Born as the eldest of two sons to King Tearvin Brais and his wife Erwina of House Istivean, Barret was raised as the heir to the throne. He received the best instruction in the arts of politics and strategy, by the best available teachers, the most prominent of all being his own father.
His childhood was overshadowed by the war with the neighbour kingdom of Estoria. When he was old enough, Prince Barret could not be persuaded to keep out of the battle, where he proved his fervent love for his country through his valiant leading of the cavalry through many battles. It was at the Battle of Thorne where he was hit by several arrows and fell off his horse, after which he suffered the steed’s trampling on one of his legs. He was of course at once retrieved and carried off the field to the healers. The arrow wounds were found not to be too severe, Barret’s left leg however, was broken. And although it healed over time, the King has walked with a slight limp ever since, a constant reminder of that battle, and of the war.
The Battle of Thorne, where the waters of the river reportedly turned red, marked the end of the war with their neighbour country. Too many losses had been suffered on both sides. And so Barret found himself being used as a tool to ensure the peace two weeks after, as he was married to Livia, the daughter of the King of Estoria, he 23 years of age and she three years his senior.
The marriage proved to be quite fruitful. Not only gave Livia birth to two sons in the first years of their union, two daughters followed and then another boy eight years ago. His three sons were brought up as princes, possible heirs that could become the next King. The two daughters, Barbeta and Luanda, were brought up to become the Golden Leaf and Silver Leaf of the Maple, and so Barret made sure all his children received the best tutelage from the best scholars.
Alas, the famine and then the plague mercilessly claimed their toll. All three male children died, leaving only the princesses Barbeta and Luanda. Also, the queen succumbed to the disease, making Barret a widower, leaving him with the pain over his losses that soon turned into a deep anger. There had already been burnings of shrines of Felgurna the Mother, the goddess of fertility, during the revolt of the peasants in the Duchy of Granville in early 673. With the plague however, the King took this open hate for the gods to another level, decreeing that the Pantheon of Meladrys had sent forced these trials upon them and therefore must not be worshipped any longer. Anyone breaching this decree would have to face the penalty of death. Temples were destroyed, priests exiled or executed if they were reluctant to leave.
The plague left King Barret with a great dilemma. With all three sons dead there are no heirs, to will fill his place after his death. How he will solve this dilemma still remains subject to speculation at the moment. A new wife might provide him with those desperately needed heirs, or through a change of the laws of the kingdom he could appoint one of his daughters as his successor. The latter possibility will be met with resistance of the people at court, of course.
Whatever Barret will decide, it will be for the best of the kingdom.
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Dark bushy eyebrows overshadow a pair of intelligent brown eyes, while a net of wrinkles and scars bear witness to a long life and experiences, good and bad. While the famine and the plague, as well as the hardships of war in his youth have left their mark on this man's face, it is the goodnatured laugh that often leaves the depth of his lungs in a low grumble that betray he has not lost his sense of humour over the years.
As a man of medium height and sturdy built, King Barret dresses not fashionably but in clothes that are adequate for his station, preferring the unadorned chain mail in times of war to the flashy plate. The wiser choice perhaps, when the days of youth have passed long time ago.
Quirks:
Gruff Bear — Barret cares little for courtly flattery or fine and fancy clothes. He might appear gruff and blunt at times.
Caring for his subjects — Barret is the King, and his people are his children. The plague deprived him not only of his own sons, but of many of his subjects too.
Walks with a limp — A constant reminder of the Battle of Thorne.
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