Saltstone Plot
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The Saltstone Plot, or sometimes called the Saltstone Affair, was a plot originally masterminded by Bryce, Viscount of Alamar to gain the Duchy of Courland from the House of Staunton in the midst of the Eighteen Years' War. The plot ended with the infamous Vimmark-Sola duel, where Bryce's thirdborn son Rendon Vimmark slew Philip, Duke of Istria and Philip Augustus, Count of Laria in single combat and the entire execution of the House of Vimmark (save Bryce's final son, Maric) by order of John I, Holy Orenian Emperor.
Prelude
Following Emperor John's accession to the Imperial Throne, one of his foremost and most famous actions was the elevation of Percival Staunton as Duke of Courland. This followed with backlash from many of the established nobility, including John's own cousin: Bryce Vimmark. Bryce had been one of John's earliest supporters, and though not taking direct part in the Horen Restoration, he was crucial in delivering the fortress of Saltstone into Imperial custody. Bryce was elevated to the status of Viscount to appease him, and a marriage was coordinated by John I and his meddling wife, Adelheid of Istria between Bryce and Percival's daughter Lady Cassandra Staunton. Other opponents to Percival's elevation included the newly installed Otto II of Carnatia and former Adrian nobility, including the House of Vanir (who once ruled as Dukes of Courland before their banishment by King Olivier of Oren).
Bryce felt cheated of what he perceived that was rightfully his, and conspired to remove Percival from the ducal coronet in place of himself. For this ambition, tensions grew between his family and the Imperial-supremacist de Sola clan, other favorites of the Emperor which saw Vimmark's ploy as a mere power grab during the political instability of the Eighteen Years' War. More importantly, the two eldest sons of Bryce (Rendon and Eamon) grew an intense rivalry with two young scions of House de Sola, Philip de Sola and Philip Augustus de Capua.
Northern Question
- Main article: Northern question
The budding of Vimmark's plot came with the Empire's early issue on the status of the northern states during the beginning of Emperor John's reign. During that time, the Orenian 'north' was controlled under three different factions: the Duchy of Carnatia under Otto II, the Duchy of Courland under Percival I, and lastly the Viscounty of Alamar under Bryce; each which vied for domination.
