Soon after Mark Harlow I had begun putting the tribes in order and setting the country into a time of peace, he was struck down by a vicious period of typhoid fever. Many thought that if he lived on longer he would've continued his father's legacy, but in his last breaths he nominated his cousin, Aethling, to take over, since his own son Eadgar was but a toddler. Many of the militants and peasants feared the reign of Atheling as he was known to be highly greedy and corrupt. And he didn't disappoint.

Atheling began passing more and more taxes, and started lowering maintenance of several important features of the nation, including the castle (which infuriated many as the castle is the most prominent feature of Swamp Castle. Along with the swamp). Because of this almost the whole army was disbanded, and the surrounding tribes, upon the disgustingly high taxes, revolted and declared separatism from Atheling's state. They besieged the main castle, where Atheling was advised to pay them a large sum of gold (the Paltrigeld). He hoped this would convince them to go away, but they just got stronger and more powerful, some more powerful than Swamp Castle individually. He gave gifts to his friends and jailed his enemies. Peasants remained awfully poor, while he horded the gold.

Everyone knew this had to end.

After 14 years of Atheling's rule, when the besieging tribe army was particularly large, the populace had snapped. Under the now 16 year old Eadgar Harlow the entire populace marched onto the castle, where Atheling was easily otherthrown and exiled across the southern sea. It is unknown if he survived the trip. Upon succession, Eadgar I promised to lead the Swampish people to victory over the Swampland tribes, and with fanatic military training, large coffers and many young men wishing to conscript, it remains a matter of time when the swamp will tremble from the Swampish March!