War of Aderic

The War of Aderic was a great war between the forces of the Kingdom of Gilneas and the Kingdom of Lordaeron while both kingdoms were within their infancy. The war was caused by border disputes and was specifically over lands that lay in what is now known as Silverpine Forest. It was named for the first king of Gilneas, Aderic I who led the Gilneans to victory against the Lordaeronians and established Gilneas as a kingdom separate from Arathor.

History
The War of Aderic began shortly after the formation of the Kingdom of Lordaeron after it had split from the Arathorian empire.

Lordaeron Aggression
By the time Aderic had reached his thirtieth autumn, unrest in Gilneas was growing. With the foundation of the new nation of Lordaeron to the north, Strom's internal issues began to take a toll on Gilneas. Seeking to consolidate more land from their former rulers, Lordaeron began to poke it's borders south in order to secure land in case of Strom retaliating from succession. After repeated bullying from Lordaeron, Aderic began to rally men together in order to aid Strom once they arrived to stop Lordaeron. However, the help never came as Strom denied any sort of military aid for Gilneas. Aderic pleaded with Strom's officials to act, yet the answer remained the same.

Tired of the encroachment on their lands, Gilneas seceded from Strom peacefully, sending a tribute to the nation following their split. Aderic sent emissaries to Strom explaining that their secession was only to deal with the Lordaeronian threat, not to disrespect Strom it's self and they wished to maintain strong relations. Seeing this as a way to get rid of, or at least deter, Lordaeron without dirtying their own hands, Strom accepted the offers of peace and sent forth their blessing to the new found kingdom. Publicly within the empire, it was stated that Gilneas was separated as they had become a nation that bore no resemblance to the Empire.

Aderic was crowned King of Gilneas and rallied his people against the encroaching Lordaeronian invaders. Aderic led his men to victory after victory, stories detailing blood baths that would end with Aderic and his wolf coated in the blood of their foes, earning him the title The True Wolf, as he showed more ferocity than his canine companion. Aderic's followers followed in his footsteps, taming the feral wolves of Gilneas to use against their foes, eventually leading to shock tactics by legions of warriors charging in alongside their wolvine companions.

Men from across the peninsula heeded the king's call, from the Headlands to the Ashen Coast, with the families of the Cobals and Stantons, to the coasts where the fishers of what would become Tempest's Reach answered, and even to the marshes of the south where the pagans made their home. Aderic promised those who would serve under his banner would be richly rewarded, land would be distributed to all and the blessings of the Old Ways and all religions would be spread throughout Gilneas if they answered his call. These promises led to many taking up his banners in hopes that they would come true.

By the mountains of what is now the Sepulcher, Aderic led a daring strike that crippled the armies of Lordaeron. Aderic personally led a large legion of foot soldiers through the main pass to meet Lordaeron's armies head on while a second group of druids and soldiers with wolves rounded about the mountains to strike down at them. The attack was a success, as the Lordaeronians were surrounded and slaughtered.

Unable to hold back the onslaught of druids, wolves and warriors. The warriors of Lordaeron retreated past the mountains of Tirisfal, where Gilneas claimed the entirety of Silverpine as their own. A forced peace was made between Gilneas and Lordaeron in order to end the war and Gilneas looked inward to settle its self as a new kingdom.

Aftermath
Aderic, now King Aderic I, took up leadership of the nation and led it to a prosperous age. The nation remained to it's self for the most part following the war with Lordaeron, dominating Silverpine Forest and the Gilnean peninsula. As promised, families that aided him were richly rewarded, as many soon found themselves in higher positions of power, such as the House of Cobalstant or the House of Grayblade that were granted lands and riches for their dedicated service and that of their men. As Aderic promised to the people, he also ordered religious tolerance within the nation. The Keepers of the Old Ways originally believed this to be beneficial to the ways of druidism, but the spread of the doctrines of the light began to slowly displace them. In time, followers of the Old Ways were converted to the light, and in other locations they were continually displaced. The death of so many druids during the war led to pagans slowly dying out in the outer regions of Gilneas and being left mostly isolated to regions such as the Headlands or the Blackwald.

Aderic ordered the construction of a central seat of power in Gilneas, placed within the very heart of the Gilnean peninsula. A massive production process began, and the foundations for Gilneas City were formed. During this time, King Aderic took a wife from one of the major families who lent the most support during his campaign. Originally this was to ensure that loyalties would remain where they were, but the king grew to love his wife, and they produced many heirs during this time.

Aderic maintained a healthy relation with the still declining empire of Strom, as trade was set up across the unsettled lands of Hillsbrad. Seen as the frontier for Gilnean expansion, Gilneans slowly began to reach out into the area, but were more focused on the development of their central areas such as the peninsula and Silverpine Forest. Aderic also ordered the creation of a large standing army in case of the return of Lordaeron. This army would patrol the lands of Gilneas for thirty years peacefully until the return of Lordaeron in the War of Silverpine.