VII. When the ever more pressuring requests of the Order of Neldor began to take their toll on the Realm, civil unrest and multiple revolts spread across the kingdoms. To maintain their position, the lesser and greater lords and princes immediately passed the blame on King Elorio III and his incompetence. The King's popularity had reached a legend-worthy low, with famine and holistic discontent. It was by this time, spring of 1708 of the second age, that having succeeded his father, Elreck declared the complete autonomy of his kingdom, cutting ties with the Crown in Culgarost, the Kingdoms of Colmeth (ruled by the Nillöre) and Ardor (ruled by house Sentriary) almost did the same, yet lacked the courage and determination to do so, as the then King Elreck noted, challenging thus the hallow authority of the much embarrassed King Elorio III.
Our most excellent adolescent and then proclaimed 'Prince' Elbracht saw the promptness of his father's actions as equivocate and most unwise considering the might of the Sovarós family and their armies' then unquestioned superiority. He took on the role of one of his father's marshals nonetheless, and remained vigilant for the first 6 months of the campaign, looking always for possible chances to prove his worth in the battlefield, yet his wits were used firstly only as a provisional force in most of his father's schemes. Even in times of great peril, according to testimonies of his friends, his father would not let him outshine him; much harder would it have been for Elreck, to give his son even an ounce of the glory he knew he deserved , for in his mind, this was his moment. In this war, Elreck made every effort to solidify his name in Men's history, thus this was neither a simple revolt against Elorio III nor a mere treachery against his name, for Elreck this was a war of fates.
VIII. Money was the cause of it, and money was the problem, so only money could solve it. It had been a struggle with coins, and their worth across the Realms in the Order of Neldor; three kings were born, had reigned and died passing this crisis from one to the other, without any meaningful solution. King Elorio III, either for his eld or lack of wisdom. proved to be the most inept monarch in the history of the Realm despite his house's standing, for having neglected the Gold Crisis for most of his life and for the course of action he took when it was pressing enough for him to address.
The Order of Neldor, born out of comradeship and amity between the House of Adein and the Houses of the Ennards, lost its original purpose across the centuries, the more kingdoms and states joined and the more wealth it collected. By the time of Elreck's rebellion against the Sovarós rule, the Order had lost all its pith and devolved into the narrow cold branch, which grew out of its fame, called the Bank of Neldor. The Bank became the only meaningful agency of the institution. All Kingdoms of Neldor borrowed from it, and all kingdoms of Neldor were in debt. All other services and agencies of the White Tower turned into vigilant publicans for kings and princes. Due to common belief, it was understood by all realms, kingdoms, principalities, and whatsoever states, and members of the Order, that without Neldor society would collapse and devolve into wild lands and tribes without any law or harmony. Elorio III was fearful that the Realm would be forced to leave the union, due to Hildium's (The Realm of Men, in adenaic) colossal debt. The King's only avail was then the Order itself; he invited the High Seneschals of the White Tower to completely take over the finances of the Realm, a bold move, Yet one which could only have a profitable outcome, many of their number were Ennards—the eld Masters of Men in ancient times. The Seneschals, with the King's leave, forced outcasts, waifs, and similar factions of the commonalty into labour-guilds and taxed the principal families according to their ruled demographics and wealth.
From among all families of the ruling elite, the Sentriary were the most affected by this directive, since no other family had accumulated so much wealth through the age as them, in response, they later showed enmity against the Crown by withdrawing all their emissaries from the Realm's capital.
IX. Emissaries of the most reverend rank of house Clasthaur and house Sentriary respectively, met in the abandoned fortress of Aros, just by the skirts of the Harath Mountains outside the limits of the Realm. It was by the outcome of this meeting that the arrangements made by Tomfrey and the late Dulcheros proved most advantageous. As if in a contest of cavalry, which most noblemen rigged by the time, the house of the rampant white horse (Sentriary) agreed in secrecy to finance Elreck's war.
Through a series of tunnels and caves, natural and man-made, large arcs of supplements and gold were transferred to Ceor beneath the shadows of the Harath range. Elreck was ready to put that fortune to good use, he tripled the size of his armies, invested in the best equipment and gear and wrought in the forging of new weaponry: swords that had never been wielded; the long spear, a lance thrice the size of a man, for the infantry to serve as a direct attack weapon on the open field; and the bladed whip, used only by skilled soldiers for attacks in the woods, among others. Hearing the whipping of that sharp serpent tongue from afar sufficed to scare the enemies away.
It is believed that by these times, Elreck discovered the Nurgeth Mines near the fortress of Cigord, which 'Nurgiron', more resistant than other ores, proved instrumental in the equipment and gear that ensured Edoran's future successes, whilst others assured that the developing of these metals were in part thanks to Elbracht's keen knowledge in alchemy. The forging of weapons from this metal was an arduous task and the men employed to extract the metal from the mines, though skilled and learnt in the craft, often came out from those dark holes underground with a hand less, a limb severed or altogether dead. For the working of that iron proved to be a feat in and of itself. At any rate, Elbracht's wits were first put into labour by these times, since in his prowess much is attributed to the upgrading and redesigning of many of his father's inventions along with the crafting of many others. Elreck proved to be a skilled tactician as well as a general; his moves were in theory as bold as his son's, though lacking the latter's originality in the practice. His in-woods offensives demonstrated his brilliance, since his campaigns against Sovarós blind spots through the Oenic forest had a decisive importance in his victories against the royal forces.
X. During the first months of the war, having readied an excellent Defense for the main cities of Harador, Ceor forces ambushed, by left and right flanking, all Sovarós offensives that entered the kingdom through the Oenic Glade—a clearing in the Oenic forest, which the road Ceor-Fyore crossed—however Sovarós marshals took notice of the repeating manners of these attacks and retrieved to Thindur territory waiting for Elreck's offensives. These never came for the main legions of the Harad-armies traveled through the ashen meadows of Urme’s Glade in the woods—where the old lord Urme Elfbane fought the Woodenelves in days of yore—he trekked it with relative ease, leaving a supply line behind him, to the littoral areas of the Nullen Lake, besieging and taking the castle of Fitz. As the Sovarós armies took notice of the Haradking's enterprise they deployed eastwards to meet Elreck's forces and retake the castle. Notwithstanding, it was by this point that the Mallerin forces started to mimic some of his strategies by attacking Harad outposts in the woods.
XI. The Kingdom of Mallerin was ill regarded like Harador, yet its rich soil was of greater importance to the Realm than Ceor and its woods. Enough loyalty was there in Villadel (Mallerin's capital), for King Elorio to ask for their intervention in the war. Mallerin's armies were not strong enough on their own to defeat Ceor's war machine, besides, the Oenic forest was altogether too dense to venture into in legions, but Mallerin's adept rangers could be good enough to cut their supply-lines and damage their advances. After the estrangement of the Sentriary from the Crown, King Elorio III made a pact with House Durne (rulers of Mallerin), ensuring them Ardor's suzerainty to Villadel, provided they join the war against Harador. Horoglas of Durne, Prince-Elector of Mallerin was a man who always did half the things he was told so to accelerate things he sent forth all his rangers against Elreck's forces in the woods, and the rest of his armies he sent east up the Onegin River to besiege the Sentriary capital of Arthalyon.
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The Kingdom of Ardor, though large and very wealthy never saw itself in need of a great army, its geographical situation made it easy to defend and all the more difficult to attack save from the West, the lack of enemy states about its borders saw the weakening of its defenses. However, Mallerin made a war agreement with Colmeth, without the King's leave, and declared open war against Ardor. The first strikes were strategically made by Colmeth from the north to distract the Ardorian defenses and weaken the mainland. General Draulin led the joint armies of the Durne against Arthalyon; the old city of the horse had never before in history been taken and the massive fortress of Senn*(1) had never been besieged, yet Draulin proved himself to be good enough to isolate the Ring of Arthalyon*(2), and subdue the nearby vassals by himself. Sentriary sent an errand in disguise, asking for Harad's aid, the messenger travelled with unparalleled speed beneath the Harath range. The errand reached Elreck's reserve forces stationed at the fortress of Cigord, in which command was no other than the excellent Elbracht. The young prince took action and as he learnt of Horoglas' machinations, he fashioned moves to both assist his father and his noble kinsmen in the east. The reserve forces easily ventured into the Oenic hold of trees, flanking the rangers' army of Mallerin. Saving time through the inner rapids to the shores—blessed by the Gods, indeed he was.
By that time, in Fitz, the Sovarós officers, drawing their forces ever nearer, were shocked to see Elreck's armies in the open field and not behind the walls of the castle, surely a strange preference, yet the Haradking was fixed in mind to legitimately meet the Sovarós in battle, by noon the superiority of Elreck's weaponry and tactics proved superior to the King's forces. The fight could have gone on for days yet within the sixth hour the Sovarós retrieved. After the battle, he learnt of his son's victory against the Mallerin rangers in the woods, which was meant to be his demise. General Caradon reckons of this occasion, the Haradking's sour taste of victory, he joked angrily he was a victor in half, thanks to his son. A week and three days later, he turned into an oven as he fumed in wrath, to learn that the reserve army, under his son's command, had marched on eastwards and besieged the city of Villadel, forcing Lord Horoglas into submission to the Haradking, this prompted General Draulin to call off his siege of the Ring and retrieve to Savony (the mainland of Mallerin) where was met by Elbracht's forces and defeated, near the Oegin river.
XII. Having felt that his son attempted to take the protagonism of his fate, Elreck took his armies and chased the Sovarós retrieving forces, yet speed was on the latter's side and the fleeing armies reached the walls of Fyore first; they locked themselves in their 'capital-cage', as Caradon noted, Elreck's chief-warlord and advisor, for the city of Fyore, which was called the Griff-eyrie although lacking Arthalyon's ring of defense, was well stored, and amassed fame of being unbreachable. The Haradking was well aware of this, yet he also bore in mind that the reinforcement armies would, at any point, be deployed from Culgarost to Fyore's rescue; his plan was thus to attack through the region of Cadia, King Elorio's personal armies. To better plan his tactics, he left a few yet well-trained battalions to keep the city under vigilance, he parted with his larger force to the Nullen fortress; a key stronghold for the taking of Cadia.
Two days before the beginning of this campaign, Elbracht with some of the reserve forces met with his father at Nullen castle. Elreck did not congratulate his son on his arrival, unlike many of his marshals, who couldn't help but praise the young commander's holding of good fortune, (or talent). The Haradking had other plans in mind for his son; to not let Elbracht eclipse his leadership and initiative, he gave him the impossible task of besieging Fyore. Some say this was a test for Elbracht, whilst other more accurately recall, that this was Elreck taunting his firstborn. Most loyally, the young prince took on the challenge.
The main army marched forth north, on the second day, taking the city of Barae and Cuthlond, and the army of Elbracht; already in the castle of Fitz by that time, the morrow of the same day, Elbracht learnt of the Sovarós reinforcements and his father's full plan. On this reckoning Asadue wrote in his diaries, that the Nobilissimus looked back upon this memory with despise and fed this feeling towards his father; as he grew old it became evident that Elreck hated his son and cared little for his name or renown. The young prince developed a plan he told only his two closest war advisors; he sent instructions to the besieging forces at Fyore, whilst he took his main army north to the west skirts of the Aden Hills, later taking the ill-stored and unprepared castle of Ronnos. Whereas Elreck and his armies fared into bad weather nigh the city of Cadia, Elbracht's forces intercepted, flanked and beat the King's reinforcements, driving their remnants to the Bredda region and thus to oblivion. Elbracht ordered his army to sack the defeated soldiers, put on their colours, and pick up their banners.
The guards at the wall in Fyore were most baffled when they saw their Harad raptors withdraw from their siege; some messengers had arrived and informed them to move elsewhere. For two days the officers in Fyore wondered whether to go out and chase them or remain at their posts in the defensive. They chose the latter, and kept watch over the field until a horn was blown from afar, of homely sound; it was their reinforcements from the capital. The Sovarós officers understood then what the Harad strategy was; they knew the Harad armies were hidden somewhere in the thickets or down the slopes where none could see them, waiting for the reinforcements to come and attack at first sight. Hurriedly, the city guard blew their horns twice and raised their banners even higher for them to hasten into the city. Sir Álen of Fyore recalls the fright all the guards felt as they opened the gates; always bethinking that the Harad cavalry would come out some copse and rush inside the city or worse flank the King's army, yet this did not happen, the Sovarós reinforcements rushed into the city, proudly wearing their colours and waving their banners. Once all troops came in, the gates were shut again. Soon the officers realised they had allowed the Harad wolf into their grey flock; the Harad army took off their masquerade and met no opposition inside the walls. Elbracht rode to the Sovarós palace, where Jaerech of Fitz officially surrendered. The old city of Fyore fell in one day and without bloodshed to the might of the prince.
XIII. The armies of Elreck pushed out their way north to face the Sovarós blockade, taking the city of Myrlost and its Lord, Tyén Sovarós as hostage—the Haradking spared his wife Nulia and his two children, for they were kinsmen to him. As they came to the vale of Wiex, they found the cities and towns either barren or unprotected; they knew not whether the reinforcements had long passed the vale and Ronnos' gap, or were late and still not deployed; they camped by the city of Garacy with the capital at hand, untouched by the hand of war as the hallow relic of the Realm. On the morrow, news reached Elreck's tent; the city of Fyore had fallen, outwitted by Elbracht's tactics. General Caradon recalls in his diaries, the fury in his liege-lord's eyes, which glinted red with malice, as he learnt not that his son had taken the indomitable Fyore, but had also forced the whole of the Sovarós, save the King, to sign an armistice and pledge by the whole pantheon not to further engage in conflicts with the Clasthaur. Elbracht had outshone his sire was again. Yet Elreck's madness could be helped. He was determined to glorify himself, by doing something no man, prince, or king ever dared; the taking of Culgarost. Marshal Godocan reckons of that day, that the rains vaporized on Elreck's brow as he swore, he would see the King of Men clean his sandals with his tongue. So Elreck marched on to the Capital of the Realm.
The cities of Arthalyon and Fyore, had never before been successfully besieged, thanks to their outstanding defenses, yet Culgarost had never been touched by any army, since the days the Ennards ruled over men, for in the eyes of the High Men*(3) of the kingdoms, the city was not just holy, but also the spiritual stronghold of mankind. Elreck, a man, was ready to breach into the holy city of men to bath himself with stolen glories. He was already nigh the shores with his lines of men all fearful behind him, when he spotted knights and emissaries waving the King's colours, ready to meet him. They brought him the King's sword and lowered down to him the King's standard. The Haradking was told thereupon, that King Elorio III had died by his own hand once he learnt of the fall of Fyore. The city of Culgarost had surrendered itself to the Southern Kingdom, yet Elreck tasted no glory; the Haradking's war had become only the starting point of his son's never ending glory and struggle.