Attention! More details in the Timeline section!

The history of the kingdom stretches back about thousand years, starting from the Unification War from – 6 to 4 of the Calendar. During this war, King Aed united several tribes that inhabited the lands that make up the modern Brythunnia. He was crowned during the midwinter of year 0, which is held as the starting point of the Calendar. King Aed became the first Brythwalda, meaning the King of all the Brythunnians. Brythwalda has since then become a historical title used to refer to the first kings of Brythunnia. The heir apparent is called an Aedheling, meaning either a prince or lord in the Old Brythunnic tongue.
King Aed strengthened his hold of power for several years after his crowning, and founded the first royal dynasty, the House Griffind, soprting a silvery griffin on black field as their sigil. The Grffinds held power for four hundred years until the reign of the King Ulster the Red, who was known for his red face and short temper. It is said that he succumbed to madness and was ousted from power by his council members. He left no heirs, and so his council held regency for three months until the nobles of the realm had decided who should rule them. The nobles voted on Lord Rickard Mawr of Castle Stonehold. The Mawrs have ruled ever since for about five hundred years, but it seems to change in the coming days.

Brythunnia is a coastal nation divided into several regions that are ruled by local aristocracy. In the eastern coast that ends to the Old Sea, is the Crownlands, a rich area that is held by the king, here is where the capital city Lundine, along with few minor town and the Kingswood where the king has the sole hunting right. A lot of merchant caravans and ships travel in and out of this region. Other important towns and castles include Laketown, Stonehold and Dale.

However, the honor of being the most fertile region goes to the Heartlands, located in the south and south-west to the Crownlands. It has the most farms and rivers, and has the greatest population. The sun often shines to the Heartlanders, and they often have positive attitudes. The capital of this region is the city of Whitecreek, founded on the banks of a large river known as the Milksnake Stream. Other major towns and castles include Morton, by a lake known as the Lady's Pool, Hawkfield, near the coast and Castle Greenstone, located in the centre of Whitecreek. After the Hawthorne Rebellion, the House Maddox carved a great throne known as the Rose Throne to commemorate the victory over the rebels. The Circle of Thorns was also founded to advice and help to rule the Heartlands. In the recent decades, the ruling Maddox family has gained much influence over the kingdom by holding some of the best farmlands. Combined with the power of the Vandemar and Traven families, they have woken some worries in the king and other high lords and ladies. The current high lady is Gwendolen Vandemar-Maddox, the newly widowed regent of the Heartlands.

To the north are the Highlands, a hilly region that has sturdy people and lots of sharp axes. The Highlands resisted the longest the attacks of King Aed, being the last region to fall to the hands of Aed. This mostly thanks to the renowned adventurer and warrior Hildebrand the Dragonslayer, who is said to have killed the last dragon in the world. Hildebrand was a clever tactician, but he was outmanned and outmaneuvered at last at the battle of Camlainn, where he met his destiny. The population centers Highlands are mostly castles built in the centuries after the conquest. The "capital" is Kaer Camlainn, a large castle named after the battle of Camlainn. Other major castles include Candlekeep, situated in the western Highlands near the Northwood, and Townsend Keep in the eastern coast.

In the far west are the Dragon Mountains, which are hardly passable, and serve as the western border for Brythunnia. There are a few mining towns providing the kingdom with precious gems and metals, along with much of the metalwork, mainly armor and weapons. The capital of this region is the town of Edithburg, founded by Queen Edith during the third century of the Calendar. Though the city, the great river Dragonstail flows all the way to the Old Sea. Other major settlements are Hollow Tree and Ravenholm, both situated near the mountains.

The Southern Marches has been a contested area. For centuries, conflict between Brythunnia and Rivania has molded the countryside and the castles to reflect the changing tides in the kingdoms' military campaigns. The Marches have been influenced by the Rivanians and Brythunnians alike. Brythunnia holds the northern marches between the Heartlands and the Panther River, while the Rivanians hold the southern marches beyond the river. Major settlements include Castle Osfred near an important river crossing Oxford, Fort Aren and Greyhammer.

The Panther River is the border between Brythunnia and Rivania. It's a deep river, and crossings are far from each other.

To the south is the Kingdom of Rivania, a rival nation to Brythunnia. It is a monarchy, and I hope make a short summary of it in the coming days. The main focus will be in Brythunnia, but Rikain will make at least cameos and provide an outside threat for Brythunnia in the form of invasion, similar to the Norman Conquest.

To the north is the Kingdom of Nordland. It has caused trouble to southern nations by raiding coastal regions and pirating their ships.

The forum rules apply. Be a friendly person and keep me informed of your activity, and we will come along just fine.
The regions are ruled by a select few of people, and the first come, first serve. If you want to make a character that rules a certain region (Heartlands, Highlands, Southern Marches and Dragon Mountains), then be quick about it. You can also make a minor noble who just rules a castle or a town in a certain region.

Some thoughts concerning soldiers: the armies in Brythunnia are sized from small to medium. The nobles have guard units of veteran soldiers who have good equipment, and a larger levy comprised of conscripted peasants, who often are poorly equipped and hardly trained. We will not see Grande Armées, but armies a few thousand strong at most.

Also, social connections, such as marriages between families and friendships, are important tools to gain influence in a feudal society.

The Three Commandments

One: "I am the Game Master, your greatest fear and smallest hope, but I am not without mercy. Consult me when thou have questions."

Two: "Thou characters mustn't be OP. Valar Morghulis."

Three: "Thou shan't kill other characters at a whim without other players' consult and permission."

Four: "Thou shall and can help in the shaping of the world. Just mind to tell the Game Master about it first."

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Occupation/Title:

Appearance:

Personality:

History:

The timeline is divided into two eras – Before the Crowning (BC) and After the Crowning (AC). King Aed the Lion's crowning serves as the year zero in the Brythunnian calendar.

During Aed's time, Brythunnia was divided into small tribal kingdoms who often fought with each other. Aed wanted to end the fighting and dreamt of one united kingdom. Aed was born in the Heartlands, but not much is known anout his childhood and teenage. During his adulthood, he became a prominent warrior and commander and the leader for minor tribe, and soon used his skills and diplomacy to conquer his rivals.

75 BC: Baldur the Wanderer is born. It is said that a star fell near his family's home.

57 BC: The Kingdom of Rivania is founded.

24 BC: A young warrior Hildebrand kills the last known dragon somewhere in the Dragon Mountains.

4 BC: The Wars of Conquest start. Before this, Aed has already united the Heartlands under his wing and starts to expand his realm's borders. He invades the modern day Crownlands.

Year 0: Aed the Lion is crowned as the King of Brythunnia, or Bryhtwalda after subjugating the Crownlands. He turns his eyes to the Dragon Mountains and in two years conquers the lands around the mountains.

3 AC: King Aed starts an invasion to conquer the Highlands.

6 AC: King Aed conquers the Highlands after defeating Hildebrand the Dragonslayer in the Battle of Camlainn Hill. The Wars end.

0 – 38 AC: Aed's reign lasts almost fourty years before he dies of pneumonia. His title, Bryhtwalda, passes to his son, Egbert.

39 – 45 AC: The Highlander Rebellion. An independent-minded lord tries to secede from Brythunnia, and loses the war along with his head. Egbert punishes harshly the Highlander lords and other leaders.

45 – 155 AC: The Century of Peace in Brythunnia. New cities and towns are founded.

172 AC: The Kingdom of Nordland is founded.

198 AC: A new religion from Rivania lands starts to spread to Brythunnia.

209 – 215 AC: The Black Plague kills about one eight of population in Brythunnia, and even more in Rivania.

451 AC: King Ulster the Red gets seriously ill and starts to descend into madness, He is ousted from power by his closest nobles and allies. The interregnum lasts for three months, until the kingship was bestowed to Lord Rickard Mawr of the Stonehold.

460s AC: Both Rivania and Brythunnia start to expand to the Southern Marches, trying to claim the lands.

460s – 480s AC: The Long War starts. Rivania and Brythunnia were locked in a two-decade war over the Southern Marches. The conflict ends inconclusively. The border between the nations forms to the Panther River.

679 AC: The Nordlanders conduct a failed invasion of the Highlands.

708 – 714 AC: King Robert the First defends his crown against an usurper Lloyd Hawthorne of the Heartlands, but loses his head and lands instead. The title of High Lord is given to Gared Maddox, the ancestor of High Lord Jastor Maddox. The House Hawthorne is extinguished.

732 AC: The Miners' Revolt in the town of Hollow Tree. A band of miners revolt against an unfair tax and poor living conditions, and meet their demise. King Duncan the First lead an army against them and defeats them. Half a dozen of their leaders are hanged and left to rot on a hollow tree, hence the town's name.

790s AC: Local nobility start to gain more and more power, and the king's power is weakened by the reign of King Edward the Ill. King Edward was a sick and frail king, who delegated most of his duties to local strongmen and his friends.

830 - 900s s AC: The Nords start conducting raids and excursions from the north via the Old Sea, attacking against mostly coastal villages and towns in Brythunnia and Rivania.

921 AC: Aedin is born to King Lewyn III and Queen Alys.

940 AC: At the age nineteen, Aedin is crowned as the king of Brythunnia after his parents die at sea as their ship The Wyvern sinks.

942 AC: King Aedin marries Lenore Badon of Laketown. During their marriage, Aedin has at least three different mistresses across the kingdom.

947 AC: High Lord Jastor Maddox ascends to the Rose Throne after his brother dies under suspicious circumstances.

950s AC: Bandits are running rampant in the Heartlands, causing great damage and harm to innocents. One of the most ill-famed bandits, Roland the Red evades capture for years.

959 – 963 AC: The Northern War starts. Rivania tries to claim the Southern Marches from Brythunnia, but is repelled. King Aedin dies in the field of battle in 963.

961 AC: Vincent Arundel, also known as the King, one of the biggest bandits and crime lords in Rivania, dies. The King's Thieves are dissolved and make new criminal rings and organisations. His apprentice Claret escapes to Brythunnia and starts her career as the Lady Night, a ruthless assassin and spy. She is recruited by King Aedin during the late winter of 962.

964 AC: King Duncan has assumed the duties of a king, and is worrying about the growing tensions between Brythunnia and Rivania. The Heartlands also pose a threat to the unity of the realm, as the High Lady Gwendolen Vandemar-Maddox has the love of the common people and strong supporters. There are also rumours that the Nords are starting their raids anew, with great fleets of longships and bands of strong men.

The Cult of Dagon and the Nordic pantheon

This religion is mostly followed by the Nordlanders, but it hasn't spread much outside of Nordland, as it isn't organised coherently nationwide.

In the beginning, the gods created the Earth from an egg, and all kinds of life, like the animals, the giants and the humans were born from the egg.

The cultists believe that in the times past, giants lived and walked in the world, fighting against great sea serpents. The giants built great stone circles to worship and honor the gods. One day, the giants walked to the mountains, and laid down to sleep for thousands of years, to come back to help humans against the sea serpents. It is believed that one day the sea will rise and drown most of humans and allow the sea serpents to devour the rest. This is called the End Times, and then the great hero Donar shall save the rest of the humanity.

The cultists use the stone circles as places of worship, especially during the midsummer and solstices, and chant in ancient tongues and light great pyres to awaken the king of the giants, the one and mighty Dagon to defend humanity against the sea serpents. Their priests are chosen among the tallest of the brethren, and can be either a man or woman.

The Nordic pantheon, whom the Nords worship, include such gods and figures as Donar, the hero of the coming End Times, and Mímir, the god of wisdom, riddles and enigmas. Mímir has a famed pool somewhere in the Nordlands, that gives wisdom and insight to the person who drinks from it.

The Church of Mitras

This religion is followed by the Rivanians and the Brythunnians. Baldur the Wanderer was a travelling prophet who healed people and spread the word of Mitras, a goddess who promises afterlife in the Vanerheim. Vanerheim is great hall in the afterlife where the believers feast in warmth and happiness, while those who don't adhere to her word wander for eternity in the cold and dark world outside her hall. Across Brythunnia, there are monasteries, chapels and churches built close to many cities, but there are also a few isolated monasteries near the coast. The main epistle to this faith is the Good Book, which holds the teachings and life of Baldur the Wanderer, with many appendices that have been written by his disciples.

The church of Mitras is organised in Brythunnia into districts (led by the Elders), that hold the religious power in a region and answer to the Revered, the head of the church in Brythunnia. The Revered ones of many countries make up the Consistory of the Faith, who decide the large scale lines and policies of the church. The Consistory has a feverish correspondence and sometimes calls councils to debate on a religious matter.

The Lady of the Lake

People near the Lady's Pool have described a beautiful young woman strolling in the beaches, singing and dancing, and have named her as the Lady of the Lake. She is often described of being a tall, slender woman dressed in a gown made of golden leaves and having brown hair. Those who she meets have told others that she can tell the future and offers blessing and good luck to those with good and honest hearts.

The Wailing Women
In the Highlands, local legends tell of bann'sheaia in Old Brythunnic, or Wailing Women (sometimes referred as Women of Wail), that wander around the hills, and wail and weep. It is believed that the Wailing Women are virgins who died before their weddings could be held, or that their fiances died prematurely before a wedding, lingering in this world grieving for their lost loves or dead fiancees. The Highlanders believe that seeing a bann'sheaia wailing brings misfortune and death to the gazer or to his immediate family and kin.

This section roughly covers the titles and hierarchy in Brythunnian society. This will not cover every trade and social class, but will give a general idea of the hierarchy and how feudalism works in Brythunnia. Let's begin.

Peasants, -> Landed knights / Artisans, merchants and bourgeoisie -> Nobility -> The royal family

At the bottom rung are the peasants, the ordinary farmers and other people living in the countryside. They are divided into two rough groups, the farmers who own their farms and to those who don't. The latter either rent some land from someone else, or work for someone else.

The landed knights are knights who have been awarded by a batch of land, often a village and a small holdfast. They can levy taxes from their fief, but they also need to answer their liege lord's call to arms if needed. The artisans, merchants and others are the industrial workers of the realm. They are the blacksmiths, the tanners, the bakers et cetera, who manufacture goods and sell them. They often reside in towns and cities.

Anyone who owns enough land and has a sigil can be considered as nobility. For example, landed knights are considered as minor nobility. Higher nobility often have multiple castles, towns and other estates to levy taxes and soldiers from. The highest ranking nobles in Brythunnia (below the king) are the high lords or ladies of each region. Most often only one family in a region holds this title, and is effectively the de facto liege lord of the region.

Finally, on the top is the royal family. They hold the Crownlands, and wield the most power, but they still need to tread carefully not to insult the high lords, for the sword of Damocles is always hanging over the head of rulers...

If someone asked a Heartlander peasant to describe what the average noblewoman looks like, most would mention Regent Gwendolen Maddox-Vandemar. The mistress of Castle Greenstone is the very embodiment of the typical rich and well-fed highborne. Like a princess out of a bedtime story, her honey-colored hair falls gaily about her shoulders whenever it's not gathered up in some ornate hairstyle. While Gwen's skin might not be as tanned as a serf's leathery hide, her love of horseback riding and gardening has darkened her complexion somewhat. The regent's eyes are a dazzling shade of blue and always seem to shine with merriment and warmth. Her voice, a lilting contralto, also brims with joyful enthusiasm.

The birth of her son, Baradin, has caused the once svelte Heartlander to gain weight. Coupled with her love of sweets and alcohol, Gwendolen's once curvaceous figure is starting to run to fat, and her domain's prosperity allows her to indulge quite frequently. Regardless, the High Lady is considered by many to be lovely...and exceedingly wealthy. Her heart-shaped face is still beautiful, though the loss of her husband has forced her to mature a great deal in a small amount of time. The bags under her eyes are a testament to the many nights she has spent struggling with the burdens of her new title.

At any rate, Gwen can usually be seen wearing long-sleeved silk gowns or beautifully embroidered tunics and breeches. Her clothes are almost always dyed in various shades of green, a preference that earned her the moniker "The Lady in Green." Occasionally, she will add a red sash, representing House Vandemar's colors of red and green, or black gloves, a nod to the green and black heraldry of House Maddox, to her ensemble. Unknown to most, the High Lady also keeps a small dagger in a leather sheathe strapped to her shoulder. Lastly, the highborne has surprisingly large feet and wears unobtrusive slippers or boots to hide them.

The Lady in Green is a generous and giving person. According to her mother, Lady Ingrid Vandemar-Traven, this has always been the case, though that's not entirely true. During her eight years of marriage to High Lord Maddox, Gwendolen was intentionally shaped and molded into a champion of the commonfolk. A heroine for all the disillusioned serfs to view as their mouthpiece in the glittering, dangerous world of the nobility. In their eyes, she could do no wrong, and this allowed Jastor to focus on the major issues facing his territory.

As the years passed, however, Gwen had an unexpected revelation. She relished the feelings of pride and self-satisfaction that only the heartfelt praise of others could provide. Now, Gwendolen would give away her favorite dress if she thought it might help a peasant family survive for a few weeks. It's not uncommon to walk into a Heartlander tavern and see carved wooden statues of the regent smiling down benevolently at the assembled patrons. Many serfs are even willing to die for Gwen, a fact that would undoubtedly make Lord Jastor Maddox smile. His plan worked.

Of course, nobody is completely selfless.

Gwen is incredibly protective of her immediate family, especially her mother and her beloved son. If anything happened to Ingrid or Baradin, she wouldn't hesitate to bring the full force of the Heartland's military down on the culprits. Overall, however, the High Lady is a kind, if somewhat unworldly, aristocrat who prefers to spend her days amongst the commoners and noblewomen of her domain. Whether she's handing out bread to the beggars in the Whitecreek market or hosting yet another banquet, the highborne always throws herself into her appointed tasks with abandon. While she is also interested in ensuring the continued prosperity and safety of the Heartlands, the Lady in Green isn't afraid to delegate the less enjoyable tasks to others. More often than not, her Circle of Thorns, a council comprised of the leaders of the five Heartlander noble houses, is given these additional responsibilities. They are more than happy to help. After all, the more power Gwen gives away the more influential the nobles become. Since assuming the position of regent a few months ago, the Circle's members have widened their spheres of influence considerably. Some are even rumored to have designs on the Rose Throne.

Gwen is well-aware of this, but she simply doesn't care.

An unfortunate truth about the Regent of the Heartlands is that she's lazy and tends to focus almost entirely on the present. Is Lord Andras Howe, her most vocal detractor in the Circle of Thorns, banging on her bedchamber door with an army at his heels? No? Then Gwendolen will worry about curbing his attempts to gain support for his ascent to the Rose Throne after she finishes breakfast. Power has always come easily to Gwendolen, who was born into the two wealthiest houses in the Heartlands before she became High Lady. Now, despite her youth and uncertain grip on the Rose Throne, she expects to be obeyed no matter what. This has left her with a notable lack of ambition. Why would she want to be queen when she can continue being the Regent of the Heartlands for the next eight years? Once her son turns thirteen and becomes High Lord of Castle Greenstone, she'll still be his mother. His wealthy and influential mother.

Lastly, Gwendolen is a coward, though she would never admit it. She has no formal combat training, and it shows whenever the Circle of Thorns asks her for new strategies to deal with the Heartlands' bandit problem. While she usually plays it off as a matter of no consequence, this issue was a point of contention between her and her late husband. The dagger she keeps strapped to her shoulder represents an unhappy compromise between the two of them. Regrettably, gluttony and a sense of entitlement have made the Regent of the Heartlands slow and complacent over the years. This could be her undoing if she was ever threatened by a coalition of nobles or an outside adversary.

Gwendolen was born to Lord Massen and Lady Ingrid Vandemar on a stormy summer evening in 939 AC. She was their only child, which meant she never had to compete for her parents' love and attention. Gwen was pampered and treated like royalty as soon as she was able to spell her name. And her parents could certainly afford to give their daughter whatever she wanted. Thanks to the numerous iron mines found throughout their ancestral lands, House Vandemar was impossibly wealthy and provided Brythunnia with some of the finest ore in the known world. On the other hand, Lady Ingrid's birth house, the ancient and renowned House Traven, kept the kingdom supplied with fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. They also owned the legendary Goldenbough Winery. Thanks to these profitable sources of income, the Vandemar Estate, which was located to the north of Hawkfield, was a breath-taking and carefree place for a young girl to call home. Whether it was new toys or eager playmates, young Gwendolen wanted for nothing. Some servants living in the Vandemar Estate claimed the child was being spoiled, though they didn't dare say this near their noble masters.

Once Gwen's thirteenth name day arrived, she began her training in the womanly arts of needlework, managing household finances, planning feasts, supervising servants and gardening. The young aristocrat also showed a keen interest in horseback riding, though this probably had something to do with Geralt Kohl, a handsome stablehand from the Crownlands. Regrettably, Geralt was dismissed from the Vandemars' service in the winter of 952 AC...after he was caught in a hayloft with Gwendolen. Despite this incident, offers of marriage quickly poured in from the other Heartlander houses once Gwen turned thirteen. The wealth and influence of House Vandemar was well-known, but the promise of also joining the Traven family's ranks was too good to pass up. However, no matter how enticing or flattering the offers were, Lady Ingrid and Lord Massen made sure Gwendolen's suitors left dejected and empty-handed. They were waiting for an offer from the only house they deemed worthy of their daughter. House Maddox of Whitecreek, the ruling family of the Heartlands.

Not two weeks after Gwendolen's seventeenth name day, a courier from Whitecreek arrived. He was wearing the black and green tabard of House Maddox. The offer had finally arrived.

High Lord Jastor Maddox, a twenty-seven year old noble who'd ascended to the throne in 947 AC after his older brother died in a "hunting accident," wanted Gwendolen Vandemar as his wife. She became the High Lady of the Heartlands less than a month later. The combined influence of the Vandemar, Maddox, and Traven families all but guaranteed that House Fisk and House Howe would fall into line. And they did...initially.

After Gwendolen and Jastor's opulent wedding ceremony, the nobles began complaining about two major obstacles facing the Heartlands. First, they wanted the High Lord to send an armed force to deal with the bandit chieftain calling himself Roland the Red. Roland had been riling up the various bandit clans in the Heartlands for years now, and attacks on merchant caravans were getting worse with each passing week. It needed to stop. Also, Gwendolen needed to produce a male heir to claim the Rose Throne if something happened to Jastor. Normally, Jastor's younger brother, Fergus, would be considered the heir-apparent to the Heartlands, but the man was filled with an insatiable wanderlust. He hadn't been seen in Castle Greenstone for nearly five years. There was even a rumor making the rounds in Whitecreek's market that the younger Maddox had become the leader of a group of sellswords known as the Stone Hearts. Needless to say, the matter of succession would become complicated if Jastor died without an heir.

After three years of promising his nobles that all would be well, Jastor was relieved when Gwen found herself with child in 959 AC. He was less pleased by sightings of Rivanian soldiers in the Southern Marches. When the Northern War began in earnest, however, the Rose Throne's campaign against Roland the Red was reaching its climax. King Aedin's call to arms earned him a small contingent of House Vandemar's finest troops and nothing more from the Heartlands. High Lord Maddox's forces were too busy laying siege to the bandit stronghold of Fort Palatheon in the northern hills. While the citadel eventually fell, Roland the Red escaped and Jastor's army sustained heavy losses. Many devout Heartlanders claimed this was a sign of Mitras' displeasure with the High Lord's decision to send so few men to assist King Aedin. Whether this was the case or not, the bandit clans were scattered to the four winds, and the High Lord of the Heartlands returned to Castle Greenstone to tend to his pregnant wife.

In the first few days of 960 AC, Gwen gave birth to Baradin Maddox-Vandemar. The Heartlands finally had an heir. In spite of the wounds inflicted by Roland the Red and the Northern War, the Heartlanders rejoiced at the news. If the gossip in Castle Greenstone's servants' quarters was anything to go by, the High Lord and High Lady were doing everything in their power to have another child. The sounds alone could probably be heard in the streets of Whitecreek.

Unfortunately, shortly after Baradin's birth, Jastor began to lose weight while also suffering from sharp, unexpected chest pains. As he grew thinner and thinner, the Circle of Thorns, as well as other members of the Heartlander court, began to suspect the High Lord was afflicted with the withering. The withering was an illness that drained its victims of all vitality before killing them. It was rumored to be incurable. At the High Lady's insistence, doctors were summoned from all corners of the land to see if something could be done. Sadly, none of their poultices and herbal remedies could halt the illness' progress. Knowing that his time was almost up, Jastor and Gwen spent hours in Castle Greenstone's lavish study, discussing what was going to happen once the High Lord passed into holy Vanerheim. He tried to teach his wife what she would need to know to be a good regent until Baradin came of age. Of course, there was so much to teach and not nearly enough time. A few days after Baradin's fifth name day, High Lord Jastor of the House Maddox died in his bed with Gwendolen tearfully holding his hand. Even Fergus, Jastor's younger brother, returned to Castle Greenstone alongside the Stone Hearts mercenaries to stand at his bedside.

Unfortunately, time waits for no man, and this is especially true for those saddled with the burden of leadership. Fergus Maddox quickly proclaimed his disinterest in claiming the Rose Throne, though he did offer his oath of fealty to the Lady in Green. Speculation abounds as to why he did this, though the most popular belief is that the High Lady of Castle Greenstone slept with Fergus not long after her husband's demise. At any rate, terrified whispers are spreading across the Heartlands that Roland the Red has re-emerged and is rallying highwaymen, thugs, and unemployed sellswords to his banner. Merchants are clamoring for more patrols along the major trade routes in the region while the noble houses urge Gwendolen to take another husband. If Fergus has no intention of sitting the Rose Throne then Baradin will need a father to teach him what it means to be a man. And a High Lord. Gwen does plan to remarry, though she's waiting for the best offer. While she waits, however, the opportunists are building support and putting their plans into motion. Perhaps the most disturbing rumor is that House Howe is scheming to put its own lord, Andras Howe, on the Rose Throne. In addition, the consequences of Lord Jastor's unwillingness to send more soldiers to fight in the Northern Wars have yet to play out. All signs point to the golden age of the Heartlands ending in the near future.

Per ardua ad alta (Through straits to heights)
Colors: red, black, and gold

Claret was born to commoners in the city of Lundine, but she has no idea whether she had good parents or not, if she had brothers or sisters, if they were well off or paupers. Her time in this stage of her life was cut short by her capture by child slavers shortly after her fifth birthday.
The weeks and months she spent traveling with the slavers between Lundine and Rivania are now only a blur in her memory. Claret remembers the pain and terror of those weeks, but little or no details. Her first clear memories are of Rivania, and the street children she banded with there. Shortly after arriving in the foreign country’s capital, the girl escaped from her slavers, joined and eventually came to lead a rag tag group of children living on the streets and abandoned buildings of the city. She learned to pick pockets and locks, to steal and sneak around her city undiscovered. Despite the mites and diseases that plagued her band of street rats, this wasn’t an unhappy time for little Claret; she had a family, they weren’t starving, and while they had to run from the law, there was still fun to be had within the tight little group.
Then, the now ten year old little girl picked the wrong man’s pocket. He was a low level criminal who was fortunate enough to call himself a member of the city’s largest and most influential organized crime syndicate, the King’s Thieves. Seeking to ingratiate himself with a cruel and unpredictable leader, this low-life brought Claret to meet Vincent Arundell. known to his subordinates as The King. While her ernest captor probably assumed Claret would end up in a brothel, training to buy back her freedom with her body, her tenacity and fearlessness impressed the criminal king. An incredibly paranoid man well past his prime, he had set out to groom his own heir out of fear that choosing one of his too eager seconds would only shorten his own life span. Claret was young, clever, completely unattached to his organization and had all the makings of a fighter; the old man couldn't have wished for a better candidate.
For the next eight years, Claret trained with the best of the worst, all of the most talented thieves, spies, and assassins that would pass on their deadly arts. From the dancers, tumblers and courtesans in Arundel’s court she learned the more subtle arts of disguising oneself and interacting with the nobility. Arundel himself taught her the politics of the underworld.
It wasn’t truly a pleasant life, being heir to the King’s Thieves. Between avoiding or surviving assassination attempts on her own life, learning from tough teachers, and appeasing the ever more paranoid Arundell, Claret accumulated her share of scars. However, it all ended on her eighteenth birthday: word came that Vincent Arundel was dead and his red headed heir was to join him, unless she fled. The King’s Thieves had been overthrown by the very men Arundel had feared.
It was with mixed feelings of joyous freedom and a touch of sadness for the people who had raised her that Claret left Rivania for her homeland of Brythunnia. But once back in Lundine, the assassin went to work immediately on creating a name for herself as Lady Night. For the next year she worked on more and more difficult assignments for the wealthy, spying, stealing, and killing for a living. Eventually, Claret attracted the attention of the late King Aedin II Mawr, who hired her and constructed the alias of Catherine du Aren in order to keep the assassin at court without attracting too much suspicion. Unsurprisingly, Claret adapted to this new role easily, finding the official court easier to navigate than the criminal one she’d been a part of so long. By far the easiest task given to the Red Countess was to convince Duncan that he needed her skills as much as his father had.

Name: Jaden Cain

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Occupation/Title: Woodsmen/Trapper/Hunter

Appearance: Jaden has auburn hair and very strong, prominent facial features, just like his father. His eyes are a forest green and he has taken to growing a full beard and his hair long to help keep himself warm in the mountains. The rough life-style he lives has carved and sculpted his body like a rock, the sun having tanned his body. He wears and owns only the skins and furs of the animals he has killed; bear, fox, wolf and rabbit furs.

Personality: Jaden is a quiet and reserved individual. He doesn’t speak often and prefers solitude to the presence of others. He is very slow to anger, doesn’t hold grudges, but doesn’t forget. He seems to be indifferent to the plight of the kingdom as a whole, believing that being so far removed from society removes him from its influence. He isn’t afraid of a hard-days’ work and expects people of all types to pull their weight. He can be very blunt and straight to the point and has no mind for word games and puzzles.

History: Having grown up far to the West of Lundine in the capitol of the Dragon Mountains, Edithburg. It was no secret who his father was, his mother, Luciena, was very open about it. However, she fell sick when Jaden was twelve and upon her death he went to live with Luciena’s brother Kaldian, a brute of a man that lived in the mountains.

Jaden adopted Kaldian’s personality and demeanor. While they certainly enjoyed the company of one another, Kaldian enjoyed having someone young around to do some work and Jaden happy to have tasks to take his mind off of his mother. It was Kaldian that showed him how to survive in the wilderness, the man had once been a soldier, a general even, in the late King Lewyn’s army.

While the two were hunting during the summer of 962 AC Kaldian was killed by a particularly large boar, though he managed to drive a knife under the beasts head and up into the skull. Jaden buried his uncle and systematically went about his life, spending the last two years with minimal human contact except to trade. He is currently caught at a cross-roads, unable to decide which path to take.