Hello everyone!
Today we’ll share some of the lore coming with the “City of Gold” update, planned for the end of this summer. This time it’s about the most influential people of Brynn, whom you will have a chance to encounter. To better understand the context, we recommend checking out the previous lore entry.
Denvar Brie, the Guildmaster
Unlike the rest of the Brynn elites, Denvar Brie is neither of noble birth nor possesses incredible riches. He was born in the family of a successful, yet common artisan, which makes the journey to his current standing even more remarkable.
Denvar has always been energetic and assertive. These qualities, in addition to his reputation as an outstanding weaponsmith, allowed him to claim the venerable title of the Grandmaster in the Blacksmith Guild, one of the most influential guilds in Brynn.
Despite his position of power, Denvar never forgot his roots. Although his lavish spending habits set him apart from simple craftsmen, he put a lot of effort into making their lot easier, something which no one in Brynn had ever done before. As a result, he gathered widespread support among common citizens.
The events of spring 427, when the freshly-formed Magistrate attempted to subjugate independent guilds by merging them into a single, easily controllable entity, only increased Denvar’s popularity, solidifying his place among the city leaders. Right now he’s the man representing the interests of every craftsman in the city, so both the local merchants and the nobility have to reckon with him.
Denvar is well-aware that he’s surrounded by enemies, and he’s also not too eager to openly confront other factions. No one knows what plans are brewing in his ambitious mind, but one thing is certain: he’s waiting for an opportune moment to strike a painful blow against his opponents, leaving them no chance to recover. For now his main weapon is a threat of mass strike, which he uses to gain further influence.
An otherwise enlightened man, Denvar has an open distaste for elves, whom he sees as the main threat to both his position and the prosperity of Brynn. Thanks to Jeon Ballar’s protection, elven goods recently took the city’s market by storm – there isn’t much that can rival their quality, and their price, while still fairly high, continues to drop with every weekly shipment of Ahjat weapons and Jibean jewelry unloaded in the Docs. If nothing changes in the next few months, many of the Guild’s craftsmen might lose their job.
Therefore, Denvar considers the House of the Azure Thread, the trade representative of the Jacinth Kingdoms in Brynn, his personal enemy. Many are afraid that if he ever becomes a ruler, he will not rest until Aldor is free from all traces of elven influence, even if it unleashes Jacinth armies upon the realm...
Jeon Ballar, the Comprador
Throughout his entire life, Jeon Ballard has been incredibly lucky, starting with him being born in the wealthiest family of Brynn. A silk-cushioned childhood, a carefree adolescence, rowdy university years, an easy, profitable job in the merchant League – while others fell victims to intrigues and hardships, Jeon always appeared unscathed by misfortune.
The period of political infighting and instability, which followed King Etbert’s untimely death, brought ruin to many, but Jeon only benefited from it: if anything, that’s when his swift rise to the top began.
Brynn had long been discontent with the Crown, and the King’s death gave the conspirators, Jeon being one of them, a free rein. The meticulously planned overthrow was a success: the freshly-formed Magistrate seized the power, and Jeon managed to become its leader in just a few weeks, greatly assisted by the sudden murder of the previous burgomaster, something which he vehemently denies any connection to.
Knowing nothing of the military matters, Jeon was smart enough to delegate the control over the army to experts. Unfortunately, the sudden outbreak of the Crimson Plague robbed the Magistrate of its victory, leaving Jeon surrounded by power-hungry military commanders. Still, Jeon’s remarkable ability to drop meaningful hints and make promising concessions allowed him to firmly remain in his seat.
This can’t go on indefinitely though. The truce becomes shakier with each passing day, and it won’t be easy to finish off the Council, which had enough time to recover from its defeat. Perhaps this fear of an encroaching demise was exactly what forced Jeon to seek the help of the elves, whom Aldor has an age-long grudge with. For now their support isn’t very noticeable, but Jeon has big plans - after all, establishing closer ties with elven allies is where the profit is at. This trend, however, unnerves the rest of the Magistrate – very few people are willing to share money and power with outlanders.
Jeon’s luck might soon run dry… But who knows how many more tricks this genius of intrigues and compromises still has up his sleeve?
Arno di Berro, the General
Poet. Warrior. Strategist. Leader. Duke Arno di Berro is an embodiment of true aristocracy, making it even more remarkable that he found himself a part of the republican Magistrate.
A scion of a noble family, which fled from the Bronze Isles, Arno di Berro was born and raised in Aldor. At the same time, he still feels like an outsider, making him as demanding to himself as he is to others. Some ill-wishers claim that Duke di Berro’s main goal in life is to become a better Aldorian than actual Aldorians – although one has to admit that if that is true, he has been quite successful so far.
Until recently, very few people knew the name of di Berro: he had an excellent education in the University and participated in many of King Etbert’s wars, but otherwise he was a completely unremarkable Brynn nobleman. After the monarch’s death, he became a major player in the Magistrate – the sudden cooperation between the haughty Duke and merchants and craftsmen, whom he had previously openly despised, came as a surprise to many, even his new allies. At the same time, no one in Brynn can deny that upon taking control over one of the city’s armies, Arno proved his loyalty to the Magistrate with his actions.
Under the skillful leadership of their decisive and fearless commander, the Magistrate forces successfully captured pro-royalist Maen and, after the Council launched an attack on the Southern front, marched back to Brynn, breaking the siege. All this earned the Duke a reputation of a war hero and the savior of the Magistrate. During the truce Arno also made great strides in reforming the military: under his command a ragtag army of mercenaries and militia transformed into a powerful force, ready to follow their leader to the end of the world.
Unsurprisingly, both the League and the Guild wish to garner Arno’s favor, however he believes himself to deserve much more than that. Too prideful to compromise and share power, the Duke doesn’t want to join forces with other Magistrate leaders, counting only on himself and his soldiers. At the same time, there is an increasing number of mysterious ships being met in the Docs by the Vanguard troops under the cover of night, so perhaps the usually straightforward Duke plays his own game, just like everyone else in Brynn.
Arno continues to proclaim his unwavering support for the Magistrate, and yet, judging by the fiery speeches he gives to his soldiers, his vision for the realm is much more different than what the Guild or the League have in mind. Proud and power-hungry, the Duke wishes to unite the land under a single banner, with him leading Aldor towards great victories. And even though Arno di Berro continues calling this new order a republic, will it actually be any different from the monarchy, which so many in the Magistrate died fighting against?