Areteleo I Sovenos

"*I will not weap if I father no sons, at the least I will have spared the realm another war of clans*"
―**Areteleo the Dreadful**[src]

## Arteleo Serio Sovenos

### Sigil

Pyramid of Clan OtmarYassineo's shepherd's cane

## Early Life

### Youth

Areteleo was born in 4666 A.D to a mother of a lesser clan who died giving birth to him. Areteleo had no higher positions at court than merely being one of King Yassieneo’s four undisputed sons. As child to The Giant king, Areteleo was seven foot tall, much like his half brothers Krei, Leanal and Algeo. Arteleo was the sole prince with a commoner mother, while the rest had mothers from powerful clans. He was however a smart boy and knew how to conserve his strength. He felt abandoned and alone as his father never cared for him and his mother was deceased. When the other princes would spend holidays at the mother’s home cities and clan-seats, Areteleo would be left alone in the capitol as his mother's clan never knew him. But soon his luck would change.

### Ties to the Clan of Septho

Prince Areteleo came to befriend the then Solimarian princess, Leonalona Lea Septho, daughter to the powerful king Ravien III of Solimar. The two children met at a royal banquet in Grandoak, thrown by Arteleo’s king father in the honor of the newly born heir to the Solimarian throne, crown prince Leyon Vermion Septho.

Arteleo was only eleven at the time, and Leona a year his senior. They bonded over horse racing and went on to cultivate a sturdy relationship that continued mostly by letter across miles of land.
One day, ten years later, Arteleo received terrible news - King Ravien III had sired a second son. The boy, named prince Dorian, was born to a woman of a wealthier clan than his friends, Leona and Leyon, making the baby their biggest threat in the line of succession. Since the crown of Solimar was the second most powerful thing in the empire, it was a race for any member of the Septho family to chase.

### Tragedy

Princess Leona made it clear in a tragic letter that she was terrified for her and brother’s life, but Areteleo calmed her down, promising that they could live with him if they ever felt threatened.
Eight long years passed and just as Leona had predicted, Dorian’s mother began to press for her child to be the heir to the throne. Leona and Leyon’s mother, lady Belalona, spoke against the usurping of her son’s birthright. Sadly, since the crown always favored the wealthiest, lady Belalona was accused of plotting her king husband’s murder, and her head was taken off in front of her children.
Leona hated her father, she wrote to Areteleo that it was time for their plan b as she feared for Leyon’s life, Areteleo agreed.
After waiting three fortnights for his friends to arrive, Areteleo received a letter from the thirteen years old prince Leyon. Leona had been found with a broken neck, sustained from a fall off her horse’s back, and the Dominion shield had deemed it a terrible accident. Arteleo was crushed, and he imagined Leyon must have felt alone, so he traveled to Lionsgate to keep him company.

### A New Brother

Areteleo mourned his friend by getting closer to her younger brother, and they soon became inseparable. Prince Dorian died a mysterious death too at about ten years of age, leaving Leyon as the sole heir once more.
Areteleo and Leyon loved hunting and spending time in the wilderness far from court, something that went well with the court of the forest as Areteleo was in no way going to inherit the Forestland throne. On the other hand, spending time away did not please the court of Solimar as Leyon was to inherit the throne. Leyon did not like his father, king Ravien III, and his father certainly didn't like him or the fact that he was completely uninterested in the matters of court.
When Leyon’s father married a fifth wife and sired a son on her by the name of Ravien, like himself, Leyon knew that he had to stop jesting and take court seriously. He had to do so and fast before he met the same fate as his older sister.

## Life at Court

### Returning Home

Areteleo returned to the forest in the year 4697 A.D, after spending nearly ten years in Lionsgate. He and crown prince Leyon had become brothers in all fashion except in blood. Scholars say that Leyon would’ve not survived another year if Arteleo had not been there protecting him.
Areteleo came home to a sickly father. He cared not much for king Yassineo, but he was there to aid him with small things and large, as his brothers whored and drank. He sat in on all the court meetings as his brother Krei lived lavishly in Foreeman, and his other brother Leanal fucked his way through Lower Vandorstreet. Aretleo began to like court, it wasn’t like that of Solimar or Lionsgate. There was no Blackstone to overrule all that was to be done, and there was no Ravien III to whore his way through important meetings. However there was a senate, a lurking and poisonous one - he liked them not, and neither were they fond of him.

### The Death of His Father

Areteleo sought to strengthen his position at court and he had found the perfect wife. Among the women studying medicine at the Magistery was a certain lady from Lionsgate. Creasilana Septho was her name, a member of the imperial family, not of Solimar, but of Lionsgate itself. He fought for days to gain her attention, and soon they married.
They had two children, Perleo and Ifeliana. Leyon and Areteleo were apart for quite some years while they both embraced life at court, but now they were bounded by blood. Leyon had grown hungry for the power he had received as a Dominian shield commander, and Areteleo did not like that side of him very much. Sometimes Solimarian the crown prince would send letters with secret plans of how he wanted Areteleo to help him overthrow his father, Ravien, but Areteleo would look the other way.

Areteleo had been living close to his own father for two years now, and he wished there would be peace. He wanted nothing more than to raise his children in a war free Forestlands; to be the best father and servant to the realm he could be; and to help his brothers, Krei and Leanal, as they would undergo the established process to determine which one of them would bear the crown. His country needed him, and he was there to serve - Until one day king Yassineo died.

## War of the Giants

### The Twin Brothers

The fight for the crown started in the year 4699 A.D between the twin brothers, Yassineo’s first sons, Leanal and Krei, fighting over who was more fit to lead since their ages did not cut the tie - The country promptly split. That year Krei and Leanal turned the Forestlands upside down, warring with each other. But, the two had to keep an eye on their two siblings that had any kind of support and supposedly did not want the crown. The biggest mistake the two belligerant princes made was to underestimate their half brother, Prince Algeo, who had a wealthy mother of clan Latvin whispering into his ear to take the throne by killing the last one standing of them two. It was Algeo’s opportunity to unite the crowns of all three of the most powerful principalities of the forest. Algeo’s uncle, prince Arlaine of Kalisand, was ill and had no suitable heir, so the moment was ripe for him to make his move.

### Death of Wife and Children

Prince Krei, a Foreeman favorite, gained the support of the western princes and was crowned Gran prince in Greenhal. His army grew far bigger than his brother’s instantly. Krei quickly began wiping out any potential rival in the family, including his distant cousin by the name of Caeli of Foreeman, who would turn out to be brother to a bastard known as Pasi.
Krei had Areteleo’s mother murdered and tried to do the same to Areteleo, but the prince successfully fled to Thalia with his wife and two children.
Fearing for Areteleo’s and his cousins safety, prince Leyon now chief general of the Dominian guard, ordered Krei arrested and put on trial for the murder of Areteleo’s mother and countless others in war crimes. Sadly, the House of Dominiq in Blackstone did not approve of the arrest order, and effectively killed it to avoid a two front war with both the Sistemans abroad and the Forestlands at home, especially when Krei had the support of many other Grand princes of the Forest. The house wanted to avoid an incident with the Forestlands so desperately that, to keep Leyon busy, they sent him overseas to guard Leberta for the empire. Leyon had no choice but to obey as Chief general of the Dominian guard, leaving his friend Areteleo to fend for his own.

Shortly after getting an apology letter from Leyon, Areteleo realized that the only way he and his family would survive was if he got them safely to Solimar under the protection of the Dominian shield. He also knew that he had little to no chance traveling through Kalisand, the territory of his step brother Algeo, that he knew was secretly plotting to take the throne himself. But Areteleo soon reckoned that traveling by boat on the coasts was far more exposing, and surely full of bounty hunters on his tail. He decided to take his family through Kalisand anyway, using the river chain all the way to Solimar. The journey was full of terror but it looked as if they would make it - Until a couple of kilometers from the border to Solimar in northern Kalisand, Areteleo was recognized by Latvin men. They were hunted for days, navigating the rivers, until Areteleo split from his family in an attempt to give them a chance at making it to Solimar. Sadly, his wife and children were showered with arrows in their boat by Algeo’s men, not far from the Solimarian border.
Prince Algeo had a strange way of feeling close to his victims. He always kept their remains in jars as souvenirs - A big mistake as it turned out later.

### Betrayal

Arriving in Solimar, Areteleo was put in chains by the Dominian shield and sent to Lionsgate for a trial. He would’ve had a better chance of getting amnesty in Solimar if he had with him his wife and children - they were after all of the imperial clan. Arriving on his own rendered him a mere political liability to Blackstone, as he rivaled two powerful princes of a country Blackstone could not afford to vex. The House of Dominiq’s sentence was as expected, Areteleo was doomed to be deported back to Grandoak where he was wanted by his brother Leanal. Luckily at the same time he was being transported by boat back to Grandoak, his brother Leanal was marching his army to Ovive, where the last battle of the twins was fought.

### The White Haired Boy

Areteleo arrived in Grandoak a fortnight later and was escorted to the great pyramid where he was imprisoned. In the dungeons, he encountered a boy that identified himself as the father of his father, in short, his ancestor. The boy did not look a day over fifteen, with his strange white hair and yellow eyes. Areteleo dismissed the boy as insane and thus should not be speaking to him. The stranger however told him that he knew that it sounded strange and maybe even impossible, but Areteleo should just breathe it in and believe.
Areteleo had lost everything, his children and his wife. He made it clear to the stranger that it didn’t matter if he believed the insanity or not, he was a dead man anyhow. The boy laughed and told him that his mentality was too grim and life was way more complicated than that. Areteleo did not mind to respond. The boy told him that his first family was never meant to be more than just that, Areteleo launched at him, catching him by his throat.
The boy was not even fazed, as if he could breathe just fine with Areteleo’s hands wrapped around his throat. He told Areteleo that he was not to die that day, and that the whole forest would soon bow to him, if he just agreed to one thing. Areteleo released the boy’s throat, and asked what he wanted. He replied that he wanted nothing but the wellbeing of his unborn children.
Areteleo slumped back to his corner, saying that if the boy helped him avenge his family, he could have whatever he wanted.
The stranger gripped Areteleo’s finger, bit into it, sucking the blood out and spitting it on a piece of his cloth. Then he spoke a word that echoed through the dungeon and the cell door sprung open. He walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Areteleo banged on the cell door, believing he had been played for a fool. The noise drew a guard to his cell, and the dark man told him to shut it before he drove his blade through his ribs. Areteleo asked if he did not see the white haired boy walk out of the dungeon, and the guard asked, ”What damned boy?”

### The Savior

When Krei slayed Leanal in the battle of Ovive, the scene was perfect for Algeo, who had planned an attack, to ride in and take out the rest of them as the battleground was on Kalisand land and so close to his capital, Latvinkin.
When Algeo arrived at the scene where Krei had camped his army, he only saw corpses, thousands upon thousands of them, all poisoned with valley lore. Krei’s corpse sat calmly on a throne surrounded by the corpses of his mantel of war and his generals. Algeo knew he was beaten, because whomever had defeated Krei had certainly already taken the crown. Algeo turned his armies around and went calmly back to Latvinkin to await his fate.

Back in Grandoak Areteleo was taken out of his prison, being the last of the brothers alive no one knew what to do with him. He had no powerful clan to turn to, so the senators conspired to have him quartered and dumped in the bay. But the priest soon arrived at the great pyramid to the senate’s surprise, none of them had summoned him. The priest revealed to have received a summoning from Pasi that Leanal had perished and that Areteleo was the true heir.
The senate reckoned Areteleo was the last person with the strongest claim to the throne, but he was also a weak candidate with no support anywhere. The priest maintained that Areteleo was, by the laws of gods and balance, the rightful heir.
A senator from Ovive made it heard that he would not support a clan Otmar bastard to wear Belinda’s crown. Without hesitating and utilizing only one word, the priest turned the senator to a pool of blood and bones splashed against the wall.

That same night Areteleo was pronounced Prince of Grandoak and sole heir to the crown in the Red Temple. In fear of angering the powerful Kovathian priest, the senate caved and accepted the verdict, hailing the new king.
Later that month Areteleo marched on Foreeman with an army supported by all the western princes and the clergy. No battle was fought, the gates of Greenhal opening as he and his men approached. In the great pyramid of Greenhal he was hailed as Grand prince of Foreeman.
Blackstone, which had betrayed Areteleo in his moment of need, trembled in fear of what he might do in revenge. They knew he would make them pay for extraditing him to his death - they had to act.

### The Most High

Areteleo traveled back to Grandoak to arrange for his campaign against his half brother Algeo who still held Kalisand -the richest part of the realm.
An assassin was sent in coordination between Blackstone and the senate during the night before Areteleo was to sit down with the royal Mantels and dukes to cement his ascension to the crown. But the attempt on his life failed when the bastard from Foreeman, Pasi, saved the future king’s life by exposing the senate’s plans.

Areteleo executed the entire senate for treason and appointed new mantels and senators of low birth. That sent a statement to how the kingdom would look during his rule. He was named The most high and crowned Areteleo the first on summer solstice.

## Reign

### Revenge

The Foreeman territories were still in turmoil because of the divide between the loyalists of prince Krei and those of prince Leanal. One thing was clear though, all the factions wanted a Sovenos of Foreeman on the throne, not Areteleo himself. To reinstate peace and order, king Areteleo decided to instate a Foreeman native to its throne - preferably someone he could trust.
Pasi Sovenos, the bastard, had made sure that Areteleo’s execution was postponed every time the senate tried to execute him during his stay in the dungeons. He simply reminded the senate that king Krei would most likely want to kill him himself, as he did his children. Besides, Pasi was almost murdered by Areteleo’s brothers alongside Areteleo’s family, so he felt more for the new king then any of his brothers. To Areteleo it was only fair for Pasi to rule Foreeman in his stead, so he named him Pasi the first, Grand Prince of Foreeman.

### The White Haired Boy

Areteleo married Pasi’s half sister, lady Sorenia to seal the bond. After reuniting the Foreeman lands, Areteleo, alongside Pasi and his newfound army, marched on Kalisand. The Latvin men were surrounded two to one, even a blind man could predict the outcome of that. The battle was swift, partly due to the fact that many of Algeo’s men surrendered as soon as they saw the vast horde of all white royal cavalry and infantry approach.

Algeo was offered to Areteleo by his own men, and in the prince’s chambers disturbing items were found. Severed genitals, fingers and tongues placed here and there. Areteleon believed he had seen it all before he came upon jars filled with more human remains. Among them were the heads and limbs of his dead wife and two children. Despite all the prince had done to cause him pain, Areteleo offered him a choice: kneel and swear fealty or die. Without giving it a second thought, the proud fool threw the offer in the king's face.

It is said that Arteleo smiled when Algeo spat to the floor in a vulgar refusal to accept his demands. The king drew his blade then and there, and hacked Algeo to pieces by himself as the fool howled and screeched in agony.

"*The most high started with the prince's feet, hacking away at them like overgrown grass in the field*"
-One witness of the gruesome execution reported.

After he was done, king Arteleo declared Algeo’s cousin, Caleo, to become the Grand Prince of Kalisand. He stripped Algeo’s skin and made leather for his new cloak of war. He ordered the remains of his wife and daughters to be scooped out of Algeo’s jars. He took the handprints of his two children and pressed it on the cloak where anybody would see them. He took the blood of his wife and made a stone out of it, which he later fashioned into a ring to wear. Thus, the war of giants was over.

## The Coming War

Year 4724 A.D - Areteleo I had ruled for 24 years before tragedy hit once more. During all those years a percolating hate between Grandoak and the Foreemans was slowly building up again. The western princes believed Grandoak had grown too powerful and they wanted some of their power back. The only thing holding the country together was Pasi and Areteleo’s alliance. They had gone through rough times together and knew the price for war, so when the younglings in Foreeman spoke of retaking their independence from the crown, Pasi shut them down.

### Heirs to the Crown

Areteleo had seven children post his ascension to the throne. The first lady he married was Sorenia of Greenhal (Foreeman). With her he had three daughters; Loriana, Lucinda and Belinda. These were not enough to quell the rebels of Foreeman and anger of the western princes. The rebels started to grow in the west and Areteleo was a bit too tired of war at this point. He decided to install someone he trusted on the throne of Foreeman, someone the Foreemans would accept - Pasi Sovenos.

After installing Pasi on the throne Areteleo still had the problem of not having any sons, which Pasi had, and to hold onto power Areteleo needed male heirs as well that could back their sister’s claim to the throne if need be. So, Areteleo married a second wife, lady Frenia of the Latvins. Marrying her pushed lady Sorenia away, but it came with a loyal army - The Great Latvin army. With the two armies joining Areteleo, he dwarfed the western lands. The king could now rest assured that the western princes would stay in line - He had the foreeman at his side by being ”close” to Pasi and married to his half sister.

### Rise of the Rebels

With lady Frenia, Areteleo had four children: Thenateo, Leenarin, Osas, and Califeo.
King Areteleo had warned the Latvins to not antagonize Blackstone, but their Grand prince, Peno II, had to make Lore so pure Blackstone couldn’t compete. Ten years after Arteleo’s first son, Prince Thenateo, was born in 4738 A.D, Latvinkin was invaded by “rebels under a black banner” (Blackstone).
The Latvins were butchered, their lands pillaged then seized by the house of Dominiq. The Solimarian king was to be its protector until an heir ascended.
The Grand princes of the forest hailed Areteleo an impotent king, for not declaring war on Blackstone. The western princes began to fund rebel groups to depose their king, and so the Kalibas rebels were born.

### The Grand Prince of Foreeman

Grand Prince Pasi of Foreeman had two sons: Osas Thenateo the firstborn in 4718 A.D, and Kocha Lees the mentally ill born in 4720. He added three more children around the same time: Glodian Lucinda the capable born in 4721; Sathaneo Narsaq the sweet born; and Cenan Veleo the righteous was his last.
Pasi’s children and Areteleo’s last four children would become the worst thing that ever happened to the forestlands for the next thirty years.

## The Thirty Year War

### The Grand Prince of Foreeman

This war was the second Sovenos civil war and it started the year Areteleo I died, 4753 A.D.
It all started with the tragic love story between Areteleo’s daughter Princess Leenarin, and Grand Prince Pasi’s daughter, lady Glodiana. These two loved each other above anything else. Their parents knew about them and whispers circulated the kingdom about their affair. Following the Forestland cultures, one had to be married to initiate sexual relations and two of the same gender could not legally be married - Glodia and Leena couldn’t care less.

King Areteleo I had to uphold the religious laws as well as his own. The clergy lended him legitimacy in the eyes of the people as much as he legitimized them, so they needed each other to survive. When the clergy started to be pressured by the people for not taking action against the lady, they had to tell the king that the lady needed to stop or be punished.
Areteleo understood the urgency of the situation then and there, swiftly speaking with his daughter about it. Princess Leenarin responded that she knew of the prejudice but was not choosing to be who she was. Arteleo understood but still she had to stop.

King Areteleo spoke to Prince Pasi, discussing what was about to happen if the girls were not to stop. Pasi realized that the clergy would not hesitate as much to take action against him compared to the king. The prince of Foreeman offered his daughter something she could not refuse. Her brother Osas had died a couple of years prior in a horse race accident and her other older brother was deemed too mentally insane to serve as prince of Foreeman. Pasi offered Glod the crown of Foreeman, a title never held by a Foreeman woman before, and told her that he would abdicate in her favor if she just accepted to give Leena up - Glodian accepted.
Leenarin was furious.