Gerwain Broadbane
The Wistful Heir
"If I am not of my House, not of my manhood, not of people, what remains for me to be? The Houses jeer, the people sneer, and at what? Me? The lesser brother? The lesser man? Little remains for me here." - Gerwain's final words to the Court of the Lord's Hall, before his fateful voyage
Gerwain's was born to a Lordship that was still undergoing vast changes- peeling back century-old traditions in favour of human superiority: a redefinition of other races as subjects rather than peers. His early years were spent closeted from the turbulent political world that lay in wait beyond the wall of the Giritath, but this did not stop the naturally curious heir from filling his time exploring the grounds, and reading whilst hidden in archways or rafters. This secluded behaviour was made all the more odd by the comparison to his brother Gerwulf- a comparison that many hastened to make. Gerwain was all Gerwulf was not: placid, amicable, well-read. Nevertheless, Gerwain's life was lived in his brother's shadow as Gerwulf's aggression and martial prowess garnered him respect amongst the great Houses of Tokköhün and Dorröchk, while Gerwain gathered around him the academics and sages of the Court. In many ways, Gerwain accepted his secondary station as the heir who would never take up the Lordship, but an anxious disposition kept his wings clipped for much of his life as he feared the death of his brother at the hands of some rebellion or assassination. The high politics of the capital did nothing but irritate him- the nebulous talk, ambiguous morals and power hungery participants proving draining and stressful compared to his books and salons. It was this lifestyle in which Gerwain was trapped for much of his life till he married Esther Gerwin-Düngal, a nimble and politcally savvy woman raised in the tradition of the Gwendorian Matriarchy. She represented all that Gerwain struggled to understand and learn about high society, and their union was liberating for the young and trapped heir, who was craving a breath of fresh air. Esther too learned much, commenting after his death that,
"The leatherbound worlds he walked were beyond any I'd seen before, and any I've seen since. His pages hid lands of dreamers- lands of hope. He reminded me to hope."
This union of love and collision of perspectives fuelled the iconic projects for which Gerwain is now known: the building of Thornpassage being principle among them. Gerwain went on to write over one hundred poems, prose and other pieces of literature immortalising the marriage, most of which survive in the Lord Gerwain University Archives. In light of all this, his mood improved, and he enjoyed the next few years- celebrating the birth of his son Gentos Broadbane, and the establishment of Thornpassage. However, the role of heir to the Lordship could not be escaped forever, and duty called Gerwain south. Rumblings of independance had been rattling the southern colonies for years before, but recent inflammatory publishings by agitator authors had given Gerwulf Broadbane cause to be concerned enough to send his brother- established author and academic as he was- to give the authors an audience. Gerwain protested, arguing that such a duty could be undertaken by a lower station, but the delicacy and importance of the situation made pressure from the High Council unignorable: Gerwulf insisted. So, respecting his brother's wishes, Gerwain headed to Dorröhaven, and set sail south. However, the poor weather characteristic of the Gulf of Sorrows proved to be the expedition's undoing. The vessel was hit by a storm, and sunk some 30 miles from land. There were no survivors. Only the beaches of Sorrow's Summit provided proof of the night's events: miles of sand strewn with dead men and wreckage. In wake of recieving this news, the city of Thornpassage wept, but few others did: Gerwain had spent years isolated from the statecraft of the capital, and had done little in the Northern Folds. Nevertheless, Gerwulf ordered a week of mourning to be observed across the realm, and Gerwain's death would- ironically enough- go on to spur several political events such as the formation of the Lord's Paladins and Gerwulf's decline from power. Gerwain's love for the arts was immortalised through the creation of a memorial gallery within the Giritath. The gallery showcases his personal collection of paintings and sculptures, celebrating the aesthetic appreciation that Gerwain had collated in his lifetime. In Thornpassage, a serene garden was planted. The "Garden of Gerwain" became a place of reflection, remembrance and study for the city's scholars. After Esther's death, the garden was renamed "Garden of Gerwain and Esther".
Relationships
"A man to whom much is owed, but whose legacy has not survived an age of scarcity: after all, who turns to an artist for food or warmth(!)." - Quillbeard, of Lord Gerwain University, in his Chancellor's Speech.
Date of Birth
4333 MRE
Date of Death
4367 MRE
Spouses
Esther Gerwin-Düngal
(Wife)
Siblings
Children
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