At sixteen years old, Halspan is the sibling closest to Roen’s age (besides fourteen-year old Andric, who is believed to be dead). Halspan’s mother was Knightlord Doryan’s second wife, a girl of middling birth named Golia. Golia produced two healthy boys for the Knightlord—Ralton and Halspan—and then, in an apparent fit of pique, hanged herself in her bedchamber. The Knightlord, not one to waste time, quickly remarried, taking Roen’s eventual mother Raelisanne to wife; thereafter, speaking the name “Golia” was forbidden within Dorn Keep’s walls. Halspan is large for his age, and burly, with thick brown hair, a thick neck, and broad shoulders. Despite his size, his temperament is gentle—even if he can occasionally lose himself to anger or melancholy. Halspan has an unrequited crush on a young local noblewoman named Daise ven Darish, but what he truly wants is to be a better son.
Ralton ven Dorn
Seventeen-year old Ralton is Knightlord Doryan ven Dorn’s second-oldest son. Like Halspan, Ralton was born to the Knightlord and his second wife, Golia; Ralton is fond of quipping that his mother hanged herself because she was “disappointed in Halspan’s face” after he was born. Ralton is said to have his father’s pronounced jaw, but little of his height; even Halspan, a year younger than Ralton, towers over him. He is perhaps the most undisciplined of the Knightlord’s children, fond of witty bards, wine, gambling, and sneaking young women into his rooms. Doryan the Younger, the Knightlord’s eldest son and heir, has little regard for him, if any. Roen believes Ralton brings most of his own misfortune on himself, but he does not seem keen to change his haphazard ways.
Knightlord Doryan “the Elder” ven Dorn
Knightlord Doryan ven Dorn, called Doryan the Elder, is Lord of Dorn Keep and Adelar Protector of the Duchy of Zhadra’s northeastern territories. He is an intense, humorless man with a distinct sense of justice; he has a fondness for pipe tobacco and martial law, and suffers no fools. Doryan has been married three times: the first was to Evynne, a noble girl born to House Sothul, and from her was his first son, Doryan the Younger, Doryan’s heir, born. Evynne left Dorn Keep soon after, returning to her homeland in south Zhadra, purportedly because Doryan had an affair with a girl of middling birth. That girl, Golia, became Doryan’s second wife, quickly producing Doryan’s second son Ralton, and then a year later his third son Halspan. But Golia, it was said, suffered from melancholy, and she hanged herself three years into their marriage. Doryan’s third and final wife was Raelisanne il’Moriet, a highborn beauty hailing from Vertaes, across the Storming Sea to the west. By her Doryan begat his fourth son, Andric, and lastly his only daughter Roen. Raelisanne perished in the birthing bed giving life to Roen, it was said, during a storm the likes Dorn Keep had not seen in a hundred years, and Doryan never remarried. Doryan was said to have been so overcome with grief that he burned down one of Dorn Keep’s four towers; modern Dorn heraldry now only displays three towers, as opposed to the traditional four, with one quarter left black to represent the loss of Raelisanne.
Weaponsman Fores
Velaschad Fores is Weaponsman of Dorn Keep, a title one step below “Weaponsmaster”. (Knightlord Doryan has been heard to remark that Fores is “too green” to be Weaponsmaster, but will be granted his full title once all of his sons are made knights.) Fores is wiry and relatively short of stature, but is also highly proficient in most weaponry. He is no-nonsense, with perhaps a streak of impatience, and is known to loathe laziness and sloth.
Friar Grygori
Dorn Keep’s only holy man, Grygori arrived at Dorn five years ago, and successfully petitioned for all the priests and clerics of every other faith to be removed so that the Knightlord’s children could be “Illuminated in the One True Light, as is their right.” (Some clerics, refusing to leave, were subsequently executed on the Knightlord’s order.) Grygori is tall but stoop-shouldered, with a beard that is long and black and smelling of old food. His voice is deep and he preaches the doctrine of the Illumination Reformation with a zeal few can match. Grygori seems to take special satisfaction in seeking out nonconformists, and is nearly always willing to use his scourge on those he believes deserve the lash.
At sixteen years old, Halspan is the sibling closest to Roen’s age (besides fourteen-year old Andric, who is believed to be dead). Halspan’s mother was Knightlord Doryan’s second wife, a girl of middling birth named Golia. Golia produced two healthy boys for the Knightlord—Ralton and Halspan—and then, in an apparent fit of pique, hanged herself in her bedchamber. The Knightlord, not one to waste time, quickly remarried, taking Roen’s eventual mother Raelisanne to wife; thereafter, speaking the name “Golia” was forbidden within Dorn Keep’s walls. Halspan is large for his age, and burly, with thick brown hair, a thick neck, and broad shoulders. Despite his size, his temperament is gentle—even if he can occasionally lose himself to anger or melancholy. Halspan has an unrequited crush on a young local noblewoman named Daise ven Darish, but what he truly wants is to be a better son.
Seventeen-year old Ralton is Knightlord Doryan ven Dorn’s second-oldest son. Like Halspan, Ralton was born to the Knightlord and his second wife, Golia; Ralton is fond of quipping that his mother hanged herself because she was “disappointed in Halspan’s face” after he was born. Ralton is said to have his father’s pronounced jaw, but little of his height; even Halspan, a year younger than Ralton, towers over him. He is perhaps the most undisciplined of the Knightlord’s children, fond of witty bards, wine, gambling, and sneaking young women into his rooms. Doryan the Younger, the Knightlord’s eldest son and heir, has little regard for him, if any. Roen believes Ralton brings most of his own misfortune on himself, but he does not seem keen to change his haphazard ways.
Knightlord Doryan ven Dorn, called Doryan the Elder, is Lord of Dorn Keep and Adelar Protector of the Duchy of Zhadra’s northeastern territories. He is an intense, humorless man with a distinct sense of justice; he has a fondness for pipe tobacco and martial law, and suffers no fools. Doryan has been married three times: the first was to Evynne, a noble girl born to House Sothul, and from her was his first son, Doryan the Younger, Doryan’s heir, born. Evynne left Dorn Keep soon after, returning to her homeland in south Zhadra, purportedly because Doryan had an affair with a girl of middling birth. That girl, Golia, became Doryan’s second wife, quickly producing Doryan’s second son Ralton, and then a year later his third son Halspan. But Golia, it was said, suffered from melancholy, and she hanged herself three years into their marriage. Doryan’s third and final wife was Raelisanne il’Moriet, a highborn beauty hailing from Vertaes, across the Storming Sea to the west. By her Doryan begat his fourth son, Andric, and lastly his only daughter Roen. Raelisanne perished in the birthing bed giving life to Roen, it was said, during a storm the likes Dorn Keep had not seen in a hundred years, and Doryan never remarried. Doryan was said to have been so overcome with grief that he burned down one of Dorn Keep’s four towers; modern Dorn heraldry now only displays three towers, as opposed to the traditional four, with one quarter left black to represent the loss of Raelisanne.
Velaschad Fores is Weaponsman of Dorn Keep, a title one step below “Weaponsmaster”. (Knightlord Doryan has been heard to remark that Fores is “too green” to be Weaponsmaster, but will be granted his full title once all of his sons are made knights.) Fores is wiry and relatively short of stature, but is also highly proficient in most weaponry. He is no-nonsense, with perhaps a streak of impatience, and is known to loathe laziness and sloth.
Dorn Keep’s only holy man, Grygori arrived at Dorn five years ago, and successfully petitioned for all the priests and clerics of every other faith to be removed so that the Knightlord’s children could be “Illuminated in the One True Light, as is their right.” (Some clerics, refusing to leave, were subsequently executed on the Knightlord’s order.) Grygori is tall but stoop-shouldered, with a beard that is long and black and smelling of old food. His voice is deep and he preaches the doctrine of the Illumination Reformation with a zeal few can match. Grygori seems to take special satisfaction in seeking out nonconformists, and is nearly always willing to use his scourge on those he believes deserve the lash.