House Carlisle

House Carlisle is the reigning house in the Kingdom of Erayis, its sigil a bee on a burgundy background. It's seat is Galenave, and they possess the ancient claymore Ragenclau. Its current head is King Maendon Carlisle.

History
The Carlisles were originally but lowly Earls, reigning from a small, forgotten keep on the shores of Loch Eriboll. They rose to prominence under the rule of the Tahren kings as the royal chancellors, serving as an intermediary between the traditionalist and rebellious nobles, and the foreign kings they knelt to. Through clever political maneuvering, they earned a great deal of prestige and goodwill, which was invaluable when the High Kings of Orlandis lost interest in the affairs of the highlands, and the Tahren's power began to decline. In the year 612, the Carlisles led a widespread rebellion against the last Tahren king. After the latter was slain in battle, the dukes elected Carlisle as their new king, and the office has remained in their family ever since.

The reign of King Maendon of Erayis has been long and prosperous, his name toasted across the realm, his reputation one of wisdom and kindness. Few rulers have the love of their people the way Maendon does. Yet he is a deeply unhappy man, who has had to watch as his family suffered tragedy after tragedy. At 54 years of age, he seems a man a decade older, his hair a tangled grey mess, his face sagging and unsmiling, and where he once had a great beard, now there remains only a sad remnant.

Born to the throne, he was a single child, his mother suffering from countless miscarriages. He grew up alone, lonely in the vastness of Galenave without children of his age to play with, his father always battling some rebellious earl, with only his mother to entertain him. Because of this, he grew very close to her. Unfortunately, when he was fifteen, his mother died in childbirth after a long period of suffering. Yet this time, the babe survived, and was given the name Targan by their father.

By then, however, the age difference was too great, and Maendon mostly ignored his brother, feeling something of bitterness towards the latter for the death of their mother. He duly inherited the throne at the death of father. Faced with a dangerous faction of discontent earls, he married the daughter of one of their peers, Eilidh of Mar, to keep the peace. Contrary to his expectations, she proved to be both beautiful and clever, and they quickly came to love one another. Many say that it was she who ran the kingdom, and not him.

Unfortunately, Eilidh also proved to be infertile, and produced stillborn after stillborn, with none of their children surviving past the first year of their life. This took a toll on her, and less than a decade after their marriage, she died of a fever. Maendon was devastated, and never fully recovered. Despite the urging of his vassals, he refused to take another wife, and became more and more reclusive.

It was at this time that his young brother Targan, before now living under his elder's shadow, began to build his reputation, for better or worse. At the age of 21, Targan led a royal force against the rebellious Earl of Trethclyde, earning victory in a bloody storming of the castle. He hung the Earl from the ramparts upside-down, with the Earl dying only after the sixth day of this torment. For this victory, he was granted the defunct rebel's titles, and became the new Earl of Trethclyde. His renown only grew from there, and he became known for his fierce hatred of the Stormbroken, taking every opportunity to smash their raiding parties. He flayed every stormbroken he could get his hands on, and posted their skins on posts all along the western coast of his fiefdom as a warning to their kin.

Yet for all his heroisms, news of his sadistic deeds began to spread, and King Maendon grew increasingly displeased with his behavior. Targan went through wife after wife, whose deaths, it was rumored, were not accidental. He had an icy relationship with his children, the oldest of whom were his sons Fergus and Malcolm. Matters finally came to a head when Fergus, his 19-year old heir, confronted him over another burst of violence on Targan's part. The argument grew heated, and, angered by his son's insolence, Targan beat him to death with an iron rod as his wife, his children, and his entire court watched. He then made his now oldest son Malcolm drag his dead brother out of his sight. This ended whatever patience the King had for his brother, and he banished the earl from Erayis. Now, Targan is 41 years old, and is currenty serving in a mercenary company in a foreign land.

Values
The Carlisles see themselves as custodians of their land. Certainly, they demand absolute obedience from the rest of their countrymen, but it is for the sake of mutual prosperity. Life in the highlands is rough and short, and thus the Carlisles have no particular love for war, unlike many of the other noble houses. Instead, they seek to endure the hardships of their land, and more: To not only endure, but thrive.

Notable Members
The current king of Erayis, King Maendon, is of course a Carlisle. Also of note is his brother Targan Carlisle, Earl of Trethclyde, his heir, noted for his fiery temper and bursts of violence. The two share a mutual dislike for each other.