War of the Dead

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The War of the Dead devastated Amartain; all major nations other than Stonehelm were destroyed by an army of the undead led by Prince Rion Mattanhaft of Kelmourne with the Deathblade. Most of the refugees came to Rindamoor. The War of the Dead culminated in the siege and then the battle of Rindamoor, when the dwarves of Stonehelm and the Elves of the Methelwere came to the aid of Rindamoor, the undead army was dispelled by Saint Bessin wielding Amar's Staff, and Prince Rion was killed in battle by his son Desmon Mattanhaft. The Triumvirate was formed in the war's aftermath.


 * Spreadsheet with Kelmourne history leading up to the War of the Dead] (dates uncorrected)

The Deathblade
The War of the Dead was made possible by the Deathblade, a Geldren sword of great power crafted some hundreds of years earlier. The Deathblade was never intended to be used; its existence served as a counterbalance to allow four other Geldren blades to have more power than would otherwise be possible. The Deathblade was hidden away, under the watch of an arm of the Church of the Four in Kelmourne.

Prince Rion
Prince Rion Mattanhaft (b. 1336 Old Calendar), heir to the throne of Kelmourne, married Ayla Tammelhorne in 1357 (Old Calendar). The royal wedding between two young and beautiful nobles was celebrated throughout Kelmourne, though it was widely known that Rion was sexually involved with some of the young male knights in his retinue, which included Ayla's brother Seamus Tammelhorne.

Rion and Ayla's honeymoon took them to the Maidenpool, which was the hiding place of the Deathblade. Somehow, Rion came into possession of the Deathblade; perhaps it called to him. Regardless, its evil power quickly began taking hold of Rion's soul.

Dolendor
A trade dispute with Dolendor over a possible alternate source of Geldren (called Anuriel) took Rion to Tarbarad. Ayla stayed in Kelmaraine with Rion's trusted mentor and bodyguard Mortider Beth. When he returned, Rion was overcome by suspicion that Mortider Beth (a renowned ladies' man) and Ayla had had an affair. His suspicions were exacerbated by Mortider and Ayla's attempts to calm him over the situation in Dolendor; they began to suspect the hold the Deathblade had over Rion. Nine months after the wedding, Ayla gave birth to Desmon Mattanhaft.

Soon, a civil war erupted between Dolendor and neighboring Garanth. Rion returned to Dolendor at the head of an army, and slaughtered the population. The Deathblade then raised the slaughtered people into the beginnings of the army of the dead, which Rion led back into Kelmourne proper. By this time, the Deathblade had also granted Rion the power to bind people to him and his will; Seamus Tammelhorne was the first of these.

The Devastation of Kelmourne
Over the next few years, Rion and his undead army gradually subsumed all of Kelmourne. Ayla and Mortider Beth fled to Rindamoor with the infant Desmon; they became wards of Prince Ranald Dryden-Vyzgin. Lord Axis Ovderam attempted to evacuate Kelmaraine and keep the other four Geldren blades from falling into Rion's hands. Horne's Deep, Waerhaug Holt, and the large island off the southern coast survive, but the rest of Kelmourne is eventually subsumed.

The War Spreads
In 1367, Rion leads the undead army through the Thousand Lakes region and attacks Martak. Refugees, including many escaped slaves, flee to Tannish and other islands -- they will eventually return and form the Free State. Other refugees flee up the Grey Coast and eventually to Cardmoor. By 1368, Martak has completely fallen.

Greyport falls to the undead army in 1369. Cardmoor appeals to Stonehelm for aid, but the dwarves instead seal themselves into their underground city. The undead army splits and spreads across Amartain, reaching Kyre-Geddon and surrounding Cardmoor.

By 1371, Cardmoor is under siege, Dolgaine has been destroyed, Rindamoor is stuffed with refugees, and the undead have spread all the way to Sharak-Im, which is completely subsumed. Cardmoor falls in early 1372.

Rindamoor
In 1372, the War of the Dead is in its final stages. Other than Stonehelm and a few isolated pockets like Horne's Deep, Rindamoor is the last remaining city in Amartain. Refugees from all over Amartain -- including orcs and goblins from Sharak-Im, fill Rindamoor to bursting. The undead army lays siege but Rindamoor holds fast for a time. Finally, the dwarves of Stonhelm and the Elves of the Methelwere come to the aid of Rindamoor, providing much-needed relief to the weary and depleted garrison of Rindamoor.

A paladin named Bessin, from the small town of Marrist, discovers the ancient burial place of Amar and comes into possession of Amar's Staff. From a mountain just north of Rindamoor, Bessin uses Amar's Staff to dispell the entire undead army -- the effort kills Bessin and shatters Amar's Staff. Desmon Mattanhaft, wielding one of the four Elemental Geldren blades, defeats and kills his father in the final battle.

The dispelling did not reach far beyond the immediate area of Rindamoor -- pockets of undead still exist in the ruins of Amartain, and Sharak-Im is still filled with them. But the war was won by the living. The Triumvirate was founded as an alliance of dwarves, Elves, and humans, with Rindamoor as its capital. Saint Bessin was canonized by the Church of the Four, and Desmon Mattanhaft was hailed as the hero of the war. The Deathblade was destroyed by a combination of dwarvish skill and Elvish magic.