Erich VII Durrandon

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== History ==

Erich was born the eldest and only son of [[Monfryd IV Durrandon]] and Alerie [[House Gardener|Gardener]], daughter of [[Garth_VII_Gardener|Garth VII Gardener]] of the [[The Reach|Reach]], near the end of the [[Age of Heroes]] in 3841 AH.

Erich was born the eldest and only son of [[Monfryd IV Durrandon]] and Alerie [[House Gardener|Gardener]], daughter of [[Garth_VII_Gardener|Garth VII Gardener]] of the [[The Reach|Reach]], near the end of the [[Age of Heroes]] in 3841 A.H.

As a prince, Erich ~~was~~ a competent and tested commander, ~~exceeding his poor education with raw hard work~~ and ~~a natural talent for martial matters his father lacked. Early on he~~ was hailed as the ~~future king~~ that would break the Stormlands' streak of failing and controversial kings, most notably his great-grandfather [[Durwald I Durrandon|Durwald the Fat]] and grandfather [[Ronard the Bastard]]. He would have his first child at sixteen, fathering a boy named Durran with a commoner. Monfryd IV would die at the relatively young age of forty-seven of a failing heart, and Erich would be crowned as Erich VII in 3867 AH at twenty-nine.

As a prince, Erich became a competent and tested commander, leading armies and breaking raids from Dorne and the [[Blackwater]], and was hailed as the prince that would break the Stormlands' streak of failing and controversial kings, most notably his great-grandfather [[Durwald I Durrandon|Durwald the Fat]] and grandfather [[Ronard the Bastard]]. He would have his first child at sixteen, fathering a boy named Durran with a commoner whom he took back to Storm's End, but he never spoke of the mother.

Monfryd IV would die at the relatively young age of forty-seven of a failing heart, and Erich would be crowned as Erich VII in 3867 A.H. at twenty-nine.

For the early years of his reign Erich would be relatively successful, reintegrating parts of the Stormlands his ancestors had lost, most notably the [[The Stormlands#Eastern Marches|Eastern Marches]] who he entered into the first many wars against the [[House Yronwood|Yronwoods]] to reclaim. But as his reign continued the challenges brought to the kingdom by his forebears was too great an obstacle to overcome for Erich, and though he tried his armies dwindled, his treasury wasted away, and even his vassals stopped taking his commands as seriously as they did before.