Lady Remila Sezarine
Lady of Ironhome, The Fifth Throne
Would it kill her to act with the dignity of her position, just for a year? These rumors will be the death of good business!Gilvonnaie is ruled by a council of eight lords, all of whom are figurative giants of industry and trade. They are well-known for being very careful to keep their personal lives private, and even their professional lives are not often something the ordinary person hears about. Mostly there are talks of edicts passed from the Council of Eight, meant to keep the nation strong enough to avoid becoming just another part of the Rhyliss Empire.
And then there are the tales about Lady Remila Sezarine.
Lady Sezarine owns nearly all of the citadel of Ironhold, known throughout most of Erisdaire as the place to go to seek bulk material. Over the decades of her rule, Lady Sezarine has built the city into a small empire of metalworkers and merchants with her at its head. Rumors persist of how she did this so swiftly, anything from blackmail to more amorous pursuits in the depths of night. While she commands some respect for her position on the Council, the rumors about her personal life make it much more difficult. Outsiders are often very amused to think Lady Sezarine can behave in such a fashion and still claim the right to rule; natives of Ironhold instead believe she has the right so long as it does not harm the city.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Know her? Every man, woman, and child in Ironhold knows who she is! Lady Sezarine, the lady who ascended her Throne the traditional way - on the backs of others. Ha! Ah, too funny...Lady Remila Sezarine started her life amidst the elven lands formerly known as Alodel, and her fascination with metalwork was one not shared by her friends and family. Her interests lied less in the artistry of it, and more in improving the methods so it could be done faster and also safely. The lack of appreciation for detail led to an argument where the young elven maiden denounced her family and departed with a new name. She bartered with her own belongings to purchase the simple and necessary tools to start metalwork, and set out for the Rusted Hills. At that point, the hills were largely known for a number of rich iron mines with few smelters. Remila Sezarine found a small settlement just starting, and set herself up to join the humans, dwarves, and others who were shocked to find an elf willing to endure fire, soot, and grime in the pursuit of progress.
It shocked them more when she proved not to hold fast to the same principles as other elves, valuing a brutal sense of honesty and a work ethic most dwarves considered 'perhaps unhealthy'. Her shop grew in scope to where it was known as a place to find decent metal, using methods which were unfamiliar to those outside of elven lands alongside the familiar steps known to every journeyman metalsmith. She leveraged her funds to continue investing in extra forges across the city, mines outside the city, and even developing rivals to keep her on her toes. To her, it seemed she thrived on finding good rivals who had talent, and so she fostered their success quietly while burying those who sought rivalries simply to ruin her.
After Remila was given the honored position of leading Ironhold, she immediately changed tactics and began to pour the same energies into spreading her influence. She attended parties held by other city leaders, or visiting dignitaries, intent on making connections so Ironhold could become stronger for it. She reinforced the walls, brought in magical talent to assist with what steel alone could not defend against, and so guided the city to new heights. It was not a surprise she eventually secured a nomination for the vacant Eighth Throne - and won it. Since then, the focus on Ironhold is in spreading the method of its success to other cities in the hopes Gilvonnaie as a whole can benefit.
Secret History
Remila Sezarine is an alias which is in use by a female silver dragon, who began Ironhold as part of a plan concocted by another dragon she admired. However, the plans have not gone as intended. Initially, she put the focus on setting the groundwork with the expectation her partner in this venture would soon invest their own energy into it. When this did not happen, she had to adjust the plan so she could build the city of Ironhold from meager beginnings. It did not bother her at first, as dragons do tend to live long lives and make plans over the course of generations instead of years. But she began to become wary of whether or not she was being used.
And this partner continued to be unavailable, while the residents with shorter lives were a ticking clock needing to be kept working. So Sezarine moved to start a much faster pace, securing herself a title and then starting to leverage it for connections. While the public perception was of her choosing to be a shameful member of her kind, she was quietly vetting people for who could be trusted to shape Ironhold into something greater. Some were let in on the secret and bound by magic to never reveal it, in exchange for her supporting their own goals. This accelerated timetable meant Sezarine pushed Ironhold into the spotlight quickly, and could secure one of the Council seats.
Only after she acquired the Eighth Throne did her draconic partner return to congratulate her, and to also deliver a new goal. The plan was to pursue a potential deposit of Adamantine ore underneath the Rusted Hills, and build Ironhold into a place to produce such material. However, Sezarine was having none of this new plan, and an argument split the two apart. Sezarine promised to keep secret the other party's involvement, while her partner agreed to never spoil her secret to others.
And this partner continued to be unavailable, while the residents with shorter lives were a ticking clock needing to be kept working. So Sezarine moved to start a much faster pace, securing herself a title and then starting to leverage it for connections. While the public perception was of her choosing to be a shameful member of her kind, she was quietly vetting people for who could be trusted to shape Ironhold into something greater. Some were let in on the secret and bound by magic to never reveal it, in exchange for her supporting their own goals. This accelerated timetable meant Sezarine pushed Ironhold into the spotlight quickly, and could secure one of the Council seats.
Only after she acquired the Eighth Throne did her draconic partner return to congratulate her, and to also deliver a new goal. The plan was to pursue a potential deposit of Adamantine ore underneath the Rusted Hills, and build Ironhold into a place to produce such material. However, Sezarine was having none of this new plan, and an argument split the two apart. Sezarine promised to keep secret the other party's involvement, while her partner agreed to never spoil her secret to others.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Over fifty years ago, a woman named Remila Sezarine came to Gilvonnaie with a cart of equipment and knowledge of how to work with metal. After two years she had acquired a forge and smelter, producing simple but quality goods which rivaled some of the dwarven manufactories elsewhere in the region. Word began to circulate about her sharp wits and business sense, and people in the trade paid closer attention.
Once she saw there were eyes on her, Remila made bold moves to acquire new talent and expand her holdings. A decade after her arrival, she owned a good deal of the industry nestled in the Rusted Hills. She was a partial owner in many of the iron mines, bringing their ore to her smelters and using the forges to turn out product for any client willing to pay. Ironhold took shape, a collection of buildings becoming a town and then becoming a mighty city.
In the years since, Remila was able to become recognized by the Council as the owner and ruler of Ironhold. After there was an opening in the Council, they unanimously decided to bring her into their number. Thus Lady Remila Sezarine ascended to sit on the vacant Eighth Throne. As more members of the Council died of age, her position rose higher until the present day - where she sits at the modest position of the Fifth Throne.
Far more interesting is a project Lady Sezarine undertook with the new city of Pendelholm, attempting to research and recreate the fabled metal of Orichalcum. Despite there being no significant successes yet, the project has attracted the notice of many who are certain she will succeed. All she needs is time
Once she saw there were eyes on her, Remila made bold moves to acquire new talent and expand her holdings. A decade after her arrival, she owned a good deal of the industry nestled in the Rusted Hills. She was a partial owner in many of the iron mines, bringing their ore to her smelters and using the forges to turn out product for any client willing to pay. Ironhold took shape, a collection of buildings becoming a town and then becoming a mighty city.
In the years since, Remila was able to become recognized by the Council as the owner and ruler of Ironhold. After there was an opening in the Council, they unanimously decided to bring her into their number. Thus Lady Remila Sezarine ascended to sit on the vacant Eighth Throne. As more members of the Council died of age, her position rose higher until the present day - where she sits at the modest position of the Fifth Throne.
Far more interesting is a project Lady Sezarine undertook with the new city of Pendelholm, attempting to research and recreate the fabled metal of Orichalcum. Despite there being no significant successes yet, the project has attracted the notice of many who are certain she will succeed. All she needs is time
Failures & Embarrassments
History will remember me for this. Not for the works I left behind, not for what I did through building Ironhold, and not for anything I have yet to do. They will remember these nights and my name will be laughed at. Such a poor joke it is.A persistent rumor flows through the streets of Ironhold, one which has never been stamped out. During the period of Lady Sezarine's rise to prominence, there were ample number of parties which needed to be attended for appearances' sake. It was expected of anyone bearing a title to make a showing, and to meet with others for the purposes of forming connections. Lady Sezarine attended these functions with a very different goal in mind, born from her disdain from "this empty politicking". She went to these galas with the intent to enjoy herself, doing whatever her whims were, and those who would seek to slander her over the truth be damned.
There are those within a generation who were well aware Lady Sezarine happily "entertained herself" with over a dozen minor lords, a couple major ones, and others who might have caught her fancy. Sometimes these were little more than attending and finding a corner of the festival hall to talk and trade stories. Other times these ended in people being escorted from her bedchambers, and not always with their clothes. Rumors began to spread about "the elf who slept her way into the Throne" once she ascended to the Eighth Thorne, but the Council had been relatively quick to quash such. They were very vocal about protecting the sanctity of the Council's decisions, though they would not go so far as to comment on any of Lady Sezarine's personal doings.
In the current years, approaching Lady Sezarine with any such notions in mind is a sure way to be toyed with, treated with contempt, and finally ejected from Ironhold with instructions to "shoot on sight if they return". If she retains this lifestyle, it's not as public as it once was in favor of keeping a more professional reputation.
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