The Sisters Pact, also known as the Pact, was a loose alliance of many lords that constituted the contemporary Crownlands of the Summerset Archipelago during the days of Aerel's Invasion. It was a defensive pact formed as a way of resisting the Arana invaders, who had already overrun several other ancient kingdoms of the region. Governing authority rested with all lords, who theoretically would convene to address common concerns, yet in practice never did so before being attacked by the Aranas. The Pact is primarily remembered as being a failed last-ditch effort to resist the Aranas, a pact which was far less efficient than intended, and constituted little in the way of resistance for the 50.000 strong Arana host.
Government[]
At its conception the Pact was meant to be governed by a grand council of all its constituent lords. In theory this governing body would have had authority to collectively deal with external threats as a unified force. It was believed by the Pact members that following their victory over the Arana host the pact would live on, forever ending the various incursions into their territory that had been so common throughout their history by the Summer Kings or Kings of the Rivers and Hills. Where other realms were governed by single kings, theirs would be a makeshift realm governed by a council of willing participants.
This dream did not last long, however, as the invasion by Aerel Arana made clear just how inefficient the Pact truly was. While the "grand council" was meant to convene to deal with threats, it never did so before the Aranas invaded, the only similar council convening when the Pact was originally formed. Without central coordination many lords operated on their own, or working with only a handful of other lords, as was the case with Lord Ellisar Dorenis.
During the last days of the Pact, King Naldien III Parnon assumed direct leadership of the alliance and declared himself the Prince of the Sisters Pact. It is not known if the remaining lords of the pact thought this self-proclaimed title was legitimate or not, as shortly after his declaration King Naldien was betrayed and captured, resulting in the Pact's eventual surrender soon after.
History[]
The Pact was formed out of desperation following the invasion by Aerel Arana of the Summerset Archipelago. Talks of a unified alliance had been in discussion for at least a century by this point, as the various lords that made up the region had grown weary of the constant incursions by the Summer Kings and their Norlander neighbours across Oleander Bay. But the threat had never been so great as to prompt the alliance to form, at least not until the arrival of Aerel Arana.
With the submission of the Summerlands to Arana rule, the lords of the Crownlands sent ravens and convened a council at X to finally form the alliance. Days of back-and-forth negotiations ensued, culminating in it being decided that the alliance would be defensive in nature, protecting against outside threats and reclaiming lost lands taken by the Kings of the Rivers and Hills. But first it would be necessary to defeat the invading Aranas.
Plans were drawn up on how to counter the eventual Arana invasion into their lands, with a series of lighting strikes with smaller forces planned to keep the invaders off balance and bait them into unfavourable terrain in the eastern mountains, where a united Pact army could descend upon the Arana host in narrow passes and high cliffs. This would have nullified the numerical advantage of the Arana host, and would allow the skilled mountaineer soldiers of the eastern lords to excel on the battlefield, leading men of their own. However, this plan quickly fell apart as lords left X and returned to their keeps and castles to raise their armies.
Raising men was inconsistent with the various lords, with some capable of doing it rather quickly, and others taking much longer. By the time the Aranas finally invaded some lords were in position, while others were on the march. Matters changed further when the Aranas did not take the bait of the skirmishing parties, as Aerel much preferred to siege down holdings and secure quick surrenders with his gryphons. Various lords abandoned their planned positions, understanding that Aerel's host would never come as planned and they needed to defend their own lands. Some lords worked together with others to put up minor resistance, such as Lord Ellisar Dorenis of Cey-Tarn, but they too were defeated. In the end there was no time to convene a council and organise a new strategy, as the many lords dissolved and scattered, each intent on defending their lands and families.
By the time the Aranas arrived at Alinor, much of the Pact had been subdued, with only the southern lords remaining, the most powerful of which was King Naldien III Parnon of Alinor. King Naldien declared himself the Prince of the Sisters Pact, assuming direct leadership of the alliance in resisting Aerel. This self-proclaimed leadership did not last, however, as Naldien was later betrayed by his own lords during the Battle of the Gates, after which Alinor submitted to Aerel. Most of the southern lords took this defeat as the death-knell of the Pact and peacefully rode to Alinor to pledge their fealty to Aerel.
Known Houses of the Pact[]
- House Parnon
- House Dorenis
- House Neiaron