Snagglepuss89

My Heart is on the Throne

Well with Goldenboy The Dragon still not accepted, somebody has to buy their way to love in this RP.

My Heart is on the Throne

Gifts for everybody! (Except those monsters who aren't actually part of the Realm and Llewelyn had no idea would be here.)

Also added a quick blurb to my CS regarding the two NPCs introduced.

My Heart is on the Throne

Llewelyn was... tired.

While their holdings weren't quite on opposite ends of the map, with the northern passes of the mountains inaccessible this time of year it meant that the fastest way to reach The Rainlands was to ride the Twinstreams into the center of the continent, and then march the rest of the way. The journey alone would not have been so bad- and indeed Llewelyn had been excited at first, an opportunity to finally leave home and see what the rest of the world had to offer- but the adventure had been dampened somewhat the death of his father.

He was no longer heir to House Ap'Cledwyn, but ruler of House Ap'Arthmael.

And so the days before his departure had been spent in preparation of assuming his lordship over the Shattered Mountains, and renegotiating with the many bickering factions of each tried to secure more favorable terms of service to their new liege. When all was said and done Llewelyn had been more eager to leave than ever, taking only two more actions before setting off.

First: he placed his mother in charge of the Shattered Mountains as his steward while away, with any important matters to be forwarded to his advisor Malcholar by Korlanthe's Tower.

Second: He sent letters to each of the Great Houses, accompanied by gifts. He knew that there was no history between his, or any of the houses currently ruling over Handon. At worst, he would provoke offense and learn from the misstep, and the possible benefits far outweighed that risk.

Letter to House Bosanda

To the Lions that guard the realm:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope your Gods have blessed this letter and allowed you to receive it. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. As the new head of Ap'Arthmael, I will not waste your time on honeyed words diplomatic farce. From one Lion to an entire pride of them: I wish friendship between our houses, and hope this gift helps to foster it until such a time that we can meet face to face.

~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains

Accompanying the letter is a tower shield made of ironwood, painted with the banner of House Bosanda. It is fully functional, though its great size and expert paint job indicate that it is probably intended to be put on display.

Letter to House Noire

To the Great Healers of the Riene Swamp:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has found safe passage through your lands. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. Our houses have not had much contact- both living in lands that are so hard to navigate- so I wish to start our relationship graciously. I will not insult the abilities of your house by describing the gift enclosed with this letter, I simply hope it will come in handy when you visit the northern climates that you may not be used to.

~Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains

Enclosed with the letter is a pouch of dried herbs, as well as a silver pipe decorated with cranes. The herbs are from the Shattered Dogwood, a rare flower grows on trees near the highest elevations in Handon. When consumed fresh, they are known as a powerful remedy for fevers, but when dried and smoked they are known to warm a person to where no chill can touch them. Natives of the shattered mountains are almost immune to it, but it has an intoxicating effect on outsiders.

Letter to House Laventis

To the Phoenixes in the North:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed the mountains safely into your lands. If news has not reached you then I regret to write of the passing of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn, hopefully to rise again from the ashes in another life. As one of our closest neighbors- and one who also knows the harsh life of the mountains- I wish to foster friendship between our houses. To back up my intentions, I have enclosed a gift with this letter, which hopefully you will receive well. In the southern mountains we have a bird called the Shattered Phoenix, and though it has no legendary properties, it is still a rare sight even for dedicated hunters. While the bird itself would not survive your northern climate, I hope what remains arrives intact.

~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains

Enclosed with the letter is a vial of blood, about the amount that could be obtained from a small bird, attached to a silver chain.

Letter to House Kyros

To the Arch-Magus of Cathal:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed found its way safely into your hands. I am sure you have already heard from the mages of Korlanthe's tower of the death of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn- for a magical message travels much faster than a written one. Still, I wished to establish formal diplomatic ties with your help- and express a desire for cooperation between our people in the coming years. We both now rule lands in the place of our fathers, and understand the burden of rulership well. I hope this gift fosters mutual goodwill between us in the years to come.

~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains

Arriving with the letter is a staff made of no wood known to anybody outside of Korlanthe's tower. While not magically imbued, it is inscribed with runes of respect- particularly towards those skilled in dueling with magic. It is not a sentiment expressed lightly by those who inhabit the tower.

Letter to House Verolin

To House Verolin, Wardens of the East Marches:

Greetings from the Shattered Mountains, I hope this letter has crossed the continent safely and arrived in your hands. If word has not reached you already, then I regret to inform you of the death of my father, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn. However, the main purpose of this letter is to express a desire for friendship between our houses. The misfortune that has fallen upon you is regrettable, and I admire the work your house has done to try and erase the stain of previous generations. Please accept this gift as assurance that I don't believe that the sins of the father define his descendants, and to help the wealth of your house grow- even if slightly. The metal was mined by the famous dwarves of Tunomungeg, and the quality is second to none.

~ Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael, Lord of the Shattered Mountains

Enclosed with the letter is a necklace made of pure gold. Hanging from the necklace is the symbol of House Verolin, crafted out of silver and studded with diamonds at the joints.

For House Vidokar, he would serve as the letter personally, and carried the gift with him on his journey across the continent. A journey that was thankfully almost at an end.

"Wa dae you look sae down? We're finally out ay those blasted mountains!"

"Yeah, lighten up, maybe we can finally fin' you a guid wife. Ah hear these lands are fertile, you ken!"

From the right and left of Llewelyn came this assault on his mood, a welcome one in spite of himself. Aillig and Coira Syndwaelin, his bodyguards since boyhood- and likely his closest companions. The husband and wife had been with him for almost two decades now, serving as both his guardians and instructors in the art of combat. Better teachers could not be found in Handon- nor could mouthier ones.

"I'm here for business, not pleasure. I can look for a wife after I've been ruling my lands for more than a few weeks."

"Fin' ye a guid wife is business! Gettin out those wee jimmies an' burds..."

The woman deftly turned her head so it was her covered eye facing Llewelyn's glare as her husband burst into laughter on the other side of him.

And people wondered why he was graying young.

Still, he was enjoying his trip away from home. The Rainlands had a climate far more agreeable to human habitation than the Shattered Mountains, and the sheer population of the place seemed to speak of that. It felt like they had seen more people on their journey through just a small section of the territory than in the entirety of his domain. It might had been worrying if he had ruled anywhere else- but invasions were not something the Shattered Mountains feared.

He just hoped House Vidokar would be easier to deal with than his own retainers.

My Heart is on the Throne

Been kinda waiting on my host to set the scene for me to react to, but if Hannibal's still busy by tomorrow night I'll write up a post regardless.

My Heart is on the Throne

Unstoppable force meets immovable object.

Number of alcoholics in the RP is about to increase by 2.

My Heart is on the Throne

Whoah, coming on a bit too strong there Hannibal. Let them at least exchange names before groping.

My Heart is on the Throne

I apologize in advance for the inevitable bloat of my CS. I have small NPC sheets set up for the important people around Llewelyn, set to post when they appear.

Well.

Some will be appearing.

My Heart is on the Throne

OOC RULES

Min post are expected to be 2 paragraphs with a max being 5. I am mostly relying on player judgement for this. So, don't expect me to become a grip on your post amount but if it consistently too long or too short, I may warn you.

@ScreenAcne

So now that the RP is going to start soon, I wanted to bring up a concern I've had. A 5 paragraph maximum for posts is a bit restricting and vague, even if I understand the general idea of not wanting your roleplayers to ramble on for 12+ pages every post.

We're going to have to include speeches, negotiations with NPCs and other players, internal conflicts, and writing out physical actions, sometimes all in the same post.

Could we maybe get that limit extended some, and clarified to a character count for the post? Since we have a handy dandy character counter right in the bottom left, and we don't have to worry about if the paragraphs we're writing qualify as 1 or 2 if they tend towards the long side. @ScreenAcne

My Heart is on the Throne

Registration of Current Nobles

The Name of the Noble: Llewelyn Ap'Arthmael

The House of which said noble belongs: House Ap'Arthmael

Current Age of said Noble: 23

House History:Ap'Arthmael can be considered the "New Kid on the Block" amongst the 10 Houses. They began as a minor noble household at the fringes of Handon, ruled over by the much more powerful House Artagonet. House Artagonet ruled over an area of land known as the "Shattered Mountains". The Shattered Mountains were not called as such because of any natural disaster, but because eight smaller "Kingdoms" ruled their own lands independently, only barely united under House Artagonet, and demanding much autonomy in exchange for their service. This made Artagonet a powerful, but internally unstable House.

Four generations ago the Great-Great-Grandsire of House Ap'Arthmael's current ruler took advantage of this internal instability (After continual failure by House Artagonet to rule its lands effectively) to gain power for itself. They had long stood as advisors and generals to House Artagonet, and were in a unique position to exploit the house's weaknesses. For three generations they waged a political war against their liege, forging powerful marriage alliances with the other lords in the Shatter Mountains- aided by string of almost infertile heirs in House Artagonet who could not produce the children to make their own alliances.

Finally, Arthmael Ap'Cledwyn, the father of House Ap'Arthmael's current ruler married Elizabeth Artagonet, the head of House Artagonet. Their contract stipulated that House Artagonet would from then on be subordinate to House Ap'Arthmael, and cemented the latter's rulership over the Shattered Mountains, effectively elevating them into the position of the 10 Great Houses, and making them eligible for election to King of Handon

Notable features of House Ap'Arthmael:

The House's name changes with each generation. The next ruler takes the name of the previous, and adds "Ap" if it is a son, or "Verch" (pronounced Ferch) if it is a daughter. The next generation would effectively be House Ap'Llewelyn or Verch'Llewelyn. Negotiable during marriage contracts.

The rulers tend to gray early and die young due to the stress placed on them by themselves and their subjects' expectations of House Ap'Arthmael. Finding a spouse is perhaps even more important for rulers of the house because of this- a way to ease the burdens of their duties and relax.

Banner: A white and black Chimera on a field of blue. The Chimera representing their house motto, white and black to represent the harsh contrast between duty and desire- while blue represents The Twin Streams, control of which helped them obtain the influence locally to take control of the Shattered Mountains.

Banner

Lands and Ownership: The Shattered Mountains (Nominally). Direct control over Ironoak Reach (Town), Cledwyn's Gate (Fort), and Twinstreams (Port village), which together account for 80% of the population and over 95% of the revenue in House Ap'Arthmael's holdings, not counting taxes and troops supplied by lesser vassal houses and lords.

Vassals of House Ap'Arthmael

The Syndwaelin Clan: Said to be descendants of an elf who (In an almost unheard of act of settling down with one who is not of elven kind) married one of their ancestors long ago, the Syndwaelin Clan certainly have traits which back up their claims. First, they are very long lived for Humans, some Elders of the clan have reached the age of 200 and beyond according to rumor. Secondly- they are considered extraordinary archers, perhaps the best in the realm. All members of the clan practice archery- even the women, and as a whole are heavily muscled. A requirement to use their Ironwood bows, which can easily exceed draw weights of 300 pounds.They primarily make a living as mercenaries- although they also make a pretty penny plying their carpentry skills to the nobles that can afford their craftsmanship.

They pay no taxes to House Ap'Arthmael, and in exchange charge no fees for use of their mercenaries in war, and on top of that always give House Ap'Arthmael top bid for their services, even if already on contract for somebody else. The only income they provide the House is buying the Ironwood that is used to make their bows and others crafts.

Tunomungeg: A reclusive dwarven town that only deals with the surface when they need to trade metals for supplies. Not much is known about them even by House Ap'Arthmael, the last two generations having had no dealings with them whatsoever outside of regular payments of tax.

Their situation is almost the opposite of the Syndwaelin Clan. They outright refuse to provide any soldiers- even should they need to defend The Shattered Mountains from invasion. Instead they pay a tax in raw precious metals every year- And should they need to obtain goods from outside the realm, an additional tariff on top of the initial tax. Gold and Silver are their main contributions to House Ap'Arthmael, although they primarily trade iron to the rest of the Kingdom.

Korlanthe's Tower: A small- though the number is unknown- group of Wizards who own the largest pocket of habitable land in The Shattered Mountains. Supposedly they are of no small influence within the world of magic, although their true purpose and influence is only known to magic users. The Tower's name changes to match whoever leads the group, and has been in control of the wizard Korlanthe for some decades now.

They care not who rules The Shattered Mountains and the only condition to serving House Ap'Arthmael was that one of their number always accompany their lord as one of his advisor. However, it is well understood that they would never assist in the invasion of a foreign land, even if they would not hesitate to use their magics to repel any would-be-conquerors trying to enter The Shattered Mountains.

The Harpy Queen: With names that are impossible to pronounce on the Human tongue, the reigning Matriarchs of the harpies are all called The Harpy Queen, no matter who currently holds "Rulership" over the creatures. With no income to tax, low intelligence, and very limited use in warfare- their "Fealty" is perhaps the most nominal of all The Shattered Mountains.

Still, they have some use- if limited. Not having to fight them off saves resources better spent elsewhere, and though their low intelligence makes them frustrating to work with- they do make excellent scouts both inside the realm and at the borders. In exchange they are permitted free reign to hunt anything that isn't livestock throughout the Shattered Mountains, and any Human that kills one of their kind is expected to be tried as severely as if they murdered any other race.

Ferry's Rest: The city of Ferry's Rest sits at the very border of the Shattered Mountains, nestled along the river of Twin Stream's. The mayor of the city- much like the King- is elected amongst the residents of the city, although it is just as often that a lowborn earns the title as a nobleman. It is by far the wealthiest city in the region (Discounting the unknown wealth of Tunomungeg) and even the relatively modest taxes they pay account for a third of House Ap'Arthmael's annual income.

Unlike the other inhabitants of The Shattered Mountains, Ferry's Rest would not particularly be hard to conquer in a conflict, and they could not collect enough leverage to grant them the same level of autonomy seen throughout the rest of the realm (Any threats of cutting off trade and supplies from outside the realm would be met with an immediate conquest of the city). As such, their relationship with House Ap'Arthmael is that of a standard vassal. They have to pay tax every year, and provide troops to assist with defense of the realm in times of war- as well as abide by the same laws that govern the rest of their liege's subjects.

Autobiographical Knowledge: Llewelyn was raised to uphold the house motto of "The Goat with its herd. The Snake in the grass. The Lion on the plains". The Goat symbolizing good rulership over their people. The Snake representing gaining political power through intrigue and diplomacy. The Lion representing prowess on the battlefield. In other words, perfection was expected of every head of House Ap'Arthmael- especially since their rapid rise within the Shattered Mountains.

It has- to say the least- been a stressful upbringing.

While each ruler effective picked one of the three- Goat, Snake, or Lion- to focus on, they were always expected to at least outwardly encompass all three to both their allies and rivals. While it could not be said that Llewelyn was raised without the comforts that came from being a member of one of the ten great houses- It could be argued he had a rather harsh upbringing. Lessons encompassed his every hour from a young age, and hardly ceased as he grew older. The internal politics of the Shattered Mountains demanded a strong leader- lest the internal factions ruin themselves in their constant attempts to gain advantages over their neighbors. Now, due to his father's success, Llewelyn had to focus on the politics between the great houses as well, an entirely different kettle of fish requiring an entirely different set of knowledge and skills.

With these stresses in mind, it was easy to see why heads of the household tended to die young.

On top of this, his mother inherited the low fertility that had plagued the last several generations of House Artagonet, and Llewelyn was a rare only child amongst the noble houses of Handon. Thus, if he died before siring an heir, his branch of the house- and likely all the power it had gained over the last few generations- would die with him. Placing even greater expectations on his success.

Now, with the death of his father and candidacy for kingship occurring in tandem, it is time to put the strain of his upbringing to the test. Unfortunately, his childhood has not made him the most deft socializer, even if his political knowledge could rival that of most diplomats. He has inherited, more or less, all of the traits of his house, for better or worse. It was enough to gain rulership of the Shattered Mountains, but would it be enough to rule Handon?

Time would tell.

Portrait:

Already the telltale signs of his house are beginning to show on Llewelyn. He looks to be a man five or ten years older, with flecks of gray already beginning to show throughout his hair. A serious expression usually rests on his face, and when not in conversation his eyes are looking at a place far off. His sense of humour, when he shows it, tends to be on the grim side, and unless he's truly relaxed and his mind is taken off of his duties any smile he gives does not reach his eyes. Other than this: His is not of extraordinary size or strength- though skill might be another matter entirely. The Lion demands that the head of House Ap'Arthmael be able to defend himself.

*****

NPCs

Aillig and Coira Syndwaelin

Aillig and Coira have been together for over sixty years, first serving as mercenaries like many of their clan, before being hired as bodyguards for the young heiress of House Artognet, Elizabeth. In this role they served her faithfully since childhood, watching over and advising her throughout her rule. Their opinion of her husband, Arthmael, remains unknown to this day- but it would be unsurprising if their judgement was less than kind considering the decline he had forced upon their liege's house.

Still, when Elizabeth bore her son there was little doubt as to who would serve as his protectors, and the two took to the task with enthusiasm. Aillig would technically have been next in line to lead his clan, but Coira's infertility disqualified him in favor of one of his younger brothers. Thus they took to Llewelyn like their own son, much like they had done to his mother. Despite being well into their 80's, they displayed the shocking youthfulness of their clan, coupling a lifetime of combat practice with the reflexes of people less than half their age. As such, they along with the wizard Malcholar are usually the only retainers that Llewelyn brings when he travels- unless danger is to be expected.

Malcholar of Korlanthe's Tower

Malcholar is the advisor sent by Korlanthe's tower as part of their vassalage agreement, and served his father before him in the same capacity. Not much is known about the wizard, although it is rumored he could have taken possession of the tower decades ago if he had so wished- rumors that are backed up by the bandages that cover most of his body. Not out of shame, for few wizards wish to hide the marks of pride that dot their body, but out of respect for the dozens of other people he has to interact with on a daily basis. As a curious Llewelyn can attest to- the man under the bandages is a truly grotesque sight.

Though much more level headed than the Syndwaelin couple that also makes up the young lord's escort, Malcholar isn't opposed to joining in at cracking a joke in his lord's expense. Still, there is a bit of wariness surrounding his position, though his advice is always sound, it is hard to tell if he truly serves his liege or the tower he came from. House Ap'Arthmael views him with trust and distrust in equal amounts.

My Heart is on the Throne

There's still potential submissions from @FantasyChic and @Rai if they're still interested as well.