Page values for "The Dyrwood, Part 3: The War of Black Trees and the Rise of Admeth Hadret"

After the Broken Stone War, the Dyrwood would see peace and prosperity for 21 years. Aside from the occasional slave uprising or border dispute, nothing of any note happened until 2652 AI. Some of the Dyrwoodan erls, tired of being restricted by the treaties, and encouraged by imperial sources, defied the decrees and actively sent people to loot the ruins in the Dyrwood. Response from the Glanfathans was not immediate, but when it came it was brutal and bloody. There was a slave uprising and Regd resumed control of his guerilla fighters. A contingent of delemgan joined the forces as well, making the fights in the forest even more deadly for the Dyrwoodan soldiers.

Edrang, then far too old to lead Dyrwood in the war, sent his son Admeth to deal with the situation. Admeth, showing the same tactical prowess as his father, set fire to the forest at the Isce Uar River and then blocks the forces retreating from the inferno. Some of the Glanfathans escape, but thousands would die in the blaze. Regd is captured and sent to holding in New Heomar. The goes on for several months and Admeth uses this same tactic many times to flush Glanfathans and delemgan from the battlefield. The entire war lasts less than a year. The Dyrwood eventually wins, but at a terrible price. This conflict would come to be known as The War of Black Trees.

Tragedy struck the Dyrwood in 2654 when Edrang, whose health had been waning, succumbed and passed into the Cycle. Regd, who had developed a begrudging respect for his constant adversary over the years they had fought, sent Admeth his sincere condolences from captivity in New Heomar. Admeth assumed his father's place as gréf over the Dyrwood. The other erls disliked this development and began publically rebuking Admeth's decrees. In 2655 AI, Admeth, tired of the problems caused by the recalcitrant erls, but having support of the new Vailian ducs and the common folk of Dyrwood (having saved them from the Glanfathans) delivers an ultimatum to the fercönyng of Aedyr. He demands to be made a gréf palatine. This move would give him authority and power over all the erls, their holdings, and their titles. Dyrwood would become a palatinate instead of a gréfram. The fercönyng, who did not want to have to deal with a rebellion while trying to establish a hold on the vorlas trade network in Readceras, begrudgingly agreed to Admeth's demands. Admeth would use this new power to bring all the erls in line. As a trade-off for being given the power, Admeth put money and resources into all of the Dyrwood's ports to increase shipping traffic. In turn, this increased the fercönyng's income.

Under Admeth's rule, the Dyrwood saw seven productive and profitable years. In 2662 AI, he did what had been tried for many years without success - bringing slavery to an end in the Dyrwood. He negotiated the ‘Ten Years’ treaties (so called because it has been ten years since The War of Black Trees). A timeline was established in which the slaves will be released. The owners would be compensated with money or land for each slave released. If they did not comply, the slaves would be taken and a fine will be levied against the owner. In return, the Glanfathans would open trade with the Dyrwood and cede some of their territories to the Dyrwoodan government (in practice meaning they would stop contesting the presence of those who lived and ruled there). Hundreds of coopers attempted to rebel against this. Admeth, expecting just such a reaction, reacted accordingly and the rebellion was quickly crushed. His agents then spread propaganda through the populace, making the Coopers' Rebellion and its instigators seemed far worse than they truly were. This tactic worked and there would be no more trouble.

• Gilded Vale Home, Gilded Vale: On the table near the door.
• Random loot item spawning in various locations (11×).