Name: King Cauroman Carlosunno

Appearance:

The young King is lean and tall, donning shining scalemail and a mantle. He is outfitted like any other Chlotar Noble or Paladin would avoiding over-embellishment, the difference being that into Cauroman's spangehelm is forged an iron crown to denote his kingship, and a set of iron wings to denote his piety. From under his helmet strands of long blond hair fall over his shoulders and back, with a similarly coloured short and trimmed beard covering his chin and jawline.

Kingdom Allegiance: Ruler of Chlotaringen

Tribe: Chlotar

Background:
Though Cauroman himself is from the Chlotar Faramundian Dynasty, the quest he inherited from the Udosian Hierophant has elevated him to the heavens, assigned to be God’s Hand-On-Earth. He is to be more than just a King. In the name of God, he will conquer Visandza and unite Humanity into a single Empire.

The Chlotar princeling grew up in his father's capital of Aaixen during the afterglow of the Chlotar Brother War -- a civil war fought between his father and three uncles. Cauroman was the younger of two brothers. Even as children the brothers Cauroman and Dagobert would quarrel relentlessly. Their father, Carlovech, dreaded the sight of it, for his war with his own brothers once started with similar petty quarrels, that over the years just kept escalating and escalating to the point the brothers all despised one another. He would force Cauroman and Dagobert to swear a solemn oath to him, to God and to each other, that never they would raise swords against their brother.

A year ago, King Carlovech was invited by allied King Aethelbehrt of Eodaland to dine with him, as to celebrate Carlovech's victory against his brothers. However through a foul act of Eodaen treachery there was poison smuggled into Carlovech's cup...
Following the death of late-king Carlovech, the Kingdom of Chlotaringen and all its conquered possessions were divided between the brothers to become two separate kingdoms. The Kingdom of Cauroman in the north seated in Aaixen, and the Kingdom of Dagobert in the south seated in Lorhavren. On his deathbed, Carlovech accused King Aethelberht of Eodaland for his demise by breaking the sacred tradition of hospitality. And worse, by killing a King not in fair battle but through cowardly poison. The first act of the Kingdom of Cauroman and the Kingdom of Dagobert -- as a display of their royal authority and to avenge their father -- was to march a large army north to the land bridge connecting Eodaland with Chlotaringen.
In a demonstration of bravado, the feisty King Cauroman was mortally injured after he dueled King Aethelberht in a fight to the death. Cauroman’s force of personality is greater than that of his physique – brave and zealous he may be. Miraculously however, King Cauroman slew his opponent, though mortally injured in the process. Broken many ribs, bloodied and battered, and struck fatally on his temple after his helmet had been struck off, and this injury caused the young King to slowly go blind.
Approaching death, his retainers made all haste to deliver his broken body to the Holy City of Udos for healing. Only the Hierophant's blessing can invoke the power to restore his eyesight. He was transported to the great harbor of Lorhavren, where a ferry of Udos awaited him.

As he was carried into the Udosian Inner Sanctum, the most holy place in all Visandza, he met the Hierophant who proposed a divine Pact.
In return for God recovering his eyesight and restoring him to full strength, the Chlotar King was to become the Holy City’s protector, to come to their defense whenever called upon. He is the only man in the world who can hope to stand against the King of Lampertei, Dalgiserius... The Vestal Institution's very existence is at stake if the Lampert King and his powerful army succeed in their conquest of Amalia. It was quite a bargain; for long the Chlotars had tried to invade Lampertei, but never gained a permanent foothold. The Lamperts are a mighty people and certainly no pushovers.

Cauroman could not be brought to agree to a vow that great and demanding. And so the Hierophant sent forward one of her Priestesses to coerce him into agreeing. She was originally a Baltian Princess, the true-born daughter of Orso's older brother and his wife, Adacharista. As befitting her dynasty she had a mind-warping aura to her, and hers was persuasion through seduction.
Cauroman being such a stiff element of God had never experienced sincere affection for a woman prior to then, and he was brought to consider her words carefully.

Originally her name was Eulalie, Princess of the Balti Dynasty, and she told the Chlotar King the story of ‘her’ people, the Tautans, and their state of degeneration. She told him exactly why the faithful must rise up in defense of God in this crucial turning point of history. Because it is not just the Lamperts who rage against God, but the denizens of Tautom-City also. All over Visandza there is an unholy pact happening against God -- the Chlotars are the only faithful race left.
Cauroman learned the Baltian plot to deliberately kill God and ultimately set the prerequisites for an apocalypse, the scheme that Eulalie’s family is perpetrating. For underneath the decadence and depravity of Tautom is a genuine committed effort to weaken and ultimately destroy God. Tautom city and her uncle Orso are its unknowing perpetrators, used as a playground experiment by dark powers to wantonly rip more and more splinters out of the essence of God. As a consequence of God's weakening, the climate is changing and the tribes of Visandza will be increasingly at each other’s throat. There will be no hope of divine interventions as the world winds down, and humanity will be truly lost.

‘’You are the only one who can stop it, my good King. For all of us.’’

Besides a genuine desire to do good, it was moreso Cauroman’s lust for glory and fame that got the better of him. A chance to be a truly legendary hero to be sung of in folklore for the next thousand years. After talking to Eulalie, he finally made the solemn vow to the Hierophant that he’d do everything within his power to save God, Visandza and the Holy City, if she would only return him to full strength and restore his eyesight.
And so it came to pass.

It is a battle against time;
if Udos falls, God may never be able to recover and the world would be left to deteriorate until it falls into final oblivion. But possibly even worse, to Cauroman's mind, he would never be able to save and marry Eulalie. And Cauroman's efforts to save Udos and ending the tyranny of Dalgiserius are largely motivated by him white knighting for the princess. He'd never admit that of course.

Cauroman wields the holy sword Halogan, etched with a rune wherein Cauroman’s oath to the Hierophant, and specifically Princess Eulalie, is preserved. Its metal’s durability had been sanctified in Udos.
----
As Cauroman's health recovered and departed Udos, Dagobert's health declined. When the younger Chlotar King returned to Chlotaringen he took the reins of his brother's half of the Kingdom until Dagobert's eventual recovery. But whether Dagobert will recover from this mysterious disease cannot yet be said...

Name: Autchar der Herstal

Appearance:

Autchar is sturdy and broad-shouldered, with long brown hair and a brown beard. His war-gear is austere, and one wouldn’t normally guess he is a Paladin. This is, by his own saying, to be more approachable for foot soldiers. Someone has to stay on their level. And this way he can bring the concerns and worries of the men directly to the King's ears.

Kingdom Allegiance: Chlotaringen

Tribe: South-Chlotar

One of the twelve Paladins of the Chlotarian King. Autchar is only a recently-anointed Paladin, new to the royal brotherhood. He started out as the sword-bearer of the King’s father, Carlovech. And after that the devoted confidante and bodyguard of Cauroman’s brother Dagobert, before the King fell to an evil disease. Dagobert is not dead, however, and so long the dying monarch continues to draw breath, Autchar will battle in his name. He defends Dagobert’s claim to his share of the Kingdom as per late-king Carlovech’s dying request. Per Dagobert’s request he has now pledged his sword to his younger brother, Cauroman.

Name: King Dalgiserius of Skadan
Appearance:

The Lampert King sports a long dark beard kept in place with a bejeweled bead, with strands of grey hair. While being in his early 50s, he maintains a physical dynamic and vigor unbefitting his age. Tall, broad-shouldered and strong built with the physique of a bear -- more emphasized by his large mantle, made from the pelt of a black bear which he himself hunted. His tanned reddish face is complemented by two intense icy blue eyes... in which a lustrous gleam reflecting his perpetual madness. Lampert Kings wear a large iron cone-crown, and a horned lamellenhelm in battle.
His teeth have gone brittle and are half broken from all his enraged teeth-grinding. There aren't many good dentists in the Dark Ages.

Kingdom Allegiance: Ruler of Lampertei

Tribe: Lampert

Background:
Hate and wrath. That is not always what defined him, but over the years and by God’s dark power, Dalgiserius as a man has been rendered a caricature of such.
By his divine power of wrath King Dalgiserius becomes so fierce and terrible in battle that even disarmament won't slow his rampage. He will slay men with his bare hands. It is believed by his subjects, whether true or imagined, that when Dalgiserius grows hungry and has no food he will eat enemy soldiers captured in battle.

He was not originally the designated heir of the Lampert Kingdom. Dalgiserius started off his career as a soldier and celebrated officer in his father’s guard, distinguished in his successful raids against the Chlotar vanguards whom his men ambushed as they crossed the Rudines. He was a warrior before he was a ruler.
Throughout his early life, Dalgiserius' dynasty had been the target of dark powers. His father Cunincprand was the first to succumb to it. He fell mortally ill and passed on the iron crown to his eldest son, Aistulfus. Yet within the same week of his coronation ceremony, his older brother died of a malevolent skin disease.
One brother after another perished in the span of a few years. It seemed initially to be a dynastic feud where one of Dalgiserius’ brother tried to claim the throne for himself – but than his old aunt, his mother’s sister, died as well. It became gradually clear that the cause of their deaths was no mere power struggle; it was an existential attack on his kin. The Lampert Loremasters observed it eerily resembled the origins legend of the Lampert Tribe – exiles doomed by God. The situation rang too familiar. To them it was an omen – God will return to impose his yoke on Visandza yet again. The final battle is nigh, and Dalgiserius will sound the charge in the war against God.

Prince Dalgiserius raised a small force of men into an investigative force to track down the precise cause for his kin’s deaths, a form of Lampert ‘inquisition’ known as the Farigai. Now Dalgiserius had never been a spiritual man, much rather a forward and brutish one. He suspected the reason he had not been affected by the doom befalling his kinsmen was his distance from God. Those kinsmen seeking God’s protection were precisely just those that kept dying.
When it was Dalgiserius’ turn in the line of succession to wear the Iron Crown of Lampertei, he was the first King not to sanctify his coronation at the Vestal Mountain Temple that the Alboinids had been using for generations. The New King and the Farigai accused that very Temple of conspiracy against the Lampert Crown.
On the pretense of going there for his coronation, King Dalgiserius and the Farigai instead climbed the Mountain Temple in search of proof of their conspiracy for the death of his kin.
Dalgiserius and his Lampert retainers tore the place apart, stone by stone, sacking the temple into disrepair, drove out the Vestal Priestesses… but found nothing.
Rather than admitting that he was wrong, Dalgiserius doubled down on his beliefs. When his kin sought out God, God killed them. God declared war on the descendants of Alboin. It was all too clear to him then; much like in ages past, God is again behind humanity’s doom. Fate determined the destiny of the Lampert tribe is to oppose and ultimately defeat God and drive him from this world.
From Lambertar being exiled for his rejection of Him, to Alboin slaying God’s armies -- the Divine Locust. Now that same mantle of defying the Yoke of Heaven has fallen on Dalgiserius to finish that which his ancestors had long ago begun.

For the past 20 years the vindictive Lampert King has ruled supreme with all acts of wickedness and ruthless suppression of all those faithful to God, riling his subjects up to move deeper into Amalia and uproot any worship of God. Dalgiserius vowed to rid Visandza of the divine yoke, and smite all who deter him from doing just that.
With the Alboinids being a nearly extinct dynasty-- and their dynasty falling in God's sphere of wrath --all the combined wroth of the Alboinids is now manifested solely in Dalgiserius. This has rendered his aura of fear unimaginably potent, stronger than ever has been witnessed in living memory. A caricature of rage and the manifestation of God's wrath. A perpetual stormy cloud over Skadan castle …literally.
His court is numbed in his presence. The Lampert Courtiers – the Gastalds, have been largely rendered yes-men who can never speak out against their King and often slavishly carry out his will.
He is, while being incredibly hostile to God, himself more God than he is a man.

The Royal Seat of Skadania has become a dark and brooding place where most of the townsfolk stay inside, especially after nightfall. Because once the King’s tireless nighttime ranting and raving commences, the sky itself starts to crackle as if to answer the King’s maledictions. And he curses and damns to darkness all who defy, which is to say, literal and actual curses and condemnations.

Name: Dalgiserata of Skadan, the Dalgisdaughter

Appearance:

Where Lampert women are known to be hardy, strong and a bit bulky (in some cases even more than their men), the Lampert Princess stands out. For while she carries herself strongly in typical Lampert fashion, she also retains a courtly feminine grace and enthralling one would expect of a Princess. She is short, with long dark hair braided over her shoulder and inherited the icy blue eyes of her father.
She also has the same face-paint around her eyes as Dalgiserius does, a royal Lampert tradition to denote kinship.

Kingdom Allegiance: Scion of Lampertei

Tribe: Lampert

Background:
Dalgiserata, informally known as Serata, is the only biological child of Dalgiserius. In essence she can be regarded as a gender swapped Dalgiserius junior – though that is to say, minus the madness. Particularly after the death of the actual Dalgiserius junior, her elder brother who died an infant death. When Dalgiserata was born, the Lampert King imparted that same role on his daughter as he would a son, in an interesting break of tradition. Hence her name; Dalgiserata.

The King’s daughter is borne of the only goodness left in Dalgiserius. When she was born, the Lampert King became even more vindictive. He despises his wife, he despises most of his subjects -- but his daughter is the only person in the world for whom it can be said Dalgiserius actually holds fatherly affection.
The princess and her father are two parts of the same coin, splinters of God, with Dalgiserius being the rage and vindication and Dalgiserata being his wisdom and justice. At least in theory.
Her power contrasts that of the King, as her divine power has a calming effect on his rage. She assumed the role of structure of her dynastic sphere. This is done by being a source of peace and stability by ensuring her father’s chaotic outbursts do not blow everything out of order.
She is not by nature such a compassionate person, but in the face of everyone else being worse, and the abuse the Skadan household regularly has to endure, the Lampert princess has shouldered the responsibility of being perhaps the only moderating source that can be found in Skadan. Enough so that she is the only one who can stand up against her father on behalf of all those he has abused and damned to darkness.
And what’s more, she is so intone to Dalgiserius that she is known to be able to lift his curses.
Despite seeing the very obvious flaws of her lord-father, Dalgiserata never gave up hope that one day he will make a recovery to the man he once was.

The Lampert Princess, taking on the duties her brother would have had, often rides out from the castle in man’s clothes and armor with a bearded mask, to oversee the domestic strains Lampertei is going through with her father’s decreed persecutions staged by the Farigai.

Because of her gender, she cannot be the heir of the Kingdom should the King return to God. The next King, as many Gastalds already presume, would be whoever attains her hand in marriage. And many of the Gastalds are already plotting in the shadows to see this through -- even spilling the blood or rivals. And hoping that Dalgiserius will not take notice of the hidden plots to marry his daughter.

Name: Raditschs the Damned

Appearance:

Raditsch appears aged and worn, but he is only somewhere in his 30s. His old looks come not from age but from misfortunate after misfortune, the world has not been kind to him. His skin is covered in blotches of diseased grey and burnmarks from the perpetual pestilence that afflicts him, yet is never fatal enough to completely immobilize him.

Kingdom Allegiance: None, the only allegiance is to himself and whoever can redeem him.

Tribe: Lampert

You can spot him coming from miles away, for where Raditschs walks, a dark stormy cloud always follows. To the locals around the Rudines his coming is a sign of doom; none will harbor him for the despair his presence brings to their homesteads. Ever since Raditschs has been branded by the fell hex of Lampert King Dalgiserius, Raditschs has been a Damned Soul through and through… It is only through the curse’s intervention that he survives at all. He lost count of the number of times birds defecated on him, or over how many stray pebbles he tripped. He misses the days where bandits still dared mug him, for at least this way he had some human interaction. Today even the bandits steer clear.

Background
Once Raditschs was a Gastald -- the royal administrator of Bressenra. He was to play an integral part on the renewed Lampert attack on Udos and the remnants of Amalia. As Lampert raiders encroached onto the outskirts of the city, Raditschs was among them, however he had -- in an act of empathy -- warned some of the locals and Shrine Maidens of their coming that they may get away with their lives and livelihoods. But his warning was in vain, for as soon as the Amalians were captured by the King’s raiders, Raditschs’ part in their escape became apparent. He was brought before the King, and after Dalgiserius broke his nose with his fist, Raditschs was assigned to helm the first wave with a chance to clear his name by dying in battle.

The Gastald loyally carried out the order. As soon he and his unit were onto the walls they fought to the last man, but were themselves decisively cut down. Through a miracle however one of the escaped people from the countryside was fighting among the defenders, and he recognized Raditschs as the man who had warned them. Owed to his intervention the Udosian garrison spared his life, and Raditschs was instead taken into captivity.

Following weeks of battle without headway, and repeated divine interventions obstructing the Lampert’s various schemes, the siege of Udos ended in a disastrous failure for Lampertei. Dalgiserius’ army retreated, with the King opting to impose a crushing tribute and embargo on the city. Nevertheless, the Holy City was saved.
The Udosians were overjoyed enough that they released all the Lampert prisoners.

Raditschs was offered the chance to remain with honorary citizenship for the good will he has shown, however as a Gastald, Raditschs was bound by oath, and returned to the King’s mountain hold in Skadan.
Already seething with anger from the failed assault, Dalgiserius was livid at the sight of Raditschs entering his domain. He damned the Gastald to oblivion, stripped his lands and titles and exiled him into the mountains with unending misfortune on him and all his family. His fate is a fate worse than death -- the curse is to keep him alive to prolong his misery unto the end of days.

Name: King Badastan Horsa

Appearance:

Badastan is not ‘grotesque’ or fat, he is just a bit chubby. Badastan is of robust physique and sports a bushy mustache. There’s a perpetual sly twinkle in his eyes. In battle Badastan dons a Sutton Hoo Helmet he had personally made in the shape of a Squirrel’s head. All will know, fear and/or love him as the Squirrel King.

Kingdom Allegiance: Ruler of Eodaland

Tribe: Eodaen

Background:
Willfully deceptive, endlessly lying and shamelessly opportunistic… With Badastan there are always schemes and intrigue abound. He is a ruthless politician with no qualms against betraying his own bloodkin in pursuit of personal gain, that all-the-while manages to keep up the façade of a kindly middle-aged man who gets merry, has a good sense of humor, cracks jokes, regularly drinks beer with the lads and is affectionate towards children and animals. On the surface there is little reason to dislike him.
Being from the Horsa Dynasty he exercises a divine influence much like his three rival Kings. His power is one that instills extreme irrational trust in his subjects. This is demonstrated when Badastan convinced his countrymen to start worshipping Squirrels of all things. And was powerful enough that even his brother, the king, was not really onto him. His ability is a powerful tool indeed when harnessed by a total sociopath as Badastan truly is.

He is the younger brother of late-king Aethelbehrt. For most of his life he had been a regional leader and a prominent chief in Cantaware. Though the throne could not be his, he never gave up and he certainly never sat idly by. Behind his brother’s rule he passed his time setting up his own cult of Squirrel-worship. A theological visionary – of bushy tailed rodents. From the surface people often took him for a funny and witty man, his schemes no more than harmless pranks, but underneath that was a sincere and cunning politician. It was more than just a practical joke – it was a means to an end… Though it was to some common knowledge that Badastan was a scheming bastard from the start, his brother Aethelbehrt never wished to see him as an enemy. To Eodaens the bond of brotherhood is sacred.

Nevertheless for the past 6 years Aethelbehrt had been ominously losing his sons and heirs until only Alric, his third son, was left. Somewhere Aethelbehrt must have understood Badastan’s true nature, though was never willing to address it until it was too late.

Name: Aelfgar of Westerburh

Appearance:

Aelfgar is a skinny man. He has proportionally long legs, a pointy nose, long curly red-brown hair and a groomed stubble beard. Because of his legs he is nicknamed ‘longshanks’. Looks however can be deceiving, for Aelfgar is much stronger than he appears, and it is his inconspicuousness why he’s so frequently employed as Badastan’s ‘armed muscle’.
In battle he has been distinguished insofar he obtained the right to don a Sutton Hoo Helmet.

Kingdom Allegiance: Eodaland

Tribe: Eodaen

Background:
Thane of Badastan, devout Squirrel acolyte and sacred warden of the Golden Acorn. Aelfgar was one of the King’s earliest and ardent supporters. He was never a religious man, but found himself ensnared by the serene music that was Badastan’s words.
For nearly a decade Aelfgar had been in Badastan’s service to carry out the covert operations only he could be entrusted with. As a reward for some of his early successes, he had been made Badastan’s personal thane.
He owns 5 hides of land in western Eodaland near the land bridge to continental Visandza. His homestead is the fortified settlement named Westerburh from which he hails.

Name: King Orso Balting the Tautan

Appearance:

Gaunt, frail, mostly undressed and radiating patheticness. He has short dark hair, balding in parts, and has been cursed with a perpetually stoned gaze. He has facepaint on one half of his shaven mug, a left-over of a royal Viigoc custom of old.
Lastly; he has gold nipple piercings. That's not really based on any culture save that of Tautom City itself.

Kingdom Allegiance: Formally King of all Baltian possessions and Ruler of the City-State of Tautom

Tribe: None, considers himself Celesean by blood and by culture, though is of Viigoc descent.

Background:
Believe it or not, but his presence is the only stabilizing factor keeping the population of Tautom from sinking into total lawlessness and anarchy. His divine aura works like a drug on his people, keeping them satisfied with his lazy, incompetent rule and suffering through the corruption and slow decay of the city.

He grew up the eldest of several brothers and sisters. Many have not survived. Though to be fair Orso didn’t get along with any of them particularly. The Celesean Sages, as to preserve Odovakre’s divine bloodline, endorsed Orso and his siblings from a young age to sire many princelings to ensure the survival of the dynasty. And out of all of them, Orso has surely done the best job at it.
One of his several sisters, Anaceaia, is considerably more chaste by contrast. To Orso’s mind this is largely owed to her marriage to Belisar, who he regards as an overly serious, stiff and joyless man, but who Orso naively trusts regardless as a devoted and loyal subject. The man just needs to be able to take a joke!

For at least the past decade, Orso has been confined to his royal palace (for his own safety, it is said) where he lives a life of unrepentant debauchery. He is a relatively young king, but already has a seraglio of at least fifty wives with whom he has sired up to a hundred children, and at this rate there will be a hundred more added to that. Of all his many royal offspring, only little Prince Icaeas stands out as Orso’s designated heir of the Baltian Kingdom, for he and Eulalie are Orso’s only spawn that are children of Adacharista – Orso’s first wife and originally a refugee Princess of Amalia, whose family has been largely wiped out. In the darkness of Tautom many a princeling of the Balti dynasty had disappeared under suspicious circumstances or outright been assassinated in the ongoing power struggle. Orso, in a uncharacteristic show of concern, deemed Tautom City unsafe for children and sent Prince Icaeas to the safety of Syrome under Doux Belisar’s protection, while Princess Eulalie was sent to Udos to be a Vestal Virgin and a life of chastity, out of reach of power-hungry suitors and intrigues.
King Orso either does not notice, or simply does not care, that his rule is rendered as being a ceremonial figurehead. It is the Douxes and their factions that do the real governing in Tautom and the Baltian island territories. Though at the same time the King’s overarching authority is the only thing that can control the untamable beast that is Tautom’s population. The Douxes who conspire against him know that everything hinges on his blessing, and as such he is best not dethroned… Yet.

Name: Abadactus Rogan, Grand Domesticus of the Royal Demesne, Captain of the Palace Guard and Marshall of the Sacred Band of Tautom

Appearance:

Abadactus appears in his early thirties, he has long wavy dark hair with a handsome face. He is built slender and muscular, and while quite buff, not as robust as most other Palace guards. (Nor as undressed.) He has a cross scar on his forehead. Abadactus insists this scar was obtained in the crucible of battle, but everyone knows it was self-inflicted to appear more intimidating.

Kingdom Allegiance: Kingdom of Baltia

Tribe: None - Celesean

Background:
The men of the Rogan family had been captains for the elite bodyguard of the Baltian Royal Family for generations. Each leader of the family was named Abadactus, and the current Abadactus is the seventh in a long and proud line of royal protectors.
Abadactus, sometimes called simply ‘Seven’ as to not confuse him with his forefathers of exactly the same name, is commander of the Sacred Band of Tautom, the most elite and powerful warrior squad the City has to offer. Each of the members comprising the band have been drilled their whole lives, and specifically selected from families of warrior bloodlines. As part of the process of making the Sacred Band the most powerful group of warriors in the known world, each member is state-enforced into homosexual relationships with the other. Therefore each member of the Sacred Band is lover of the other, which has made their unit cohesion the best in all Visandza. They are indomitable warriors. And to top it off, they are each blessed personally by the Baltian King to ward off doom, putting enemy warriors in a significant disadvantage when faced with the Sacred Band.

Vetericus the Axe-Bearing Foreigner, so named for both the mighty axe of his ancestors whom can be directly traced all the way back to Ostrapathia and his Viigoc birth, was one of the later defectors who found a greater ruler in blessed King Carlovech than the decadent, degenerate Tautans who sought to use his people as nothing more than a bulwark for their madness. When the Chlotars came to reclaim the territory his people lived in that Tautom squandered, Vetericus was filled with hatred for the mockery of God the Tautans proudly displayed; he pledged his life directly to King Carlovech, God’s chosen, and fought with a fervour nigh unmatched. Vetericus has seen the enemy. He has seen their perversion of morality and Godliness. He knows where they live and breed, like rats. He can know nor feel ease until all who would refuse to submit to God and now King Cauroman are stamped out, crushed beyond the means to offend again. The sensible heathen and heretic, oxymoron though that is, whispers the name of Vetericus in fear; the rest will soon scream it in terror as he drags them out of their holes to be purged in flames.

Vetericus’ defining moment came when great King Carlovech died. The Chlotar armies, far away in the north to punish Eodaland for their transgressions, were completely unable to address the sudden underhanded and cowardly rebellion instigated and led by Tautom. A horde of thousands swept across the Chlotaringen fringe territories, the token garrisons unable to staunch such an outpour. The rebels looked set to pierce into Chlotar heartland, gleeful to rampage and cause untold damage only to be met with the new steel spine of Chlotar; Vetericus and his Baltavigocs. Though heavily outnumbered, under Vetericus the Baltavigoc Guard found no match in the would-be invaders. Not an inch of sacred Chlotar land was defiled by the footstep of a Tautan due to the efforts of Vetericus, relentlessly hounding them all the way back to the very gates of Tautom; it is said that had he a single catapult at his disposal the city would be naught but ash today! The cowed Tautans sued for peace as Vetericus taunted them outside their walls, King Cauroman so impressed by how deftly the uprising had been laid low that Vetericus was inducted into his innermost circle of defenders.

The zeal of Vetericus has distinguished itself through action. He is a Paladin, amongst the most elite of the already supreme Chlotars, faithful beyond reproach and of the personal guard to King Cauroman himself, whom he serves with unquestionable loyalty in the same manner as he did King Carlovech.

Crocus, friend and confidant to Vetericus, defected so early his allegiance was given to Clodovech. Fighting with skill and valour throughout the Chlotar invasion, or liberation as he calls it, by the time Vetericus formed his Baltavigoc Guard his name was known and respected amongst all Viigocs who rejected Tautom. Soon after the Tautans began their counter-attack into Chlotar land Crocus rushed to become part of the rising star that was the Baltavigoc Guard, accepted for his reputation despite his age. At first referred to as ‘the Elder’ jokingly by his fellows, it swiftly became a title of respect for his wisdom, experience and talent that had been dulled little by time. Vetericus immediately recognised his value and he has served as the Baltavigoc Guard Captain ever since. Beloved by the men and frequent advisory to Vetericus, he is, aside from King Cauroman, the only individual who can sway Vetericus from actions perhaps deemed rash. Certainly the more reasonable of the two, the Baltavigoc Guard is as proud to march with him as he is with them.

“Joyous news!” had yelled the good people of Cantaware on the declaration that their long departed Prince had returned. Four months had been since the King’s death, four mournful months, and the absence of the gentle Prince Alric had caused great worry. Alric had been but a child, aged only eleven, when his father King Aethelberht sent him to live with his uncle the Earl of Sternic far from his home. But four years were now passed since leaving and Alric was no longer the child the noblemen of Eodaland remembered. He was now a young man of fifteen and finally home. And so the people rejoiced, for the time of mourning was now over and the minority of their Crown Prince was coming to its end, and they should soon have a King.

Or so was thought. In truth, Prince Alric had returned to find his grotesque uncle Badastan sat on his father’s throne and wed to his dear mother, the King’s widowed Queen. It had seemed the leading noblemen at court had made a swift and certain decision to elect Badastan King of the realm and designate Alric his successor. The Prince was sent to live at Halbuhr Castle with his retainer from Sternic, isolated from his mother and from the court.

Prince Alric now approaches his sixteenth birthday and remains powerless while his vile uncle rules the Kingdom, practicing his strange squirrel worship and keeping his mother from seeing her only living son.


Prince Alric is a thin young boy, just sixteen, neither short nor tall for his age. His blonde hair is thick and falls to his shoulders, pushed behind his ears and his fringe falling upon his forehead above his round blueish green eyes. Alric’s face is remarkably pretty for an Eodaen boy of his age, his nose thin, skin clean, and lips pink. As well as this the boy is completely clean-shaven. While wearing either typical Eodaen nobility clothing or his Eodaen armour, Alric makes sure to most always don his thick dark green cloak with a rampant white horse sewn into the back.



“King Aethelberht had a third son in the springtime at his Castle in the north.” This had been the single line written by the chronicler Domentziolus regarding Prince Alric in his working chronicle of the King of Eodaland. A single mention was typical of the early years of Alric who had been born a spare’s spare. Nevertheless his being, while perhaps not appreciated by contemporary scholars, was greatly appreciated by his parents. The King allowed all his sons to witness court dealings and while greater attention and care was given in the raising and training of the eldest boy Aethelberht the Younger, Alric was not shunned.

This dynamic would change when the eldest brother died on his sixteenth birthday when Alric was merely ten years old. The King and Queen’s mourning created great instability and a year later when the second boy Eadwin met his untimely end panic ensued. Despite his mother’s protests the King sent the eleven year old Alric to live with his uncle Earl Ine the Black far away on the Isle of Sternic. With time Alric became comfortable at Sternic, learning sailing and diplomacy from his seasoned uncle and godfather. The hope had been that Alric would be safe at Sternic to learn rulership with the intention that he would succeed his father in decades to come. Tragedy, however, was never too far from the Horsa dynasty these days and this time it would strike the King himself. It would take two months for news of King Aethelberht’s death to reach Alric and another two to return to Eodaland.

Appearance: In many things, Giselart takes the traits of the archetypal Lampert to their extreme conclusion. His hair and beard are long, dark and flowing, not to say wild; his frame is robustly built and vigorous, though somewhat short among his compatriots and slightly stooped with incipient age; his gaze burns with a wrathful light that strikes terror into the hearts of those that meet it. Although he dresses humbly, donning only the sombre raiment of a sage, from a distance his form can appear richly bejewelled due to an eccentric choice of adornment: upon his person Giselart wears numerous holy amulets and symbols of faith from the Amalian lands, all of them defaced and broken by his own hands. The most imposing of these trinkets is a large nondescript, weathered husk hanging from his neck, which he claims is the head of a Divine Locust, worn as a symbol of God's malice.

Kingdom Allegiance: Lampertei.

Tribe: Lampert, born and bred.

Background: Of where and when Giselart's life began no one can say much for certain, save that his origins were lowly and obscure, likely among peasants in the conquered countryside far south of Skadania. In his youth he was apprenticed to a volcaduc, one of those wise men who, among the godless Lamperts, fulfil that role of masters of lore and tradition that the clergy take on in more pious lands. From that teacher, he learned the legends and histories of his people, as well as smidgens of some practical sciences, such as how to speak with rhetorical cunning, read the stars and know the herbs that can cure fever or kill the body and the mind. Giselart proved an eager and curious student, and when, several years later, he was ordained a volcaduc himself, he began to travel Lampertei, seeking out other sages for their knowledge.

His intent was to collect all the tales of the Lampert tribe into one great chronicle; however, on his journey he had many adventures which marked the path of his life from then onward. He climbed mountains, traversed swamps and braved rivers; several times he fell severely ill, but always recovered. In the south, he joined various raids and campaigns against Udos, fought bravely and desecrated some shrines and temples, in which he took a fiendish joy. It was in those years that people first began to notice his immense hatred against God. Whether it came from the many stories of His evil and iniquity that he assembled, the perils he faced, a deep conviction of his own or something else entirely is unknown, but those who spoke with him of the questions of faith were often impressed with the virulence of his words and the abundance of his arguments, which were great even for a volcaduc.

Thus passed several more years of Giselart's life. The next great change came in the later years of King Cunincprand's reign, after a particularly unlucky expedition to the south. Angered by the failure, the wandering loremaster withdrew to a small, isolated town and began to preach to its people. He drew upon the wealth of knowledge he had accumulated, evoking great heroic deeds of ages past, and above all inflamed his listeners with fury against God and his vile minions on Visandza. His thunderous words fell on impressionable ears, and, when he rode out of the town, he was not alone, but followed by a cohort of coarse yet zealous men, enthralled by his speeches. He led his acolytes towards the lands of Udos, and on the way others joined them. Many were simple folk swept up by Giselart's blasphemous predication, but there were also among them experienced warriors from the remains of forces broken in past invasion. In the end, it was a sizeable, though shabby warband that crossed the border, and, while it was more owing more to blind luck than their skill, not only was it not entirely decimated, but even managed to bring back some plunder.

Upon their return, the surviving improvised raiders were overjoyed, and acclaimed their leader as gifted with a power that could breach the defences of God and men alike. Giselart, for his own part, grew convinced that it was his duty to bring war against God to all Visandza, and that for this end he had to go speak to the king himself. The band thus headed north, towards the capital, gathering more proselytes yet on its way. By that time, the supposed Locust head was already in Giselart's possession, and around that relic was built, almost casually, the warrior sect's identity. The assembly of rabble became the Farigai, the ones who brought the end and the extinction of God and his kin, and the divine instrument of destruction was perverted into the symbol of a scourge of His faithful. Members of the band carved stylised wooden effigies of the head and wore them on their persons or hung them to their saddles to signify their allegiance.

At length, the now greatly swollen force reached Skadania, and Giselart appeared before the king, his dire omens filling the halls of the capital. Although the fulminating loremaster and his followers were rather coldly received by the altogether moderate Cunincprand, who deemed them too undisciplined and rambuctious for his liking, they found greater favour with one of his younger sons, Dalgiserius. The prince's rougher character was more congenial to the band's rowdy, violent nature, and he took it among the forces under his command, with Giselart becoming his lieutenant and advisor. When, struck with suspicion at the deaths in his family, Dalgiserius began to investigate the source of the evil afflicting his bloodline, the Farigai were all too glad to become his hands and eyes, terrorizing the populace in their efforts to leave no stone unturned.

The sacking of the Mountain Temple was an occasion of great celebration among the warband, which had long set their eyes on that glaring target in the very midst of Lampert lands, but had theretofore been held back from assailing it by royal protection. Giselart himself, by that time a Gastald of the new king, led his men through the rampage with club in hand. Those who were with him then say that his hoard of plundered symbols of devotion grew twice as heavy on that day alone. Yet he was also never far from Dalgiserius' ear. When no proof of the Vestals' involvement in the deaths was found, he proclaimed that this was all the more reason to be certain that God's own invisible hand was in this, and He had to be fought with all their forces.

Since then, that indomitable old man, volcaduc and warrior, prophet and Gastald, has not been idle. He was ever close with his unholy oaths as the king descended into his madness, and those who sought to limit his influence were suddenly struck with mysterious ailments. This gave rise to rumours that the man had some sinister power with which he could bewitch and curse whom he pleased. Yet it is much too late to openly act against him. The only rival Giselart fears at all is the king's own get, Dalgiserata. For all he hates her mother for being a foreign witch and herself for weakening the king's resolve, he does not dare work against her, either with curse or poison or through the daggers and strangling-cords of his devotees.

Nevertheless, the Soothsayer thinks little of even the princess, for he is certain his power is immeasurably greater than hers. At his command, the Farigai ride out across the land, sowing fear in their quest to root out "disloyalty to the king" - that is, sentiments towards God other than venomous hate. To this day, their vexations rage on unhindered in the shadow of their protector, who, in his prophetic guise, makes no secret of abetting Dalgiserius' obsession and working to plunge Lampertei and all the world into apocalyptic carnage.

In both form and bearing, Ratechi lives up to his nickname, of "his shadow", be it said derisively or enviously. Tall, burly and clad in long, dark cloaks over his suit of lamellar mail, when he follows closely in Giselart's steps he does indeed appear as an enormous formless shadow cast by the older man from a light at his feet. And it is little wonder that he should often find himself in such a position, for he is the sage's bodyguard, executioner and most trusted agent. Once a farmer and village craftsman, Ratechi joined the Farigai when they were on their way to their first, historical raid and stuck with it since, working his way into the leader's favour through a combination of serpentine cunning, grim obedience and a stomach strong enough to know no qualms before the direst of deeds. His years of service have brought him more than one kind of experience; not only has he learned to wield a variety of weapons as well as a hardened warrior, but, impressed by his aptitude and strong memory, Giselart has taken him as his student, teaching him portions of his traditional wisdom.

Though mimicking his master's appearance to an extent, sporting an unbound beard and dark head of hair, Ratechi keeps his noticeably shorter, so that they might not inconvenience him in combat. Rather, the most unusual part of his appearance is one kept concealed in the folds of his cloak most of the time. During a skirmish, his left forearm was shattered by a mace blow. While the bone was hopelessly broken, leaving little choice but to sever that part of the limb outright, Giselart was able to salvage some of the situation. By wielding the secret healing arts of the volcaducs alongside his wild inspirations, and, as rumour will have it, his sorcery, the sage welded a long knife-blade to the stump, in such a way that Ratechi may freely use it to strike. The Farigai thus remains bound to his master out of gratitude for his salvation from cripplehood as well as reverence, respect and reliance on his protection; there are, however, some who say that the old Gastald ensures his favourite's loyalty with a magical decoct that dulls the pain from that strangely sealed wound, which would otherwise become unbearable.

Unlike most of his compeers, distinguished by, if anything, their low and humble birth, Dauraulf can vaunt rather more illustrious origins, being the firstborn of one of old King Cunincpert's Gastalds and a sergeant in Dalgiserius' erstwhile warband, though never very close to the prince. While he could very well have hoped to one day equal his father in rank, being a skilful commander and deft with a hellbeard, he chose instead to join the Farigai under Giselart's lead, forgoing any chance of being elevated outside their ranks. His reasoning, seasoned by Dalgiserius ascending to the throne, was such: given the new king's temper, which only seemed to worsen over time, those that stood around them on their own were much more likely to have their heads roll if it came to that. Meanwhile, if anything happened to the Farigai, Giselart would take the brunt of it, and himself? Well, he'd always find a way out.

Being one of the few Locust-bearers to have any proper experience in leadership, Dauraulf was often singled out to lead raiding parties and train his more rustic fellows in the use of arms, quickly rising through what ranks the Farigai have. At length, he found himself on almost equal standing with Ratechi himself in Giselart's esteem, and was given leave to dispose and direct the practical aspects of the group's organisation, tactics and logistics. Though aware that this once again made him a visible figure, Dauraulf still found his position safe enough for comfort, and enjoyed the power it gave him. He thus did his best to live up to it. Having always been of an imaginative and humourous bend, he took the Locust imagery further than anyone, covering his cuirass with leater stripes to make it seem like the shell of an insect and adorning his helm with a contraption of wood and hide that gave his head a carapace, fangs and horns like those of his Gastald's symbolic talisman. True to the fearsome image he projects, he is famed for his ferocity and irreverence towards anything divine, and a penchant for cruel mockery against his enemies.

Kingdom Allegiance: The Most Excellent Domain of the Despotate of Syrome, Subject of the Most Serene Nation of Men and Women of the Kingdom of Baltia.

Tribe: Viigoc, or actually, the most Viigoc of the Viigocs; Syroviigoc.

Appearance: Athalaric is an aged man, having reached a most notable 47 years old throughout his service at the right-hand side of Despote Belisar of Syrome. His age is most obvious in his white hair, this is simply due to the scars confusing the shape and form of potential wrinkles and other symbols of aging. The privilege of his station, and the power of which he holds is made manifest in his most extravagant of attire, dark blue robes covered by golden ornamentary armour which serve both practical and ceremonial significance. Beneath his extravagant revivalist robes and ceremonial attire, is a body riddled with scars, from both practice and battle alike, reaching even his left eye, permanently blinding it. However, he does not hide his eye from the world, instead bearing in its place a ceramic replacement adorned with beautifully painted craftsmanship in some of the most exotic colours available to the Syroviigocs. On his shoulder, placed upon his shoulder plate, is the Heraldry of his people, the Viigoc Warrior (the naked man made of iron, stretched out in majestic form), pressed upon a plate of exquisitely crafted origins, making up the manifest design of the Viigoc peoples' united coat of arms.

When battle makes its natural way into an intersecting path with that of Athalaric, he forsakes the casual robes and instead wears a coat of plates further reinforced by occasional pieces of scale armour and lamellar. It is covered in the engravings of ancient words of wisdom, having been passed down through religious rites since the coming of the Viigocs upon the Baltia. To protect his head, he wears a great helm of sorts, not unlike those of the typical cataphracti of the Baltian culture, but also wields a war-mask of plate, capable of being lowered or opened to better increase protection in times of need, and visibility in times of strategy and maneuvering. The mask, itself, is styled similarly to that of the Owl, bearing great resemblance. In addition, he places the typical ceremonial armour upon his protective uniform, to symbolize rank and station, making it easier for allies to understand from where their orders are coming from during times of chaotic conflict, although naturally the same also applies for the enemy.

Background: Born to the humble Syroviigoc village of Vidimir, situated in the distance of the much greater Syrome City, and it's expansive Viigoc Quarter, Athalaric was brought up as a common man. Whilst Viigocs, especially Syroviigocs, are often thought of as higher in the natural hierarchy of humanity, the lifestyle of which Athalaric initially inherited from his parents was a simple one. Brought up as an apprentice to his father's ways of smithing, Athalaric grew up rapidly into the ways of true men and women, adopting the ways of the world at a very rapid rate.

By the age of 11, Athalaric was already practicing the arts of blacksmithing in support to his father, allowing the two to supply the local guards singlehandedly, where otherwise several workshops would have to cooperate in order to fill the requirements of the guardsmen stationed. Athalaric was left wanting, however, as he felt his life waste away by the mere age of 15, having already mastered enough of the ways of smithing to sustain himself for what would seem as an indefinite period of time. He became bored, and fast, soon venturing, with the understanding of his parents, towards the great city of Syrome, where he made an initial living crafting lockpicks, shields, and other cheap matters of equipment for an increasing bag of coin.

His efforts were recognized, and under the authority of the Foederati captain, he was brought into the Syroviigoc quarter as an official smith of the professional Viigoc military under the helm of the Despot. After five years of effort, his station would advance even further, however in a most unusual of directions, after he participated in a tournament festival, letting out his primal urges and long-before restrained bestial prowess. He won the tournament, at the surprise of all Viigocs of the Quarter, and became a warrior-smith, a therefore unseen rank within the army.

On his first actual battle, a raid on nothing more than local highwaymen and their camp, Athalaric managed to use his own personally crafted axe to great effect, having been forced to forsake his shield in close quarters combat by an especially skilled combatant. Athalaric was able to bring the warrior to heel through careful planning and execution via timed jabs and fake slashes, followed up by confusing jabs to the enemy's torso. His efforts were recognized immediately by his commanding officer, claiming they were "exceptional even amongst the entirety of the guard", which soon lead to a direct promotion into the ranks of senior officers.

This promotion was, however, made in a promise of ability. That is to say, he'd have to show his prowess as an officer in order to remain as one. As such, he was put into task to train a new regiment of recruits for the expanding army, who were under orders of the Despot to expand their capabilities. The regiment were, needless to say, brought up exceptionally well, to the surprise of everyone involved. Athalaric had always had a simple way of speaking and behaving, and when the surprise arose amidst the senior-most ranks of the military, Athalaric was the only man who seemed indifferent with the results. He saw his accomplishments in training, and leading his regiment in battle, as a natural result. No different than birds of prey feeding on prey.

The Captain of the Foederati, Fridigern the Old, in rise of this incredible discovery, catapulted Athalarics career into new heights, placing him at the most generous position of Army Commander. Now being one of five individuals allowed the authority to govern entire armies in battle, with only eachother and the Foederati Captain to answer to, as well as the Despot, an entirely new life emerged for Athalaric.

The first test of his metal, his will, and his prowess as a commander of soldiers, as a commander of the Viigocs, came during the Second Pirate Invasion of Sonimossos, a city of average size, otherwise unimportant aside from its exceptionally excellent grapes, leading the city to become a center of local trade. As it was on the same mainland as that of Syrome, there were no need to assemble any ships to cut off the Pirates, and instead the army was assembled and marched on foot to the place of battle. Under the banner of Methos, a Pirate Lord of exceptional wealth and power amidst the Sea of Tears, he had organized a raiding party to sack the city and steal it of its wealth.

Athalaric would serve as acting commander of the army, with General Huml and Senior-General Rekitach acting advisor. Initially the campaign to destroy the pirate fleet proceeded well, with the army itself assembling itself rapidly, and through the period of travel, nurturing itself well, and keeping up a truly exceptional speed. Whilst partly due to the experience of the Advisors under his command, certain aspects of the routine were organized by Athalaric's own hand, such as modifying the rationing system and organizing the men and their orders during times of putting up camp. Things would soon change, however, when battle struck. When the city of Sonimossos came into view, the smoking city, bombarded by ship-mounted catapults and assaulted by pirates on its harbour, things would come to take a turn for the worse.

Athalaric's army entered the city via its gates, who were opened as they had arrived. A command station was established in the city center, and the troops were relayed into their positions under Athalaric's command, through the aid and careful council of his advisors. It all made sense, the positions of his archers and spearmen, the flanking positions of the renowned Cataphracts. On paper, it was a perfect defense, however, when the harbour finally fell, and the enemy landed en-masse, disaster struck.

With one fell swoop of the catapult, his advisors were smashed into pulps, adorning the stone path next to him. Athalaric had missed death by a mere meters lenght away. With his senior advisors and staff obliterated by the path of the catapults payload, Athalaric felt a surge of emotions that he otherwise had never before experienced, save for when participating in the gladiatorial games.

A feral instinct embodied him, as he felt both joy, anger, and savagery overwhelm him. His commands and orders became erratic, and reactionary, as opposed to the natural planned pattern it had moments before been. He ordered his cavalry to breach the enemy's main ranks making their way from the harbour, and whilst it was accomplished, the Cataphracts had not expected the ships to have already landed, and unloading their corsairs upon the docks. The Cataphracts were stuck, and ultimately perished entirely, as their heavy armour could not burden all the punishment that came at them from all directions. Whilst this happened, Athalaric had sent his infantry and archers forward to assault the ranks of the enemy, who had now mostly turned their backs to his forces at the docks.

The Viigoc infantrymen, supported by their cavalry, would face the corsair hoards in a skirmish that would ultimately last for several days, leaving both sides tired and bearing losses entirely unacceptable for the occation. Athalaric's emotional rage would not seize until he was apprehended by his own Guards, and sent to the headquarters in Syrome after the battle had ended. The result of the incursion and the subsuming chaos that had afflicted Athalaric and his army would leave half the city in entire disrepair.

Athalaric was entombed, as punishment for his service, deep below the Viigoc Quarter's citadel, within the catacombs, where he would be left to rot for years to come.

Left with naught but bread and water for years on end, Athalaric would come to soon learn to confront his inner self, and take control of it. He would converse with the guards and servants who would meet him every day to give him the barest of nutrients. In his chains, he would grow wise with the world, learning, understanding, and solving the most basic and the most complex of issues which he were presented via his dialogue with the guards and servants during his inprisonment.

He had thought himself abandoned for long, after all, how many eternities had he not been chained to a tomb burried deep below Syrome? However no, his feats had not forgotten, for they were not overshadowed by his faults. The Commanders of the Viigoc Guard, and the Foederati Captain had not been ignorant in their reports of the battle, and had seen the diamond covered by dirt that had presented itself during the battle.

Fridigern had decided, to the discord and approval of numerous of his military council, that Athalaric would be forgiven for his failures, and groomed into his successor. His reasoning was clear, no one would disagree that Athalaric, when in control of his own self, was a natural learner, and skilled at adapting knowledge, and adjusting factors on the battlefield. He was a natural organizer of men, and with his simple, yet effective pressence he inspired many officers in his ranks. Whilst no ideal warrior-leader, his officers resolved that disconnect with their own presence on the battlefield, and their leadership.

He was born to become a victor, and so they thought. However, the decision had not been their's to begin with. Athalaric had been imprisoned by Despot Justinius of Syrome for his atrocity in handling the pirate incursion. He was said to rot in the tombs of the Old Age. However, with the death of Justinius and the crowning of Belisar, circumstances changed.

Belisar would see Athalaric freed, and this debt would have to be repaid in full. Athalaric, a man of simple morals; ideas of light and darkness, and no distance inbetween, saw the act of Belisar as needing obvious redemption. Athalaric would grow older yet since being released and immediately entering under the mentorship of Fridigern himself.

Athalaric would since leave on many a battles, on sea and on land, ultimately becoming a master organizer, skilled strategist, and overall military genius. Due to his personal connection to Belisar, and the card that he serves in the Despot's hand, he naturally became the man's right-hand man, supplying to Belisar what he himself cannot; simplicity, realism, and productiveness.

With the passing of Fridigern the Old, at a most saddening time, Athalaric inherited the position as Foederati Captain and acquired all the titles of his forebearer. Under his command, the Viigoc Guard and the Viigoc people would become further unified in creed and purpose thanks to the charismatic Despot and the ruthless efficiency of their commander. Productivity would surge, and the rebuilding efforts of the great city of Syrome reached new highs.

He became Athalaric the Viigoc.

Kingdom Alliegance: Syrome, subject of Baltia.

Tribe: Syroviigoc.

Background: General Sigeric is a man who grew up during the time when Athalaric was imprisoned, and rose the ranks during the time of Athalaric's legend. There was no Syroviigoc who had not known of Athalaric, as his punishment and deeds had been made clear under Despot Justinius' rule. When ultimately the shift in who became the leader of the Foederati, Syrome's most prestigious military organization, the once dead legend rose again. Athalaric gained the power and the station, and in response the remaining Generals of the Foederati bowed their heads to him. However, he did not seem to respond to the change in authority as any man should, but simply viewed it as a natural result of the situation. Athalaric garnered the attention of the new generation just like he did the old, during his first rise in the ranks, and with his simple majesty, loyalty spewed forth from the crowd.

Most exceptional of these loyalties would be General Sigeric, who would become attached to Athalaric's personal advisory, along with General Eriulf and General Vandil. Athalaric's thoughts were simple, he needed leaders who had the qualities that he does not, and as such, he employed General Sigeric for his warmth of heart and energy. He employed General Eriulf for his knowledge of militia and guerrilla warfare. General Vandil came under the banner of Athalaric's personal advisory for his understanding of naval warfare and combined arms.

The Primo Foederati Custodes acts as the personal bodyguard to the Dignified First Foederati and Captain of His Excellency's Guard of the Viigocs when occupied in public and military matters. The only exceptions are during festivals and visits to the Despot's personal palace, where leniency is awarded. The bodyguard unit consists of an equal amount of men and women, numbering to a total of 52 guardsmen in the entire unit, often spread out during peace. More often than not, two custodians are at Athalaric's side at all times, seldom more in times of peace. During wartime, the entire unit follows Athalaric and his retinue in battle as a single unit.

The Custodians wear some of the heaviest armour available to the Viigocs, allowing for increased protection against incoming damage, and the relative resistance against missiles. In addition, on the battlefield they wield great lances with shield and sword, in addition to a two-handed bearded axe.

They ride, similarly to their commanders, upon Baltian Steeds of War, a rare enough breed of warhorse bred for its strenght and endurance. They are not fast, especially not when armoured, but they are durable and can endure much.

The fourth son of Doux Valaris, his father was a central figure of Baltia and the commander of its armies (at least, those left on the mainland) and as such, trained all of his sons in a very martial fashion. Theodonus was good, the best even, capable of defeating any man in single combat and having an intuitive knowledge of battle, moral and the likes. Even after two of his elders died first from a training accident and the second from suicide, he never thought he'd inherit anything for he was the son Valaris's second wife, who was also a whore.

Over a year ago, his father declared his intention to liberate Baltia from the Chlotars and while he was initially on board, Theodonus was appalled when he learned he'd have to be under the command of his elder brother, whom he despised, especially considering it was widely known Theodonus was the better warrior. After a heated argument, he left Tautom with some money and decided to go around the world a bit. He would eventually land in the court of Badastan and become a friend to the man before he was king accepting the squirrel god. He eventually got the news of the failure of his father's failure and death, along with that of his elder brother. He rushed back to Tautom to claim the head of his family's fortune but found one of his younger sibling had taken charge already. He challenged him to a wrestling match and easily took him into a hold, asking him to submit. When his brother tried instead to claw his eyes out, Theodonus had no choice but to snap his neck in self defense.

With that out of the way, he went on to proclaim his ambition, to do what his father had failed to do and liberate Baltia once and for all. For this however he had nothing, the remaining soldiers of the city were all firmly in control of the Guard to defend it. He thus decided to make one of his own, recruiting a core of his gymnasium going friends and promising wealth and glory to those who would join him. His army was that of amateurs but he surprisingly managed to do well instilling them with drill and a culture of strength. 'It is the duty of every person to see its own body at the peak of its strength while it is youthful' he says. When his fortune failed him, he supplemented his income and tried his troops simply by doing raids on the Chlotars, looting and enslaving all he could. In the end however, many nobles realized it was better to financially support him rather than let his army go without pay, he had become too dangerous.

Born in indentured servitude, this woman is proud to have climbed the social ladder to the highest sphere using her body and her cunning. Theodonus's father was always resentful about how shortly after giving birth to his son she was quick to go and join Orso's harem when he rose to the throne. She may not be the favorite of the king anymore, but she stays in his good grace by preparing and delivering to him 'Fresh Meat' for him to enjoy and in doing so, also secured the eyes and ears of the king for 98% of his time. She kept contact with his son and is widely known as one of his major political ally, maybe even the one who pulls the strings behind the curtain. If it is motherly love or just another way to stay on top, not even Theodonus knows.

One of the many sons of the king, he was born devoid of purpose other than enjoy the finer things in life, all paid for by his father... not that Orso cared about him. Would he even recognize him? It was Kalisto, always interested in courtly affairs, that suggested to him and other youth interested in a change of pace to join Theodonus's Gymnasium and train in the art of warfare. Few stuck around such a hard environment, none excelled at it more than Nonnonso. Maybe it was at Kalisto's request but Theodonus took a great interest in him and it is fair to say he is now the closest thing to a paternal figure in Nonnonso's life. Certainly, Theodonus is too much of a brute to just fake being his friend 24/7 and Nonnonso knows that.

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Name: Antonia of the Alboinid Dynasty

Appearance: Antonia doesn't look much like a traditional Lampertei woman and with good reason; she takes after her mother, who hailed from the city of Udos. Still, she does her best to not remind her adoptive father of this heritage and dresses her long, lean limbs in boxy tunics and only dawns her hauberk mail when she's traveling. She avoids flowing robes and anything white like the plauge, lest she provoke his fury.

The king's young ward has recently turned nineteen and the years of sleep deprivation have left their mark, causing deep, dark circles to blossom under each of her eyes. Her face and body are littered with scores of freckles and she keeps her red hair tucked away in a cap or hood when in her father's presence, but otherwise lets it down.

Kingdom Allegiance: Lampertei

Tribe: Lampert

Background: Dalgiserius is the only thing close to a father Antonia has ever known and in her humble opinion, he's shit at it.

Antonia was brought to Skadania before her first year had waned and grew up in the cold, bleak walls of Skadan Castle as a ward of the king. The little girl quickly learned to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight to avoid the king's oppressive fury, but when his mood was particularly foul it seemed as if he would seek her out with the express purpose of punishing her. It never mattered if she actually misbehaved or spoke out of turn, Dalgiserius would always find a reason to discipline her. When the God-damning tower was built during her twelfth year, King Dalgiserius moved her to the room closest to it so she would be forced to lie awake at night and listen to him curse the heavens into the early hours of the morning.

It's during one of these shouting matches that she learned the truth about her adopted father's anger towards her. It seemed that Antonia was the bastard daughter of Queen Nanperga, the king's own lady wife and a lover she had taken to spite him.
While this gave her a new found sympathy for Dalgiserius, it wasn't an issue Antonia could fix and their relationship continued to deteriorate as the seasons passed.

Her feelings for her half sister, Princess Dalgiserata, were a little more complicated. On the one hand the other girl always made excuses for her father's manic episodes and cruel treatments towards Antonia, which made the redhead quite resentful of the princess. But on the other hand Dalgiserata was kind and warm towards her adopted sister, so Antonia would be lying if she claimed there was no love between them. The princess always made sure the other girl was eating well and even hid Antonia in her royal chambers when their father's mood was more black than usual. They frequently take their afternoon tea together and enjoy chess matches whenever they are able.

At this point the lack of sleep from listening to Dalgiserius' tyraids had begun to take a serious toll on the young girl. Antonia was just about ready to set the whole castle on fire in the pursuit of getting some shut eye when her father named her one of his Gastalds. It didn't make any sense, the girl was barely sixteen at the time and while decent with a bow, she was no seasoned war chieftain. Still she jumped at the chance to leave the castle on impossible witch hunts and no matter how ridiculous or unachievable the goal may have seem, Antonia never shied away from any of King Dalgiserius's assignments.

Because honestly at this point all Antonia wanted was a full nights rest.

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Name: Gundiberga (Pronounced Gun-da-perga)

Appearance: The many years of weilding her halberd have left Gundiberga's body well muscled and without much softness to it. She keeps her pale hair cropped short and the lines on her face give away her age of thirty eight years. Her eyes are so dark they almost appear black and only truly light up when her enemies are screaming in terror.

Kingdom Allegiance: Lampertei

Tribe: Lampert

Background: Gundiberga spent the first decade of her fighting career as a sellsword, guarding merchant caravans and the like as long as they payed her well enough. It wasn't long before the woman developed a reputation for the manic glee she took in slaying god-fearing Chlotar raiders and Xeaxaenot loving Eodaen swindlers alike. This joy in her work was what caught the eyes of someone higher up in King Dalgiserius' court and she was recruited to assist in the desecration of the temples that had begun cropping up on their borders.

Gundiberga was ruthless in this endeavor as well, her mania and bloodthirst only made more intense by her proximity to the king's own madness. After five years of tearing down temples and painting the walls with their worshiper's blood she was recruited for another assignment. She was to be shield maiden to King Dalgiserius' adopted daughter, Antonia, and aid her in assignments to the city of Udos and wherever else the king saw fit to send them.

The older woman wasn't impressed at first with the king's newest Gastald. Antonia didn't have the first clue about diplomacy or the intricacies of warfare, and as far as Gundiberga could tell the girl had never swung an axe a day in her life. But what she lacked in practice the girl made up for in sheer force of will and after three years of being stuck together, she found the young gastald almost tolerable.

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Background: The tale of Ardoiwn begins with an artist. Gathana was a young, beautiful woman with an aspiration to create, living a peaceful and pleasant life, if not always an easy one, in the city of Tautom. She did what she needed to survive, creating beautiful works of metal and glass, while selling her body when her art alone could not sustain her.

It was due to this work that she became pregnant, and due to circumstances not entirely under her control the woman was forced from her home, chased out by enemies she never intended to make. Fleeing for her life, and for the life growing inside her, she made her way south. Buying passage on a ship with the last of her funds she found herself in the lands of the Lamperts.

Alone, scared, with nothing to her name and no knowledge of the lands she now walked Gathana set out. She knew not where she was going, nor what her plan was. Thankfully she was accosted by bandits. The bandits in questions were also desperate and crazed, they would have to be to attack someone with so little, but none the less the sounds of Gathana’s shrieks grabbed the attention of her soon to be rescuer.

Theodaxus Theodorn, Gastald of the King was travelling across the countryside, on a mission from his liege. When he heard the sounds of distress he rallied his cohorts and charged along until he found the source of the screams. Running down the bandits Theodaxus gazed upon the woman he had rescued. He found her beautiful, even in her dirty, malnourished state, and despite the advanced state of her pregnancy.

The Gastald took the woman as his wife, Gathana simply grateful to be alive. Ardoiwn was born, raised to believe Theodaxus his father and brought up in the Lampertei fashion. Theodaxus raised the boy as his own, and Ardoiwn lived a happy childhood growing in the village that Theodaxus managed in his liege’s name.

Ardoiwn made friends of most of the other children in the village, indeed it was expected that he would one day lead them into battle. The values of brothership and loyalty were ingrained into the young man as he led his friends into many adventures. The children learned of combat from the greatest warrior in the village and Ardoiwn, as the son of the Gastald, was given special attention in training. The spear and pike spoke out to the growing man and before long he had no equal in their use in his village.

His life was not all merry days spent with friends and hard but uplifting training, a handful of the other children were not so quickly charmed by Ardoiwn, mocking him for many things but mostly how different he looked from his father. It was at this point that Ardoiwn questioned his heritage, and having no convenient lies his parents told the young man the truth. While this may have vindicated the bullies to some degree Ardoiwn thought nothing of it, Theodaxus still raised him, and Ardoiwn was still as much a Lampert as any other in the village. This early chapter in the man’s life ended with Theodaxus’ death, sickness taking the Gastald in the night.

Ardoiwn was still young, however his skill with his chosen weapon and the loyalty he held from nearly the entire village was enough to earn him the rank of his father. While he was not a Lampert by blood his devotion to his lord and his hatred of god was enough to earn him a seat near Dalgiserius. Carrying out small missions for the king Ardoiwn awaits the chance to perform something truly important for his liege, something to banish any doubts of his loyalty from the other Gastalds.

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Name: Einhard Cloviscisca

Appearance: While many men in Einhard's line have had long blonde hair, Einhard's appearance took after his mother with short brown hair and brown eyes. Einhard has only recently begun growing his beard out hoping to one day have be able to display the mustache that Chlotar men are known for, at least before he dies in battle. He appears as a handsome man in his early twenties ready to stake his claim within the world.

Kingdom Allegiance: Chlotaringen

Tribe: Chlotars

Background: The Cloviscisca Household often claims to be direct descendants of the legendary Chlotacher himself, well at least through a minor daughter is their story anyways. This supposed claim is that the Einhard’s forefather was among the first to pledge loyalty to Chlotacher, despite him being a petty king himself. As a reward he would eventually marry one of Chlotacher’s daughter. This daughter was said to be named Joveta, not that anyone else remembers such a daughter. The marriage was suppose to be a short affair. It was said that shortly after Joveta became pregnant, her husband would die in battle against the Lambertars. Therefore, through the mythical Joveta’s husband’s loyalty and willingness to die for the Chlotars manifested in many of the men of Einhard’s bloodline through a tendency of brash or courageous action. It is no wonder then, that the men of the Cloviscisca believe their place in battle is on the front line. This trait has led the Cloviscisca family to be quite small and the patriarchs to be quite young. Many times the women would take a larger role in leading the family as they were the only ones to grow old. As such was the fate of Einhard, who at the age of fourteen became the head of the Cloviscisca household after his father, Mauger, was slain in battle against the the Lamperts whilst defending the Millennia Horn.

Einhard was taught by his father Mauger at a young age the ideals of the Cloviscisca Household as excellent commanders leading their men from the front. While Mauger attempted to teach Einhard how to use a sword, Einhard proved incompetent with any bladed weapon and unworthy of wielding their ancestor’s blade. One day Einhard’s mother, Gundrada, gave him a mace to try. Much to Mauger’s dismay Einhard was a natural with the weapon easily beating his defeating his sparring opponents. As a result, Mauger gave his sword to the Chlotaringen king and declared that only in battle Einhard would be able to reclaim his family’s blade. It was after these events that Mauger would set out on the raid which took his life.

After his father’s death, Einhard struggled with the reality that he was now the patriarch of the Cloviscisca family. While Gundrada attempted to help Einhard through this transition and would manage the lands that were in Einhard’s control. However, the pressures thrusted on Einhard of running the estates and living up to the image of his forefathers, led to a dependency on alcohol to give him their courage. Einhard would continue his military training with many other prominent Chlotaringen families ensuring his combat skills, at least without a blade, were not lacking. Einhard, now at the age of twenty, looks to take up his father’s position as a paladin and to take his place at Cauroman’s Table. While young, ever the Cloviscisca , Einhard has begun to seek ways to strike back against the Lamperts who slew his father and become worthy of his father’s blade.

Name:

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Kingdom Allegiance: He serves the Kingdom of Baltia and its incompetent King Orso, Praise be god and the eternal delights and so forth.

Tribe: Tribe? Tribe!? A true son of the Heavenly Celeseans is of no mere tribe! (Syromean Celesean)


Belisar Aetius II is the ruthless, calculating and, to his detractors, scheming Doux (Duke) of Syrome. A supposed genius and cultured man in an age of barbarism, he is a man possessed by an all consuming passion, even obsession, for the nostalgia of the times of the Heavenly Kingdom of Antiquity. He looks down on the lawless degeneracy of Tautum in shame. Shame, for what the true heirs of the Celeseans and even the unwashed Viigoc king Odovakre once were. Yet still, as Chancellor of the Kingdom that very same city is the capital of, he must endeavour to conspire in its interests at all costs - in service of that incompetent fool, Orso Baltia.

He is a renaissance man of many talents, from political rhetoric to mathematics, architecture and alchemy. He is an inventor of trinkets and devices, imitations of the glories of the Heavenly Kingdom. From a very young age his genius was detected and then shaped personally by the great Philosopher Mananaimo of the Mirrors, and under his tutelage was given a proper Celesean education in the numbers and the arts. He is well-versed in military theories and history, and is competent strategist… however for the most part delegates actual military matters to tacticians and warriors of greater calibre than himself. For all this, he is a man of grandiose and phantasmal delusions. He, so obsessed with the glory of the ancient and long-lost past refuses to admit that the age of the Celeseans is over. He truly believes that the impossible can be performed and the Heavenly Kingdom of God restored to its full glory, and the barbarians swept away. So absorbed by his own genius, he ignores the sheer impossibility of his actual success, and is overly stubbornly assured of his own superiority over all others.

Inventor:
Belisar since early childhood was blessed (cursed?) with feverish obsession with Heavenly Kingdom architecture, an obsession which when combined with Mananimo’s education and his artistic talents led to him drawing thousands of admittedly grandiose and highly impractical designs for warships, castles, palaces and reconstructed wonders, from public baths to coliseums. This never stopped and actually intensified as he reached adulthood, and his once childish drawings became intricate architectural blueprints for a restored empire, outstanding yet still grandiose and highly impractical. This obsession transferred to cultural and historical nostalgia and ambitions to actually attempt to restore the Heavenly Kingdom, something his mentor Mananimo bizarrely supported despite all his apparent wisdom otherwise. His other works include the conception of ‘flame-spitting contraptions’ and other alchemical devices, as well as the infinitely less useful contraptions that King Orso commissions, such as the bronze golden-coated lion-mechanisms which roars and the twittering of bronze birds beside his throne in Tautom.

Political Animal:
He may quietly despise Orso for his incompetence, negligence and obliviousness, and look down on Tautom as a dying city, but he is ruthless in obtaining and then holding as much power as he can in this dying state nonetheless. Orso, a strange and infinitely infuriating creature, both simultaneously entrusts Belisar with positions of significant power and access to counsel him, while also entirely disregarding or ignoring said counsel and warnings. It is of some relief at least that Belisar’s greatest political rivals in the Tautam court have similar frustrations when dealing with the Baltian king. Orso, a patron for all conflicting rival factions under his domain has bestowed them all with favours and penalties, often with little foresight if any - perhaps in a misguided attempt to ‘balance out’ his subordinates powerbases. Belisar’s Chancellorship, his marriage to one of Orso’s numerous sisters and even the guardianship of one of Orso’s many children and heir, Icaeas, are all useful boons in Belisar’s camp, and the combination of greater power but continued inability to influence decision making has only bred resentment.

Populist Demagogue:
His influence over the people of Syrome has only grown as the Kingdom of Baltia has declined, and as the days of the Heavenly Empire and the glory of the Celesean people grows ever further away, those very same people become more and more eager to hear of Belisar's grandiose ambitions and ideals. Belisar wields a dark charisma, capable of transforming the fears and insecurities of the Celesean people, and even the Viigocs, into a weapon. A weapon which they are more than willing to become, so long as he delivers the outlandish promises. Part visionary genius, part opportunist riding Syrome’s counter-cultural backlash against Tautoms degeneration, while he may not be some great warrior of legend or tactical genius of the Ancient days, he is a revolutionary politician and orator, the kind that only societal collapse and wide-spread suffering and war can spawn.

Noble Family Man:
Belisar, being a well-entrenched noble and statesmen of the Celesean peoples has a pedigree many centuries long and as expected of any noble was given an arranged marriage early on in his life to one of King Orso's sisters; said sister would end up being the Princess Anaceaia Balting. Despite his seemingly sociopathic qualities, he is relatively close to his family, even a family man, particularly since all three of them (his wife and children) are bestowed by the providence of god (by virtue of their Balting descent), that either he needs to contest power with Orso, protect himself from Orso's mind-distorting powers, or he himself is under the influence of his family's auras, subtetly corrupted by them.

Syromean Utilitarian Hedonism, Ritual Observance: As a proud member of the Celesean people and the Syromean counter-culture, Belisar partakes in and observes the ideals, rituals and traditions of its people. As Syromeans believe that the 'pleasures of gods garden in the mortal realm' must not be devalued by wanton overuse or under appreciation, the hedonistic values and practices of Baltian society are regulated by cultural traditions and rituals here rather than displayed so libertine as in Tautom. Rather than alcoholism, Belisar is a wine connoisseur who regularly cultivates and enhances the quality of his wines. Rather than exhibitionism, Belisar is a patron of arts of the human form, funding artists and sculptures and idealising the 'perfect human form'. As part of his populist (and some may say, bread and circus) agenda, he has furthermore taken this popular Syromean philosophy to the public, funding public baths, official arenas, artworks and statues, festivals, 'adulthood ceremonies' and other seedier establishments such as brothels and taverns, he has even found avenues for this who express pleasure through violence, by making connections and organising mercenaries, assassins and pirates. Belisar is of the opinion that the human condition can be moderated and controlled with sufficient power.

Cascade of Auras: Belisar has surrounded himself with the powers of providence, with his wife, twin children and his ward (the son and heir of King Orso) all having powerful auras overlapping around him. While this gives him incredible protection from assassins and misfortune... the costs are perhaps far too high, for the auras corrupt and influence his mind like any other non-god splinter. His wife's aura of superiority creates artificial feelings of jealously in Belisar towards his wife for no reason. His children's auras of appeasement warp his mind towards excessive leniency and laxness towards his children - the primary source of his blindness towards their warped minds and disturbed actions. Even his ward, the shy and weak-willed Prince Icaeas, a mere political tool can warp Belisar's mind accidentally with his aura of benevolence, bestowing feelings of empathy and guilt in Belisar artificially, feelings of regrets and guilt towards enemies that he (being near sociopathic) would otherwise never feel. Icaeas' aura in particular above all else unsettles Belisar, and because of this tries to avoid actually interacting with his own ward - often restricting his access to certain parts of the palace Belisar often frequents, and burdening Icaeas' with a rigid schedule and curfews. In contrast, he ignores his children's corruptive influence over him to his own peril.

Dishonourable: While Celeasans may see him as a visionary that will reclaim their people's lost glory and the Syrovigocs are bound to him due to a combination of respect for his ideals and ambitions as well as their own pragmaticism, the rest of the world have a notably different look on things. Belisar may be a 'strongman' in the political arena, but his methods of ruthless and pragmatic Machiavellianism and scheming and general avoidance of muscle flexing competitions and one on one duels of honour in exchange for having people off’ed in secret with poisons and arrows disgust many a barbarian. Even sects of Tautoms warriors look at Belisar as a dishonourable 'milksop'. While Belisar may be an intimidating figure, he lacks the hyper-masculinity necessary to truly be respected by the people of this post-Celeasan world, and is far too prideful and stubborn to adapt.

Kingdom Allegiance: Kingdom of Baltia, Syrome

Tribe: Tautom-bred princess

Background: The wife of Belisar and younger sister of King Orso, Princess Anaceaia along with the rest of her siblings were used as political bargaining chips through political marriages by her father, before Orso was king. While Belisar since early childhood also had an arranged marriage set up by his father, the late Doux Justinius, Anaceaia was not originally his selected fiancée. Anaceaia's marriage to Belisar came about due to Orso, who took Belisar's betrothed and his own sister for himself and so, in compensation allowed Belisar to pick his wife from a line-up of others. Belisar picked Anaceaia, and so she became the Douxaina Anaceaia Aetius of Syrome.

Anaceaia and Belisar are a power couple of sorts, both having ruthless and vengeful personalities, though whilst Belisar resents Orso for his incompetence and arbitrary rule, Anaceaia holds personal grudges against her siblings for underestimating and arbitrarily altering her life. Anaceaia grew up with an intense superiority-inferiority complex, and prides herself as being the best, smartest and most beautiful of the Balting siblings. Suitably, her providence and aura is a corruption of awe, with all those around her magically influenced to see her as superior to themselves, either causing jealousy and resentment or respect and worship, regardless if she deserves it or not. Though a weaker aura than her brother the king or even her twin children, her aura has totally dominated her life and left her with resentment from others and resentment in turn towards them, as well as a fragile ego.

While Anaceaia and Belisar in quite a number of ways are birds of a feather and at times are even genuine 'lovers' as it were, their issues mostly derive from them both having domineering and egoistical personalities that often compete, particularly since Belisar too is subject to Anaceaia's aura of awe. Other issues include their contrasting backgrounds, with Belisar adhering to Syromean values while Anaceaia grew up a Balting under the constant bombardment of her father and her brother Orso's corruptive auras, as well as the degenerate culture of Tautom's palace. As such, while not as far-gone as her brother’s court, she is still a hedonist like all the other Balting dynasty.



Kingdom Allegiance: Kingdom of Baltia, Syrome

Tribe: Syromean

Background:
The twin children of Doux Belisar, Seneca and Nicaea are mere ten year olds. Adorned with sharp and precocious intelligence, Belisar recognises the same genius in his children as he himself possesses. Unfortunately, this has led to Belisar being blind to his twin children’s most unusual... eccentricities, as well as the full scope of their Balting bloodline powers.

Belisar's twins as the nephew and niece of King Orso are blessed with the Balting sphere of Benevolence. How this manifests itself though is different to their uncle, as they instead radiate an aura of appeasement - that is, the desire to appease them, drawn from their innate demanding nature. When separated from his twin, Seneca creates a weaker aura of warping people’s minds so they progressively desire to make peace and acquiesce, to surrender or pullback for the sake of peacemaking. When separated from her twin, Nicaea creates a weaker aura, warping minds so that they progressively desire to appease her wants and satisfy her wishes. Together, their powers are amplified and fused together, forming said 'aura of appeasement'... and are a terror to behold.

These powers have been the source of much fear and concern from those under its influence, particularly the staff, pages and guards of the palace, who often worry about their unnatural need to surrender to the twins desires and partake in even the most childish of activities. The twins bend the wills of the guards to allow them entry to wherever they wish, their tutors were repeatedly fired by Belisar after being unable to teach them, only the great Mananimo seemingly having the endurance of will to teach them anything (as the tutor of Orso, he is perhaps used to those of great auras). Even their father's pet Ostropathian Cobra, Illuya, a mere animal is twisted into obeying and following the twins.

However, beyond all others in the palace, it is the children of other nobles and courtiers in the palace that are aware of the twins pervasive corrupting influence, as they are often forced to feel they need to join in to whatever sick game or activity the twins come up with - only later realising with shock and fear and what they had been compelled to do or want to do. Even Belisar himself is influenced by his own children's powers, being made blind to their excesses and never punishing them.

Suitably for their influence over the court and fitting for the nephew and niece of Orso, the twins are themselves warped and disturbed children. While they are not deliberately malevolent and hateful and in fact their intent in their eyes is friendly, they are obliviously cruel and abusive. They are capable of deviancy unsettling even among adults, having no respect for personal space and often partaking in harassment of other children. To them, they are merely 'playing' with their friends and cohorts, and since their powers enable them to twist the minds and wills of those around them... to them everyone is perfectly fine with what they are doing too! As such, they are somewhat naive, even innocent monsters, genuinely unaware of what they do is wrong (though admittedly, some of the things they do are in fact a matter of course in the city of Tautom).

Among their favourite exploits includes Prince Icaeas, their 'willing' plaything. While he may be resilient to the worst of their influence, the peer pressure caused by the twin's aura and his own weak will has lead to him becoming their favourite friend to take part in 'experiments'.

The Twins outside of their harassment of others are extremely close to each other, exemplifying the archetype of mystical and extremely creepy twins. They giggle together, finish each other’s sentences, mimic each other’s voices, seem to have an instinctual awareness of the others presence and thoughts, and their extreme closeness is further implying a relationship of unnatural intimacy beyond what most children outside of Tautom's palace court would even consider. On the bright side, their depravity has mostly be restrained to non-lethal activities, and they seem to restrain from actually killing anyone, except an early childhood maid they accidentally cursed into suicide in rage.

wip

Name: Lord Captain Leofric

Appearance: Leofric stands at an even six feet in height, with short golden blond hair and dark green eyes. Despite being in his early thirties (thirty-two to be precise), he has the look of a man in his mid-twenties, with the handsome and refined features usually associated with men of noble birth. Unfortunately, he is not perfect; his nose is slightly misshapen after being broken in the past, and there is a scar running from under his left eye to the bottom of his cheek. His face is completely clean shaven, save for some short, neat sideburns.

Aboard his flagship, Leofric can usually be identified by his bright red coat, black leather gloves, a rather large captain's hat, accompanied by a pair of brown pants and black leather boots. He makes sure to keep both his boots and his hat in pristine condition. However, he also keeps a suit of steel chainmail, which he ensures is well-maintained and combat-ready at all times.

Leofric's primary weapon is a longsword which he keeps sheathed at his left hip. The weapon is made from high quality steel, with a gilded crossguard and a hilt wrapped in fine leather. As back-ups he also keeps a cutlass sheathed at his right hip, and a dirk secured to a sheathe on his right boot.

Kingdom Allegiance: Syrome

Tribe: Eodaen

Background: Leofric's family faithfully served the monarchs of Eodaland for centuries, and can trace their lineage all the way back to the Kingdom's foundation. They had a history of producing some of the finest naval commanders the Kingdom had to offer, and owned one of the largest shipyards, as well as multiple key sources of lumber.

As the heir, Leofric was naturally expected to follow in his ancestors' footsteps, and was groomed for naval command from a young age. He took to his studies with enthusiasm, drawn in by tales of glorious battle and the thrill of adventure. When he reached the age of adulthood, he was granted a post onboard his uncle's ship, acting as his uncle's second-in-command. They were meant to patrol a minor trade route, until they were unexpectedly set upon by pirates. When his uncle fell in battle, Leofric took charge and rallied the men to drive the corsairs off his ship, before taking the fight to the enemy's own ship and putting them all to the sword.

From that moment onward, Leofric was granted command of a ship of his own... and soon proved that he was not quite ready for such an appointment. More often than not, the pirates he was meant to be keeping an eye out for had managed to evade him. When he did catch them, he usually bested them quite handily, but overall it was clear that his promotion had been premature. Still, he did learn a great deal from the experience. After four years he had noticeably improved, and was well on his way to living up to his family's reputation.

Then his father died. With a heavy heart, Leofric was forced to return home to attend the funeral. After that, he was to travel to the capital, to take up his title and swear an oath of fealty to the King. Upon his arrival at court, he immediately fell under the influence of Badastan's magic, issuing false praise alongside the rest of the toadies, and praying to the Squirrel-Demon, which he had previously found laughable.

After a few months at court, it was time to leave and see to his lands. Not too long after he departed, the spell began to fade. He remembered the King who had not been so impressive, yet Leofric had worshiped him like a minor god. He remembered kneeling at the shrines to the Demon Squirrel, with a downright embarrassing and uncharacteristic level of reverence.

At first, the thought made him nervous. Then, he became sickened. Then, he became enraged. For years everyone had been eating out of Badastan's hand and buying into his teachings. The Eodaens had been enslaved. No, it was worse than that - even a slave's constraints were only physical. Either the King knew of Badastan's abiltiies and allowed it, or the King himself was under Badastan's control. Either way, this could not be allowed to stand.

Unfortunately, Leofric lacked the ability to free the King from Badastan's control, and couldn't kill Badastan himself. But there were still other ways to fight.

So he gathered his most loyal men, whom he could trust, and left managing the land in the hands of his capable brother. Then, he set off with his family's six best ships, including their flag ship, The Storm's Herald. He had gone off to become a pirate lord, like so many other Eodaen nobles had done before him, but this time he had something on his mind other than personal profit.

Over the next several years, Leofric plundered and pillaged his way through the Sea of Tears, becoming an infamous pirate. He expanded his fleet with captured vessels, and he earned a reputation as a fair and cunning leader, which caused the ranks of his ships to swell with eager recruits. It wasn't just Eodeans he took in, however; he also took in foreigners from other nations. In addition to this, he banned all worship of the Squirrel-Demon within his fleet, punishing anyone who dared whisper a prayer to the false god. All this was done with the intention of assembling a force that could strike against the King's interests: if Leofric could not depose the tyrant, he would at least be a thorn in the King's side.

Despite his plans, while he has attacked the occasional Eodaen ship, he has yet to go to open war against the Kingdom itself. Instead, he has continued to bide his time and build up his forces. Eventually, his fleet would grow to include a dozen ships and nearly a thousand men to crew them.

A year ago, an envoy from Syrome somehow managed to track down Leofric's fleet and offered him a deal - what was effectively a loose, secret alliance, and the only serious condition was that he would cease his attacks on Syrome ships. In return, he would be granted safe access to Syroman ports. Over the years, his infamous reputation had dramatically reduced the ports of call available to him, thus making resupply and recruitment increasingly difficult, so that was something he desperately needed. Furthermore, the additional news that Badastan had finally seized power for himself had made Leofric's ultimate goal that much more difficult. Although he did not relish the idea of serving a foreign power, he felt he had little choice but to accept the terms.

So far, he has kept his word and held true to the agreement, but who is to say that won't change?

And with the news of many Eodeans being exiled for their rejection of Badastan and his Squirrel-Demon, Leofric may be able to expand his army even further.

Name: First Mate Aela

Appearance: Aela stands at five foot ten. Like most Eodaen women, she is not particularly attractive, with square features and a long hooked nose. Her hair is jet black with streaks of grey, while her eyes are a dark brown. She looks to be in her early forties, but despite her age she is surprisingly muscular, and her outfit on board the ship is a simple but well made green tunic. Her weapons of choice are a pair of scimitars.

Kingdom Allegiance: None.

Tribe: Eodaen

Background: Aela had been with Leofric ever since his first command, when he was serving as his Uncle's first mate. When Leofric was granted a ship of his own, he took some of the most competent crew members with him, Aela among her. He came to trust and appreciate her judgement despite her common birth. When Leofric made the decision to sail off and turn pirate, she followed him, and while she does question some of his decisions, she remains loyal to this day.

Name: Oarmaster Peric

Appearance: Standing at six foot two, Peric is a strict, strong, intimidating man in his late twenties, with a shaved head and a black beard. He wears boiled leather, and goes into battle with a two-handed boarding axe.

Kingdom Allegiance: None.

Tribe: Lampert

Background: Peric has been at sea ever since he was a boy. At some point in his late teens he found service on a trading ship, which had dealt in mostly legal goods, but the Captain had also taken to smuggling religious contraband into Lampert. Nothing major - a few holy symbols of God here, a statuette of the Squirrel Demon there. But somehow, the authorities managed to sniff them out. While the crew was off drinking, the ship was raided, and the crew themselves were arrested in the tavern.

The entire crew was executed, while the ship and all its goods were confiscated. Peric escaped only because he had never been a heavy drinker, and left early. He had to sign onto another ship, and thankfully Leofric's happened to be in the harbour. Peric's no nonsense attitude, strong back, and sound judgement soon caught Leofric's eye, and over the years he was eventually promoted to Oarmaster.

Name: Alicia Arenar

Appearance: Alicia is a young woman in her early twenties, with blonde hair, icey blue eyes, and rather attractive features. She wears a bright blue doublet, the sort that might be found on a merchant, and is a good shot with a crossbow.

Kingdom Allegiance: None.

Tribe: Chlotar.

Background: Alicia was born a daughter of House Arenar, a highly wealthy Chlotar family with a reputation for being shrewd businessmen. As a result, she was expected to have a high understanding of business and finance, and excelled in her studies. However, since she had three brothers, two of which were older than her, the chances of her actually inheriting anything were rather slim, so it seemed as if she was destined to be married off.

When her father died, and her eldest brother was disowned, the second-eldest inherited the family fortune and title. He immediately began seeking out potential suitors for her. She was on a voyage to meet one of them when the ship was set upon by pirates. Alicia was captured and held for ransom, but the demand was outrageous, and her brother refused to pay.

Soon after, the pirates who held her ended up getting into a clash with a ship called The Storm's Herald. She thought she was rescued, only to discover that her apparent capturers were pirates too. The captain, Leofric, issued another demand for her ransom, this one far more reasonable, but it too was denied, and all further attempts at negotiation or communication failed.

She thought her fate was sealed, but then, rather then merely dump her overboard or cut her throat, Leofric asked her what skills she had. As it happened, he needed a new Quartermaster - someone who would keep inventory of the ship supplies, and oversee the distribution of pay. That was something she could do, and so she was given the position. There are rumours that her relationship with the Lord Captain is not strictly professional, but so far nobody has seen or heard anything concrete.

Name:
Wulfberht

Appearance:
By all accounts Wulfberht is an imposing man, towering over most of his fellows. That isn’t to say he is a giant, for surely there are taller, let alone stronger, men, but in any given room the chances Wulfberht isn’t immediately obvious are slim indeed. He possesses a well kempt beard that extends perhaps a hand of fingers past his chin and acts as the anchoring feature of his face. Hazel eyes peek out from behind his long hair, grown out in the Chlotar custom. Most often Wulfberht can be seen in Chlotar armour or garb rather than the native styles of his Eodaen culture and heritage, perhaps intentionally so.

Kingdom Allegiance:
Chlotaringen

Tribe:
Eodaen

Background:
Wulfberht was once a powerful Earl in Eodaland, a distant relative of the king Aethelberht who was never too far from Cantaware to ride back with a moments notice at his lieges request. It was in those days, more than a decade past, that he began to doubt the Kings brother, Badastan. Despite Badastan’s standing Wulfberht, who already saw the Prince as an unrepentant apostate, became suspicious he was conspiring against the king Athelberht. This suspicion was turned to conviction after the untimely death of a fellow advisor of the King who’d only recently voiced concerns about Badastans heresy. Seeing Badastan’s complicity in the act as a given Wulfberht flew into an accusatory rage, going so far as to call out Badastan in court and in front of his kingly brother.

This would prove to be a grievous mistake. Despite his certainty Wulfberht had failed to find anything to substantiate his claim, and given the severity of the allegation this gave Badastan the only edge he needed. With a few honeyed words in Aethelberht’s ear the Prince had Wulfberht and his family exiled. Out of respect for the king Wulfberht went willingly, but not before he denounced Badastan’s heresy once more, going so far as to call it a cancer which would consume Eodaland unless it was excised. With no king to declare his fealty to, and a burning sense of righteous indignation, Wulfberht packed up all he had and set sail for Udos.

The holy city was, if nothing else, the one place he knew he would never again be subject to the perverse whims of apostates and heretics. Beyond that, it was in need of fighting men. When Wulfberht left Eodaland it was without shame, and far from alone. He had not been a poor, or unpopular, man, and with him he took a small number of ships and men who were unwilling to abandon their Earl regardless of what the King demanded. Upon arrival at Udos Wulfberht would pledge himself, his wealth, and all those whose loyalty he held to the defence of the holy city.

As it happened, it was not an unneeded gesture. The blasphemy of the Lamperts was well known, but rumours had begun to reach Udos, rumours of a heathen army assembling intent on breaking the sacred walls once and for all. It would take more than a year, but before anyone knew it the armies of the abomination Dalgiserius were at the foot of Udos. However, Wulfberht and his men were not unprepared. Months earlier they had departed Udos, and as the Lampert horde made assault after assault on the city Wulfberht waited. It would take another few months, with the Lamperts slowly wearing themselves down, Wulfberhts men poisoning their food and raiding their camps in the night, but when the fateful moment arrived it was all too sweet. As the Lamperts surged forward to make what they hoped would be the final attack, Wulfberht swept in alongside an Eodaen mercenary host. The Lamperts outnumbered them by more than eleven to one, but the Eodaens were fresh and charge stuck the stooges of Dalgiserius unprepared.

It was, in truth, an unwinnable battle, but victory wasn’t the point. The mercenaries Wuldberht had paid retreated even before the Lamperts had fully become aware of the slaughter of their rear guard, but the damage was done. The Lampert camps had been ransacked, their supply trains burned, and their morale all but finished. While the mercenaries had cost Wulfberht the majority of what he had brought to Udos, they had done their job as any Eodean should and in the name of god, and money, rescued the holy city. When the Lamperts withdrew Wulfberht rode through the gates of Udos a hero, and in recognition of his role he was declared Protector of the Holy Sepulchre, conveniently replacing the last one who, by means of an unlucky arrow to the neck, had not fared quite as well in the siege.

For years Wulfberht would settle into his role, hearing of the terrible events in Eodaland with only passing interest. Aethelberht had betrayed him, and the blasphemer Badastan would fall, in time. Such was gods will. What did interest him was the young Chlotar King Cauroman arriving at Udos to solicit the favour of the Vestal Virgins. Wulfberht was among the first to greet the wounded Cauroman, and when it was declared the young King had been chosen by god to end the plots of the unholy, Wulfberht sought permission to accompany him. Leaving his son Oswine, now a veteran warrior himself, to protect Udos in his stead Wulfberht accompanied Cauroman on his journey back to Chlotaringen, and in the act came to know the young king well.