Lord of Dunglanys and Aster Castle, Warden of the Rock of Glanys
Ergeon fen Derngil is Mormaer of Battania and head of Clan fen Derngil, holding Dunglanys, the Rock of Glanys, and Aster Castle. He is brother to the vanished High King Aeril, husband to Nywin, and father to Ranaon, Sein, and Alynneth. Among the clans, Ergeon is known as a man who bears the weight of legacy without allowing it to rule him. His blood ties place him close to the heart of Battania’s greatest unanswered question: the disappearance of Aeril. This connection grants Ergeon both prestige and suspicion in equal measure.
The fen Derngil have long stood for strong kingship in Battania. While many clans prize autonomy above all else, fen Derngil’s tradition holds that the Greenwood survives best when its many voices can be gathered behind a single banner in times of crisis. Ergeon has inherited this belief, and it shapes his politics more than personal grievance ever could. Although his clan deeply resents Caladog, whom many among fen Derngil whisper to be a lowborn upstart who rose too conveniently after Aeril’s disappearance, Ergeon himself insists on loyalty to the High King. He fears that open defiance would fracture Battania at a time when outside powers watch the Greenwood with hungry eyes.
Ergeon’s loyalty is not born of affection. He does not trust Caladog, nor does he dismiss the darker rumors surrounding Aeril’s fate. Yet Ergeon understands the cost of returning Battania to the anarchy that once consumed it, when feuds burned unchecked and kingship was little more than a story told by the loudest voice. To him, a flawed High King is less dangerous than no High King at all. This stance has placed him at odds with many within his own clan, who see restraint as betrayal and patience as weakness.
As a ruler, Ergeon is known for honesty and measured judgment. He does not lie easily, even when truth complicates politics. He is cautious in war, preferring preparation and strong defensive positioning to reckless raids. This caution is often mistaken for timidity by more aggressive mormaers, but his people know it as care for their survival. He is merciful in victory, sparing defeated foes when doing so does not endanger his lands, and he is calculating in governance, weighing long-term stability over short-term pride. These traits have earned him a reputation as decent and kind in a land that often rewards cruelty more visibly than compassion.
Ergeon’s rule over Dunglanys reflects his respect for ritual and restraint. He allows the rites of kingship to proceed regardless of his personal feelings toward the High King, guarding the Rock of Glanys as a sacred trust rather than a political weapon. He grants safe conduct to rivals who come to witness or contest ritual legitimacy, even when doing so puts his own position at risk. This commitment to custom has prevented Dunglanys from becoming a flashpoint of civil war, but it has also made Ergeon a man who is quietly watched by those who would rather see the Rock used to undermine Caladog openly.
Within his household, Ergeon is known as a gentle father and a patient husband. Nywin tempers his caution with quiet resolve, often pressing him to act more decisively when threats loom too close to their children’s future. Ranaon, Sein, and Alynneth grow up under the long shadow of Aeril’s disappearance and their father’s refusal to seek vengeance without proof. Their upbringing is shaped by the tension between honor and ambition, between what is owed to blood and what is owed to Battania.
Ergeon’s greatest strength is his refusal to let grief become policy. His greatest vulnerability is that this same restraint can be read as hesitation in a land that respects decisive violence. Should proof ever surface of foul play in Aeril’s disappearance, Ergeon would be forced to choose between the stability he has preserved and the justice his clan demands. In Battania, such choices rarely leave the chooser unscarred.