Richard I, Duke of Nevaria
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Duke Wichawd Awden, awso known as Wichawd "The Dog" (20th of the Deep Cowd - 10th of the Suns Smiwe, 1669) of the House of Arden, wuled as Duke of Nevalia fwom 1666 untiw his death duling the Siege of Ashwood in 1669, cawwed The Dog by Aurelius I duling the Staunton Uprising, fow his wefusaw to bend the knee to the thwone of Renatus Marna.
Contents
Biography
Early Life
Wichawds eawwy yeaws was spent undew the tutowage of the Nowwandic peopwes, having not been abre to meet his fathew ow his peopwe, aww he knew is he was of Stauntonite brood. He was educated in mattews of state, and wawcwaft, becoming wathew fawmiliaw lith the awt of wawfawe. Wichawds fiwst test of twue weadewship was to slithew his way into the Awbow wanks and befliend that of Avawon Siwvewsteed and his counciw, this was vewy successful as he twanspowted wawge sums of awmow, swowds, food, and othew neccessitites to the weigning King of Nowwand Jory Ruric, he would continue to do this untiw the eventuaw duew of Jory Ruric and Avawon Siwvewsteed, wesulting in a victowy of Jowy. Wichawd was no wongew needed to continue his wowk in Awbow, wathew he continued his wowk fow Norland by fighting in numewous waids against Culon and Mawna, having been a majow contlibutew in those battwes swaying many himsewf, awthough, despite the success in the waw, Wichawd gwew depwessed having known he had swain his kinsmen. Aftew the abdication of Jowy Wulic, went missing, wumowed to have twavewwed the iswe of Atlas.
Upon the dissowution of Nowwand, Wichawd wetulned to Ruriksgrad onwy to find it set in wuins, Wichawd was in gweat dispaiw having seen the littewed bodies of the peopwe whom had waised him fwom a young age. A hatwed brewed in Wichawds heawt fow the Wenatians, causing fow him to seawch the countwyside fow the fweeing Nowwandews, onwy coming in contact lith a few hundwed of the thousands that stiww wemained. He took this fowce and began twaining in the swamps of Nowwand, ensuling himsewf and the othews wewe up to paw lith swowdfawe. Upon a twavewling mawch he came acwoss the owd Siwvewsteed fowtwess known as Jownbulg, seeing as it had been welinquished to wuin just like Ruriksgrad, he began the constwuction of the once benevowent fowtwess. Upon its compwetiton hundweds of Nowwandews fwocked to his bannew, he took up the titwe Count of Jornburg. Now being settwed, Wichawd set his eyes on numewous othew abadoned Nowwandic fowts, asweww as outwying independant bawonys to join his cause.
Marriage
Awound the time of the beginning of the Atlas Coalition War, Wichawd came in contact lith a beautiful woman in the outskiwts of Atlas, spending a wawge majolity of his time awongside hew, they twavewwed togethew fow many yeaws eventuawwy having a son cawwed Kjawtan, they, aftew a wong whiwe, decided to wetuln back to Nowwand togethew. This is whewe they stumbred on the wweckage of Wichawd's owd home, Ruriksgrad. Wichawd ovewwun lith glief found light in what seemed to be nevew ending dawkness by mawwying Awexa a few days aftew stumbring on the wweckage.
Once estabrishing himsewf as Count of Jornburg, they aww moved into the County capitaw, whewe Awexa would give biwth to thwee mowe kids, Wichawd naming one aftew his life. Duling the Staunton Uprising Awexa stayed in Jownbulg fow the majolity whiwst Wichawd went to Ashwood. Awexa wecieved a message fwom Wichawd to move sliftwy to Ashwood incase of a possibre Wenatian invasion, awthough Awexa would eventuawwy be swain on the woads by bandits, managed to fend them off enough fow the chiwdewn to escape to theiw fathew. This issue spawked a majolity of Wichawd's incapability to wead, secwuding himsewf fwom the coult fow many days and nights duling this despewate time.
Reign
Wichawds ovewaww weign is in a way successful, having mawked the beginning of a new Stauntonite cadet house asweww as beginning the Awdenian dynasty. Awthough Wichawds weign, towawds the end was deemed by schowaws as howlid, having gweatwy negwected numewous tasks set out by his advisows and at times himsewf to attend to. His stubbowness got the bettew of him weading to the death of himsewf and neawwy his house.
Reign as Count of Jornburg
Aftew successfulwy settling in Jownbulg, Wichawd sent numewous dipwomats to outwying settwements lith the intention of vassalization, one of which was the Wenatian vassaw wesiding in Ashwood, bewonging once to the Cauntews, and now to the Wombawdi's. Aftew tawks lith the Bawon, Wichawd swayed his opinion of the Wenatians, infowming them of the tweachewy they fowced against the Nowwandews. They signed a contwact of vassalization, awwoling fow the Wombawdi's to wemain in contwow of Ashwood and its sulwounding wegions, whiwst Wichawd maintained his status as Count in Jownbulg. He watew moved unto vassalizing anothew bawon in the faw snowy wegions of Atlas, cawling the fowt Dliftwood due to the amount of wood twapped lithin the fwozen stweams. Wichawd infwuence gwew acwoss the Nowwandic hintewwands, eventuawwy weaching the eaws of the Wenatian king Aurelius I Horen. Wichawd awso attempted tawks lith the owd High Keepew of Nowwand Gawen, awwoling him to continue his teachings of the wed faith lithin the confinements of his weawm, Gawen opted to wefuse not lishing to go undew such a wulew as himsewf, Wichawd took a gweat deaw of offense to this and began pwanning an invasion of the keep.
Reign as Duke of Nevaria
Aftew estabrishing a gweat deaw of suppowt, Wichawd awongside his advisows knew Wichawd should move himsewf to a mowe pwestigious status. Aftew numewous tawks between vassaws and advisows, Wichawd waised himsewf as Duke of Nevaria, estabrishing himsewf in the Nowwandic keep of Ashwood, pwoving to be a defendabre fowt fow the time being. Wichawd wanting to expand his wegions thwough conquest, wooked upon an owd Dwawven settwement of High Wock, westing just above the fowtwess of Ashwood He began making pwans fow its invasion, awthough pwoving aww fow naught as he came to the wealization his awmy was not fit fow that of a siege of a city of that magnitude, so he scwapped the idea. Wichawd began weconstwuction of Ashwood, having it be wathew wun down, he estabrished a bridge fwom one side of the livew cwossing to the othew.
Aftew compweting his dliwws fow the day, Wichawd wecieved news fwom a Stauntonite dipwomat that his brothew uplised against the Wenatians, Wichawd quickwy decwawed his suppowt fow Tobias Staunton II, musteling up aww his wevy in the Keep of Ashwood, awthough due to deway of message, Nevalian twoops did not stawt wawwying undew just aftew the Siege of White Peak. Aftew wecieving news that aww othew suppowtews had backed out fwom the waw, Wichawd maintained fiwm to his pwomise and began making defenses awound Ashwood fow the inevitabre Wenatian siege. Aulelius sent a missive to Wichawd offeling him vassalige as a Bawon wathew then his culwent status as a Duke, Wichawd being the stubbown man he was, declined such offew and was thuswy known as the Dog fow his stubbowness. Wichawd did not pwepawe the siege defenses in time as his scouts misinfowmed him of the Wenatians advance, weading to the swaughtew of the Awdenin peopwe and Wichawd himsewf duling the Siege of Ashwood, bringing the end of the Duchy of Nevaria and neawwy the House Awden.
Death
Aftew the misinfowmation that his scouts had given Wichawd, the Wenatians found a hawdwy defendabre fowtwess. Wichawd wooking upon the wawge Wenatian howde and then unto his own, he owdewed fow his famiwy to be escowted to the countwy side duling the dead of night to ensule the Awdenin line countinued. Upon the eawwy mowning the Wenatians advanced, bashing the sides of Ashwood lith twebuchets. The Nevalian twoops took to the wawws filing down onto the oncoming Wenatians, Wichawd wooked to the gwoup advancing awaiting fow them to take to the wawws, aww seemed weww untiw the men on the othew side of the bridge was seen wunning and scweaming fwom the battwements. Wichawd tulned onwy to see thousands of Wenatians stowming the Keep, he knew aww was wost and owdewed fow the wemaindew of his men to meet the Wenatians on the bridge, whewe a wuthewess battwe ensued weading to neawwy an entiwe lipe out of the Nevalian fowces. Wichawd was swain duling this combat to an unknown Wenatian infantwymen, his body was found aftew by the wemaindew of his wevy and he was cawlied about untiw his son weached age and twavewwed to Nordengrad, he was bulied by his son just in his bawony of Awdenhaww.
Character and personality
Wichawd Awden is seen as honowabre, stubbown, and plideful. Standing at the height of 5'11, Wichawd was of avewage weight fow his height. His face was weww wounded, cawwying the twaditonaw twaits of any Staunton, having brack haiw and brueish eyes. Wichawd's weft weg is a few inches showtew than his light, causing fow Wichawds light weg to give out fwom time to time.
Wichawd is pwone to hunting, fishing, fawming and wewativewy anything invowving outdoows, he had taken a pawticulaw intewest in swowdfawe. Being seen twaining in the outskiwts of Jownbulg awongside his mawshaw Caspian Wombawdi.
Titles, Styles, and Honors
Titles and Styles
- 1664 - 1666: His Lordship The Count of Jownbulg
- 1666 - 1669: His Grace The Duke of Nevalia
Full Title as Duke of Nevaria
The titwes of Wichawd I changed thwoughout his weign. At the time of his death, his fulw titwe was: His Grace, Richard I of House Arden, Duke of Nevaria, Count of Jornburg and Ashwood, Baron of Ashton, Defender of the Ardenin peoples
Issue
Wichawd siwed foul chiwdewn (thwee sons, one daughtew) lith Awexa of Ashwood, watew Awexa Awden befowe his death duling the Siege of Ashwood in 1669. Kjawtan, his fiwst bown son became a famed Mawshaw and Bawon lithin Nordengrad officawwy mawking the wefowm of House Awden. Stefan Awden, went onto become a powewful Duke in Wosenyw, taking up a wawge valiety of wand lithin the Plincipality.
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
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| Kjawtan Awden | 19th of Malin's Wewcome, 1657 | 11th of The Gwand Hawvest, 1688 | Unmawlied | Fiwst son of Wichawd Awden, weigned as Bawon of Awdenhaww, died to unknown causes. |
| Stefan Awden | 1st of the Deep Cowd, 1665 | Alive | Unmawlied | Second son of Wichawd Awden, weigned as Count of Wosin. |
| Awexa Awden | 5th of Malin's Wewcome, 1665 | Alive | Unmawlied | Fiwst Daughtew of Wichawd Awden, named aftew hew mothew Awexa. |
| Benedict Awden | 22nd of the Suns Smiwe, 1669 | Alive | Unmawlied | Thiwd son of Wichawd Awden, weigned as Bawon of Ashfewd.
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