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Historical Figures

Public information about different notable figures.

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Alaric III

Question: Though I'm sure there's plenty of private stuff that the common peasant or uninterested noble wouldn't know about Alaric the Third, what's generally considered common knowledge about his life? What was his personality, how long was his rule, any major changes in law or culture during his reign, et cetera. Basically whatever your basic commoner would know.

Answer: Born in 950 AR, he was widely respected even in his youth as taking his responsibilities extremely seriously, with a reputation for compassion, integrity and thoughtfulness while crown prince and learning from his father, King Alerius II. While still crown prince, Alaric the Elder led the Gray Forest Campaign to make the roads between Arx, Pridehall, Bastion and Ashford Keep safe, starting with the Gray Forest Campaign of 970 AR, and continuing through most of his later reign under the leadership of Duke Gabriel Bisland, who was seen as his most trusted military commander. As king, he was much beloved by the commons and respected by the Peerage, and his fondness for holding open court and hearing petitions from the people of Arx often had a very young Alaric IV observing and was adopted by Alaric IV, whose accessibility and easy manner exceeded that of his father, who while fair made certain he was stern enough to never give peers cause to question his rule.

He was very non-interventionist in terms of crown control, allowing vassals to quarrel and war amongst themselves as long as it posed little concern to the Compact as a whole, Grayson lands, or Arx in particular. This was a very tradionalist policy, and adopted by most vassals outside the Mourning Isles (whose interventionist style was seen as tyrannical), and was seen in the Tor-Southport war and similar conflicts, where the Grand Duchess of the Lyceum also did not take sides, and Alaric III would not comment on who he saw as right in the conflict, fearing doing so would spread the conflict and potentially turn it into a general war between the Oathlands and the Lyceum. This is why he was so slow in intervening in the Tyde Rebellion, only sailing for the Mourning Isles when it appeared that both the Northlands and the Lyceum were going to join in and turn it into a Compact wide war.

Alaric III was a respected, much liked, defender of the status quo. Which despite his general popularity, would not please everyone.

Bisland Historical Figures

Question: Could I please get relevant details regarding House Bisland's Historical Figures? (Kaia is House Bisland's Minister of History and would appreciate it if more detailed information regarding such topics could be provided.

Answer: There's many famous historical figures from house bisland. The earliest enshrined in the Hall of Heroes is Lord Dreysin Bisland, who led an order of knights militant that is believed to have been associated with what became the Knights of Solace, but it's unclear. According to legend, he held 'the great fortress of Eastguard' in the Samar peninsula as a place of healing and refugee for travelers, and "The Last Stand of Dreysin Bisland" has been captured in both song and plays as one of the more heroic final last stands in the Compact's history. Similar Bisland figures have almost always been famous military leaders in the Compact, from Gabriel Bisland who served as Alaric III's companion and primary battlefield commander to Alaric IV's regent and commander once more, to Duke Zadkiel Bisland leading Bisland forces during the Reckoning for King Alar I, Duchess Bathkol Bisland winning the crushing victory of Ashen Woods during the Elven War, and Duchess Naamah Bisland leading the liberation of Pridehall during the Crownbreaker Wars.

Founders of the Compact

Question: I'm wondering what public history might be available about all of the Kings/Queens that became Highlords/Highladies in forming the Compact. Names? General background of what they were doing as Kingdoms over Great Houses? Stuff like that.

Answer: Surprisingly, not as much as most would hope. King Alar Grayson, as the founder of the Compact is best known, but even his wife and names of offspring is confused past his heir Alarius I, and his lifespan is thought to be allegorical with living over a hundred years. Valeria it's thought was slain in the Northlands fighting some sort of great beast, but the legends vary on what. Sugan became the ruler of the Oathlands, but it's unclear what her later years were like. Aposyr Thrax brutally crushed the remnants of House Marin, eventually being assassinated in a prelude to a coup attempt. Procella Pravus united the Lyceum and created House Velenosa, but it's uncertain what became of her later years.

Mad mage of the north

Answer: In the North, all manner of things are attributed to a near-legendary figure: Skald, the mad mage of the North. Everything from good/bad harvests, missing people, cosmic phenomenon, or misplaced boots might be said to be the work of the Mad Mage.

The legends about him are as varied as they are numerous: he supposedly married a dire bear. He is said to have ripped a man's arm off on accident during a friendly arm wrestling competition. Some claim he can turn into fire, or a pack of wolves. They say he speaks all languages, and can change his form to suit his mood.

Whether or not such a man has actually ever existed is a matter of some debate (and often, scorn). Most think him a child's tale, a fictional scapegoat and sometimes, erstwhile protector for those who make their homes in the frosty Northlands of Arvum.

In more recent times, someone claiming to be Skald has arrived in Arx. Pretenders are not that uncommon, but the Faith has recognized him as one of the Lost Gods of the Pantheon as the god of freedom and choice. This has also made many throughout Arvum to think that Arx has gone a little mad and has been taken in by a somehow extremely gifted confidence man, but thus far the choice has been humored.

Marach

Question: When in the timeline, roughly, did Marach's tenure fall? Or is this not known to scholars?

Answer: While most of the exact information was lost in the Great Fire of Arx that destroyed virtually everything before the Elven War, and the Sack of the Great Archive during the Crownbreaker Wars several hundred years ago then also decimated a number of surviving works, it's largely believed that Marach's period of Dominus followed shortly afer the reign of Queen Triscali the Blackrose, and the Crusade of Shattered Mirrors that followed led to several hundred years of stronger regional authority and wars between the different great houses. The father of Queen Alarice the Great, King Alaron (as he was known, rather than the formal Alar IV), inherited a very weak central authority over the Compact that was extremely divided.