High King of the Marches, Lord of House dey Meroc, Warden of the Northern Gate
King Derthert is the reigning sovereign of Vlandia and the head of House dey Meroc, one of the oldest and most entrenched noble houses of the Marches. His authority rests not on legend or conquest alone, but on inheritance, legal continuity, and control of key nodes of trade and war. Through crown right and household holdings, Derthert directly controls the great city of @Sargot City , the port city of Galend, and the strategic fortress of @Tallvel Castle . These holdings give House dey Meroc direct influence over coastal trade, northern maritime access, and interior road corridors, allowing the crown to project power without relying solely on rival banner-lords.
Derthert’s rise to the throne was not marked by sudden conquest, but by careful consolidation. He inherited a realm shaped by layered oaths and competing houses, and his reign has been defined by the steady tightening of royal oversight over ports, toll courts, and mustering rights. He favors law over spectacle and charter over charisma. His rule strengthens institutions rather than elevates personal legend. In court, Derthert is known for listening more than he speaks, allowing rivals to expose themselves through negotiation and rivalry rather than force.
As ruler, Derthert’s primary concern is internal stability. He believes the greatest threat to Vlandia is not invasion from without, but fragmentation from within: lords who treat their lands as private kingdoms, ports that drift into guild control, and musters that become bargaining chips instead of obligations. This belief has led him to place crown officers in key cities, expand royal oversight in shipyards and toll courts, and maintain direct control over Sargot as the Northern Gate of the realm. These policies have angered some coastal nobles and merchant houses, but Derthert considers such resentment a tolerable cost of keeping the Marches intact.
Derthert’s approach to war is measured and procedural. He does not seek glory in reckless campaigns. Instead, he favors operations that secure roads, crossings, and fortress lines. His generals are chosen for discipline and logistical competence rather than daring. Victories under his reign tend to be slow and decisive rather than dramatic. He is willing to retreat, regroup, and grind an enemy down through control of movement and supply. Among warriors, this earns him a reputation as cautious. Among stewards and quartermasters, it earns him loyalty.
In matters of faith, Derthert is orthodox but restrained. He supports the Church of the Word as an institution of record, oath-witness, and moral order, but resists clerical encroachment into governance. He encourages public observance and lawful vows, yet insists that courts and musters answer to the crown rather than the clergy. This balance has kept religious authority aligned with royal law without allowing it to rival royal command.
Derthert is married to Queen Philenora, whose lineage binds House dey Meroc to several influential coastal and inland families. Their union is as political as it is personal, strengthening Derthert’s legitimacy among rival houses. The queen is widely regarded as a stabilizing presence at court, known for mediating disputes among nobles and maintaining household alliances. Where Derthert governs through law and charter, Philenora governs through relationships and patronage.
Their children—Erdurand, Alary, Elys, Amorcon, and Morcon—are raised not merely as heirs, but as instruments of future policy. Each is educated in governance, warfare, and law, and each is expected to be bound by marriage, command, or charter to strengthen House dey Meroc’s grip on the Marches. Court observers quietly speculate over which child will inherit which holding or alliance, and rival houses maneuver to place their bloodlines into the royal family through betrothal.
Among common folk, Derthert is a distant figure. His presence is felt through toll seals, muster writs, and crown officers rather than personal appearances. Merchants credit his reign with predictable tariffs and protected roads. Laborers credit him with steady work in ports and shipyards. Peasants know him as the name on the writ that takes their sons to war. He is respected as a king who keeps the realm functioning, not loved as a king who inspires devotion.
Derthert’s greatest weakness lies in his tolerance of controlled corruption. He is aware that dock syndicates, toll bribes, and shadow trade exist beneath royal law, particularly in cities like Sargot and Galend. He allows this so long as it does not disrupt musters, shipping, or crown revenue. This pragmatic tolerance has kept the system moving, but it has also allowed criminal networks to grow powerful in the seams of lawful authority. Reformers at court view this as a failure of moral leadership. Derthert views it as the price of governing a complex realm without tearing it apart.
To allies, King Derthert is a stabilizer who values continuity over spectacle. To rivals, he is an obstacle who cannot be easily provoked into rash action. To ambitious nobles, he is a king who limits their freedom while offering them predictable ground on which to compete. His reign is not remembered for sweeping conquest, but for holding the Vlandic Marches together in an age where many realms fracture under the weight of their own ambition.