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The Reign of Artur Hawkwing
Artur Hawkwing’s empire enjoyed a period of twenty-three peaceful years after the Consolidation. There were several revolts against him, but the people’s love of Hawkwing prevailed. In one instance, his troops arrived in a province that was revolting, only to find that the people had risen up and imprisoned the leaders of the rebellion. They were holding the traitors until Hawkwing’s soldiers could arrive and take them to face the High King’s justice. Throughout his reign Hawkwing constructed no monument to himself. However, nearly every town and city of any size constructed some kind of monument to him. Hawkwing made great use of the nobles in the lands he conquered. Many were given positions as governors, but a great many resented these posts. They were governing lands that should have been theirs, but they were doing it in the name of the High King. And more disturbing to these nobles, they sometimes found themselves serving under commoners. Hawkwing promoted and demoted purely on ability, and would not put up with incompetence. He made sure that no governor could build any kind of personal power in the lands they governed. All stood equal in the face of the High King’s justice. Artur Hawkwing’s relations with the White Tower are important to his story. In the early years of the Consolidation, he tried to seek the Tower’s aid in negotiating with his enemies. The Tower did not respond to his requests. While perhaps the White Tower did not actually encourage the attacks on Hawkwing, every nation which did fight Hawkwing in those early years was given several Aes Sedai advisors. Hawkwing himself made no move against the Tower during the Consolidation. For a short period the Aes Sedai gained prominence and power in his empire, many receiving jobs as governors. All this changed when Hawkwing began to think that the Aes Sedai were simply using him to further their own power. He put a price on the head of any Aes Sedai who did not forswear allegiance to the White Tower, and his armies laid siege to Tar Valon. Hawkwing may have received reports that the Aes Sedai themselves were responsible for several of the uprisings against him. He may also have found evidence that Bonwhin herself was responsible for the deaths of his wife and children. While there is no way to confirm this, it should be noted that Bonwhin was stilled for her actions during this period, and no Red served as the Amyrlin Seat for nearly one thousand years. Towards the end of his reign, the Trollocs came south out of the Blight. Hawkwing, now seventy-four, led his armies to meet them. He defeated the Trollocs so soundly that activity in the Blight was diminished for the next fifty years. Not long after this, Hawkwing organized two large expeditions. One, under the command of his son Luthair Paendrag Mondwin, was to cross the Aryth Ocean to the nation of Seanchan. The other expedition, under the command of one of his daughters, was to sail to Shara. The High King died at the age of eighty-two, refusing an offer of Aes Sedai Healing that might have saved him. Had Artur Hawkwing not expended so much energy fighting against the White Tower, he undoubtedly could have accomplished a great deal more. Perhaps he would have unified the entire world. As it was, the empire he had built crumbled soon after his death.
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