Once, the realm of Virelia stood united beneath the banner of King Alric the Just, whose rule brought peace to fractured borders and prosperity to the Riverlands. But peace is a fragile thing, and kings are not but mortal. When Alric died without a clear heir, leaving his only son a boy of fourteen to inherit the whole of Virelia the realm splintered like a shattered shield. Lords who had long simmered with resentment now bared their teeth, and old alliances turned to ash.
Among them rose Lord Malrick of Durnholde, a war-hardened noble with ambition carved into his soul. Declaring the young Prince Kaelen a pretender, Malrick rallied the eastern lords and marched under the sigil of the Iron Circle calling upon his allies Lord Malrick called upon all the lords of the east he would clam the throne for himself or so he thought to his and every one surprise many of the minor lords and lower nobility supported Prince Kaelen's rise to the throne as it was well known his father King Alric loved and cherished the boy, When Malrick and the eastern lords began their march they were harassed and assaulted by many of the low lands minor nobility, though these houses did not have the numbers to challenge him directly or the influence to stop his march entirely they bought the young king Kaelen time to raise his bannermen and amass an army that riveled Malrick.
Upon the Fields of Ash, the noted middle of all Virelia the two armies clashed leading to a bloody massacre for both sides, with neither King nor Usurper wishing to surrender the field both sides agreed to a temporary retreat and cease fire. Only this would not yield the results any one would wish after their first massive battle being left undecided this conflict would evolve into three years of unending and open war, lines were drawn dividing Virelia into east and west, Malrick declared himself king overall and a blood civil war was now being fought for the throne and for who would claim the crown.
Young King Kaelen looked to his uncle the High King Theron Thornevale of Thalrador, who immediately took advantage of the situation to kidnap his nephew and claim his own rights to the throne of Virelia, now the war was being fought on three fronts, the Usurper Malrick Vaelthorn of Durnholde, High King Theron Thornevale and those who supported Young King Kaelen Thornevale of Virelia and it would be a long and bloody conflict no one could predict.