Aedan MacLachlan (ˈaːd̪an ˈmakˈɫ̪axl̪ˠan)

Aedan MacLachlan is the King of Rheged, bound to the land and its people by the Stone of Destiny. Through this bond, he carries the weight of their collective fear - the enduring legacy of the sorceress Solis, whose experiments left Rheged ensnared in a cycle of terror with the Ellyll of the forests. For a dozen years, Aedan has borne the burden of his crown. He has felt the pulse of the land's fear and used what insight he could glean from it to guide the Duffian Foresters in their mission to contain the monstrous, distorted gods of the Cully Dhorcha. Yet no man can shoulder the fears of a nation forever. Over the years of his reign, Aedan has turned to drink to numb the terror and drown the nightmares. The relief it offers is fleeting, and already failing him - but it has allowed him to endure the throne of Rheged longer than he otherwise could have.

Early Life

Aedan was born to rule Rheged - a fate that inspired more pity than envy. His grandfather, Niall, was king then, with two sons, Aedan's father Eòin being the elder. Niall proved stronger than most, enduring the throne for decades and outliving his younger son. But those years exacted a heavy toll, and by the end he had not spoken for over five years - only sat staring out the window, clutching the arms of his chair until his knuckles turned white.

When Niall finally died, all knew it at once. The bond forged by the Stone of Destiny snapped, and the people of Rheged felt the full terror of the forest for the first time in years. Panic swept the kingdom; many perished in accidents, and more than a few chose not to live in a world so nakedly haunted. Only after a hasty coronation upon the Stone was the burden lifted from the populace - and placed upon the new King Eòin's heart.

For nine years, Eòin reigned. He swallowed the fear as best he could and wore a brave face. Hours were spent poring over maps of the kingdom, directing the Foresters to the places where their dances were most needed. In public he even managed to smile and laugh, though the performance only fooled those who saw him from afar. Up close, the tightness around his eyes and the strain in his grin betrayed the truth. In his final year, that smile hardened into a rictus - a grimace that unsettled all who beheld it.

On the ninth anniversary of his coronation, Eòin hanged himself. He left behind a note addressed to his son, containing only the words: I'm sorry. As with his father before him, Eòin's death was the catalyst for many others. Aedan read the note in silence, then turned from his father's body and took a long swallow of his drink. Even then, he was seldom without a cup in hand. Before dawn broke over the forest, he was crowned upon the Stone of Destiny.

King Aedan

Aedan named his cousin, Aodh MacLachlan, as his heir. He had not married, nor did he intend to. Nothing, he declared, could compel him to sire a child into so cursed a line. Instead, he devoted himself to directing the Foresters, feeling across the landscape of fear for the places most in need of their protection.

He entrusted the work of governance to his most capable nobles, knowing he could not attempt all that his father had done without courting the same fate. What duties he could not delegate, he bore as best he could - softening the edge of terror with the constant presence of drink.

And thus, for twelve years, Aedan MacLachlan has endured. He sleeps little, and when sleep comes it is broken by nightmares that leave him paralyzed. The healer Anna has tended him more than once, pulling him back from the brink of death at his own request - though she knows it is no kindness.

Recently, an assassin struck, stabbing and poisoning the king. He was saved only by the intervention of a wandering avatar of Silakpak, who happened to be within the castle at the time. Even then it was a struggle to restore him, for Aedan had no wish to return. Yet return he did - though few believe he will endure much longer.

In the meantime, his cousin and heir waits with the patience of stone. Aodh MacLachlan has made his own plans, and his own bargains, to withstand the curse of Rheged's throne.