War of Rafghalan Succession

The War of Rafghalan Succession was a conflict that occurred in the region of Hillsbrad Foothills, almost entirely between the divided forces of the Rafghalan Estate's standing forces. Following the sudden death of the reigning Head of the House, Lord Dardillaen with no clear heir, a dispute over claim to lead arose between the three eldest male sons of Dardillaen. Popular support among both the Estate and the people favored Krathyn, the youngest of the three. However, the older siblings, Tanloste and Madhar, held roughly a fourth of their Estate's support each along with support from other Houses, leading to a tense standoff that boiled over into civil war. The war lasted no more than 30 days.

Death of Lord Dardillaen Rafghalan
The War's origin began with the sudden death of Lord Dardillaen. It is not exactly clear how he died. No records exist or were, more likely, lost due to the conflict that ensued nearly immediately following his death. Amberstorm oral history has it that Dardillaen died in a horseback riding accident with Krathyn, declaring Dardillaen had wanted to declare him his heir at the next harvest festival in the moments before dying.

Boiling Points; Night of the Moonlight Massacre (Day 1)
There is record of a funeral taking place in the immediate days prior to the outbreak of fighting. If the Amberstorm story is true, then perhaps dispute rose immediately following the claim. As Krathyn was declared heir by their father and because he was a beloved figure among their House & the people who they were beholden to, his claim if not by law was by fact the strongest. Tanloste and Madhar, both older than Krathyn by several years, both felt either of them deserved to be the Head of the family. On a night in late summer, an assassin attempted to end the life of Krathyn but was slain. Immediately he declared that war had come to the ancient house of Rafghalan. The supporters of each heir rallied to arms and on the very night of the attempted assassination, Krathyn's forces (calling themselves Krathians) stormed a Tanloste-loyal tavern and slew every able bodied man as they were in their drunken stupors of the late-night hour.

Madhar's Gambit (Day 12)
Madhar von Rafghalan was a Magi, traditionally trained by the Kirin Tor. A master of arcane, he had wished to fight demons for a worthier opponent. To fight one, he learned how to summon one. He felt little joy in the slaying, but he did feel a rush in the summoning. He sought to amplify this and learn more about controlling the demons. More than twenty years he secretly consorted with demons, bringing several dozen a year into Hillsbrad. When the House broke into civil war, he felt having demons as soldiers would not be able to cement his control. Falling back to his arcane magics, he began to magically control other humans mentally. His demons, however, would not engage in battle with either Tanloste's or Krathyn's forces. The Kirin Tor, taking an interest in the Rafghalan conflict to see it did not spread across the entirety of Hillsbrad, began to spy on Madhar. Their spies discovered his consorting with demons and took immediate action. A special detachment of Kirin Tor forces assaulted his secluded compound, fighting and banishing his demons & killing the majority of the living present for their ties to Madhar's project (One notable survivor of this attack who managed to escape was Esheria Rafghalan, a cousin of the trio of brothers). Madhar himself survived the initial assault but was chased westward into Silverpine and then north into the Whispering Forest. Hounded the entire way by Kirin Tor, he succumbed to grievous injury and slipped into a bog, dying. The entire forest, enchanted by an unknown magic, would partially preserve his body for nearly 300 years.

Battle of the Bridge (Day 17-22)
With Madhar chased out of Hillsbrad and his forces in disarray, Krathyn took the chance to assault Tanloste's gathered force at the River Stern. Although his force was sizable and holding itself in a more well-defended position, Krathyn's was larger and well aware of the terrain. However, a hidden threat within. Mideron Horren, an advisor to Lord Dardillaen, had sided with Tanloste. His reasons for doing so purely out of green. Tanloste was often described as a man without vision and Mideron exploited this. He had prepared to abandon Tanloste with a large haul from the coffers of the Rafghalan. With the assault by the Krathians, the Tanloste Loyalists were fractured by the betrayal, leading to a confusing, three way battle at the very heart of the Rafghalan Estate. The final stand took place at a stone bridge on the River Stern, a river that fed into the Hillsbrad River that cut through the eastern half of the Foothills. Tanloste slew Mideron with arrow fire before being slain by Krathyn, securing claim by ending the life of his brother personally. The Tanloste Loyalists who were not killed in the battle were given the chance to join with the Krathians. Most refused and simply dispersed across Hillsbrad. However, a single problem remained...

Battle of the Autumn Storm (Day 29)
Madhar's force of loyalists and arcane-mindslaves held fast, awaiting the return of Madhar to lead them to victory. But the arrival of the Krathian force and Madhar's (still unknown to the House) death prevented any hopes of victory from manifesting. A single ultimatum was made but no response was given. A thunderstorm began just as the battle's initial blades were crossed. The fierce yells, bloody fields, and fires set to nearly every building on the estate by the mindslave madmen were joined by loud, crackling booms across the sky and strikes of lightning onto the battlefield. Another Amberstorm legend is that Krathyn's sword was struck by a bolt of lightning & infused with its power allowed him to kill ten men in twenty seconds, with a loud roar of thunder ripping across the field every time the sword gutted a man. To the last the Madhar forces were fought, every man dying and never yielding. With a decisive but costly victory, the storm ended and the sun shone brightly on the autumn colored forests of Hillsbrad. Krathyn raised his sword into the air and declared the end of the House of Rafghalan & the rise of the House of Amberstorm, to honor the victorious day which they had won.

Pyres of Victory; Reformation
The month of conflict had ended with a Krathian victory and the declaration of a new House, the House of Amberstorm. However the cost of victory was the loss of nearly the entire estate to fire & battle. What was salvaged was taken or sold with only the fortunes (safely guarded even from the fires) and the land itself sold to the House of Menethil. Amberstorm under Krathyn rode westward, to the southern Silverpine Forest. In the northeast, Esheria Rafghalan, pregnant with the child of Tanloste, adopted the name of Sternbridge to honor her love's final end and to obscure her identity should Krathyn ever seek to purge potential rivals to his claim. In the Chillwind River Valley region, the family name would persist for almost 300 years. For the Amberstorms, Krathyn declared the reigning Patriarch would solely determine the heir, regardless of their date of birth, to ensure a conflict like the War of Rafghalan Succession would not return among the Amberstorm house. Solely the Patriarch held say on who would lead the House when the current reigning would end their time on this world.

Modern Era
Currently, the Rafghalan line is defunct. The House of Amberstorm and the Sternbridge household hold claim but neither seem interested in doing so and recently have reconciled with one another. Madhar von Rafghalan, however, has been known to have returned as an undead who operates in the Forsaken held lands, including Hillsbrad. Having met is very distant nephew, Kuthelso Amberstorm, Madhar has declared it his duty to 'slay the spawn of Tanloste' for Esheria's betrayal of his heart for his brother. There are rumors of a wandering, ancient knight who claims the name Rafghalan.

As for the Rafghalan estate, it has long since felt the ravages of nature. A landslide from the mountain has since covered up most of the estate with what is now a large hill and the mountain lake which fed the River Stern was destroyed with it. The river dried up and has long since been dry & unrecognizable with the region's changes. The general area is now the immediate surroundings of the entrance to Ravenholdt Manor.