King Aldric Vaelar
The seventh king of House Vaelar, who held the Ashthrone through the Long Winter.
Aldric took the Ashthrone after the Long Winter, wedding Queen Maeve to bind the river houses. His word carries from the high passes to the edge of The Mourning Sea, and his patience is spoken of the way other kings’ armies are.
The Reign
He rules from Penridge, where the granary ledgers are read aloud each dawn. Three works define his rule:
- The Frost Accord, which ended the river feuds without a single hanging.
- The winter granaries, dug deep enough to outlast three failed harvests.
- The Raven Roads, so no keep is more than four days from his word.
Lore note: the Ashthrone is said to remember every king who has sat it, and to grow colder with each one it outlives.
The River Houses
Three houses hold the river valleys under his crown:
House | Seat | Sworn since |
|---|---|---|
Caldmoor | Frostenwatch | Year 441 |
Vaelar | Penridge | Second Age |
Temperament
Patient, cold, and famously fair - a king who would rather outlast a rival than out-fight one.
Winter is not my enemy. Winter is my witness.
The Question of Succession
Prince Bran is named heir, yet the river houses whisper. The court watches Queen Maeve more closely than the king, and the ravens fly heavier each spring.