Looks like Gradiar is just about finished!

[hider=Gradiar Vassal Map][img]http://i.imgur.com/LSLm1lM.jpg[/img][/hider]

[hider=House Aublanc]
[b][u]House Name[/u][/b]
[b]House Aublanc[/b]

[b][u]Sigil[/u][/b]

[hider=My Hider][img]http://i.imgur.com/W82NtKG.jpg[/img][/hider]


[b][u]House Words[/u][/b]
[i][b]"The Bloodline is Precious."[/b][/i]

[u][b]House Specialty[/b][/u]
[b]Pferdjager Cavalry[/b] – The first nation to put archers on horseback, Gradiar's specialty lies with their unique cavalry unit. Especially useful for hunting and protecting herds, the Pferdjager have also made important appearances in the warfare of House Aublanc. Each rider must be a skilled equestrian with well developed leg muscles, for the use of a bow requires the rider to temporarily ignore the reigns. Though lightly armored during the hunt, the Pferdjager mounted cavalry is a heavy unit during battles, with both rider and mount being outfitted with heavy chainmetal skirts and interlocking metal plates. These heavier units form irregular, rapidly swirling lines advancing in seemingly-chaotic unison that converge in the center of their opponent, raining volleys of arrows the entire time. Some lighter units might also be utilized for flanking and for fighting smaller groups of enemies with the Ababi shot, a military tactic that involves archers engaging and retreating from an enemy while turning their upper bodies backwards and shooting behind their mounts.

[b]Ancestral Weapon[/b]
[u][b]The Odyss Bow[/b][/u] – A composite bow created for the founder of House Aublanc, Fleur the Merchant, to signify the completion of his journey across the known world, bringing back the riches that would be used to lay the foundations of his grand house. Crafted by the master bowyer of legend, Rodden Forster, the Odyss Bow is a beautiful thing with its ornate bone centerpiece, thick yew limbs, and curling platinum horns. When strung nook to nook, it's strong, compact body stands just over three feet tall with sharp, dancing curves.

[u][b]Important Members[/b][/u]
[hider=King Florus][b]Florus Aublanc[/b]: The King of Gradiar and head of the Aublanc family, Florus is a man strong of will and formerly of arm. Ascending to knighthood early in his life, he would go on to succeed his father, Florian Aublanc II, to the crown only two decades into his life.

[b]Appearance[/b]: The King of Gradiar is a refined, distinguished looking man, standing just over six feet tall with broad shoulders and long – almost lanky – limbs. His handsome face and strong jawline show the beginnings of wrinkles, signs of the pressures of ruling. He is of fair skin. His dark brown hair is cut short and just beginning to show some streaks of gray. It leads down into a sharp, short beard he keeps perfectly trimmed and shaped. He evaluates situations with piercing and somewhat unkind eyes.

[b]Personality[/b]: Florus is singularly focused on success. He is calm and commanding, inner strength apparent to all under his leadership. Though not a master tactician or expert warrior, Florus is determined to learn from his limited experience. As a father, he is stern and unrelenting, demanding only the best from his children. Florus works hard to maintain the appearance of dominance, for his pride won't allow for anything less. He is not a man of honor, and he will take any action to ensure the success of House Aublanc and his legacy.

[b]History[/b]: A distinguished name, wealth, an expert court, an esteemed military career, a noble, refined wife, a renowned knight of a son and beautiful daughters for strategic political alliances. Florus Aublanc was born into the first three necessities for a successful house – according to his father – and would go on to acquire each remaining item on the list as his life progressed. Always taught to value prominence over being beloved, Florus made allies through any means necessary: nothing but fancy gifts and luxurious dinner parties if they would work, blackmail and trading bans if they wouldn't. King Florus built up his kingdom quickly, and though love and respect beget loyalty, so too do the methods used by House Aublanc – at least in the short term.

With his kingdom rapidly expanding, the new King Florus – still with a mere two decades behind him –  decided to mirror that expansion in his personal life. To ensure the loyalty of the wealthiest merchant family, House Bertrand, Florus married one of their favored daughters, Liliane Bertrand and elevated her to the queenship. With heirs in mind, the couple – though not necessarily lovers in the romantic sense – went about their duty, quickly producing Florain Aublanc, a beautiful male successor. Less than a decade later came Martine Aublanc with Meline Aublanc just two years after her sister. Florus has taken every measure to make sure that his children succeed. He keeps their images pristine, and though Florian and Meline have their vices, their uncompromising father makes sure that, to most of the kingdom, they appear to be no less respectably stern than he.[/hider]

[hider=Queen Liliane][b]Liliane Aublanc[/b]: The Queen of Gradiar and wife of Florus Aublanc. Born into another Gradian noble family, her marriage to Florus was made purely for political reasons, though you will hear no complaints from the dutiful queen.

[b]Appearance[/b]: Liliane Aublanc could be very beautiful if her appearance wasn't so harsh. The Queen dresses extremely modestly and pulls her hair back tightly, giving the overall appearance of a stern, reserved teacher or bookkeeper. Though many in her house sport the bright pinks, blues and whites of House Aublanc, Liliane adorns herself in grays and blacks, the only color added to her appearance being fine jewelry made of Gradian gold, copper and platinum. She is tall and fair like her husband but with blonde hair. High, pronounced cheekbones and the finest blushes and powders suggest fine breeding and a prosperous lifestyle – exactly the things she wishes to portray. Many things about Liliane's outward appearance fail to satisfy her including her shallow cheeks, short nose, and thin lips, though she allows no one but her handmaidens to see her without her fine powders and jewelry to notice such details.

[b]Personality[/b]: Liliane and Florus fit together perfectly, if not in a loving relationship, then a tactful partnership. Like her husband, the Queen values success over morality. She works hard to entertain the ladies of her court and keep the talk of her superiority on the lips of all. She commands several servants to tutor her in all things befitting a noble lady from etiquette and dancing to reading, foreign languages to embroidery, horse riding to a knowledge of wine. 

[b]History[/b]: Born to the brother House Bertrand's lord, Liliane was immediately surrounded with wealth and plenty. She was brought up to play the perfect lady and thats what she became. Not one for special scheming or intrigue on her own, she still had no problem being used as a pawn in relations between Houses Aublanc and Bertrand. Though she didn't love Florus, she saw him as a suitable match, and she did have love for the three children they had together. She is a suitable queen and a suitable mother, nothing more, nothing less.[/hider]

[hider=Prince Florian III][b]Florian Aublanc III[/b]: Named after his grandfather and his grandfather's father before him, Florian is the very image of a gallant, dashing knight.

[b]Appearance[/b]: Florian is still a growing boy, but he carries himself like a man. He is good looking but with a youthful and boyish face. Whether dressed in his glorious armor or fine silk tunics, Florian has the quintessential look of the “fabulous knight in blue, pink and white” from the children's songs every child in Gradiar grows up hearing. From the way his hair is styled for him to the instruments he can be seen playing in the many portraits of the Aber Keep, it is almost as if Florian has been styled as the hero of stories, a facade from the crown to inspire hope in the difficult lives of the hardy people of Gradiar.

[b]Personality[/b]: His father always wanted a famous warrior, and through years and years of intense training from the most skilled mentors, Florian has become just that. Though not born with spectacular strength or skill, Florian has become a very competent fighter with the bow, lance, and infantry sabres. This competence has led him to many triumphs in House Aublanc tournament... when paired with a “helping hand” from the man who organizes the tournaments, his father. Despite the fact that he will almost surely succeed his father as king – being the only male heir alive – Florian has little interest in politics and court intrigue. Supremely confident as a result of his privileged upbringing, Florian loves his female adorers almost as much as he loves himself.

[b]History[/b]: Florian's gender was a pleasant discovery for his parents. Not only were they supplied with a suitable male heir but also with a man possessing all the raw materials to be built into a hero of the people. Every peasant that is unsatisfied with their life wants to have something to take pride in, and Florian Aublanc representing Gradiar answers the call. Florian was subjected to intensive training, shaping him into a capable fighter and presenting him with the responsibilities of the leadership role always hanging in his future. Though he never took any interest in the latter, Florian immediately gravitated to combat, finding a great way to express himself within the tight bonds that had surrounded him his entire life. Trained personally by the head of House Aublanc's army, General Field Marshall Robert Staghammer, Florian was made to understand exactly what is required to win. His success – caused partially by his martial skills and majorly by arrangements made by a controlling hand – has given him a confidence and swagger that is only bolstered by the hordes of admirers and acquaintances. Florian has no shortage of people wanting to familiarize themselves with him, for he is unreserved in his vices and loose with his money. Though he is no master of combat, his ability is rarely disputed by those predominantly looking to gain favor with the kingdom's favored son.[/hider]

[hider=Princess Martine][b]Martine Aublanc[/b]: Martine's aspirations are purely to be the ideal noblewoman, just like her mother. Though older and more experienced, Martine is locked in a permanent rivalry with her younger sister, Meline Aublanc.

[b]Appearance[/b]: Martine is pretty with a small, pointy chin and a wide but high and elegant jawline. Her cheeks are clearly defined under skin that is noticeably tanner than the rest of her family – possibly due to her many hours with her horses and walking through the gardens. She has a strong nose, full lips and fierce chocolate eyes. Her dark brown hair is slightly curled and falls just to the narrow shoulders of her thin body. Martine loves beautiful, expensive dresses and shoes of every color. Hers is the only room in the Aber Castle with a closet larger than the sleeping quarters; some say that she has more shoes and clothes than the entirety of Aaren's Frontier.

[b]Personality[/b]: Without a single adventurous bone in her body, Martine satisfies herself with a life purely within the confines of her castle and its grounds. She works hard with her tutors on all of her subjects from history to sewing. She is a relatively skilled horseman, though she has no desire to take her many horses outside of her personal stable's small ring. Apart from with her tutors, Martine can be found most often either in her stable, brushing and riding those horses or, or with any of her small group of friends, wandering through the gardens. She is very safe and worrisome, wanting to live her entire life within her own bubble of security, wealth and comfort. She does not care to think about suffering and chooses to see the world as nothing more than the frivolous pastimes and meaningless chatter she fills her days with.

[b]History[/b]: Martine was the first girl born to Florus and Lilliane Aublanc, and, because of this, she has always been raised knowing that she will most likely be used as a piece in marriage to strengthen the foundation of House Aublanc. She never had a problem with this, for she only really values her small pleasures in life; as long as she can bring her handmaiden best friends, horses, and wardrobe, Martine will be satisfied. When her sister was born, Martine's life became infinitely more complicated. Before that, she had been the primary focus of all of the young men at court, pining after her affection and trying to romance their way into the royal family or at least into royal privilege. Meline stole a majority of this attention, and she was always proud of that, often teasing and tormenting her older sister. In response to this, Martine works hard to keep all of the other girls at court distinctly on her side, usually playing on their own insecurities. A longtime admirer of the young lordling Kyran of House Bertrand, Martine regularly attends tournaments, hoping to reenact one of the knight and lady children stories she pines after along with her friends.[/hider]

[hider=Princess Meline][b]Meline Aublanc[/b]: The youngest child of Florus and Lilliane Aublanc, Meline is the self-proclaimed golden child of the royal family, loving herself always and her life as long as she gets her way – which is virtually all of the time.

[b]Appearance[/b]: Younger and even prettier than her sister Martine, Meline often seeks the attention of the opposite gender, usually successfully. Her body is thin and delicate, skin kissed by the sun – like her sister's – significantly more than the rest of her fair skinned kin. Her ash brown hair is worn long, a healthy sheen permanently giving her a glowing appearance in any small amount of light. She has full, rosy cheeks and a crinkled nose above a crooked smile that leans to the left adorably as she softly bites her lips. Big, long lashed, light brown eyes shine with a hint of mischief from her soft, cute face. Meline loves bright colors, ever drawing attention to herself. From flowing dresses to tight blouses, her clothes are virtually always cut low, putting her surprisingly well endowed bosom on display.

[b]Personality[/b]: Meline is supremely confident, much to the annoyance of her older sister. Martine is singularly concerned with playing the perfect lady, and Meline takes great pride in either foiling or upstaging her. Whether it is with studies, noble pastimes, or boys, Meline is constantly upstaging her sister. With parents who have no problems playing favorites, Meline can only succeed where Martine fails – not that Martine is any failure; Meline seems to succeed without trying. She is mischievous, and loves a humorous trick. Meline's moods cycle regularly throughout the day from teasing and flirtatious to petulant to completely self absorbed and demanding. Meline isn't happy if she isn't surrounded by one or more admirers.

[b]History[/b]: As soon as Meline was born into the royal family, she embraced every aspect of her privilege. From a young age, she was fully aware of the fact that her beauty and wealth would always constitute the majority of her appeal to potential suitors and friends, and she never had a problem with that. The first tournament she attended was meant to be a display of support for her both her brother and the hosts, House Bertrand; however, her appearance only served to cause problems when the young Shadowweald knight, Kohl of the Twilight House Walesa, accepted her favor – a white scarf embroidered with a script M over the House Aublanc crest – and unhorsed young Kyran of House Bertrand. Nearly a major political disaster, Meline's mess was resolved by Florus. With a bribe in the right hands and a thinly-veiled threat, three competitors from Lionsreach and one from each of Pipersden and the Storm Coast were convinced to unseat themselves at the lance of Wayan of House Bertrand, an old warrior long past his already less-than-glorious prime – an suitable measure that was not lost on Lord Riain Bertrand. Meline didn't learn from this event creating another two, nearly more drastic scandals, first with the same Kohl Walesa and then with his brother Darmian. [/hider]

[hider=Casimir][b]Casimir Aublanc[/b]: Casimir is a child, born a bastard to Dorian Aublanc, the brother of King Florus Aublanc. Because he is the only child of the King's brother, Casimir has been raised in the family, second only to the legitimate children.

[b]Appearance[/b]: The youngest member of House Aublanc's extended family, Casimir reflects many of their characteristic traits; he is thin and fair skinned, good looking in a young boyish, almost feminine sort of way. Casimir has a delicate facial structure, outlined by pronounced cheekbones and a pointed chin. He has sky blue eyes with hints of grey that seem almost too big for his face, constantly swiveling back and forth, taking in the world. Rapidly growing in his transition to manhood, Casimir's limbs are a bit too lanky for his body with feet slightly out of his control. Casimir dresses how he is dressed, in the finest silks only in the colors of his house. 

[b]Personality[/b]: Casimir is only just starting to grow into his own personality as a young adult. Though he has been surrounded by luxury his entire life, moving from the Keep of the Roses to the Aber Keep, Casimir's ego is suitably in check. He is eager to learn, but not overly concerned with impress anyone; because he is not one of the legitimate Aublancs, Casimir has escaped the pressure placed on the other three children. Where his siblings are intensely driven towards their own varying goals, Casimir is relaxed, working hard at whatever is required of him, but feeling no anxiety over the results of his actions.

[b]History[/b]: Casimir's birth was a blessing to the Aublanc family. Because his father, Lord Dorian Aublanc, refuses to dispose of his barren wife, and King Florus Aublanc only has one son, Casimir, the illegitimate son of an Aublanc lord and a Lionsreach peasant, was set on a path towards legitimization and eventual succession of his father for the lordship of the Keep of the Roses. He is currently studying the rules and processes of his world and kingdom and learning to lead men with his – at least partially – noble blood. Though his studies have gone well in the Aber Keep, Florus has looked to send Casimir to the capitol of another kingdom as a ward as a measure to improve kingdom relations.[/hider]

[u][b]Courtiers and Retainers[/b][/u]
[b]Chancellor[/b]: Sebastien of House Aryllin (Lionsreach)
[b]Steward[/b]: Perrin of House Aryllin (Lionsreach)
[b]Keeper of the Treasury[/b]: Aggar Black
[b]Master of Shadows[/b]: Stefan Walesa, Baron of the Twilight Keep (Shadowweald)
[b]Master of Arms[/b]: Oren of House Aryllin (Lionsreach)
[b]General Field Marshall[/b]: Robert Staghammer
[b]Court Chaplain[/b]: Aksel of House Avalusk

[u][b]Vassals[/b][/u]
House Aryllin, Duchy of Lionsreach
House Bertrand, Duchy of Westpool
House Hoying, Duchy of Pipersden
House Stormgaard, Duchy of The Storm Coast
House Tarsith, Duchy of Shadowweald
House Longclaw, Duchy of Rhi'on
House Avalusk, Duchy of Bradfirth
House Brachyour, Duchy of Arthron
House Mout, Duchy of Aaren's Frontier

[u][b]Realm[/b][/u]
[b]The Kingdom of Gradiar in the Lower Midlands, Upper Lowlands[/b]

[u][b]Primary Holding[/b][/u]
[b]Aberfin Porth[/b] – The capitol city of Gradiar is the second largest center of trade in the Kingdom (after Westpool). It is a bustling port city that sprawls across several miles with manses, granaries, storehouses, taverns and inns, market squares, brothels, and many, many fishmarkets. Wharfs, piers, and quays are swamped with various boats, neatly paralleling the nearby slums – those swamped with the poor. Tournaments are frequently held in a small collisseum just outside the southeastern gates.
[b]The Aber Keep[/b] is the seat of power of the kingdom of Gradiar and the home of the royal family. Not much of a military stronghold, the Aber keep – like the rest of of the port city – is primarily focused on trade. Its wide gates are virtually always open, allowing merchants from all across the Kingdom to enter freely and ply their wares among the fountains and greenery of the sprawling courtyards. 

[b]Keep of the Roses[/b] – A stronghold on the western outskirts of Aberfin Porth, the Keep of the Roses is the familial stronghold of House Aublanc. It is ruled over by the King's brother, Prince Dorian Aublanc. In the event of the Aber Keep becoming compromised, the Keep of the Roses is designed to fill in as the seat of power in the kingdom of Gradiar. The Keep of the Roses features a castle – much older and more equipped for war than the Aber Keep. It's towering walls surround it to the east, west, and southwest with the south and southeast protected by the mountain range running through the east of Gradiar. To the north, the keep has an entire port, complete with docks, wharves, and shipyards. Also held within the walls are storerooms, barracks, halls, stables, courtyards, a smaller keep, and gardens. All of the household positions in the castle itself are held by experienced vassals from House Bertrand and Hoying. The castle features a great keep and great hall with a crypt, dungeons, towers, and turrets.

[u][b]Vassal Holdings[/b][/u]

[u][b]Influence & Relations [/b][/u]
[b]Terijas[/b] 

[b]Veronia[/b]

[u][b]Exports & Imports[/b][/u]
[hider=Aquaculture][b]Aquaculture (Squid)[/b] – Many cities in Gradiar (Aberfin Porth, Westpool, Pipersden, Stormgard, Bradfirth) have rose to prominence because of their location close to the sea. Apart from the trade that is abundant along the coast and through the riverbed, one major cause of this prosperity is the success of local squid fisheries. Squid are active at night and attracted to the lights of these various fisheries. Because jigging equipment is fairly cheap, the threshold to break into the squid fishing profession is low, enticing many of the hardy, determined folk of Gradiar.

[b]Aquaculture (Other)[/b] – Though squid is the largest catch across the Gradian coast, other marine creatures make up much of the rest of the diet and exports of Gradiar. In addition to squid, the western ocean is home to large schools of migrating jellies. These cannonball animals spend much of the spring time just off the Storm Coast, leading to a mad dash of small Stormgard fishing fleets with large nets as early as the winter's dying weeks.

In both Valor's Gulf near Bradfirth and Willem's Birght near Westpool and Aberfin Porth, muscles, clams, and oysters coat the water's bed. It takes more than deep lungs to dive down to the bottom to collect their shelled prize, for these ocean inlets are also home to falcatu, sharks only as large as a man's forearm but with rows of sharp teeth and long dorsal spine on the males. Octopi comprise another reward hidden away on the ocean floor.

The rivers branching off of Willem's Bight are home to both migrating and resident fish. Salmon and cod spend most of their lives at sea, but move southward to their lake spawning grounds, salmon in Shadowweald and cod near Arthron. Here, the mating and newborn fish find competition with bass and perch and predators with bear. Only in Rhi'on are there hunters willing to bring down these bear, skilled archers hunting them for both their meat and fur.[/hider]

[hider=Horses][b]Horses (Rhi'on/Mastif Mountain Horses)[/b] - Gradian horses, a sub-breed of horse native to Orlandis, come in two different breeds; the Rhi'on Mountain Horse and the Mastif Mountain Horse are both bred in the plains and low mountains of Rhi'on. Both are hardy and able to traverse both the mountainous environments and rolling, riverside plains of the Kingdom of Gradiar. 

The Rhi'on Mountain Horse stands taller than 11 hands tall, divided into two classes, the Lesser Rhi'on at 11 to 14 hands and the Greater Rhi'on standing taller than 14 hands. Both the Lesser and Greater Rhi'on Mountain Horses can be found in shades of white, gray, brown, and black with white markings on the face, legs, and belly. The Rhi'on Mountain Horse has a well-muscled, compact build with a deep chest. Its flat facial profile extends from a severly-arched neck and well-sloped shoulders. This single-foot ambling horse – smoother than the common trot – has a gentle temperament and a willing disposition. 

Taller than the Lesser Rhi'on and a bit shorter than the Greater Rhi'on, the Mastif Mountain Horse stands between 14 and 16 hands. With a flaxen mane and tail, the Mastif Mountain comes exclusively in a dark brown color, a result of a silver dapple diluting a black coat. Extremely hardy and able to withstand harsh winters in the mountains, it is also praised for its good nature and affinity for humans. Like the Rhi'on, the Mastif has a smooth, ambling gait. Generally viewed as a superior breed to the Rhi'on Mountain Horse, the Mastif Mountain Horse has one significant flaw; it has a significant risk – especially with inbreeding – of developing “Mountain Eye,” a condition affecting vision, possibly due to an overabundance of silver dapple in the face.[/hider]

[hider=Ore][b]Ore (Tin, Copper, Platinum, Gold)[/b] – The mountainous passes of Gradiar are home to bounteous riches in raw ore but also to dangerous creatures like feral wolves and dire spiders. Miners must work with others and either double as warriors themselves or hire guards for their mining parties.

In the western ranges near Aemr's run, gold, platinum, copper and tin lie in abundance, waiting for harvest by the people of Pipersden. Just south of that, in the Golden Fjord, frequent quakes dislodge underwater veins of gold for panning by the Storm Keep. The only other major ore location is are the Gray Mastifs, containing large quantities of copper and platinum near lionsreach and tin near Aberfin Porth. This platinum is the rarest prize, valued by the nobility as jewelry and ornamentation on their weaponry and armor. Small, independent operations work the mountains near Bradfirth and Rhi'on, yielding tin and copper respectively.[/hider]

[hider=Fruits][b]Fruits (Grapes, Blueberries, Apricots)[/b] – The fruits of House Gradiar are not especially abundant or savory, but the products made from them are widely traded because of the skill of the hardworking producers. Gradian grapes are overly sweet, and the local wine is similarly so. Farm wineries take great care to keep the highly sugared must at the perfect temperature to maintain the almost sickening sweetness characteristic of all “proper” Gradian wines. Similar considerations are taken with the dessication of both grapes and apricots to create the dried, salted fruit packaged on merchant caravans to take all throughout and outside of Gradiar.[/hider]

[u][b]Recent History[/b][/u]
[hider=The Bastard King's War][b]The Bastard King's War[/b]
Florian Aublanc II was the King of Gradiar before his son, Florus Aublanc. Though he was the legitimate son of his father, King Florian Aublanc I, Florian II's claims to the throne were challenged by his father's bastard who styled himself as High King Constant Aublanc I, First of His Name, Lord of the Storm Coast, and Admiral of the Golden Fleet – though he was referred to by the True King's people as the Bastard Pretender. The then-independent kingdoms, the Storm Coast, Bradfirth and Arthron allied themselves with the pretender to the throne, while Lionsreach and Pipersden remained loyal to the legitimate Aublanc son. Skirmishes were fought across the entire Kingdom of Gradiar until strict battle lines were drawn, down the River Genev and extending down to Arthron's lake at the Veronian border. High King Constant I's tactics were savage, fully destroying enemy land as well as its people. 

Constant I went on to win many major victories, aggressively pushing Florian II's forces back to House Aryllin's outer turrets. In an attempt to win the war in one final, fell swoop, the bastard king gathered the entirety of his Golden Fleet and sailed straight for the Keep of the Roses. Because most of Florian II's forces were concentrated near Lionsreach, protecting House Aryllin, and both Willem's Bight and its surrounding lands of Westpool were controlled by the neutral House Bertrand, Constant I believed the way to be clear for a quick naval victory before landing in the virtually unprotected Aublanc ancestral lands. The sailors of the Golden Fleet were notoriously vicious, some captains taking to the practice of dragging slain children's bodies behind the boat, attracting falcatu sharks to turn the surrounding waters into a slaughterhouse for any sailors that tried to avoid capture by jumping overboard. With most of the fit Aber men away on the front lines, only women, children and the unwell would be left subject to the Golden Fleet's infamous ferocity and cruelty.

The fleet passed over the northwestern coast of Gradiar, a stretch named Aemr's Run after a legendary Stormgard captain. The fleet virtually bypassed Pipersden and its small, widely dispersed mining towns before coming upon Willem's Bight. The plan was for the landing crafts to pull into the southeast of the bight, far from any major Westpool settlements and just out of sight of the Keep of the Roses. The larger galleons would bombard the keep with catapults and ballistae for a full day before the men aboard the landing crafts came in to put every person still alive to the sword. Three score boats pulled into the edges of the bight, an ocean inlet nearly deep enough to be a sound. Just as some of the squid jigs came into sight, chaos erupted. Sailors shouted and scrambled around their decks as the boats began capsizing. In the most dramatic turn since the start of the war, Westpool entered the combat on the side of Florian II. Anticipating an eventual naval attack, House Bertrand had constructed a hidden trap, large wooden spikes with metal hooks that jutted out of the bight floor, based surprisingly on the squid jigs.

The flagship was outfitted with the major weapon of the fleet, a powerful counterweight trebuchet. In a twist on the Golden Fleet's morbid tricks, the bodies of the dead were packed together tightly with pitch in large nets and coated in oil. This makeshift ammunition was to be slung by the throwing arm and sparked by flint in the secondary fulcrum sling. Before this strategy could come to fruition, the boat caught on one of the Bertrand Spikes, spilling sailors and the ammunition into the water. Ironic justice ended the fleet on that day as falcatu sharks tore apart the monsters that had used them for carnage in the past. With the bastard king's fleet destroyed, House Avalusk and Brachyour abandoned the cause, giving up High King Constant I for public execution.[/hider]

[hider=Unification][b]Unification[/b]
Tensions remained high after the war throughout all of King Florian II's reign. Because of his brutal history, Florian II decided to avoid passing on his name to his two sons, instead naming the first Florus and the second Dorian. No major conflicts arose during Florian II's later years, and the man passed on after losing a battle with gaut. He was succeeded by his son, now King Florus, while Dorian took command of the Keep of the Roses as the new Lord Aublanc.

Though Houses Aryllin and Hoying remained loyal to the crown and House Bertrand proved to be powerful new allies, Florus wanted more. Along with Dorian, Florus travelled across Gradiar personally to seek fealty from the three rebellious houses and the newly established houses of Tarsith in Shadowweald and Longclaw in Rhi'on. After being treated and feasted in Shadowweald's Twilight Keep, the brothers met a noble daughter, Gala Walesa, and formulated a plan. Marriage arrangements between Gala and Dorian were quickly made, and a political and familial alliance was made between Aberfin Porth and Shadowweald. Now cut off from the rest of the Kingdom, House Longclaw almost immediately fell on their knees before King Florus.

To bring The Storm Coast, Bradfirth and Arthron into the fold, King Florus drew inspiration from the very thing that created the separation in the first place. During The Bastard King's War, the Pretender's troops sailed around Aemr's Run instead of taking the land route. The nature of ships – compared with the carts in land caravans – meant that much more could be transported across the same distance. Along with the leaders of House Avalusk, Florus, Dorian and Lord Riain Bertrand drew up a plan to connect a trade route that started with Reinoa in the north and stopped at Aberfin Porth, Westpool, Pipersden, the Storm Keep, and then Bradfirth before continuing south to Veronia.

At the Westpool stop, the trade route would branch off to continue south along the River Genev to connect to Lionsreach, Shadowweald, Rhi'on and Arthron. This trade route connected every major city in Gradiar, helping unite its economy. Because Westpool's location in the center of the route further empowered the wealthy region, Florus took measures to ensure the loyalty of House Bertrand. He married himself to Lilliane Bertrand, making a Gradian Queen out of a Westpool lady. Lord Riain was extremely pleased, and the houses continued to build their new alliance in the coming years.[/hider]

[u][b]Other Information[/b][/u]
N/A
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