King Bertram "the Wolf" of Galland

King Bertram of Galland, Eorl of Grimsford, also called "The Wolf", was the ruler of the Kingdom of Galland and the Eorldom of Grimsford. He ruled the Kingdom for 34 years after he usurped the crown from the child-king Adalbert in 344 AG. He died on the 26th of November, 378 AG, at the age of 65.

## Appearance and Personality

Bertram was a hale and hearty man with golden eyes and a distinctly wolf-like appearance. He wore his silvered hair to shoulder-length in the swept-back style that is typical of the noblemen of Galland. Once known for his tendency to dress in armour on all occasions, in his later years, Bertram tended to wear sumptuous silks and furs. At feasts, he tended to wear blue velvet trimmed with fox fur and adorn himself with brilliant jewels.

Bertram was widely known as a courageous, family-oriented man who did much to improve the prosperity of Galland after seizing its throne. He had a tendency to be rude or irritable towards strangers, and sometimes came across as absent-minded and foolhardy. He was known to be an exceptional chess player.

## History

### Early Life

Bertram was born on the 17th of December, 313 AG, and is the only child of Alfred, Eorl of Grimsford. Alfred passed away in suspicious circumstances when Bertram was aged 27 (340 AG). He inherited the Eorldom from his father and swore fealty to the then-king of Galland, John. In the same year he married his first wife, Elisabet. The following year, his first son, Bertram the Younger, was born.

### Bertram Usurps the Throne

When John died in 343 AG, his throne was inherited by his ten-year-old son Adalbert, who quickly fell under the thumb of his uncles Ecgbert and William. The nobles of the realm chafed under the rule of the child-King and many tried to wring concessions from the child, only to be thwarted by the machinations of his uncles. During time, Bertram was repeatedly waylaid by bandits or poachers whom he believed to be assassins hired by the uncles of the King, presumably in a bid to seize Grimsford and increase their own power.

In the Winter of 344 AG, Bertram claimed that he had discovered documents demonstrating that King Gallus III, the father of King John and grandfather to King Adalbert, was in fact a bastard child, and that his own father had in fact been the rightful heir to the throne of Galland. Based on these documents, Bertram claimed the the throne of Galland as his own. At the beginning of Spring, he marched upon Sollust, the Kingdom's capital, with a force of 3,000 men, primarily mercenaries. After a decisive battle at the bridge of the River Weale, he stormed the keep of Sollust and seized Adalbert before he could be moved.

Bertram then declared himself to be the rightful King of Galland and offered peace to Ecgbert and William, which they accepted. Bertram moved the capital of the realm to his own keep at Grimsford and imprisoned Adalbert there as a hostage. In return for the fealty of Ecgbert and William, he granted the Eorldom of Sollust to Ecgbert and allowed William to retain the Eorldom of Anglson.

Three months after Bertram's ascension to the throne, Adalbert perished in his dungeon, having only just reached his 11th year.

### The Reign of the Wolf

After ascending to the throne, Bertram spent much of his reign securing the borders of Galland against the Reich to the south, the goblinoid tribes to the north and west, and the indomitable Duke of Halecroft to the east. After several failed incursions into Halecroft, Bertram turned his energies inwards, spending vast sums of silver building and upgrading a network of roads and canals around Grimsford and its satellite towns.

In 373 AG, the 29th year of his reign, Bertram was betrothed to Beate, a daughter of the König of the Zwerges Reich. They were married in 377 AG, creating a marriage alliance between Galland and the Reich.

### Civil Unrest

In 378 AG, the 34th year of Bertram's reign, the Kingdom began to fall into strife. The once safe lands of Galland began to suffer repeated incursions by orcs and goblinoids, and the highways began to be plagued by bandits. The Black Hand, a shadowy criminal organisation, was implicated in much of the civil unrest brewing throughout the realm, even managing to assassinate several nobles, including Lady Alice, the eldest daughter of Eorl Ecgbert and wife of Bertram's son John the Drunkard. Nobles and the common folk alike began to whisper that Bertram's grip on the realm might be failing.

Bandits from the Black Hand, taking the guise of soldiers of the Reich, raided several villages in the Eorldom of Sollust to sow discord between Galland and the Reich. Fortunately, their ploy was uncovered and foiled by adventurers from Anglson. At the same time, soldiers from Halecroft began to probe the borders of the Kingdom.

A nameless spy employed by Bertram provided him with intelligence indicating that the leader of the Black Hand in Galland was an individual known as the Blood Knight, who appeared to be a lord located in the Eorldom of Anglson. In response, Bertram mustered an army to march upon the lands of the Blood Knight, joining levies with two mercenary companies, the Sons of Rorik and the Second Sons.

### Civil War and Death

Bertram placed his army under the command of Prince Bertram the Younger and ordered him to march south to Anglson to capture or kill the Blood Knight. When the army attempted to cross the bridge at Sollust, Eorl Ecgbert blocked the crossing with his own army and refused to allow the King's forces to pass, leading to the Second Battle of Sollust and the Second Gallander Civil War.

After their disastrous defeat at Sollust, the King's forces retreated to Grimsford and joined with the army of Prince Alfred. The Sons of Rorik and the Second Sons were driven from the field and began rampaging through Central Galland. The forces of the King then marched south to Hereston to demand the support of Eorl John of Hereston. Unfortunately for the King, the Eorl was persuaded to join the side of the Gallanders after being confronted with the combined forces of Ecgbert, William, Ælfwith of Hessburg, and Gruffyd the Halfling. The combined forces of the Gallanders and John of Hereston routed the King's army and killed Bertram the Younger.

The King's men retreated to the city of Grimsford with the Gallanders in close pursuit. The army of the Gallanders overcame the defences of Grimsford, driving the King's men back to the keep. A sudden and ferocious assault led by Lord Tadhg of Boughshire captured the keep the following day. During the chaos, Bertram and his sons Alfred and Alan were slain.

Bertram was succeeded as King of Galland by Eorl Ecgbert of Sollust.

## Family

Bertram had nine children to two different wives. He was married three times.

Bertram's first wife was Elisabet. He married her four years prior to his ascension to the throne of Galland, and she died in childbirth at the age of 34 in the 14th year of Bertram's reign. They had the following issue:

* Crown Prince Bertram, called "The Younger", born on the 24th of June, 341 AG, slain in battle on the 6th of November, 378 AG;
* Prince Alfred, born on the 17th of December, 345 AG, Eorl of Merthryn and Marshal of Galland during Bertram's reign, slain in battle on the 11th of November, 378 AG;
* Lady Catherine, born on the 13th of January, 349 AG, now married to Count Aumont of Bhaneith;
* Prince Alan, born on the 23rd of July, 351 AG, Grandmaster of the Order of the Broken Fang, slain in battle on the 11th of November, 378 AG;
* Princess Morgana, called "The Chaste", born on the 16th of October, 352 AG, now a nun sworn to Lord Leguin;
* Prince Bertrand, born on the 6th of February, 354 AG, died an infant aged eight months;
* Prince John, called "The Drunkard", born on the 2nd of August, 356 AG, Steward of Galland during the reign of King Bertram, executed for treason by the order of King William on the 30th of November, 378 AG;
* Princess Elisabet of Galland, called "The Fair" and now known as Queen Elisabet II of Galland, born on the 8th of May, 358 AG; Queen Elisabet I died giving birth to Princess Elisabet. Princess Elisabet was married to King William of Galland in a private ceremony on the 21st of November, 378 AG.

Bertram married his second wife, Carlotta of Cittàlibera, on the 22nd of February, 372 AG. Their marriage was annulled in 375 AG after Carlotta was found to be an adultress. She fled to the Duchy of Halecroft and took up refuge in the court of the Duke. Bertram and Carlotta had no issue.

Bertram married his third wife, Beate of Das Reich der Zwerge, on the 31st of March, 377 AG. Beate was a daughter of the König of Das Reich der Zwerge and was 16 years old when she wedded Bertram. Their marriage created a marriage alliance between Galland and the Zwerges Reich. They had one child, Ælfric, born 17th February 378. Beate and Ælfric disappeared on the 11th of November, 378 AG, following the capture of Grimsford by the Gallanders. It is rumoured that the pair were captured during their attempted escape and slain.

## Court, Heraldry, Titles, and Vassals

   Bertram was King of Galland and Eorl of Grimsford. He previously held the title of Eorl of Merthryn, which he granted to his son Alfred in 359 AG.

The following nobles held court with Bertram:

* Prince Alfred, Eorl of Merthryn, Marshal of Galland;
* Prince John "the Drunkard", Steward of Galland;
* Eorl William of Anglson, Spymaster of Galland;
* Godfric, his Court Chaplain;
* Prince Alan, Grandmaster of the Order of the Broken Fang;
* Princess Elisabet the Fair;

and various other petty nobles and aristocrats.

Bertram's landed vassals were:

* Prince Alfred, Eorl of Merthryn, Marshal of Galland;
* Eorl Ecgbert of Sollust;
* Eorl William of Anglson, Spymaster of Galland;
* Eorl Ælfwith of Hessburg;
* Eorl John of Hereston;
* Eorl Gruffyd of Caerfydd, called "The Halfling";
* 360 vassal knights.

Bertram's arms, pictured, were *sable, a wolf salient argent in full, per fess azure.*