Duke Durant de Roiy
Duke of Archeau and All the Halsats Durant de Roiy (a.k.a. Acieranchant (Sharp Steel)
Son of Rainier the Black Prince of Archeau, inheritor of Duchy of Archeau and the lands of his grandfather Roger Audeling. Durant was an ambitious and adventurous man who led a great expedition to the east which brought untold wealth back to Archeau. Durant made envoys with the Komneian Principality, sacked numerous Zhor cities, and famously defeated a strong Zhor army at the Battle of Qurtubi.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Sturdy in the saddle and made for battle, Durant was a towering presence in the melee and became a figure of great respect during his lifetime and after for his excellence in the martial arts.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Prince Durant de Roiy was the last son born from Rainier and his wife Lucie de Moncluc. The infant Durant was born during the early hours of the 4th of Caille and was said to have had a strong grip upon grasping his father's finger. Initially intended to be named Roger, after his grandfather, his mother instead named the infant Durant, a Halsat form of the Lakic name Durandus which means "Enduring", Duran was also the name of a giant in ancient Lakic society who was punished to ferry the gods atop their thrones on Mt. Eriul for all eternity.
During his teenage years, Durant's uncle Galeran fell ill and died without designating either of his own sons as his heir. Durant's father Rainier had long been assumed the heir but he resigned the position due to his own declining health. So the Duchy of Archeau fell to the elder son of Galeran, Prince Odo. However, when Durant came of age, he challenged his cousin for the title of the duchy and despite his youth, Durant assembled his elder brothers and led them in battle. At the Battle of Valis, the youthful Durant commanded the center of a host of Halsat knights and footmen that routed the opposing brothers Odo and Baldri with the elder Odo being killed in the fighting and Baldri coming to surrender to Durant.
Now ascending as the Duke of Archeau, Durant wasted little time in rewarding his brothers for their service as he gave them fiefs of their own to rule under him. Durant next contended with an invasion from the south by the Caistnac crown prince Fulk who claimed the lands of western Archeau, known as Meridona. Despite initial successes, Prince Fulk was thrown back into Vaseau after a botched siege of the castle Salani and defeat at the Battle of Boulie. The victorious Halsat brothers forced concessions from the crown in Caistnac and signed an agreement with the powerful King Romel, Fulk's father, securing peace in order to secure their southern border.
What occurred next is a matter of speculation as in the spring of 497 A.E, Durant and his brothers Julien and Hamelin were besieging the castle of Laterra when they received word from returning traders of lush and vibrant lands to the far east, guarded by vile heathens. Durant himself has been characterized as a man with almost maddening ambition and so it seems he had begun organizing an expedition to these lands in order to obtain vast wealth. In 499 A.E, he was given a surplus of ships and via an Ecclesial bull that made his lands exempt from warfare as long as he was away, Durant and his brothers set out to the Natreshan coast with around 3,500 knights, around 4,000 levied, and volunteer footmen and another 4,000 mercenaries.
On the way east, the Halsat expedition arrived in the eastern city of Komneia where they rested, resupplied, and picked up additional Komneian volunteers. There, Durant and his brothers were given an audience with the Komneian Autokrator Theodore V. As the two leaders were fluent in Lakic, this was the language spoken between them and Durant seems to have translated for his brothers and convinced them to give homage to the "Emperor" in return for loyalty and dutifulness. Theodore seems to have been impressed with the Halsat brothers as he granted them gifts of fine silk clothes, ornate jewels and chests of gold to which the Halsats returned with fine weaponry, particularly sturdy warhorses and several golden Ecclesial ornaments. The brothers were asked by Theodore to detour to the city of Tetiga in northwestern Mykra which had rebelled against Theodore. In return for the aid, Theodore privately assured the expedition that they would be able to plunder the city. Before setting out, the Halsats and Komneians celebrated their forged alliance with service in Agias Anáktisis which wowed the Halsats so much it was chronicled by a knight Eudes Asselin who said,
During his teenage years, Durant's uncle Galeran fell ill and died without designating either of his own sons as his heir. Durant's father Rainier had long been assumed the heir but he resigned the position due to his own declining health. So the Duchy of Archeau fell to the elder son of Galeran, Prince Odo. However, when Durant came of age, he challenged his cousin for the title of the duchy and despite his youth, Durant assembled his elder brothers and led them in battle. At the Battle of Valis, the youthful Durant commanded the center of a host of Halsat knights and footmen that routed the opposing brothers Odo and Baldri with the elder Odo being killed in the fighting and Baldri coming to surrender to Durant.
Now ascending as the Duke of Archeau, Durant wasted little time in rewarding his brothers for their service as he gave them fiefs of their own to rule under him. Durant next contended with an invasion from the south by the Caistnac crown prince Fulk who claimed the lands of western Archeau, known as Meridona. Despite initial successes, Prince Fulk was thrown back into Vaseau after a botched siege of the castle Salani and defeat at the Battle of Boulie. The victorious Halsat brothers forced concessions from the crown in Caistnac and signed an agreement with the powerful King Romel, Fulk's father, securing peace in order to secure their southern border.
What occurred next is a matter of speculation as in the spring of 497 A.E, Durant and his brothers Julien and Hamelin were besieging the castle of Laterra when they received word from returning traders of lush and vibrant lands to the far east, guarded by vile heathens. Durant himself has been characterized as a man with almost maddening ambition and so it seems he had begun organizing an expedition to these lands in order to obtain vast wealth. In 499 A.E, he was given a surplus of ships and via an Ecclesial bull that made his lands exempt from warfare as long as he was away, Durant and his brothers set out to the Natreshan coast with around 3,500 knights, around 4,000 levied, and volunteer footmen and another 4,000 mercenaries.
On the way east, the Halsat expedition arrived in the eastern city of Komneia where they rested, resupplied, and picked up additional Komneian volunteers. There, Durant and his brothers were given an audience with the Komneian Autokrator Theodore V. As the two leaders were fluent in Lakic, this was the language spoken between them and Durant seems to have translated for his brothers and convinced them to give homage to the "Emperor" in return for loyalty and dutifulness. Theodore seems to have been impressed with the Halsat brothers as he granted them gifts of fine silk clothes, ornate jewels and chests of gold to which the Halsats returned with fine weaponry, particularly sturdy warhorses and several golden Ecclesial ornaments. The brothers were asked by Theodore to detour to the city of Tetiga in northwestern Mykra which had rebelled against Theodore. In return for the aid, Theodore privately assured the expedition that they would be able to plunder the city. Before setting out, the Halsats and Komneians celebrated their forged alliance with service in Agias Anáktisis which wowed the Halsats so much it was chronicled by a knight Eudes Asselin who said,
"Of the glory there, nothing towards the setting sun rivals the splendor of the Mykran's great house. We entered awed and left awed all the same."
In 501 A.E, the expedition arrived at Tetiga and in six months the city fell and was sacked. Returning the city to Theodore, the now wealthy Halsats ventured further east, with Komneian guides and soon came upon the target of their journey, the sprawling city of Karbystra. At Karbystra, the Halsats landed nearby and set up a siege of the city which was lightly garrisoned. By the fall of 502 A.E, the Halsats took the city and looted it while also sending word back to the Komneians, requesting ships to haul back loot to Areul in exchange for a portion of the profit. It was after taking Karbystra that the Halsats received word of a responding force by the Zhor Beylik of Khazirn led by Janah who was sent by the Zhor lord to expel the Halsats. Gathering for battle, the Halsats prepared the field, and Durant and his brother Julien, mustered the majority of the mounted knights.
The coming Battle of Qurtubi would be an affair that would make Durant's name known throughout the world. The Zhor commander Janah came with an army of around 25,000 strong mostly comprised of horse archers and light cavalry. The Halsat army at this time was just under 10,000 and was an assortment of Halsat knights and footmen with contingents of Komneian, Heskian, Hedbard, and Salic volunteers who formed the remainder of the army's infantry. The Halsats learned the location of the Zhor army by finding the cattle animals and a scouting force which skirmished briefly before a large amount of the Zhors were captured. The captives relayed that the animals had been dispersed along a wide range to tempt the Halsats to disperse equally in order to capture the animals so that they might be defeated. Using this, the Halsats rounded the animals up in the night and marched with them in tow to give the appearance of a larger army. When the Zhor camp was found, the Halsats marched out in eight divisions, Durant led a majority cavalry force, Julien commanded the rest of the army's mounted warriors, Jerome commanded an all infantry division, Teralt did the same, Hamelin led the Heskians, Hedbards, and Salics while his son Robert commanded the Komneians.
The marching arrangement of the Halsats made it easy for them to form a line of battle while the Zhors were disorganized as they exited their camp to make ready for battle in the early hours of the morning. The Zhors had been woken in the morning while the Halsats had eaten a ready meal and been singing songs amid their march and so had significant advantages in morale and readiness. When battle was made, the Zhor light cavalry charged the Halsat lines but was devastated by arrow volleys and routed by a counter charge by Julien's knights. When another round of Zhor cavalrymen advanced, the 2nd cycle of Halsat knights led by Durant smashed into them and utterly routed them. By the time the heavy cavalrymen of the Zhors were ready to fight, the army was routed and being pursued by lanced Halsat knights which inflicted further casualties on the army. Janah left behind his camp and its treasures, which were captured by Durant and Julien. Halsat losses are thought to be around 500, but the Zhors lost more than 10,000 men. So rich were the Zhor valuables that despite the still impressive size of the army, loot was left behind because the baggage train would have been over-encumbered by it. The Halsats marched to the coast and boarded their ships, not before celebrating the new year with a grandiose feast.
When the Halsat expedition finally returned home in 505 A.E, the riches brought back were unlike any seen in centuries. Exotic spices, perfumes, carpets, animals, silver, gold, arms, armor, and relics were all aboard the returning vessels from Duke Durant's great voyage. As he returned home, the Duke enthralled audiences that gathered to hear of his exploits, hear of great battles against the rich heathens of the east, and see the valuable relics of the ancient lands. Such was Durant's fame, that Patriarch Tedri had to announce via decree that no living man could attain Blessed status, despite how noteworthy or worthy. With the riches gained from his great voyage, Durant commissioned his friend, court chronicler and Zhor Sabtin Idris to write a grand epic about the expedition. Sabtin's "Récits du voyage de Lord Durant" or Tales of Lord Durant's Voyage, chronicled much of the voyage and was translated into Halsat, Hasdinian, Lakic, Mykran, and Tivrik making it very accessible and a very popular series of tales. During this time, Durant also began expanding the town of Canura into a proper city and capital of his realm.
By 520 A.E, Canura had become a city of around 20,000 people and was easily the largest settlement in Archeau. Durant also began construction of "La Chapelle Ducale" or The Ducal Chapel, which proved a lasting reminder of the wealth brought to the duchy by his voyage. The chapel contains a mixture of traditional Halsat architecture but is combined with Komneian and Zhor styles to produce a unique structure that can be used as a fantastic reminder of the multicultural exchange made during Durant's reign. In 528 A.E, Duke Durant died at his capital peaceably and was buried in the crypts beneath the Ducal Chapel where he remains today. While vastly successful in his lifetime, Durant's realm would fall to the rising Kingdom of Tiranar when his only son Serlo fell in battle against King Adrien. Durant's legacy as an ambitious adventurer survives today and he is remembered as among the greatest Halsat conquerers, along with his grandfather Roger. The Duke was called "Sharp Steel" by his Halsat contemporaries but would be remembered by Zhors and even called such by Sabtin as, "Uzun Direklerin İblisi" or "Demon of the Long Masts".
The coming Battle of Qurtubi would be an affair that would make Durant's name known throughout the world. The Zhor commander Janah came with an army of around 25,000 strong mostly comprised of horse archers and light cavalry. The Halsat army at this time was just under 10,000 and was an assortment of Halsat knights and footmen with contingents of Komneian, Heskian, Hedbard, and Salic volunteers who formed the remainder of the army's infantry. The Halsats learned the location of the Zhor army by finding the cattle animals and a scouting force which skirmished briefly before a large amount of the Zhors were captured. The captives relayed that the animals had been dispersed along a wide range to tempt the Halsats to disperse equally in order to capture the animals so that they might be defeated. Using this, the Halsats rounded the animals up in the night and marched with them in tow to give the appearance of a larger army. When the Zhor camp was found, the Halsats marched out in eight divisions, Durant led a majority cavalry force, Julien commanded the rest of the army's mounted warriors, Jerome commanded an all infantry division, Teralt did the same, Hamelin led the Heskians, Hedbards, and Salics while his son Robert commanded the Komneians.
The marching arrangement of the Halsats made it easy for them to form a line of battle while the Zhors were disorganized as they exited their camp to make ready for battle in the early hours of the morning. The Zhors had been woken in the morning while the Halsats had eaten a ready meal and been singing songs amid their march and so had significant advantages in morale and readiness. When battle was made, the Zhor light cavalry charged the Halsat lines but was devastated by arrow volleys and routed by a counter charge by Julien's knights. When another round of Zhor cavalrymen advanced, the 2nd cycle of Halsat knights led by Durant smashed into them and utterly routed them. By the time the heavy cavalrymen of the Zhors were ready to fight, the army was routed and being pursued by lanced Halsat knights which inflicted further casualties on the army. Janah left behind his camp and its treasures, which were captured by Durant and Julien. Halsat losses are thought to be around 500, but the Zhors lost more than 10,000 men. So rich were the Zhor valuables that despite the still impressive size of the army, loot was left behind because the baggage train would have been over-encumbered by it. The Halsats marched to the coast and boarded their ships, not before celebrating the new year with a grandiose feast.
When the Halsat expedition finally returned home in 505 A.E, the riches brought back were unlike any seen in centuries. Exotic spices, perfumes, carpets, animals, silver, gold, arms, armor, and relics were all aboard the returning vessels from Duke Durant's great voyage. As he returned home, the Duke enthralled audiences that gathered to hear of his exploits, hear of great battles against the rich heathens of the east, and see the valuable relics of the ancient lands. Such was Durant's fame, that Patriarch Tedri had to announce via decree that no living man could attain Blessed status, despite how noteworthy or worthy. With the riches gained from his great voyage, Durant commissioned his friend, court chronicler and Zhor Sabtin Idris to write a grand epic about the expedition. Sabtin's "Récits du voyage de Lord Durant" or Tales of Lord Durant's Voyage, chronicled much of the voyage and was translated into Halsat, Hasdinian, Lakic, Mykran, and Tivrik making it very accessible and a very popular series of tales. During this time, Durant also began expanding the town of Canura into a proper city and capital of his realm.
By 520 A.E, Canura had become a city of around 20,000 people and was easily the largest settlement in Archeau. Durant also began construction of "La Chapelle Ducale" or The Ducal Chapel, which proved a lasting reminder of the wealth brought to the duchy by his voyage. The chapel contains a mixture of traditional Halsat architecture but is combined with Komneian and Zhor styles to produce a unique structure that can be used as a fantastic reminder of the multicultural exchange made during Durant's reign. In 528 A.E, Duke Durant died at his capital peaceably and was buried in the crypts beneath the Ducal Chapel where he remains today. While vastly successful in his lifetime, Durant's realm would fall to the rising Kingdom of Tiranar when his only son Serlo fell in battle against King Adrien. Durant's legacy as an ambitious adventurer survives today and he is remembered as among the greatest Halsat conquerers, along with his grandfather Roger. The Duke was called "Sharp Steel" by his Halsat contemporaries but would be remembered by Zhors and even called such by Sabtin as, "Uzun Direklerin İblisi" or "Demon of the Long Masts".
Accomplishments & Achievements
Victorious against his cousins at the Battle of Valis
Victorious against Prince Fulk of Tiranar at the Siege of Salani and at Boulie
Allied with the Komneian Autokrator Theodore V and aided in the capture of Tetiga
Sacked and looted the Zhor city of Karbystra
Great victory in the Battle of Qurtubi against the Zhor Bey Janah
Brought back great riches from the east
Built up the city of Canura and constructed the La Chapelle Ducale
Victorious against Prince Fulk of Tiranar at the Siege of Salani and at Boulie
Allied with the Komneian Autokrator Theodore V and aided in the capture of Tetiga
Sacked and looted the Zhor city of Karbystra
Great victory in the Battle of Qurtubi against the Zhor Bey Janah
Brought back great riches from the east
Built up the city of Canura and constructed the La Chapelle Ducale
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Secure his own need for acclaim and wealth and become remembered forever
Virtues & Personality perks
Ambitious
Brave
Loyal
Inspiring
Persuasive
Shrewd
Brave
Loyal
Inspiring
Persuasive
Shrewd
Vices & Personality flaws
Scheming
Glory Hungry
Reckless
Glory Hungry
Reckless
Ethnicity
Date of Birth
4th of Caille
Date of Death
19th of Cavelt
Life
471 A.E
528 A.E
57 years old
Circumstances of Birth
The youngest son of Prince Rainier and his wife Lucie de Moncluc
Birthplace
Le Rocher, Eastern Archeau
Place of Death
Canura, Archeau
Family
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Dark Brown
Hair
Short, Curly, Bushy Beard
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tan
Height
5'10
Weight
190 lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
"I came to foreign lands penniless, I left the shores of the heathens with their cities ablaze, their armies fallen before me and gold falling from my ships."
Belief/Deity
The Mundana Ecclesia
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Hasdinian
Lakic
Founded Settlements
Character Prototype
Bohemond of Antioch
(The dazzling stained glass of Durant's Le Chappelle Ducale, his greatest building project)
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