Occupation of Whitestone

The occupation of Whitestone is a period of five years between 805 and 810 PD, in which the ruling de Rolo family were killed by the Briarwoods in a coup and the city was held under their control. This ended when Vox Machina came to the city and enacted a rebellion, slaying the Briarwoods and their minions and restoring rule to the de Rolo family.

The coup
In 805 PD, the rulers of Whitestone, the de Rolo family, were massacred in a coup enacted by Delilah and Sylas Briarwood. The only survivors were Percival de Rolo III and his sister Cassandra de Rolo, though the latter was shot in the back by arrows during their escape and thought dead by Percival. Cassandra was captured and taken back to Whitestone Castle, where she was kept prisoner by the Briarwoods. Percival meanwhile escaped and eventually joined the band of adventurers known as Vox Machina.

Three days after the coup, the killed members of the de Rolo family were hung from the Sun Tree, and the previous noble families of Whitestone were executed as well, as were any civilians who opposed the Briarwoods' new rule. The Briarwoods instated themselves as the new lord and lady of Whitestone and awarded their conspirators noble status in the city. Goran Vedmire was placed in charge of the temple of Pelor. Tylieri was in charge of timber production. Outside of Whitestone, they disseminated a story that the de Rolos had fallen ill and bequeathed rule of the city to the Briarwoods under the pretense that they were close friends with the family.

Life in occupied Whitestone
The Briarwoods cut off trade with the rest of Tal'Dorei, allowing nobody in the city to leave, killing those that tried. During this time the Briarwoods set about excavating and reconstructing the Ioun Ziggurat beneath the city, corrupting and rededicating it to their master, the lich Vecna. They used residuum extracted from whitestone ore with the help of Dr. Anna Ripley to rebuild the Ziggurat. The profane rituals conducted there sapped the land of vitality, and caused the Sun Tree to wither and nearly die.

Whitestone was relatively peaceful for several years, the citizens going about their business and paying tithes to the "New Nobles", until they became bored started extorting and brutalizing the citizens. A rebellion was attempted in 807 PD. A group of individuals attempted to storm the castle, but they were not prepared for the dangers within. Because of that, the citizens were reluctant about another attempt.

A few months before Duscar of 810 PD, the Briarwoods raided a stone giant fortress in the nearby Alabaster Sierras. They killed the giant inhabitants and Delilah reanimated them as zombies to patrol the streets of Whitestone as undead sentinels.

Outside attention
Eventually Whitestone's isolation attracted the attention of the Tal'Dorei Council, particularly the Master of Information Assum Emring, who's spies sent to Whitestone would suddenly send back a letter of resignation and vanish. Recognizing this attention, the Briarwoods concocted a diversion by creating a false plan to collaborate with Tal'Dorei to create a bridge across the Shearing Channel to Wildemount.

On 18 Cuersaar, 810 PD, the Briarwoods attended a feast at the Palace of the Sovereign, hosted by Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II and attended by the Tal'Dorei Council, as well as Vox Machina, who were invited after Percival heard talk of the Briarwoods meeting with the Sovereign. Percival attended the dinner while using a Hat of Disguise to look like Vax'ildan, who himself was Invisible and spied on the Briarwoods during the dinner. Afterwards he attempted to sneak into the room where they were staying, but was caught. A fight ensued and Percy confronted Sylas and Delilah for the first time, though the Briarwoods escaped and Teleported back to Whitestone, inviting Percy to visit and "see his family" as they left.

Rebellion
Vox Machina traveled to Whitestone to depose the Briarwoods, Percy himself seeking vengeance for his family at the urging of an entity in his dreams. When they arrived on 2 Duscar 810 PD, they set about systematically assassinating the New Nobles, and rallied the people of Whitestone with the help of Keeper Yennen and the previous chancellor Archibald Desnay. They stormed Whitestone Castle and reunited with Cassandra de Rolo, before delving into the tunnels beneath and confronted the Briarwoods at the Ziggurat, where they were killed. The rebellion successful, Percy and Cassandra worked with Yennen to create a new government for the city, named the Chamber of Whitestone.