House Schwert
The noble house, and rulers of Drakenvald.
Founded officially in 165 AC, but can trace back their lineage to the consumption, the Schwert family has been diligent and absolute in its duties to the people and nobility of the realm. The family motto "Blood Runs Deep," symbolizes not only the affinity for family and the neccesities of the few to band together, but also as a warning for any who poses a threat to the royal family itself.
Assets
History
Kevin Schwert
~-20BC-33AC
Old oaths to protect the realm, forgotten in an instant. Nobility and law gave way to absolute chaos. All things of the modern world were forgotten in an instant. The world itself does not know if it shall ever recover. But the world itself takes time to heal, so instead we turn our gaze to what is the most influential family of Drakenvald , ever to set foot within the endless hills.
As were all stories of the consumption, the Schwert line only gained its start as far back as the consumption itself. Though Schwert did not remember everything about his family, he believed it so that he had a father, or brothers that fought against the Kainga, and perished doing so. He only found his name embroidered in cheap thread on the linen cloth he wore after awakening from the consumption.
Slowly starting to succumb to starvation after his first day of travel, Schwert managed to come across a group of High Elves making their way from the Stones Root Forest to the ancestral home of the elves within The Great Forests of Vitium. There, he found companionship, and was taught basic strategies and tips to survive from the land itself. With nowhere else to go, and having rarely seen humans during his travels, Kevin accompanied them, finding himself to be capable of performing the day to day needs for his newfound companions.
Moving throughout the countryside, the troop began their exodus towards the east, unknowingly making their way towards several tribes of gnolls that were ravaging the countryside, burning buildings and cities as old as any could truely remember, into rubble. The troop needed to move through this wild east of rolling foothills to get back home, and so they braved the dangerous path before them.
Needless to say, their plans did not bode well, when they came upon a newly razed and burned village. Their supply of water running low required them to enter the town, looking for a well, or something still left standing within the inn. Though the troupe of elves ranged in the 10s to 20s in number, the only three survivors of the ambush within the town were Kevin Schwert, his friend Teralon Ashcusp, and a badly wounded Quelboughn Wren.
Captured by the tribe of gnolls, now known today as the "Ergiex Flesh Stealers," from their rampant tyrades across the continent for ten years before their disbandment, the Ergiex were quickly known as slavers, and plied their trade mostly towards orcs, and strong armed bandits that crawled out of the woodwork quickly after the consumption. Quelboughn was separated from Kevin and Teralong after their capture, and Kevin never knew what happened to the wren family from that point onwards.
The pair ended up being sold to a group called the "Red Knife Killers," a bandit group operating out of the southernmost point of the Mioiarann Mountains. Half of the compound was based within a naturally formed cave system, with the other half in a pseudo permanent settlement just outside the caves, with ten foot wooden walls enclosing the encampment. The RKK, as they came to be known were ruthless bandits throughout the countryside, gaining a large foothold over the surrounding area for over a weeks ride, and in some cases even into the mountains themselves attacking trade caravans to the still recovering dwarven kingdom. The RKK, though roughly established, was just shy of funding for a mercenary group, and ended up holding its own for nearly 80 years. It was with the RKK that Kevin spent all his life, finding comforts in a few women, while acting as an unpaid cobbler and leatherworker for the ever increasing ranks of bandits, growing of kobolds and dragonborn at the same rate as they were of orcs, trolls. and worst of all, humans.
The woman he spent the most time during his stay with the RKK as their servant was Aliana Bell. Though there was little to no love for this woman around the camp, it was well known she spent more time with the servants than the bandits. It was confirmed without a doubt that she died giving birth to Kevin's son, Horace. Kevin raised his son as long and as well as he could, but the lack of proper food, hard days, long nights, and terrible living conditions strained Kevin's body to collapse. At the age of 7, Horace became an orphan and was taken under the wing of Teralon, his Godfather.
Horace Schwert
26AC-73AC
Horace had little to no history written about him, due to his adoration and focus upon his life for banditry. Horace was known to be skilled with a blade, and rose out from the servants quarters in the RKK into becoming a full fledged member as an enforcer. Horace was known to be strong, brash, and coarse to speak with. According to Horace, he had 'left from under the pitiful shadow that was his father.' Horace was always corrected by Teralon for his ignorance on what his father had done for him, both as a child, and as a servant of the RKK. Teralon was always ignored by his godchild, and only wished for him to be a better man.
Because his life was filled with looting, pillaging, drinking, and other miscellaneous crimes, Horace Schwert led a boring repetitive life until he bore child from another streetwalker inside the encampment. Her name has also been lost to history, not surviving childbirth when she had her son, Eugene Schwert. Born without a left arm, he was considered useless and so Horace dismissed him as his child, leaving him to the wolves. Teralon, wishing to keep the Schwert family line alive, to give back to his friend Kevin, took Eugene under his wing, naming him, and caring for the child for the rest of his life.
Eugene Schwert
51AC-121AC
With a harsh early life due to his lack of limb, Eugene did everything he could to prove himself, and rise from the ranks of servitude. He took work as soon as he could to be a water bearer, moving water from nearby to the different areas in town to ensure proper supply. But most saw him as weak. Eugene practiced with a spear at every opporunity when not fulfilling his duties, and yet even more saw him as worthless. As this was the third generation of bandits for the RKK, the campsite more resembled a city than a bandit camp. The RKK had permanent structures outside of the cave, with a massive complex, sprawling deep beneath the surface created by the kobolds within them. The structures outside were made of wood, with an alehouse made of cut stone. A small creek was even moved to provide a source of water, and even the walls were chemically treated to prevent fire in case of a raid. Overall, the RKK was on the verge of becoming a mercenary group instead of a group of bandits, and everyone knew that this was only a matter of time.
Theralon during all this time had taken up the duties of Kevin Schwert, with leatherworking and Cobbling. Through every beating, and every misstep that Eugene experienced, Theralon had a lesson, and a promise for him. The two were close friends, and Theralon a wise old mentor to Eugene. Theralon always told stories of his grandfather, and wishes the two could have met, for he was sure Kevin would have been proud of at least this generation of his family.
Sometime after Eugenes 29th birthday, the RKK performed a major raid on a huge trade caravan, bringing a nearly unexaustive amount of gold and precious metals into the encampment. The RKK was poise to celebrate a good haul with a massive feast. All members of the RKK participated, and wine and ale were drowning as fast as the slaves could bring it to them. Eugene, nearly exausted by working for nearly a full day had garnered the attention by a pair of bandits, who decided to "teach him his place." They shoved him to the ground, smacked him, kicked him, and would have killed or left him a bloody mess if Theralon did not intervene when one of the bandits brought out a club.
The guards turned their attention to Theralon instead, knocking him down. That was when a great rage entered Eugene, and he picked up a nearby weapon and ran through one of the guards, causing the other to run off in fear. Eugene knew that if he did nothing, allowing himself to face the retribution for his actions, he would quickly be executed for standing up for his family friend. Eugene grabbed Teralon by his wrist and ran the both of them back to their hovel, gathering what they could cary, as well as Eugenes spear, and they both made for the exit.
On their way to leave this hellscape for the two of them, Eugene and Teralon met with great resistance from very liqoured members of the RKK. Eugene fought against them almost entirely by himself while protecting Teralon. One after another the members of the RKK approached the pair of them, and one after another fell by a few thrusts of Eugene's spear. Teralon compared the tenacity and rage of the one armed man to that of a wolverine. Fearless, and willing to die for his freedom as a result. Wearing little more than rags Eugene sustained a few injuries during the escape. But battered, bruised and nearly broken, Eugene encountered his father, Horace, blocking the gates, ready to strike down his own son to prove himself to the RKK. But even in Eugenes broken battered state, he was more than enough to defeat his own father, striking him down forever, with the two of them running off into the night.
Together Eugene and Teralon fled towards the east, towards the great forests of Vitium as Teralon and his own grandfather had in many years past. Traveling for two days, Eugene and Teralon found purchase, and safety with a group of missionaries of The Pondarac Pantheon , worshipers of Tutella. The clergy were also heading east, attempting to spread the word of the gods to the uneducated high elves of Gwilith and whoever else may be in their path. Not knowing life outside of the RKK, much more than the stories Teralon spoke of, Eugene learned of the non-worldly ways of the Ponderac, and took their teachings to heart.
Stopping at what used to be the old ruins of a town on the outskirts of the Great Forests of Vitium, was the home to a group of mercenaries called the "Grand Masons." Here, Eugene managed to find work, apprenticing as a mercenary, and said his goodbyes to Teralon. The elf needed to go north, to find what little family he may have left, but promised to visit Eugene after his nearly century old mission had completed. He informed Eugene he would travel to the country of Gwilith , and swore to return before Eugenes last breath at the latest.
Through the years, the Grand Masons were called to action, and time and time again, Eugene showed his prowess with a spear, his mastery of the battlefield, and his never compromising attitude towards his morals. He climbed through the ranks, became the Grand Master of the Grand Masons, becoming well known throughout The Endless Hills and Gwilith for his bravery, prowess, tennacity, and honor. He died peacefully, in his sleep surrounded by three wives and six children. Yet not before saying goodbye to his oldest friend, a very nearly late Teralon at the age of 73.
James Schwert
86AC-150AC
Firstborn son of Eugene, James was always looked too by his peers as a strongman. Born with both arms unlike his father, James also resembled more of his mothers side, Eugenes first wife Susaine. With her firey red hair and quick wit over quick action, James always had to have the last word in. But also just like Susaine, James couldn't learn to swing a sword to save his life. Instead, he took to focusing on using his fists throughout his training.
James was never smart to begin with, the majority of his intellect focused on witty jokes and comments. His strength training over his studies showed nearly remorseless joy to this effect. James was destined to move things from one place to the other, and he could not have been happier to have such a simple life ahead of him.
At the age of 18, James fell for a tavern wench, making her his wife and having her bear his son shortly afterwards. By the age of 25, he started developing his own style of punching things, calling it his "Single Strike" method, still practiced to this day after he retired at the age of 50 from the Grand Masons, to start his own dojo, down near the border of the Lefkó Lowlands and the Mushroom Forest. He left the dojo to his 2nd and 3rd oldest sons when he passed at the age of 64 protecting his training ground.
Bruce Schwert
104AC-151AC
The oldest son of James, Bruce was a more than capable fighter. He learned from his father the optimal ways of the fist, and from his grandfather, the ways of the spear and sword. Bruce was a stalwart tactician, and a monster on the battlefield. Everyone that knew him, recognized his intellect, especially on the field of battle. At the age of twelve, he was given a test by taking command of a platoon, and though it was a rough start leading them, by the age of 14 Bruce had gained extrodinary respect, leading alongside and infront of his platoon, calling them cowards if they failed to keep up with him on foot. Truely leading his soldiers into battle, those who remember Eugene and his fighting, could compare his capabilities and practices to him only as pure talent.
Bruce also quickly rose through the ranks of the Grand masons, and, at the time of Eugene's death, was second in command for the entirety of the Grand Masons, and the lead tactician. Though Bruce was not named the successor, most of those in the Grand Masons believed him to be next in line. Instead it was Bruces uncle, Sebastian Schwert, the youngest child of Eugene that was the next leader of the Grand Masons. Bruce wanted the leadership role for himself, and was willing to go the extra distance to ensure it belonged to him.
Bruce started enlisting those who he believed served the just in the world, and the known order of things as direct associates beneath him. Champion fighters who believed in the word of law. Thanks to Eugene, the faith of The Pondarac Pantheon had spread far and wide, but was quite verge of any sort of tipping point to a religious awakening within the Grand Masons. Eugene pushed the faith harder, and those that he gathered underneath him, law abiding mercenaries who wanted to "legitimize themselves in the name of the gods." Eugene promised them he could uphold this ideology when he became leader, and those who believed him found their own sub order within the Grand Masons. This was the founding of the Order of the Stone.
Nearly in his 40s after training and ensuring his victory when his uncle Sebastian passed left bruce with little to no time for a love life, but he married a foreign human woman from Lochgrain that was rescued by him and his direct associates on patrol towards the south. They had only two children, with Bruces determination getting the better of him for starting a large family.
This determination proved fruitful however, as when his uncle sebastian died in battle in 148AC, there was a huge conflict about who was going to become the new leader of the Grand Masons. With his support, Bruce managed to take the lead, and started to rally the surrounding countryside to pay taxes to the Masons, to ensure their protection and loyalty. Though Bruce was not truly royalty or nobility by name, those in the order of stone ensured that he was treated as such, most of them becoming his close guardsman, and rallying even more to the orders cause. The influence of the order of stone spreading long after Bruce's death after only being the leader of the Grand Masons for 3 years.
Eugene Schwert II
147AC-170AC
Named after his great grandfather out of respect, Eugene was more of a scholarly type than most of his family. He spent long hours in a library that the family friend Teralon had been collecting for many years about various topics since his return for the original Eugene's death in 121AC. Looking through this new fountain of information, Eugene fell deep into the research of magical beasts and creatures, and the yearning to explore the nearby forests they were found in was carved deep into Eugenes heart.
It was upon the passing of his father only upon his 4th year, the Grand Masons were split upon who was meant to be the leader, and it was decided that upon reaching Eugene's 12th birthday, hewould become the leader of the grand masons, and they would go leaderless until than. All the higher ranking powers within the masons tried their best to take the leadership role, wrenching it from the order of stone, but the order within the grand masons was just too powerful, too all encompassing to allow anything short of a full revolt from stopping their determination and factual law from taking place. By his 10th year, there was a conflict within the grand masons that caused the order of the stone to flee the entirety of the masons complex, and become their own true entity. They tried to force Eugene with them as they fled, but Eugene fled north, demanding that Teralon stayed with the grand masons, and vanished into the forests, and was not seen for 8 years.
After 8 years on his own, Eugene returned. His knowledge of magical beasts was improved ten fold. He trained with the greatest of archers and hunters within Gwilith and could hold his own in a fight not by being strong, but by being unable to be hit by even the greatest of warriors. He challenged the current leader, a brutish strongman and knight of house Autumport, to a duel, and the first man to give up, or be unable to continue fighting, would win the seat of power for the masons. The strongman was dumb, but no fool, and he demanded that neither could leave the arena, and were to be chained together, to which Eugene agreed. With the two of them chained together in an arena, The fight took place. Onlookers gaped in awe at the event, as even chained up by the man, the gap in experience was grossly unmatched, with Eugene treating the Autumport noble as a fool. Eugene was a civil man however, and simply choked the noble out with the chain that he himself demanded was in the fight. Never once did Eugene draw his weapon. Victorious, Eugene took the victory, and with it, leadership of the Grand Masons.
By the time that Eugene took the leadership for himself, the Grand Masons had become known on a continental level, and were fighting for territorial control over which cities and towns paid taxes to who. Eugene decided that this was the time to claim his family, so well known and respected allready by his ancestors, as nobility, and challenged any who dared oppose him in this ruling to fight him, and prove him wrong. Eugene was challenged by few within the Masons, but was challenged by the leaders of every noble house at the time. Autumport, Mulbert, Yinglan and Silverdust being the 4 other nobility of the endless hills and human lands. He fought them all, and spared them all, and left most of them angry with his one on one tactics. Eugnee became known far and wide as a powerful fighter, and the strong armed ruler of what was once considered the grand masons, but was now known as Schwert Castle.
At the time of his becoming a noble, he was given a peace offering from house Silverdust. A beautiful bride, believed to be descendant of the commune between a fey and silverdust noble, Eirian Silverdust. She was beautiful, yet frail, and had silver hair that glowed in moonlight. Eugene was smitten by this noble lady, and took her as soon as he could for his wife, taking with her the promise of alliance, and close companionship between the two noble factions.
By the age of 23, Eugene and Eirian had tried and failed several times to have a child, but the final time was different. This time the pregnancy took hold, and with it, Eirian took a great sickness. It seemed that Eugene's bride to be was destined to waste away into nothing before his child was born. Eugene, prideful and determined as he was, could not bear to see everything he fought for, and desired to die out. He informed the castle that Teralon was to be the leader or first adviser of the house until he returned, at which point, he took him and his wife into the woods again, to find help.
It is only according to legend on what happened next. According to the legend, Eugene carried his wife for five days and five nights, never resting until he reached Grovisv Grove and made his way to the center of the island, where a silver dragon lived. The dragon lept from its treasure horde out to attack Eugene, but paused as the proud man bowed his head to the great dragon before him.
"Oh great and mighty. I beseach the help from the most powerful of forces in the world. I need a miracle." The dragon thought to himself for a moment, circling his pray before speaking, "A miracle for what? And speak quickly, for I hunger."
"My wife is sick, and our son shall die along with her. She has not awoken for five days and I fear I shall lose them both."
The dragon, amused by his plight answered back. "Than I shall pose a deal to you, Stranger. I shall let you choose who lives and who dies. You, or your child. Your wife I cannot save, but you must choose."
"I choose my child above any other." said Eugene, with not even a moment of pause.
The dragon, shocked by the selflessness from the human did not expect this response. "I can save him, but I will eat you, and you will never know his smile, or his face. He shall never know a parent, and his life will be filled with strife. Do you wish that upon a mere babe?"
Eugene without tear or fear stood up, drawing his sword and pointed it at the dragon. "Life is but strife, and death is inevitable. Should my child die, I know I shall meet him again in the heavens to tell him how proud I was of any exploit, no matter how small. I choose to give the child a chance before giving myself to cowardice."
The dragon accepted this argument, and ate Eugene, and Eirian, but spat back out the nearly stillborn baby. "Your father is a man of honor, and so, I shall honor our agreement." the dragon bit his tounge, and spilled a few drops upon the newborns lips, so he may drink the blood of battle for his first breath.
King Gerard Schwert I
170AC-240AC
Without father or mother, the silver dragon returned the newborn Gerard to Schwert Castle, and dropped him off on the front steps near the guardsman. The dragon told the guardsman of the events that had taken place, to which the guards promptly brought the child into the castle. The faith had been tested, and it was confirmed that the child before a small council was indeed the son of Eugene and Eirian. The castle was without its noble, as it was only a babe, but the enemies of the keep were nowhere near as stubborn as those who lived inside. Those who fought with, and were lead by Eugene knew the potential power that was present in Gerard, and they needed to let this child grow at any costs. This was a child that could change the world.
Not all were in favor of this child however, some even planned in secret with other conspirators to try and take the nobility for themselves, but knowing the laws of what was than divided between the elves and the dwarves for common territory, it was hard to find a truely good way to absorb power. Even as humans, they didn't even own the land, and with civil wars were breaking out in practically every city, they were constantly called upon to quash these outbreaks, usually with great vigor from other noble houses. It was a dangerous time to be a traitor indeed.
Most of the others within the castle and the lands it controlled found peace with it, and instead did what they could to be "inducted" into the family over the years. Gerard was named after a close friend in the many wars that Eugene fought alongside over the years, and as Gerard aged he was lavished with gifts. Every so often one of these "gifts" being laced with a deadly poison, which was quickly discovered and disposed of by Teralon, along with the instigator. Gerard grew, not only in size, but in mind. Able to fight before he could even walk he was strong enough to take down a full grown man by age five. When he was 8, he knew enough about nobility and tactics that when someone had Teralon thrown in prison for a crime of treason, before the man even sat upon the throne he found Gerard there, placing on his noble attire, and demanding Teralons release, knowing of the plot against him. When confronted by the attempted noble, Gerard simply smiled as he was exchanged with Teralon, before going back to his studies. And by age 10, he learned a few small cantrips from scrolls that were brought to the ever expanding library within castle Schwert.
It was when Gerard turned twelve that he made the final decision to become the leader of his estate, to which was met with much confusion when as his first action as a noble was to declare Teralon the active ruler while he makes his way to the great major capital of Gwilith , Sergale. And so he rode with half of his knights made of those from the Order of the Stone, half of them being elves and half elves, and alongside his enterage, several carts filled with fine furs from his realm.
He made his way to Sergale, and spoke with the High Maiden. For being a noble so young, the queen thought little of the young human, and they spoke at length about the realms, the people residing within them, and how best to improve the livelihood of all people under their rule. The High Maiden, intrigued by the young lord, even agreed to a trade for the furs that he brought with him, for a supply of darkwood as a parting gift from the queen to his people.
Gerard returned to his castle, and turned the entire supply of darkwood into masterfully crafted bows with the help of the fine crafstmen of his realm. They used these bows to hunt even greater beasts, and continue trading for other assorted goods from Gwilith . But no sooner than the first bow was done, Gerard made his way back out into the countryside, this time making his way to Kingdom of Steisen.
In Steisen he met with King Bothrog, after traveling for a month through the Mioiarann Mountains to meet with the king of Geburtszwerg. There he spoke at length of honor, asked for information on how best to rule over his subjects, and sustain the law of the land. Inspired by his humility and honor himself, Bothrog himself made the crest of The Schwert family, and with it, created a bronze suit of armor that would grow with the young lord throughout his time as a noble. Again, Gerard made trade with the dwarf, asking for only enough supplies to learn to smelt bronze for themselves, so they may have better nails for their fields. The king accepted, and traded yet more supplies of fur for castle Schwert.
At the age of thirteen, Gerard made his final trip of preparations to the south, to Lochgrain to speak with a good many democratic leaders of the region. At each stop, he asked a different question, played a different game, and made different allies of the region. By the age of fifteen, he had met with every single leader in the community, and guaranteed a trade of bronze nails, for food and training for tending his fields.
Upon his return at age sixteen, he found the different nobles of the realm were warring, and his own property was at risk of being taken over by the different houses. And so he took action again, picking up a sword and shield, and teaching his own men how to fight. As a teacher, every word resonated with his students, and by age seventeen, he had amassed an army worthy of a king.
For ten years he fought in skirmish after skirmish with the other nobles, and after each one would send a letter stating how many dead he counted on each side. More times than not, his opponents would loose ten fold the amount he did. Suffering so much defeat at the hands of the Schwert family, House Autumport finally relented, and performed a full siege upon Castle Schwert. It only took two days into the siege when house Autumport was defeated yet again, their numbers grossly outmatched by skill, and a sudden raid throughout their encampments in the night. Captured, Ser Maralas of house Autumport, the lord of house Autumport, was brought before Gerard, and asked to stand down, and stand beside house Schwert as he desired an independant kingdom away from both the Kingdom of Steisen and Gwilith.
At first, Maralas refused, but listened to Gerard over the course of an evening meal, still discussing Schwerts plans entirely. Maralas asked the young lord, "I could tell either country of your deceit, and your plans, and have you killed within a fortnight. Why tell me such treason?" To which the young lore simply smiles and says. "Because you know with your help, we could win together. My mother was a silverdust, and they too wish to be rid of the taxes of both kingdoms. Help me win, and both our people will have greater freedom than ever before." Ser Maralas knew this was true, and before desert was served he agreed to join the Schwert cause.
With house Silverdust and house Autumport alongside house Schwert, Gerard set his focus towards house Yinglan. Yinglan was on tough times, with poor harvest and their land primarily towards the southern reaches of the endless hills, the people under house Yinglan were beginning to starve, and massive deaths were innevitable. Gerard, with his great bounties of grain and food, and a batallion of hunters and survivalists, made his way down and visited the great houses lands. He gave out a weeks worth of food to every man and woman that was passed on the road, telling them where to go for a better life. News spread faster than Gerard traveled, and by the time he reached house Yinglan, the leader of the house, a man well into his 50s by the name of Reginald Yinglan, was ready to kill this young lord, who had been stealing his people for several days now.
Gerard was again prepared for this, scolding Reginald for his disasterous treatment of the land, flipping the script onto this supposedly aging wiseman of house Yinglan. "With crops not sewn, your people die. With taxes so high, your coffers run full with money soaked with blood, and you have the gall to tell me your people are only important so long as they hide behind your banner. Your house is a disgrace Yinglan, and I will do for your people what they fail to do at every level until your replacement comes forward." To which Gerard threw down a dagger at his feet, and began to spoke with every guard, and every man, woman and child about the better life he promises to uphold underneeth his rule, and offers sanctuary under house Schwert.
Reginald fought several skirmishes with house schwert, but there were never casualties on either side, as Gerard took the forefront of the battle, him and his men using only nonlethal weapons, and still offered a place of protection and warmth to their enemies. His coffers gone, Reginalds people were whittled down to barely a thousand, and his own family believed a great shame had befallen the mighty house. Reginald was found dead by his own hand only a month after he met the young lord Gerard on his steps. His family quickly uniting under Gerards banner, and marching off to house Mulbert.
Getting house Mulbert on his side Gerard knew was going to be his toughest challenge to date, as the head of the house had not been seen in nearly five years, as the house was primarilly focused on transport ships throughout the Défteros River and Anatolí Lake. This was unsatisfactory, but having house Mulbert ships, the fastest and best protected would be his greatest triumph.
However, his attempts to ensure victory against Kingdom of Steisen and Gwilith had not gone unnoticed by this point, and after a long time of gathering supplies and resources from each country, they stopped their trade, and sent numerous letters demanding for Gerard to bend the knee to one country or the other. Stalling as long as he could, he replied to both countries that he would not beholden himself or his countrymen to either kingdom in 200 AD, on the 8th of Griggs.
Thus began the war of the three kingdoms, all the while Gerard and his closest advisors when not fighting on multiple fronts, were found traveling throughout Anatolí and Défteros in an attempt to find the secretive Mulbert line. It was in the summer of 203 that finally, a vast hoard of ships were found sailing against a ship that Gerard conscripted with several soldiers, flying Mulbert flags with weapons drawn. Mulbert it seemed were still loyalists to Gwilith and were hired as a noble house to execute Gerard after ammassing more power and weaponry. Gerards ship was sank, him and several of his men captured, and they were to be taken to Gwilith within a fortnight.
Gerard has gone on record numerous times to say that he did indeed choose to give himself up after catching the eye of Lady Nightbane Mulbert, leader of the Mulbert Nobles. Between her black hair and piercing eyes, and the air of command over her that rivaled only that of Gerard himself for his charisma, he asked specifically to speak with her for three days, refusing food and drink until his own demands were met.
This worked, and for another two days and nights he spoke with Lady Nightbane, and informed her of his plans to start a kingdom as soon as her house joined with his. Confused by his predicament, captured by the people he wishes to be allied with, and being sent off to his own execution, Lady nightbane's question, and Gerards answer are marked down in history as a historic alliance was born. "My lord Gerard. The Mulberts own the river, the goods beside it, and control everything from the Mioiarann Mountains to the borders of Lochgrain. We have everything we could ever desire, have no loss of food nor people. What could you possibly offer to us that would make us give up such great a place in society."
"My lady. I offer you to become a queen, and take my hand in marriage as my equal."
And so, Lord Gerard set his sights upon becoming a king, after gaining the last allies he needed for the war against Gwilith and Kingdom of Steisen.
His armies gathered not long after, and as he had always done, Lord Gerard, hand in hand with his beloved Lady Nightbane, marched their armies to the north, along the mountains. The bows made from darkwood keeping even the most distant enemy at bay. The bronze armor and shields from the metals gained from the kingdom of Steisen had been tirelessly worked on night and day for years to ensure such a mass invasion of the north. The steady and large supply of food to all people throughout the land ensured a massive army that the world had never seen to this day. And the training provided by some of the most skilled swordsmen of their time, made the armies of Schwert, and all nobility under his command the most dangerous army that the world has ever, and may ever know.
Understanding the danger the army poised for the kingdom of Gwilith they sent word to the dwarves of Kingdom of Steisen to perform a massive attack on the western front, but even after months of travel, the dwarves met with great resistance from the mercenary armies of the Silverdust, forcing them back even farther into the mountainside. The elves fortified their vast stronghold, to Sergale, where his army had been marching towards for months, to prepare for an abbrasive attack against their strongest foothold, the high elf capital of the world.
Gerard, and his generals had planned for this however, and with the lax defences of the rest of gwillith he left barely a tenth of his men to guard the borders of Sergale, while the rest of the army attacked throughout the Great Forests of Vitium, with city after city being razed to the ground. It was only after the sacking of both Tallaut and Praerba that the armies of Schwert marched in full force on the starving, and disease ridden city of Sergale, to which both queens surrendered their country, dismantling the country of Gwilith for 400 years.
As the last major act of the war, Gerard sent word to Steisen to sue for peace, and take the land they had coveted. And by Aros the 1st, the war of three kingdoms was over, with the Schwert family and their nobility standing victorious. It was only 6 days later, on Aros the 7th 204, that Gerard was crowned king, married his wife, Queen Nightbane, and formed the kingdom of Drakenvald. The kingdom taking over every scrap of land east of the Mioiarann Mountains, north of the Thélgo River south of the frozen wastes of the north, and west of what is now known as Rynasen.
Gerard spent the next 35 years ruling his kingdom, forming trade with what was left of the kingdoms surrounding Drakenvald, and blisfully living through a golden age of prosperity for his people. His old family friend Theralon was granted land, and titles, and bequeethed the noble name of Gray, to better serve the elves of the world, and combine the realms of man and elf throughout history. Both him and his wife died of old age, succeeded by 12 children. Gerards final words still ring true to this day, forever known throughout history as the law of house Schwert, and the kingdom of Drakenvald. "Blood runs deep."
Blood Runs Deep
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