House of Arden

House of Arden Our Swords, Always Sharp Country: Norland Titles: Duke of Nevaria Count of Jornburg Count of Driftwood Count of Ashwood Baron of Ashton Founder: Richard Arden Current Head: N/A Ethnicity: Highlander House Motto: Our swords, always sharp

The House of Arden (Common: Arden;) is the current ruling family of the Duchy of Nevaria. They rose to prominence in the mid 1600's, after the Patriarch Richard Arden marched a large regiment of loyalists to occupy the abandoned wooden fortress known as Jornburg, which was then occupied and named the primary holding of the Arden House.

History

Atlas

The family's roots are relatively new; two brothers, Richard and Bjorn, took up the name of Ardenin the early years of Atlas. Having served King Jory Ruric during the Silversteed Rebellion, Richard, being the eldest brother took the mantle first. By infiltrating the Silversteed ranks and breaking them from the inside, He proved himself incredibly loyal, and started House Arden on the Path of Nobility. A few weeks after the duel of kings, Richard went missing for some time, leaving his brother as Lord of the House. Bjorn took a more combatant role in Norland, having risen through the ranks to Ashknight in all but a few weeks. He proved himself a great and mighty warrior, and directly after the Norlandic loss at the Siege of Ruriksgrad Bjorn fled alongside his king to Ashwood, where they would live for a few weeks until Ashwood coup. The coup, fronted by Caspian Lombardi, would tear the remnants of the Norlandic people apart. Bjorn would disappear directly after refusing to serve the traitors. Richard eventually returned as Lord of the House, beginning a large recruitment of Arden men. Upon marshaling a sizable force, he marched into Jornburg, declaring himself Count, and leaving House Arden to be known as a Noble House within Atlas. A few weeks after settling into the fort, Richard reached out to other lords and counts of the idea of vassalization under him. Thus he managed to convince the Baron of Ashwood, the agreement being that they will see each other as equals and friends, as well as the Baron of Driftwood. Finally after many diplomatic talks, Richard formed the Duchy of Nevaria. Richard, who in comparison to these new vassals lacked a sufficient military might, deemed it fit to begin a formation of the first House Arden military order, for which his house could finally have direct soldiers rather than vassals taking up a majority of his military. However, during the duration of the military reformation, Richard heard news that the Stauntons were rising up against the Horens with a hope of destroying them like they did back in Axios. Richard quickly joined the cause, seemingly holding some hope in the cause, Although a few days before the Siege of Whitepeak, the Arden men were held back by small groups of bandits attacking the roads just above Ashwood, preventing them from assisting their Courlandic allies. Directly after hearing the news of the Courlandic defeat, and how all their allies bailed out after the defeat, Richard quickly abadoned Jornburg, and marched his men to the mighty fortress of Ashwood.This would be the beginning of the end of Richard and House Arden, resulting in the blood bath known as the Siege of Ashwood, Richard fought valiantly, but eventually fell to the hand of an unknown Renatian soldier. Leaving the house bent and broken, the remnants of the household fled Ashwood aswell as all their other occupied fortresses.

Notable Members

• Richard Arden - Grew the house to nobility status, having marched into a small pallisade fort called Jornburg. He eventually fell during the Siege of Ashwood.

• Ser Bjorn Arden - famed for being one of the greatest warriors within Norland and House Arden