War of the Gristolian Succession
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| The War of the Gristolian Succession | ||||||||
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 The Battle of Ulstrand, by an unknown Gristol artist. | ||||||||
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Supported by:
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Supported by:
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House Eist-Esmark of Drachten (Neutral)
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The War of the Gristolian Succession was a civil war during the Absolutism Period of the Kingdom of Gristol. A war of succession between Severin II and his third cousin Olaf I over Asgeir I Eist’s throne who died without issue. The war was fought from 1557 to 1560 and involved nearly every Major and Vassal Houses in the Kingdom of Gristol and drawn foreign powers into the conflict. Following the war's conclusion, both rival claimants were killed in the Battle of Ulstrand and extinction of several Major and Vassal Houses. In the Second Steinarr Council, both sides unexpectedly acclaimed Haakon III Eist the Mediator from House Eist-Esmark, a neutral Major House.
The modern line of House Eist descends from Haakon III.
Prelude
King Asgeir Eist was the longest-serving ruler of the Kingdom of Gristol from 1506 to 1557. During his long tenure, there were concerns for Asgeir Eist’s health due to House Eist’s tendency for inbreeding. He married Princess Lilianne Eist in 1519, his third cousin. The couple attempted to have children, resulting in two miscarriages. Queen Lilianne died in 1523 following complications giving birth to Princess Alexandra Eist. The day after, Princess Alexandra died.
Despite urging from his advisors and courtiers, King Asgeir Eist chose not to marry again, declaring a council of the Kingdom’s aristocracy would decide the successor upon his death.
January 1557: The First Steinarr Council
King Asgeir Eist died on the 7th of January 1557 in Kristofferson Palace, Griswald at the age of 78. Prince Lorens Eist-Esmark, the Duke of Drachten and Chancellor to the King, summoned the House Eist cadet branches and their vassals to Steinarr Castle to select the next King. Prince Lorens declared the formation of the Steinarr Council to decide the next King of Gristol.
The First Steinarr Council eventually came down to two claimants. One of the claimants, Prince Severin Eist of House Eist of Gristol, believed in the more traditional Veldikirkjan seen in Auremterra and advocated for closer ties with their Belisarian cousins. The other claimant was Prince Olaf Eist of House Eist of Nordeidet, belonging to the reformed Veldikirkjan faith and believed that unchecked divine power required limits and such power must be kept in check. It would mean that there needs to be a sort of oversight to the throne to keep the monarch in check.
As talks continued, relations between the two competing claimants became fraught with discord and occasional violence. Their cadet branches and vassals began to pick sides as first vote ended with a tie. The First Steinarr Council would be disbanded after a brawl occurred. At the last day of the Council, Prince Lorens was fatally wounded breaking a brawl when a knife was drawn intended to attack Prince Olaf Eist.
February 1557: The Two Coronations
- Severin and Olaf declared themselves King.
- Severin II Eist was declared king by his loyalists, crowned in the Kingdom’s capital city of Griswald.
- Olaf I Eist was also declared king by his loyalists, crowned in the Nordeidet capital of Hitra.
March 1557: Lines Being Drawn
- Severin and Olaf established their own councils, and began bringing allied houses into their side.
- Houses Haagen of Aalen, Barsness of Peistorpet and Achterberg of Ljouwert declared fealty to House Eist of Gristol.
- House Eist of Nordeidet received support from Houses Cormier of Valois, Coldenhoff of Jouwer, and Lindberg of Bernadotte.
- The Duchy of Drachten declared itself neutral following the death of the Duke of Drachten. With the death of Prince Lorens Eist-Esmark, his son Haakon succeeded him as the new Duke of Drachten.
- The Kingdom of Gristol's professional armies found itself forced to pick sides.
- The Pale Guard, the monarch's elite protection units, siding with the Blues.
- The Landforsvaret, the professional army broke in two, with one supporting the Blues and the other with the Golds.
July 1557: War Breaks Out
October 1557: Serkonos Enters the War
- Olaf I Eist sent messengers to Serkonos through the Count of Bernadotte in hopes of bringing foreign allies to reverse the losses.
- Severin II Eist gets wind of this and begins to court the Serkonans to enter the war on their side.
- The League of Serkonos was divided on the matter, with the Grand Chief Karonhyawake initially declaring the country’s neutrality. He did not oppose Serkonan citizens from the Nations from joining the fight at first, but the massacre in Tionondogen by the Blues forced the Serkonans to enter the war on the side of the Golds.
- Potential other foreign countries joined here:
November 1557: The Golds breakthrough the Blues’ lines, The Assault on Nordskaret.
December 1557: The Sacking of Borsholmen, Gold Offensive halted
1558 to 1559: The Frozen Conflict, House Eist-Esmark advocates for peace
December 1559 to August 1560: Renewed Offensives, Siege of Steinnar Castle
September 1560: The Battle of Ulstrand
Aftermath: The Second Steinarr Council
- The deaths of rival monarchs forced both sides into an uneasy truce.
- Seeing an opening, Prince Haakon Eist-Esmark called for a council to resolve the civil war.
- The leaders of both sides once again met in Steinarr Castle, declaring the Second Steinarr Council.
- The council unexpectedly acclaimed Prince Haakon Eist-Esmark as the new King of Gristol.