Emperor Arryn Lancaster

Arryn Lancaster was born in the year 430 of the Fifth Age to Rohan Lancaster and Lana D’Gauche. When his father died in his sleep in the year 475 of the Fifth Age Arryn became the Emperor of Evadrin.   Despite his father’s ability to forge an alliance with Dorothel, Rohan was one of the most criticized Emperors Evadrin has ever had, often accused of lacking the spine to take the difficult decisions needed for the good of the Empire. It is clear Arryn wants to regain the pride the Lancasters lost during his father’s rule, and he has been successful at that. Coming to power mere months after the ending of the Dismal March, Arryn has immediately shown himself a capable ruler as he personally oversaw the reconstruction of the northern part of the Empire, that was all but destroyed during the Dismal March. He has taken a far more stern stance towards Lothlorin and their independence, and has given a boost to the army and its equipment, preparing defences on all sides. Lastly, during the Dismal March Arryn acted as supreme commander of the army, where it became obvious he was a capable military strategist. All of these things have made Arryn more popular than his father, and restored confidence in the Lancasters. However, the current Emperor has not yet had a serious crisis to deal with under his leadership, only the aftermath of one, and that is something many within the Empire, including Arryn himself, are very aware of.   Arryn is married to Amanda Tehren. They have 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters: Orther, the oldest one, born in the year 456 of the Fifth Age. Brythe, the second sibling, born in the year 459 of the Fifth Age. Athel, the third child, born in the year 464 of the Fifth Age. Lastly there is Gylas, the youngest child, born in the year 467 of the Fifth Age.

Emperor

  Arryn Lancaster became the Emperor of Evadrin in a difficult time. The Dismal march, in which he had been a competent military commander, was beaten mere months ago. The Empire had however lost almost its entire northern region. The only fortress that was able to withstand the assault was Waerham Citadel. All other fortresses, castles, and fortified cities were nearly completely destroyed. Additionally, trade had been disrupted heavily and the economy was doing poorly. The army was severely weakened, morale was low and people were starting to lose faith in the strength of the Empire. Arryn had to solve all these problems and immediately went to work.   Under his personal leadership the entire northern part of the empire underwent reconstruction efforts in record time. Emperor Arryn did this by investing massive amounts of money and resources therein. This also provided a significant boost for the economy, as there was much need for builders and artisans, as well as supporting crews that provided food and shelter. People that were homeless and lost their income could easily get work and money. As the gold started flowing again within the empire, the economy began recovering. In mere months it returned to a semblance of normality, though it would take years before it was back at the same level it was before the Dismal March began.   The army was the second part of the Empire that received investments. First of all there was an organisational reconstruction. During the Dismal March Arryn’s father had refused to take any kind of decision. Because of this Arryn took it upon himself to defend the Empire. He looked for generals that similarly weren’t interested in waiting, and started making plans for a defence. But quite a few officials considered this treasonous, as the Emperor was supposed to make these decisions. While Arryn understood the sentiment, and in fact appreciated the loyalty, he could not understand how some kept undermining them, when all they were trying to do was save the Empire. While a defensive strategy was quickly agreed upon, the officials blocking every attempt at actually executing it caused such a delay that the entire northern region was lost. Only at that point everyone agreed that intervention, even without the Emperor’s consent, was absolutely necessary. For Arryn this was too late however, and he cracked down heavily on anyone that, in his eyes, worked irrationally much against them. In addition, room was made for new, younger officers in the army, new strategies and training were introduced, and the equipment was almost entirely renewed.   As part of this investment in the army the borders of the Empire were once again reinforced with troops. The nobility in command of these border areas would have to make sure they received the proper military training and were allowed more freedom dealing with immediate threats if the main army wouldn’t be able to reach them in time. A special defence force to fight against Ellorwis was set up, and was given training on how to deal with dragons. Specialized equipment was installed at the southern border and a constant watch became a necessity so that at the first sight of trouble the local garrisons could react immediately.   The Principilaty of Lothlorin would also feel the effect of the new Emperor. While Rohan was somewhat sympathetic to their cause (although not as much as many seem to claim), Arryn was far less so. He wants Lothlorin to become part of the Empire again, although he knows very well that would never be accepted. Uninterested in waging any kind of war against Lothlorin, as that would only cost precious money, time and effort, Arryn instead opted for a more subtle strategy. The Principality was only able to gain independence after subtle manipulations, and making the right alliances with the right people and organizations. Thus the new Emperor started doing the same thing. He prohibitd the export of large amounts of military equipment to the principality, started making allies, and made sure that the Principality had an extremely difficult time having to deal with everything on their own. While this strategy has had some effect, it has also made the Lothloriners more determined than ever in their fight for full independence. Especially Princess Wynne Astley, the current ruler of the principality, is causing emperor Lancaster a lot of trouble.   It quickly became clear that Arryn was very different from his father, making him a popular Emperor. Now that the major problems caused by the Dismal March are close to being resolved Arryn is mostly working on the day-to-day governing of the Empire, making sure the reconstruction efforts get finished, that nobles are doing their work properly and judging the most severe criminals. Some claim that this is merely a façade however, and that Arryn is mobilising his army for something.

Personality

  Unlike his father, Arryn is a very stern and serious person. He gives people only one chance, and has very high demands. Screwing up under his watch means you’ve lost his respect. He expects everyone to give only their best and he loathes laziness. However, Arryn is certainly not unreasonable. He wants people to argue with him if they disagree with his decisions, although it is of course required to have a substantiated argument and as the Emperor, he has the last word. Because of this Arryn likes to surround himself with intellectuals, academics, and experts to help him make the best decisions for the Empire.   In public Arryn will always be calm and composed, although it is not unheard of that he throws a tantrum behind closed doors should someone fail him miserably.   Arryn strongly adheres to the belief of a healthy mind in a healthy body. He likes to spend the little free time he has on reading a variety of books, particularly those focused on military strategy and history. Furthermore, he also considers it important to be in peak physical condition and practices his swordsmanship daily.