War of the Dead Prince

The War of the Dead Prince was a conflict in Yent that involved every major ruler.

It began when Prince _____, Queen Ilse's heir, was slain while travelling through the pass of Culdûm. Queen Ilse, with allies King Oswalt III and King Godfry, declared war on King Tristan

The war happened at a period of rare friendliness between King Oswalt III and King Godfry. Godfry, at that time, was in late middle-age and had produced no heir; it was widely assumed that he and his wife were unable to have a child. The prospect of reuniting the two realms by marrying Oswalt to a member of Godfry's dynasty was being seriously considered

After defeating King Tristan's armies in the field, the three allied armies began a siege of Culdûm. Their victory seeming assured until Alcora, wary of a disruption to the balance of power, intervened, sending their army to relieve the siege and pressuring Queen Ilse to withdraw from the war.

Hetman Jan, a commander in Queen Ilse's army, vocally protested the withdrawal, calling it a "betrayal". He'd later claim the incident was the major turning point in his understanding of the world, often referring to it in his speeches during Hetman Jan's Rebellion

After the failure of the war, the relationship between King Oswalt III and King Godfry soured, and the two returned to open hostility after Oswalt's marriage to Queen Alayne and the unexpected birth of Godfry's son.

King Oswalt III is widely considered to have begun his decline into debauched cynicism after the disappointment of the war's conclusion.