King Donald II
Crown Prince Donald Goldwyrm
King Donald II, grandson of King Donald I, is the current king of the Eldrian Empire and has ruled since 1000, 3a. Donald's life and reign have been plagued by war - both internal and external. Donald II has curtalied much of the freedoms of the guilds, and has returned to a stricter fuedal code of control with heavy centralisation under his crown.
The second ruling monarch of the Goldwyrm dynasty, Donald's father, Crown Prince Henry, was assassinated during the crisis of 992 and his early life was largely spent in exile during the Civil War. Following the war, Donald was dominated by regents and powerful nobles and merchants who used him as a puppet ruler. This led to multiple purges during his reign, and a large mistrust of those in power around him.
Donald was the emperor for the entirity of the 40 year war, and was largely uninvovled until 1020. Considered a staunch imperalist, Donald has aspirations to reclaim lost territory and reassert the empire's dominance in the west. Outsiders say Donald may be one of the last monarchs of the empire, with his two children, Henry and James, unlikely to hold the empire together after his death.
Early Life
Donald’s early life was fraught with conflict and terror. His father, Crown Prince Heinrich, was assassinated when he was 2 years old. His mother kept him secure in the imperial palace in Eldron during the Commonwealth revolution for the rest of the war. The Eldrian Civil War broke out when Donald was 5 years old. This conflict largely left the young boy unaffected, as his courtly tuition and life continued with no knowledge of the war until he was 7 years old, when his uncle Francis ordered him smuggled out of the country. Donald and his mother were smuggled by servants to East Marcia, his mothers home country. Donald would spend the remainder of his time in exile training in Soliel, learning history and statecraft. He was told he was the ‘rightful emperor’ but had little idea of what this meant. Donald was returned to the empire in 1000, when he was coronated and his rival, Queen Hilda, was executed by a writ he was forced to sign by his courtiers. This began the regency period of his Donald’s life.Regency Period
The Regency period lasted for 8 years, from 1000-1018. During this time his mother, Queen Mother Joan de Roi, his former tutor, Sir Rerwin Moore, and the former head of the banker’s guild, Baron Tueton Montague, assumed a regency council. Donald would sign whatever papers and laws they told him to, and would spend yet more years hidden away in his palace. The outside world did not affect Donald, and he knew nothing of the daily lives of the common folk. In his name, however, reforms were stripped away, taxes and fines raised, and corruption ran rampant. This saw him become an incredibly unpopular king, just as his grandfather was before him. When Donald was 12, the 40 years war began. Donald knew nothing of this until 4 days in, when his favourite Kingsguard, Sir John Shaw, was sent to war. Shaw would die within the year. Yet another war barely troubled the child, and he left much of the ruling up his regency council. In 1016, Donald was married to an East Marcian Princess named Yvonne de Cheval, a cousin of his, in an extravagant ceremony. It was here he first saw the effects of the war, as the wounded returned to the city of Eldron. He also saw the effects of the corruption and cruelty his council had brought. His new wife was a political schemer, and encouraged Donald to rise up and reclaim control. When the regency officially ended on his 18th birthday, his mother tried to encourage him to allow them more powers. Donald refused, and imprisoned the entire council, including his mother.
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
988
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Orange
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
White
Height
2"4
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