The Conflict of the North

Despite the The Kingdom of Arden having been around for nearly a full 1000 years, it has not always been a place of peace and prosperity. Its people have faced many hard times, be it through war, plague, religious upheaval and famine. One of the earliest and most defining periods in its vast history is known as the Conflict of the North.
Spanning over 50 years, this period of history is marked by the deaths of several King's, extensive civil unrest and a war between two of the Provinces of Arden. The results of the Conflict of the North have been far-reaching, shaping the very foundation of Arden and it's Royal bloodlines.

Background

To truly understand the root cause of the Conflict of the North, a brief knowledge of the Royal family from Arden's earliest days is needed. The first King of the realm, The Great Hero Arden, bared many children. Seeking to tie the Kingdom together, many of these were married to the various powerful families and Nobles of the land. Thus, different Houses we created from one.
Of those that took key roles in the Conflict of the North are the House of Stiel, House of Beaumont and most notably, the House of Warmour.
Another key bloodline was the original, the House of Arden, which follows the bloodline of the Great Hero's first son and the second King of Arden, Andreas the First.
The House of Warmour originated from the Province of Nelheim, but through political marriages, it had separated in to two main branches; Warmour of Nelheim and Warmour of the Valgard Highlands. The Warmour of Valgard had long-since been staunch allies of the House of Beaumont, and those of Nelheim had allegiance to the House of Stiel.
Before the Conflict of the North, Arden had seen a period of renewal under King Aelred, who had led the Kingdom out of The Provincial Rebellions and the Kingless Age. Upon his death, his firstborn son took the throne, King Holmberg, and continued building upon his predecessors work. King Holmberg ruled from 277 AF until 296 AF, where he was taken ill from his old age and passed on.
Both King Aelred and his son, King Holmberg, had been of the House of Warmour bloodline, and more specifically on the Nelheim side of the family. Their rule, although bringing prosperity to the land, had always been undermined by the Noble Houses of the Valgard Highlands, whom felt slighted that they were not put forth to rule first. With King Holmberg's passing, tension began to rise as an opportunity was seen by the jealous Nobles.

Rising Tensions

King Holmberg did have a direct heir, his son, and in 296 AF King Helvig was crowned. Older in years already, Helvig already had two sons, who would be next in line for the throne. King Helvig strived to reunite the Warmour House, but despite his efforts, those of the Valgard Highlands resisted.
In the year 300 AF, King Helvig was taken ill with a sudden and mysterious illness. Within weeks, the Monarch succumbed to his malady, with many in the Royal Court suspecting foul play.
Typically it is the first son of the King that inherits the crown, but certain situations and bloodlines may take precedence. This is what happened in the year 300 AF, as the next in line fell back in to the House of Arden and the young King Agnar. No more than a child, it is said that it was Agnar's mother, Lady Isolde, who pushed and persisted that the child should be King. She had made several powerful allies, including those within House Stiel, who helped her achieve this goal. And thus, the rule of Arden once again fell under the House of Arden itself, although this was to be for a short time only.

The Young King Betrayed

A trusted advisor to King Agnar would see to the Child-Kings end. With power struggles and political strife already underlining the boys reign, a plot was hatched by the House of Warmour, leading to one of the King's closest guardians turning on him and ending Agnar's life in the year 302 AF. Events were manipulated to appear as if a terrible accident had occurred, and suspicion was taken away from foul play. To this day, a common phrase in Arden remains; “Not only young King's should watch their backs on high walls”.

The Conflict Begins

With Agnar's passing and no direct heir, the dispute between who should rule Arden intensified. Claims to the throne were thrown in by anyone with a sliver of blood tied to the Great Hero Arden, but it was the firstborn son of King Helvig that seized power. King Hartig was crowned in 303 AF. However, it was not long before those of the House of Warmour on the Valgard side challenged the legitimacy of this claim. War was declared.
Years of strife and warfare followed, with Nelheim and the Valgard Highlands on either side of the conflict. King Hartig would not see his claim to the throne challenged, and the Kingdom's forces were dedicated to ending the perceived rebellion in the North. Despite an extensive military campaign, little is achieved against the Valgard Nobles. House Beaumont itself has a history of great military generals and power, and despite being outnumbered, they succeeded in keeping the war going on for decades. Not all in the realm backed King Hartig and his determination to assert his authority. Many members of the Royal Court used the turmoil for betrayal and to further their own influence, be it for or against the King.
Despite the challenges and hardships King Hartig faced during his reign, he is remembered as a resolute leader, steadfast in his goal to unify the Kingdom.

A Crisis of Succession

The year 325 AF is remembered as the Year of the Three Kings, although other darker titles are also common, such as the Year of Blades. Early in the year, a long, curved dagger found its way in to King Hartig's throat. Assassination. Despite no evidence of who arranged for the King's untimely death, all suspicions were clearly pointed at the Nobles of Valgard. As for the identity of the Assassin, records indicate that a Dark Elf was spotted very briefly by members of The Ivory Palace. It is suspected that this is one of the rare sightings of the infamous Dark Elf Assassin known simply as “The Nightshadow”.
In the aftermath of his brother's death, King Harold assumed the throne. Filled with rage and vengeance, the war escalated as more resources were directed to unseating the Nobles of Valgard that challenged the crown. But after only half a year, King Harold was also the victim of assassination, this time from a source unsuspected.
A distant branch of the Warmour bloodline was married to the House of Stutor three generations before, and it was this House that orchestrated the assassination and claimed the throne. King Elvard the First rose to power, promising an end to the conflict. It is perhaps this unknown claimant that finally brought about a ceasefire. With King Hartig and King Harold dead, and no sons to inherit the throne, all eyes turned to King Elvard and his legitimacy. House Warmour finally united with a common enemy crowned King. Before the year was finished, another assassination, and another King killed. King Elvard the First was killed on the last day of 325 AF, and with his death, the throne was once again open for any of the bloodlines to claim.

A Period of Calm

In the year 326 AF, a new King took the throne. A distant cousin to King Harold, this successor was found on the Valgard Highlands side of the Warmour family. With no direct heirs from the Year of the Three Kings, the Nobles of Valgard sought their chance to claim the throne for their side. It is still speculated to this day that the assassination of the previous Kings was all set up so that this single claimant could rise to power, and historians still disagree with the exact circumstances.
King Nylund took the throne and with it, a period of relative stability ensued. Initial scepticism came from the Nelheim branch of the House Warmour, but King Nylund soon proved himself a wise and decisive leader, with a pledge to restore stability and unity to the kingdom.
Despite this, war continues across the northern provinces, although much subdued. Varying factions and Houses hold on to grudges that stemmed from the year of strife the conflict had bought.
Alongside King Nylund, his brother, Ostergard, joined the Royal Court. Despite assisting his brother throughout the political turmoil, Ostergard harboured a deep resentment towards Nylund. The jealousy of his brothers ascension to the throne burnt deeply, and over the years, Ostergard began to conspire against his kin. Using the discourse still found in the Northern Provinces, Ostergard began to form a network of support and allies that would see him as ruler instead of his brother.
King Nylund faced many challenges during his reign, but is widely regarded as a fair and just ruler. With reform at the centre of his governance, he implemented a series of progressive policies that worked against poverty, promoted education and fostered an economic growth across the realm. At the birth of his nephew, Lundis, there was great rejoice, and the King took particular interest in the child and his teachings. It was not uncommon for the young Lundis to accompany the King everywhere, and everyone was won over by the child's curiosity and outspoken honesty.
Perhaps it was the almost fatherly relationship between King Nylund and Lundis that deepened Ostergard's jealousy, or maybe this was simply another notch to add to the list of deep-seated envy. In the year 345 AF, Ostergard's plan all came to fruition. As King Nylund was enjoying a moment of respite in the great bath of the Ivory Palace, a cloaked figure crept in and drowned the royal. Official records of the time have it that the King's advanced age failed him when trying to exit the pool, resulting in a tragic accident.
Again, a King of Arden had met his untimely demise at the hands of political intrigue. Even so, King Nylund is seldom remembered for the tragedy of his death, but instead as a reformer and visionary leader; a beacon of hope against the tumultuous waves of a kingdom beset by political storms.

Ostergard, the Cruel King

With the death of his brother, King Ostergard was formally crowned in 345 AF. Tensions in the north of the kingdom instantly reignited with his rule, and war and strife began again. King Ostergard's reign was one marked with oppression and conflict, with open war declared against the Nobles of Nelheim and those of House Warmour who would not back the King. Harsh policies were enacted, with all of the good that the previous King Nylund had achieved being threatened. A dark time took the kingdom of Arden at once, governed by the tyrannical rule of King Ostergard. As testament to his reign, the King is often remembered as King Ostergard the Cruel.
For 12 long years, the War in the North continued. Resources and men were carelessly sacrificed to the growing conflict, with King Ostergard having little patience for the mewling needs of his people. Widespread unrest among the populace took root throughout Arden, and the people soon demanded the King answered for his crimes.
It is in the year 357 AF that the tension across Arden finally reached a point of breaking. Open revolt against the Crown soon found its way in to the streets of the Capitol itself, Ardenholt. Armed with only crude weapons and torches, the citizens of the country stormed the Ivory Palace. It is said that even the guards who had sworn allegiance to the King, joined in the revolt. The tyrant King was dragged from his chambers and through the streets, and soon faced a trial heavily stacked against him. Within days, the King was found guilty and executed, his body hung in King Aelred's Square for all to see.

Peace Returns

With the end of King Ostergard, so did the end of the Conflict of the North come to pass. By both rights of succession and popular demand, it was the young Lundis that took the throne. King Lundis was officially crowned in the year 358 AF.
With his compassion and integrity, backed by the support of his people, peace amongst the Northern Provinces came swiftly. All recognised Lundis for his fair rule of the land, a devotion to justice underlining all that he governed by. Chiefly amongst the new King's concerns was who would rule after him, and it is in this time that official rulings for inheritance of the throne were written.
King Lundis never had any children, although it is not quite clear why. His reign ended in the year 392 AF, due to natural causes. With careful consideration and planning, the King had ensured the throne would pass on to the correct person, and soon after his death, King Atherol of House Arden was crowned.

Start Date

303 AF

Ending Date

357 AF