History of Man -- Book 1: Westrun Part 13

Shortly after taking the High Throne in 4901, Favian III of Bolden began the Debtor Wars to extinguish the debts owed by the crown to the great lending houses of the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis. This led to the subjection of the princes of that coastal land and their absorption into the Eight Kingdoms as the so-called Free Provinces. Favian was able to install Westrun barons over each of the provinces, promising them a lighter hand in their oaths of fealty than on the continent.

Favian was succeeded in 4921 by Timaldus of Treft. As High King Timaldus was called upon to settle the matter of succession in Collonia, for the last King (the son of Marten the Good) had died without an heir. So Favian created a Congregation of Nobles to appoint a Steward to rule until such time as an heir be found in Collonia. By this decision the fate of Collonia was sealed for many years.

In 4930 Gelder I the Paver of Bolden was sentenced to the High Throne. Gelder was named "The Paver" for the most ambitious and enduring project of the Eight Kingdoms Pact, the revitalization and expansion of the highway system in use during the Vyrum Empire. Under Gelder, every mile of the system was marked with sign showing the distance to Peakshadow. Every place where the highway crossed a river was spanned by a stone bridge, if not already. This ambitious project was carried out by grants in each kingdom simultaneously and managed from the capital using the same standard for construction. The success of this project made the High Throne an immensely popular force in Westrun. From nobility to merchants to peasants, all had recourse to the highways of their High King. Gelder died an untimely death the night following the completion of the last mile of road.

In 4946, Gelder II the Less began a project even more daunting than that of his father. He saw to the rivers and canals of Westrun, hoping to provide towpaths and quays where previously only footpaths had existed. Perhaps the project was overly ambitious, but it was not helped by the short reign of Gelder II who died in the Seige of Peakshadow during the Winter Rebellion.

 

During the Winter Rebellion, the Kings of Collonia and Balduren had withdrawn their troops garrisoned in Peakshadow to defend their own marches. Their action was swiftly followed by the monarchs of Rath, Menea, Treft and Saklan who did so in protest of shouldering disproportionate costs of the High Throne. Even the Steward of Bolden did not support his brother on the High Throne. Within a fortnight, all of Peakshadow was left to the Silver Swords Mercenary Company and those few soldiers still garrisoned in the city of the High King by the King of Talir.

To this day little is known about how the falling out occurred, but what is known is that the Talirean garrison turned on the Silver Swords after a night of some revelry. In response, the mercenaries besieged Sudhall Keep itself. The Winter Rebellion had begun as a protest of monarchs, but had metastasized into violent action that quickly claimed the life of the High King. While the City of Peakshadow never lost a day of commerce, many of the courtiers of Gelder were kept under house arrest until the Spring of 4950.

After a long Winter of protracted negotiations, the colonello of the Silver Swords, Cassirus, drunkenly declared himself High King of All Westrun from the parapets of Sudhall. In response to this declaration, the following morning 12 knights from the Grand Temple of Heaven arrived at the keep. Assuming the knights were there to continue the previous day's parley, Cassirus allowed them and their squires admittance. 

The knights informed the rebels that they were there to deliver justice, and proceeded to do so with alacrity. In the ensuing battle, all of the mercenaries were put to the sword, and by battle's end all but one of those delivering justice (a mere squire) lay dead or dying. The body of Cassirus was hoisted upon a pike in the throne room of the High King and his blood ran out upon his floors. A model of that gruesome death remains above the inner door to the throne room to this day.

The surviving squire was elevated to knighthood by the High Priest of the Grand Temple and the Order of the Dawn was founded that day. In the present time, all of its members are Paladins and are considered the strong right arm of the Patriarch of the Church of Westrun.

Larcus IV of Rath, sometimes sarcastically called Larcus the Liberator, arrived at Peakshadow's gates in the van of his own army, augmented by Southrun mercenaries. The bewildered citizens of Peakshadow (who did not know their city was in danger) did not forbid his entrance. He ceremoniously marched to Sudhall Keep and assumed control of the High Throne. After several days of negotiations with the Grand Temple, Larcus was declared the High King in 4950. Despite ruling as High King for twenty-seven years, his election was not ratified by a counsel of Kings until 4977. During that time, Larcus opened trade across the Rampart Mountains into Eastrun. By establishing the Peace of the Eastrun Bandits, his payments to the Daizu tribes meant overland shipments to and from the Empires of the East. Larcus' sentence was followed by that of Dane the Halfeleven of Saklan in 4980.

Like all of his sires, Dane was extremely long lived and believed to be of elven blood through Gladfiolas the son of a Elven King, and his human bride. Dane was extremely well-liked by the commoner and respected, if feared by the nobles.

After 100 years of incursions, he brokered a peace with the barbarians of Northrun which meant that Damon's Wall would be left unfinished and undiminished in Collonia and not expanded into Bolden.

He rode into battle at the head of his banners against the Goblins of the Rakag and is known for having put down Ferano's Rebellion in the Free Provinces. He also waged a sea war against the Eastrun pirates and sailed an armada to free the blockaded ports of Byza and Midir.

Dane sired many children, and thirty-eight sons. He ruled until 5010ey. 

There are some rumors that Dane Gladfiolas is still alive, but living in obscurity among his own kind, or else in some long forgotten noble house in Saklan. Others say he died at war at various times in the next eight decades. The truth is not known with certainty.