The Age of Arthas Whitehall

House Whitehall had ever been the antithesis of House Blackreyne and it's rulers were no exception. While the Blackreynes had Dalton, the Whitehalls had Arthas. The Chancellors that reigned during the Century of Blood expanded and established a foothold in the region. Of these men, a more devious one was never born like Arthas Whitehall. Born 35 years before Aegon's conquest, the Prophet who blessed him as an infant declared that he was destined for true greatness since he was born a fifth son which to the Eridonians was a sign of good luck given that the number 5 was to them what 7 is to the Andals and 3 to the Arnorians.

As charming as he was ambitious, Arthas was considered beautiful with a blade in his hand which led to him becoming a squire at 8. Determined and eager to earn his knighthood, Arthas decided to embark on a quest and braved the Valyrian Penninsula when he was just fourteen. A task many considered either foolish and suicidal since men ten years his senior have been known to venture there and not leave alive.

During his time there he slew a number of stonemen until he found what he sought, a Fyrewyrm. Chasing the beast for weeks, Arthas managed to slay the creature by ambushing it as it was coming out of the ground and landing on his head. Fyrewyrm tried to throw him off but Arthas used his dagger to keep himself latched to it long enough for him to drive his sword into its soft spot.

With the slaying of the Fyrewyrm, Arthas returned to Alvion in triumph. Such a feat earned him a knighthood and just a year later was named a Paladin making him the youngest Paladin in history. As a Whitehall, Arthas naturally received the usual political education and proved to be a prodigy at it, being reserved, sagacious and concise in his replies. His charm, paladin status and his position as a fifth son greatly increased his popularity among the young nobles.

But being the fifth son meant he was considered unlikely to become chancellor so Arthas made it a point to live life to the fullest. Arthas was deeply involved in feasting, hunting, competing in every tourney possible and especially fornication. Arthas quickly gained a reputation as a notorious womanizer bedding any comely women he set his eyes on. Due to his popularity, he never lacked for willing women. Still, he considered himself a devout man and knew a certain image was expected of him so he was a consummate attendant at prayers. In an attempt to quell his 'desires', Arthas' father Horvath arranged a marriage for him in Duchess Marella Neandus. Arthas begrudgingly accepted if only for the fact that she was fair enough to look upon. Marella, on the other hand, was elated by the idea of marrying a prince she had a crush on for years.

Still, as he grew older his ambitions grew with him and sought to elevate himself so he turned his eye to intelligence. In a world where scheming and plots were the norms, all the nobles had their own spymasters and the more powerful the family, the greater the spy ring. Naturally, House Whitehall had the largest network of spies among the nobility, but it was minuscule compared to the one of the Conclave.

The Conclave didn't solely rely on the people's 'piety' to keep them in line. They also controlled an enormous, intricate spy network that kept the disciples constantly informed of the doings of the Nobles as well as the commoners. They often acted as the eyes and ears and on occasion, the 'fangs' of their power. They had spies, agents that spied on those spies, assassins, enforcers as well as countless contacts and allies. This elusive entity was known as the Inquisition and became the most feared organization in the Sovereignty. The Conclave's influence allowed them to put together a spy ring larger than the rest of Eridon combined. Thanks to this spy network the Conclave's power was able to rival that of even House Whitehall.

But Arthas intended to change that, he intended to remould his family's web of spies to suit his own purposes. As it happened, one of his mistresses, a young woman named Hilde worked for the Whitehall spymasters. Though she initially had been made to spy on him she ended up falling under his spell and soon became his spy. Though the affection was mutual they both understood that they could not go any further due to her low status as a Count's daughter.

Arthas 'arranged' for the current spymaster's 'early retirement' and once Hilde got Arthas acquainted with her associates, he quickly assumed control of the late Spymasters network. Under Prince Arthas, House Whitehall's Spy network was reworked into an order smaller than the one run by the Conclave but more efficient. To ensure thing were done his way, Arthas had a tendency to micromanage most of the operations that formed this intricate system. He slowly began influencing the spies of his fellow nobles and many defected to his house in droves. Once he felt that everything was in place, Arthas decided that this organization needed a name and thus was born 'Insight,' for as Arthas often said, "Knowing is Owning."

Insight like the Inquisition was well-funded, well-connected and well-organized and their influence was everywhere residing in every Noble household. Though much smaller than the Inquisition, Insight makes up for its lack of quantity for quality. An Insight agent was often better trained and were much more versatile. While the Inquisition operated mainly externally in the colonies, Insight focused its attention close to home. The secret to their success was a unique type of currency Arthas discovered he could trade with. One was secrets, he realized that for the right price he could sell these or keep them hidden depending on how useful the client was. The other was favours which could be carried out again for the right price. With these new tactics, Arthas began to accumulate a vast fortune and soon became ever rich powerful soon becoming the wealthiest man in Alvion. He even expanded his service to include assassinations, theft and other 'jobs'. Enforcers that were loyal only to House Whitehall.

Naturally, the Insight caught the attention of the Inquisition and the Conclave, but due to its small size the disciples disregarded it as a threat and they were supremely confident they would deal with it should it ever become a threat. That being said, the Conclave and the Whitehalls had a mutual understanding. While The Conclave had no problem persecuting the Nobility when they broke the Sacred Laws. They tended to look the other way when it came to House Whitehall. Thanks in no small part to The Whitehall's status and cooperation stemmed from bribery, favours and corrupt officials. While they usually tried not to interfere with each other's affairs though they did work to maintain a level of influence over each other.

In spite of all of this Arthas did not lose sight on one of his most important roles as a Whitehall. Making sure the Bloodline and by extension the legacy of his family was secure, but one thing was in the way. Not long after his 25th nameday Horvath Whitehall died from the sweating sickness. leaving his Son and Heir Lir to ascend the throne. It was around this Time that Arthas decided to deal with a troubling matter, his marriage. Despite their ten years together Marella had failed to produce a single child. A fact that frustrated Arthas to no end and soured the couple's relationship. "My vife is as barren as ze Red Vaste," he often complained to his companions. Patience had never been his virtue and after a fruitless decade, it was safe to say that he had none left for his wife. Knowing he could not annul the marriage Arthas conspired with Hilde to get rid of Marella. Insight had access to a great variety of poisons and half of them could look like a simple illness.

Once he found the poison that would suit his purpose, Athas wasted no time putting his plot into motion. He had the cook slip it into her meal as they broke fast, then all he had to do was wait. The poison was slow burning so it took a whole day to take effect. Beginning only with a mild fever that that night before evolving into sweating sickness the following morning. Arthas made a great show of doing all he could to cure her but as Hilde assured him, nothing would help, it could, however, be stalled. Marella managed to hold on for a week before she finally succumbed. Arthas' talent as a masquer was able to snuff out almost all suspicion, and those who still did were often ignored. He held a grand funeral for her befitting a queen and paid her family generously, taking in their young sons as personal squires.

In Search of a new wife, Arthas travelled to the Viceroyalties expecting to find a suitable match. Instead, he met a mysterious woman named Jaena. Blunt, beautiful and often wearing robes that left nothing to the imagination of her curvaceous figure. It didn't take her long for him to fall under her spell. When Arthas saw her, he desired her, especially after she promised him sons. So he gave her his seed and offered his soul as a bonus. He brought her back to Eridon proclaiming her as a Noble with the blood of Old Valyria. Though many disapproved of this match the prestigiousness of Valyrian blood was not lost to the Eridoninans.

Little did Arthas know that Jaena was red priestess she worshipped a different god and Arthas began to follow it as well His usual sacrifices and offering were given to R'hllor under the guise of tribute to Solarius. Not long after Jaena fulfilled her promise and gave Arthas the son he had craved for 12 years as well as a twin girl. Arthas was the most influential man in Eridon and now he belonged to Jaena. Jaena continued to please Arthas with more children 3 sons and 5 daughters. With his own line now secure Arthas could now focus all his attention on the political stage.

Despite being the fifth in line, events occurred that pulled him closer to the throne. Jealous of their brother's success, the other four sought glory of their own with tragic results. Two of his elder brothers died in Valyria, Othmar died slaying a Firewyrm and the other, Leaon had caught Greyscale and succumbed before he could make it home. The remaining two Lir and Aiden achieved greater success, this left his eldest brother Lir, Aiden and 9 nephews by his older brothers in between him and the throne.

Lir was a well educated, being a competent politician and a modest knight but was found to be mild-mannered, overly cautious and lacked his younger brother's silver tongue. Many even believed that he was under the thumb of his wife. This led many to question Lir's ability to rule, and chief among them was Arthas. Lir's timidness would first be challenged by an underground movement known as the Children of the Harpy.

Years of degradation and humiliation of the Ghiscari led to deep resentment and 75 years after the doom of Valyria, a rebel movement known as the Children of the Harpy rose up in the city of Yunkai killing knights and nobles alike. Lir first tried diplomacy, but his order for the insurgents to disperse was unheeded. He sent his brother Aiden to deal with the situation but despite his efforts, more nobles were killed including some sons from prominent families. Aiden was killed a year later which angered Arthas. Though Arthas was never close to most of his brothers Aiden was the sole exception. Aiden's death coupled with the insurgency spreading throughout Slaver's Bay caused Lir to lose many of his political supporters and councillors. Frustrated with his own failure, Lir decided to take matters into his own hands and led a force to Ghis. But while on the march, he collapsed and died from consumption.

The death of Lir pulled Arthas closer to the throne but he still had one more obstacle. The sons of his dead brothers including Lir's eldest son and heir to Eridon, Kludd. These Nephews had mothers who were connected to powerful houses but Arthas' circle of friends included men who came from powerful families as well, including the ones connected to his nephews. Mainly being uncles and brothers who wanted to gain an upper hand against their kin. Nobles who had turned against Lir especially were flocking to his side. Arthas' opponents in court accused Jaena or orchestrating the deaths of Arthas' brothers declaring her a witch. Arthas did nothing but take a memory of the names of the individuals.

The conspirators led by Arthas plotted to seize power from Kludd and neutralize the claims of the rest of his nephews. They gradually put their own people in the right places to ensure all contingencies were covered from servants to guards within Eridon Castle. Infighting amongst the families was not uncommon, in fact, it was encouraged. In order to ensure that their sons were sharp, fathers often pressed brothers into cheating each other. This ensured that when their time to come to court arrived, they were capable of facing the competition. Finally 20 years before Aegon's conquest, the night before Kludd's coronation, the conspirators made their move. Arthas' men stormed the royal apartments seizing the nephews and their mothers and forcing them to abdicate their place in the line of succession. Being young with few supporters and fearing for their mother's and sister's lives the nephews consented to their powerful Uncle.

Kludd and his cousins were locked away in Eridon Castle alongside their mothers. Though they lived in comfortable chambers and were well provided for, they were prisoners in all but name. They were rarely seen and had little contact with anyone save for their immediate families. But Arthas had plans for them. He wanted to extend House Whitehall's influence throughout their empire and so when they came of age they were sent to the various colonies as wards for the Viceroys who would then pair them with their daughters. To ensure their compliance the mothers remained in the heartland. Their sisters were married off to Arthas' most loyal supporters. Hilde was named the new spymaster under the moniker of 'The Illusive Man' To hide her true gender and to give off the Impression that Arthas was the true spymaster.

Many may have questioned Arthas for this decision but Arthas knew that if they wanted to usurp him this would make it difficult. By putting them in the colonies they would be isolated from home and unable to garner the support they would need. In addition, the various viceroys were rivals with each other and were too ambitious to join forces against him. Plus with his own supporters within these families and the number of secrets he had on their lords made the probability of a threat less likely.

As Chancellor he was as cruel and unsympathetic as his predecessors, Arthas had a political savyness that surpassed even Hammond Whitehall. Not only was he a talented orator but also a patron of the arts and promoted scholars. He had an army of lawyers at court to help advise him and to keep enemies in check. With his position as chancellor undisputed, the young Arthas decided to begin his reign with something personal and he knew exactly where to start. He distributed the names of those that dared to spew blasphemy against his wife among Insight. They were excommunicated by the Conclave and money confiscated to the Whitehall treasury.

The Children of the Harpy had dared to mock the dominance of the Whitehalls. Now Arthas was going to teach them the true price of such arrogant defiance. The moment Arthas arrived in Ghis, he put his plan into action. First, they moved all of their nobles and gentry to the safety of the pyramids while removing those of lower class. Then they blocked all the sewer entrances save for one for which they used to divert the nearby rivers into, flooding them. Thanks to their roles as dung collectors and sewer cleaners, The Children of the Harpy had a vast knowledge of the tunnels beneath the cities. Now the very tunnels that had served them so well were now being used against them. The water found their way to every crack and crevice. This forced the children to the surface but Arthas let the flooding continue. Soon the water had made it's way to the surface rising higher and higher slowly driving the insurgents from their innumerable hiding places, for fear of drowning. But there atop the tallest structures were scores of crossbowmen ready to take them out.

A quarter of a million Children of the Harpy were slaughtered in the purge of Slaver Bay but many claims that they were the lucky ones for the fate that awaited their people was even more terrible. To ensure the Whitehalls never knew such treason again, Arthas then rounded up every adult male of Ghiscari decent and banished them all to the Shadowlands. Then he orchestrated 'The Ghizky Hunt' offering knighthood to any man that slew 100 Ghiscari bringing their scalps as proof of the deed. Their women were sent to breeding camps and the children were sent to become a new batch of Martyrans and breeders. Exactly the fate suffered by the Jogos Nhai many millennia ago.

With Slaver's bay cleansed of rebellion, Arthas then turned to expansion and he started with the Bone Mountain War. Weary of the regulations placed upon them by Hyrkoon. Arthas decided to make an end to it so that his soldiers and trade could move across his kingdom freely. He first sent ambassadors to The Patrimony of Hyrkoon. Offering to buy their southernmost city Bayashabhad for a fair price. The Patrimony refused, firmly believing that their fortress cities would be able to withstand the might of Alvion. So Arthas laid siege to Bayashabhad. If he could not have it peacefully then he would seize it by force.

The Fortifications of Bayashabhad allowed the city to withstand the assault from Arthas' siege engines. But this was all part of the plan. While Arthas assaulted the front, he sent a group of pilgrim knights to enter the city through the privy pipes. Under Nightfall the pilgrims scaled the slimy toilet drains. and made their way to a side entrance to the killed the guards patrolling the gatehouse and gave the signal indicating that they had secured the gate. Upon seeing that his men had succeeded, Arthas sent his army in. The Eridonians poured into the city killing any who resisted.

When word of the siege of Bayashabhad reached the Patrimony. They put together an army to relieve the city. But despite going to extreme measures to reach the city quickly their efforts were in vain as they arrived too late. The battlements of Bayashabhad were lined with the banners of the white pegasus. Unable to content their exhausted forces against the might of Alvion the Patriarchs did the only thing they could do and escorted Bayashabhad's refugees to the remaining settlements. As the Hyrkoonians left they watched a sea of Eridonian peasants swarm the city that had been theirs since the beginning.

For the next ten years, Hyrkoon and Alvion fought for control over the same city sometimes Hyrkoon was able to reclaim it and sometimes Alvion remained in control through the latter was more often than the former. Hyrkoon had a deadly fighting force, but they were badly outnumbered and well past their prime. Eventually, Hyrkoons forces were exhausted and the Patrimony of Hyrkoon was forced to capitulate and surrender the city to Arthas. As a token of the new peace, Arthas then restored the ruined city Vaes Jini/Yinishar and gave it to the Patrimony of Hyrkoon. The Neighbouring city of Adakhakileki was also restored before being added to the Sovereignty.

With nothing separating Alvion from its colonies, trade and troops were finally able to move past the bone Mountains with ease and more effectively than ever. Now with an unhindered army Arthas not set his sights east to the one remaining province that stood along and not allied to House Blackreyne. The Free City-State of Volantis. Surrounded and alone it didn't take Long for Valyria's First Daughter to fall. After Arthas conquered Volantis, he made Volantis the Regional capitol before marching on the cities of Selhorys and Mantarys and restoring the ruins of Sar Mell.

But Arthas was far from sated by taking Volantis and next set his sights south to the lands of the Long Summer. In a bold and dangerous campaign, Arthas marched into the forsaken lands in what became known as the Fall of Doom. First Arthas took over the ruins of Oros and after repairing the city, used it as a power base for the rest of his campaign. He spent a decade cleansing the accursed land of stone men and later used captured sorcerors to make the Sea of Sighs drinkable as his Grandfather had done with the Poison sea near the bone mountains. As usual, this was done through unknown magic the same one that made the bodies of water in Alvion drinkable. The remaining stonemen were driven to the islands to the south isolating them from the Mainland. He led thousands of squires in a Great Hunt of any Firewyrms remaining in the region and hundreds earned their knighthood during the Fall of Doom. The remaining Firewyrms were driven to the islands of the Valyrian Penninsula were they were allowed to thrive and remain as a challenge to future squires.

The Dothraki Reckoning

With the conquest of the Lands of the Long Summer, Arthas had reached the Apex of his power and after decades of campaigning felt ready to rest and rule his expanded domain. Arthas understood better than most Eridonians the nature of Alvion's empire. Only three things prevented it from being crushed under the weight of its own vastness. The first was spies. Both Insight and the Inquisition kept their superiors well informed of the goings on in the Sovereignty allowing them to stay steps ahead of everyone else. The second was its army. As the only power in the region not affiliated with either the Dothraki or the Triumvirate with a proper army, it was able to keep its colonies in line with relative ease. This, in turn, led to the final pillar holding the Sovereignty together, The Dothraki.

Since The Fall of Valyria, the Dothraki had become the most feared raiders in Essos bringing down mighty civilizations like the Qaathi and the Sarnori whittling them both down to a single city each. Since Eridon was the only ones in the area with an army that meant they were the only ones beside the Triumvirate that could provide any form of protection from the Dothraki. Due to its close proximity, it was no surprise that the Eridonians would end up clashing with the Dothraki. Though they had skirmishes in the past the clashes now would be considerably more bloody and frequent.

The Dothraki while scorning the Eridonians use of armour nevertheless respected their knight's skill on horseback with rivalled their own. After nearly wiping out other great powers with relative ease, the significant presence of the Eridonians was seen as a new challenge. A Challenge the Dorthraki were more than happy to except. Yet even as the Horselords of the Plains made their moves on their supposed victims, Arthas observed and studied these people closely and gradually drew up his plans against them. While skirmishes between the two were nothing new, this would be the first time the two races to engage in a full-scale conflict.

The Dothraki began their war with against the Whitehalls with a series of lightning raids on each of the colonial settlements. While the Inner cities were able to withstand an attack from Dothraki, the poorly protected outer cities were not so lucky and most were torched and sacked multiple times.

Much to the chagrin of the Viceroys, Arthas forced them to grant the commoners asylum within the walls of the inner cities. The Nobles didn't enjoy the idea of having to share their fine space with the filthy rabble but Arthas was adamant telling them. "Ve have not gone zrough all zis trouble breeding zese damn urchins for us to lose zis investment vith impunity."

The first two years of the conflict went well for the Whitehalls. The Dothraki often tried to press their initial advantage by attacking the Inner cities. But the inner cities proved to be tougher nuts to crack and the Dothraki ended up getting caught between the walls of the Inner cities and the arrival of the Eridonian Knights.

When it came to mastery over their mounts, the Dothraki had no equal. But at the end of the day, they were still light cavalry which in a head-on fight rarely survives engaging heavy horse. The Eridonian Knights smashed through the Dothraki screamers like they were made of straw. The Dothraki whips and curved arahks glancing harmlessly off the heavy armour worn by the knights and their mounts. The lances and blades of the knights had no trouble finding their marks in their unarmoured foes. After enjoying a winning streak Arthas decided to go on the offensive and attacked Vaes Dothrak while the Khalasars were out raiding.

With no walls, little warning and few defenders, the 'capital' of the Horselords was trampled under the thundering hooves of Arthas' knights. They 'liberated' every slave they found and brought them to the major cities. Then afterwards they scorched the surrounding land for 100 miles in every direction. The attack left over 100,000 people slain beneath them as well as every tent and most of the Dosh Kaleen. Thousands of women and children were taken to Alvion to be re-educated. This victory proved to be the highpoint of Arthas's success in the Great Plains War as well as a turning point.

The scorching of Vaes Dothrak angered the Horselords and for the first time since Khal Horro, decided to unite under a Great Khal. A dozen khals fought for the right and when the final bloody arakh was lowered a Khal named Viggo emerged the victor. Viggo was far from the strongest Khal, but he had a high cunning that allowed him to out-think his opponents. His line seemed secure in the lives of his 40 sons, all fearsome warriors in their own right.

Viggo quickly realized the futility of facing Eridonians head on so he decided to use their two advantages over the Eridonians. One was mobility, being light cavalry meant they could gallop longer, faster and farther than the heavy horse of the Eridonians. So instead of full-blown attacks, Viggo opted for lighting strikes, attacking the outer cities and riding off before a counter-attack could be launched. When knight battalions were sent after them, they were set upon in the dead of night while they were resting with scores of hit and run attacks. Here the Dothraki made full use of their horse archers.

The other key advantage the Dothraki had was numbers. Viggo's khalasar numbered 100,000 warriors strong. Though the Whitehalls outnumbered them, their mounted forces were spread thin across their vast empire protecting their settlements. As a result, each city could only draw from about 2,000 to 3,000 Pilgrim knights at best. With the 4 regional capitals being defended by 5,000 Paladin Knights

However Arthas took note of the Dothraki's disdain for foot soldiers and after gaining the Prophet's blessing, Arthas unleashed the Martyrans. When first encountering the mad servants of the Conclave, the Dothraki viewed them with complete disdain. "A man who does not ride is no man at all." The Dothraki wisdom often went. In this case, however, it was true but not in the way the Dothraki Intended. They had never faced anything like the Martyrans. The usual intimidation and tactics that had served them so well against so many other opponents proved worthless against the Martyrans. In Short, The Dothraki had no idea how to respond to such raw aggression.

The idea of men on foot running head-on into a cavalry charge was something so foreign to them that it defied comprehension. Slashing at their horse's legs with their wrist blades and even tackling them off their mounts. The Martyrans were absolutely fearless and didn't go down easy. These traits caused the Dothraki to call them demon spawn. The first two years belonged to the Whitehalls, but the next two were the Dothraki's time. With victories on both sides and the intervention of the Martyrans the war had become a bloody stalemate.

Little did the Whitehalls know that they were about to receive unexpected help from the most unlikely source. Their mortals enemy, House Blackreyne. The Blackreynes always kept a close watch on the allies in the Triumvirate and by proxy the other goings on in the east. Seeing the Whitehalls yanking the Dothraki's horsetails, House Blackreyne decided to take advantage of the Dothraki's war with the Whitehalls and led the triumvirate armies on a campaign which led to them conquering the lands west of the Sarnor river and giving then access to the city of Morosh, the last Bastion of the Sarnori People. They restored the city of Vaes Khadokh to act as a trading post. They also formed an alliance with the Ibbenese and together they conquered the Kingdom of the Ifequevron. The Ifequevron (Wood Walkers), distant cousins to the Children of the Forest fled the lands long ago for the safe havens of the North after being driven there by the Ibbenese. Now the Forested region belonged to the nation of Ib who rebuild the ruined cities of Vaes Leisi and Vaes Aresak to strengthen their hold. These new allies gave the Blackreynes access to the shivering sea access which would later morph to Dominance.

With the gaining of new territories, the Dothraki found themselves caught in a giant pincer With the triumvirate to the North and the Eridonians to the South. The tide of the war had shifted. Even more so when Dalton Blackreyne came riding in with the next generation of Blackreynes and renowned horse archers.

Eager to end the war Arthas decided to strike a deal with Dalton. Together they launched coordinated strikes against Viggo's khalasar whittling it down bit by bit. Until finally Arthas finally met Viggo and single-handedly killed the Great Khal along with his Bloodriders, kos and all 40 of his sons. With the Death of Khal Viggo, his sons and best warriors and leaders, his khalasar surrendered cutting off their braids and throwing them at the Feet of Arthas and his Paladins who then took the braids as trophies.

With the Dothraki defeated, Arthas and Dalton discussed what to do next. Funnily enough, neither of them wanted the Dothraki Sea. It was vast and neither wanted to spend the resources needed to pacify completely. The Blackreynes could but prefered to solidify their new holdings, While Arthas knew that taking the Dothraki Sea would spread their forces far too thin for comfort. Regardless, The Whitehalls swore to one day take the Dothraki Sea and subjugate the Dothraki once and for all. But for now, time would be needed to replenish themselves Housw Whitehall was victorious, but now they owed the Blackreynes a debt and honour demanded that all debts were paid. Little did they know that time would come sooner then they believed.