Lord Birchard Python I

**Lord Birchard Python** was the head of House Python during the early fifteenth century, being the grandfather of the current Python lords Birchard, of the senior branch, and Berwick Python, of the richer and more powerful junior branch. He is also the father of Lady Tulisa Python, the wife of Lord Richard Koopa. While he doesn't appear in *Wars of Frozen Flames*' main story, having died twenty years prior to events of the series, he appears in the prologue a number of times. His second wife, Lady Joanna Phoenix, was the half-sister of King John Koopa IV.

Lord Birchard Python is based on Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland.

## History

### Reign of King Richard Koopa II

Little is known of how much or little of a role Birchard played in Richard II's reign. It is known that Birchard's first wife, Lady Hariah Sylver, died during this time, after giving him a son and heir, Jorgon Python, as well as three daughters.

### Reign of King John Koopa IV

Birchard first appears in the prologue of the *Wars of Frozen Flames* episode "The Feeble King". Here, he is shown alongside Lord Symon Blackfoot, grandfather of the current Lord Symon Blackfoot and head of House Python's biggest rival house, assisting King John Koopa IV in deposing the tyrianical King Richard Koopa II. Lord Raymund Kassimeer tells Lord Richard Koopa that Birchard was shown much more favor than his rival, possibly one of the reasons Symon rebelled against John IV later into his reign. Birchard is also seen in the prologue fighting on the side of John IV against Symon and his Blackfoot army. It is known that the Blackfoots' rebellion was a failure and that the elder Symon Blackfoot, as well as his son Sir Alain Blackfoot, were slain in battle.

### Second Marriage

Early into John IV's reign Birchard married his second wife, Lady Joanna Phoenix, possibly as a reward for assisting John IV in taking the throne. The two would have eight children together, and the children of this marriage would be considered royal children, with horns and the ability to breathe fire, which Birchard's elder children by his first wife lacked. Because of this Birchard showed more favor to his children by this marriage, giving them many gifts, arranging political marriages for them, and granting them many of the lands that traditionally would go to the senior branch. Birchard's eldest son by Joanna, also named Birchard after his father, would inherit both House Python's main castle in Twinsy Tropics, as well as the traditional sword of House Python usually given to the head of the house.

### Death & Inheritance

Lord Birchard died in 1455, twenty-years prior to the start of the main events of *Wars of Frozen Flames*. His death however would split House Python in two; the senior Riverside branch and the junior Lakeside branch. His eldest son by his first marriage, Sir Jorgon Python, had died shortly after the Blackfoot rebellions, leaving three sons behind. The eldest of these sons, also named Birchard, inherited his grandfather's title, Earl of Sparkling Waters, but little else, with most of his grandfather's holdings going to Birchard's eldest son with Joanna, which Sir Torrence Python, one of the elder Birchard's sons, states was according to Lord Birchard's will. This caused the younger Birchard to grow angry, frustrated and resentful of all his half-relatives due to his lack of power in the Koopa Kingdom compared to his cousins of the Junior branch, though the current head of the Lakeside Python House, Lord Berwick, believes Birchard was never entitled to said lands in the first place, due to him not being of royal blood.