His Honorable Majesty the Rightful King of Dianera King Aesaria

Aesaria was the older twin brother to Semia born in the Dreadhold during a solar eclipse. Shortly after their birth, a sybil declared the next century would be ruled "in dusk and dawn," leading many to speculate if the twins’ birth was an omen.   When their father—the reigning monarch—died, the question of succession boiled down to right over popularity: Semia, the younger brother, was a populist and carried heavy support from the people. Aesaria, claimed the throne by birthright but had few supporters. To prevent total civil war, it was agreed the brothers would rule the kingdom in turns every decade. Semia ascended the throne first.   Aesaria's rule was marked by peace, though few innovations really came about as a result of his reign. The nobility were resistant to many of the changes Aesaria proposed, such as a tax on landholders to fund the treasury. However, some loyalists believed that Aesaria's right as older brother made him the "true" king of Dianera. Occasional rumors of attempted coups would circulate through the Dreadhold before they were quashed.   When Semia refused to relinquish power during his second reign, the old guard of the nobility defected to Aesaria's side and the country became gripped by a war of succession known as the Brothers' War. The royal house became split in two, with Aesaria declaring his new house as the House of Night and Semia declaring a new house, House Daybreak. Between the two brothers, the country was split. Semia's policies were popular, but he didn't have the right of primogeniture. Aesaria had the right of succession, but he wasn't nearly as beloved by the people.   Aesaria gathered his supporters and left Tregaron to raise an army.

The Brothers' War

Semia levied his armies from the noblemen that remained loyal to him at court, promising to grant lands to the families that fought for him against Aesaria. In the meantime, Aesaria had little trouble finding supporters of his own, raising a host in a short amount of time. The House of Night, backed by its own coalition of noble families, occupied large swaths of the country. Well-provisioned and armed, the House of Night prepared to march on the capital city of Tregaron to remove Semia from power and depose him completely.   An initial skirmish kicked off the true war at Beacon Hill. Semia's United Forces put down a rebellion favoring Aesaria, hanging dozens of men from the tallest tree in the village rather than take on the cost of feeding prisoners of war. Enraged, Aesaria swore his brother's cruelties would be repaid, and he began to mobilize his forces and make his move to depose his brother.   The House of Night won victory after victory on their way to Tregaron, with the tide beginning to turn as more of the nobility turned and joined the House of Night. This only bolstered Aesaria's confidence that the war would be over soon. As the House of Night's army approached the capital, it's rumored that Semia was actually jovial, laughing with the Duke of Rutledge, Lord Hoster, and joking over how long Aesaria expected a siege to last.   The day Aesaria's army finally reached the city's north gates, Semia was spotted on the parapets of the outer walls. He offered the army one last chance of surrender, noting his brother wasn't even on the battlefield with his men. When the host refused to put down their arms, Semia declared the House of Night ended. It's rumored (though it was never proven) that after this declaration, a single lightning strike killed the commanding general at the head of the center column of the army.   Devastation was said to rain down on the land, with torrential floods turning the road to mud and making it impossible for infantry to move their siege equipment without getting hopelessly stuck. Witnesses stated Semia stood calmly on the parapets, watching and listening. Rumors stated that the deluge and flood was caused by the king himself. It's also said the earth itself swallowed the bodies, siege equipment, and even the horses.   When the last of the army was dead, Semia dispatched a messenger to send his brother a single message: surrender or die. The messenger never returned. Instead, Aesaria's remaining army crumbled and retreated. With that, Semia was declared the true King, Lord of the Dawn, and Protector of Dianera.  

After The War

The ensuing years after the Brothers' War were relatively peaceful. Nobles who had sided with Aesaria had their lands confiscated, and the few houses that remained swore fealty to the Lord of the Dawn. Loyalists were rewarded with these lands.   Aesaria fled with what remained of his army after the defeat at Tregaron, embittered by his defeat when victory seemed certain. He and forces were attacked by Semia's army, with most of Aesaria's guard killed protecting him. Aesaria retreated, collapsing in a forest a short distance away. Several scouts from the village of Arvid found him.   Aesaria spent some weeks in the village of Arvid, recovering from his injuries and wounds. During that time, he took up with a local woman and attempted to convince the council of elders to join his cause. They refused. Once Aesaria healed enough to travel again, he left the village and met with some of the surviving members of the House of Night. Together, the group traveled to the Forgotten Valley, where the House of Night was using as a base of operations.   Aesaria sank into obscurity in the next few years, attempting to raise and army and the funds to take back what he believed was his throne. Some noble houses joined his cause, but most of them were already weakened from the loss during the Brothers' War. Aesaria died after a sudden illness and fever during an outbreak of plague.

Aesaria was afforded the best education royalty could offer. Private tutors, swordsmen, and mages flocked to the capital to teach the young prince their secrets. In addition to these lessons, Aesaria often sat in on his father's privy council meetings to watch the nobility debate.

Aesaria was more patient and keener to listen to both sides of an argument before rendering judgement. While to some it made him a more even-minded monarch, to others it was a sign of weakness.

Aesaria was a more temperate ruler, though few of his policies as king could be considered "groundbreaking." He relied on his advisors and the nobility of the privy council to help govern Dianera. When his more radical ideas such as taxing the nobility failed to gain ground, Aesaria instead turned his attention to making Tregaron a more cultured city.

Aesaria was often seen as an expert in the art of compromise. Whenever two members of the privy council argued, Aesaria was quick to settle the argument with both sides meeting in the middle.

Aesaria's talent for peacekeeping was also seen as a weakness by many. This attitude was perceived as "wishy-washy" with the king unable to ever truly take a side on an issue. Even as leader for the House of Night, Aesaria heavily leaned on his advisors for battle strategies and tactics.

Aesaria was known as a friendly, affable man. He often entertained poets and bards in his court, encouraging the arts more than his brother did. As king, plays and even operas became the most common form of entertainment in Tregaron, even for the lower classes.