The Regency of Thelidor
With @King Liam of Thelidor only seven years old and not yet considered to have reached "an age of wisdom" under Thelidorian law, the kingdom is governed by a regency council composed of influential figures from its major noble houses. These lords and advisors convene within the stone walls of @Delia Castle, each wielding their own brand of power, ambition, and loyalty.
🏛️ @Holden Caldwelle ( @House Caelthorn )
@Holden Caldwelle serves as chief regency administrator and barrister for @Lord Arthur Caelthorn, whose lands border the troubled region of @Alendria. With Lord Arthur increasingly absent due to rising @Hesan Empire threats, Holden has become the voice of @House Caelthorn in @Delia. Known for his meticulous nature, Holden insists every agreement be formalized as a signed treaty. Though often overwhelmed by the contemptuous Halebrandt and the rhetorical slipperiness of Durnmere, Holden remains a steadfast guardian of legal order.
🦁 @Lord Godric Halebrandt & @Grant Halebrandt ( @House Halebrandt)
@Lord Godric Halebrandt, the lion-hearted patriarch of @House Halebrandt, is revered for his martial prowess and commanding presence. He values strength above all and personally inspects his troops to ensure they meet his exacting standards. His nephew, @Grant Halebrandt, serves as chief clerk for the house's regency interests. A scholar raised among scrolls and statutes, Grant translates legal complexities into actionable plans. Frustrated by Caelthorn's outdated proposals and Durnmere's evasions, Grant now seeks more decisive measures beyond the ink-stained desk.
🧠 @Lord Bastian Durnmere & @Ida Wieland (@House Durnmere )
@Lord Bastian Durnmere rose from merchant roots to noble status through cunning and wealth. A master of courtly intrigue, he maneuvers through Delia's politics with charm and calculation, always angling to elevate House Durnmere's influence. His personal secretary, @Ida Wieland, is a Hesan expatriate who fled an unwanted marriage. Stoic and uncompromising, Ida's quiet intensity and disciplined demeanor make her an unnerving presence in council chambers, often extracting truths others would rather conceal.
🌊 @Thomas Langton (Chancellor on behalf of the Crown)
@Thomas Langton, a priest of Stella Maris, serves as chancellor to young King Liam. Draped in sea-themed vestments and speaking in metaphor-rich cadence, Langton brings a spiritual calm to the regency. Though his reforms often clash with the ambitions of the noble houses, he remains a quiet force of wisdom and balance, guiding Liam through the turbulent waters of court politics.
🔪 @Lady Selene Estiellet , The Black Lioness (House Estiellet)
@Lady Selene Estiellet - Cousin of former King Bertram, with whom she had an affair. She is the mother of King Bertram's bastard son @Malrec Estiellet . A formidable and ruthless figure within the regency’s inner circle. Her rivalry with @Dowager Lady Rowenna Estiellet is whispered about in court, fueled by bitter resentment and competing claims to influence over the late king’s legacy.
Her vision for Thelidor was once aligned with strengthening centralized power and strict order, but scandal and circumstance forced her into a more ruthless path. She endorses espionage, intimidation, and sanctioned violence to root out dissent and consolidate authority.
Her ambition is fueled by cold pragmatism and a belief that only iron rule and pure royal blood can preserve Thelidor’s fragile stability. While some admire her decisiveness and clarity of purpose, many fear her growing influence and the erosion of civil liberties under her watch. Selene’s presence in the regency council is a constant test of the other members’ principles and alliances.
Selene's Shadowy Alliances
Selene has forged shadowy alliances with key figures in several noble houses to bolster her influence and further her ambitions:
@House Caelthorn : @Lyle Grandview - clever and enigmatic human politician serving as chief visor and Castilian to Lord Arthur Caelthorn, known for his warm charm with nobility and cold dismissal of commoners. He has formed a secret alliance with Lady Selene in Malrec's cause for the throne of Thelidor. Lyle greatly admires Selene's cold pragmatism and a belief that only iron rule and pure royal blood. He is here eyes and ears in Caelthorn. And helps her search for a distinguished wife, hopefully of royal blood, for Malrec.
@House Durnmere : @Morris Fitz Cedric - the bastard brother of Lord Bastion Durnmere, born out of a secret liaison that the noble family prefers to keep hidden. Despite his illegitimate status, Morris received a well-rounded education, making him a charming and articulate individual. He operates in Thelidor as a scribe, a role that allows him to move quietly among the nobility and common folk alike. His true loyalties remain a mystery, as he offers his services to various factions, including those opposed to his own family. Morris seems to resonate with the destabilizing power that Malrec represents.
@House Halebrandt : @Lady Fiona Halebrandt - daughter of Lord Godric Halebrandt. Selene has not formed an alliance with her, but rather manipulated her into thinking of her as sympathetic through their shared distrust of other figures. Fiona is particularly resentful of House Durnmere, which Selene exploits.
Malrec Estiellete
@Malrec Estiellet - Bastard son of King Bertram and @Lady Selene Estiellet , half brother of @King Liam of Thelidor. A dangerous rival to young King Liam. At approximately 14 years old, Malrec is old enough to claim his own right to the throne, bypassing the need for a regency and threatening to destabilize the fragile balance of power in Thelidor.
Though not welcome in the council proper, his supporters whisper of his cold, unyielding gaze and his penchant for orchestrating small acts of cruelty to test loyalty and fear. Rumors suggest he has already begun to gather a faction of nobles and mercenaries willing to back his claim, using blackmail, bribery, and threats to expand his influence.
The possibility of Malrec’s ascension terrifies many in the regency council and beyond, for his rule promises not stability but a reign of iron and shadow, challenging the ideals and alliances that hold Thelidor together.
⚜️ @Dowager Lady Rowenna Estiellet , The White Lioness (House Estiellet)
Rowenna Estiellet, mother of @King Liam of Thelidor and widow of the late King Bertram, has spent the past decade in quiet reverence, using her wealth and influence to support orphanages, healing houses, and the Church of Stella Maris. Though she holds no formal seat on the regency council, her patronage secured Thomas Langton as Chancellor, shaping the young King Liam's early decisions. Her chambers in Delia Castle are modest yet heavily guarded, and nobles tread carefully around her, sensing a grieving widow, a spiritual anchor, and a subtle architect of temperate governance. Rowenna holds quiet content toward @Lady Selene Estiellet , who had an affair with her late husband and meddled too often in court.