A
History
of the
Realm of Valehaven
&
Trista Dragonsbane
(as recounted by Duchess Trista)
The
First Duke of Glendale tournament; 988 RR.
The word spread through the lands that Prince Robert
II would hold a tournament in the rolling fields of Glendale to find
the gentle most suited to being made Duke of Glendale. The hopefuls
were to form teams of five to compete, the captain of the winning team
being made Duke at the end of the tournament. Frantic were the
preparations and people came from far and wide. Present were the
Traveler's Guild, the Blacksun Legion, and others. In this time
Tristan, with Gil, Martin, Connor, and Contigno, common warriors still,
set off to
contend. The contests were many and varied; forest fighting, field
fighting and similar battles went along with judgements on the best
appearance and banner. The day was a full one and competition was
fierce. The Blacksun Legion of Tristan faced the Traveler's Guild of
Taurdhel in the forests and a great bond was made.
At the end of the day the Blacksun Legion had won
the Field Battle, best appearance of a warband, and best banner; a
victory even though they never came close to winning the Dukedom. I do
not now remember who won that tournament although it will be in my
records somewhere.
The First Sacking of Rathclwyn; Fall 988 RR.
The Prince had been insulted by the Lord of
Rathclwyn to the North and resolved to end his impudence once and for
all. It was a formidable task since the castle had never been taken by
siege or storm. The Blacksun Legion answered the Prince's call to arms,
among its members being Pierre, Helwen, Tristan, and Roland.
The army arrived in the late afternoon upon a meadow
above which the castle glowered on its hilltop. The hill rose steeply
above a small river and dominated the skyline. Camp was established and
as evening drew on, a mist flowed forth from the river cloaking
everything in the meadow..the torches making bright haloed rings of
light in the murk. During that time the war machine brought by Pierre
broke assunder as Tristan and Pierre wound the tension on the arm...a
bad omen it was thought.
The following morning the army moved up the hill and
invested the fortress to the mocking taunts of the defenders. The
Prince with his sling staff shut them up as he kept their heads down
with his accurate fire. Attempts were made to scale the walls but there
were not enough attackers to manage it; it was obvious there would be
only one way in. Pierre it was who broke asunder the gate and died in
the doing...and the rest of the army was held back at first by a fierce
defense. At this point Tristan arrived from the other side of the
fortress and boldly charged through the sundered gate, being missed by
oil and missiles along the way. Inside the courtyard a howl of battle
arose as Tristan challenged all in the castle to try to take him...and
down from the ramparts they came. The slaughter was fast and
complete...Tristan slew anyone who came to the courtyard and began to
mount the stairs to the ramparts...drawing off the defenders and
allowing other troops to scale the walls at last. The castle fell in
only a matter of hours...the castle that had never been taken.
It was at this fight that the Blacksun Legion
received the nickname 'killer bees' for their black and yellow livery
and the buzzing ferocity of their attack. Tristan was made a Duke by
Royal decree afterward.
War in Glendale; 988 RR.
(info forthcoming)
The First Night Quest; Awards Tourney May 989 RR.
The Land of Faerie was in turmoil...the borders
between their world and ours straining under the attack of fell magics.
The center of this trouble were the Faerie woods in Glendale. Troubled,
the Prince sent forth a call for all loyal Realmsmen to aid in the
defense of Valehaven; the response was beyond expectation and troops
and support flowed into the Duchy. Bands of adventurers came, mercenary
units arrived, and loyal vassals came with their retinues; the fields
of Glendale were crowded with tents and campfires, the tavern doing a
grand business. It was at this event that the Barmaid made her name;
Meg, who went on to become Queen of the later Kingdom of
Chimeron...long after the Prince and his family had disappeared and
Valehaven had fragmented.
The Quest for Prince Robert; Late Summer 989 RR.
Defense of Darkvale; fall 989 RR
The Years of Seamarch; 990 - 991 RR
The Wandering Years; Midwinter's 991 - Midsummer's 999 RR
Feast of Chimeron VIII; 1000 RR
Green & Gold IV; 1002 RR
Queen of Hearts; 1006 RR