The Rose Throne Succession Crisis

Over the course of the Unnamed Story, the Kingdom of Kyravelle exists in the shadow of a brewing storm, in the form of a succession crisis. King Tarrant Varnoll lies on his deathbed, and in his 49 years on the throne has produced no heir, and no longer can. With his family line having died out around the time of his ascension, the question of succession is one that looms over the kingdom.
== The Fall of House Forstat ==
A sickly child from birth, Tarrant Varnoll Lanenbane was the very last choice for the throne. With the kingdom having no law against female sovereigns, his younger sister Rosalie (then aged 12) held the role of Crown Princess in the year 1209 PC. Then, quite suddenly, she vanished--said to have been abducted, or else killed, to prevent her from ascending the throne. Despite an exhaustive search, using every avenue at the Crown's disposal, she was never recovered, her fate implied to have been found at the hands of a great magical force. With no other children remaining, Tarrant became Crown Prince, and shortly thereafter--upon the sudden death of his father--King of Kyravelle.
=== A House of Corpses ===
King Tarrant proved early on that his poor health and kind nature in no way obstructed his ability to rule when he proceeded to suppress a conspiracy brewing in his own court. Those responsible were nobles who held negligible claim to the throne through relation to past Kyravellan rulers, each of whom felt themselves more suited, and all of whom quickly found themselves without heads. But in suppressing what would have undoubtedly grown into a coup, Tarrant erased what vestiges remained of his family bloodline from all the noble houses in Kyravelle, save those who remained loyal.
Knowing all too well that his gestures had weakened a dynasty six hundred years old, the King courted and married the daughter of one of his remaining supporters, the Lord of Lourne Province. In this, he cemented his claim to the throne, and for all intents and purposes, his future was secure. It was not until years later, after countless failed attempts to secure his lineage, that the King was forced to accept a dire fact: he was unable to produce an heir--and in protecting his House, he had executed every man eligible to take his place.
=== A Barren Throne ===
The King would go on to rule for a record 49 years, battling public opinion, descent in his own ranks, and a silent war on magic, inspired by the loss of his sister, to whom he was very close. The fact of his mortality loomed more than once, as his health continued to dwindle. Queen Catherine--formerly Catherine of Lourne, and not at all prepared to rule--found herself more and more acting as regent in her husband's stead, with his loyal advisors as her only support. She was ill-suited to the task, and the panel of lords knew it all too well. They pressed for the choosing of an heir from the nobility, through whatever royal connections or distinction remained.
The King refused. He refused for ten years.
Despite constant pressure to decide an heir, King Tarrant failed to name his successor, and went further to forbid even the discussion of succession for as long as he remained alive. The lords were baffled, and secretly concerned. Murmurs that the King's illnesses had driven him mad rippled through the nobility, with factions beginning to form in the provinces in preparation for what was to come, if a legitimate heir was not chosen.
Barring the word of the King, his death would mean an all-out war between the most powerful of Kyravelle's lords--and all of that, without ever taking into account that the ancient and powerful Empire of Corva is just across the border.
== Prospective Claimants ==
It has been Kyravellan custom since the country's first days for members of the royal family to enter into partnership with the provincial lords, both to secure their continued support, and to guarantee the presence of Forstat blood in the major Houses in the land. As a result, many of the lords have some claim to the throne, with precedence handed to those with the most recent Forstat connections.
=== Claim by Birth or Relation ===
The provincial lords with the strongest claim to the throne are as follows:
Duke Brinan Vorley of Nautroth Province: Tarrant's cousin by marriage. At 59, he is considered too old to rule, and he lacks Forstat blood, being related to the Queen Mother through her sister, Lady Madelina. However, his military record and vast army go towards legitimizing his claim, in the name of his son, 30-year-old Lord Bainley. In his stead, Bainley is the most insistent claimant as Tarrant's second cousin.
Ser Daemond Lourne Welling of Lourne Province: Tarrant's brother-in-law. At 65 he is the eldest claimant, also lacking Forstat blood, but being the brother of Queen Catherine, and great-grand-nephew of Florianne, Duchess of Laedia and King Percival's great-aunt. A former royal knight, Ser Lourne is unmarried and has no heirs, and has outspokenly shown interest only to prevent the other claimants from "piddling on the kingdom." He has survived four assassination attempts (so far).
Lord Richard Lyon of Moreth Province: Tarrant's first cousin, via his father's sister, Provenza, Duchess of Latimere. Being the late King Percival's great-nephew and one of the few Lyons still living, Lord Richard has the strongest birth-claim. A former Knight of Adavarion, Lord Richard at 56 is also too old to rule, and also has no heirs. He has (laughingly!) declined consideration. His younger brother, Roderick, holds tentative claim in his place, despite being only a minor lord.
=== Claim by Power ===
Anyone with an army has the ability to attempt a hostile takeover with the advent of an empty throne, and it is a move several lords are suspected of considering. The threat of Corva or Alderon exerting claim are also under consideration, the former being already an Empire with hostile intentions, the latter being highly powerful and loyal to House Forstat.
Though none of these powers have made any gesture or even indication of concern for the throne, one unexpected contender holds claim even without interest. It is a possibility the provincial lords are actively rallied against.
 Jai Anderian Faust d'Wei Elysiana Kor Pinteng, the 124th Grand Duke of Corva: 
Being (assumedly) a descendant of the 13th Emperor of Corva's bloodline, the current Grand Duke therefore shares some small amount of blood with Renee Kyrav d'Mariere, posthumous Prince Consort to the first King of Kyravelle, Augustine. While the level of relation involved is microscopic at best, the fact remains that he is the only other direct descendant of House Forstat. His claim is arguably by marriage, but the patriarch of House Forstat, King Andrian, bore the same blood with full right. It is a frighteningly strong claim.
Some insist that the Imperial claim was negated when the d'Mariere line was cast out of Corva, rendering any remaining shred of that blood in the family illegitimate. However, his status as a future sovereign, as well as the might of the Corvite Imperial Navy and the Sentinelle, makes his claim by strength greater than every other claimant. As of yet, the Imperial Family has shown no interest in Kyravelle, but the lack of a strong ruler could easily change that when King Tarrant inevitably dies.
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