Nark VI Heartan
Biographical information
Physical description
- "The first Heartan king to have been defeated in war since Nark III Heartan. Nark was a disaster of a king, and due to his poor efforts as ruler, he lost the Dwavern Kingdom, and after his death lost other lands."
- ―About Nark VI
Nark VI Heartan (TA 5151 - TA 5247) was the King of Amsnorth after the death of his father, Nark V Heartan. He is most known for his huge defeat in the War for the two Kingdoms, where he lost the war in securing the Dwavern Kingdom. Nark VI Heartan is the first king to lose a kingdom within the Human Royal Government, and the only king in hundreds of years to have been killed in combat, dying in the Battle across Oakfield.
Before his coronation, Nark was known for his vuluar attitude, and many people have claimed that he prefered men over women, which gained him a very negative reputation among nobles and highborns. However he greatly loved his subjects, and as Prince of Amsnorth, he often handed gold and gems to the weak and poor. He also assisted in educating many young children, teaching math above all.
Due to his massive praise by the people, they held an election by forming out in thousands to prevent Victoria II Heartan from becoming Queen of Amsnorth. They went on to elect Nark VI Heartan as their new ruling monarch. Due to the scale of the mob, Victoria passed down the mantle after seeing their negative opinions on her. Nark was then crowned after his father died.
Throughout his reign Nark showed great promise as a king, often helping the poor and reducing the high tax the previous monarchs had instored. However Nark was not a powerful ruler, and would often flinch away from combat and warfare. This eventually gained the attention of Yhafar Boulderrock, who considered Nark a ruler unfit to rule anything, so declaired the Dwavern Kingdom independent, and naming himself the King of the Dwavern Kingdom. In order to keep a hold of his kingdoms, Nark rallied his armies in order to face off against Yhafar, but as the war ensured, Nark was betrayed by several of his own lords and highborns, and suffered a huge defeat in many battles. He also lost many lands across the Main Lands as the dwarves started spreading across them. Nark eventually decided to defeat the dwarves in open battle, but during the Battle across Oakfield, Nark's forces were slaughtered and the King of Amsnorth died in battle.
His son, Edward II Heartan became king shortly afterwards in order to keep the peace among the human settlements. However Edward II was killed only several weeks into his reign.
Character and Appearance[]
Nark was a overly kind, caring and loving man, who respected all people of all ranks. However he was not very strong, and was considered very weak. He held no love for bloodshed, battle or politics, which made him a poor king. But due to his caring for his people, he was loved, and even after many of his poor leadership traits, they still stood by his side.
Nark was a handsom man, with cropped brown hair and brown eyes. He was overly fond of how he looked, and fashioned a crown to sit around his forehead, instead of the traditional crown on the head. He also loved to wear his fine silks, and even wore them under his armour.
History[]
Early life and adulthood[]
Nark VI Heartan was born in Royal Palace in Royalandüs on TA 5151, less than a year after his father. Nark V Heartan had conquered Kolodyyne. The King probably deliberately chose the palace as the location for Nark's birth, as it was an important symbolic location for all the previous kings before him. Nark's birth brought with it predictions of greatness from contemporary prophets who believed that the Last Days of the world were imminent, declaring him to be a new King Harken I Heartan, who would lead House Heartan to glory in securing all the kingdoms and countries back into supporting the crown.
Nark's name was Heartan in origin, linking him to the very first of his name, Nark I Heartan, son to Jafier Heartan, and was chosen by his father. Nark had three siblings: the eldest, Victoria II Heartan and his two younger, sister and brother, Anne IV Heartan, William V Heartan. While Victoria was the favourite for the throne, due to Nark's
Nark dressed in armour
immense reputation among the people, he won the overall election that was held in order to remove Victoria was the heir to the throne. Victoria did step down as she respected the idea of Nark being loved more than she, and then she moved to the Rocky Vale to rule as Duchess of the East.
Early Campaigns in the Dwavern Kingdom[]
Between TA 5198 and TA 5199, Nark was left as regent in charge of Royalandüs while the King campaigned in Kolodyyne against Yhafar Boulderrock, who had started to lower his supplies and tax to the crown. On his return, Nark V Heartan signed a peace treaty, under which he took Yharfar's sister, Elleda Boulderrock, as his maid and servants and agreed that Prince Nark VI Heartan would in due course marry Yhafar's human lord's daughter Fiona Pinefield, who was then only twelve years old.
Nark V returned to Kolodyyne once again in 5200, and this time took his son with him, making him the commander of the rearguard at the siege of Stronghollow. He shoved his son into the thickest of the siege, in order to force him out of his cowardly nature, and watched as his son fought against rouge dwarf soldiers.
In 5203, Nark VI and his father quarrelled, probably over the issue of money. The Prince had an altercation with Ghabeal Fickleson, who served as the royal treasurer, apparently over the amount of financial support Nark V Heartan received from the Crown. Nark V defended his treasurer, and banished his son and his companions from his court, cutting off their financial support. After some negotiations involving family members and friends, the two men were reconciled.
Sexuality[]
It was during these times, Nark VI Heartan grew very close to his friend Peter Gaverston , Gaverston was the son of
King Nark VI
one of the King's household knights whose lands lay adjacent to Kolodyyne, and had himself joined Prince Nark's household in TA 5204, possibly on Nark V's instruction. The two got on well; Gaverston became a squire and was soon being referred to as a close companion of Nark VI's, before being knighted by the King several months later. The King then exiled Gaverston to Kolodyyne, for reasons that remain unclear. According to one chronicler, Nark had asked his father to allow him to give Gaverston the lands and titles around L'Talio, and the King responded furiously, pulling his son's hair out in great handfuls, before exiling Gaverston. The official court records, however, show Gaverston being only temporarily exiled, supported by a comfortable stipend; no reason is given for the order, suggesting that it may have been an act aimed at punishing the prince in some way.
The possibility that Nark had a sexual relationship with Gaverston or his later favourites has been extensively discussed, complicated by the paucity of surviving evidence to determine for certain the details of their relationships.
Early Reign[]
Coronation and Marriage[]
Nark V Heartan mobilised another army for the Dwarvin campaign in TA 5226, which Prince Nark was due to join that summer, but the elderly King had been increasingly unwell and died the year later in Southwater. Nark travelled from Gran Sarathal immediately after the news reached him, and shortly after he was proclaimed king. He continued into Kolodyyne and received homage from his dwarf supporters at L'Talio, before abandoning the campaign and returning south. Nark promptly recalled Peter Gaverston who was then in exile, and appointed him as the Earl of the Plain Lands, before arranging his marriage to the Fiona Pinefield.
In TA 5228, Nark's marriage to Fiona proceeded. Nark crossed the Black Sea to the Dwavern Kingdom, leaving
Nobles talking about war
Gaverston in charge of the kingdom in his absence. This arrangement was unusual, and involved unprecedented powers being delegated to Gaverston. Nark probably hoped that the marriage would strengthen his position in Kolodyyne and bring him much needed funds. The final negotiations, however, proved challenging: Nark and Yhafar Boulderrock did not like each other, and the Dwarf Lord drove a hard bargain over the size of Fiona's dower and the details of the administration of Nark's lands in the Dwavern Kingdom, and the amount of tax paid to the crown. They eventually came to an agreement, when Nark allowed Yhafar to lower his tax, and increased his food supplies by more than double.
The pair were married in Golden Halls on TA 5230. Nark gave Fiona Pinefield a psalter as a wedding gift, and her father, Bryxton Pinefield gave her gifts that dated back since the fomring of the first empires. The pair returned to Royalandüs a short few weeks after their marriage, where Nark had ordered Royal Palace to be lavishly restored in readiness for their coronation and wedding feast, complete with marble tables, forty ovens and a fountain that produced wine and pimento, a spiced medieval drink. After some delays, the ceremony went ahead, under the guidance of Roberto Chine, the Holey One of the Sept. As part of the coronation, Nark swore to uphold "the rightful laws and customs which the community of the realm shall have chosen". It is uncertain what this meant: it might have been intended to force Nark to accept future legislation, it may have been inserted to prevent him from over-turning any future vows he might take, or it may have been an attempt by the King to ingratiate himself with the barons.The event was marred by the large crowds of eager spectators who surged into the palace, knocking down a wall and forcing Nark to flee by the back door. Isabella was a lot younger at the time of her wedding, and Nark probably had sexual relations with mistresses during their first few years together. The two have two children, Edward II Heartan and George VI Heartan.
War for the Two Kingdoms[]
Frail relations[]
- "Nark may have been a good king to his people, but when it came to war, he was no better than a stable boy."
- ―About Nark during the war
In TA 5243 Nark VI received rumours that Yhafar Boulderrock had be planning on independence from the Human Royal Government. Nark on the other hand dismissed this rumour, due to the agreement he and the Lord had several years before hand. However the supplies the Dwavern Kingdom supplies started to decline, until eventually they cut off trade all together.
The Senate called a meeting in the Sept of Dārśanka (Mystic Dragon) to discuss the matter, Nark was present, and
Nark leading his forces into battle
was the host to many insults by his highborns. During the meeting the Senate decided to resolve the matter, and sent a raven to summon Yhafar Boulderrock to the capital to answer for his crimes. However after weeks they got no response, until several hundred ships were spotted heading towards Snowport. The news reached Gran Sarathal within a short few days, but by that time the dwarf forces had invaded the Eastern Territories and laid siege to Rocky Vale.
Nark sent a raven to his elder sister, Victoria II Heartan, but he received a reply saying that she has been held prisoner. Responding to the matter, Nark declaired war against the Dwavern Kingdom, thus beginning the War for the Two Kingdoms.
Torn Nation[]
Months into the war, Nark saw a serious fall in his allies, including many of his own family. Victoria had been beheaded for refusing an offer by Yhafar Boulderrock, and Nark's youngest son, George VI Heartan had been slain in the Battle across the Snowy Lands. A grief-struck Nark VI Heartan became depressed, and many of his council memebers started to abandon him. The entire of the Easter Territories had been claimed by the Dwavern Kingdom, so Nark done what he thought would save his family house, by asking for aid in the Wood-Elf Monarchy. However
Nark at sail
Melenki refused the aid him, due to an alliance with Yhafar that would spare his own lands from invasion.
Lord from across the Main Lands started to move against Nark, however few still remained loyal to his cause. Ron Lukie, Lord of Qhylen decided to assist the king, by joining his forces with his. Forming a huge army, they marched against Yhafar Boulderrock.
Battle of Hightower[]
By TA 5245, Yhafar Boulderrock had recaptured most of the castles in around Seginthul once held by Garric Symoset, pushing raiding parties into the Northern Territories. In response, Nark planned a major military campaign with the support of House Lukie and his vassels, mustering a large army between 15,000 and 20,000 strong. Meanwhile, Yhafar had besieged Castle Hightower, a key fortification in the Northern Territorie ; its human commander had stated that unless Nark arrived to assit him, he would surrender. News of this reached the King in, and he decided to speed up his march north from Greatwood Forest to relieve the castle. Yhafar, with between 5,500 and 6,500 troops, predominantly spearmen, prepared to prevent Nark's forces from reaching Hightower.
The battle began weeks later as the human army attempted to force its way across the high ground of the [[Dead Marshes|Dead
Battle for Castle Hightower
Marshes]], which was surrounded by marshland. Skirmishing between the two sides broke out, resulting in the death of Prince William V Heartan, whom Yhafar Boulderrock killed in personal combat. Nark continued his advance the following day, and encountered the bulk of the dwarf army as they emerged from Darkwood Forest. Nark appears not to have expected the dwarves to give battle here, and as a result had kept his forces in marching, rather than battle, order, with the archers − who would usually have been used to break up enemy spear formations − at the back of his army, rather than the front. His cavalry found it hard to operate in the cramped terrain and were crushed by Yhafar's spearmen. The human army was overwhelmed and its leaders were unable to regain control.
Nark stayed behind to fight, but it became obvious that the battle was lost, so Nark's noblemen pulled him away from the battle, causing the deaths of over 3,000 men. They retreated back around the Northern Territories, and fell back to Evergreen Forest. A defeated Nark met with very harsh feedback from his soldiers and commanders, which caused Nark to ride back for Gran Sarathal.
Losing the Northern Territories[]
After the fiasco of Castle Hightower, the lords of Qhylen and Markwall saw their political influence increase, and they pressured Nark to rise more trops for battle. House Lukie became the head of the royal council, promising to take
The fall of the Northern Territories
back many lands around the Northern Territories, after the fall of Qhylen, but he appears to have abandoned this role soon afterwards, partially because of disagreements with the other nobles.
Meanwhile, Yhafar Boulderrock's exploited his victory at Castle Hightower to raid the Northern regions the Main Lands, initially attacking Greatown and Windstone, and then reaching further south into Dragonstone and eventually even threatening Windhark itself. Nark undertook an expensive but unsuccessful campaign to stem the advance in TA 5246, but the famine made it increasingly difficult to keep his garrisons supplied with food. Meanwhile, a dwarf expedition led by Yhafar's brother successfully invaded the Great Valour Islands, where Skarlak Boulderrock declared himself the King of the Great Valour Islands. He was finally defeated months later by several lords, and handed. This enraged Yhafar, and he unleashed a force of over 30,000 men across the Northern Territories, claiming all the towns and cities in the area.
Battle Oakfield[]
In early TA 5247 Nark received news that the Dwavern Kingdom was unguarded, and decided to invade it while Yhafar Boulderrock remained in the Northern Territories. Nark rallied his forces and marched them through uncharted terrain, to prevent them from being spotted by Yhafar's spies. They eventually reached the sea, and sailed in over 400 ships across the Black Sea. Leading the forces himself, Nark landed near Willow-Song, and charged across the midlands of the Dwavern Kingdom, invading and claiming all the lands and the two countries; Pēṇṭalia and Gihóir.
Nark's victories were short lived when he was met in Oakfield by a huge host of dwarf soldiers, lead by Yhafar's son, Uhfar Boulderrock. Nark's forces were slaughtered, as they ambushed on all fronts, and killed mainly by archers and spearmen. Nark was wounded in the battle, and was dragged off by his men, however as they attempted to flee to their ships, Nark was struck by several arrows and bled to death before they reached the ship.
Aftermath[]
With Nark VI Heartan dead, nearly every lord in the Main Lands surrendered themselves to Yhafar Boulderrock and named him their new king. However, Nark's son, Edward II Heartan was to be crowned the new king, and Yhafar rode against him to prevent that. After his coronation, Edward II Heartan was killed by his own men in his chambers,
Edward's daughter, Elizabeath II Heartan his heir, was living in Wizardear, asked the Dark-Elf Supremacy to aid them in the war, and for their assistance, would award them with riches, and allow them to have the title of Kings of Wizardear. Niskan the Courageou s accepted this, and combined his forces with Elizabeath II Heartan. They eventually managed to repel Yhafar's forces, causing him to fall back to the Dwavern Kingdom.
Legacy[]
Nark VI Heartan is considered to be one of the worst monarchs in history of House Heartan, but despite this he was still buried in the Kings' Mountain. His portrait was hung in the Royal Palace, but was placed in the back end of the palace, hidden in shadows.
See Also[]
| King of Amsnorth | ||
| Preceded by Nark V Heartan |
Nark VI Heartan | Succeeded by Edward II Heartan |
| Kings of Amsnorth |
|---|
|
Jafier Heartan | Nark I Heartan | Bilious I Heartan | Bilious II Heartan | Zakcumfry Heartan | Nark III Heartan | Azugon I Eshakāra | Robert I Heartan | Alton I Heartan | Bilious III Heartan | Mathrekus Writingham | Areothan II Heartan] | Gaston I Heartan | Robert II Heartan | William II Heartan | Walter III Heartan | Edwyne Elendra | Nark IV Heartan | William III Heartan | Harken I Heartan | Nark V Heartan | Nark VI Heartan | Edward II Heartan | Gaston III Heartan | George VII Heartan | Robert III Heartan | Bilious IV Heartan | Nark VII Heartan | Bilious V Heartan | Nark VIII Heartan | George VIII Heartan | Edward IV Heartan | Thalore I Heartan | Angus I Heartan | Bilious VI Heartan | Thalore II Heartan | Nark IX Heartan | Robert V Heartan | Gaston IV Heartan | Harken II Heartan | |