Vortigern

Background

Born in 1501 as the unrecognized bastard son of Eluvie Cariele and Baron Harkon Justhart. Vortigern is a dutiful child, if somewhat uninterested in courtly life. His passion is for soldiering, and he has been following the army of the realm since he was a small child.

Physically imposing, tall, lean and strong, with stern features and a grim demeanor, Vortigern is the archetypal soldier.

Personality and motivation

Vortigern is a young man of The Blood. Growing up mainly with his fathers soldiery as friends he saw how they benefited from the discipline of military life and as he grew older he realized that he too benefited. On one occasion he served as an aide de camp for the commander of a minor operation against goblin bandits and it was during this time he realized that soldiers had trouble getting their pay or at worst even getting food, at times resorting to simply taking what they wanted from the peasantry. This upset Vortigern. This was not how things were supposed to be! If a soldier must be disciplined, surely the society he serves must be disciplined as well, or else no one would be able to demand that the defenders of the realm should behave in an orderly manner. As weeks and months passed Vortigern pondered these matters and slowly an idea of The Sovereign and the Realm started to form. Military structure with clear chains of command should not be impossible to impose on society as well. The Monarch of The Blood should be supreme commander of the Realm and all it encompassed, thus being able to rule and administer things in a manner benefiting the most. Hence the Monarch should be a person of utmost discipline and integrity to be able to withstand corruption, sloth and hardships, serving as a model for each and everyoneŠ The fact that his mother is insane at times and thus not very disciplined at all merely proves his point further. Nevertheless she is the Monarch and in accordance with his own theories Vortigern will not hear any disobedience of Her Majestyıs commands although he would be pleased to see her either cured of her madness or replaced by someone more fit to rule.

He is a firm believer of the Duties of the Nobility:

1. The Duty to rule

2. The Duty to wage war

3. The Duty to serve the Monarch

4. The Duty to protect he commoners

As a consequence of this Vortigern can be domineering toward his underlings as well as brutal in his punishment of any offence but also dedicated to their wellbeing and protective of their rights. Although never much of an orator or even particularly charming, he is sincere and self sacrificing in his dedication to any task he has been given.