[color=SteelBlue][h3][b]=-=2200 SE, Summer=-=
Cesia[/b]
[i]Calm before the Storm[/i][/h3][/color]

It is was a cloudy day outside the city of Stormcod, capital of the great Noravar kingdom of Cesia. Despite it being mid summer, it was not uncommon for weather this poor to depress the mood. In the hills outside the city of marble and stone and it's great towers were the plains and hills of northern Kevica, its grassy knolls and valleys being the realm of peasants and rogues, but yet now hundreds of noblemen, warriors, and their vast horde of servants and retainers had gathered outside. A great line of tents and banners of Cesia's nobility reigned across the hillsides and surrounded a rather unnatural mounds. This mound, made of dirt and wood, was built as a tomb for a king of the Noravar of old, just as the old king Ketil Bramsson had wanted. The nobles had lined up along the partially makeshift dirt road which led to the tomb's entrance, amongst them their Maruds and levies battered shields with the blunt ends of their axes. The body of King Ketil passed by on a pier, carried by four of Ketil's most loyal Maruds. As the pier passed the lined noblemen, they bowed their heads and placed a blue flower upon the ground, as was the ancient tradition.

Leading this procession was Ketil's son, and now recently named King of Cesia, [color=SteelBlue]Thorald Bramsson[/color], who for the day had worn a mix of his battle armor and a royal cloak, colored blue and lined with silver. His ornate axe and crown of gemstones was in fairly poor taste, as Thorald was still very young, being only 17 years old. He led his father's body alongside a druid of the local grove, and Ketil's favored servant, a young Palovian man and slave who had ran away from peasantry and became Ketil's most trusted servant. The two lesser figures were of his father's work, but Thorald agreed to allow them to lead. Of the family that should have been leading the procession was perhaps his own mother, but the queen of Cesia had been dead since Thorald was three years old, disease having taken her. The brothers of the king had simply not shown up, except for Thorald's favored uncle, [color=SteelBlue]Kodran Bramsson[/color]. Kodran and his family stood alone on a hill looking over the nobles, for despite liking his young nephew, Kodran despised his brother for many reasons.

As the procession neared the tomb, the slab door was opened by servants and the body was carried inside by the Maruds. The druid prepared the body of the old king, placing a wreath of holly and hazels upon on body, and a crown of leaves upon his head. The dirt pedestal for which the king's body would rest was prepared by the druid in advance, with the king's earthly treasures place about his tomb. Ketil's sword, shield, and throwing axes piled up in one corner, and his favored servant sat upon the floor in another. The druid took out a knife, chanting in a low tone as his slit the servant's throat, and placed his twitching body in a corner of the tomb. As the Maruds left the tomb, the druid activated the springs of traps and magical wards as he left, and the loyal soldiers sealed the tomb's entrance with stone. The nobles gathered and sang praise to their gods, but Thorald was silent and join his uncle upon the hill, looking over the tomb.

	"In life, he was a fool of a king, but he couldn't have been an even bigger disappointment in death." remarked Kodran. Thorald simply nodded and continued to watch. The older man, nudged by his own wife, a fair and beautiful woman urged her husband to the procession of tents. They have had enough, and as they climbed down the Hill, Thorald looked upon the tomb and only gave a silent shrug to the death of Cesia's king.

[hr]

Ketil, King of Cesia, was dead and his throne had with great controversy passed to his only living son. When Ketil had died, it was rather odd, as his servant, a young Palovian man, had come screaming down the hallway of the castle in Stromcod. Ketil had died in his bed, his eyes closed and his sheets well tucked, and while many guards did not expect foul play, Kodran Bramsson had. Kodran had known war and violence, and knew full well it was irregular for a man to have eyes clothed and tucked in sheets, in which Kodran had stormed off to confront the servant upon hearing of the King's death and nearly slew one of the guards who tried to calm him. Ketil was dead, murder or not, and thus a moot was called the next day by Kodran. Within less then a week, the 5 remaining brothers and two sisters of the family, including Kodran, had arrived along with a huge array of nobles from the inner lands. Despite it being common practice that all Jarls were to be present, the Jarls of Penica, Granland, and Nauberad simply could not make it in time.

When the Jarls did arrive, it was clear to many on who would have become king. Ketil's younger brother [color=SteelBlue]Asvald Bramsson[/color] was a popular pick amongst the family and nobility alike. Asvald was a skilled warlord and a thane in the service of Midim who helped conquer the Kingdom of Nauberad for Ketil. Despite Asvald's minor role compared to others, his status as a soldier was already a league above his other less impressive brothers, excluding the exploits of Kodran. Kodran was a fearsome and terrifying warrior amongst even the most obscure Jarls, having led brutal far raids for fun rather then for money in his youth. Yet, his violent attitude led to constant disownment by his brothers who thought of him as archaic and foolish. Despite the nobles being impressed for more with Kodran, he was not running to become king, but did have his own card to show in a rather odd if not desperate bid. Thorald, son of Ketil, was his apprentice when he had come of age, leading raids and battles across the coasts of Kevica and Endikigo in his youth.

Thorald had been a odd choice, mostly because no one liked his father Ketil. Ketil's reign was often best described by the courtiers as a great golden bowl, and the king was defecating upon it. Ketil had been granted a stable and wealthy kingdom by his own father, and in his lust for gold he did the rather unthinkable action of kicking out family from their estates, cutting down payments to family members, and granting huge bribes to friends and for personal favors. Ketil had been once an excellent warrior and in perfect health, but his years on the throne made him fat and slothful, often to a point he would forget how to fight which made him a laughing stock amongst Noravar. Any semblance of great stability was shattered in his desperate bid to perserve his legacy by attacking the northern kingdom of Nauberad and subjugating it's lord, who surrendered only to be nearly overrun by over extending Beryul tribesmen.

When Thorald was young, he spent more time in the care of his personal slaves and his uncle Kodran. Kodran taught Thorald how to fight and when he was old enough, the two went raiding in Endikigo where Thorald cornered and killed a Beryul warrior, claiming his head. The creature's skull was placed on the table before the nobility of the moot, and the nobles debated the young man's merits. Thorlad was young and also very brave, but bravery alone did not swindle the nobles to electing him as king, which is where Thorald truly did shine and used his family's drama to push his move. Asvald was not known to be rash and highly violent, but in private he was often known to get red in the face over the smallest petty details, a flaw hidden by his brothers who wished him to become king so their lands could be restored. Asvald three years ago had an affair with a young woman, and when her father tried to push Asvald into a marriage, Asvald killed him in a fit of rage and imprisoned the woman for half a year when she threatened to bring Asvald to a high court. She was freed by the other brothers who paid her hansomly to be silent about the affair.

Thorald had learned of this drama from Kodran who was involved in the affair, having granted the woman's son a status as a Marud in the future in return for silence. Under the threat of being put to the High Court, the nobles discussed in length the many problems which could occur for the realm, but were more concerned about the behavior of a man who could be so petty. Cesia was in deep political trouble, surrounded by a coalition of kingdoms which sought to break up the Cesian kingdom for some time. The Noravar nobles feared that a violent ruler would lead them into war which could doom the nation and thus their positions as powerful and wealthy Jarls. By a small margin, the vote shifted to Thorald's favor and won the right to rule. The nobles gave a bow, with Thorald's uncles also eventually giving in and bowing as well, but Asvald was furious and stormed out of the room, cussing loudly.

[hr]

What had started out as a surprise, now blossomed into a new era for Thorald. Thorald arranged his court, having servants dust off his mother's wooden throne so Thorald's young wife [color=SteelBlue]Gyda[/color], Princess of the Jarldom of Cesia, could sit by Thorald's side. While their marriage had only lasted for a year, the two had grown close. He had turned down Kodran's offers to go on a far raid just to visit Gyda's family and give her father royal gifts. While their love was fairly simple and legitimate, it was also immensely political. Gyda's family had secretly supported Thorald to become king during and before the moot, and made monetary promises to several nobles in return for favorable outcome. As a reward, Thorald allowed the Jarl of Cesia to take a number of treasures from the vaults along with gaining oaths of protection from his new liege lord.

Thorald began his reign with a feast, inviting his nobles and family to it in order to get them into one room where he could force them to swear fealty to him. Noravar hunters brought in over 40 boars and 30 stags for the feast, with chefs ceaselessly gathering the materials for such a feast. The scale of this feast was above other feasts, with Thorald's Master of the Cages was sent to buy a small army of slaves just to tend to the feast, which included bullying a number of Otem from their enclave as temporary servers when human stock was low. Luckily, many nobles were still in Stormcod to witness to funeral of Cesia's previous rulers and thus many were fairly early to the feast. While at the feast, Thorald accepted their oaths of loyalty, but only those who swore were allowed to eat. Servants rushed in and out of the stressful kitchens, bringing out more and more food for the Noravar.

To complete this grand feast was with some entertainment, with Thorald hosting a tourney amongst the Noravar nobility. Over 2,000 lesser noblemen and greater noblemen pitched mock battle between teams of red, blue, and green which smashed each other with wooden axes and swords. During the fun however, one of Thorald's older uncles was teamed up with a Marud loyal to the house of Bramsson. Before the mock battle began, the Marud suggested putting yellow flowers on their pretend armor to make them stand out more. The uncle agreed and charged into the fray when his unit was called. Yet, while in the midst of having fun, he was soon overwhelmed during the thick of the pretend battle by a group of unknown soldiers and was beaten within a inch of his life, and punched by the group and then left. The uncle's face was smashed by a trample, and the injuries killed him. When the wounded and dead were brought to the camp, Thorald publicly set up funeral arrangements for his dead uncle, but suspicion amongst the other family arose swiftly, and the remaining uncles fled back to their homes before the tourney had concluded.