Lord Brody's Titling

In April 1592, Lord Brody was titled the fourth Noble Lord of Duilintinn, and House Brody, the fourth of Duilintinn's Noble Houses, was founded.

## Timeline of Events

In the months since the attempt on the king's life in October 1590, scouts had reported that The Enemy had retreated into the Western Forest, where signs of his magic could be found in increasing amounts as you ventured within its depths. The scouts who attempted to follow this trail had never returned.

King Sean knew that another attack was coming, and if the magic used in the first attack was anything to go by, The Enemy would return wielding power they couldn't even imagine. When that day came, the national government in Cordoire couldn't be wasting resources running the agriculture and food distribution in the northern farmland regions of Duilintinn. Therefore, the king proposed appointing a new lord to manage the region, leaving Cordoire free to face The Enemy threat head-on.

Some argued that appointing another lord would only incense The Enemy further. However, most believed that The Enemy was already planning to attack again, regardless of if another lord was titled, and that it was better to prepare for such an attack, rather than remain vulnerable in an attempt to delay the inevitable.

After months of debate, the decision to title Lord Brody was made in June 1591. As with the titling of Lord Jackie, Lord Marvin, and Lord Schneeplestein, the future lord was not present when the decision was made. However, unlike the previous three lords, Chase Brody was not living at the court in Cordoire *at all* when he was nominated to be the next lord, but instead was living with his young family in Aghaboy.

In July 1591, King Sean made a personal visit to Chase’s home, informing him of the court's desire to title him as the next Noble Lord of Duilintinn. The conversation was brutally honest. Both Sean and Chase knew that the northern farmland would have never agreed to a lord even a year ago. However, the attack had left the entire kingdom shaken to its core, and the regional leaders were suddenly open to additional oversight for the sake of safety and stability, while the national government in Cordoire needed to put all of its focus on preparing for the next attack. Not only would tilting Chase take the burden of managing the farmland regions off of Cordoire's shoulders, but the hype surrounding the titling of a new lord was just what Duilintinn needed to rally together in the wake of the first true threat to the kingdom.

Despite his young age and lack of government experience, Chase's familiarity with the insular culture of these farmers and status as "one of their own" made him an acceptable leader in the eyes of the established local governments. In addition, the young man's idealist, jovial demeanor was perfect for bringing some hope back to a scared kingdom. As the only member of the founding quest's inner circle who was also a descendant of the plantation farmers who dominated the region, Chase was the obvious choice for the next Noble Lord.

When recounting the conversation, Chase noted that the conversation was very raw and emotional. Though the king did his best to hide them, Chase could see small signs of the attack on Sean. The intensity of the situation and reality of what Sean was asking and the amount of *trust* that implied nearly caused Chase to break down, and Sean with him.

After pulling himself together, Chase consulted with his family. Or really, he just asked for Stacy's opinion; Ashe and Will were seven and three years old, respectively, and thought the whole idea of being little lordlings is great. Stacy also seemed very interested in the prospect of being a Lady and encouraged Chase to do what he felt was right. In the end, Chase agreed and plans were made for him to spend the remainder of the year in Cordoire to get some court experience before receiving his title.

In April 1592, in an event that captured the attention of all of Duilintinn, a grand ceremony was held to title Lord Brody as the fourth Noble Lord of Duilintinn. His Noble House was given authority over the entire land north of Cordoire, from the Cuartalan Wetlands on the coast of the Eastern Sea to the Agrona River on the eastern edge of the Draoidh Valley.

## Significance

House Brody was founded in the name of standing firm against the dangers of the world, lending your support to others and giving what you can to the small, necessary tasks that might go unnoticed, but provide the rest of the kingdom a foundation to stand upon. This idea of tenacity in the face of unbearable odds and the simple, unspoken strength of surviving another day would become increasingly important to the region in the wake of the First and Second Great Famine and the raids that would plague the region during the First and Second War of The Watch.

The titling of Lord Brody is largely considered to be the first move King Sean made in response to The Enemy threat after the initial attack. This would not go unnoticed by The Enemy either, who was particularly enraged that the *child* who stumbled into the quest halfway through a battle was apparently more worthy of a title than himself. This is the final straw that would prompt The Enemy to give himself entirely over to his unnatural powers, leading him to cause the First Great Famine on Hallows' Eve later that same year.