Drianca Pfavorid

**Drianca Weishupt Pfavorid** was a prominent Cisalian political figure and the former Duchess of Eastrea, a city in western Cisalia. She held the rank of duchess for over forty years until her and her duchy were overthrown by Djaeni separatist leader Sylesi Ildrian in 1521 SY.

Drianca grew up the eldest child of Thorsten Pfavorid, also called the "duke of death". She was one of five siblings, of which only one was a son. Shortly before the death of Thorsten his only son, Hammick, died. Thorsten was assassinated by agents of his former steward shortly afterwards, yet House Pfavorid kept the throne and Drianca became duchess. Drianca married Andreas Skotts, Lord of Pursh, in 1583 SY yet Andreas was only a consort to Drianca and was not of western Cisalian heritage.

## Ancestry

Drianca Pfavorid was the daughter of Thorsten Pfavorid and his wife Mette of Orvisselt (born Mette Lunger). Drianca's father's family, House Pfavorid, was and is a long established noble family in western Cisalia, particularly the city of Eastrea. The Pfavorid family line extends as far back as the ancient Pfaevorid Clan which inhabited central Cisalia in the time of Exelon.

Her mother's line, however, was much less famous in Cisalia. The Lunger Clan were and still are a group of families who reside mainly in the riverport town of Orvisselt. Drianca's parents met while Mette was a apprentice for Thorsten's personal cook.

## Biography

### Early Life

Drianca Weishupt Pfavorid was born in the spring of 1449 SY in the farming town of Idiger, on the Kernig River - a few kilometers downriver from the city of Eastrea. Her father was Thorsten Pfavorid, the 3rd Duke of Eastrea and her mother was Mette Pfavorid, the daughter of a minor noble from the town of Orvisselt. Over the next nine years she had four younger siblings born, three to Mette and one to a mistress, of which only two survived childhood - these being Hammick Pfavorid and Eushen Pfavorid. During her childhood her place of residence constantly switched between her father's castle in Eastrea to Grauheiymen Castle in the town of Fhater-uns and eventually to one of the Pfavorid family's villas in the town of Billune, where she would spend the bulk of her early years.

In 1457 SY Drianca's mother, Mette, died while giving birth to her third child, Eushen. Although the child survived Mette died the next day and was buried in Billune. Drianca spent the next couple years living with her godparents, Avil and Livvia Julianes, lord and lady of Billune.

Drianca was still in Billune when her younger brother, Hammick who was also heir apparent to the throne of Eastrea, died suddenly of a untreated infection while in the care of his father in Eastrea. His death signaled a dark future for the Pfavorids, as uprisings in their land had become increasingly common as Thorsten had carried out more executions and raids of Djaenis and other religious minorities than any other duke before him. He is estimated to have killed 11,000 civilians throughout his reign. Hammick's death spurred the exiled former advisor of Thorsten, Hanz Kuddenick II, to assassinate Thorsten. The death of Thorsten and his only son capable of ruling made Drianca and her youngest brother Eushen the prime candidates for duke of duchess.

For about five months Eastrea was ruled directly by King Vrono Ernestfalth, the newly elected high king of Cisalia. During this time the local members of House Pfavorid were made to decide between Eushen Pfavorid, who was in monastic training near the western border of Cisalia and was only eight years old and Drianca Pfavorid who was thirteen but also second in the line of succession according to the Edict of Adilfo. In the end it was Drianca's godfather Avil Julianes who made the final call to place Drianca on the throne.

### Early Rule (1462-1483)

Drianca's early years were spent ruling under intense influence from her father's advisors. Many local noble families felt that a young, female ruler would give them more sway over the politics of the region and packed Drianca's courts with over a hundred different aristocrats in her first few years. Although young, the duchess proved herself to be a naturally witty and clever young woman, dealing with her advisors impetuously. Her most close friend and advisor was Legrane Julianes, the son of her godparents and Baron of Braxon after marriage to the daughter of Baron Braxony-els, former lord of the region.

Notable members of Drianca's court before 1483 SY included the previously mentioned Legrane Julianes as well as Huemeir Reichmut and Milas Pfavorid, her uncle and the owner of large amounts of land between Camwealth and Eastrea. Many of these advisors aided Drianca in putting down many uprisings across her country caused by her father (called the "duke of death" by some) and his conduct during his reign.

In 1475 SY at the age of 26, Drianca made her first visit to the royal court of the high king of Cisalia. In the Cisalian capital of Lagras she gained goodwill amongst the powerful of Cisalia including Achimual Endham, the young count of Aure and future high king. On her first visit to Lagras she spent twenty days in the city, and on her second she would spend over a month. While on her third visit in 1482 SY she was introduced to Andreas Skotts, a Lohnian-born nobleman and close friend of Endham. Drianca and Andreas became increasingly close over the next year, and eventually married in Eastrea in 1483 SY.

### Later Rule (1483-1520)

Drianca's later rule was spent mainly quelling incursions across western Cisalia and dealing with the aftermath of the collapse of the Grand Duchy of Katemia. She became even more integrated within the court of Lagras, overseeing the election of high kings Cunno Theodoria and Hunfred Unspharta.

Drianca's issues with the Djaeni population in western Cisalia began to grow into the 1500s. The Djaeni across Cisalia became more critical of House Pfavorid's rule and began to slowly organize. One of Drianca's close advisors, a young man named Sylesi Ildrian, was (unbeknownst to her) the leader of the Fathers of Djaeny, a militant group responsible more riots and seizures of Pfavorid property in Cisalia.

In 1520 SY many poor Cisalians in and around the city of Camwealth gathered in the town's market square to oppose the execution of Derwin Inis, a pagan religious leader. The riot grew when many civilians began lighting fires and destroying property around the city. The count of the city requested assistance from a royal militia stationed at the nearby Castle Norenbriorg. Once the soldiers arrived a fight broke out between armed members of the Fathers of Djaeny and the soldiers, killing twenty one civilians and eight Cisalian soldiers. This event became known as the Massacre of Camwealth, and spurred mass rebellion across the kingdom - with the blame falling principally on the Pfavorids, as they were the de facto leaders of western Cisalia.

### Death

When armed and organized members of the Fathers of Djaeny breached Eastrea, Drianca and the rest of the nobles in the castle were evacuated to Drianca's country estate in the town of Orvisselt.

Sylesi Ildrian, leader of the separatists, was one of the only people who knew the location of Drianca's villa as he formerly was one of her advisors. Using this information he led his followers to Orvisselt where they breached the minor defenses outside of the estate and killed Drianca and all of the remaining Pfavorids, targeting those who had a chance of inheriting the throne of Eastrea from the dead Drianca.

Drianca, her three sons and one daughter, her grandchildren, her cousins, and their spouses were all killed. The only survivor was Andreas Skotts, Drianca's husband. Being a citizen of the Kingdom of Lohn, his death could spark outrage amongst the nobles of Lohn - forcing Sylesi to let him go. Skotts was able escape with his one surviving grandchild Everard Pfavorid (1515-) who is the son of Drianca's second oldest son Delian Pfavorid (1489-1521).

Drianca's body was burned on the grounds of her estate, and her burial has never taken place.

## Family

Drianca Pfavorid was the daughter of Thorsten Pfavorid (1422-1462) and Mette Lungen (1431-1457). She had two brothers and an unnamed sister who died as an infant. Her eldest brother, Hammick (1450-1461), died young. Her other brother Eushen (1454-1522) became a monk and lived in rural northwest Cisalia until he was hunted down and killed by agents of Sylesi Ildrian.

Drianca's father had a brother Milas Pfavorid (1431-1498) who married noblewoman Frona Ellenghur (1435-1506) and had a son named Jourant Pfavorid. He married a woman from the House of Kampf and together they had Seze Pfavorid (killed along with the rest of Pfavorids) who married and had four children, of which one survived the massacre at Orvisselt. The surviving child was their daughter Naea Zekromisky, born Naria Bettle.

Drianca and her husband Andreas had four children together, all of which kept their mother's surname. They were Hanz Pfavorid (1485-1521), Delian Pfavorid (1489-1521), Mira Pfavorid (1492-1521), and Rothen Pfavorid (1499-1521). Mira was married to a man named Preshawn Kampf (the cousin of Jourant's wife). Kampf and their one child were killed shortly after Mira was. Hanz Pfavorid was married twice, once to a Lohnian woman named Ester DuCrime and twice to a Cisalian woman named Ardlona Verebrine. Hanz had no children. Delian Pfavorid was married to a woman named Perrala Baeshwapt (1490-1521) with whom he fathered two sons, Luitwin (-1521) and Everard (1515-). Everard is considered the only surviving member of House Pfavorid.