Personages Dossiers

    Kel is tall and heavy set, and quite sybaritic. Most of Kel's strength come from sheer bulk and brawn, rather than exercise or training. Kel favors thick, heavy clothes, frequently furs. In his early 40's, Kel is starting to show his age and wear. He rarely shaves, or trims his hair. When he was younger, his hair was red.
    Blackwood is the baron of the north, and thus lacks a number of the resources available to Widlow. As the lands Blackwood controls are snowed in nearly half the year, the basic needs of survival are a constant fight. Blackwood hails from a hard land, and although many characterize him as a sybarite, his actions show him to be a severe and hard man. Although he enjoys good food, good drink, and good company, he is not a man that lives by half-measures; when he sets out to do something, little will shift him from his goal.
    Blackwood is not a religious man in any way or form, and his frequent spoken blasphemy and cynicism makes him extremely unpopular with the religious elements of the gentry. Northern peasants, however, frequently view their lives and the nature of the land as proof of the gods' disinterest in humanity, and so tend to turn a blind eye to Blackwood's prilts. For what it's worth, Blackwood's life has been sufficiently successful to show that he has yet to severely injure any god's pride.
    Baron Blackwood is known for being a loud, pushy, and cunning man. He fights most of his battles through brawn, tenacity, bravery, and more than a little stubbornness. And he fights a lot of battle. The years of experience he's amassed have made him a formidable tactician as well - surviving so many battles has taught the man the fundamentals of tactics, and while he rarely makes use of complex battle plans, he frequently can spot those of his opponents. Blackwood is at his best in open field battles, siege defenses, and laying sieges. He is poor at ambushes, sneak attacks, misdirection, and subterfuge at large.
    Blackwood is a poor economist at best. He has a keen awareness of saving for a rainy day, but beyond that he has no finesse with finances. One year he will be rich, the next poor, and always by happenstance. His peasants live hard lives, coincidentally, but are surprisingly resolute and supportive of the baron.
    Blackwood is married, and has a large number of children. He is also known for having a large number of bastards. He has seven sons and two daughters. His two eldest son and his youngest live with him and act as extensions of his interests on occasion. The middle four have chosen varying lives, but each has ended up in arms somehow. The third youngest son, Edric, lives as a mercenary, and is estranged from his father. One of the other middle sons, Jerlim I believe, chose to become a paladin, and coincidentally also doesn't have much contact with his father.

   Young is precisely that - young. Barely twenty, Young is practically hairless below his eyes. Handsome and fashionable, Young is the model of courtly lordship in public. Young is blond with blue eyes, and a surprisingly short man, given his public reputation and commanding presence.
   Young is a calm, contained, and collected man. He is the baron of the east, despite his family name. Much of the east of the kingdom is woods and plains, with the occasional rolling hill or two. It's fertile ground, where cleared, and has a fair mix of weathers. Northollow has taken good advantage of the lands, and has a high annual income because of this, making him the second wealthiest baron, after Widlow. Lumber, agriculture, crafted woodworks, wines, stone, iron, honey, and animal pelts number his incomes. Northollow expanded the economy of his territories greatly from his father's rule, and has managed to greatly increase their profit margin in a mere two years. In a few more, he may indeed be the wealthiest baron. Understandably, his populace is quite pleased with this, and support him greatly. To his credit, he has shown great prudence by not raising taxes in a large scale while improving the economy; he instead reaps the benefits of small tariffs and a flat taxation means, which keeps the populace happy and his pockets well filled.
    Young's entrance into the final year of the war with the republic was grand and catastrophic at the same time. Duke Pelumer's forces had won a high victory over the third legion, commanded by Consul Gaemus, forcing the beleaguered legion to retreat towards a the village of Josim Maius. Pelumer's forces were bloodied and tired after the fight, however, and stopped to rest and recuperate. King Pergrim, seeing the oppurtunity to break the core of the Republic's resistance finally, offered a high reward for the lord that broke the legion. Baron Northollow had the good fortune to be with his forces at the right place at the right time, and came after the legion in fast pursuit. Northollow's forces were outnumbered two to one, but the estimates, so the legion chose to face Northollow's men just outside of the village. Northollow had sent, just prior to the battle, a small force to maneuver around the legion's forces and into the village. Somehow, those men slipped past the legion's pickets and, following their orders, lit the village aflame. Northollow then pushed forward hard, driving the legion into the flames. After the battle, it was estimated that the trade was one to one for Northollow, and that the only thing that had won him the battle was tenacity and the fear his tactics incited in the enemy. Pergrim, disgusted with the tactic, refused Northollow the reward initially promised. Understandably, Northollow was bitter.
    Young is a vastly intelligent, logical man. He is not a renowned strategist, though I personally consider him dangerously cunning. He has limited experience, but creative ideas. What's more, every scrap of evidence suggests he is ruthless, and will stop at nothing to win. What is perhaps most distressing of all is that, despite his tactics, he is an excellent leader who has done enormously well by his people. Although he has clear value and capability, I can't help but feel uneasy when contemplating what his ambitions might be.

Baron Kris Valtane - The Silver Spoon'
   Kris Valtane favors bright clothing and fine jewelry, especially worked silver or gold. Kris is flamboyant and fanciful, and loves being the center of attention. He also loves to favor flowers, usually a new one each month.
    Valtane is foppish, put simply. His love of the high life and ostentation makes it hard to take him seriously as a leader. The saying about appearances, however, is quite accurate in the case of baron Valtane. He is the third wealthiest baron, but commands the general incomes to be the wealthiest, if he so chose. Instead, however, he is quite lenient and generous when it comes to taxation, and depends largely upon trade tariffs for his income. His flamboyant expenditures don't help either. Never the less, he has a considerable remainder in his annual budget, most of which he ends up spending on public works project.
    Valtane's territory is perhaps the most well-developed in terms of roadways and the populace's quality of life. Much of the territory Valtane controls is agriculturally rich, and is excellent land to field horses and livestock, as well as wines and food. Baron Valtane has taken care to develope the lands well, and for eight months of the year, the fields prosper. His weakness, economically speaking, is an unwillingness to seek out the full extent of his resources; speculation has abounded for years that the hills in the southern parts of his region are rich with iron, but he has neglected to look into the matter.
    Valtane is a poor militarist. He has never been keen on warfare, and though he always heeded the call to arms of his king promptly, he never displayed much personal skill or strategic finesse. He is well versed in the basic tactics and strategems one would expect of any noble, but has not pursued any further degree of skill. As such, he is not feared on the battlefield. What may be worse, however, is that he has never pursued with any ardor the readiness of his men. Frequently his soldiery is poorly trained and equipped with mediocre arms.
    Baron Valtane is one of a set of men who believes firmly in the responsibility of the nobility to the peasantry. From what I have observed, he is a kind ruler, but not a strong one. His reluctance on the battlefield and his careful political stances have left him in an indelibly weak position. His populace love him, but likely do not respect him, and the other barons likely view him as the first to fall in this conflict.

Baron Friederick Widlow - Vox Regem'
   Baron Widlow is a tall, thin, black haired man. As he has grown older, his hair has begun to be streaked with silver. Friederick keeps himself scrupulously well-shaven, and is known to exercise daily to keep up his strength. Friederick has little interest in courtly dress, and tends to keep himself garbed in utilitarian manners. He is also known to sleep with a shirt of chain mail on him.
    Baron Widlow's history is an interesting one, to my eye. He was the only son of his father, Anderlin Widlow, the renowned advisor who helped king Pergrim so well during the first wars with the Republic. At the time, the government of the Republic saw the young king Pergrim as an easy conquest, and launched numerous assaults. Where the other barons of the era failed, Anderlin succeeded greatly, and beat back three consecutive assaults in the field, earning him the highest respect of the king. Anderlin died as High Lord Commander and Protector of the West, high titles indeed. The young Friederick inherited his father's position at the age of twenty-six, at the outset of the second wars with the Republic, and had a lot to live up to. Friederick continued his father's legacy, however, and won many of the initial victories against the Republic, showing great military promise. Likewise, he managed his lands from the distance of the front well enough to allow the people left behind to prosper a marginal amount during the war. King Pergrim appointed Friederick High Lord Commander and Protector of the West in the third year of the war.
    Widlow's economic career is solid, but not exceptional. He has never failed his people, but he also hasn't proven himself to be particularly talented with monies either. He is quite conservative economically, and tends to rely upon long-term investments and necessities, and has little stomach for risky ventures. As such, he has kept his populace fed and sustained, but not particularly advanced.
    Widlow deserves the highest respect as a soldier. He is an excellent commander and a fine strategist. He inspires his troops by example, and has fought on the front lines of several battles. His iron self-discipline has always been a fine example to the men he commands, and sets a clear standard. As a result, his soldiery are some of the best trained, equipped, and spirited men in the whole of the kingdom. He is known to be something of a merciless drillmaster with his personal contingents, and expects much out of the contingents he entrusts to other men. As a tactician, he has shown impressive ingenuity a number of times. To his credit, however, he relies upon honorable tactics, and avoids using any underhanded tactics. He does not destroy, he conquers.

The Dukes:
    I will endeavor to keep track of every duke, but I will only present the ones I deem relevant, either through simple proximity or through direct connection, here.

Duke Dorn Kripwell - 'The Old Stag' - beneath baron Widlow
    Duke Kripwell is probably the oldest living man in the kingdom. His age is so advanced he cannot rise from bed, and he must command his lands and army from a reclined position. Rumors abound with tales of his blindness, myopia, deafness, inability to even stand, and whatever other ailments you feel like attributing to him. It is most likely that he is simply so old that little works properly on his body anymore. Although I'm sure a chirugeon would say differently, it seems to me the only thing keeping him alive at this point is his legendary stubbornness.
    Kripwell has served three kings. King Pergrim, his father, and his grandfather, in turn, have all died before Kripwell. Kripwell has not been particularly ambitious, apparently, as he has advanced little in all that time. Having changed barons an equal number of times, he has had large room to advance himself in his lord's eyes, but has never taken much advantage of the oppurtunities presented to him. He seems content to manage his lands and his peasantry in peace.
    When forced to battle, however, Kripwell has proven himself time and again to be a stalwart, stubborn, and inflexible man. He does not surrender, and coincidentally has stood through sieges other men would have broken under. He is considered a master of the craft of sieges, and has patiently waited out numerous enemies, from both sides of the wall. He is respected for his ability to incorporate varied tactics in his sieges as well, and is known to keep trained sappers in among his soldiery.
    In his more advanced age, Kripwell leaves the administration of his army to his sons and retainers. His eldest son, Vaugn, shows a fair degree of ambition, and always rushes to his lord's aid. While his sons may carry out his word and deed, Dorn still maintains an iron hold on the policy making of his dukedom. Coincidentally, Widlow has begun to favor the use of Kripwell men alongside his own, something both dukes Highridge and Valence are likely envious of. Kripwell hails from Pearbrooke, which is one of the provinces bordering Northollow's territory.
    Kripwell's importance is two-fold. He is a close and evident enemy, who is known for his inflexibility; therefore, should he seriously decide to make war with us, he will not stop until he has won, or we have killed him. The other notable point is his age and experience. He is a symbol of Widlow power in and of himself, as he has stood by three generations of Widlow barons, serving each ably. Were Kripwell to be defeated soundly once and for all, it would be a massive blow to the Widlow army's morale.

Tomas Whitehall - 'The Book' - beneath baron Northollow
    Tomas Whitehall did not really expect to become the duke of his province. Indeed, he had three elder brothers, and his father never favored him, so he threw himself whole-heartedly into his first love; books. Tomas was, prior to becoming the duke of Whitehall, a renowned scholar. He penned his first book of philosophy at the age of fourteen, and wrote a thesis on the synthesis of Republican economic theory and feudal management at the age of seventeen. By twenty he had written a third book. He is, without doubt, one of the most learned men in the kingdom, and he's only twenty-four.
    Tomas's ascent to the position of duke is a story of phenomenal accidents and poor luck. The war with the Republic was quite hard on the Whitehall family, as Lukas Whitehall, Tomas's father, was quite insistent on being the vanguard of his lord's soldiery. In the famed battle of Josim Maius, the duke's forces took the brunt of the panicced Republican charges. Lukas and both his elder sons died on the field that day. Tomas's remaining elder brother, Jerami, recalled Tomas as soon as the news returned to Whitehall. Tomas and Jerami proceeded to rule in tandem for the next year, but Jerami began to rely on Tomas more and more as he grew more and more sick. Finally, at the the turn of winter, Jerami caught and succumbed to a terribly fever, leaving Tomas the duke of Whitehall.
    Duke Whitehall has been a good ruler for the past few years. This will mark his third full year of rule, and in little time he has managed to accomplish a great deal. His province is the single most wealthy province in the whole of the kingdom, and many consider young Tomas to be an economic genius. He has steadily expanded the incomes of his province month by month, and his people have profited enormously. Tomas put several of his theories into action in his province, and an interesting profit-sharing program forms the basis of his ideals, bringing high rewards to the peasantry, and vastly improving the morale of the public. Though the people of Whitehall are still recovering from the loss of so much of their ruling family, they have are greatly inspired by Tomas's displays, and Tomas is well loved for his fine work.
    Tomas is not a militarist in any sense, however. He has never been in a real battle, and given his years of scholarly pursuit, it is unlikely he is particularly capable with a sword. His riding skills are notoriously bad, and he prefers to avoid travel when he can. As such, there is little faith in his abilities as a leader of men, and many of his peers scorn him. Feudal lords are, after all, warriors first. To his credit, however, Tomas has implemented a number of the Republic's innovations in the training of his men, and every town and village has in his province has been forming a permanent, trained town guard. Although this does not represent a real army, it shows that, with time, Tomas may choose to develope a standing army of talent and repute.
    Tomas's could be of value to our endeavors in a few ways. He also is beneath baron Northollow, so we can rightfully appeal to him for aide of some variety. What's more, he is known to be a moral and considerate man, and would likely not leave us to the wolves were we to make a direct appeal. What help he would provide, however, is a little questionable; as I have noted, he is not a soldier, nor a general, and so what help he could provide would be, at best, in the form of equipment and trained craftsmen. Never the less, that would be quite a help.

Duke Walther Cromarty - 'Black Scratch' - beneath baron Northollow
    Duke Cromarty is a tall and commanding man, with black hair, a thick moustache, and piercing blue eyes. When angry, which is quite often, Walther's eyes turn red. Walther keeps himself appointed primarily in black leathers and the occasional satins. He has no interest in anything more ostentatious, and is highly monocromatic in garb. Never the less, his appearance is never poor, just entirely predictable.
    Walther doesn't have the best reputation. King Pergrim tasked Cromarty with the pacification of the lands taken from the Republic at the end of the war, and his policies were extraordinarily strict. Cromarty accomplished a great deal in a short time, constructing numerous border forts and repairing the infrastructure of the provinces, but he was so harsh on the populace that a considerable number died in the following winter. King Pergrim recalled Cromarty, and called him 'Tyrant' for his work. Duke Cromarty was left with few friends among the nobility after his regal reprimand. He doesn't seem to mind much, however; if anything, it's just made him more fearless and impertinent than ever. Duke Cromarty is well known for his sharp tongue and his fearless attitude, and he is famed for speaking his mind bluntly to king Pergrim in court during his reprimand.
    Walther is a slave-driver as an economist. He sets projects and goals, and then relentlessly drives his peasantry to their completion. His lands are well developed and defended, coincidentally, and in the rest periods between projects, the populace actually enjoys a high quality of life. It's hard to like a man, however, as hard-lined as Cromarty. His economy is a curious balance; Cromarty makes large incomes, but spends most of it on maintaining a vast and strong military, perhaps the strongest among the dukes.
    Cromarty's reputation as a tactician is better than his political one. His talents as a commander are well worth noting, and his subtlety as a tactician. He served both barons Northollow well throughout the war with the Republic, and performed several independant actions with his own forces. Cromarty has not participated in a loss to date, though he has been a part of a few stalemates. He is in particular a master of cavalry and archers, and uses them frequently in his tactics.
    Cromarty is another duke beneath Northollow, and a very strong one. He has few allies, and making an alliance with him is a distinct possibility, if we show we have something to offer in such a partnership. However, our own reputation throughout the realm might be reduced by entering such a relationship with him.