Current Holders of the Greenwood Bow
The Twenty of Dunthanach are not gathered in one place. They are scattered across Battania, bound by oath to answer the High King’s call when the Greenwood is threatened. Some rule as mormaers and wield the bow as a symbol of clan pride. Others wander the hills, serving no hall for long. Their authority does not come from title alone, but from the living fear and respect their skill inspires. Even kings do not command them lightly. When one of the Twenty speaks on matters of war, their words carry the weight of centuries of survival carved into yew and sinew.
Not all members of the Twenty are rulers. The tradition is older than the High Kingdom itself. Some holders are nobles by birth. Others rose from the fog-choked valleys and sheepfolds by blade and bow alone. Their presence in court unsettles those who rule by inheritance rather than merit. When one of the Twenty walks into a hall, the fire grows quiet. Their lives are rarely long. Their deaths are rarely gentle.
Mormaer of Battania, Lord of Dunglanys and Aster Castle
Brother of the former High King Aeril
Ergeon bears the title of the Twenty as both a warrior and a ruler. He is known for measured patience in war, preferring to draw enemies deep into the Greenwood before breaking them with sudden volleys. His bow is said to have been carved from the same grove his brother Aeril was crowned beside. Ergeon’s status among the Twenty gives his clan enormous prestige, and rivals accuse him of using his reputation to shield fen Derngil from reprisals. He is careful with the lives of his people, but ruthless with invaders who cross his borders.
High King of Battania, Lord of Marunath
Caladog is not only crowned High King upon Dunthanach, but also stands among the Twenty, a rare convergence of ritual authority and living mastery of the bow. His presence among the Twenty lends him legitimacy in the eyes of clans who mistrust centralized power. Caladog fights from the edge of formations, directing volleys and timing charges to shatter advancing enemies. Some whisper that his dual status makes him dangerous to rivals within Battania, as no one can easily challenge a king who may lawfully kill them in ritual combat.
Mormaer of Clan fen Uvain
Melidir’s reputation as clever and roguish is reflected in his archery style. He favors feigned retreats, sudden repositioning, and misleading volleys meant to draw enemies into ambush. Melidir treats war as a game of wit as much as steel. His enemies curse his name for vanishing into fog after cutting down their officers. Among the Twenty, he is respected for cunning rather than honor. Some elders fear his influence over younger archers, who learn his tricks before learning restraint.
Mormaer of Clan fen Morcar
Pryndor is feared even within Battania. His cruelty in war is spoken of in low voices, and his arrows are said to seek out wounded foes rather than fresh ones, ending resistance with deliberate finality. He believes terror is a weapon as useful as the bow. Pryndor’s presence among the Twenty stains the order’s reputation, but no one can deny his effectiveness against invaders. Several clans quietly hope he will fall in battle, freeing a place among the Twenty without forcing a ritual challenge.
Mormaer of Clan fen Penraic
Luichan represents the ideal many elders claim the Twenty were meant to embody. Noble in conduct and generous in victory, he is known to allow beaten enemies to withdraw rather than slaughter them to the last man. His arrows are precise, his tactics disciplined, and his leadership steady. In council, Luichan argues that the Twenty should be guardians of the Greenwood, not its executioners. This stance earns him quiet enemies among those who prefer terror to mercy.
Mormaer of Clan fen Giall, Lord of Pen Cannoc and Ab Comer Castle
Aeron is infamous across Battania as mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Generous one moment, cruel the next, daring to the point of recklessness, he leads from the front of ambush lines, loosing arrows while laughing in the mist. His presence inspires fierce loyalty among his retainers and deep unease among allies. Aeron’s membership in the Twenty is rarely challenged, not because of political protection, but because few wish to face him in a duel that could only end in blood.
Mormaer of Clan fen Eingal, Lord of Druimmor Castle
Aradwyr is a strange figure among the Twenty: devious in strategy, cautious in war, and merciful in victory. He is known for sparing defeated foes and even ransoming captives back to rival clans rather than slaughtering them. This softness earns him suspicion, yet his calculated mind makes him one of Battania’s most effective defensive commanders. He prefers to win wars by denying enemies progress rather than breaking them outright.
Oldest Living Master of Dunthanach, Father of Battania’s Featured Hero
Araleus is the oldest living member of the Twenty of Dunthanach, a figure whose name has been spoken in halls for longer than most mormaers have been alive. He is not a lord by land, but by reputation. His bow was carved from Dunthanach before the current High King’s father was born, and the scars on his hands tell of more wars than the bards can fit into a single telling. Many believe the Greenwood itself favors him, though Araleus laughs at such talk and calls it luck earned through caution.
Araleus has outlived rivals, challengers, and even some of his children. He is said to have refused the title’s inheritance for one of his sons, forcing him to earn his own standing rather than be raised by blood alone. This refusal has become legend among Battanians who argue that the Twenty should belong only to skill, not lineage. As the father of Battania’s featured character, Araleus stands as a living standard of impossible expectation. To be his child is to grow beneath a shadow that even kings respect and fear.
Araleus no longer seeks battle, but when the Greenwood is truly threatened, he answers the call. His presence on the field is quiet. He speaks little. When he draws his bow, those who know what he is step aside and let the fog take the rest.