Madison Perenolde

Queen Madison Perenolde or Queen Maddie as she was affectionately called, is remembered as a tragic figure and martyr of Alterac. She was assassinated by Martin Rogers, a Stromic agent by order of King Elric Trollbane. Her death would lead to the Third Alteraci-Stromic War.

Childhood
Princess Madison Perenolde was born the daughter of Prince Baldric Perenolde. However, she never knew her father until much late in her life. Within a year of her birth, Prince Baldric Perenolde departed for the South Seas where he would serve as military governor. Her father wouldn't return for seventeen years, only after his father died and he had to take up the crown.

During her childhood, the young Princess was raised by her grandfather, King Arthur Perenolde I or the White Fist. The now older man, doting on his granddaughter, the Princess attended numerous theaters and art shows, becoming a patron for the arts. King Arthur saw her to be educated by intellectuals at the Alteraci Institution of Knowledge, where she pursued three years of study in Literature in addition to her mandatory tutoring in matters of state, military and economics considering she was the heir after her father.

When her estranged father returned, their reunion was awkward. She did not have any memory of him and only knew of what others told her. They were both in deep mourning from King Arthur's passing, though they both knew a different man. As her father proved his excellent instincts for economics she came to respect him but they never came to develop a close relationship.

Adulthood
At the age of twenty-three, Princess Madison and the son of the Ambassador of Gilneas, Edgar Astraville fell in love after much time being spent at Court together. They married two years later in a grand ceremony, the marriage between the Perenolde Princess and a Gilnean Noble's son greatly improved Alteraci-Gilnean relations, which had been on the rise since the formation of the Silver Stake decades ago.

However, Princess Madison sought purpose besides being a presence at her father's court and a wife of her husband. She began to write a book, publishing An Account of Prosperity, an philosophical examination of her fathers edicts. The book was a success, boosting approval for her father's edicts and actually causing a spike in prosperity after Alteraci felt motivated to work harder and spend more. An Account of Prosperity examined the recent prosperity and attributing it to her father and looking at past struggles, blaming the most recent on belligerent kings. The goal of the book was arguing for Alterac to become a trading nation over a military power. Many still believed in expanding the Kingdom's borders even further to conquer the Kingdom of Stromgarde.

After her book's success, the Princess was hailed as an intellectual and became increasingly popular amongst all social circles.

Reign
After King Baldric's death at sea after his ship sank on a voyage, Madison Perenolde was coronated as Queen at the age of thirty-five. Though not without debate, some Alteraci nobility with strong ties to Gilneas argued that Edgar should be King as the King's son in-law. It was not until Lord Edgar Astraville formally announced that he had no right to the Crown and renounced any supposed claim, that debate settled and Madison was coronated.

The beginning of her reign saw enforcement of her father's policies, continuing Alterac's economic prosperity and stability. Scholars claimed the Golden of Age of Alterac had not ended with King Fitzroy, considering the prosperity of King Arthur and his predecessors, naming King Fitzroy Perenolde I and his actions consequences a small blemish.

In later years of her reign, trouble began to brew in the Kingdom of Alterac. In the Northern Stromic Mountains, Alteraci had apparently been driven from their homes by Stromic Nationalists crossing the border. In truth, they were hidden soldiers seizing the land at the order of King Elric Trollbane. In response, knowing that the Alteraci military was unequipped for war, Queen Madison decreed an embargo be placed on the Kingdom of Stromgarde and banned merchants bound to or from the Kingdom of Stromgarde from entering or leaving the Kingdom of Alterac.

Assassination
This crippled the Stromic trade with northern kingdoms and King Elric refused to apologize as much as Queen Madison refused to lift the embargo. King Elric knew this could not stand and an invasion would take to long and he would be unable to obtain supplies. Thus, he plotted for Queen Madison to be assassinated in hopes her husband or son would be coronated and be reasoned with.

The plot involved Martin Rogers, an undercover Stromic agent who illegally and secretly crossed into the Kingdom of Alterac, going to Alterac City and setting up in a nearby building with a specially crafted crossbow capable of shooting powerful bolts very long distances.

Queen Madison Perenolde was known for giving public speeches often, explaining the state of Alterac to the common people. During one such speeches, Martin Rogers prepared from a nearby building with his crossbow and then fired it, piercing her chest, hitting his mark. The stage erupted into chaos, the Queen was quickly escorted away but unfortunately died shortly after being placed in the care of a physician.

Martin Rogers was captured several days later, being found attempting to enter Hillsbrad Foothills through a cold and wild mountain valley. The plot was revealed after papers found on Martins person were partially decrypted, recognizing King Elric Trollbane as the person a report was addressed to. Martin Rogers was executed shortly after his trial by public hanging.

The Kingdom of Alterac went into mourning over the loss of Queen Maddie, her son, now King Arthur Perenolde II swearing to avenge his beloved mother, beginning the Third Alteraci-Stromic War.