Geronus Family/Rowan
Contents
The Birth of a Realm
The next oldest brother of the Geronus family after Asturius, Rowan fled Atamara with some of the other Darkan rebels and came of age in the realm of Astrum on Dwilight. At that time, Astrum was the youngest realm on Dwilight, and there were many opportunities for distinction. Rowan proved himself to be an able soldier and was soon recognized for leadership potential. Eventually he was promoted to second in command of the Austere Order, the ducal army of Eidulb Duchy, under Justin Greystone. He continued to serve under Marshal Ysgarren Addonwy and was elevated to Marshal himself after the promotion of Ysgarren to Strategos of Astrum. Rowan led the Austere Order to numerous victories in defense of Eidulb Outskirts and Duil. While under his leadership, the Austere Order successfully added the city of Chrysantalys and the region of Chrysantalys Mines to Astrum's dominion. Rowan was rewarded with the title of Baron of Chrysantalys Mines.
War with Everguard
After the acquisition of Chrysantalys, Rowan successfully persuaded Astrum's leadership to adopt a more confrontational stance with its longtime neighbor to the north, Everguard. Faced with persistent food shortages and limited room to expand to the west due to the huge mountain range of northwestern Dwilight, Rowan argued that it was necessary to seize lands long claimed by Everguard, Sabadell and the Shrine of Seeklander. These lands were rogue at the time, and it was hoped that they could be quickly seized by Astrum before Everguard could react. Unfortunately, monster attacks delayed the necessary redeployment of the Austere Order allowing Everguard to annex Sabadell and march on the Shrine. The result was war. Astrum achieved decisive victories over Everguard in the Shrine, Gelene Outskirts, and Gelene while adding Gelene Outskirts and Ammando to Astrum's dominion. The Everguardians held out in Gelene itself for several months before the city's peasantry elected to join Astrum in the wake of mass starvation. Unfortunately, Astrum was not in a position to hold the city, and it went rogue. The remaining Everguardians dispersed around the continent, though a small group of them participated in the founding of Averoth.
One consequence of the war with Everguard was a rift in the relationship between Rowan and his longtime friend and ally Boreal Arrakis, the Duke of Chrysantalys and a former Strategos of Astrum. Dismayed by Astrum's failure to notify Everguard of its hostile intent, Boreal denounced the war, leading the normally level headed Rowan to defend it. In the course of the argument, Rowan forsook his allegiance to Boreal, taking his region with him. Boreal then threatened to challenge Rowan to a duel to the death, though by that time Rowan had already decided to step down as a region lord. Rowan continued to lead the Austere Order and was offered the lordship of Ammando some months later, which he accepted. Prior to Boreal's departure to found Niselur, the two men were reconciled and remained friends until Boreal's untimely death.
Strategos of Astrum
When Vasila Alexandria Dwarvenite stepped down, Strategos Ysgarren Addonwy was elected the new leader of Astrum. Rowan ran for and was elected to the position of Strategos. He subsequently organized Astrum's armies in delivering aid to Corsanctum, something he has had to do on several occasions. After campaigns to annex Zereth and Ygg d'Rahzuul, Astrum found itself drawn into a war with the Raivan Empire and the Libero Empire in the east. Alongside their allies from Xinhai, Astrum's armies participated in crushing the Raivan army in Aegir's Deep. At the end of the war, the Raivan Empire was destroyed and the Libero Empire made a separate peace.
Towards the end of the war, Astrum's one time colony of Niselur collapsed completely, leading Rowan to suggest that the homeless Niselurians come to Astrum in order to take the duchy of Gaston and build it up as the foundation of a new realm that would be Niselur's legacy. In recent days, Astrum has successfully seized Gaston Farms as the first step toward achieving this goal.
Vasilif of Astrum
After some time, Rowan was elected to be a Consul of Sanguis Astroism, from which position he was ultimately elevated to Light of the Auspicious. Around this time, Vasilif Ysgarren retired and Rowan was elected to rule Astrum. He ensured Astrum's participation in the war with Thulsoma, and when Averoth ambushed Morek at Storm's Keep, he declared war on Averoth. This led to unexpected saber rattling from Caerwyn. Rowan then joined peace talks with Averoth at Caerwyn's request. The talks went on a long time, but Averoth was unresponsive. All proposals met with either rejection or silence. Eventually he canceled the cease fire that had been in place and went back to war. Not long after, Caerwyn suddenyl declared war without warning, having been deceived as to Astrum's intentions. In the ensuing conflict, Rowan was killed in battle with Averoth, and so ends his story. However, he may have had children in Astrum...
An Account of Rowan's Death From His Enemy, Sextus Severus of Averoth
Though the shout had gone up during the battle, The Arkh-Kommandant had postponed any response to the alleged death of Astrum’s Ruler until the Redcloaks had driven the Astrumite legions from the field. Through the Infantry swarm he had observed the banners that had given way to the force of arms, as units began to break and collapse in the melee, and had seen the Vasilif’s standard fall amidst the combat only a few dozen yards away. A great boxed formation of Astrumite infantry had held the centre of the field, and many Averothian units swarmed around them in attempt to break the centre line. Sextus had lead the Redcloaked Hussars, his own Arkh-Kommando’s, against a large unit of Astrumite Special Forces who had been delayed joining the melee due to an early single charge by a small unit of 4 Hussars under the command of Sir Luke Templar. The battle slowly turned in Averoth’s favour, and the Astrumites began to withdraw as more and more of their commanders were wounded, leaving the Infantry to carry the advance and assault the remaining Astrumite archers.
Sextus rode out from the post-melee chaos and wheeled about to make his way to where the Freestate’s command staff were gathering. En route one of the Army’s messengers rode to him to hand over a hastily scrawled note. Sextus silently acknowledged the news and made haste to the rally point. Such an event meant much arrangement would be needed.
“Assemble The Guard” ordered Sextus as he trotted to the Imperial-Kommandant of Averoth, addressing both the General, his command staff and the messengers around him despatching letters or returning reports. “All standing men not assigned to other directives nor tending the wounded will form line. The Redcloaks shall take duty as Escort brigade.” All knew what he intended, and the Averothians swiftly set about to organise what needed to be done.
The Vasilif of Astrum’s body was recovered from amid the mass of slain upon the field. The search party that had located Duke Rowan’s his unit and identified him by his heraldry carried him upon a shoulder-lain latticework of spears to a clear section of the field just ahead of where the Averothian Army’s Infantry had formed themselves. There was a formal drum beat, and a sounding of the bagpipes in a short pre-salute. This gave time for the units assigned to the grim business of hastily clearing a path through the carnage of the battlefield, freeing the ground of spent arrows, broken and discarded weaponry and bodies, though not of gore stains, creating a route that was wide enough to allow the ceremonial party to traverse and march toward the scattered Astrumites across the field.
First, The Redcloaks, The Arkh-Kommandant’s personal Army, fully dismounted as a sign of respect, formed themselves into an ensemble around the Vasilif, followed in turn by the nobility of The Freestate each with a small wing of men from their own unit. Of the Knights, Lords and members of the Kommandantry, Averoth had suffered only a single wounding that had left a commander out of action. As such every single other noble of the Freestate gathered themselves around the troops carrying the Vasilif’s body. All of the vanguard drew their sabres at the left, in the typical swift underarm draw that all Averothian soldiers were trained to. They raised their blades and then uniformly set them to their shoulder.
With the military escort assembled, Sextus directed the standard bearers to take the head of the procession, three Averothian Redcloaks each carrying the heraldic standards, one who raised the fallen banner of the Vasilif’s unit, the other two knights dismounted from Sextus’ own Hussars. As they took their place Sextus strode toward them and glanced skyward, “The Flag of the Freestate already flies this day, therefore we need not embellish ourselves, but instead raise the standards of the fallen in honour”, and he motioned for the guards to adjust themselves accordingly.
With this done, The Arkh-Kommandant made to the left of the formation, where Imperial Kommandant Reece and Cyabr and Captain of the Guard Lex; whose unit of Hussars had personally been responsible for the Vasilif’s death, both stood as their men; with their weapons drawn in salute. Sextus followed suit, the pattern blade of his sabre forged from the designs of all swords of Dwilight that were collected at the Second Averothian Tourney, the same as carried by all Averothians, was swept quickly to salute also. With all three present members of the Kommandantry in place, Sextus gave the order to the pipes and drums, and to the entire assembly to advance.
And so they marched, the pipes and drums set to the tune of The Last Salute, a score devised to recognise and glorify the gallantry of combat and the glorification of those fallen, a tribute by The Freestate to Vasilif Rowan Geronus of Astrum, Duke of Gelene. The Astrumite Banner, sullied and part torn as it was, flew high in the centre of the two flanking Averothian standards, each carried dipped forward by their bearers as a mark of respect. Though tired as they were from combat, and as dirtied as their tall helms, cream surcoats and embellished red cloaks were, with their sabres drawn, The Vanguard advanced across the field, to deliver unto their foes a great hero who had fallen.
