The Archduke of Alamie is Carilon Alam (1479 HC, reigning from 1509 H.C.); MAn; Noble/Fighter; Sarimie; Basaïa (Alam), major 46
Carilon is a changed man – he realizes how badly he has ruled, and that he has put his personal ambitions before the good of the realm – and a man with a mission. He wants to make Alamie as strong as possible before he dies, so that his children and grandchildren can build upon that foundation and remember their forefather Carilon – not as the great King, but as the man who made their own greatness possible.
Carilon was always destined to rule. As the oldest son of Duke Torean Alam he wanted for nothing. He got the best education money could buy, and spent much of his youth as a squire with House Dosiere. He did quite well as a warrior, and was knighted not long after he sixteenth birthday. If Carilon harbored any illusions about being recalled to Lofton once he was a knight, those illusions were quickly shattered. His father had no intention of having his son wander around court doing nothing, and instead Carilon got sent from court to court in Anuire ‘to learnt the ways of the world’ as his father put it. Apparently his father feared to let even his heir take part in the governing of the realm, preferring instead to keep him away from what would once be his to rule. No that Carilon’s siblings or other relatives fared any better – Torean treated them all poorly.
When he was 25 his father sent him to live on a manor in Maesford, and also presented him with his first bride – Gwynneth Dhoesone. It was not a happy match, and Gwynneth died tragically in childbirth. At age 30 his father, who was just 48 years old and of robust health – died from a tragic fall and the complications that led to; even the healers could not save him. It was fortunate then, that Carilon was not at home when his manor was consumed in a blaze not two days later.
After Carilon was invested as Duke in 1519 HC he soon remarried, taking Christel Kirst as his wife. Before she could produce any heirs, she was exposed as an adulteress and the marriage was annulled. Finding marriage not to be to his liking the Duke took to having various mistresses and courtesans, but despite his best efforts no heirs were produced.
Carilon was also frustrated on the political scene – however much he tried his ‘loyal’ vassals remained more concerned about their local privileges than on reclaiming the lost provinces of Tuornen. For more than 5 years he ruled, and in that time he accomplished just about nothing. He became widely regarded by the Anuirean elite as inept and quite impotent. His own vassals were no better; if they thought they could get away with it they just ignored his decrees and commands.
That changed in 1524 HC, when Duke Alam was fortunate to secure the services of the Eyeless One as his court mage. A relatively unknown source holder, the Eyeless One had established himself in the area known as the Five Peaks. Not only did he offer his magical services and advice, he also used his influence over the outlaw realm to keep its raiders away from Alamie. Over the course of a few years the nobles were brought back under control and the army strengthened. Finally a great campaign to reclaim Tuornen was launched in 1527 HC.
The campaign was a massive disaster, and apart from burring some villages and towns it accomplished were little. The smaller army of Tuornen simply kept its distance and kept picking at the inexperienced units of Alamie, until the army was exhausted and low on supplies, and had to withdraw to Sorentier. It didn’t get that far – Braedonnal Tuare’s men fell upon the retreating Alamiens, causing a general rout, which turned into slaughter as the soldiers threw away their equipment and ran in fear.
That was the day Carilon’s mind snapped, and he plunged into madness. It just wasn’t apparent to the rest of the world. But it was enough to render him incapable to rule effectively; at times he would be overcome by paranoia, while at other times he would issue wildly conflicting decrees. It was, unfortunately perhaps, not enough to have him removed from the throne. The nobles were content anyway; they had lost a lot of men in the war, and now they returned home to rebuild and usurp what little influence the Duke still had.
As it turned out the Eyeless One was not what he appeared to be. He was one of the Lost, and it was his insidious influence that had driven the Duke mad. The raids resumed, dark magic gathered in the north, and the nobles continued to plot and gain power. Alamie probably would have gone through a civil war had not Avanil intervened – Baron-General Daulton appeared with an army, put the Eyeless One in chains and sent him to the WIT’s dungeons, and assumed regency ‘until such a time as the Duke is well enough to resume his duties’.
That day came when Cardinal Aurlien of the WIT and G-M Daulton of the OIT broke into Carilon’s castle, subdued him, and used the power of blessed Haelyn to free him of the curse that had so afflicted his mind. Carilon finally woke from what seemed a long and terrible nightmare – only it was not, it was reality.
He realized that he had squandered away most of his life and perhaps even his birthright on stupid and selfish things. But that would change now – not one more day would be wasted. Although it was incredibly arduous – every single day – Carilon started to work towards uniting Alamie once more. Progress was nonexistent for several years, but ever so slowly the wheels of government began to turn again The Duke of Alamie is determined to continue working for the good of his people and his realm until the moment he dies – too much time has been wasted already, and so he must use every waking moment in service to Alamie.
Carilon recently married for the third time, and this time his wife chose him. Anasatiae Daulton, former Grand-Maester of the Knights of Haelyn, arrived at court one day and demanded to speak with him in private. Since he was somewhat in debt to her for freeing him of the EO’s curse he agreed; she simply informed him that she was on a holy quest, and that the quest required that she marry the Duke of Alamie!
The Duke had given some tought to marriage, but he assumed he was barren since he never had any more children, and had begun to look among his relatives for an heir. Anasatiae must have been very persuasive, for on the Night of Fire 1533 HC they were married. And Carilon was not infertile, for in the spring of 1534 HC their son – Liester Alam – was born.
Carilon is not young anymore, and his health isn’t as good as it used to be, but he has great hopes for the future. He has a young and strong wife, a son and heir, and even if he dies tomorrow he knows that Alamie will go on and that gives him renewed energy. Hopefully he’ll live many more years and see his childred grow old enough to take up the mantle of rulership – and when they do Alamie will be a different place than it was before Carilon woke up…
