Barry Moonbeam

Moonbeam Coat of Arms

**Barry Moonbeam**, born Varil Lunbhíol, was a Wexonard Moon Elf who was the baron of Amberflow from the years of 1020 to 1378. He was one of the longest lived elves in Halann, as well as the only elven baron in the history of the Grand Duchy of Wex.

## Early Life

Scant few records of Barry’s childhood can still be found, and what can be found is of questionable validity. He was likely born on the Migrant Ship Lunateín, notably the first of the Migrant Fleet to land in Cannor, to Munarion and Thaliandel Lunbhíol, who both likely died due to The Great Storm that marked the end of The Great Wander. Following the death of his parents, it’s most likely that the young Varil was passed between many temporary guardians rather than being fully adopted into another family. Upon the docking of the Lunateín, any records or mentions of Varil Lunbhíol vanish almost completely.

## War of the Sorcerer-King

Little is known about Barry’s entry to the War of the Sorcerer-King, besides the fact that he was very early to join the war effort, at some point cannorised his last name of Lunbhíol to Moonbeam upon Munas' proclamation, and that the joint Damerian-Moon Elf army he served in was nearly entirely destroyed at the Battle of Catelsvord, which, while costly, was considered a pyrrhic victory for the forces of the League of Free Realms. With supplies low and severe injuries numerous, many were left to bleed out in the cold calculus that only the most desperate of conflict can inspire.

Barry was one of these many cases — he had been struck a hefty blow on the side of his head. However, being an elf of great vigor and resilience, he managed to be significantly less vegetative— or dead— than a great many of his cohorts, leading to him being noticed by the Friends of the Empty Mug, a minor guild of Wexonard fighters. They rescued him, and tended to him as best as they could.

As one may expect from one’s skull becoming rather intimate with the heavy end of a mace, Barry had severe cranial trauma. From this point onwards, as far as his recollection, Varil Moonbeam was dead; all memories of him had flowed onto the grassy plains of Catelsvord. All he remembered was his name- something that rapidly altered, as he would adopt the Wexonards’ alenised nickname for him: Barry.

Once healed and relatively functional, he quickly adopted his saviors’ boisterous and rowdy ways. He would officially be inducted by the head of the guild, Ryan Whitewhisker, on the 17th of Silversight. Barry, at this point in time being essentially a blank slate, swiftly adopted their customs and traditions, becoming Wexonard in everything but his eartips. What Barry took to even better than any other aspect of Wexonard culture, however, was ale. His capacity for drink became near-legendary, with many a young knight challenging him to a drinking competition, only to be thoroughly outpaced and embarrassed.

The Friends of the Empty Mug would go on to serve valiantly throughout the duration of the War of the Sorcerer-King, never losing a battle- although many other bands they fought alongside would frequently complain of their overly loud revelry and near-perpetual drunkenness. The Friends of the Empty Mug would officially become the Order of the Empty Mug, a knightly order following the chivalric ideals of Caylen Longlance (albeit rather loosely) on Suren of 1016, marking them as one of the first knightly orders. Sir Ryan Whitewhisker would get to the quarter-final rounds of the championship to decide who would fight at the Battle of Trialmount against Nichmer himself, but was disqualified after sleeping through his match in a drunken stupor.

## Interregnum

Upon the end of the War of the Sorcerer-King in 1020, the Order of the Empty Mug returned to the Duchy of Wexhills— specifically, the barony of Amberflow, owned by Baron Conric IV, the patron of the guild-turned-knightly order.

Baron Conric IV was inflicted with a disease described by accounts only as “utterly wretched”, giving him a particularly pallid, corpse-like appearance, severe coughing fits, and the appearance of blackened, brittle skin (appearing severely burnt) along his arms and legs. His disease had progressed to a terminally late stage, and his wife hadn’t produced an heir. Realizing that his life was quickly drawing to a close, the Baron decided that his barony should go to one of the bold fighters who he had acted as a patron for for so long, as they were the closest thing to children that he had. The question that ate at his addled mind, however, was how he would decide which knight would be the victor? Suddenly, inspiration struck him. It was obvious— what would be the best way to choose the greatest knight of the Empty Mug?

He would hold a grand drinking contest.

Barry, being an elf of considerable constitution, circumference, and mass, won the competition- albeit by a hair, beating Sir Vernon the Irongut by a single measly tankard. It’s said that after the contest, not only did every knight sleep for two whole days afterwards, but that half of the Wexonard countryside was deprived of ale for an entire year.

Baron Conric IV died of his disease on 15 Truefrost 1020, and Barry’s confirmation as the Baron of Amberflow would be exactly a month later.

## Lordship of Amberflow

Barry was officially confirmed as the Baron of Amberflow on Silversight 1021. His first act as baron was, of course, to hold a grand feast, with ale aplenty. He invited not only his former brothers in the Order of the Empty Mug, but also many local peasants as well as surrounding nobles. To the great surprise of no one, the nobles mostly chose not to attend.

Such an event was largely representative of the early periods of his reign. Often dismissed by his noble peers and lieges for his uncouth and drunken manner, he was greatly loved by his peasantry for his revelry and his rather lax obligations. Barry’s taxation policy was strangely demented for the time period, with tax collectors often given odd, vague, and borderline unfillable instructions such as “however much they feel comfortable giving” or ‘however much a barrel of ale costs in Wexkeep’.

Barry continued his predecessor’s patronage of the Order of the Empty Mug. While his absence from the order left a Barry-sized hole in their drunken hearts, the Order flourished more than ever, with tales of their exploits being known throughout Wexonard lands.

As Barry aged, his knowledge of governance solidified. His edicts were less confused, with his tax policy remaining compassionate, albeit much less erratic. Due to his newfound seniority, his service in the War of the Sorcerer-King, and his feasts, the nobility of Wex began to respect him. He had assistance, of course; he began to listen to the advice of the late Baron Conric IV’s wife, Alice of Ottocam, who had remained in his court after her husband’s death. Knowledgeable in matters of court, she managed to save Barry’s reputation with his neighbors and liege, with Dyren sil Wex, who had been just a child when Barry gained the barony, becoming one of Barry’s closest friends.

Of course, time stops for no Wexonard. Barry found himself heavily burdened with the uniquely saddening understanding of entropy familiar to any elf who surrounds himself entirely with humans. As Barry remained fairly the same, his friends gradually got older and older, dying and swiftly becoming dust and memories. This existential period of Barry’s rule would start about 120 years after his confirmation, and would be marked by a sharp decline in his famous feasts, with an increase in his consumption of ale.

Evidently, after about 30 or so years, he managed to pull himself out of this slump, with his feasts gradually increasing in time. However, his consumption of alcohol never went down in any significant amount; if anything, it seemed to increase over time, with hearsay reports that he would consume up to 3 to 5 barrels of ale on a daily basis towards the end of his life. He remained a curiosity for other Wexonard barons, with attendance to one of his famous feasts being considered something worthy of bragging.

## Personality and Character

Barry was well-known for being an extremely agreeable and gracious host. Petty King Dyren of Wexhills, Barry’s first liege, wrote that Barry was ‘possibly one of the kindest folk he had ever known’ and that ‘his feasts were the envy of Cannor". Obviously an exaggeration, but the account does lend credence to his skills in revelry.

He embraced Wexonard culture completely, forgoing his own native Moon Elven culture. He was well known as a jolly elf, and was well liked by his subjects due to his defiance of the common stereotype of the stuck-up, high-and-mighty elf. Barry was unique in comparison to many rulers of his era due to his lack of qualms about going to taverns and grabbing a pint with commoners. This practice would earn him the scorn of many nobles early into his rule.

Barry would never marry, and any sources indicating any trysts or affairs have yet to have ever been located. When asked about his marital status, Barry would often reply “I’m already married to me true love- an’ ale is me wife!”

## Death

On 16 Teysuren 1378, shortly after the conclusion of the first war in a series of conflicts that would later come to be known as the Lilac Wars, Barry Moonbeam died in his sleep, most likely due to age-related causes.

He died at the venerable age of 419, putting him just shy of the longest lived elves in Halann. Baron Anders of Threeguard, a close friend of Barry’s during his final years, was quoted as saying “If anything, his love of drink seemed to have preserved his spirit rather than rotting his insides, as it would have done to a weaker individual.”

As per his last wishes, he was buried in the Amberflow cemetery, amongst the peasantry he spent hundreds of years reveling and drinking with. Despite the humble location of his burial, his funeral was extravagant, with barons, counts, and even the Grand Duke of Wex and his young son attending, to see off the elf who had been a kind and gregarious voice in Wexonard politics for hundreds of years.

## Legacy

Due to Barry’s lack of an heir, the barony of Amberflow would fall directly under the rule of the Grand Duke of Wex. The village surrounding the barony would chafe at the loss of their formerly lax obligations, and many villagers left for more prosperous locales. Barry’s favorite tavern, the Riverside Inn, would close in 1386 after a famine that left the family operating it unable to pay their taxes.

The Order of the Empty Mug would be utterly wiped out by Damerian forces in 1443 after a risky, poorly advised, and entirely ale-fueled maneuver meant to flush out Adénn Skylance early, during the siege of the Imperial Palace in the Damesear during the Fourth Lilac War. With no patron, and now no fighting members, the order would disband for good shortly before 1444.

His greatest contribution to general Wexonard culture was the Wexonard Barrybrew Ale, a replication of his favorite drink. It would be offered at many taverns across Cannor, although it would wax and wane in popularity through the years. It can still be widely found today, despite the reason for its name being near-forgotten, but it’s highly disputed whether it’s still the same as it was when Baron Barry enjoyed it in barrel-loads.