OOC: "The Heir Presumptive" (closed)

Helpful Links:

• FAQs -- Frequently Asked Questions
• Encyclopedia
• Characters: "The Heir Presumptive"
• Characters: "Knowledge is Power"
• Map of the Continent of Medianna
• Map with more detailed descriptions

Other helpful pages:

• The Highlands Alliance

Timelines and Synopses:

• Timeline for the Burkinian Era -- pre-YoQ to YoQ 1000.
• Synopses of our stories:
  • "Knowledge is Power" -- YoQ 5 onward
  • "The Heir Presumptive" -- post-Burkinian Era
• The Burkinian Empire -- An historical review of its rise and fall.
  • The Kingdom of East Port and the Rise of the Burkinian Empire
  • The Fall of the Burkinian Empire
• The Hoshians -- An historical review of the rise and fall. (For now, see this link.)

For a thousand years, the Burkinian Empire ruled over the entirety of the Continent of Medianna. The Empire was a Matriarchal State: a Queen ruled all, with the Baronies and Counties ruled by Baronesses and Countesses respectively.

Peace, prosperity, and care for the lower classes were the keys to the success of the Burkinian Empire. The Empire had amassed and maintained a generous Treasury in its early days. When times got hard, taxes could be cut, postponed, or forgiven without serious harm to the Treasury. When the financial situation improved, taxes were once again raised and treasuries were refilled.



Then began the Dark Ages.

For a full generation, the Continent fell victim to natural disasters, drought, famine, disease, and other ills. Taxes were cut, then set aside entirely as the woes of the Continent deepened.

The Burkin treasuries were drained nearly entirely. The coin ran out, and the Continent was struck by despair, anger, crime, localized conflict, rebellion within States, and finally war between them. Ultimately, most of the blood was being shed between the forces of the Burkinian Empire and armies raised to bring the Empire down.

A generation of destruction followed, and the Burkinian Empire eventually fell. New leaders assumed control of existing States or created new ones.

Another generation would pass before the boundaries between the Counties, Baronies, Principalities, and Kingdoms of today were established. Border conflicts would continue, and some frontiers would never be fully defined. But in most areas about the Continent, the populations and the Nobles and Royals who ruled them would find a modicum of relative peace.



The victors of the wars against the Burkinian Empire feared that the Burkin survivors might one day attempt to regain power. To prevent this, anything and everything Burkin was outlawed.

Many of the Burkin Royals and Nobles who had survived fled into hiding; and many of their Merchant and Peasant class servants fled with them. Like the worshippers of a forbidden religion, the Burkins communicated in secret to keep their faith in the Empire's return alive.

But over the decades to come, the surviving Burkin Royals and Nobles died off without a return to power. Their loyal followers began to lose faith. The oral traditions began to be lost. The hope was fading.

When Princess Ranna of Weston was just 10 years old, her mother died during child birth. The stillborn child would have been the King's first legitimate male child and Heir Apparent, replacing Ranna as Heir Presumptive.

The loss of the King's first son -- as well as of his wife, who had been beloved by all -- was tragic. The Kingdom observed a period of mourning for two moons, one month for each of the tragically lost souls.

The day the mourning period ended, Ranna was whisked off to the County of Riverbrook, to the home of her maternal grandmother, Countess Pollania.



Ranna had spent a great deal of her childhood with the Countess Pollania. The then-young Ranna had graced the Countess with a nickname: "Granny Polla". Ranna's father had had his own nickname for his wife's mother: the strange bird. Ranna had always found that funny. But after her mother's death and as she began spending far more of her time with Polla, Ranna would come to understand why her father had referred to Pollania as such.

Polla had lost her own mother at 10 years of age as had Ranna, in this case to the Gray Fever. Polla had had older brothers, ages 22 and 16; they had been their mother's Heir Apparent and Heir Presumptive respectively. Yet Polla had inherited her mother's title -- becoming Lady Pollania of Riverbrook -- as well as all of the lands that came with it. Without ever explaining their reasons, the brothers had simply refused their birthrights. They had instead settled on small portions of land within their sister's new estate and taken up service as her Lord Advisors. They would continue to do so until their own deaths -- one natural, one not -- many decades later.

Three years after her mother's death, now at the marrying age of 13, Polla exchanged vows with the Count in whose County her estate, Riverbrook, was located. The Count was four times Polla's age; he was a drunk and -- during his previous marriage -- had been a known philanderer. But then, Polla wasn't marrying him for love. His County was vast and resource-rich. And yet his treasure was nearly bankrupt. Poor management, massive debt, and overdue taxes -- the latter two of which were also incurring high interest -- had drained his treasury.

Polla was young, but she was intuitive, sharp, well educated, and well connected. She had faith that she could turn the County around, saving it and advancing her own ambitions. Polla was and always had been a favorite of the people, whether Peasants, Merchants, Nobles, and even Royals. They had flocked to Polla or invited her to their own estates for her company, even when she was a young child; and now that she was a Countess -- even a teenage one -- they very often sought her counsel and assistance on any number of issues.

Less than a decade after marrying the Count, Polla had turned his fortunes around. The land was once again productive, the businesses profitable, and the debts repaid, restructured, or -- in exchange for favors fulfilled by Polla's extensive network of friends and associates -- forgiven. Polla had never been comfortable in her husband's castle, so she'd had a new one built, Riverbrook, from which came her chosen title, the Countess Pollania of Riverbrook.

During that decade of financial rebuilding, Polla had birthed her husband five children. Their first was a girl, Ranna's mother Karren. Next followed three boys; another girl ended Polla's quest for heirs. She raised them with virtually no involvement from her husband. With what he still thought of as his County once again solvent, Polla's husband spent an increasing number of his nights with wine and women. Polla preferred it that way and -- now holding the purse strings of the treasury -- ensured that her husband always had enough money to find his pleasures elsewhere.

At 26 years young, Polla's now 65 year old husband died in bed with a trio of recently purchased, teenage sex slaves. Although the public saw the appropriate and obligatory despair and loss during the month of mourning that followed, most of Polla's subjects believed the rumors that the Countess had actually been the one who'd purchased the slaves, hoping that her husband's ticker wouldn't survive the girls' enthusiasm in bed.

(The evidence for the rumors was obvious: young, beautiful sex slaves were very expensive, and Polla, of course, controlled the County's treasury; and after the Count's death, the sex slaves were given their freedom and respectable positions of employment by Polla herself.)

Polla now held title over a land that was rich with natural resources, profitable businesses, and busy toll roads and bridges. She was in a position to fill her treasury to the ceiling with the spoils her land offered.

And yet, she didn't!

Polla didn't rape the land of its resources, which had long been the most direct way for a Noble or Royal to fill his or her treasury. Nor did she over tax the Merchant Class or demand their services at little or no cost (even though many did offer either or both out of respect and gratitude). Nor did she charges outrageous tolls to those transporting commerce through her County, despite the fact that one such road was one of the most traveled in the Central Continent.

And yet after all of this dismissed revenue, Polla's treasury always contained an appropriate amount of coin. And her people never wanted; she often opened the granaries to the needy or hosted festivals at which the bazaars and markets sold goods at reduced prices, knowing they wouldn't have to fork over 25% to the tax collectors at the end of the day.

Some speculated that Polla had a secret revenue source, that maybe she was inconspicuously exploiting valuable ore reserves or marketing heavily in slaves or even extorting less honorable Nobles or Royals for past misdeeds. There were even rumors that she supervised a network of spies and assassins who worked across the entire Continent. Yet, there was never any evidence of said acts.

What ever her secret was, the Countess Pollania of Riverbrook had quickly risen to social, financial, and political heights of which no one before her had attained at such a young age.

Map of the Continent of Medianna:

https://i.imgur.com/qASe1bd.jpg?1

Note about map:

1. Each black bordered section is a Barony.
2. Baronies that do not share a color with other Baronies are Kingdoms in and of themselves.
3. Baronies that share a color are subject to the Kingdom of that color.
4. The exception to #3 above is the Kingdom of Platt (light blue). See below for more.
5. Baronies with a black dot are the Capital of that colored Kingdom. (The Capital Barony shares the name of the Kingdom, btw.)
6. The red dot near middle of Continent is the County of Riverbrook, explained further below.

Red Dot near middle of Continent:

• The County of Riverbrook, in the Barony of Parse.
• The Castle of Riverbrook is the home estate of Princess Ranna's maternal grandmother, Countess Pollania (Polla) of Riverbrook. (More about her can be found in the OOC under "The Burkinian Empire and will be linked here eventually.)
• Physical description of The County of Riverbrook:
  • Approximately 80,000 acres (roughly 125 square miles), a bit larger than average for a County.
  • Its shape could be described as a hand with the thumb pointing west-by-southwest and the generously splayed fingers extending between northwest and north-by-northeast into the Central Highlands Mountain Range.
  • Continuing with the hand analogy above, the walled City of Riverbrook would be located where the thumb bone connects to the hand. The City flanks the banks of the North Branch River, with the Castle of Riverbrook sitting on the north bank.
  • The fingers begin as wide valleys of thick grasslands; become narrower and steeper; then become steep canyons.
  • The upper reaches of the canyons offer veins of silver, copper, and iron. Ownership of this mountainous frontier area was long disputed by its former and now deceased Count and the Highlands Baron to the north. Countess Polla, though, came to a sharing agreement with that northern Baron, though, and there hasn't been conflict between them in almost a decade.
  • To the south of the fingers, the County is mostly rolling hills of lush grasslands and scattered forests of mostly deciduous trees.
  • A navigable river, the North Branch, extends west from the City of Riverbrook for about 2 miles, then meanders almost due south to drain into the ocean at the Grand Sea.

Light Blue: The Baronies of Pratt

• Until just a year before the beginning of our story, these 7 Baronies were subject to the Kingdom of Pratt, the central territory with the dot representing the Royal Castle.
• The Barons forced the King to abdicate and -- with much of his Household -- flee into exile.
• The Kingdom was dissolved.
• The current Barons will not accept another Kingdom to rule over them.
• Cordan, the Baron of Pratt:
  • Once the King's Lord Chancellor and both then and now the most powerful of the Barons -- has been trying to forge alliances that would make him Supreme Chancellor for the Baronies of Pratt.
  • Such a position would be akin to a King in some ways but not in others.
  • Unfortunately for the Baron of Pratt, the other Barons don't trust him. Thus the negotiations have been stalled for months.
  • The Baron of Pratt has warned his counterparts that if they don't make a decision before the Kingdoms of Weston and The Highlands merge with a royal wedding, they may all find themselves invaded and conquered by the largest and more powerful State the Continent has seen since the existence of the Burkinian Empire.
• The Baronies of Pratt by name:
  • Starting with the one at the very north and proceeding counter-clockwise in a spiral to the center. (I know, awkward; but it works best.)
  • The Barony of Yemm.
  • .
  • .
  • The Barony of Shanton:
    • The beginning point of the role play "Knowledge is Power".
    • During the newly established Burkinian Empire's conquest of the Continent of Medianna, Shanton was one of the first to experience what the Army called a Pincer Action. The Burkin Navy landed Marines along the shore line in multiple locations, and the Burkin Army surged south from East Port through already conquered Pratt Baronies to trap the Shanton forces between them.
  • .
  • .
  • The Barony of Pratt (where Cordan lives in the former King's Castle).

Dark Yellow: The Kingdom of Weston

• The home Kingdom of Princess Ranna.
• Her father, the King, is named Elrod.
• Politics:
  • Weston is at peace with all other States.
  • Elrod is attempting to forge an alliance with the Kingdom of the Highlands via a marriage of his daughter Ranna to the 8 years younger son of the Highlands' King. Ranna is not excited about this.
  • Elrod's spies and informants know that the Baron of Pratt wishes to prevent this marriage. But Elrod is unaware of any actual, concrete attempt by Pratt to actually accomplish this. (For more on the Pratt situation, see "Pratt" above.)
• The Baronies of the Kingdom of Weston (clockwise, beginning with the Capital):
  • The Barony of Weston (Capital)
  • The Barony of Parse (in which resides the County of Riverbrook)
  • The Barony of Gahn.
  • The Barony of Rhone.

Green: Kingdom of the Highlands

• See above concerning a proposed alliance/marriage with the Kingdom of Weston.

Dark Blue: The Kingdom of Northshore

Orange: The Kingdom of Central Medianna


About the Baronies of East Port:

• During the era of its rule:
  • The Burkinian Empire ruled from the Barony of East Port.
  • The entirety of the East Port area was part of a single Barony, then Kingdom, then Empire.
  • Today, that territory is divided between 4 sovereign States: the Kingdom of North Shore, the Barony of North East Port, the Kingdom of East Port (where the original Capital was located), and the Barony of South East Port.
  • East Port was the most important commercial center of the Empire.
  • Every coastal Barony and many of the landlocked ones sent goods here for further distribution.
  • Dozens of cargo ships and hundreds of fishing boats called East Port home.
  • The stone roads upon which commerce (and, when necessary, troops) traveled all led to East Port.
  • And, as would be expected, The City of East Port was the most populated one the Continent.
• As the Dark Ages deepened:
  • East Port was seriously affected by the disruption in commerce occurring all across the Continent.
  • Over nearly a generation, a combination of plague, starvation, civil unrest, and serious fires would lead to both the deaths of tens of thousands and the destruction of much of the city.
  • The northern coastline Baronies split off first. The were ultimately unified under a powerful Baron-turned-King, becoming became the Kingdom of North Shore.
  • The southern coastline Baronies followed suit, becoming the Kingdome of South Shore.
  • The land about the eastern portion of the bay would be in conflict the longest.
  • The King of the time eventually allowed his rival Baron to the north to split off a portion of what remained of the original Kingdom, leaving the Barony of East Port to the north and the Kingdom of East Port to its south.
  • The Burkinian Empire was now no longer.
• After the Fall of the Empire:
  • Years of fighting in and about the port would follow.
  • The destruction and death would only abate when the combatants realized there was little left over which to fight.
  • Treaties were formalized, and the territories as they exist today were established.

Pink: The Barony of North East Port

Purple: The Barony of East Port

Yellow: The Kingdom of South East Port

Deleted. Will be used later.

Empty. Intended for future use.

After her mother's death, Ranna -- then 10 years old -- was whisked away to the estate of her maternal grandmother, the Countess Pollania of Riverbrook. The woman she'd always called "Granny Polla" consoled and entertained Ranna for three Moons. During that time, the young girl -- who was already more emotionally and intellectually older than her age told -- had begun to realize and appreciate that there was something very special about her Granny and that she very much deserved the nickname Ranna's father had given his mother-in-law, the strange bird.

Once she thought her granddaughter was ready to know all, Polla took Ranna to a secret room in the basement of Riverbrook Castle. It was there that Ranna found hundreds of ancient artifacts and learned the secret that was at the heart of reputation and success of her Granny.

The Countess Pollania of Riverbrook ... was a direct descendant of the Queen of the Burkinian Empire.

Ranna had heard of the Burkinian Empire, of course. Before her death, Ranna's mother had often told her daughters the tales of the Empire and its graceful and yet strong Queens; of how these benevolent Matriarchs had overseen the entire Continent of Medianna and maintained lasting peace, harmony, and prosperity; and -- unfortunately -- of how the Empire had fallen prey to the ravages of Mother Nature and Man both.

But until this very moment, those stories had never been anything more than night time fairy tales to help Ranna and her siblings blissfully sleep the night away.

Now, however, Ranna learned that not only had the tales been true but that her grandmother -- Granny Polla! -- was likely the most direct line descendant to the last Queen of the Burkinian Empire; that her grandmother was likely the legitimate heir to the Empire that had once ruled the entirety of the Continent of Medianna.

During the many years that she would live almost exclusively with her grandmother, Ranna would be introduced to an assortment of characters with whom Polla had relationships. They came from all over the Continent of Medianna and held positions high and low, from Royal Advisors to goat herders, Fleet Admirals to blacksmiths.

No matter who these people were or where they came from, they all had two things in common: they all yearned for the day when the Burkinian Empire would once again rise and unify the Continent under one banner; and they all believed that Countess Pollania of Riverbrook would be the one sitting on the throne as the Queen of the Burkinian Empire.

After her mother's death and with her father's reluctant permission, Ranna would spend the next 5 years almost exclusively in the care of her maternal grandmother, "Granny Polla", aka (publically) as Countess Pollania of Riverbrook and (secretly) as the most likely candidate to be the Queen of the Burkinian Empire.

While in the County of Riverbrook, which is located in and subject to the Barony of Parse, Ranna would study and learn every last detail of the History of the Burkinian Empire, including both its majestic years and its tragic fall.

Her education went far beyond the reading of scrolls and the memorizing of oral history, though. The Queens of the (ancient and now defunct) Burkinian Empire hadn't spent their days prancing about Court in long dresses and tiaras while hosting tea parties for visiting dignitaries. The Queens had been Horse Warriors, trained to ride and fight from the saddle while leading their forces into battle.

Almost from the time she'd learned to walk, Ranna's horsemanship training had begun under her mother's watchful eye, again with her father's reluctant permission. Now, in addition to simply riding, Ranna learned to battle from atop a galloping steed as well. The new Captain of her Bodyguard, William, trained Ranna in the spear, sword, and bow; then he trained her to use them from the back of a speeding horse.

And all of this was done in secret without her father, the King, ever getting wind of it.

Another reply that I want to save for future use

As the years with her Granny Polla -- the Countess Pollania of Riverbrook -- passed by, Ranna became obsessed with two goals: finding other descendants of and loyalists to the Burkinian Empire; and proving once and for all whether or not Polla was in fact the one true heir to the last Queen of the Burkinian Empire.

Unknown to anyone outside of the Riverbrook Estate, Polla's entire Household had always been comprised of Burkinian Descendants and Loyalists, as were many of the visitors to Riverbrook. The latter often arrived at the castle under the guise of being simple travelers or merchants. But many were messengers or envoys from other Burkin cells living elsewhere in secret.

Under the guise of either being on diplomatic missions for the Countess Pollania or simply being on the road for the enjoyment and the adventure of discovery, Ranna began trekking all about the Continent to find and speak with other Burkinian Royals and Nobles. She traveled with her Royal Bodyguard -- often increased to 20 men and women -- as well as with a fluctuating number of servants, varying according to the length in time and distance of the trek.

Occasionally, Ranna had had to return to Weston for days, weeks, or months. Her father was attempting to forge an alliance with the Kingdom of the Highlands by marrying her off to a boy 8 years her junior. But for the vast majority of each year until her 18th birthday, Ranna had been on the road -- or even traveling by ship around the Island Continent's coastline -- to locate and speak with Burkinians.

By the time her Granny was throwing her a lavish, spectacular 18th birthday celebration, the results were in: Ranna had met with each and every known Burkinian cell, and she hadn't been able to find any other female who could trace her lineage more directly back to the last Burkinian Queen.

Countess Pollania of Riverbrook, Ranna's maternal grandmother, was without a doubt the Heir Presumptive to the Queen of the Burkinian Empire.

Which meant, of course, that when Polla passed on day in the hopefully far future, Princess Ranna of the Kingdom of Weston would be Heir Presumptive to that crown!

King Elrod of Weston -- Ranna's father -- had long been trying to negotiate an alliance with the King Trenton of the Highlands. The two kingdoms combined would amount to a nearly half the land mass of the Continent of Medianna, over half the Continent's population, and roughly two thirds of its wealth, in both current treasuries and exploitable resources.

The best way to achieve an alliance was via a marriage between the two Royal Houses. But there were problems with this: King Elrod's Heir Apparent was his eldest daughter, Princess Ranna; King Trenton's Heir Apparent was his youngest child, his son, Carlo, who was 12 years Ranna's junior and -- it was kindly reported -- a bit of a wussy who also might not have entirely had his wits about him.

Because of Carlo's youth -- he was years short of the Age of Consent for males of 13 -- any alliance to which the two Kings might agree could legally be withdrawn from by either party.

King Elrod had another option, his bastard son, Glenn. Glenn could marry King Trenton's eldest daughter, forming the alliance. But the problem with that was obvious: as a bastard, Glenn was not a legitimate heir, and the process to legitimize him as an heir to the crown was difficult in the least. It would require the changing of the current Laws of Succession, which required the unanimous approval of the Kingdom of Weston's 4 Barons and the approval of a majority of its 26 Counts. Getting such approval was possible … but very expensive.

Map of the Continent of Medianna:

https://i.imgur.com/qASe1bd.jpg?1

Red Dot near middle of Continent: County of Riverbrook (Countess Pollania's home)

Light Blue: The Baronies of Pratt

Dark Yellow: The Kingdom of Weston

Green: Kingdom of the Highlands

Dark Blue: The Kingdom of Northshore

Orange: The Kingdom of Central Medianna

Pink: The Barony of North East Port

Purple: The Kingdom of East Port

Yellow: The Kingdom of South Shore

The region surrounding the bay on the east coast of the Continent of Medianna underwent great political change dating back to pre-history (aka before the written record). The deep water port with its defensible entrance, and access to the rest of the continent (via 4 passes through also defensible passes) made it a valuable location from which to establish a lasting State.

The Burkinian family came to power through conquest and strategic marriages. The Burkinians were originally a patriarchal dynasty. Then, Tatianna (pronounced taw-tee-AWN-na -- who was the well liked daughter of the cruel and vicious King -- came to power by having all of her six male relatives, including her father and two brothers, assassinated or executed.

She would consolidate power by both executing Royals and Nobles both within and without her own Kingdom, men who were not popular with their people; or by making treaties that were beneficial to one and all with well liked rulers up and down the east coast of the Continent of Medianna.



The Kingdom of East Port was very quickly becoming the wealthiest and most powerful State on the Continent, an economy built on the lucrative sea trade and near total control of the seas surrounding the Continent.

Just prior to the period known as the Era of Conquest, the Kingdom's Merchant Marine included more than 300 sea going ships and the Navy had nearly half that many war ships as well. In addition to East Port, the Kingdom had invaded and taken control of 4 other ports and had free Right of Passage and Commerce in 4 more.

With the birth of her first daughter, Ananna (pronounced uh-NAN-na), Tatianna proclaimed that the Kingdom would from that time forth descend through the female line. With her urging and assistance -- again, assassination and other nefarious means, Tatianna had managed to put females in power in more than half of her Counties and Baronies. She honestly felt that the best people to lead the people were those who could actually birth people.

This caused an uproar across the Continent. Many entities from Counties all the way up to Kingdoms decried this method of passing titles and property; some refused to do business with East Port, including closing their ports to the Kingdom's ships.

Tatianna wasn't going to stand for this, of course. Her navy struck port cities all about the Continent, and her armies invaded from both land and sea. Many States were conquered; others fell in line without bloodshed; and others -- friendly States -- allowed East Port to do pretty much anything they wanted.

By the time Ananna was 12 and replaced Tatianna after the Queen's death to Gray Fever, the Kingdom firmly controlled the seas surrounding the Continent, as well as occupied every port and port city on its shores.

Ananna continued her mother's military conquests with ever more powerful armies and navies. But she added to it the power of benevolence. Ananna turned over half of any conquered State's treasury and other wealth to the Peasantry of that State. To continue her mother's policy of passing title and property through the female line, she financially supported any County or Barony that was ruled by a female.

By the time of her death at age 56, the new Burkinian Empire had near total control of the Continent of Medianna.


(The fall of the empire is yet to come.)

About the Burkinian calendar:

• The Burkinian calendar counts from the birth of Ananna (pronounced uh-NAN-na), the first true Queen of the Burkinian Empire.
• It would be adopted by her successor, Mellania, in place of beginning a new calendar based upon her own birth or coronation date.
• Using the 100th year as an example, Town Criers would call out, "In the 100th year of our Queen Ananna"; scribes/historians/etc. would use the shorter version, "YoQ 100".
• The "YoQ -#" (before Ananna's birth) section below is simply for our purposes of comparing births, deaths, and other events that occurred before Ananna's birth. The Burkinians did not use such notation.

Before Ananna:

• YoQ -34: Anna (aka Orianna) is born.
• YoQ -24: Hanna is born.
• YoQ -15: Kiley is born.
• YoQ -11: Lady Hanna (pronounce HAW-nuh) meets the King of East Port. He is infatuated and soon after commits to marry her once she reaches the age of consent, which is 15. She is 13 at this time; he is 52, 4 times her age.
• YoQ -9: Lady Hanna (now 15) marries the King.
• YoQ -1: Ananna's father dies. (He is the last King of East Port prior to the rise of the Burkinian Empire.)

The Era of the Burkinian Empire:

• YoQ 0: Ananna is born, the daughter and only child of Queen Hanna. (8 years had passed between Hanna's marriage to the King and the birth of their first child. The King was too busy fucking other women, and Hanna was too busy running the Kingdom in his stead.)
• YoQ 3:
  • After 2 years of repeated illnesses, Queen Hanna takes to her bed chamber and never again leaves.
  • Hanna's sister, Anna, is made Chancellor and given power over the Kingdom of East Port.
  • The Central Highlands Pass Gatehouse is completed to guard the Pass of the same name. (See YoQ 5 concerning the road leading to it.)
• YoQ 5:
  • Early Autumn: Kiley, Anna's daughter, is dispatched to the City of Port Greenick to locate and recruit a man known as The Sculptor for Queen Hanna's Brain Trust.
  • Late Autumn: the Central Highlands Road is completed. (See YoQ 3 concerning the Gatehouse protecting it.)
• YoQ 6:
  • Queen Hanna dies.
  • Anna is declared Supreme Chancellor and is tasked with ruling East Port until Ananna is old enough to rule.
• YoQ 11:
  • Under Anna, the Barony of East Port (map) has become the largest and one of the wealthiest and most powerful Baronies on the Continent.
  • Ananna herself is by now educated beyond her years in politics, diplomacy, and even military ventures.
  • She has great ambitions of a Continent-wide Empire.
  • Ananna asks for and is given power over East Port; she is treated to a full coronation. Supreme Chancellor Anna surrenders that title for the lesser one of Chief Counselor.
  • Together, Ananna and Anna set forth a great vision of expansion and conquest:
    • The Army and Navy are quadrupled in size in just 5 years.
    • New, wider, stone highways are built, some in neighboring Baronies which are pressured to allow the expansion for better commercial transit. Truth of the roads' real purposes are yet to come.
    • New treaties are signed -- sometimes under the threat of force -- that give East Port permanent docking facilities at harbors and shores all about the Continent's coast line. Again, these are initially for increased trade, but their real reason is yet to be seen. (map with ports.)
• YoQ 16:
  • Using her political, diplomatic, and financial influence -- as well as her military power -- Ananna begins the conquest of the continent.
  • The roads she built allow the Army to flood neighboring Baronies; the Navy and its already-built docks and structures allow for the overnight occupation of vital ports and, subsequently, conquest of the surrounding lands.
  • Some Baronies fall under the sword; some sign treaties; some practically had over control to Ananna.
  • As she takes control, Ananna -- who by now is known to prefer the company of women over men in her bed -- has the male hierarchy of conquered States deposed or executed. She installs females in the key positions of power.
• YoQ 26: Ananna declares her Barony and its conquered/assumed States the Burkinian Empire, after her mother's family name.
• YoQ 73:
  • Ananna dies.
  • The Empire included all but 7 of the Continent's Baronies. (Map.)
  • Having never birthed an Heir of her own, Ananna leaves her title and Empire to her grand-niece, Mellania (pronounced mel-luh-NEE-uh).
  • Now 28, Mellania is superior in leadership, knowledge, ambition, and personal Warrior skill.
  • At her Coronation, Mellania wears the first version of the Queen's Garb. It is meant to show both the physical beauty and strength of the female body.
• YoQ 84: The last of the Sovereign Baronies falls. The Burkinian Empire now controls the entire continent.
• YoQ 100:
  • Mellania dies, leaving the Empire to her own granddaughter, Pralla.
  • Pralla, who is only 16 at the time of her Coronation, will spend the next 20 years accomplishing two feats:
    • Establishing firm female inheritance of all titles across the Continent.
    • And improving the economy such that all Baronies and Counties are bountiful places.
• YoQ 121: New laws and policies begin to be established that will continue the improving economy.

(The Fall of the Burkinian Empire is next. No time to write it now.)

The Hoshians:

Nation:
A defunct nation comprising hundreds of islands across the West Sea. They were renowned for their sailing prowess and warlike natures, making them among the most feared of peoples. A lack of natural resources, metals in particular, drove them to this particular raiding lifestyle.

The same events that drove the downfall of the Burkinian Empire similarly hit the Hoshians. Weakened first, the Hoshians fell to the combined retributory might of many of their old enemies. "Their lands had been conquered and occupied; their fields had been salted and their homes burned; their men had been slaughtered; their women had been raped and then slaughtered; and their young ones -- too young to remember in the years to come who and what they had once been -- were separated into small groups, sold across the known world, divided again, and sold yet again until the once proud Hoshians simply failed to exist any longer."


Assassins:
While their navy was impressive, the Hoshians lacked the man-power to sustain inland campaigns against their more populous enemies. To compensate, they developed highly creative assassination techniques and installed well-funded spy networks throughout all of their enemy nations. Targeted killings of powerful individuals became a well-known aspect of the conflict and their assassins became as feared as they were mysterious. Even now, over a hundred years after their downfall, Hashassins are the bogeyman of many a story.

After the Hoshian fall, their spy and assassination networks, deeply hidden, survived. Knowing a return to power was impossible and retribution a losing cause, they instead became independent agents. In the fall of the Burkinian Empire, they were highly sought after for taking out enemies. Eventually, these cells also vanished and few of their techniques were passed on. Rumors of a few teachers surface from time to time, so perhaps not all of their knowledge has been lost...

The Royals of the Kingdom of Weston (in order of succession to the Crown):

• King Elrod
• Princess Ranna -- Elrod's eldest child and Heir Apparent.
• Lady Victoria -- Elrod's second eldest child; instigator of assassination plot to kill Ranna.
• Lady Wanda -- Elrod's 3rd eldest child.
• Lady Kamiss -- Elrod's 4th eldest child.
• Bastard children who are not legitimate but could be:
  • Glenn -- Elrod's bastard son; not legitimized but if he were to be, he would be Heir Apparent, despite being younger than the four girls above.
  • 2-10 others; no other information yet postes.

Other Wailing Woods Highwaymen Characters:

• Enid (Deceased prior to the RP's beginning) -- Kitt's former lover; was accidentally killed by her own knife when she attacked Nalla.
• Granny -- we don't know whose grandmother if any.
• Miggs.
• Silas (the flute player),

Others Alphabetically:

• Anya -- publicly, a slave to Lord Trett; secretly, a servant to and informant of Princess Ranna.
• Baran -- Black Ops-type servant to Princess Ranna; once the same to now-deposed King Merion of Pratt, of whom Baran might be a son (something still being investigated).
• Cable: Nalla's assistant; a homeless peasant boy who lives wild in the Wailing Woods.
• Caitrin -- Freeda's friend and informant; Rollen's widow; Leo's betrothed.
• Camilla (pregnant; 2 weeks into the story; Walton is father) -- peasant girl living in Warrick County in the west of the Barony of Parse; saved Walton after the attack on Chloe's coach by Kitts's Highwaymen; "Mama's" name is Lonna; "Papa's" name is Ricken. (Image; profile coming.)
• Chloe -- Lady In Waiting to Ranna; betrothed of Walton Biggs.
• Baron Cordan -- formerly Lord Chancellor to King Merion's; now the wanna-be Supreme Chancellor of the United Baronies of Pratt (with sights on becoming the next King of Pratt).
• Freeda -- Master Spy for Ranna.
• Elloise -- Kitts' informant within Riverbrook Castle. (Nothing has been written about her yet except for her connection to Kitts.
• Gauld -- former Master of the Hunt for Count Warrick; now a WW Highwayman. (More at Post #118.)
• Jardin Lopes (Deceased) -- middle man in initial assassination attempt on Ranna; suspected of also killing Leo and Freeda's father (though that is now doubted). (Image and more info in Post #55).
• Lucy (Madame Lucy) (deceased) -- a brothel owner in the City of Pratt who saved a then 13 year old Freeda from the streets, turning her into a spy/informant (not a whore). See Post #22.
• Keno -- peasant; delivered the message of the attack on Chloe's coach to Ranna; invited by the Riverbrook Castle Guard Captain to return to Riverbrook for a position within the Guard for his service and courage. (See Post #137.)
• Kitts -- Leader of the Wailing Woods Highwaymen; brother of Zee (Zelia) and Nalla.
• Lady Mia -- Granddaughter of the Baron of Parse; Ranna's occasional lover; secretly, a descendant of and member of the Burkinian Diaspora.
• King Merion -- Deposed; in exile, hidden in Weston (though Freeda knows where he is); potentially the father of Baran, who served him in the Black Ops before Merion was deposed.
• "Nalla the Healer" (aka "Nalla the Witch") -- Healer, herbalist unofficial Alchemist; Kitts' and Nalla's sister. ((image), profile coming. For a description of her home, see Post #238, after the second portion which begins "Sometime Later".)
• Olean -- Chamber Maid to Lady Victoria; a free Hoshian from the archipelago, she was kidnapped as a child, enslaved (as a house servant and then sex servant), and then purchased by Victoria to teach the Princess the Art of Sex.
• Pollania (Countess of Riverbrook): Ranna's maternal grandmother and the Heir Presumptive to the defunct Burkinian Empire. (For more, start here.)
• Princess Ranna -- Heir Apparent to the Kingdom of Weston.
• Rollen (Deceased) -- friend of and soldier formerly serving Baran in the Army of the Kingdom of Pratt; was Caitrin's husband (~1 year); was accidentally killed by Baran (see Post #88).
• Rowan of Urindale -- Anya's father. (See 12th paragraph of this post (#144) or Anya's profile; character in name only (no posts).
• Teena -- House Servant; Baran's lover (hoping to be his wife).
• Lord Trett -- Victoria's Lover and Captain of her Bodyguard. (Image; for more on Trett, see this link.)
• Walton Biggs (deceased) -- Guardsman, Riverbrook Castle; Chloe's lover and betrothed; Camilla's lover as well; knocked her us before dying (the same day).
• Count Warrick -- "true" Noble; estate in the Barony of Parse on the border with the Barony of Weston. (For more, see Post #92.)
• Lord William -- Ranna's Captain of the Bodyguard.
• Zee (Zelia) -- Kitts and Nalla's sister; mistress to Count Warrick (on whom she informs to the Highwaymen).

Princess Ranna, Heir Presumptive to the Kingdom of Weston

Image -- In the "Queen's Garb"

Physical Description:

• 5'5", 125#, 34B-24-34.
• Fit and in shape, but not overly muscular.
• Straight, brunette hair to her shoulders.
• Dark brown eyes.

Personality:

• Confident; not at all shy.
• Intelligent, sensible.
• Ruthless when necessary. She has killed by her own hand, as well as had others killed in her name.
• Well educated, well beyond her years and gender (explained more below).
• Sexual though not necessarily sexually active. (Though not publically known, she hasn't been a virgin since age 16. More below.)

Other Notes of Importance:

• Bodyguard:
  • Captain of the Bodyguard: Lord William, a non-noble Lord.
  • Number of Members: 8.
• Falconry: She's keep a mew of more than a dozen raptors from 4 species, from small falcons to full sized eagles.

Childhood:

• Born 1st child to King Elrod of Weston.
• 3 sisters followed in quick succession, as well as a bastard brother.
• At age 10, her mother dies in childbirth. The child, a male, dies as well.
• With her father's permission, Ranna is taken to the home of her maternal grandmother, the Countess Pollania (Polla) of Riverbrook.
• Ranna will spend spends the next 9 years there.

The Tween Years:

• "Granny Polla's" home, the Castle Riverbrook, becomes Ranna's home.
• The County of Riverbrook is nearly dead center in the Barony of Parse, to the west of the Barony of Weston. (Map) becomes Ranna's new home.
• Ranna is educated and trained to become a future leader. (For more, see his link.)
• A Nobleman, Lord William, becomes her tutor in the field. Her standard horsemanship is expanded to include Battle Field Riding and the use of weapons, from spears to bows.
• This education in the field is far outside the standard training for a female child and is done in secret.

The Teen Years:

• At age 13, Ranna has proven herself to her grandmother.
• Polla reveals her true identity: she is a descendant of -- and quite possibly the one true heir to -- the defunct and outlawed Burkinian Empire.
• As Polla's eldest granddaughter, Ranna may be an heir as well.
• For the next few years, Ranna uses diplomatic missions and exploratory adventures to make contact with the Burkinian descendants hiding inconspicuously about the Continent of Medianna.
• Ranna makes an impression on all who she meets, and soon she is known across the Continent.
• By age 18, the Burkininan Diaspora had concluded that Ranna is the one true heir to the Empire.

Recent History to Now:

• Once the Diaspora concluded that Ranna was the heir, events were put in motion to bring about the return of the Empire.
• All across the Continent, forces are secretly at work to achieve this end.
• The current story line will lead to such events.

What is the difference between an Heir Presumptive and an Heir Apparent?

An Heir Presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honor but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir Apparent, a person with a better claim to the title.

An Heir Apparent is the person entitled to inherit said title but whose position can not be displaced by the birth of another person.


During the current times of the Universe of our Role Play...

The Laws of most Sovereign States dictate that the eldest male child is almost always the Heir Apparent, regardless of the age of any female children (his female siblings).

The line of succession almost always then proceeds as follows:

1. Title holder's next eldest son.
2. If none, the title holder's eldest son's son (aka the title holder's grandson).
3. If none, the title holder's eldest brother.
4. If none, the title holder's eldest brother's son (aka the title holder's nephew).
5. In none, the title holder's eldest brother's son's son (aka the grand-nephew).
6. In the event that no appropriate male heir exists as described above:
   • The Heir Apparent is the eldest female descendant following the guidelines in 1-5 above.
   • This female Heir Apparent is almost always required to marry a person with an appropriate station.
   • And the new husband becomes title holder and sovereign, not his wife.
7. Typically, such marriages above the station of simple Lord need approval:
   • Of the King's Barons and his Royal council -- typically a majority vote -- if the King had died and is being succeeded by a female descendant.
   • Of the King if a Baron if being succeeded by a female descendant.
   • Of the appropriate Baron or King (if that Baron denies approval) if a Count is being succeeded by a female descendant.

Ancient times: Prior to the Era of the Burkinian Empire...

During the ancient times, the rules of succession were similar to those above but not so organized or strict. The Rule of Law was still in its infancy across much of the Continent, as were the politics of succession.

Often, the death of a sovereign was followed not by the peaceful succession of a descendant but instead by conflict between those who felt they deserved the crown, regardless of bloodline.



The Era of the Burkinian Empire:

By the time the Kingdom of East Port was on the cusp of becoming the Burkinian Empire, however, the Rule of Law -- which included the rules of succession -- had been well established across most of the Continent.

And as described above, males ran the world.

The Kingdom of East Port, however, was becoming powerful and wealthy; it was progressive; and it was female dominated.

Over a period of 110 years (YoQ -10 to YoQ 100; see "Timeline"), a succession of powerful female leaders -- Queen Escort (and then simply Queen) Hanna, Supreme Chancellor Anna, Queen Ananna, and Queen Mellania -- would conquer the entirety of the Continent of Medianna and alter the Rules of Succession to favor female descendants.

While prosperous times were, of course, a significant element in its 1000 year success, many believed that the Empire succeeded for so long because of its female leadership.

This female-led prosperity came into question, of course, when the Continent fell upon hard times. When the female leaders of the Empire couldn't prevent the disastrous collapse of civilization, the backlash against that gender's leadership was severe. Over the decades to come, female leadership not only fell out of fashion but was, in many areas, made illegal.

What is the difference between an Heir Presumptive and an Heir Apparent?

Why is the role play called "The Heir Presumptive" if Princess Ranna is King Elrod's Heir Apparent?

What is the Burkinian Empire, how did it collapse, and what is the Burkinian Diaspora?

What is the Burkinian Empire, how did it collapse, and what is the Burkinian Diaspora?

The Burkinian Empire was a Matriarchal State that ruled the entirety of the Continent of Medianna for almost 1000 years. A Queen ruled the Empire; female Barons and Countesses ruled the Baronies and Counties, respectively.

The Empire ruled so long and so well due to two major factors: One, they were benevolent rulers; and the times were very good.


The Fall of the Empire came during an extended period (50-100 years, depending on your definition) called the Dark Ages. Drought, famine, disease, and natural disaster led to despair, crime, uprising, and war. The matriarchal rulers recognized and supported by the Queen lost control of distant lands to mostly but not entirely patriarchal families and other powerful Lords and Ladies; these new rulers declared themselves Counts, Barons, and even Kings and -- by taxing the peasantry heavily -- supported military forces that brought down the diminishing Imperial Army and Navy.

The entirety of the Burkinian Royalty and Nobility was either killed or sent into hiding, with new Laws forbidding any recognition of the former Empire's leaders.


The Burkinian Diaspora included dozens of small communities living in near or total secrecy. They congregate around the descendants of the former Burkinian Royalty and, in some cases, Nobility; and they live with the dream that one day, a benevolent Burkinian Queen will once again rule the turbulent Continent in peace and prosperity.

Princess Victoria, 2nd Daughter of King Elrod of Weston

Image

Physical Description:

• 5'4", 110#, 32B-24-34.
• Nice shape and curves.
• Straight, light brunette hair down to her waist.
• Hazel eyes.

Personality:

• Confident; not at all shy.
• Selfish and ambitious; scheming.
• Intelligent, sensible.
• Well educated, though not nearly as worldly as her sister, Ranna.
• Sexually active. (See "Teen Years" below.)

Childhood:

• Born 2nd child to King Elrod of Weston.
• Ranna came before her; 2 sisters followed in quick succession, as well as a bastard brother.
• At age 9, her mother dies in childbirth. The child, a male, dies as well.
• After her sister Ranna is taken to the home of their maternal grandmother, Victoria is assigned a Governess.

The Tween Years:

• Victoria's Governess spoils Victoria rotten and over-inflates her ego, making Victoria feel more important than she is with her second daughter status .
• She goes through a series of tutors over the years to come.
• She also becomes a bit of a lying bitch. Often, she gets into trouble and tells untruths to get her out of the fix.

The Teen Years:

• At 13, Victoria gets a new tutor, the handsome, 20 year old son of one of the King's Chief Counselors.
• Victoria develops an unhealthy infatuation for the man.
• One afternoon when he arrives at her antechamber for her lesson, he finds Victoria's chaperone absent ... and Victoria nude. She asks him to claim her innocence. When he refuses, Victoria screams for her Bodyguard and claims that the young man tried to rape her. As the tutor's father is one of the King's most trusted Counselors, the boy's life is spared. But his entire family is exiled from the Kingdom.
• Victoria is assigned a new personal bodyguard named Trett. He proves himself to be able to keep the young Princess out of trouble, is granted the position of Captain of Victoria's Bodyguard, and is granted the title of Lord.
• In the meantime, Victoria has become obsessed with all things sexual.
• She begins pressuring Trett to allow her more freedom; he must arrange for her to watch others having sex, visiting brothels under cover or even spying on those fucking on the Castle grounds.
• On one such trek out into the City, Victoria meets and observes a Hoshian slave in a brothel, Olean. Victoria is so impressed with the young woman's sexual knowledge that she invited her to become one of her Hand Maidens.
• Olean educates Victoria in the Sexual Arts.
• Eager to finally feel a man's cock within her, Victoria is taken to a brothel that serves female clientele. She purchases a recently acquired male Hoshian slave and loses her virginity to him. (That slave is summarily executed to prevent anyone -- but Olean, obviously -- from ever knowing of Victoria's education.)
• Within days, then-16 year old Victoria seduces Trett. They are lovers to this day, nearly 2 years later.

A Yearning to Become Queen:

• Victoria has always been ambitious.
• Despite Ranna's near-total absence from Weston, the first born daughter is the center of everything important in the castle. Everything seems to revolve around Ranna and -- as her father, the King, hopes -- her future marriage to the son of the King of The Highlands.
• When Ranna began putting off the wedding-treaty with The Highlands, Victoria saw how it affected her Father. Things only became more Ranna-centric.
• That was when she decided that she must become Queen of Weston.
• With Trett and some unsavory types he knew, Victoria put in motion a plot to have her sister Ranna assassinated, making Victoria herself the Heir Presumptive.

Recent History:

• Trett and Victoria met with some men from Pratt a couple of weeks before our role play began to plan the plot.
• They hired an assassin from Pratt named Baran to kill Ranna.
• With the first post of our role play, the plot apparently failed. Ranna still breaths.
• Now, Trett is on his way to get the job done, even if that means having to personally take Ranna's life. (Begins at IC Post #43.)

Lady Freeda, Master Spy to Princess Ranna.

Image

Physical Description:

• Age
• 5’7″, 130#, 34D-26-38 inches.
• Fit, strong, muscular.
• Wavy, brunette hair to mid-back.
• Hazel-green eyes.

Personality:

• Confident.
• Intelligent, sensible; well educated and informed.
• Lesbian; sexually active.

Childhood:

• She lived her first decade on a small farm 30 miles south of the City of Pratt.
• She'd been raised to believe that Cronan, the farm's Master and a Landed Peasant, was her father.
• Cronan had never very nice to Freeda, showing her little paternal attention at all. Over the years he'd often made comments that left Freeda believing he wasn't her father.
• A Nobleman, Frederican, the Count of Hollard, often visited the farm and spent time alone with Freeda's mother in the estate's main house. Over time, Freeda would learn that Hollard and her mother were having sex; that he was her father; and that her two younger siblings, both boys, were Hollard's as well.
• At age 6, a hut fire killed her eldest brother. The younger boy was seriously injured, and months later he died of an infection that had plagued him since the blaze.
• At 7, her mother birthed another son.

The Early Teen Years:

• When Freeda was 13, Count Hollard took Freeda's mother and their latest son, Leonin (or Leo), away from the farm. (Freeda wouldn't see Leo again until after our story begins. She first spots him in Post #47, spying on Freeda and Baran's "target"; then she confronts and identifies him as her brother in Post #55.)
• Hollard had no interest in Freeda. And while Freeda's mother loved her very much, she knew that if her son was to be declared the Count's legitimate son, she would have to leave Freeda behind.
• Cronan was told to take Freeda to East Port and sell her for overseas slavery.
• Instead, the Landed Peasant kept Freeda in captivity on the farm and, every night for two weeks, went to her room and raped her.
• Freeda wasn't having that, though. One night when he came to her room, she put the sharp, broken leg of a stool through Cronan's neck. She robbed his room of anything and everything of value, stole the man's horse, and fled to the City of Pratt.
• She spent several months renting a room and, for the most part, hiding out. During that time, she got to know the street, as it was termed.
• By the time her money ran out and she'd turned to petty crime, Freeda had come to the attention of Madame Lucy. Publically, Lucy ran a brothel that catered to the wealthy; covertly, she was an informant for the Lord Chancellor of the Weston, as well as to other distant men and women of power, including the Countess Pollania of Riverbrook.
• Freeda became one of Lucy's operatives. She initially worked as a gatherer of intelligence within the City of Pratt. But as her skill as a horseman improved, Lucy began using her as a messenger, particularly to Riverbrook.

Adulthood:

• When Freeda was 17, Lucy was executed for espionage.
• Freeda fled to Riverbrook.
• Countess Pollania initially took Freeda on as a member of her Spy and Messenger Network. But as Ranna began venturing out into the Continent to learn more about the Burkinian Diaspora, Freeda was assigned to the Princess's Bodyguard.
• Over time, she would become Ranna's Master Spy.
• Freeda had long before concluded that she preferred the affections of women over men. She'd also concluded that she had no interest in a long term, monogamous relationship.
• This made for some interesting conversations and flirtations with Ranna, who -- while keeping the fact to her closest confidants -- was more flexible in her sexuality.
• The two have never been lovers yet … yet!

Recent History:

• Freeda's sex life:
  • About a year before our story began, Freeda began an ever increasingly more intense affair with Teena, one of Ranna's Hand Maidens.
  • To her surprise, Freeda came to yearn for Teena more than she ever had anyone else.
  • Unfortunately for her, Teena -- who enjoyed Freeda but preferred men -- didn't have the same feelings for Freeda.
  • When Baran entered the story and was serviced by Teena under Ranna's command, Freeda found herself once again without a lover.
• The Assassination Attempt on Ranna:
  • After Baran's semi-serious attempt to assassinate Ranna -- the first post of our story -- Freeda was tasked with uncovering the forces behind the conspiracy.
  • She would later be assigned to travel with Baran to the Barony of Pratt to further work on discover the man or men behind the plot.
  • In the City of Pratt, Freeda would find her long lost brother, Leo (Leonin) and learn that their father had been assassinated by persons unknown.
  • Leo was in the City of Pratt to find the same man after whom Freeda and Baran were chasing, Jardin Lopes.
  • Freeda tells Leo to go home to the County of Hollard, to get away from what was about to happen.
  • Then, after Baran arranged a late night meeting with Jardin, Freeda cut the man's throat. Before she did, though, she learned that Jardin had not been involved in Count Frederican's murder.
• As she fled the City of Pratt with him, her mind and body wracked by the drama of what had happened over the pass few hours, Freeda demanded that Baran fuck her. He did, she enjoyed it very much -- three times -- and, afterward, she told him to forget that it had ever happened.
• And they headed north for home...

Baran the Astute (in progress)

Image

Physical Description:

• 5’11", 190lbs.
• Fit, strong, muscular.
• Brown hair, usually kept short. Tends to be clean shaven.
• Blue gray eyes

Personality:

• Cocky confidant, impulsive. Relies on gut instinct.
• Smarter than most think, observant. Some formal and a lot of informal education.
• Has a chip on his shoulder, particularly toward those of "higher birth."
• Straight/bi-flexible; sexually active.

Childhood:

• Doesn't know who his father was and only vaguely remembers a mother who died when he was four. What he pieces together from disjointed memories suggests she worked in a brothel, but he doesn't know if that was how he was born or what she turned to afterward.
• Turned over to a church-sponsored orphanage in [TBD, the seat of one of Pratt's lesser baronies] from age 4-10, during which time he got a basic education and learned how to navigate the streets (lot of time spent away from the "roof over his head."
• Caught the attention of a visiting member of the King of Pratt's entourage, presumably for his street savvy and ability to provide the man with useful intelligence on local activities.
• Offered cursory training in intelligence gathering and acted as a local contact with exceptional results for one his age.
• Was brought to the King's Castle in Pratt at age 11, where he received more rigorous education in a variety of fields, but specifically spying, infiltration, and fighting. Smart enough to get the sense someone above his handler had a special interest in him, but didn't care to dig further. This was far better than living in the orphanage or on the streets.

The Early Teen Years:

• At age 14, deemed suitable for more active field work, Baran was deployed to the Kingdom of Westin where he spent the next four years ostensibly working as a laborer and guard in various short-term capacities. His real job was gathering intelligence for Pratt - sometimes passively, sometimes more actively.
• Age 16, Baran's capabilities were highly regarded as he was feeding intelligence up the line along with some very insightful analysis. He was actively seeking out new leads he thought might be useful. To his frustration, however, he was moved out of [seat of Westin's King] to [TBD - Westin frontier town, mush smaller]. He felt it was a slap in the face after his efforts.
• Age 17, Baran realizes why he was moved. Pratt was planning military action along the border with Westin, a re-ignition of an old border skirmish, and Baran's intel was key in planning operations. Baran suggested the removal of a key Westin military officer could swing the balance before any overt move was made. When no one acted on his suggestion, he did so himself and killed the man.

Adulthood:

• Baran was immediately recalled after his unsanctioned assassination. He expected to be re-assigned or imprisoned for impertinence, but instead was offered the chance to better utilize his skills.
• With the oversight of [TBD military officer, minor noble], he gathered a dozen soldiers with specific skills in hunting, tracking, evasion, and infiltration.
• More to come...

Recent History:

Age of Consent:


Bodyguard (vs. The Guard):


Brothers' Prerogative:


City Girls:


Dark Arts:


Dream Weed:


Free Servant:


Gray Flu:


Moon Phase (aka "My Moon"):


Morning Wine:


Poor Man's Threesome:


Red-skinned Yelp:


Smoke Leaf: tobacco, typically consumed as Rolled Smoke Leaf (cigars).

Toe-to-Toe:


Unwanted:


Westontail Swallow:


Withcraft: (See "Dark Arts")

I just added this to the encyclopedia:

Dark Arts:


Also, I have been updating the list of characters. It still isn't done, but I just haven't had the time.