The Ericourt

Original

Some prophecies are self-fulfilling. The fight for the crown did not end when Gaerrick Alveston took the throne, instead, it became a fight for much more. His rival, Zachary Alveston, had said should Gaerrick become king, war would fall down upon the kingdom; it seems only fitting that it would be with his help that it did so.

Picking up where the former Arbiter left off, Gaerrick saw to the abolishment of the newly founded Order of Cairn, a faith-based militant group founded by the First Voice and High Lord Zachary Alveston. While Malcolm Beckwyth readily renounced his ties, the Alveston was not so forthcoming in his surrender. He fled Ostia, refusing to disband, and took up refuge in Argonne, continuing the operation of the group from the Creatorian mecca. As his numbers grew, so did his conspicuousness, leading to his discovery, and consequential order by the Crown to Duke Adair Beckwyth to disband the growing force and return Zachary to Ulrich for trial. The Duke refused, citing his distaste for such conflict and his desire to remain neutral in such matters.

In turn, the Crown rallied its armies, intent on disbanding the rogue militant group itself. Upon hearing such, Beckwyth did the same, though their men would be spent protecting Zachary and his Order. Not all of Argonne agreed. In the north and east, Triswell and Lambert protested the mustering, not wanting to disobey the Crown in a war which was not theirs to fight. Meanwhile, in the south and far east, the Vale and March rallied, moving their men to the borders of Argonne in a show of force.

Within the Pale, skirmishes broke out. Not between invading forces and the Argonnians, but between the comital Houses and Beckwyth itself. Unknown to the rest of Tnarem, Duke Merek III reached out to House Triswell to make a promise: do away with Adair Beckwyth and his ilk, and be rewarded with that which you desire most, a Province beneath you. Eagerly, Triswell agreed.

At the Ostio-Argonne border, a bird is sent to Moorcastle to be delivered to Zachary, the contents brief, the message simple: surrender and this will end; continue to resist, and all will be taken from you and yours.