__________________QUICK STATS
Name Valen Nox
Age 18
Gender Male
Species Human
Ethnicity Connlaothian
Height 5'6"
Occupation Newly-Ascended Duke
Residence Ardal
__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF
Physical Description
A small, foppish boy, with a head of long, curly, golden-blonde hair and light gray eyes. Unlike the average Connlaothian male, Valen has a very lean build— unimposing shoulders, a thin jawline, and somewhat dainty fingers. His skin is a mix of porcelain and peach, with rosy cheeks that give the impression that he gets feverish (or angry) easily. He wears a pair of large, full-moon spectacles that belonged to his grandfather, which are a little bigger than his face— one hopes that he will one day grow into them. With soft, full lips and a chin that lacks even the slightest sign of hair, you might be forgiven to mistake him for a young woman at a very far, drunken glance.
Personality
A young man who is forced to take on the role of Duke. There are those in history who are born great, and those who have greatness thrust upon them; That is Valen. A kindhearted and well-mannered son by heart, since the announcement of his ascension to the Dukedom's head and Evan's dreadful manipulations to put him there, he's been emotionally crushed by the weight of the world and its harsh truths being laid bare before him. In a nation of lies, betrayals, and dangerous men vying for power that are willing to do anything and everything to secure it for themselves, Valen is a guttering spark of hope waning in the dark.
Much of his time is spent studying, or attending duties as duke; As such, he doesn't have any hobbies, or even remember what enjoying something, anything, even feels like. Most of his day is spent going through the motions of a leader, with his council in one ear, and the preying words of his family in the other. He's not allowed to stray far from court, both because he is so uncharacteristically weak as a Connlaothian man to defend himself, as well as to keep his head filled with whatever agenda or narrative his council seeks to push him towards. A puppet of a leader with no real desire for leadership, who only seeks an end to the chaos that divides Connlaoth and a return to a peaceful life.
Magic/Abilities
Surely you jest. Aside from the vast library within the Ardal's castle, Valen knows very little of practical worth, and wouldn't harm a fly-- both because he wouldn't want to and doesn't have the ability to, magical or otherwise.
Relationships
Evan Nox - Valen's father. A brave, war-tested veteran who's renown is a result of many battles-- But harbors a dark ambition to lead a life of luxury. Born with psionic prowess, Evan never enlisted with the Mordecai of Connlaoth-- instead secretly hunting down mages and doing as he pleased with them before turning them in to the Duchy or killing them outright if he deemed them too big of a threat. He married into House Aeron while hiding this sadistic habit, and leads a double life-- one he intends to exploit with the aid of his son and wife.
Lady Heleanna Aeron - Valen's mother. An overprotective and somewhat unstable woman that harbors fears of neglect and abandonment-- she holds tightly to the men in her life, to the point of strangulation. It is rumored (unfounded) that Valen's frail body is a result of Heleanna poisoning his food and forcing him to dress and behave like a woman as he grew up-- weakening his constitution and emotionally manipulating him into believing his mother to be nigh on godlike, capable of no wrong. She was wooed by Evan's heroic nature and after Evan saved her from a staged bandit attack that he himself orchestrated, she fell madly in love with him, allowing him to marry into their house. She spends most of her time as a dutiful mother and wife, but in her spare time, locks herself away in a room filled with dolls. It is unknown where the dolls come from, but the number and complexity of their designs grows daily...
History
The tale of Valen Nox, the Puppet Duke. In the days following the disappearance of Conall Shanley, the former Duke of Ardal, an era of unrest settled into the Duchy. The former Duke, presumed dead, named no heir to the Duchy; As such there was no one readily set to step up and take his place in the court. This sent waves of panic throughout the court of Ardal, and brought forth a time of unease where the men and women of the duchy feared for the future of Ardal, without it's fair-handed ruler.
It was during this time that Evan Nox, cousin by marriage to the then-absent Duke, and father of Valen, came to stand before the court. Evan, who's family held some standing within the court as well as across Ardal due to his family's varied contributions to historical war efforts against Adella and Serendipity, brought slanderous rumors to the ears of the Ardal council in the absence of it's duke; Rumors that he'd faked his death, that his family bloodline often produced mages, and that Conall himself had eloped with one.
These rumors cast much doubt on the next in line to the vacant head of the Duchy, and as such, no son or daughter of the Houses of Shanley or Aeron, who should've been next in line as potential leaders of the state, were called upon immediately to take on the duties of duke on Conall's absence. This threatened to cause the power vacuum to worsen even more— but Evan had an idea. The people desired stability, order, and a return to the era of relative prosperity that it once knew. This could only be achieved through a new, younger lord; One unfettered by the scandals and conniving nature of the previous duke. None directly associated with the man could be trusted to bring peace back to Ardal, and so Evan proposed a new candidate; Not himself, but his son, a young scholar and genius of the economic and technological sciences with a bright and get-things-done outlook on the changes that needed to sweep Ardal to restore order and peace.
This was all an elaborate ruse, of course. Valen, Evan's son, was no politician by any means, and never so much as considered himself worthy of the Dukedom. Yet the people were swayed by Evan's consistent petitions on his behalf, and before long, Ardal cried out in agreement that a new Duke needed to be appointed— one who's hands were innocent of the scandals and political intrigue of the past, who only desired a brighter future for Ardal. All that remained was to convince the council-- and that was where Evan's more devious nature reared it's head.
Evan's ploy was a simple one, but one which aided the council's goals and set him in a position of influence. The truth was simple; Evan had no desire for Duchy. He sought to lead a noble life free of consequence, leaning on the power of relatives to ensure that happened. Valen was coddled--and in some ways, emotionally crippled-- by his overprotective mother as a child, and as such often looked to her and his father for guidance. As Valen's mother was a member of House Aeron, Valen was, by blood, an eligible heir to the throne. Yet the young man had no knowledge of war, politics, or leadership-- He simply sought to live a quiet, peaceful life, free of such ambitions. Evan proposed thus; That Ardal's council take him, an heir presumptive, as the new Duke. This would allow Evan to claim the direct heritage to the Duke of Ardal, and give the council a figurehead-- someone whom they could mold and use to push their own agendas as needed, who had some level of legitimacy to the seat of state. The council, seeing the opportunity to exert full control over the Duchy, aligned with Evan's machinations-- and thus did Valen, a young man barely of age, find himself sat upon the head seat of Ardal.
Outwardly, he didn't complain or shrug off the call; He accepted the role with great honor and addressed the Duchy with a beautiful, rousing speech that called upon the people to place their unified faith in him, that they might return peace not only to Ardal, but the rest of Connlaoth. Internally, however, this was all a facade; Valen, day over day, found himself emotionally manipulated by Evan, threatened by the council, and forced to become something he was not by the will of his family, who sought to take advantage of his new status as Duke in order to live lavishly, and the council, who sought to use the boy's innocent face to win the favor of the people and use the rapidly-growing support for "Valen's" cause to gain power and support from the neighboring duchies as well.
Valen, meanwhile, was and is kept locked away in the Duke's castle of Ardal— Treated fairly well, but ultimately indoctrinated day-by-day to serve the needs of the council in whatever political maneuvers they deigned necessary... 'for the glory of Connlaoth's future.'
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