Court of the House of Somerset

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THE HOUSE OF SOMERSET

Current Head:
Raedwulf of Somerset, Eorl of Somerset​

 

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State of the Eorldom

-WIP-​

 

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Members of the House of Somerset
__________________________________________

RÆDWULF OF SOMERSET
Eorl of Somerset

Date of Birth:
c. 735

Biography:​

The last surviving male of the House of Somerset, Raedwulf was the only son of his father, Ruocswint of Somerset. Not much is known of Ruocswint's life, but by the time of his death (and Raedwulf's ascension), the territory administered by the Eorls of Somerset extended from Wain's Hill to Chesil Beach. Due to this position at the edge of England, directly abutting unsubjugated Dumnonians, Raedwulf was given many opportunities to familiarize himself with the sword. Now, propelled by a combination ambition and greed, he looks at those same Dumnonians, seeing easy targets for conquest.

WYNFLÆD
The Lady of Somerset

Date of Birth:
c. 750

Biography:​

From a mixed background of Celt and Anglo-Saxon, Wynflaed formed an important foil to her husband's martial exploits. A small woman, Wynflaed took to matters of intrigue and diplomacy with a far greater aptitude than Raedwulf. While sitting as the Lady of Somerset, she hoped to achieve many of the same ends as her husband - however, their relationship c. 770 was in decline, with Wynflaed having failed to provide Raedwulf the heir he so desperately desired.

 

[Firehound15]

*The Court of the House of Somerset is open to representatives from fellow sworn vassals of the King.*​

 

[BlackCrown]

Friends in High Places Part 1

A courtier arrives in Somerset, his clothes worn and tattered from several days of travel, bearing a letter from the Eorl of Lothian. He refuses to hand the letter over to anyone except for the Eorl of Somerset, Rædwulf himself. Upon giving the letter over, the dignitary moves elsewhere, where he awaits a response.​

To the most prestigious Eorl Rædwulf of Somerset,
My father, back when he was of sound mind and body, oft told me of your family and their prestigious accomplishments during and after the campaign for unification. He loved to regale me of how he turned to your father for the creation of the illustrious banner which flies over my fair holdings. Word has reached my realm of your ambitions, as I am sure mine yours, and I find your cause to be a most noble, and even sympathetic, one. My father is not long for this world, and soon the fiefdom shall lay in my hands. In this time of crisis, and for my and your ambitions to come true, it is my belief that it is necessary for us Eorls to band together. As such, I wish to extend to you an offer of friendship and assistance in the coming years, and hope that this extension is reciprocated. It is my most noble wish to rekindle the old friendship between our houses, and welcome you and your dignitaries to join me in my court at Lothian.

May you reign long and healthy, Regent Alfred of the Realms of Lothian and Tweeddale.​

 

[Firehound15]

Friends in High Places Part 1

A courtier arrives in Somerset, his clothes worn and tattered from several days of travel, bearing a letter from the Eorl of Lothian. He refuses to hand the letter over to anyone except for the Eorl of Somerset, Rædwulf himself. Upon giving the letter over, the dignitary moves elsewhere, where he awaits a response.​

*A response is quickly returned*

Spoiler

I am pleased to hear of your support for our efforts against the Dumnonians, although I pray it shall be unneeded. Of course, we offer likewise support for our friends in the North, although we must express concern regarding the ill-health of the Great King Æthelbald. Should he die and Prince Æthelheard be challenged by treacherous pretenders, a devastation could come over the land of a scale not often seen. Of course, such gruesome matters are best discussed in person, and once I have confirmed the security of our western border from attack, I shall consider arrangements which would bring either myself or a representative to Lothian.

Eorl Rædwulf of Somerset

 

[Schlieffen]

A letter arrives from Buckingham:

To the Earl-Regent Alfred of Lothian, Protector of the North,

I send this regarding the ill news from the royal court. Although I have no doubt word has long since reached your realm, I fear that news of the king's sudden illness still has yet to truly take hold in most of England. His reign has been ongoing for longer than most of us have been alive, and even in my own court there's almost a sense of denial: No-one will outright say it, but there seems to be this unspoken assumption that he will recover shortly and bless us with another hundred-years of rule.

I, however, fear this is not the case, and with Prince Æthelheard's elevation to heir being so recent I fear he may not be ready to hold the crown. It's for this reason that I write to you, hoping to find an ally in my attempts to keep this realm united should the worst take place and we lose our dear king: The prosperity that Æthelbald's reign brought us has made us far richer than any of our predecessors, and I believe we owe it to him to keep his kingdom united even after his passing.

Sincerely,
Leofræd, Earl of Middlesex​

 

[Firehound15]

A letter arrives from Buckingham:

To the Earl-Regent Alfred of Lothian, Protector of the North,

I send this regarding the ill news from the royal court. Although I have no doubt word has long since reached your realm, I fear that news of the king's sudden illness still has yet to truly take hold in most of England. His reign has been ongoing for longer than most of us have been alive, and even in my own court there's almost a sense of denial: No-one will outright say it, but there seems to be this unspoken assumption that he will recover shortly and bless us with another hundred-years of rule.

I, however, fear this is not the case, and with Prince Æthelheard's elevation to heir being so recent I fear he may not be ready to hold the crown. It's for this reason that I write to you, hoping to find an ally in my attempts to keep this realm united should the worst take place and we lose our dear king: The prosperity that Æthelbald's reign brought us has made us far richer than any of our predecessors, and I believe we owe it to him to keep his kingdom united even after his passing.

Sincerely,
Leofræd, Earl of Middlesex​

*A reply is returned.*

Spoiler: Reply

To the Earl of Middlesex, Deliverer of Poorly-Addressed Mail,

While I am in support of such efforts to maintain unity in the trying times ahead, I shall not easily lend my arms to those who disrespect and sully my position by failing to address me in the manner befitting my position. Know that we shall remain loyal supporters of the Kingdom of England, and that we shall forge that path only with those who operate in the sanctity of good spirits, the strength of humility, and an unyielding strength.

In proper order,

Eorl Raedwulf of Somerset.

 

[Schlieffen]

*A reply is returned.*

Spoiler: Reply

To the Earl of Middlesex, Deliverer of Poorly-Addressed Mail,

While I am in support of such efforts to maintain unity in the trying times ahead, I shall not easily lend my arms to those who disrespect and sully my position by failing to address me in the manner befitting my position. Know that we shall remain loyal supporters of the Kingdom of England, and that we shall forge that path only with those who operate in the sanctity of good spirits, the strength of humility, and an unyielding strength.

In proper order,

Eorl Raedwulf of Somerset.

The messenger graciously accepts the reply, but before retreating he freezes as he catches a glance at the text. His face starts to turn a deep crimson as he fumbles through his pouch, and he freezes as he finds the proper letter.

"My... er, forgive me lord, but I fear I may have delivered the wrong missive to you by mistake. My Lord has sent me with several messages for the various lords of England, and... well..." Unable to find the proper words, he slowly puts forward the letter he was actually meant to deliver.

Spoiler

To Earl Rædwulf of Somerset,

I send this regarding the ill news from the royal court. Although I have no doubt word has long since reached your realm, I fear that news of the king's sudden illness still has yet to truly take hold in most of England. His reign has been ongoing for longer than most of us have been alive, and even in my own court there's almost a sense of denial: No-one will outright say it, but there seems to be this unspoken assumption that he will recover shortly and bless us with another hundred-years of rule.

I, however, fear this is not the case, and while my realm lies deep within the kingdom, I suspect those outside of it share my skepticism. Æthelbald's brilliance has allowed us dominance over Britain for decades now, and while we have prospered under his rule I doubt our neighbors share our love of for the king. Sadly, with Prince Æthelheard's elevation to heir being so recent, I fear he may not be ready to deal with the crown his grandfather has worn so well — both from within the kingdom and from without.

It's for this reason that I write to you and the other lords of the kingdom, hoping to find allies in my attempts to keep this realm united should the worst take place and we lose our dear king: The prosperity that Æthelbald's reign brought us has made us far richer than any of our predecessors, and I believe we owe it to him to keep his kingdom united even after his passing.

Sincerely,
Leofræd, Earl of Middlesex​