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.
...