Arthur Blackthorne

Dominic Blackthorne, brother

Roderic Blackthorne, brother

Alyssa Monmoth, wife

Joanna Blackthorne, daughter

Gordon Blackthorne, son

Murtagh Blackthorne, son

Jaster Blackthorne, son

Talia Blackthorne, daughter

Arianne West, bastard daughter

**Arthur Blackthorne**, called the "Great Griffin," was the Lord of House Blackthorne and Lord-Paramount of the Thunderlands from 995AE until his death in 1014AE. In life he was a phenomenally accomplished warrior and politician, winning many great victories on the battlefield and senate floor alike. His greatest achievement was his defeat of the Orc warlord Bolzog in the First Battle for the Riverford. He won the allegiance of House Monmoth by marrying their Lord's sister, and with her he had five children--his thirdborn son Jaster would go on to succeed him as Lord. He is also thought to have a bastard daughter, Arianne West. Arthur's sanity was destabilized after the death of his son Gordon, and he was physically maimed while on a hunt less than a year later which drove him utterly mad. The Great Griffin spent most of the rest of his life sealed in the tallest tower of Griffin's Peak, leaving his ambitious brother Dominic to rule the House in his stead. He died at the wedding of his heir in 1014AE, murdered brutally by Sir Preston Knox.

## Appearance and Character

Arthur was once a remarkably attractive man, considered to be among the most desirable in all the realm. He possessed all the classic features of a Stormlord, with thick, vibrant red hair, enchanting grey eyes, chiseled facial features and a lean, muscular figure. But the wounds he suffered from his encounter with the Griffin left him severely deformed, and by the end of his life, he resembled a living nightmare. The scar tissue on his face had swelled grotesquely to the point that it resembled an expressionless, lipless, toothless mask. One eye was white and blind, while the other was a naked optical nerve that swiveled in its socket like a live maggot. His hair had mostly fallen out and turned grey, and he only had one arm, the other stopping short just shy of the elbow in an ugly stump. The fingers on his last remaining hand sported decaying yellow nails that were five inches long. His legs had also atrophied from years of misuse, so they were no bigger than a child's.

Called the Great Griffin for good reason, Arthur was among the finest rulers ever to serve as Lord of his House. He was an extraordinarily adept politician, with an easy charisma that allowed him to earn friends easily. But there was a darker side to his heroic public persona in that Arthur was unduly obsessed with his legacy. He was arrogant and vain about his own abilities. He doted upon his eldest son, but frequently abused and mistreated his other children for failing to live up to Gordon's name, to the point he exiled his secondborn son Murtagh. He also had a dark temper and was known to lash out at those close to him whenever they displeased him. By the end of his life, Arthur's mind was barely intact, and yet his darker characteristics had taken hold of him in full.

## Skills and Abilities

When he was young, Arthur was a phenomenal warrior, with his House's two-handed greatsword Redwing being his weapon of choice. He won several legendary tourneys and proved a very capable military strategist and negotiator, as his work did a great deal to expand his House's influence. Even after becoming crippled, Arthur still displayed an aptitude for toying with the emotions of others in order to manipulate them.

## History

Born to Giacomo Blackthorne, Arthur became one of the most noteworthy figures in the history of his house. In all Aradia it seemed there was no greater warrior, scholar or tradesman; he was also famed for his handsome features and was desired by many noble maidens. Among the most famous of his achievements was single-handedly slaying Bolzog the Orc Warlord, saving the people of the Great Riverford from the creature's tyranny, a feat still celebrated in the tales of bards and in local legend across the Isles. For this, he was nicknamed the "Great Griffin", a moniker he shared with his fleet's vast flagship. Eventually, he was married to Alyssa Monmoth and became head of the house upon the death of Giacomo. The marriage yielded five living children. His eldest, Joanna, was given away to the rival House Wyatt at a young age. He was closest to his second child and heir apparent, Gordon, who appeared to be fully capable of taking on his legacy. However, while squiring for House Knox, Gordon fell victim to a jousting accident and was crushed under the hooves of his own horse. It is said that this was the beginning of Arthur's descent to true madness. He had a tenuous relationship with the middle child Murtagh, who was said to be a vicious drunk with devious sexual appetites. Upon Gordon's death, Murtagh was stripped of his titles and exiled from the Thunderlands, supposedly for refusing to marry. Arthur's youngest children were the twins Jaster and Talia, a rather mischievous but capable pair who were soon raised into fine, capable adults and worthy successors of his family legacy. But Arthur never loved his youngest children, and had only ever cared for his eldest son; in the weeks and months following the loss of his elder heirs he became reckless and developed delusions of grandeur. Believing himself the second coming of his ancestor, the great hero Jason, he sought to charm one of Stormrise Island's wild Griffins (a feat attributed to the ancient Storm Kings). He was able to get close to the creature and for a moment it seemed he would succeed; however, he made the mistake of telling his guards to keep at bay. As soon as he made a wrong move the Griffin turned on him and attacked him viciously. Arthurs' face was torn to pieces, and he lost his sword arm as well as the ability to walk unaided. He was kept alive by healers and it seemed he was going to live, though the severity of his injuries suggested recovery would be impossible; his broken body was carried to a chamber on the tallest tower of the castle, and he did not leave there for years. He refused to admit entrance to any of his family or bannermen, as his vanity wouldn't allow anyone to see him in a deformed state. Alyssa begged to see her husband, and after months in isolation Arthur finally relented and allowed her into his bedchambers. When the covers were lifted and Alyssa saw the extent of the injuries, she screamed in horror. This sent her husband into a fit of rage and he immediately ordered that she be beheaded. This left his twin children motherless. Incapable of appearing in public, Arthur had decreed that his brother, Dominic, would take his place in the senate; meanwhile, the deformed lord of the Blackthornes continued to hide in his chambers, isolated and growing steadily more insane within the black marble walls of Griffin's Peak.

## Recent Events

Arthur left his chambers for the first time in years in 1014AE, to attend the wedding of his son Jaster to Rivka Vennet. He still refused to show affection to either of the twins and bluntly stated that he wished Gordon were alive instead of Jaster; however, the mention of Murtagh soon sent him into a rage and his children were forced to leave. At the wedding feast, Arthur spoke to each of his bannermen from a covered pavilion to the side of the gardens, and all were disturbed by the state their old friend was in. The ffeast was stormed by Preston Knox and his soldiers, who sought revenge for actions of Jaster's; the thirdborn Knox attempted to make an example of Arthur's deformities, but was caught offguard by the lord's remaining strength and ended up accidentally killing him. Arthur's death sparked the Knox-Blackthorne War, and allowed Jaster to ascend to Lordship in his place.

## Quotes

> *"I have four children...none of them fit to replace the one I lost."*
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> -Arthur, to Jaster and Talia
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