¤ THE BLOIS FAMILY



This is the family name of Charles III de la Tête D'Or, and his been borne by kings of Bretonnia for over three hundred years now, since the last ruling dynasty, the Merienne, died out in the year 2201 IC with the death of King Henri V l'Amoureux. The Blois family is extremely wealthy, drawing its income from estates across the land (concentrated in Breton) and from the several kinds of taxation currently imposed on the populace. They are notoriously prone to infighting and intrigue; Charles III's father, Charles II de la Dure, was faced with a revolt by his own brother the Duc de Gascogne in the first years of his reign, though the Duc was later pardoned.
   

Charles III de la Tête d'Or

Charles III de la Tête d'Or is, as any of his subjects would readily assert, undoubtedly the best, most munificent King ever to sit on the throne of Bretonnia. Privately, many of the nobles have their doubts. Charles has inherited a kingdom which, though generally rich, populous and tightly controlled, is riddled with corruption and tension at just about every level. His father's military adventures in Estalia, Tilea and against the Empire have not helped matters, and it is expected that a major campaign will be launched sooner or later, if only because Charles III feels the need for action and personal glory. Charles can be extremely energetic when the mood takes him, and at times even displays a considerable level of competence and interest in matters ranging from war to religion and finance. However, these assiduous spells are rare; Charles is, most of the time, passive and far more taken with simple and sensuous pleasures such as good food, hunting and (it is said) amorous involvements with the prettier members of the palace staff. Already, and much to his anger, he has begun to lose the slim, boyish figure that used to win him so many admirers; yet no-one would dare mention this fact to his face, and he is still handsome in his own way and can be a very good conversationalist. During his bouts of lethargy the King can become rancorous if approached on official business, rashly ordering severe punishments for those who incur his wrath by calling his attention away from more important issues. Equally, when he does decide that his kingdom calls, he is outraged when those around him fail to recognise the magnitude and dignity of his regal duties. These dramatic turnabouts are utterly unpredictable; on some occasions, Charles ends up tearfully apologising to someone for only a moment before screaming to have their head cut off.

As things stand, when Charles is in his more 'relaxed' state, the kingdom suffers when, for weeks on end, government is left to Cardinal Dumourieux and Charles's other favourites; only to take a sudden upsurge when he emerges into a burst of activity, often merely effacing the work his administration has undertaken beforehand and leaving them with more problems to cope with as he returns to his leisured lifestyle. On average, Charles has about one or two frenetic days of activity a month.

Guillaume Blois, Comte de Castelnau

    King Charles has two younger brothers, Guillaume and Tancred; Guillaume, the elder, is known as an especially devious and cunning individual, famed for a scar on the right hand side of his face that has forced him to wear a mask for his whole life. Masked balls are consequently favourite events amongst his supporters. Guillaume is also known as a 'thruster' in hunting circles, and takes a great pleasure in the chase. Privately, he admits to the kill being the greatest thrill of his life; nothing, claims Guillaume, pleases him more than to plunge his knife into a still beating heart and feel the warm blood course over his hands. No love is lost between Guillaume and King Charles; the two boys used to compete violently for their father's attentions, and they now rarely meet or communicate. As a precaution against political intrigue at court, Charles has entrusted Guillaume with the stewardship of royal estates around Castelnau, where Guillaume holds his own court as the Comte de Castelnau. Periodically mutterings are heard at court to the effect that Guillaume is planning some sort of attempt on the throne. This has become such a regular occurrence that not even Cardinal Dumourieux, King Charles or the royal guard take them very seriously. Guillaume is ignorant of this realisation, and although he is regarded as something of a comical failure by his brother's dandified court, he does have genuine ambitions that simply fail to materialise because of a lack of fortune and support. A good number of the rumours concerning his royal ambitions are nearer to the truth than their hearers would suspect, but Guillaume has always so far failed at some early stage in the plot. But he will keep trying…

Tancred Blois

    Tancred, who is currently just seventeen years old, has shown great intelligence and, unusually for his family, a genuine sense of piety and responsibility. Charles III has much love for his youngest brother, and it is rumoured that he wishes him to go into the church, where he will no longer be a threat to the succession. Other whisperings, though, claim that Tancred is secretly being taught by Guglielmo Andronico, a Tilean master scholar attendant on the King and, it is said, a powerful sorcerer. Tancred, too, has developed a love of old, worm-eaten books that, to the less-than studious minds of the Bretonnian nobility, is decidedly unhealthy. If this is true, King Charles may find himself faced by something far more serious than mere bluster and ambition from his youngest brother in the years to come.

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¤ In Search of Bretonnia 15-11-2005