Queen Evelina
Ruler of the most northern kingdom in Turoza, Queen Evelina has been on the throne of Kjörnsholm for over thirty years, during which time she has presided over a period of relative harmony within the Kingdom and its two semi-autonomous regions. She is the first female ruler to come to the throne of Kjörnsholm, and has been forced to prove herself as a capable leader, even amongst the small number of female Jarls who have governed some of the nation’s provinces during her time as Queen. Her rule has been a marked contrast to her ascension to the throne, which was marred by one of the bloodiest periods of civil war seen within the kingdom since its founding by Ragstan the Savage in 207S.E, a conflict whose scars are yet to fully heal properly amongst the nobility of Kjörnsholm.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The Queen stands at 5’8” tall, and her long blond hair is frequently to be found tied up in a traditional Kjörnic knot style at the back of her head. Her light blue, almost grey eyes are adept at quickly turning from shining warmly to a hard frosty stare from her small oval face. Queen Evelina is widely lauded as a beauty, with many speculating as she entered her fifth decade that she must have some Elven blood from somewhere that would explain her beauty only growing with age.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The second of two children born to Ragnar IV in 502S.E., Evelina’s early life was one of preparation for the political marriage it was thought would happen sooner or later, contracted with a suitable party by her father. This meant that much of her early life was spent concentrating on what her father called ‘skills of the home’, with many hours spent working on elaborate tapestries and embroidery, under the stern eye of her governess. Whilst Evelina was put to work learning how to be a ‘good’ wife, her brother and senior by two years, Lokis was being educated in the skills and subjects deemed necessary for a monarch to know so that they could govern Kjörnsholm most effectively.
Shortly before her fourteenth birthday, however, things began to change. Lokis was becoming notorious for his cruel and capricious nature, that was beginning to cause ripples of worry through the court, and had begun to cause Ragnar to worry deeply about the capability of his son to rule. Addressing the matter of his son’s obvious sadistic tendencies became unavoidable after his son brutally tortured several Thralls in a drunken escapade with friends that took place in the central square of the capital Kjörnsjo that was witnessed by a large group of free and Thrall onlookers. Although Ragnar carried out the letter of the law and applied to his son and his accomplices (which extended simply to paying the value of the Thralls to their owner), Ragnar knew that something more drastic must be done. A solution came to the fore when King Ragnar came across his daughter leading a deep discussion about Kjörnsholm’s diplomacy with Turoza’s nations with some of the other young ladies of the court. Summoning the tutor he had hired to educate his son, Ragnar instructed him to teach and assess his daughter as well, after paying the tutor a substantial bonus sum of gold to agree to the idea in the first place, and to keep the matter quiet. After only a week, the tutor reported that Princess Evelina was one of the most gifted young minds he had ever had the privilege of teaching, and Ragnar began to make plans for the security of his Kingdom after his death.
From that day forth, Evelina was given a fulltime education in politics, economics, strategy and diplomacy, the same education that Ragnar had tried to impress on his son, in a move that sent shockwaves and rumours flying around the royal court. The Kingdom of Kjörnsholm had always been a deeply patriarchal society and the mere idea that Ragnar was preparing his daughter for succession, rather than his son was very irregular indeed. Ragnar never made a concrete statement about his intent for succession during his lifetime, with Lokis loudly proclaiming that his little sister was only being given this education to shame him into behaving better. Some have suggested that Ragnar kept his plans secret because he felt that Lokis was capable of doing anything to retain his hold on the throne, including killing his own sister if he felt that she stood in his way. If Ragnar had indeed been worried about this, it would have been a true premonition indeed.
In 520S.E., when Evelina was eighteen years old, King Ragnar IV was killed in a hunting accident, after being accidentally shot by one of Lokis’ footmen, who many believe was ordered to do so by Lokis himself. In any case, when the traditional coronation ceremony took place it was still unclear who was to take the crown. Ragnar had decreed that the name of his successor would only be revealed at the coronation ceremony itself, a fact that actively encouraged the courtiers and nobles of Kjörnsholm to whisper and speculate about what the outcome might be. Ignoring the rumours, Lokis arrived at the coronation, completely self-assured that he would be crowned as Lokis II of Kjörnsholm, but when Ragnar’s last will and testament on the matter was opened for the first time, in front of the assembled nobility of Kjörnsholm and dignitaries from across Turoza, it was not Lokis’ name that was read out, but Evelina’s. Enraged beyond all reason, Lokis throttled the poor bureaucrat who had the misfortune to read out King Ragnar’s will, before storming from the capital, vowing revenge on all those that did not follow him from Kjörnsjo. After his departure, Evelina was crowned as the very first Queen of the Kingdom of Kjörnsholm, but the event was tarnished both by her brothers actions, and the gradual disappearance of many of the Jarls and Kjörnic nobles from the coronation feast.
A week later, news came to Queen Evelina that Lokis was mustering a force at his castle of Gyldarstrond in the north of the country, and that he had been joined by forces from many of Kjörnsholm’s Thegn families, and at least half of the Jarls, each of whom governed a province in the kingdom. Accepting the advice of her close advisors, Evelina began mustering her own forces to fight for the throne her father had given her. The civil war that rocked Kjörnsholm over the next three years was brutal and bitter. Lokis had the upper hand in the opening years of the conflict, even managing to briefly capture the capital Kjörnsjo in 522S.E., however, the securing of the capital led him to become complacent and foolish. Lokis felt that his symbolic capture and occupation of the city would be enough to evaporate opposition against him, but he was very wrong. Indeed, his taking of Kjörnsjo inspired Queen Evelina and her forces even more to fight back, and soon, Lokis found himself in retreat. Victory was finally in the Queen’s grasp, when the semi-autonomous province of Älvasholm, that had staunchly remained neutral in the conflict, finally entered the war on the side of their Queen. With the Queen closing in on him from the south, and the Elves of Älvasholm from the north-east, Lokis was forced to retreat into his de facto capital, Gyldarstrond to make a last stand. The siege of Gyldarstrond was long and bloody, with the final assault on the fortress lasting nearly two weeks on its own. Eventually Lokis’ forces were broken and he sought a final refuge in a tower at the centre of the castle complex. Though Queen Evelina appeared in person to plead with her brother to surrender, he would not give in. Shortly after Evelina’s petition, fire broke out in the tower, many believe started by Lokis himself, and as the building became a raging inferno, a burning body was seen throwing itself from the battlements and falling to its death on the ground below. The blackened, fire-ravaged body wore a crown, cemented to its head by the flames, confirming it in the minds of most as the pretender, Lokis II. Gyldarstrond was left as a crumbling ruin after the siege, never to be rebuilt, and though it pained her, Queen Evelina was convinced to leave the body of her brother where it had fallen, as a sign for those that would dare question her rule.
Since the defeat of her brother’s revolt, Queen Evelina has presided over a period of much welcomed peace across Kjörnsholm. The legacy of her brother’s rage and treachery, however still linger barely below the surface. Evelina was staunch in her decision following the revolt to pardon the Jarls and nobles that had survived and fought for Lokis, proclaiming that a new age had begun for the country, and that people’s past transgressions should be forgiven. This move greatly troubled her advisors, but her mind would not be changed. Evelina has, however, recently drawn the line at the proclaiming her nearest living relative as her successor. Having never married or had children, Queen Evelina’s natural successor by blood would have been a certain Frederick Lokisson, her nephew and son of her brother Lokis. Although Frederick Lokisson had been only a small child during the revolt of his father, and had striven to prove himself as an honest, hardworking servant of the nation, Evelina feared that he would have too much of his father in him, and instead has declared that a distant relative from one of the many states that make up the Mountain Principalities will instead take the throne on her death. Now in the third decade of her reign, Evelina will have to face down the shadows of the past from fanning afresh the flames of war.
Education
Initially, Queen Evelina’s education was confined to the domestic sphere, with the study of courtly manners, household administration and crafts being the core focus of her studies, whilst her brother, Lokis was educated in the matters pertaining to the future running of the state. However, as the more unhinged side of Lokis’ character began to come to the fore, and Evelina’s natural talents became more widely recognised, she was likewise educated in finance, politics and some military strategy, in defiance of the tradition surrounding King’s daughters that had been in existence since the time of Ragstan the Savage.
Social
Social Aptitude
Those closest to her would say that Queen Evelina is a benign and caring monarch who has the best interests for her people at heart, and would never condemn an individual without good reason. Those critical of the Queen, however say that she is too trusting, with some going as far to say that her trusting nature is downright dangerous. The Queen is also known for being very diligent in the execution of her official duties, and few can remember a single day that she gave over entirely for herself. She is also well known for strongly believing that all should be able to make their cases heard, which has led to long and protracted hearings and court proceedings in the royal court, with the Queen allowing everyone who wishes to make a point on a particular topic to speak. In addition, she has taken great pains to make herself aware of the situation of those that belong to the lower classes of Kjörnic society, even going so far as to give some benefits to the Thralls, who chattel slaves under the law of Kjörnsholm. Having said this, the Queen is not stupid, and knows that any overtures towards the abolishment of Thralls would lead to open revolt across her Kingdom. Even though the socially conscious side of her rule is disliked by those in the royal court, Queen Evelina is well liked amongst her people, particularly amongst the Gesith and Fyrd class.
Wealth & Financial state
Theoretically, the treasury of the Kingdom is also the treasury of the monarch, but in practice a certain percentage of all tax goes directly into a special ‘Royal Treasury’ which is then used by the monarchy to spend as they will, with the rest of the collected taxes being reserved for official government business. However, monarchs have freely topped up their funds from the governmental treasury in order to foot large personal expenses, and generally the payment of the monarchs servants, maintenance of royal buildings and royal public works projects will tend to be drawn from the governmental treasury, rather than the monarch’s own coffer.
Species
Year of Birth
502 S.E.
51 Years old
Birthplace
Children
Gender
Female
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
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