Anton Rayne

―*Anton Rayne to Beatrice Livingston after the signing of the Treaty of Estord.*

## Personal details

### Aliases

Papa (by Deana)
Mr. President
Mr. Rayne
President Rayne

### Birthplace

Deyr
Holsord
Lachaven

### Alma mater

Deyr University of Culture (History)
Holsord State University (Law)
 Lachaven Business School (Economics)

### Occupation

Member of the Assembly (formerly)
**President of Sordland**

### Affiliation

Young Sords/Red Youth (player determinant)
Government of Sordland
FC Anrica (player determinant)
Rayne Wines (player determinant)
Armadine Industries (player determinant)
Underhall Construction (player determinant)

## Military Service

### Battles/Wars

Wehlen Civil War

**Anton Rayne** is a Sordish politician and statesman who has been serving as the 4th president of Sordland since January 7, 1954. A member of the United Sordland Party since 1931, he served as a Member of the Assembly from 1934 to 1953, and became its chairman following Ewald Alphonso's defeat in the 1953 USP Congress. Before entering politics, he served as a private at the border outpost of Gumren during the Wehlen Civil War from 1929 to 1931.

He is the main playable protagonist of *Suzerain:* Sordland*.*

## Appearance

Anton is a middle aged man of an average build. His facial features are reasonably average with his mustache or beard (his famous walrus being the default) being his most defining feature. His default hair is short and black and slightly receding although the player can customize his hairstyle as they please. He is fair-skinned and has hazel eyes.

Anton's wardrobe can vary greatly, but he is first seen in the character customization wearing a black suit, white shirt, and blue necktie. A pin with Sordland's coat of arms can be seen on his lapel.

## Biography

### Early Life

Anton Rayne was born in 1908 in the Kingdom of Sordland. As a child, Anton worked hard to pursue his ambitions, but events in his home life would have a profound influence on him. He was born during a time of upheaval in the kingdom, as support for King Egmund waned and the efforts of Wisci's republican faction came to fruition.

Academically, he was a bright student who passed the entrance exam with high marks. He would go on to attend a prestigious university. It was here where he met his mentor, Deivid Wisci, who would go on to be one of his most closest confidants and friends. On that day, Deivid argued for values that he believed would improve Sordland as a whole, whether it was judicial reform or a free-market economy. Anton also met his best friend around these times, Petr Vectern. The two were inseparable.

Ahead of the first elections, soldiers arrived in the university and announced Luderin's coup d'etat. They began to arrest the teachers and form security cordons, which shocked many of the students. Some began to protest, but in the end, the events that followed will stay in Anton's mind forever.

Restless from the violence, Anton would join a university organization. Later in a group meeting, Petr introduced Monica, an Agno-Sordish women's rights activist, to the young Anton. He was immediately smitten by her. A romance slowly blossomed between them. Rayne was active in some of the riots in the early years of the Sordish Civil War. But the nonstop violence would soon break Anton's spirit and cause him to isolate himself the brutality as Rikard fired the civil war's starting gun. Despite that, love also grew between him and Monica as they coped together.

In 1930, Anton was conscripted into the Sordish Army. He was assigned in the outpost of Gumren under the unit of the then-Major Iosef Lancea. The Wehlen Civil War was in full swing, bringing a refugee crisis to Sordland. Eventually, he returned to civilian life, and married Monica in Holsord a year later.

### Political Career

That same year, Anton was offered a high paying job in the United Sordland Party as an assistant to a MP. It was an opportunity that began his political ambitions. Eventually in 1934, he was recognized for his hard work and determination by party leader and then-president Tarquin Soll. Soll invited Anton to become a member of the Assembly; the youngest one, at that. Petr Vectern was also brought in as Anton's partner and both men began building their political acumen and connections. He also met Lucian Galade and began working together. Anton and Monica also became parents and had their first son, Franc.

In the 1940s, Soll began to lose his grip on the party as a growing USP faction criticized his authoritarian rule. In a close election for chairmanship, Tarquin Soll lost to business magnate, Ewald Alphonso. Anton and Monica had their daughter, Deana, around this time, which encouraged Anton in his work. Unfortunately, Alphonso's administration suffered from obstructionists and as a result of rushed economic policies, caused the Sordish Recession. His administration was largely blamed for the Sordish Recession, with the USP losing much of the enormous popularity it had previously enjoyed.

As the recession raged on, it became apparent that Alphonso was in no position to be the leader as his cabinet lost confidence and resigned. However, his failures became the springboard needed for Anton to rise swiftly through the ranks as he challenged Alphonso for USP chairmanship. In 1953, Anton Rayne became the USP chairman and announced his presidential campaign with Petr Vectern as his running mate. Anton was a naturally charismatic leader, whose speeches moved crowds and excited many as they sensed a new leaf was turning in Sordland.

In the 1953 elections, despite a challenge from the PFJP's Frens Ricter and the NFP's Kesaro Kibener, the USP retained supremacy, and Anton assumed the presidency, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the position. Tasked with fixing the recession and solving Sordland's many problems, he holds an enviable yet critical position as a man whose decisions will shape Sordland's future and, by extension, the world's future.

## Trivia

* The name Anton is derived from the Latin name Antonius, which is of unknown origin (possibly Etruscan). Antonius is the nomen of the gens Antonia, an important family of Ancient Rome. The gens Antonia was known for producing a number of great generals and politicians, the most prominent of whom was Marcus Antonius, known in English as Mark Antony.
	+ The surname Rayne may derive from a shortened form of Germanic male given names beginning with element, *ragin*, meaning counsel.
* He is somewhat inspired by the Turkish prime minister, Bülent Ecevit, who was a high-profile CHP member and whose governments were regularly threatened by political violence, scandal, intraparty crises and polarization. Like Rayne, he was also an amateur poet.
* Anton is one of two characters which name drop the name of the game, the other being Deivid Wisci.
* Anton Rayne's autobiography is titled 'Suzerain'.
	+ Depending on the ending achieved by the player, its writer will vary. In most endings, it is written by Rayne himself. If Rayne escapes to Kyrute, his autobiography is written by Tuomas Sacker, the host of One-on-One. In the ending to Iosef's coup, Rayne's autobiography is written by Carol Circas, the daughter of Bernard Circas.
* His favorite alcoholic drink is an Erlory Maroon 30-Year-Old.
* Depending on Rayne's background, if he was born rich, then during the dinner scene with the Oligarchs, he would describe the Lespian alcohol in great detail. Meanwhile, if he was born middle-class or poor, he would simply describe it like any other wine.
* On that note, his favorite meal also depends on his background. All dishes pair well with Kebij, a Bergian alcohol.
	+ If he was from Lachaven, his favorite dish is Lorscha.
	+ If he was from Holsord, his favorite dish is Svabli.
	+ If he was from Deyr, his favorite dish is Zabla.
* Prior to update 1.1, Rayne's appearance could not be changed.
* Rayne has never won a chess match against Lucian until that point.
* Lucian passes on a message to Anton from the Archpriest of Deyr during his re-election campaign: *"I bless the Raynes down in Anrica."* This is a reference to the song *Africa* by Toto, specifically a lyric in the chorus: *"I bless the rains down in Africa."*

## Gallery

Rayne in his officeWith great power comes great responsibilityFirst PortraitRayne in his office (first draft)Rayne in a speech (Article 100)