Horthas Bethlam

Horthas Bethlam was a member of House Bethlam within the Kingdom of Alterac whose mother was of the House of Boroll. He was known for his sturdy physique and an adept strategist. He was hard-pressed into having the ambition to reclaim the lands of House Boroll and earn the favor of House Perenolde. However, when House Perenolde caught wind of the conspiracy to make war on the other nobles, they demanded that Horthas give up his ambitions and threatened to lay waste to his family lands, which angered Horthas and he began to hire mercenaries, adventurers, and fielded professional soldiers amongst his ranks.

## Horthas Bethlam

### Relatives

Grethmac Boroll (great-great-grandfather)Gathbon Bethlam (father)

Bethana Boroll (mother)

Heldona Stelpa (wife)

## **Military Campaign**

Once Horthas was ready, he set off to reconquer the lands of the former House Boroll. He faced fierce resistance from the local lordship as they refused to surrender and this made it all difficult for Horthas to subdue the lords around Eastern Alterac. Horthas, however, hard-pressed into his war, would suffer his first defeat at the Battle of Strahnbrad when he charged his cavalry against seasoned pikemen. Only when it was too late, half his cavalry was gone and he was forced to pull back his forces to avoid further losses.

He retreated east toward the Uplands where he knew the nobles would pursue him with the aid of the royals at their back. Here, he positioned troops in the woods to ambush the soldiers as they advanced toward him en masse. Out in the open, Horthas positioned his troops in a horseshoe shape facing outward toward the enemy and as they clashed with the Alteraci soldiers, they gave ground to allow the enemy to send more troops into the fray. Once the enemy had committed the rest of their troops into the battle, Horthas gave the signal and his forces began to encircle the enemy and cut them to pieces with only the royal forces managing to escape, everyone else was killed or captured.

House Perenolde was then forced to crackdown on the region to prevent further bloodshed and this time they waged a war of attrition, if Horthas advanced, they retreated, if Horthas retreated, they pursued. This went on for months until Horthas was forced to send his forces home until he was left with his professional soldiers or personal guard and he sued for peace on the condition that he kept Dandred County.

## **Horthas' Marriage**

Horthas, having been unsuccessful in his mission, would now switch to diplomacy. The nobles whom he fought now feared him and those who didn't fight him sued for diplomacy as he was the most feared nobleman in Alterac. One noble lady sent a letter to Horthas asking to meet him in person, which he accepted. He met a giantess of a woman, big breasted and well-toned body, and they fell in love at first sight. They immediately arranged a marriage with each other and weeks later she was pregnant with his first child. Horthas and his wife would sire ten children in total, however half of this number would survive infancy and the rest would die by disease or martial causes.

## **Speculation**

Despite all of Horthas' children having died without an heir, one of his sons would sire a bastard child whom later resided as a priest inside an Alteraci Monastery.

It is also speculated that Horthas' wife has Stromic origins.