Willem (or sometimes called William depending on the account), pre-dated the Clash of the Cousins, but he didn’t escape our intrepid worldbuilders who created the World of HOOD.
In real life, Willem was an avid hunter, and did in fact die from an arrow wound during a hunting trip. But in our story world, we took that incident and gave it a Hycathic twist. Instead of hunting wild game, our Willem hunted Hycathae, but they didn’t take it lying down…
Conflicts
Willem had a relatively ordinary childhood. He never received much attention amidst his many siblings. He was known to be quiet and often kept to himself. His coronation in 1087 caused a divide among most of his father’s followers. Many considered having Willem on England’s throne while his brother Robert was ruling Normandy to be harmful to the country as a whole. In 1088, a rebellion formed against Willem, under Bishop Odo of Bayeux’s leadership. The uprising was intended to support Robert. Willem eventually won the support of the English, defeated the rebellion and secured his position. He then made peace with Robert and helped him to recover the lands of Maine. In 1091 Willem stopped an invasion led by King Malcolm III of Scotland, who was forced to acknowledge Willem as his king. Malcolm pledged his loyalty and retreated. A year later, Willem ordered the construction of Carlisle Castle and spread his authority to Cumberland and the Westmorland regions.
