Bradyn Ryswell

  Bradyn Ryswell was the leader of House Ryswell from 429 AE until his death in 457 AE. Mostly known for his peace-seeking policies, Bradyn succeeded at truly securing the vassals to House Ryswell, earning their trust and loyalty. His other efforts, such as signing a lasting truce with neighboring fiefdoms, was far less successful. He only succeeded in improving relations with House Caern, and some say that the truce would only last while he was still alive.  

Personal History

  Bradyn came to power when he was young, after his father Collyn passed due to complications related to wounds received over a decade earlier. He quickly sought the hand of his love, the daughter of one of his most troublesome vassals, Emilia Bluwash, who would later give birth to a son, Cedrick. That marriage and reestablishment of alliance would mark Bradyn's goals for the next 30 years. In defiance of the Faloriand tradition of trying to undermine and take advantage of your neighbors, Bradyn sought to unify the holdings of House Ryswell by empowering his vassals. In truth, many say that his successes have poised his House, modest though its holdings may be, to be among the most powerful in the country.   Despite this, Bradyn also wished for peace between his neighboring fiefdoms, to little success. More than once, Bradyn was forced to defend his borders from his neighbors. Nevertheless, he never stopped trying to normalize peace. He only succeeded in making lasting relations with House Caern, though many believe that it was simply an alliance of convenience while Bradyn was still alive, and that with his death, Caern will return to its attempts to swallow the edges of Ryswell holdings.   Bradyn's wife was killed in 438 AE when she was returning from a pilgrimage to Allesar. Her body was found in a ditch beside the highway, along with her guard retinue and all but one of her servants. Bradyn attempted to find who was responsible, but the trail had gone cold quickly, and there was no sign of the missing servant anywhere.   Two years later, Bradyn's affair with his best friend and castellan Syr Raisey Shaede would become public knowledge when she became pregnant with a daughter, Gery. Rumors abounded about the two, but they never married nor did it seem like their romantic relationship continued. Nevertheless, the two remained strong friends throughout the years.   Bradyn was murdered while hunting for a Givern Stag in 457 AE. A trio of assassins ambushed him and Cedrick in the woods. Cedrick managed to escape, but Bradyn's body was found at the edge of the lake in the ruins of an Alln lookout town.