Three Crowns War

The Three Crowns War was the famous three-way war of succession following the death of King James Perenolde between his three sons, triplets. The eldest Astric Perenolde, crowned himself King and attempted to exile his brothers to secure his reigns. This resulted in them to gather forces and war erupted.

Prelude
King James Perenolde had triplets with his wife, Olivia Karlsburg, the grand-daughter of Duke Cedric Perenolde. Naming the eldest, Astric and bestowing an eagle as his personal sigil, the second and largest child, Brandon and assigning a bear, and the third child, the most difficult to birth, Mortomew was given a ram as his sigil. All three were born in the year 572 K.A, a year before their father's ascension the throne.

After their father's death, Prince Astric Perenolde proclaimed himself king, being coronated as his forefathers had been. At first his brothers hesitantly allowed this, acknowledging him as king. However, soon afterwards, fearing a future threat to the crown, King Astric ordered both of his brothers to life-long exile. This outraged the brothers and their supporters, causing them to gather allies and raise their arms.

King Astric had been King before his other brothers and was supported by many of the nobility, though most notably, his uncle, Duke Harwell Karlsburg.

Prince Brandon was a skilled warrior and taller than all of his other brothers, he managed to gain the support of most of the military and crowned himself King Brandon Perenolde.

Prince Mortomew was devoutly religious, taking shelter in a mountainous monastery, he was latter coronated by the Bishop of Alterac, who had declared that King Astric had violated the Three Virtues by banishing his brothers.

Each brothers gathered their forces, placing their personal sigils on their forces to distinguish themselves.

Occupation of Alterac City
Shortly after the war broke out, King Brandon and the Bears, controlling most of the military, quickly mobilized and assaulted Alterac City, under the control of King Astric. The Bears stormed the gates with ease, taking the city in a single day.

King Astric retreated in defeat, having not mustered most of his forces. Seeking refuge with his uncle, King Astric was able to escape to Durnholde Keep, where the majority of his host was gathered.

With Alterac City under Brandon's control, many thought the war to be soon over. Many nobles defected to the Bears, weakening Astrics host and strengthening Brandons.

Assault of Strahnbrad
As King Brandon ignored his younger brother, King Mortomew, viewing his elder brother as the only threat. He began to gather the bulk of his forces at Southshore to launch an assault at Durnholde Keep. Meanwhile, King Mortomew led his meager forces from the mountains and into Strahnbrad, taking the county with ease.

This caused King Brandon to draw back his troops to deal with his youngest brother, delaying his assault on his older brother.

Battle of Southshore
With King Brandon having moved most of his host back up to the Alterac Mountains to deal with King Mortomew, King Astric and the Eagles used this as an opportunity to disrupt King Brandon's now revealed strategy.

Duke Harwell Karlsburg lead the Eagle host to Southshore, assaulting the primary port-city of the Kingdom of Alterac. They saw little difficulty in taking the city, however the King Brandon's ships quickly sailed out of the harbor before the city fell, quickly setting up a blockade of the port.

Routing of the Ram
As the Bear host returned to the Alterac Mountains and marched on Strahnbrad, they found the town abandoned. King Mortomew and the Rams had retreated into the monastery. Refusing to allow his youngest brother an opportunity to do the same, he chased after them into the mountains.

This campaign proved costly for the Bear, struggling to get his forces through the mountains due to the difficult passes and the constant harassing from the Rams forces. King Brandon eventually reached the monastery that King Mortomew had fortified as his seat, beginning a siege.

Battle of the Blockade
During the winter, the few ships under King Astrics command attempted to end the blockade on Southshore, failing miserably.

Siege of Ram's Monastery
The siege of king Mortomew's seat lasted through the winter, devastating many of King Brandon's troops due to the harsh weather conditions. As the winter ended, King Brandon stormed the monastery, finally being able to traverse the caved in pass leading to the monastery. King Brandon emerged victorious, slaying his brother though with great sacrifice. King Brandon also desecrated the monastery, causing the few remaining supporters to flock to King Astric's forces. King Brandon's destruction of the monastery and the idols within strained relations between the Kingdom of Alterac and the Church of the Holy Light for years to come.

Second Year
With King Mortomew's death in the beginning of the second year of the war, the war was delayed for several months as King Brandon repaired his forces and moved them from the mountains. Meanwhile, King Astric came into control of Southern Hillsbrad and all lands east of the Thondroril River whereas King Brandon Perenolde maintained control over the "heartland" of the kingdom.

Second Battle Along the Thondroril
The first Battle Along the Throndoril occurred during the Third Alteraci-Stromic War, though this situation was far different. The forces of King Brandon marched out of the East Pass and down the Thondroril River, planning on taking Durnholde Keep.

However King Astric's forces met King Brandon's host, charging them head on. The result was the bloodiest battle of the war. Each side pushed up and down the riverbank, flowing blood and corpses downriver until King Brandon finally pushed past King Astric's forces, sending them into retreat to Southshore.

Capturing of Durnholde Keep
After the Second Battle Along the Thondroril, King Brandon took the largely abandoned Durnholde Keep, many saw this as an end to the war. Duke Harwell Karlsburg was captured and the war halted through the winter as King Astric considered surrender.

Kingdom of Stromgarde Joins the War
After a pause to the war throughout the winter as King Astric suggested surrendering, this ended once spring came. Instead of creating terms of surrender, King Astric reached out to King Geras Trollbane, promising his wed his daughter and to remove all Stromic tariffs. King Geras agreed, pushing past Thoradin's Wall and sending King Brandon into retreat from Durnholde Keep back to Alterac City.

Battle at the East Pass
Shortly thereafter, the meager remnants of King Astric's host joined King Geras Trollbane's host and marched up the Thondroril River. They met the East Pass Gate, which they struggled with for a time before the Count of Strahnbrad betrayed King Brandon and attacked the East Pass Gate from behind, securing King Astric's passage.

Siege of Alterac City
King Brandon had been outnumbered, now in the exact position King Astric was in a month prior. As the Stromics and King Astric sieged Alterac City, he surrendered peacefully, knowing he would be defeated. Because of his surrender, he was executed but his family was spared.

Aftermath
Once King Astric remained on the throne, he set about repairing his kingdom and created a new era of good Alteraci-Stromic relations, though they would eventually falter. King Astric died only three years after the war, having taken wounds during the war and barely being able to survive for that long, he eventually gave up and perished. Unable to produce an heir with his wife, the throne passed to his nephew, Brandon Perenolde II, the son of King Brandon Perenolde.