Duchess Larion of Ishir
Duchess Larion Amalia of Ishir
I do have to wonder how the people feel about her. Is she someone they want as Empress? Does she have support outside of those on her own payroll? What does she offer those who do not profess their loyalty to her alone?Duchess Larion Amalia is the current Duchess of Ishir, a region in the west of the Vosti Empire. She is the senior most descendant of Emperior Brimeon III, who some consider as the last 'legitimate' emperor of Vost, and has leveraged this position to start the Second Vosti Civil War over her claim to the throne.
History
Born in 363 AC as the only child of Duke Taren of Ishir and Lady Ulera Huvenston, Larion was treated to a nigh-royal education despite not being the direct line of imperial succession. She was trained extensively in matters of history and politics, with the hope that she would be able to rise high in the imperial court as an advisor or diplomat. As she grew older, Larion did not follow through on these hopes, choosing to focus on her ducal power base in the empire's west and on establishing strong ties with her close cousins. These actions did not go unnoticed by Emperor Treveon II, who made multiple visits to the Ishir estate to discuss the state of power in the empire. Purportedly, he is responsible for determining which of her cousins Larion ended up marrying, choosing the lower-in-succession Brimeon Visha instead of the future Duke Rumen of Kerinston, as well as brokering a deal that her children would marry outside of that family tangle. The state of cooperation between Larion and the Emperor ended with his death in 402, with his successor showing little interest in cultivating a positive relationship with a potential rival for his throne. Far from one to squander an opportunity, Larion spent much of the 400s and 410s bolstering local support and quarrelling with the powerful Shonyul family. She finally made her move, alongside her ally Duke Rumen, when Brimeon IV announced who was to be his successor - Grelan Tellis. Unhappy with this decision due to Grelan's lack of military or political experience, Larion took the opportunity to seize control of many of the towns and ports in her duchy using her power base. To date, Larion has yet to need to defend her position from an organised force, but that is set to change soon.Social Ties
Larion is the only child of Duke Taren of Ishir, and the only grandchild of Prince Treveon, eldest child of Emperor Brimeon III. Her husband is Lord Brimeon Visha, himself a descendant of Emperor Brimeon via his youngest child, Prince Ferean. However, the two are not second cousins - they are first cousins once removed. The pair have two children - Fereon and Taren. Against his mother's wishes, Fereon married Lady Muna Shonyul in 403, herself the senior most grandchild of Emperor Brimeon IV. Larion has never come around on the match, and has little interaction with the couple's three children. A result of this has been the common understanding that Fereon will not inherit of her titles. Instead, those titles will fall to the younger sibling, Taren. Taren was married in 418 to Lady Evira Parenis, with the two having two children - Marem, and Virean, though Marem passed away in 421 shy of his first birthday. The couple have remained close to Larion, and have supported her in the build up to her imperial campaign.
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Duchess of Ishir, Countess of Mespona
Year of Birth
363 AC
62 Years old
Family
Children
Pronouns
She/Her
Gender
Female
Aligned Organization
Inevitable
It's not clear how Larion came to prize the imperial throne so strongly, but it's been known that it was her ultimate goal for decades. While she had used the adoption of Grelan Tellis as justification for her rebellion, it's widely believed she would have risen up if anyone short of herself or her son Taren had been selected.
Fireworks by davidgarry
Fragile Alliance
Though she has teamed up with her cousin, Duke Rumen of Kerinston, the alliance is not an equal one. Larion is understood to be the brains behind the operation, taking advantage of Rumen's military experience to curry favour with the Imperial Army and of his personal support to fill out their forces. While the duo have made large moves in recent weeks to seize the empire's south west, some suspect the longer a war drags on, the more Rumen will resent his junior position in the partnership.
Burning Book by Movidagrafica
Comments