Vandiel Diem younger


Southern Coast » Diemed » Vandiel Diem (younger)
In 458 MR, Vandiel Diem "the younger" assumed the throne of Diemed. The situation he confronted was not good. His eastern provinces were ravaged by wars with Ghoere and were lawless, providing no tax income. Avanil and Boeruine were perpetually at war. The Spider lay always in wait. Vandiel decided to throw himself into the arms of Avanil and her ally, Mhoried. Vandiel's sister, Catherine Diem was married to Veladin Avan, Prince of Avanil, securing peace in the west. However, the Avanese took this opportunity to cultivate friends and allies in Diemed, and from the lands that were part of Catherine's dowery, the Princes of Avanil have established some authority in Diemed. Vandiel himself married Faelnie Isilviere of Taeghas.
By 460 MR, eastern Diemed had begun to recover from the long years of warfare and was a kind of frontier zone with freesteads, bandits, and almost no law. Unable to afford the imposition of order, Vandiel appointed Daen Roesone, a mercenary captain, to bring what order he could in the east. After a decade, Daen had accumulated considerable power in eastern Diemed, as well as the province of Abbatuor in Aerenwe, finally seizing control of Caercas. Instead of simply bringing order and enriching himself in the process, the mercenary captain was building his own power base in the east, building his own fortresses and garrisoning them with his own men. After another four years as a military governor, governing from Caecas, Daen Roesone petitioned Vandiel to directly rule the province as a vassal. Vandiel made the same mistake as his ancestor Vandiel Diem (elder), and refused. Instead, he named his cousin Uchaene Shaeme as Count of Caercas. Daen flew into a rage upon hearing this and promptly defeated the small army that Uchaene had brought with him to Caercas. This incident precipitated a full-scale war.
Over the next three years, Daen Roesone took control of the whole of eastern Diemed and repeatedly defeated the armies of the Diemans and their Aerenwean allies. Daen found a ready ally in the Impregnable Heart of Haelyn. Just as Diemed and Aerenwe were allies, so too the Orthodox Imperial Temple and Eastern Temple of Nesirie. The Impregnable Heart and Daen had the same enemies and found each other natural friends. Daen Roesone crossed into Aerenwe and occupied Bellam. In 477 MR, the war ended in a truce and the state of Roesone was born. Aerenwe disputed Roesone's occupation of Abbatuor and Bellamie, a matter not resolved until a final settlement in 490, when Aerenwe ceded the provinces. Vandiel did not acknowledge the new state, only their de factor control of his provinces.
This loss was extremely humiliating for Vandiel, who almost lost his throne to a cabal of mutineers as a result. However, Vandiel, ever the consummate politician, was able to weather the difficulties and initiate a crackdown on the disloyal elements of his realm. By 483, Vandiel was even ready to wage war elsewhere in Anuire, aiding Mhoried against a Ghoerean invasion.
Still, the loss of Roesone rankled Vandiel to no end and it was not until his death in 505 that Diemed finally recognized Roesone. Further trouble was to fall upon the duchy in the form of further sectarian strife.
In 500 MR, Mourten Enlien succeeded as count of Braeme. The Baron, Vandiel, was eager not to disturb his subjects of Ruornil's faith so that he might turn his attentions elsewhere. Mourten ruled wisely and well, respecting the Ruornilites despite his strong faith in Haelyn. However, in 520 MR, Mourten died and was replaced by his son Dalien Enlien, who took a much harder line aginst the Ruornilites. Despite Dalien?s efforts, the worship of Ruornil continued to thrive.
Vandiel died in 525 MR and his son, Heirl Diem ascended the throne.

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