With Gun and Pike: a character game

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Varga Kalman
Naval Officer - Mowosh

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A Mowoshi naval officer who built a following in the jewel of the south by keeping his head down and his mouth closed during the Tero government and the coup both, Varga has played a steady game of influence in the ranks, surviving the many waves of purges and mutinies which have plagued the navy to eventually come into a command of his own. Hailing from the affluent salt-trading middle class of Mowosh, Varga's brain was pickled early in the swashbuckling heroism of the cult of the sail and the exploratory curiosity of the new academia, thanks to a network of tutors and sword instructors. It was this background which spurred him to enlist in the navy, with a Lieutenant's commission bought for him and a little luck. His first ship he served on, the Lady Tero, proved to have a deeply unfortunate name and commissioning date: being laid down on the day of that government's deposition. When the Captain attempted to stage a mutiny in favour of the loyalist cause, Kalman found himself in the surprising position of leading a counter-mutiny. Treated favourably by the scorched-out bones of the parliament, he was handed his old officer's rank, and enjoyed the favour of his ever-cautious crew. Having been tapped to lead an ambitious exploratory expedition in hopes of colonial and financial renewal, Kalman's ambitions have been thwarted by the politicking of the Capital and the budget constraints of a worryingly precarious Danhest state. With all the preparations, and the necessary prodding from the many university scholars which have arrived in the harbour expecting to accompany him, however, the restless Varga appears of a mind to simply quit Dannen entirely.
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Gogi Jianu: Bandit, Jihae

The story of Gogi Jianu begins in Ouha, as the youngest of five brothers. Civil war and instability made life very difficult in the region, and famine quickly followed. At a young age, Gogi decided to leave his family, and remove the burden of another mouth to feed. He was a simple farmer, and with no applicable skills he should have starved. Instead, he met a man that would change his life.

The self-proclaimed Bandit King of the North was about as strange as they come, but with an undeniable charisma and understanding of military tactics. He gave Gogi no choice besides recruitment, and a few months later, when Gogi saved the so-called King's life during a raid, the man thanked him by naming Gogi his heir. Gogi found himself as second in command of a rapidly growing bandit army, and his own prestige grew with it. Yet, Gogi knew he was just along for the ride, a side character in the story of the Bandit King of the North. Then, just after the man had firmly established a piece of territory in Jihae, and began preparing to unite the region, he died.

Gogi Jianu knew that he had to assert his authority if he wanted to survive, and so he quickly rallied his supporters and took his claimed position as the new Bandit King of the North. But Gogi knew that he couldn't allow things to stagnate. He wasn't his mentor, but he was heir to that man's legacy and dream, even as Gogi lacked one himself. Thus, he swore to himself he would make his title in truth, and become a real king in the north.

And perhaps, one day, he could ensure no one in the north would starve again.
 
Name: Vi Lagu
Class: Military Commander
Age: 33
Location: East 4: Qehhaban (Kulfol)
Bio: A child born out of loveless marriage between a petty noble and a merchant, Lagu never had what most would call a loving environment. His parents did however provide what most peasant parents could never give, higher education and healthcare. Lagu was content enough with his life, and decided that bring honor to the family name will repay his parents for the gift of life. Thus he joined the military academy then requested to be place in the east, where his actions will have the most profound impact. The sort of impact that will bring glory and honor, through destruction and civilizing of the eastern wild lands.
 
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Zhang Bilguun

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Class: Noble
Age: 30
Location: The Capital

Bio:
Zhang Zhi, known in his local language as Bilguun, is the chief of the Tosgon, a hill tribe located in the province of the same name in eastern Dannen. Bilguun had come to the capital as part of a new batch of native recruits amongst the hill tribes to serve in the mighty imperial army. His military service was largely uneventful, but enough to allow his promotion through the ranks. In general, it could be said that during his time in the military he was competent but of modest ambition. Just prior to the coup he made a claim to the vacant chieftainship of his native region, something that was recognized by the Ministry of Assignment in acknowledgment of his nearly 2 years of loyal service. Thus with the title of Elector he transitioned from the military to being a member of parliament, expected to be a voice for his tribe.

Then the coup occurred, preventing Bilguun from returning to his people and formally taking charge. Rather than flee the capital he sided with the loyalists, mainly out of interest to secure the title which he had quickly come to enjoy. After the initial fighting was over, he remained the only chieftain of the hill tribes left in service to the loyalist government in the capital, a distinction noted by both the princess-regent and those who quietly, and not so quietly oppose her. After the coup attempt Bilguun suddenly found his ambition which he will need to accomplish his goals, immediate of which is to return to his people, known as the Tosgon, and take charge of what he considers his rightful lands. All the while fully realizing some of his tribe might not accept his rule, or worse, might support one of the other rising chieftains of the neighboring tribes. For the meantime he has returned to military service, taking command of all loyalist hillmen in the capital, all at the service of the new princess-regent.
 
Name: Zabdas IV Saurmagea, Marzban of Saurmag
Class: Noble
Age: 26
Location: The West (Saurmag)

Clan Saurmagea is one of the oldest and proudest Alsignan noble families. The family claims descent from the eponymous Saurmag the Sorcerer, whose known in traditional folklore as the wisest and most learned of Darmosh's grandchildren. When Darmosh divided his conquests among his descendants, the region that Saurmag the Sorcerer was given came to assume his name: Saurmag. For thousands of years, Clan Saurmagea were Marzbans (or margraves) in the Alsingan East, fighting against the Danhesti Army on many occasion, often leading the Alsingan Army itself due to their experience fighting in the region. Numerous Alsingan kings were chosen from among the ranks of Clan Saurmagea, which added to the legacy of Clan Saurmagea in Alsingas. Originally one of the "Great Princes" of Alsingas, constantly battling with Dannen reduced the prosperity of Saurmag be it through death of countless men, burning and pillaging by Alsingan invaders, or the money required to upkeep border defenses. Over time, Clan Saurmagea mortgaged or sold territories to rich merchants or other noble families, which weakened the proud frontier lords in the years before Tero's conquests.

When Tero lead his first wars against Alsingas, Saurmag was at the center of some of the most difficult fighting. Rather than doom both himself and his subjects to an endless onslaught of destruction, Marzban Saurmag XVII chose to surrender to Danhesti forces rather than fight back. For his submission, Saurmag XVII retain his lands and titles, gained the privileges granted to all other Danhesti nobles and the region of Saurmag itself was largely isolated from the destruction of Tero's wars of conquest.

Zabdas IV was born after the submission of his father to the Danhesti army. Zabdas was the second yet the favorite son of Saurmag XVII as his firstborn was sent to the capital as a hostage to ensure his fathers loyalty to the Tero regime. While the eldest born was raised in accordance to Danhesti customs, Zabdas was born and raised as an Alsingan. When Saurmag XVII finally died, his eldest son became Marzban as Saurmag XVIII. His Danhesti upbringing was the subject of much quiet scorn and vitriol in the Saurmagean court. Thus, when Saurmag XVIII died of "pneumonia", many suspected poison by more traditional nobles. Either way, Zabdas IV became the new Marzban and reigned as such for the past 3 years.
 
Place holder Until Updated

Raha Zho Dho Roha
General and Big Boss of the Ahzo River Valley​

Name: Raha Zho Dho Roha
Class: Military Commander/"Big Boss" Noble
Age: 37
Location: South Dannon (#3)

Raha was boring into the Zho, a small Kershap clan that worked its lands and tried to keep trade coming in even though they had to work with the Danhest, something that wasn't exactly wanted. The Zho Clan lives along the Ahzo River, having settled at its mouth and over the ages expended up and down its banks and came to dominate trade that originated from the region. They were content to stay along the river and stay outside of the politics around them.

The arrival of the Danhest changed that, they hustling in on the trade dominance of the Zho, something that still stings to this day. Regional fights took place, the Zho winning some and losing others, but in the end, a fragile peace was achieved with the Zho controlling a reduced holding along the river. Since then some integration has taken place, but the distrust never wavered.

When the great Tero ascended to control the country the Zho, Raha included, rejoiced as their fortunes changed and the Kershap saw renewed influence and control. Raha, already a "Boss" of Zhoja, the main port settlement of the Ahzo, joined the military and helped organize the Zho along with her standards and campaigned when called, joining many other loyalists from the region in supporting her.

Raha would be wounded during one of these campaigns, returning to Zhoja where he learned his father had gone to the capital to help serve in Tero's Government, making him Big Boss of Zhoja. It was during this recuperating that news arrived of the coup in the capital along with the loss of Tero and Raha's father.

To say that Raha was furious was and is an understatement. He blames the Danhest, always putting down the Kershap, always taking away what was rightfully theirs from the start. Now Raha, mostly recovered from his wounds, sends messengers to call back his forces from campaigns afar, while organizing the Zho for what surely is coming. While he hasn't struck against the Danhest that live along the Ahzo, and many of them actually loyal to the Zho for many years, all are sure that soon Raha shall have his vengeance, just where is the question.
 
Name: Sei-Ran Zang, the Ironhand
Class: Revolutionary/Anti-Cottoner
Age: 36
Location: North 3: Sajitane (Uncontrolled)
Bio: Born in the southern port city of Peganti, Zang was orphaned at an early age and forced to make his living on the streets. He was saved from a life of desperate poverty by catching the eye of a wealthy merchant with his quick wit and dexterity, and the merchant sponsored him for a formal education. A social chameleon, Zang blended into the academy just as he had the streets, and graduated with honors. His patron's favor and his excellent standing recommended him for induction into the magistracy, where he served with distinction. Adept at both his duties and self-promotion, he gained a reputation as being fearless and incorruptible.

His career path to the top of the bureaucracy was derailed when he was temporarily assigned to help put down unrest in Sajitane. The plight of the exploited plantation workers and oppressed local peasants struck a chord, bringing back memories of an unforgiving city and its brutal crime bosses. His application of the law began to shift away from enforcing the property rights of the local owners and toward achieving retribution for their victims. By the time Parliament burned, he had gone fully native; afterwards, he simply stopped sending in his fabricated reports.

A year later, he's the leader of a band of vigilante militiamen out to unite the locals and the new arrivals against the landlords, against whom they strike without mercy or compunction. Ironhand Zang may no longer follow the law, but its place in his heart has been taken by an implacable justice that just won't quit.
 
Name: Korika Taiga "The Hound of Tero."
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Class: Military Commander: Grand Officer 1st Rank
Territory: Central 2 Ta
Background: The Taiga family is a very old and powerful family located in the captial of Dannan. With a bloodline that is recorded as far back as the first Kings the Taiga family enjoys the fruit of their forefathers.

Korika Taiga is the 3rd Son of the current Lord Taiga. As the third son Korika stood to inherit very little at best marrying a Lady of equal Station and starting a Cadet Branch of the family was the best he might hope for. That is until his Uncle came to visit and convinced Korika to join into the Army. Which at that time was not the professional force it would become.

Due to his Uncle holding the Rank of General he managed to push through Taiga's commission and bring Taiga in as his personal Aide before getting him a posting as a junior Officer in one of the Companies. Particularly a Pike Company.

Korika would excell at his duties and would raise through the ranks rapidly. With the ascension of Tero and the sweeping reforms. Korika would be a voice of acceptance and support of the reforms. An act that garnered him the attention of Tero herself and her support. Although such support would see Korika to suffer greatly at the plots of the traditional officers. He would find himself constantly fighting a uphill battle. Then came the Wars against the Alsingan. Korika would garner an almost mythical reputation for success at the worst of odds. Earning him many names. "Butcher of Alsingan", "Lion of Dannen", "Lord of Iron", and prehabs the most known "The Hound of Tero." A name first used by Traditonal officers as an insult to Korika has now been used by Korika himself. By the end of the 4th Alsingan war. Korika had finally gained the rank of Grand Officer 1st Rank.

When the murder of Tero reached Korika far in the west it is said that the sky turned black and thunder the likes no had seen in their lives sounded as Korika's rage was felt. Korika would then muster his entire force including Auxiliaries and begin the march to the Capital. Ignoring orders from his superiors to return to his post. He and his men would carved a bloody path through the west and into the heartlands. Eventually being bogged down by both weather and Coupist troops in the Central Region of Ta.

But the Hound of Tero wasn't bested. Everytime he met the enemy forces in pitched battles Korika would leverage both his superior Infantry and Pikes against his enemies own rabble and horsemen while making use of specialized Heavy Shock Calvary as flanking forces to sweep the enemy from the battle field once they committed. These tactics alongside Korika's strategy of making use of easy to construct cover for his Pike and Shot formations have secured the Ta Region for the Hound of Tero.

Now the Hound looks South to the capital and to bring order and justice to the Homeland.
 
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Orfa Kosiken
Naval Officer - Skerf

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The Kosikens are an undistinguished family everywhere but the tiny island of Skerf. It was there, reaching the southernmost extent of her influence, that the nation of Dannen rests. Few dare to live on the island by choice. Orfa's great-grandfather arrived by way of exile from the capital, a distant lackey of a fallen prince. He built a simple lighthouse and seaside estate before passing away of old age. The family's fortune declined thereafter. Orfa grew up eating the eggs of seabirds like everyone else. She found little to do but fish and grow strong. Her commission in the navy coincidentally was a matter of heritage: the lass' maternal grandmother was a retired boatswain and the title passed down to her. She is technically responsible for the defense of Skerf—a role the tall mariner performs competently. She often travels the waters around Skerf on her cockleshell. Quite a few ships were saved from the rocks by her. As a southerner, it was a shame to lose Tero, but the capital is far away and the crabmen far closer.
 
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Name: Karnak (Warlord)
Age: 27
Location: Nehhot (Debeysh/ The Far Hills)
Background: Karnak was a Nehhotik who like many of his people decided to enlist with the Kavarratans and during his time in their domain learned of the power the various empires throughout history wielded. However as Terro waged her wars against the Hllmen and he heard of the colonization of Hillmen territory he knew something needed to happen lest his people would be destroyed sooner or later as well. With Kavarattan support he managed to establish himself as a warlord in Nehhot, the Kavaratan did this as they wanted a friendly power in the area both to assist their claims in Kalkagon and agains tthe other Hillmen tribes.
 
Togarmoz of Asharaivia
Wise Brother of the Mulberry Eater Society
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Name: Togarmoz Asharaivaea
Class: Revolutionary
Age: 31
Location: (New West 6) Poros
Background: Within a few months of the coup that felled Tero's seemingly indomitable government, the council of Sages governing in the imperial capital of Nand dispatched a small insurgent force across the border into Danhest-occupied Alsingas. A band of Onding light cavalrywho fought in the revolution of the priests, a handful of war-elephants and their mahouts, and a young Sage to lead them in their holy war. Their target? The sacred mountain of Porosgiri, from which they were expected to inspire fervor in the Alsings subjugated by Tero in her four border wars. To remind them that Darmosh's glory was not in the current crop of his aristocratic "Children", some of whom had sold their border counties to Dannen for gold, but in the empire that he had created when he descended from Almav and unified feuding god-princes under one rule, one religion.

As the priest chosen by his elders to lead this crusade, the Parnavtabati named Togarmoz carried with him the expectations befitting a disciple of the finest temple scholars in Alsingas. No simple country priest, Togarmoz hailed from a bourgeoisie family of traders; former mahouts who had bred prized war elephants before elephant charges were proven obsolescent in the face of cannon-fire. Within the time of Teru's reign in Dannen the clan had expanded into other goods and services, becoming wealthy enough to be part of a rising class chafing under the many Children of Darmosh in the divine ruling class. The second son and most studious of his siblings, Togarmoz was chosen early on to be sent into the priesthood, so that the clan would have a source of religious sanction for their activities and as a way of funneling patronage to the clerical class to, at the best of times, protected the common-born from the excesses of the nobility.

With the finest education Alsingan coin could buy and a reputation as an eloquent speaker and sufficiently deferential student to the esteemed clerics who took him under their wings, Togarmoz was sent as far away as possible by his immediate superiors in the clerical-coup government when it had established itself, less he become a thorn in their collective side. He may not have been expected to return alive, but he was determined that he would not fade into obscurity.
 
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Nigerian Duck said:
Howdy there? How does this work?
Click to expand...
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This thread is for people to post signups for the game. The first post in the thread describes how players should create their signup posts. Once signups are over, a new, in-character thread will begin for players to roleplay in and the game will begin when I post the first update. If you're interested in joining the game but are unfamiliar with the GSRP format, please contact me in a direct messages conversation or through the Discord server linked in the first post of this thread.
 
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Asfara Shaoyi (nee Haoma)

Noble, Merchant

Age 35

Sua (no. 4), Old West

Lady of the Great House of Haoma and Duchess-Consort to His Highness the Duke Rowei of the Grand City of Sua.

In the Grand City of Sua, a peculiar arrangement persists now for several centuries: though nominally under the rule of the city's Duke -- a prestigious and storied family of Danhest extraction -- the influential silk-trading houses have long held the real power. The bureaucrats and barons of the region are bought out, if not replaced with extended family or cadet branches entirely. In terms of pedigree, though, these merchant houses are lacking, at least according to the upturned noses in the Capital; a few too many foreign peddlers, concubines, and ex-sellswords up family trees, and a worrying penchant even to this day for more merit-based or even romantic unions. Thus, an arrangement was born. Or rather dozens of them, over the years.

To marry into the ducal house of Shaoyi remains the greatest honor a Suan Great House can aspire to, and is key on the path to city-wide hegemony and more formal representation in the Capital. Asfara Haoma, the firstborn daughter of the Haoma House, was raised for just such a purpose -- the then-heir apparent to the Duchy, Rowei, was born just days apart from her.

Learning how to use an abacus before she could read or write, Asfara was steeped in the mercantile traditions of the Great Houses of Sua, a group almost as diverse as the city they rule. The Haomas themselves could trace their line some 300 years back, to an Alsing mule driver-turned-silk magnate, the eponymous Haoma the Magnificent. Among her great-grandparents, Asfara could count a Danhest baron, a Darereni mercenary captain, and even a prior Duchess.

Her betrothal arranged before her tenth birthday, Asfara formally entered the Ducal house at the age of eighteen. It would not be long before the death of the old Duke, and the ascension of her husband, the party animal Rowei. Ever since, Asfara has exercised control as de facto ruler of the city, keeping peer houses in line and ensuring the easy transport of goods and people up and down the silk lanes. With that in mind, the Lady of Sua is by all accounts conservative, unprone to radical ideas or ambitions, interested only in the primacy of her house and the continued prosperity of the region, come what may.
 
I have updated post 3 with a new map of cultural groups and updated post 4 with an extended background on Dannen, various aspects of its society and culture, as well as the cultures of its neighbors.

I plan to begin writing the Turn 0 update at noon EST (-5 GMT) on Monday. Please do not let this discourage you from joining the game! I welcome any new participants at any point, including after the game begins. When the Turn 0 update is complete, I will post it as the first post of the IC thread. Expect the IC thread to be posted within a week after I begin writing.
 
Name: Red-haired Ivaylo (Workers' Council, Ouha)
Age: 33
Biography:
Brought up in an Ouha family of few means, Ivaylo spent his first years fighting against his familial authorities and soon earning a reputation as a reckless drunkard. One particularly well-aged cask of drink would be his early downfall, as he found himself press ganged into a bandit force, desperate for more men after being harshly suppressed by Tero.

Ivaylo would live as a bandit for little under a year, learning the trade while planning an escape with a few others in similar situations. He took his chance during a raid on his home town, mutinying and leading a counterattack, then taking the village leaders to where the bandits' ill-gotten loot was kept. This would change his reputation entirely, quickly becoming a respected member- his recklessness now decisiveness and innovation, his moderated drinking seen as gregariousness or charisma.

He would, however, find himself under suspicion by central authority due to his past, quickly forced into opposition against it. When Tero died and chaos and famine came, Ivalyo led an optimistic, to say the least, assault on a local fort. Through both sheer luck and some military experience, an ambush and infiltration worked, and his town now finds itself free of the tyranny of the capital for the first time.
 

AMBAGHAI KNAR OD
In the Dannen Tongue: Heavenly Black Star​

As the realm of Dannen withered and its hinterlands fell to disorder, few noticed the arrival of a strange mystic from the far north. Claiming to hail from the lands beyond Yatu Damai and wearing a peculiar garb, this figure referred to himself only in the third-person, naming himself the Great Teacher and more specifically the Ambaghai Knar Od or Heavenly Black Star. With a coterie of students and servants, Ambaghai Knar Od established camp in the Dannen north, proclaiming a peculiar set of teachings.

As the Great Teacher claimed, he was the child of the stars, the union between a motherly near-star and a fatherly far-star, who was prophesized to bring about a new order in the world under a Black Star. As his teachings go, when his parental stars align and his teachings are adopted, the old rules and ways will be overthrown, the wicked will perish, and a just system of government will spread across the earthly plane under the Path of the Heavenly Black Star. Until that day, Ambaghai Knar Od has pledged himself as a healer and Great Teacher, offering confessional and prayer services to heal the sick and right the wrong.

The followers of the Path of the Black Star, few in number and seen as strange folk, worship in a communal sense. Group trances, mass prayers, and various ceremonies overseen by the Great Teacher are frequent and open to the locals, while music is brought around the north as a supposed bringing of good luck and health. More than ever, the Great Teacher has made clear that the Path is not one for his people alone, but for the people of Dannen as well.
 
Hezan Mue

Class - Magistrate

Age - 29

Location - Danbin - the Capital

Thirteenth son of a wealthy merchant from the Capital and a child of a concubine at that, Hezan had a little hope to inherit any remarkable position in his clan business. Due to his slightly foreign look - his mother was an immigrant from the Far Hills - he was bullied by his brothers in his childhood and never really built good relations with his broad family. Thus, from a young age he was preparing to take the state exam and join the Magistracy, so he could build his own fortune far from the merchant life he grew to detest over the years - a plan that left him with an overabundance of theoretical knowledge and a little social skills. His first examination ended up well, but not well enough. Only after procuring a loan from his stepmother and suitably encouraging official in charge of his candidacy he was able to become a junior magistrate. Something that left him a bit bitter about the whole meritocratic principles of the Magistracy until this day.

Hezan's stepmother stood behind the recent prosperity of their business. She was an ambitious woman, so it is difficult to judge what really happened during the coup. Some say she was involved with the coalitionists, trying to insert her family into influential nobility. Others say that she had too many petty enemies, who used an opportunity to deal with her. Regardless of the cause, she was killed during the chaotic days after the coup along with several of Hezan's younger brothers and sisters as well as their father. A group of thugs, that barged into their mansion, ransacked it and killed Mue family, was never caught. In the aftermath of those events, future of the Mue clan remains uncertain. Despite never really caring for his family, actually losing them deeply influenced Hezan. He stopped ignoring his siblings and cousins and started helping them.

Events preceding sudden election of the new princess-regent left a lot of vacant administrative positions. Hezan jumped at a chance to climb ranks way faster than he had ever anticipated. His meagre influence and experience were nevertheless enough to blitz through the exams and secure promotion from junior magistrate in Ministry of Assignments to a grade 5 magistrate under Ministry of War. Now, he is sorting conflicting reports regarding supplies on various fronts through the country.
 


Ruparaheti Makati, Duke of Anmatori
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Culture: Danhest​
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Age: 20​
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Ruparaheti Makati, the third son of the late Duke of Anmatori, had been returning from the Capital to his ancestral seat in the west to partake in his father's funeral rites when his journey was interrupted by news of the brutal assault that had claimed the lives of his beloved mother, two elder brothers, and his darling sister, Isaben, among the other family members who had fallen victim to the sudden and cruel attack. ​
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Cautioned by a loyal family retainer, the elderly Tofiasa, to return in haste to the safety of the Capital, Ruparaheti suppressed his impulse to seek immediate vengeance, and agreed with Tofiasa's sage advice, giving instructions to his small retinue that a speedy return to the city of Danbin was in order. ​
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It was here in Danbin that the Prince Regent, by some distant extraction a relative of the Anmatori dukes, confirmed Ruparaheti's succession to the ducal dignity; the recent and tragic death of his elder brothers leading to his unexpected elevation. And, it was here in Danbin that Ruparaheti remained. Donning the customary robes of mourning and contemplating the sombre circumstances that had befallen his esteemed house -- his family murdered and his estates despoiled -- Ruparaheti retired to his quarter overlooking the banks of the River Dan, his thoughts recollecting childhood and the fertile fields of Makati. ​
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