the Reivers' Wars
Introduction
Part of the swamps around Loch Morgunt used to be the clanlands of lost clans such as Clan Cranston, whose ancestral lands included the most significant settlement in The Reivers' Marshes: Mirkwode.
Three hundred years ago, the Reivers were a much-feared alliance of three clans whose ancestors had settled in the treacherous marches: Clan Cranston, Clan Wingswan and Clan Bogfrog. Life was hard in the bogs, and to supplement their income, the clans raided mercilessly the more prosperous surrounding clans, including Clan Wylfedd.
At that time, Clan Wylfedd was gaining in power through the increasing trade on Loch Morgunt. Wylfholm Keep and surrounding harbours were taking advantage of the opening roads to the east and were making a brisk trade with goods from all over Alven, including the growing city of Hollyholm and The Eastern Isles.
The then Chieftain of Clan Wylfedd, Markan Heathmor, decided to launch a 'pacification' campaign against the Reiver Clans. Chieftain Markan enlisted the help of Reiver scouts who were able to let the Wylfedd Fyrds through the bogs and swamps straight to the Reivers' heartlands. Thus began the one-year campaign, known as the Reivers' Wars.
Conflict
Circumstances
Three hundred years ago, Clan Wylfedd took advantage of the century's technological advances to become a wealthy and prosperous clan on the shore of Loch Morgunt. Ships became much larger and more able to cope with the vagaries of Loch Morgunt's fickle and treacherous weather and tides. Modest fishing communities transformed into bustling merchant ports, (See Bankwylf, Lochwylside and of course Wylfholm ) where goods from the East landed or were shipped further west to the capital city of Highfort. Even the more remote port in the Marshlands benefited from the new trade.
The newly created wealthy merchant class, who were gaining more power within the clan by marrying into Clanbearers' families, were increasingly put out by the Reivers' raids into their lands. Goods and cattle were regularly stolen in the light month of the year (spring and summer). Violent clashes were not uncommon during the raids, even if Reivers traditionally did not harm women and children. Furthermore, the Reivers were notoriously difficult to apprehend when they retreated into their own dangerous marshy lands.
The then chieftain, Markam Heathmor, backed by the Clanbearers and gold and resources from wealthy traders and landowners, decided to invade the Reivers' Marshes and subdue the Marshes' clans once and for all - in a bid to make the Reivers vassals to Wylffed and obey the clan laws.
At that time, the Arkivon had not been created; however, Wylffed and the Marshes' clans had not been able to use their Rod of Powers for centuries - it seemed no one of the Blood had been born who could activate the runes on the powerful artefacts. It explained partly why the Reivers had remained somewhat unpunished for their trespassing.
Chieftain Heathmor had also one ally of choice in his battle against the Reivers - the community of Bleckmuhl. The Blecks, as they were known, were under the laws of Clan Bogfrog, but had moved on with the times and were benefitting greatly from the Wylffedd trade. Situated on a strategic route on Loch Morgunt, they were far removed from the raider mentality of the Reivers' clans. The community leader in Bleckmuhl was a druidess or Wiseheart called Lamb Newbay . She prophecised Wylffed's conquest and decided that her community would be on the winning side as their interests aligned. Scouts from Blekmuhl were dispatched to Wylfholm to help the clan Fyrd through the Marshes and to the Reiver's communities hidden in its watery labyrinth. To this day, many have not forgotten Bleckmuhl's betrayal and the remote harbour on the fringe of Morgunt's Marshlands is often mistrusted and set apart in clanland politics.
Now with good intelligence and a path through the marsh, it took only a few weeks for Markam and his forces to arrive at the gate of the town of Mirkwode - the heart of the Reiver's lands. However, the village was heavily fortified, and the Wylffedd's forces also had to battle and survive the freaky weather and tides of the marsh. (see Morgunt's Tides.
First Setback
Many men were lost in the first wave of conflict. Mirkwode's held fast. The town was situated on a dry wooded hill in the middle of a deep marsh. Surrounding the town was a strangely effective tall wooden palissade - the Wylffed Fyrd tried to set fire to it many times, but it seemed the wood was treated to resist it. The walls also resisted any form of cutting or smallshing - as hard as stone.
As the Wylfedd chieftain was wondering how to breach the town's defenses, only a few weeks camping in the unhealthy and dangerous surrounding marshlands, his army was beset by rising waters, a phenomenon well known in the Sink. The sudden rise in water level drowned a whole section of the Fyrd, and Markam sent scouts to
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