House of Klüpfuchs
The House of Klüpfuchs is the ruling family of Bernicia. They are led by King Beornric the Shrewd, who has ruled Bernicia and the family for the last fifty years. During that time he has outlived three wives, and sired many children. Seven sons and twelve daughters have survived to adulthood, and are known collectively as the 'Young Foxes', after the three fox banner of Bernicia.
The Klüpfuchs family is considered something of an anomaly among the royal clans of Ynys. They are both very large, and also remarkably close-knit and coordinated. Beornric has prioritized the education of all of his children, emphasizing subjects such as statecraft and diplomacy, and has assigned important duties to each of them according to their skills. Additionally, he has made sure they are familiar with the responsibilities that attend the crown in an attempt to forestall conflict over the succession when he should pass. By all accounts, he has succeeded at that, perhaps even more than he wished to. Several of his children, including Crown Prince Æthelstan, have expressed more of an interest in being the power behind the throne rather than the one to sit upon it.
The Young Foxes are well-known throughout the Northeastern Region, and many of them are serving the kingdom as ambassadors to other nations. Those who get to know them are frequently impressed by their charm and intellect, and those who know them well are often surprised by the wide range of skills they were trained in at the King's instruction. Each of them spent some time training with the Eiðbundinn, and more than one friend of a fox has been startled to learn that the Princess is also a proficient lockpick, or that the suave prince has a knack for juggling and throwing knives.
Most recently, the family has turned its attention to the matter of Llif's Prophecy. They believe that it can be interpreted literally, and that there will be a single monarch that rules Ynys within the next hundred years. Given that, Beornric and his children have been collecting information and laying plans to make sure that the person who wears the crown is no enemy of theirs. It is generally agreed among the siblings that they would rather place the heavy burden of the crown on someone else - but it is crucial that whoever wears it is someone that they approve of.
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