History of Newia

After the brief independence war, Aelfwyn is crowned the first monarch of Newia at the age of 32. She reigns for 52 years, dying aged 84, and leaves behind a stable and secure nation. She is succeeded by her eldest daughter, Turgiua of Polcarden.

Polcarden was a wizard's tower in the far west of Newia, at the very tip of Weston. Worried she was unable to conceive, Aelfwyn sought the help of the magic users who lived there and Turgiua was born 9 months later. She succeeded her mother aged 37 years, but reigned for only 5 years. Mistrust over her origins led to her taking her own life in favour of her son. Legend states that the Newian Monarchy has magical origins because of this, often played up for advantage but both supporters and detractors.

After being crowned aged 29 years, Ceolwynn reigned for 45 years, dying aged 74 and succeeded by her eldest son, Pilheard. The only event of note during her reign was the centennial celebrations of Newian independence, during which the Kingdom of Orbach formally renounced their claim to the lands of Newia.

Dudemaer's epithet of the 'Barber', is thought to be a deliberate, later corruption of 'Butcher' to make his reign sound less bloodthirsty. After his fathers death at the hands of goblins, Dudemaer spent most of his reign leading crusades into Newia's less settled regions in an attempt to wipe out the monsters that he claimed 'plagued the land'. Goblins, lizardfolk, beast people; no group was safe from his actions. He died aged 58, after a 31 year reign, when his endless campaigning roused the attention of the white dragon, Chiovneith. Convinced of his own superiority over non-humans, Dudemaer died in a foolhardy attempt to defeat Chiovneith single-handedly. The final fate of the dragon is not recorded, and it is assumed to have been killed soon after, or left for better pickings elsewhere.

Wigred was crowned aged 27 and reigned for 64 years, dying age 64 and succeeded by his eldest daughter Baldehuia. He earned the epithet 'the disfigured' as during the sixth year of his reign, the necromancer Tyrwund unleashed his Great Plague. Wigred survived the disease, unlike many, but was forever scarred.

Alfild was born during the year of the Great Plague and it is this that is commonly blamed for her evils. She had her older sister usurped and executed, taking the throne herself aged 37 under the pretext that Baldehuia had been corrupted by the plague and rendered infertile. Her short reign was marked by an attempt to ban the worship of all other gods but Talona, the goddess of disease and poison, using cult members she had seeded throughout the land in the years leading up to her taking the throne. Her uncle, Wilgisl, led a rebellion against her reign and the four year civil war ended with Alfild being beheaded by Wilgisl himself, who took the throne.

Born prior to the heresy of Alfild and his father's rebellion and taking of the throne, Eadfrith had been sent as a child to Kaptur, the capital of Orbach to study as a wizard, as was reasonably common for nobles outside of a direct line of inheritance. He returned after the rebellion was over, and his father was king, as his elder brother had been killed in the fighting, making Eadfrith the heir. He continued his studied until the death of his father and was crowned aged 58 and reigned for 15 years, finally abdicating to resume his studies aged 73. His eldest child and son, Eanlac succeeded him.

Crowned at the relatively later age of 59, Baldehuia reigned for 21 years, dying age 80. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter, Arild.

Cuthfrith The Strong, so named after he personally beat a bugbear chieftain in a wrestling match to end the bugbear's tribe's constant raiding, was crowned at age 50, and reigned for 39 years, finally dying aged 89. He was succeeded by his son, Wulfferd

The current monarch of Newia, Hringwynn has been ruling for 34 years, since her coronation at age 49. She oversaw the final construction of Guilbury and established the laws that keep it as an overwhelmingly Duland town, much to the disgruntlement of Newia's non-human citizens. She has two children, and her eldest, a daughter named Aethelhun, is ready to take over from her aging mother.