Treaty of the Ride

The Treaty of the Ride, or the Triple Treaty, was a pact signed between the forces of Zhentil Keep and the sister cities of Phlan and Melvaunt in the. The treaty officially brought an end to the four years of battle between the two opposing sides and created the so-called Triple Alliance between them instead.

History
In the, Phlanite raiders attacked Zhentilar forces, giving the Zhents cause to act in defense of their borders. Thus, at the beginning of spring and directly after the thawing of the Moonsea, Zhentil Keep launched a surprise attack on the nearby city of Phlan. In the course of the attack, they set the city aflame with fiery arrows and then rushed to take the Stojanow Gate and Valjevo Castle while the citizens were distracted trying to put out the fires in the city.

The sister city of Phlan, Melvaunt, heard of the attack and was quick to send its navy of warships along the coast to retake Phlan from Zhentilar control. After a short battle on Thorn Island, the Zhent flotilla retreated back to Zhentil Keep and Phlan was liberated.

Following this conflict was a four-year campaign of battles between the two opposing sides. Over those four years though, the Zhent forces were proving to have the upper hand. In 906 DR, the Zhents won several decisive victories in the Grass Sea east of the Quivering Forest. Zhentil Keep might have continued the campaign until they retook Phlan, but around the same time the Zhent forces in the south suffered a heavy setback with the defeat of the drow in the Ashaba Valley and the establishment of the outpost of Shadowdale by Cormyr. This led to the Zhents drafting a peace treaty, albeit one that worked highly in their favor. Though the Zhents had overreached, the Phlanites and Melvauntians were too war-weary and weakened to deny them.

The peace treaty was signed in the foothills of the Dragonspine Mountains, at the mouth of the Stojanow River. A delegation of barbarians from the Ride witnessed the signing, though it was suspected that they were coerced into being present by the Zhentarim.

When in the, the Zhents at the Citadel of the Raven barred the passage of the ogres of Thar, the ogres headed east instead and overran Phlan, though the Zhentilar tried to relieve the city. Yet Melvaunt ignored the terms of the Triple Treaty and declined to send its own troops to aid in the defense.

The Treaty of the Ride remained in place even after the partial destruction of Zhentil Keep in the.

Terms
The Treaty saw a major increase in Zhentil Keep's presence and influence in the city of Phlan. Zhentilar troops were permitted into the city and while Phlan remained an independent city state politically, it lost a great deal of the freedom it once enjoyed. This remained the state until, when the city was once again attacked and ultimately conquered by the forces of Zhentil Keep.