Æthelwulf

King Æthelwulf Wulfborn, Son of Palifrun, First of His Name was the king of Bracken from -1802 onwards. He was a cunning, smart and eidetic ruler who had great plans for his kingdom, the Rice Bræknge. 
Seven years before his rule, when his sister Gerwulf was about to come to power, he was present when his father King Palifrun was defenestrated during a petty quarrel between a housecarl, gedriht, two yeomen, and three thegns. Gerwulf, as Palifrun's eldest, ordered all seven of the offending nobles to be gibbetted in the bay and left for the ravens.
Æthelwulf succeeded his sister Gerwulf in -1798 after the latter passed away from blue fever, having been served a potent jellyfish. He vowed to do his forebears proud. 
In -1782, he forged an alliance with the Freetrade City of Nisos and its environs, effectively bringing more of the inland northeast of the land under his control. In -1778 he also cunningly allied with the coastal and westerly/southerly towns, like Pszczow. Æthelwulf offered the towns the protection of his kingdom and access to his wide-reaching trade empire, as well as protection for their merchants. He also granted the town leaders the title of Thegn, one thegn for each town, and invited them to sit in Bræknge. In return, the towns provided the kingdom with worked metal, lumber, wool, leather, livestock, horses, and young, eager, trained warriors. 
But there was one glaring blank spot on his kingdom's map. Kol Darim. The Darim had turned down his olive branches and shut their doors on the Kingdom, but their citadel would increase the Kingdom's metal and gem resources six times over if conquered. Jarl Kjotverð Tooth-in-the-Eye soon became the target of his ire.
In around -1778 he began to exact tribute from the neighbouring lowlands to prepare to conquer Kol Darim, and he planned to unify the coast of the northeast Danderillon to ensure the Rakkimarrans would never land on his land.
Category:People
Category:People of Power