The Rulers & Nobility of North Hold

 

Queen Caryn Solanus- Caryn was a beautiful blond-haired young woman, 26 years of age, who acted as Regent of North Hold after the death of her husband, King Marcus Solanus, at the hands of the King Slayer Conspiracy 3 years ago. Since that time, she had tried to protect and defend North Hold’s people from outside attack from the Draketouched, as well as internal strife between the noble houses. She wished she and her son, young King Caylin, were no longer royalty, and felt the burden of her rule distinctly. She leaned on her savior, Heron Veritas, for support and welcomed his assistance as an advisor since his defense of her and Caylin from Conspirators 3 years ago. She secretly loved Heron, and would have married him had her life not be tragically cut short by an alchemical explosion at the hands of assassins during the tournament. The royal colors are red and black, with a gold crown device on it’s coat of arms.

 

King Caylin Solanus- The young king of North Hold, Caylin is only 8 years old, and has been the heir and king of North Hold since the age of 5, when his father was murdered in an attempted coup. Caylin has been a happy go lucky child, who, while attempting to present a ruler’s demeanor when in public, has the same attitude as most children his age. His outward actions prior to the tournament seemed to express a deep love and commitment to both his mother, and his protector, Heron. During the assassination attempt that occurred during the grand melee for the tournament, Caylin was wounded. During his escape from the tournament, he appears to have died at Nara’s hands, his throat torn out and eaten. Mysteriously, he reappeared a few days later, seemingly alive and sporting a far more adult and somber manner. He quickly declared the companions and Heron Veritas his sworn enemies, and arranged the capture and attempted execution of the heroes. He currently reigns North Hold with an iron grip, and have invited the dreaded Draketouched into his kingdom as enforcers. Note: the heroes have recently learned that King Caylin died that day on the tournament grounds, and that the new Caylin is actually the spirit of Lord Vexel Kurgen animating the child king’s remains.

 

Heron Veritas-

 

Raven Veritas-

 

Wymar Royce-

 

Lord Vexel Kurgen-

 

Lord Renquist Rhinehold- 

 

Lord Joseph Clegane-

 

The Draketouched

 

These dreaded brigands and raiders have made a name for themselves by attacking and stealing from settlements across the unaligned kingdoms, but they seem to have a special interest in the lush plain, mountains, and farmlands surrounding North Hold. Said to have dragon blood running in their veins, the Draketouched have demonstrated a deep blood tie to sorcery, one that has resulted in a mageocracy that has dominated the clan for the last hundred years. Numbering around 600, primarily composed of human, elves, and half elves, with perhaps a 3^rd of that number as fighting men and women, the Draketouched harass merchant routes, pillage villages, and sack and burn small farmsteads. While they are not as barbaric as some of the nomadic and nature loving tribes in the north of the Elesian continent, the Draketouched are not above capturing men and women to enslave and rape.

            The Draketouched are currently ruled by a triumvirate of Sorcerers who ensure that those with magical talent are the well taken care of by the rest of the clan, and those the

 

Zathriel- Zirul’s father, and one of the Triumvirate that leads the Draketouched. Zathriel is a man of keen intellect and powerful charisma. A slim man with dark hair and a well trimmed beard, Zathriel stands out among the other Draketouched as one of the few that has traveled alone, far from the comforts of the tribe. It is said that he learned the ways of the city folk when he was young, and has created secret ties with noblemen in city-states throughout the Unaligned Kingdoms… secret ties that ensure that the Draketouched raiders know where to attack without resistance in return for a portion of their plunder. Zathriel is the mind of the Triumvirate.

 

Vartigar- Sharing the coloration, though not the build of his brother Zathriel, Vartigar is one of the strongest battle-mages of the Draketouched. His ability to channel spells into arcane blasts and shields on the fly, as well as his deadliness with a blade keeps other Draketouched in line. Vartigar is the enforcer of the Triumvirate, and is therefore more commonly at the forefront in raids and operations. Unlike many of his brethren, Vartigar wears armor; a unique creation made from layers of leather and strong ceramic plates molded to his form. Vartigar is the fist of the Triumvirate. Vartigar was killed by The Dreamers as he pursued Wymar Royce, leader of the North Hold Shadow Brotherhood, through the Grand Avenue of Horidar.

 

Warrick- Warrik knows he is in a dangerous position as the only member of the Triumvirate that is not a member of Zathriel’s family. A skeletally thin man with lank blond hair and a vicious curved scar on his right cheek, Warrik stands out out amongst the ruling class of the Draketouched. Though he is a powerful mage himself, Warrick knows that he only holds his position due to his influence over the rest of the clan, influence stemming from his impressive oratory skills and knack for charms. The day that Zathriel’s son Zirul disappeared was a boon for Warrick, since it was whispered that Zathriel and Vartigar were plotting Warrik’s destruction with the intent to replace him with the well-loved young man. Despite this, Warrick has grown no more comfortable in his position, as he fears that Zathriel's son will one day return and wrest control of his place in the Triumvirate from him. Warrick is the voice of the Triumvirate.