In the late winter of 1860 AS King Halar III of Keledon died after a reign of fifteen years. A war of succession
| Balar's Rebellion | |
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 Part of a Series on Keledoni History | |
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Date: |
4 Icewind, 1860 AS - 12 High Summer, 1862 AS |
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Result: |
Defeat of Balar Halad and ascension of Seldhe Halad to the throne of Keledon. Destruction of House Lanthar. |
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Belligerents: |
Victors: Seldhe Halad and Houses Alens, Kurdwyn, Ebethar, Borudh and lesser allies. Losers: Balar Halad, Houses Lanthar, Terwin, Midcliffe and lesser allies |
erupted, with the primary claimants being Seldhe, sister of Halar and his chosen heir, and Balar Halad, uncle of both the deceased king and his sister. The Rebellion lasted for nearly three years, ending finally in 1862 AS.
The rebellion itself ended in failure, with Seldhe taking the Falcon Throne as Queen Heulyn II.
Background[]
In 1207 AS the Keledoni king Seidhr of Sevens modified the laws governing royal inheritance, allowing the monarch to select his own heir rather than following strict traditions of primogeniture. Seidhr’s goal was to keep power within his own family, as he himself was childless, but his law was an inclusive one, allowing women to hold the throne in their own right. Seidhr bound these laws strictly to the monarchy, and did not compel noble houses to adopt them. In this fashion kingship continued to be passed from king to chosen heir, while the nobility continued to pass power to the eldest male child or, if a man passed without male issue, to his eldest surviving closest male relative. The inheritance rights of women in the matter were not mentioned.
Following Halar III’s death in 1860 loopholes and issues with the law were called to the fore. Keledoni law places leadership of a House in the hands of the eldest living male relative of the former leader (generally an eldest son, or brother if there was no issue); to this man the allegiance of the House’s members is sworn. Yet as part of the oath of kingship and the rules that govern sitting the throne, the monarch is beholden to no one and must remain so. Balar Halad used this to justify a claim on the Throne for as the closest, eldest surviving male relative of Halar III he was legally head of the House, and Seldhe’s loyalty was legally his (Seldhe's younger brother, Turan, had joined the Druidic Order and was therefore not eligible to inherit). Balar argued that the monarch is and must be the highest power in the land and that since Seldhe owed her fealty to him she could not rule. Several of the Great Houses agreed with Balar, including Terwin, Midcliffe and Lanthar.
For her part, Seldhe claimed that the will of the monarch in choosing his own heir took precedence over other laws, and that this was at the heart of Seidhr's reform. She further argued that her brother's abdication did not change her status as sister of the deceased king and argued that the law prefers patrilinear or matrilinear inheritance over fraternal and that all this gave her the stronger claim, as she shared her parents with her dead brother. Keledoni tradition also requires the monarch to have the support of the kingdom’s three Archdruids. Seldhe’s status as heir had been witnessed by the Druids, was supported by them, and her interpretation of the laws declared valid. Seldhe’s incredible popularity among the common people was doubtless a factor; Keledoni commoners do not fear rebelling against an unjust king. The majority of the kingdom’s Great Houses declared their support for Seldhe, including House Alens, Kurdwyn, Ebethar, and Borudh. House Alens, lead by the boisterous Rendar Alens, also declared an open preference for a young monarch, noting that Balar was already in his fifties.
The Rebellion
By the early summer months of 1860 AS Balar had assembled his forces and supplemented them with bands of mercenaries hired from around the shores of the Two Seas. His army gathered near the town of Fellcrow, there joining ranks with the armies of his allies. Seldhe and her supporters had not been idle in the meantime, and their combined armies north from Hawksholme, Lothyan and Westmoor. The two armies met in battle on a hot summer morning on the wide plain between Havan and Culain. The battle was bloody, but proved indecisive.
Further skirmishes followed through the remainder of the summer and into the autumn as each side sought an advantage. Winter brought a lull in the combat, but showed the common people the heavy hand of Balar, who seized everything he could in order to feed his forces.
The spring of 1861 AS saw the rise of the Lowborn Militia—a disorganized force of commoners determined to support the princess they adored. Led by four common men—Theo Aldwyn, Jord Blackshaw, Will Haleson and Alrik Beyran—these self-styled soldiers carried out guerrilla raids, capturing gold and supplies, gathering intelligence, and spreading false information. Due to their assistance, Seldhe's forces were able to catch Balar's unaware in late summer. The battle was a rousing victory for Seldhe; Maerg Terwin was captured and Shar of Midcliffe killed. Balar himself escaped, however, along with several of his lesser noble allies. The remainder of the year saw Balar and his forces driven slowly north and east, into South Avendur. Crossing the Avendar River Balar launched a swift attack against Carda's Eye, capturing the keep in a daring night time raid against its inexperienced and severlely undermanned defenders. With his armies centered on the mighty keep and the great delvings beneath it, Balar renewed his strength and gathered his allies anew. He scoured the countryside clean, and burned and scattered whatever held no use for him.
In the spring of 1862 AS Seldhe defeated the small army remaining to House Terwin, brokering a peace and removing them from the field. Turning north
towards Balar and Carda's Eye her forces began a long, slow seige of the great fortress. By the time winter came it remained unclear how long the defenders could hold out; the tunnels and catacombs beneath Carda's Eye could hold supplies enough to feed an army for years. During this time both Theo of Aldwyn and Alrik Beyran were able to infiltrate Balar's forces. Using some of the gold previously captured, the pair were masquerading as Akarthan merchants, there to offer their support to his cause. They were successful in their ruse; in order to help them evade capture on their supposed trip home to their masters, Balar led them out through a secret way, emerging well beyond sight of the surrounding army. Meeting up again with Will and Jord near Torbran, they made their way through Cardas Pass and into Akaryth, carrying a heavy load of gold.
By the summer of 1862 AS a sizeable force of Akarthan soldiers and mercenaries had been assembled, equipped and prepared to make the journey over the pass, now free of its winter storms. On the appointed day of battle Balar's forces emerged, certain of victory as their Akarthan allies gathered on their flanks. It was only when the battle was joined that Balar realized the deception as the Akarthans suddenly tore into Balar's army from the sides. Theo and Alrik led a force of knights gathered from the Order of the Griffon and that of the Black Stag into Carda's Eye through the hidden passages Balar had shown them. With his army crushed and the powerful knights bursting forth from within his own fortress, Balar was quickly defeated and captured.
AFTERMATH[]
Balar was accorded a trial by his niece, who sat apart from the judges and did not interfere. There Balar spat defiance and hate at the assembled body. When asked to account for the burning of Carda's Vale, the defiant shed mockery and derision upon the slain and scorn upon his living victims. He was sentenced to death and was executed on the eve of Longest Night. On the first day of Spring, Seldhe's coronation ceremony was held and she ascended the throne as Queen Heulyn II.
As part of her celebration, Heulyn summoned the four common men who had helped bring her the throne. Each was knighted and created a Baron, given the lands and deeds of one of the lesser lords who had followed Balar into rebellion. Theo became Baron of Aldwyn; Jord Baron of Blackshaw; Will became Baron of Fellcrow; and Alrik became Baron of Ravensdale. Due to their origins as commoners, the four are together known as the Barons Mendicant, or the Beggar Knights. Neither term is perjorative.
Heulyn's open thanks to the common people of the kingdom, who were instrumental in her coming to the throne, earned her their loyalty and support anew. She also issued pardons to those nobles who sued for peace, save those who were involved in the sack of Carda's Vale.