Vortigern

The isle to the west is Burmandia, from where Duke Vortigern came with his army of cavalry and elven mercenaries to conquer the petty kingdoms of the mainland four hundred and ninety four years ago.

The first kingdom to fall was Dumneria, whose shield wall had never come face to face with such an opponent before. The kingdom fell in three days, and Vortigern cut the Dumnerian kings body into 6 pieces himself, before sending a piece to each remaining king of what is now Vursaxia as a warning.

After receiving the head of Dunmerian king. King Ubard decided to simply gather his army and wait for the enemy to arrive. King Vortigern knew of the Falcons reputation even then, and knew that if he marched towards Falcons Reach his army could be defeated, or at least lose many warriors, so he used cunning. His men went into Falcons Reach and captured the Kings son and heir Robert. The Falcon king fearing for his sons life laid down his arms and bent the knee.

The conquest of what became Aurora Dominion, at that time known as Kingdom of Aurora and ruled by another dynasty, House Faenrod, was long and bloody. Even after 500 years, memories of those event are still alive among Aurorian people. When the army of king Vortigern arrived, the land was still recovering from internal problems. Despite this, stubborn northern people did not submit to the invaders easily. Dozens of assassins of all kinds were dispatched to kill king Vortigern. Wells and other drinking water sources in the route of an advancing army were poisoned. There were even rumors that Aurorian wizards turned to necromancy and other kinds of dark magic to Wight the enemy. Hundreds of swift attacks were organized. The king of Aurora was slain in one of the skirmishes. Such resistance however was infuriating for the attackers, and whole viliages of civilians were butchered without mercy. It is said that that was the time when Aurorian’s hatred toward people of Falcons Reach originates, for the new subjects of king Vortigern, Falconians, were most the numerous of his auxiliary troops and most eager to prove themselves to their new master. But it wasn’t enough. The army of invaders, strengthened by soldiers from the previously conquered kingdoms, was too numerous, and the defenders were too few. Tradition tells that after a hundred and one days of the capitol city Frost Spire being besieged, the last living member of royal family, queen Ethiel ordered her soldiers to surrender that her people may cease to be slaughtered. She committed suicide before the surrender was complete. After the death of the queen,the war was over. House Vangaroth were put into power and they became vassals of Vursaxia. However their people refused to simply merge into knew society. Their culture has survived. As well as their memories of the past...

King Getwyn of Riparia, who was married to one of the daughters of the Dumnerian king, immediately gathered all his vassals and raised his army. They did not have cavalry at the time, as horses had not yet been brought to the area in mass numbers, so his army only consisted of pikemen and archers. Despite their hard fight and refusal to surrender, the Riparian army's relative slowness in manouvering cost them their entire army. According to oral tradition, not a single man retreated or yielded, and King Getwyn was the last to die in battle. All of Getwyn's male relatives, except one, were executed. The only one who was spared was Getwyn's youngest son, Alric, who was born to his pregnant wife after he died on the battlefield. As a sign of respect for the bravery of the Riparians in the war, Vortigern let the young Alric become his vassal and the first duke of the Duchy of Riparia, as Duke Alric I.

When he marched south, Vortigern came across small feuding kingdoms, which he crushed easily. So little a fight did the small kingdoms put up, that Vortigern declared them a county and named them for his wife, Gwynvere. Hence the name of the county, Gwynred.

Petty King Riwal II of Walsingham met with King Vortigen in his halls at Warden's Keep, He prepared the king a warm welcome, and organised a tournament showing the prowess of his spellswords. At the end of the summit, King Riwal II agreed to become a vassal to King Vortigen, as long as he respected the customs and liberty of his lands, and made him a councilor. King Vortigen agreed with that, and the former Petty King Riwal II became Marquis and chief-diplomat to King Vortigen.