Benwyck Allegiance

  • Words: Strong And Ready
  • Colors: Dark Red and White (Silver) 
  • Symbol: A Briton shield with red and white stripes from upper-left to lower-right. Also, a red bear (older symbol). 
  • Patron: Lady of the Lake
  • Cultural Majority: Briton, Norn
    • Significant Minorities: Brynn (Dalriada & Silures) 
  • Leader: Prince Bann Belfort
  • Seat: Blackstone Tor
  • Pronounced: BENN-wick

Benwyck is an Allegiance that has recreated itself from the ashes of destruction. Within the last two generations, Benwyck was prosperous, then subjugated by the Red Wolves of Malagant, then reclaimed by Queen Elaine Belfort and the Heroes of the Golden Phoenix. Under Queen Elaine’s rule, Benwyck grew out from under the Pendragon’s shadow and then prosperous under its own strength. Whereas once Benwyck existed as a vassal of Albion and King Uther Pendragon in all but name, after the Red Death and the Fall of Albion, Prince Bann of Benwyck rules his lands with the same iron will and determination inherited from his mother. 

  • Benwyck is strong and self-reliant; they earned their place of power among the factions of Brittanis. 
  • Benwyck believes that allies are the key to long-term success; during the Red Death, Benwyck took in many refugees from Albion, honoring their ties to the Pendragon who helped bring their nation back from destruction. 
  • Benwyck knows that religion is well and good, but is a fire that consumes when not under control. 
  • Benwyck still harbors deep hatred for both the necromancers of the Circle of Five and the Red Wolves of Malagant. Benwyck holds deep grudges and never forgets a wrong done to them. To combat these foes, the forces of Benwyck have developed powerful, savage fighting styles necessary to defeat foes whose fervor drives them to feel no pain and only stop when dismembered. 
  • Benwyck knows that peace is maintained through strength– of arms, of magic, and of trade.

In 146 AR, Benwyck’s capital is the fortress of Blackstone Tor; they also control the village of Foolshope and the mountain pass to the north of the village. Many other nearby settlements and resources are unclaimed by any Allegiance.  

BENWYCK HISTORY

  • In 109 AR, the civil war which had torn Benwyck apart ended when one of the contenders for the vacant throne bent the knee to the True Pack theocracy of Malagant. The Red Wolves of Dagmar moved swiftly to suppress all resistance; both Queen Elaine and her son Prince Bann were imprisoned but not killed to preserve some legitimacy of rule. 
  • In 112 AR, Queen Elaine and Prince Bann had been freed from bondage by the Heroes of the Golden Phoenix and Elaine marched at the head of an army to reclaim the Throne.  
    • In exchange for support as Pendragon, King Uther Ambrosius provided soldiers to Queen Elaine’s War; her coalition also consisted of King Alecksi Wolfsson of Malagant, the Greycloak Rangers of Benwyck, and many Heroes of the Golden Phoenix. 
    • The result of Queen Elaine’s War was freedom from the True Pack’s oppression and a resurgent nation of Benwyck supported by King Uther Pendragon. 
  • In early days, Queen Elaine knew where her power was founded and both accepted aid from the Pendragon and provided troops and materiel as needed. Benwyck prospered as a client kingdom of the Pendragon. 
  • Everything changed when the Red Death hit. Queen Elaine took what was seen at the time as an overly-extreme step of closing all Benwyck ports and setting fire ships to patrol along the coastline. What seemed insane at the time saved countless lives. 
    • The Greycloak Rangers, resistance fighters turned scouting force for the Crown, ruthlessly patrolled the northern border after the outbreak of plague. 
    • Though their casualties in the end were horrific, the Greycloaks kept Benwyck from falling under the initial outbreak of plague that crushed many of the nations of the north and Heartland. 
  • Though Queen Elaine herself fell victim to the Red Death, her son Prince Bann Belfort had learned his lessons in governance well. Prince Bann only opened the borders after the Red Death showed signs of burning itself out. 
    • It’s unknown how many died on the borders of Benwyck, but to this day there are fields and forest glades littered with the bones of those cut down to prevent the plague from entering Benwyck. 
  • In the years since the Red Death, Prince Bann has chosen to continue his nation’s pact of nonaggression toward the White Wolves of Malagant in the east. Though not allies, both factions understand the value of a quiet border at their back while they face the other direction. 
    • Gineya Alexidottir, Jarl of Malagant, holds her own borders only through constant vigilance against packs of Red Wolf Raiders who prowl the eastern peninsula of Brittanis. 
    • Prince Bann of Benwyck slowly, mile by bloody mile, reclaims his western border from the undead of the Circle of Five. Even though the necromancers themselves have not been seen in decades, their hordes and traps and monstrosities remain, and regularly attack Benwyck’s western settlements.  

MAP: 

  • RED is Benwyck 
  • Dark Red is Khaz Agrulbar (Neutral) 
  • Blue is Piper (Rival)
  • Grey is Malagant (Friendly)  
  • Light Blue (north-east) is Norgales (Conflict) 
  • Tan is unclaimed settlements