Reign of White Castle

***Preceded by:** Age of Kingdoms / **Followed by:** God War*

The Reign of White Castle is agreed by historians to encompass of period of time between the formation of an adventuring group dedicated to the goddess Lyllian and the destruction of the city of White Castle itself. After the destruction of Loraen various lords had attempted to claim the title of High King. The Northern Baronies fell back into a state of constant strife. Bandits, dark magic, evil fey and monsters plagued the lands. Several dragons staked claim of kingdoms of their own across the Continent. This is the backdrop by which the age began.

**The White Rose**

A group of adventurers formed in the Northeast Baronies when they defeated a tribe of goblins with the assistance of angelic figure. The group took the White Rose as their banner in the angel's honor. They gained fame throughout the Northern Baronies fighting all manner of foes. They went on to slay Vaerukar the red dragon king. The other dragon kings did not appreciate the challenge to their power and plotted to kill the adventurers. In the Mire they slew Ballaxanthar and continued south. The white dragon, Rith'turac fled from them south but was ultimately defeated. The other dragon kings relented their attacks on the party.

**Early White Castle**

After defeating Rith'turac, the White Rose traveled by their patron's guidance to the ruins of Loraen. Slaying a lich who had taken the ruins as it's own, they decided to rebuild the castle. They built "the White Castle" on the foundation on the old keep. The group's cleric started to draw followers to worship their patron angel and revealed her name as Lyllian.

**Against the Dragon Kings**

The remaining dragon kings had held themselves back to reconsider their opponents. They conspired among themselves and banded together to destroy the White Rose. Laying siege to the White Castle they realized their opponents had been underestimated. The White Rose had been preparing followers to face the dragons, they had crafted weapons, prepared ballista and warded the keep. Clau'gurrath the green fell during the battle and the shadow dragon known as Othim was severely wounded. The party followed the dragon kings as they retreated. Othim was killed not far from the White Castle and the party faced off at the southern coast with the two remaining dragon kings. The silver dragon Ragothmere fell first and then Jahr'Ulham the blue was slain soon after. Word of this incredible victory spread, and the White Rose gave credit to their patron. So it was that the religion of Lyllian began to spread, and the White Castle expanded from keep into a city.

**White Castle the nation**

As White Castle grew into a kingdom the members of the White Rose took on various roles in its government. However, it was the position of Hierophant taken by Eva Elenda and High King by Joseph Wilden that held the greatest import. The cleric and paladin both pushed for churches, knights and missionaries. Everywhere the banner of the White Rose flew evil was driven away and Lyllian was the savior. Swiftly the church of the Goddess of the White Rose spread to every land where humans dwelt.

The church grew till there was no position of power in the kingdom not tied to it in some way. After High King Wilden's death there was no hesitation in naming new leadership. The church named a new High King as was decreed by Lyllian. So, it went. Churches spread and other kingdoms started to feel like vassal states. As the One Goddess pushed back "darkness" across the land and little was thought of missionaries being followed by inquisitors.

White Castle had within two generations spread across most of the Continent's interior. Worship of other gods became heresy. Fey were considered evil spirits. Those who practiced the arcane arts without the proper sanctions were considered witches. The Reign of White Castle was in full swing and pity to its enemies.

**Fall of Aviot**

A powerful green dragon known as the Poison Queen too up residence in Moorlund. She lay waste to the city of Aviot with the help of fiendish forces. The Prince and Princess escaped the city in a group of adventurers. The Poison Queen sought the Crown of Night in the King's Barrow. However, the adventurers found the Crown first and fled with it into Feylan Wood. The Poison Queen satisfied herself with expanding her control throughout the region. The adventurers ran afoul wicked fey in the Wood and vanished.

**The Black Rainbow**

A band of adventurers in the Amato region uncovered a conspiracy to overthrow the local Daimyo. The plot was orchestrated by a cult and criminal organization known as the Black Rainbow. Foiling the plot, the adventurers discovered ties to Tamamo no Mae and a plan to plunge the world into eternal night.

**The Second Great Horde**

This period of history has remained relatively obscure, though scholars have recently made promising finds.

**The Mushroom War**

A group of adventurers released the Wolfsbane Princess from imprisonment. The freed fey noble sought to reclaim her lands which had been awarded to the Mushroom King starting the Mushroom War. As the war raged on it would come to involve six fey houses and all of the Northern Baronies.

**The Seed of Life**

A druid led a small band of adventurers into the Fey Realm to the Heart of the World in order to bring back the Seed of Life. Returning from their journey with the living artifact they passed through a series of trials and planted the seed in the center of Feylan Wood. This seed grew at an incredible rate. Within only a few years it would be the largest tree in the forest.

**The Dread Pirate Baul**

For a period of time a half devil pirate by the name of Baul terrorized the Merchant Sea. His ship the Night Mist was consider certain doom when spotted. His crew preyed on the trade routes of the area for years, defeating every effort by the navies of both White Castle and Rafiah. Stories tell that Baul's reign was ended by his own hubris. He is believed to have been killed, along with his entire crew by the dragon Mornrith, the Great Doom of the Sea. Though some whispered that they had in fact disappeared into a bank of unusual fog that had covered the region.

**Granny Cook**

White Castle had for some time suffered a fair amount of difficulty getting the folk of the Dalelands to pay taxes properly. A task that would fall to a particular knight in charge of the region. He decided to march his troops through the halfling settlements and collect all the taxes personally. Thinking this show of force would make it so the halflings didn't ever forget their taxes again. The Granny of Briarstone organized the county and a military force of White Castle troops was defeated by farmers. Halfling villagers had a decisive victory against a force consisting of cavalry, archers and infantry. No military would ever attempt an attack on the Dalelands again and Granny Cook became patron saint of the region.

**The Third Great Horde**

In Orcbreast the orcs had been struggling in their savage homeland. This caused the clans to only grow in strength as the weak died to the regions dangers. They had begun to truly claim mastery of their lands. They tamed owlbears, made trolls their dull-witted allies and made bargains with ogres. Once again a chief came forward that gathered all the clans together. Except this time they would march out of Orcbreast with necromancers provided by Morgion. The betrayer of Loraen had died but was resurrected as a powerful form of undead. North beyond the mountains in lands where none had gone he had built a kingdom of the dead. So it was that as the Third Great Horde lay siege to Gateway, those killed by the orcs joined their ranks as the undead. They were however unable to breach the cities walls.

**The Fall of Light Tower**

The elves had suffered terribly under the rule of White Castle. As knights were sent north to deal with the Great Horde the elves with sylvan allies began making attacks on any White Castle resource within a days ride of Feylan Wood. These attacks spread further and further into the heart of the kingdom until every forest seemed to act as garrison for elven rangers using guerilla tactics to wreak havoc. The most famous of this maneuvers resulted in the fall of the city of Light Tower to elven forces. The city was home to the Cathedral of Ivory Blossoms, where clerics of Lyllian were trained and now it belonged to the fey.

**Morgion's Return**

As the siege on Gateway continued the defenders were surprised as the Horde began to withdraw. The sky filled with dark arcane whispers and the skies turned black. Morgion had arrived with his vampire generals and wraith sorcerers. Uninterested in whether Gateway fell first or last, the dark army pored through portals opened by his casters. In the Moorlund ancient stone circles crackled with energy and Morgion's forces marched from them. South toward the capital of White Castle itself.

**Fall of White Castle**

White Castle had gathered every warrior it could spare in the southern regions of the Continent to gather and retake Light Tower. With mercenaries and siege engines from Rafiah they attacked the city. So set were they on retaking Light Tower that when they sky turned dark they ignored it. Meanwhile the elves and fey rebels had gathered their strongest forces into the city to defend it. Both sides delivered brutal casualties to their opposition.

Morgion's scouts reported all this and he turned his army east. The siege of Light Tower was joined by a third army. The Great Horde and all the undead abominations that marched with it. The dead across the site rose up and further bolstered Morgion's forces and they fell on the living like a tide. In less than a day the only living forces left were those of the Great Horde. Morgion resumed the march on White Castle.

*See Also: the Orphans of Zodar*

*See Also: Akechi the Dishonored*