Heir of Vlandia, Lord in Proxy of Tallvel, the Unquiet Flame
Prince Edurand is the eldest son of King @Derthert Dey Meroc and the most visible embodiment of the future of House dey Meroc. Where his father governs through law, record, and measured control, Edurand moves through the world as a weapon in motion. He is known across the Marches as a daring commander, personally brave to the point of recklessness, and unforgiving once his temper is roused. His reputation as a warmonger is earned, not merely spoken of in court whispers. He rides with the front ranks, fights in person, and demands the same from those who serve him.
Edurand believes the throne is not something to be waited for, but something to be seized when the realm shows weakness. He views all of Calradia as the natural inheritance of Vlandia by right of strength and succession. To him, borders are provisional lines waiting to be tested. This belief places him in quiet opposition to his father’s cautious doctrine of consolidation. While Derthert seeks to tighten the web that holds the Marches together, Edurand seeks to cast that web outward over neighboring lands. This tension is known at court, though rarely spoken openly.
Though he loves his siblings, Edurand sees them as rivals in the arithmetic of succession. He does not wish them harm, but he does not trust fate to resolve claims cleanly. In his private calculations, even Queen @Philenora is a potential obstacle should she attempt to act as regent or kingmaker if Derthert were to fall. This does not translate into open cruelty toward his family. In public, Edurand is loyal, protective, and affectionate. In private, he prepares for the possibility that love will not shield him from inheritance politics.
Edurand holds no castle in his own name, but his father has granted him proxy command of @Tallvel Castle , a strategic fortress controlling key interior road corridors. From Tallvel, Edurand has built a personal force of roughly two hundred professional soldiers, separate from the rotating garrison owed by charter. These troops are trained, fed, and paid directly from funds allocated to Edurand’s household. They are loyal to him personally rather than to the crown in abstraction. Each cycle of training and supply increases their number, as Edurand quietly expands his personal military base under the pretense of strengthening Tallvel’s defenses. Court observers understand the implication: these are not merely castle guards. They are the nucleus of a private army.
As a leader, Edurand is magnetic. He is tall for a Vlandic noble, broad-shouldered, and physically imposing, with a presence that dominates rooms and battle lines alike. He wears his hair unkempt by court standards, favoring practicality over polish, and dresses as a warrior even in formal settings. This has made him popular among soldiers and younger nobles who resent the stiffness of court life. They see in him a prince who shares their hardships rather than ruling from ledgers. Veterans speak of his courage in battle with grudging respect. They also speak of his rages with caution. Edurand is slow to forgive perceived betrayal and quick to punish failure when it endangers his objectives.
Edurand’s impulsiveness is his greatest strength and weakness. He acts decisively in moments when others hesitate, seizing opportunities on the field and in politics with bold moves that often succeed through sheer force of will. Yet he rarely calculates long-term consequences beyond the immediate victory. This has already caused friction with stewards and quartermasters who struggle to support his aggressive posture. He pushes supply lines hard, expects rapid musters, and grows impatient with delays that arise from lawful process. Where Derthert respects the machinery of the realm, Edurand treats it as something to be driven at full speed until it breaks or yields.
At court, Edurand is charming when he chooses to be. He understands how to win personal loyalty and inspire devotion. His cruelty is not casual, but it is remembered. Those who cross him rarely receive second chances. This has created a court of quiet fear around his growing influence. Nobles who support him do so out of admiration or ambition. Nobles who oppose him do so cautiously, aware that his future power may outlast their current leverage.
To the common people, Edurand is a hero in armor. Tales of the prince who fights beside his men circulate in taverns and garrisons. He is seen as the king Vlandia might become if it chose conquest over containment. To stewards and clerks, he is a storm waiting to break the careful balances that keep the Marches stable. To King Derthert, Edurand is both his legacy and his greatest risk: a son strong enough to carry the crown, and volatile enough to reshape the realm in fire.
Edurand stands at the fault line between the Vlandia that exists and the Vlandia that could be forced into being. Whether he becomes the spear that drives the kingdom outward or the spark that fractures it depends not on his strength, but on whether anyone can temper his hunger for dominion without breaking him.