Sir Liam

:"I personally saw the forgiveness of the disenfranchised right before my eyes, and it affirmed to me that people are indeed good at heart."
:~ Sir Liam — September 10, 1827
Sir Liam, Servant of Lord Mauritius XII, Lord Ampharos I, Lord Ampharos II, & Lord Ampharos III (June 30, 1742–September 10, 1827), was a royal servant to the Ambrosian royal family. He is mainly known for writing the lyrics to the Ambrosian national anthem in 1769, upon the ascension of Lord Ampharos I (1744–1798, r. 1769–1798). He was the last royal servant of the Mauritian Dynasty and the first royal servant of the Ampharosian Dynasty.
==Fictional Character Biography==
===Childhood (1742–1760)===
Born on June 30, 1742 in Lukallapeis, a city within Ambrosia chiefly populated by Lucarios, Sir Liam entered royal servanthood in 1758, at the age of 16. He thought it was an opportunity to escape discrimination, since all the non-Ampharos citizens were oppressed during those times. However, this would not be the case. Upon beginning his service to Lord Mauritius XII (1726–1769, r. 1749–1769), Sir Liam saw that he was the only royal servant not to be an Ampharos. Because of this, he faced frequent abuse by his master and his peers, and he was often made to look like a fool. He was also very rarely seen by visitors. On the off chance that someone would see him, Lord Mauritius XII would always tell them to ignore him.
:"That servant? Oh, don't pay him much mind. He's only a Lucario. What worth has he but that of an insipid court fool? Perhaps I can encourage him to entertain us this evening."~ Lord Mauritius XII, speaking to guests at a banquet on 14 May 1759.
To help himself cope with the abuse, Sir Liam kept a diary of all his experiences and his feelings about them. Written in the Ambro-Lucarian language, his native tongue, most of his entries are marked with sadness. However, there is also a theme of hope that things will improve eventually.
===Early Adulthood (1760–1783)===
In 1769, Lord Mauritius XII was overthrown by an Ampharos seeking to end the mass oppression of the non-Ampharos citizens, with help from a large egalitarian group that had garnered massive underground support. By demand from the group, the Ampharos ascended to the throne and became Lord Ampharos I. His first act in power was the execution of Lord Mauritius XII.
:"For years, this beast of a Lord has violated the peace and harmony with all other citizens by infringing their inherent rights to equal opportunities and legal liberties. It is for these atrocities that he shall be put to death."~ Lord Ampharos I, before Lord Mauritius XII's execution in 1769.
After the execution, Lord Ampharos I delivered a speech in which he promised to pave the way for a more harmonious future. When he saw that the other royal servants were mistreating Sir Liam, Lord Ampharos I had them all dismissed from their services and appointed new servants. Sir Liam documented this, accompanied by a four-line poem written in the Ambrosian language.
:"Ambrosus diefedras, mur baslefir somir,Iover mur lovunedras kilaba sce sulir.Iover tak Nyllaverdne bal ta nisc halscivirMor miloscel ta-gyvyn kilaba ytan ponir."
Translated into English, the lines are:
:"Eternal Ambrosia, you grand nation,May you shine like the sun.May our Lord give us his protectionAnd guide us all as one entity."
The diary was discovered the next day by Ampharos I himself as he was looking through the servants' quarters. He was there to learn how they had been previously treated. When asked by Ampharos I about the diary, Sir Liam explained that he had written about his daily experiences since 1758. He told Ampharos I that he was the only servant under Mauritius XII that wasn't an Ampharos; as a result, he faced frequent abuse and was often made to look like a fool for his master. Ampharos I was appalled at this. However, Sir Liam went on to say that, upon Mauritius XII's execution and hearing Ampharos I's coronation speech, he felt the inspiration to write a poem expressing his love for Ambrosia and his hope for a bright future. When Ampharos I asked why, Sir Liam famously replied:
:"With you as my master and the nation's Lord, I believe that the only direction the Kingdom can go is forward."
Ampharos I had Sir Liam's poem set to music later that day, and soon a new anthem was born. Ampharos I promised Sir Liam that his wish for progress would come true.
In 1770, Ampharos I asked Sir Liam to accompany him around the Amb'rascad' region. He wanted to be altruistic to the citizens that were discriminated under Mauritian rule, and he felt that Sir Liam would be the best candidate for such altruism. Sir Liam agreed to this offer, and he went around to many cities and towns within the region spreading kindness and goodwill to all of the formerly prejudiced citizens. Sir Liam was able to connect with those people well, especially with fellow Lucarios. Sir Liam would continue this practice for the rest of his life, and he managed to venture through every town and city in each of the Ambrosian regions over the next 57 years. This made Sir Liam beloved to the other Ambrosians.
===Later Adulthood (1783–1807)===
Sir Liam continued his royal services for many years. He helped to raise Lord Ampharos II (1776–1825, r. 1798–1825) and his son Lord Ampharos III (1799–1850, r. 1825–1850), serving the royal family dutifully and loyally. By 1810, Sir Liam was the last remaining servant who served the Mauritians; the others had already died.
===Final Years (1807–1827)===
In 1826, Sir Liam met a new servant—a Lugia hence named Sir Ganymede (1807–1890). Sir Ganymede recognized Sir Liam from one of his visits to the Dvah'uni region, and so he asked him many questions about what he had seen and experienced as a servant. Every evening, Sir Liam told Sir Ganymede of all his experiences, starting from his very first day of service in 1758 to the day the two first met in 1826. Sir Liam got to that day as he lay on his deathbed.
Sir Liam died happily and peacefully at the age of 85 on September 10, 1827, two years into Ampharos III's rule.
:"It's hard to imagine how long I've served the Royal Family. I started off as a young servant in 1758, having to serve under a cruel master. I then witnessed the kindness of the blessed Lords who overthrew him. I personally saw the forgiveness of the disenfranchised right before my eyes, and it affirmed to me that people are indeed good at heart. And now here I am, nearly 70 years later, lying down to sleep under the same roof I've slept under for all of those years...except this time, I won't wake up. I know it. Please, don't be too sad when I've finally passed on to the afterlife. As long as there is kindness and goodwill in this world, I won't truly die. I love every single last one of you. I do..."
:~ Sir Liam's last words, 10 Sep 1827
In his will, Sir Liam only requested that his journal should be published. Sir Liam was given an honorary funeral and buried in the royal cemetery. His grave reads:
:Here liesSIR LIAMServant of Lord Mauritius XII,Lord Ampharos I, Lord Ampharos II,& Lord Ampharos IIIb. 30 Jun 1742 in Lukallapeis, Zorryscd. 10 Sep 1827 in Mardinopolis, Amb'rascad'~"Eternal Ambrosia, you grand nation,May you shine like the sun.May our Lord give us his protectionAnd guide us all as one entity."
===Legacy===
Sir Liam's journal was published a week after Sir Liam's death, and it brought the cruelty of Mauritius XII further to public knowledge. Sir Liam continues to be a beloved figure in Ambrosia to this day, as many altruistic groups use his name and continue to practice goodwill and unconditional love for others. On Ambrosia, September 10 (the day of Sir Liam's death) is a national holiday called "Sir Liam Day," where Sir Liam's unconditional love is greatly encouraged and celebrated by all of the Ambrosians. This holiday was proclaimed by Ampharos III in 1827 as a part of Sir Liam's honorary funeral.
:"My dear subjects, it is with great honor that I remind each and every one of you of the unconditional love Sir Liam had for all people, especially during a time when mass oppression was the norm. Sir Liam may have passed on 190 years ago today, but the effects of his unabashed and unabated love for others are still alive and well. If that loving little Lucario could see us today, he would look upon us with great joy and would want to hug every last one of us. Although he cannot do this, I encourage all of you to practice his unconditional love on not just this day, but on every day you are alive. Today, I will travel with my royal servants all across the Ambrosian Kingdom, spreading Sir Liam's immortal message of goodwill towards others, no matter who or what they are."
:~ Sir Ampharos' national speech, 10 Sep 2017
Category:Characters
Category:2nd Millennium births
Category:18th Century births
Category:1740s births
Category:1742 births