Blightwar: Important People

People of Bromjulnor

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High King Hrothmar II
High king Hrothmar II is the High King of Bromjurnor, and has been since his accession to the throne was confirmed by the Allmoot in 664 5e (Bromjulnorian Calendar), this makes him not only the monarch of the Bromjulnorian people, but also the Norric dwarf clans; furthermore he is the Overlord of Kyalstadt Island and the Eladari community living there. This makes him the most powerful human monarch in the northern Old World, and one of the only human rulers to hold power over significant non-human communities.

Hrothmar was born in Kongensborg, the capital city and fortress home of House Magnursen, to then High King Mjorl IV and his wife Anya of Wyrryl as Prince Hrothmar Magnursen and was their second child and eldest son. He would spend his early life on the island of Kyalstadt being educated by the Triari Brotherhood as was traditional for the sons of the High King, before being sent to live with the Copperface Clan of Norric dwarves in accordance with the ancient treaties whihch bind them to the Kingdom of Bromjulnor. Where the Eladari taught history, literature, mathematics, art, and religion, the Dwarves were to teach him industry and warfare.

At the age of sixteen Hrothmar led his father's host in the Battle of Kyarskar after which his place as heir to the throne was confirmed by his father and his marriage to Friaki Egardsen, daughter of the Jarl of Nje, was arranged. Hrothmar would continue to lead armies in his father's name for the remained of his reign, prosecuting wars against the Goblinking of the Frozen Hearth on the Frozen Sea, and against the rebelling Marcher Clans along the northern coastal region. Through these he established his reputation as an excellent warrior and commander of men, however when he was recalled to Kongensborg to serve as regent for his ailing father he proved himself to be a mediocre governor.

The Hrothmar Regency in the last two years of Mjorl IV's reign was a difficult period, unable to lead the armies he had to send out to maintain his father's rule himself he chafed under the restrictions of court and government; however he learned from his experience and by the time of his coronation he was recognised to be a capable ruler, though not an exceptionally skilled bureaucrat. During the Regency he was able to maintain royal authority in the face of increasingly powerful Jarls, and through a system of trial by combat and settling disputes by single combat was able to enforce his own will by challenging his rivals directly when his own skill as a ruler was lacking.

Hrothmar's accession to the throne was broadly celebrated and his status as a warrior prince ensured the respect of his Jarls and subjects alike; through a continued focus on the more martial aspects of Bromjulnorian culture he has maintained this respect and fostered a disdain for politicking and subtle scheming. Nonetheless his rule has not been perfect and Hrothmar has struggled with issues such as controlling his Knights Justicar and maintaining order in the northernmost regions of his Kingdom. The High King has led his armies in battle only once in his reign thus far, against a resurgent Goblinking in the north, where he led a human force of 7,000 infantrymen to victory over a force of around 12,000 goblins.

The High King's family life has been highly successful; despite his arranged marriage he has formed a solid union and partnership with his wife who serves as a figurehead for mercy and honour. To date his union with Friaki of Nje has produced four children, three sons and a daughter with all being raised in the traditional Bromjulnorian royal fashion; his two eldest sons have been sent to the Triari Brotherhood, while his youngest is but a babe in arms and his daughter has been sent to the court of her mother's father. Notable among Hrothmar's relatives are the Knight Justicar, the Greve, Lord Salwen Sigurdsen; Magnus the Droll, a Sorcerer; Inge Redbraid, Warmaiden of the Northern Marches.

Hrothmar's approach to foreign policy has been broadly neutral in most respects so far; his primary focus seems to be upon centralising his authority and the government structure of Bromjulnor, however he has sent out envoys to foreign lands seeking trade agreements. His ambitions seem to be principally civil in nature with great public works including the construction of roads, bridges and holdfasts in small settlements holding a significant importance within his plans. The noted threat of the Blightking to the far north seems to be stuck in the back of his mind also as he has begun plans to construct a line of ice forts on the Frozen Sea to the north, as well as ordering all local lords to refortify their holds in case of attack.

Militarily Hrothmar is an able warrior and commander with a keen grasp of what is necessary to make a powerful and cohesive army; however his efforts to centralise the military have been hindered by the long standing tradition of each Jarl maintaining his own armed forces and household knights.

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The Greve, Lord Salwen Sigurdsen
The Greve, Lord Salwen Sigurdsen is widely regarded as one of the greatest swordsmen and warriors in Bromjulnor; born the second son of Jarl Karl of Wyrryl, Salwen was raised to become a warrior rather than a ruler and would have probably joined his father's Huscarls had he not elected to go to Kongensborg to become a Knight Justicar. Salwen is a renowned scion of House Sigurdsen and his reputation has helped to cement his father's position within the Kingdom and has strengthened his family's prestige and status; not only this but his loyalty to the crown has been well noted by the people making him a much feared instrument of the King's will and enforcer of his laws. Lord Salwen holds the formal titles of Greve of the Knights Justicar and Aoelmann making him a high ranking Knight but a fairly low ranking nobleman - nonetheless he is of sufficiently high birth to be well respected and regarded by the nobility.

Salwen Sigurdsen is principally known for embodying his role as Lord Greve and constantly roaming the Kingdom in the High King's service; the Lord Greve is a Knight Justicar of high rank who answers only to the High King, but who does not command any other Knights Justicar. The purpose of his role is to travel the Kingdom at will and take on such missions as the monarch gives to him, or as he judges to be worth his attention. Some question his suitability for the role given his reputation for taking on almost any task which crosses his path, however even these critics largely accept his ability as a Knight Justicar and respect his decisions and actions.

The great deeds which have established Salwen's reputation as a warrior are many, and some are placed above others based upon the location and culture of those regarding him. In the Northern Marches he is known as the Goblinhamr after he led a small force of local Huscarls against a Goblin lair from which numerous raids had devastated the countryside; on the Frozen Sea he is known as the Likmorder after he challenged the necromance Martys Valdyr and fought and defeated the Fallen Companions single handed; in Kongensborg however he is most renowned as the Himmelmakt after he entered the catacombs of Teutoborg in pursuit of a heretical mage cult with thirty of the King's finest warriors, only to emerge alone a week later, bathed in blood carrything the heads of the cult's ringleaders.

Salwen has a well documented history as a tourney knight, and has enjoyed his greatest successes in the melee and gauntlet. He has emerged the victor of more than forty tournament melees and is the only man to have defeated Eodrek the Hammer, who himself was regarded at the time as the greatest tourney champion in Bromjulnor's history. Though Salwen is widely believed to disdain participation in tourneys as a waste of his time it is said that he is regularly ordered to attend and participate by the High King so as to remind the common folk and nobility alike of his skill and in turn the High King's own power for holding authority over such a man. Salwen has even faced the High King himself in single combat at the Jarl of Nje's tourney in 668 5e where he defeated his liege, despite the monarchs own renowned prowess as a warrior.

The Greve was trained in many traditional Bromjulnorian fighting styles and the style he is best known for is the arcing Vindmølle method which relies upon quick movements and arcing full revolutions of a long bladed broadsword in a single handed grip. However he has shown himself to be proficient not only in a number of other sword styles, but also in fighting with a number of other weapons including daggers and axes and not least another traditional Bromjulnorian weapon, the spear. This broad skillset has allowed Sigurdsen to confuse and distract his opponents by rapidly switching fighting style in mid-combat; many duels and trials by combat have ended through his sudden use of an entirely different style of combat. As a servant of the High King Salwen Sigurdsen is one of his highest authorities on the law and most dreaded champions; however the loyal know not to fear him for he has a reputation for fairness and mercy.

Salwen Sigurdsen was granted lands for his sons to inherit and his wife Freja to live in; at the Greve's command a comfortable holdfast called Salwensborg was raised in the village of Sadlehaus which is now the seat of his wife and their children. The lands themselves are unremarkable and based on the northern coast of the Southern Marches, as such it derives its wealth from ice fishing, sheep farming, and stone quarrying and is not especially rich. As a liege lord Sigurdsen is considered to be a low ranking noble who is well respected by his serfs. Salwensborg is now a growing village and the surrounding lands are becoming well cultivated and developed as the Greve invests much of his own income in building up its infrastructure.

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The Knight Commander, Lord Asmund Earthshatter