Rimmand II

“I’ve served two kings, and read about thirty more. I won’t speak ill of the dead—most of 'em meant well, or at least meant to look like they did. But Rimmand II? He’s the real thing. Might be the best this kingdom’s ever had. Which means we oughta start worrying—because good kings don’t leave clean successions, and his boy’s got too much polish and not enough mud on his boots.” - Sorek Redmarch

Full Name: Priam Ryomar

Regnal Name: King Rimand II

House: Ryomar

Titles: King of Gorundia, Lord of the West, Defender of the Realm

Current Residence: Royal Palace, Caer Gorundia (Capital)

Biographical Overview

Birth Year: 1180 Ascended to Throne: 1215 (Age 35)

Current Year: 1230 (Age 50)

Mother: Lady Virella Ryomar (née Vogel)

Father: King Rimand I (deceased)

Spouse: Nelessa Gellbeck (m. 1200, d. 1215)

Issue: Crown Prince Porthos Ryomar (b. 1208)

Physical Description

Height: 6'2"

Build: Athletic, aging gracefully

Hair: Formerly chestnut brown, silver-streaked

Eyes: Blue-gray, keen and kind

Distinguishing Features: Deep laugh lines, a scar over his left brow (tournament accident), wears the royal signet ring and a Heironean pendant at all times

Personality & Demeanor

Core Virtue: Noblesse oblige

Public Image: A just and courageous ruler, often seen among his knights and common folk alike
Private Demeanor: Warm, generous with his time, carries the weight of his office without complaint
Vices: Sometimes drinks too much at feast nights, especially in the company of Sir Beringer and Sir Orin Kharne
Faith: Devout follower of Heironeous

Known For:

• Personally knighting commoners of merit
• Delivering stirring speeches before battle
• Visiting the wounded and the poor in disguise during lean winters

Notable Relationships

• Porthos Ryomar (Son): Reserved, politically minded, lacks his father’s warmth. Priam worries he may grow too cold or elitist.
• Duke Wilhelm Vogel: Estranged cousin through his mother. Relations are strained, and Priam suspects dark dealings within House Vogel.
• Sir Orin Kharne: Trusted vassal, drinking buddy and champion. Priam calls him “Gorundia's steel-hearted oak.”
• Baroness Braga the Brazen: Greatly admires her grit and humility. Rumored to call her “my people’s pride.”
• Sir Beringer: Drinking companion and confidante. Priam once said, “If I had ten Beringers, I could win a war, lose a kingdom, and still sleep well knowing it was worth the price.”
• Theron Sylvanranth: Once the King’s spymaster, always the Kingdom’s shadow. Theron served as mentor, tutor, and royal councilor to Priam, his father, and even his grandfather—an unbroken chain of wisdom, discipline, and ruthless foresight stretching back nearly two centuries. Priam grew up under Theron’s stern but brilliant tutelage, learning statecraft, elvish history, and the value of long planning over loud politics.
  Though Theron now holds no formal title, Priam respects his mind and valor deeply—no other living figure has sacrificed more for Gorundia. But their relationship has grown... complicated. The burning of Elderbrook, the murky circumstances around Theron’s daughter’s death, and the increasingly cold precision of his decisions have left a chill between them.
  Privately, Priam is fond of the elf. He calls him “the last knife we’ll never thank.” He recognizes the burden of making brutal calls for the greater good—but he also fears that Theron has paid too high a price in soul for the kingdom's survival. As Priam once confessed: “Theron taught me how to see the board. But I still don’t know what he sacrificed to win the game.”
  

  “Priam still believes the world can be set right with courage and kindness. I envy that. I helped raise him to be that way… and sometimes I wonder if I should have taught him more steel.” - Theron Sylvanranth



• Patriarch-General Clytus: A grim, plainspoken Holy Warrior of Heironeous with the moral gravity of a falling sword and the voice of a man who’s seen too much and slept too little. Based in Bard’s Gate—part punishment, part preference—Clytus has no time for courtly flattery or political games. His laconic, steel-eyed presence tends to unsettle nobles and delight soldiers. Priam respects him deeply, though their conversations are few and flint-sharp. As the king once said, “When Clytus speaks, the wind shuts up to listen.”

Historical Highlights

• 1215 – Death of Queen Nelessa: Marked a turning point in his life; he has refused to remarry since.
• 1216 – Suppression of the Border Rebellions: Led troops personally; brokered clemency for surrendered foes.
• 1220 – The Gilded Reform: Rebalanced noble taxation and land rights. Gained loyalty from many minor houses.
• 1230 – Founding of Fort Stormarrow: Authorized the fortress on the frontier, elevating Orin Kharne.

Quotes Attributed to King Rimand II

• “A crown is a heavy thing, but a kind heart carries it best.”
• “Heironeous does not ask us to be unbending. He asks us to be righteous.”
• “Braga fights like thunder, drinks like a dwarf, and humbles us all with her honor. I’m proud to call her Gorundian.”
• “If my son forgets the smallfolk, then let them remind him who we truly serve.”
• "If you're born with the sword, shield the people."

Notable Decrees & Edicts

The Hearthguard Edict (1218): Allowed peasant-born squires to train under noble banners.

The Lantern Law (1221): Required urban patrols in cities to carry lanterns and badges—precursor to modern watch regulations.

Royal Charter of Halfblood Rights (1225): Codified key civil protections to half-orcs and other mixed ancestry folk under Gorundian law.

The Pact of Old Roots (1226): Recognized the ancient claims and stewardship roles of druidic orders in frontier forests.

Trivia & Anecdotes

Known to sneak out of the palace to drink incognito at local taverns (they totally know who he is when visiting the frontier, he has turned the Blood and Sand into his favorite watering hole. (they totally know who he is there too.)
Fought in a tourney under the pseudonym "Sir Crowshade" in his youth. Lost to a female knight in a glorious upset—later revealed to be Braga’s aunt.
Allegedly once punched a bard for rhyming “Ryomar” with “try too hard.” Apologized, gave him gold, and told him to write better.