Haerthorne Family/Caim
| Caim Haerthorne | |
| |
| Status: | Alive |
| Continent: | Far East |
| Realm: | Greater Aenilia |
| Titles Held: | Baron of Ahael
|
| Class: | Courteous Cavalier |
| Honor: | 116 |
| Prestige: | 29 |
| Age: | 32 |
| Height: | 6'2" |
| Weight: | Roughly 168 lbs |
| Eyes: | Icey Blue |
| Hair: | Ash Blonde |
A stunted beech stood besides a path that had once seen better days where it swayed in the wind, its bare branches seeming lifeless in the stillness of the snowy backdrop. Shivering in the cold air, a sparrow with a red chest clung all alone on the tree, a single dab of colour in the forest. Caim smiled weakly as his ice blue eyes followed the confused bird in his flight to a better place to shelter. The poor creature had never expected a winter to arrive so swiftly, but at least it did not find itself freezing in the biting winds of the north. It passed under Vaurkan's nose in it's search which sent the horse snorting in annoyance. Instead of finding humour in it though, the fair blonde youth could only think of the sad symbolism of that.
The sparrow had been the crest of... of the man who should have been his father. A foolish man who had died and left it to his mother to tell her grandson the truth.
The General's Son
Born from the tryst between Aerywyn and a young noblewoman by the name of Kath'lanar in the midst of the Great Northern War, a bastard growing up in an age of chaos. The two lovers were split up by their families for the sake of saving face, yet upon their request the child was accepted into the Haerthorne household as a bastard of Gaerrant, Aerywyn's estranged father. Given the name Willam by his grandfather, he was taken on as a page and taught how to be a knight, yet at the age of seven his foster father died. During this time his mother had died as well, leaving the remaining members of the family to take care of the boy. Unsure of revealing the truth to his son, Aerywyn brought him up as his squire.
As Arcaea grew and Aerywyn took on greater roles and earned both glory, fame and honour fighting for his home, Caim was taught largely by his grandmother Gwydda and aunt Aeriel. Although Aerywyn often found himself embroiled in the duties of planning strategy and almost unceasing warfare he did still manage to impart much of his knowledge to the boy. Both eager and intelligent, Caim did well in his studies in strategy, history, literature and the arts as well as his training to be a knight. Ironically he came to see Aerywyn as a father-figure in that time.
However, at the age he was knighted, Aerywyn died at the age of thirty-one. Whilst Caim was grieving the truth was revealed to him, along with his true name. Unable to comprehend this, struggling to understand why his father could have been too cowardly to tell the truth, Caim left Arcaea in a daze.
Having inherited his father's wit and grace (or lack there of), Caim can be seen to be a lighter version bereft of the torturous anguish that Aerywyn suffered during his life. Graced with a clear and instinctive mind, he is an amiable individual who tries to stay out of the shadow of the families legacy, however his heart can be fickle, taken as it is by the fae nature of the Haerthorne line.
Highlander
After joining Ohnar West soon after finding his home of Arcaea to be too stifling for his liking, Caim quickly became embroiled in the intrigue that would in the space of a week split Ohnar West in two after his liege Duke Hamilton Vita was proclaimed an enemy of the realm. Disgusted with both the ineptidude of those leading the realm and the stagnation that was crippling its people, the young knight began striding to do what he could to help the fledgling Akadian League survive. Gradually his grip on politics and war began to mold to a semblance of his father's skill as there was no shortage for battle and glory.
After a rapid rise through the ranks, Caim was made both Marshal of the External Revenue Service, the League's first army, and Lord Treasurer in charge of stabilising the duchy's fast borderline starvation food situation. Faced with the poor state of the outlying regions of Upasael and Pesol, the Akadian's quickly saw them taken back by Ohnar West. With the arrival alternately of Greater Aenilia and Arcaea to aid at two pivotal moments, who had previously shown hostility to the fledgling realm, the tide was soon turned and the League came back on it's feet.
On the first of April, 2009, Caim was elected both Lord Protector and Lord Justiciar of the realm in the first official elections. His tenure lasted many months until the negotiated fall of the Akadian League, the history of which can be found in greater detail here.
Repaying a Father's Debts
Numerous times he had recieved the impression that he would be most welcome in the lands of High King Luyten of Greater Aenilia, so after the disgraceful actions of the Ohnarian nobility after the treaty was concluded, Caim left for the south brimming with silent, seething anger at what had been done, taking up residence under Duke Salerim of Nahad to divert his energies against Soliferum, whom he felt an even greater hatred for than the Ohnarians.
This proved to be a good thing. As the war progressed he ascended through the ranks of Greater Aenilia, first as Marshal of the Aenilian Expeditionary Army then eventually Captain General and Baron of Ahael, missing Kingship by a narrow margin for one who was originally a foreigner. At the beginning of his command however it was by the individual initiative of the then Duke of Idapur, Xarnelf, and others in the realm that many of the wars major breakthroughs were made. In the end it was through diplomacy that the biggest success was earned, when the actions of Soliferum convinced the Principality of Zonasa to open her borders and declare war on her erstwhile ally, leaving the soft underbelly of the southern giant open to Aenilian raiders. The next few weeks was when the army was allowed free reign over the cities and farmlands, looting what food and gold they could, driving several regions rogue in their efforts.
Very soon after the city of Hatdhes was invaded by the northern branch of the alliance and brought into the sphere of C'thonia after an unsuccesful assault on Masahakon. Upon coming home from this King Tharion joined the circus and died in a lion accident, which opened the way for Duke Xarnelf to become King (renaming the position 'Imperial Paladin' - later 'Paladin-King') and gave Caim the mountains and mines of Ahael in turn. After putting out a call for more knights he spent time ensuring the prosperity of his new land so that the rich silver deposits would restore the lost fortunes of the Haerthorne family.
Tensions Arise
When King Jenred's plan for a continent-wide guild and meeting place came into action at the Conference in Ipsosez, Caim headed the Greater Aenilian delegation along with Ambassador Guy du Bas Tyra and Duke Rekhyt of the citadel. The direction and scope of the conference led to the establishment of the Order of the Hawk. Around this time he was also involved in the secession of Waar Aenil, playing off the Duke and Patriarch of the Magna Aenilia Ecclesia, Markus Thurdan, so that he would fulfill his ambitions to create his theocracy and bring it down. It was around this time that the friendship between Caim and King Jenred Bedwyr was noticed by those around him, especially Paladin-King Xarnelf.
Peace did not last long in the Far East. New Kingdoms were settling uneasily into their new borders and Arcaea had a debt to take from those who had fought against her whilst she was weak. The Principality of Zonasa had long been a federated ally of Soliferum and so became targetted by Arcaea and C'thonia, as well as NeoSartania who had a less legitimate reason for war. Choosing a delicate path with many of the former-alliances still remaining in place from the war against Soliferum, Greater Aenilia went to war with Neo-Sartania in particular. Caim was troubled by the confused state of the war in which they were technically aiding Zonasa but only against one enemy whilst in practice had several nobles using their neutrality to diffuse battles and stop looting. This and a blunt attitude to Arcaea, refusing to define exactly what the terms were for when each side became involved, caused the war to expand. Every region of Zonasa except for the capital itself was attacked, her two cities of Palnasos and Batesaor besieged and broken by the invading armies. King Jenred meanwhile declared war on Greater Aenilia in anger at their interference.
A combination of his own conflict and a promise made a year before to Paladin-King Xarnelf to reinforce the trust they held caused Caim to step down as Captain-General at this time. He could lead an army against his former Kingdom if forced to, but he could not lead it in good conscience when there were others better motivated to persue such a course of action. With parting words to those whom he had commanded and fought beside, he stepped down to resume his normal duties and allow Sir Borna Stublic to take his place.
