War with the Stone Dwarves Begins

Military action

Valoroth is currently at war with the Stone Dwarves of the South, and has been for nearly two years.

Good King Marius ruled over the longest peace in living memory. He did so by forming alliances and treaties with the various neighbouring countries.   These agreements kept the peace, but were costly to maintain – and many Barons and Lords had become resentful of what they saw as their gold being given to foreigners.     The inciting incident of this conflict was when Richard’s forces moving into a small trading town on the border of the two countries. Until that point, a Dwarf garrison was stationed in this small town located on a mountain pass – the only land route between the nations for hundreds of miles. Richard felt this left him vulnerable and dispatched a small force to the town.   The force was led by Ser Redgar, who would later come to be known as Redgar the Bloody, one of Richard’s lieutenants. He led his force into the town, and when the garrison tried to explain the treaty dictated they were the sole military occupiers of the town, Redgar gave the order to slaughter them all.   The Stone Dwarves dispatched envoys to treat with Richard in an attempt to resolve the conflict without further bloodshed, but Richard’s loyal Lords – Lords who stood to gain financially from this war – convinced him that war was in the best interests of the realm.