The House of Gwynnett was an ancient Thannish noble family infamous for its cruelty, greed, and lust for power.
The history of the Gwynnett family stretches back into the late Third Age, when it first came to prominence in the Heartlands region of Corwyn.
The stronghold of Gwyn-haro
In the Third Age, the Gwynnett family rose to power among the Modrani peoples and founded a barony called “Gwyn-Haro.” For three centuries, the family ruled their modest holdings from their ancestral home; the fortress of Castle Ironcleft.
That all changed when an ambitious Baron named Gareth, began to expand his power. Within twenty years, he conquered much of the eastern Heartlands region after a long series of military campaigns.
Gareth’s bloodiest campaign was against the neighboring Ashanti tribes. He waged relentless warfare against them and eventually captured, their largest city of A’shorah. After this victory, Gareth began to demonstrate his merciless cruelty. He ordered the entire city burned, and its most sacred temple, Na’Drak, destroyed. Upon the foundations of the temple, Gareth began construction of his own citadel, which he named “Castle Manticore.”
Even worse, Gareth forced the Ashanti survivors into exile, and their peoples were driven far into the north to dwell in the foothills of the Frostcrown Mountains. Over time, a new Thannish settlement began to grow around Castle Manticore. Its name was “Ashara,” a bastardization of the original Ashanti term.
The Gwynnett family continued to rule Gwyn-haro for nearly 250 years until the rise of Valden the Conqueror, who would rise to become the greatest Thannish ruler ever seen, and the man who united all the Thannish nations under a single banner.
In the year 1133/3, Valden’s armies invaded Gwyn-haro and marched on Ashara. Baron Gillam Gwynnett; known derisively as "Gillam the Kneeler," was forced to surrender and both the city of Ashara and all of Gwyn-haro’s surrounding territories were absorbed into the Kingdom of Valdor.
Political Intrigue
After Valden’s victory, he took Castle Manticore as his own and ruled from there for several years. The Gwynnetts were reduced to vassals.
At this point, House Gwynnett began to show its skills in the art of political intrigue. Lord Gillam introduced King Valden to Lady Naomi Mallistäer, a beautiful, scheming woman who seduced the already-married king and bore him a bastard child named Rhodan. This child and the rivalry between the Mallistäer and Del Vecchio families would erupt into open civil war soon after Valden’s death.
Rule Over Rhodara
After the conclusion of the civil war between King Valden’s offspring, the great Kingdom of Valdor was split into two new nations: Eldara and Rhodara. The first King of Rhodara took Castle Manticore as his royal seat, and he made Lord Ekram Gwynnett his Chancellor.
For centuries thereafter, the Gwynnett family took on a traditional role as key advisors to the Mallistäer dynasty. But they always secretly chafed with resentment, as they felt the Gwynnett family was the rightful ruler. the family inter-married often with the Mallistäer family and dozens of Gwynnetts served as royal councilors over the years.
In the year 1264/4, Gayorg Gwynnett finally fulfilled the destiny of his House, when King Radovan died in battle and left no heir. Gayorg then seized the throne and named himself King of Rhodara. Gayorg was infamously known as the "Mad-King."
Rule Over Gwynne
After the disastrous rule of the Mad-King; the Kingdom of Rhodara was completely destroyed. Another member of the family; Gavin Gwynnett, managed to salvage the kingdom and renamed it in honor of his House. It still bears the name "Gwynne" today.
Famous members of House Gwynnett
- Gareth Gwynnett; conquered the Ashanti
- Gillam Gwynnett; surrendered to Valden the Conqueror.
- Gayorg Gwynnett; the "Mad-King"—started the disastrous War of Annexation
- Gavin Gwynnett; founded the present-day Kingdom of Gwynne.
- Galen Gwynnett; killed in the War of the Cataclysm, last monarch of his line.
