As Duke Newall himself surrendered to the head of the column of knights, he heard the distant sound of ser Brannyn Blest's signallers sounding the retreat.
Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford awoke from her capture in Thurnon to find her wounds healed, and herself dressed in the garb of an Initiate in a strange dark room which was revealed to be the basement of a large Dualist Church.
Ophelia was soon joined by two pairs of knights - two White Knights and two Black Knights, who arrived within the church using the same Shade-derived powers as Ophelia had seen ser Katriana use.
One of the White Knights began to interrogate Ophelia, however when she failed to show humility in the face of her captors, had the Black Knights bring out ser Darris Blackmyre, bearing a new injury from the battle, and execute him with a sword of Blackstone before returning Ophelia to the basement.
As part of her ongoing negotiations with her captors, Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford penned an instruction to her Marshal ser Brannyn Blest withdraw her armies from Thurnon and back into her lands.
This message was carried ser Bramble Epper, who had been captured and wounded in the Second Battle of Thurnon.
On the eve of battle around Prann in May 454KS ser Airies Poole, the Lord Commander of The Order of the Flaming Bull, succumbed to a lethal overdose of Skullcap, which he had been taking to ease his nerves.
This left ser Crysha Condon to take command of The First Army of House Cray in his stead, and she chose to begin siege workings around the city instead.
Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford negotiated with her captors a Truce, agreeing to dismantle some of the defences along her border with The Kingdom of Irogonie and to allow Dualists take up some positions of authority throughout her lands in exchange for the safe return of herself, her husband and the various members of her household currently imprisoned by the Irogonians to their own lands.
In line with the terms laid out in The Truce Between The Kingdom of Irogonie and the Foxworth Duchy 454KS, two Dualist knights arrived in The Foxworth Duchy with a force of men-at-arms and a large contingent of labourers to begin work on strongholds for their Orders.
Lady Ophelia Foxworth-Hayford met Sister Yosefine Starfall and Brother Morsh Voidsoul at Lower Redbridge to welcome them to her husband's lands.
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