Meet the Characters: House John

I know, I'm a day late on this, but I had some back issues last night and so I didn't hang out and blog like I should have. And, based on the reaction to the story of Red Paul, I can tell that everyone is clamoring for more Character Introductions. Who am I to withhold such treats from my ravenous fan-base? I'd be a black-hearted bastard if I did, that's who I would be.

Today, let's meet House John, one of the first sets of characters I developed for The Hundred Kings Saga, and thus one of my favorite clans in all the land of Kallabria.

House John:

House John is the oldest of the Houses of Kallabria and all the known kingdoms. Sailing from the ancient empire of Rengor in antiquity, Arken John [1] first discovered Kallabria by following a red comet in the sky. When he first sighted the shores of what would become the kingdom of Kallabria, the comet seemed to set behind the high, stony walls of the shore. Arken John established his kingdom from the aptly named city of First Landing and named the land Kallabria in honor of his wife, Kallah. Little is known of Kallah, other than she was the daughter of a minor lord of Rengor. Aside from his "heroic" exploits in discovering and founding Kallabria, little is known of the character and background of Arken John, and much of what is known is mired in myth and lore. For instance, nothing is known of why he was on the voyage from Rengor in the first place.

After several generations, House John lost control of his own kingdom, being defeated by Bron Aevan, and the kingdom that was forged by Arken John was reduced to a mere dukedom in the southern-most part of Kallabria. The current Duke of First Landing is Stuart John. Stuart is an older man, but still tall and powerfully built. He casts quite a regal pose with his long, silvery-white mane and close-cropped white goattee. He has a brilliant mind and a sharp wit and is fair and friendly with most all of his sworn men, but he demands excellency from those who serve his house as well as those who are in it. Currently, he is squiring Nathaniel Montgomery's eldest son, Alexander as well as Vincent Giles' only son, Stephen. [2]

The heir to House John is Stuart's grandson, Patrick. Patrick is a young, handsome man with curly brown hair and bright, brown eyes. Like his grandfather, he is tall and solidly-built, though he is not as deft with a sword as Stuart was as a younger man. Patrick has a brother, Jeremy, who is taller than Patrick and just as handsome, with darker hair and more angular features. He is a young knight of some renown, though he is mostly untested in battle and has only been knighted (by Vincent Giles, the Duke of Irvington) two years prior. Jeremy dreams of founding a landed holding near the mountainous western border of First Landing, where he could guard his home against the restless threat of Jesportrock, the neighboring kingdom to the west.

During the time they are together, Patrick, Jeremy, Alexander and Stephen become fast friends.

Patrick and Jeremy's father was killed in a horsing accident when he was thrown over the neck of his steed. Stuart's son (also named Patrick), was killed instantly when he broke his neck. Patrick and Jeremy's mother, Jessica, died two years later of severe melancholia, leaving Stuart to raise his juvenile grandsons.

Patrick is married to Jillian Tallhart, the daughter of Royce Tallhart, the Duke of neighboring Tellchester. She is slight and blonde, but bold of heart and character. Patrick jokes that her strong nature helps keep him in line. Together, they have an infant son, named Stewart. [3]

House John is symbolized by a comet gules upon a field Or (a red comet upon a yellow field). Their motto is "First to Land, Last to Fall".

[1] Arken John was originally "Prester John", a tip of the cap to Tad Williams' character from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I even had permission to use the name "Prester John", however, as I developed the character more and more, I decided to give him his own identity, and thus he was converted into "Arken John". The tallest mountain in Kallabria is named "Mount Arken". There is also a holding within the dukedom of First Landing named "Mount Arken".

[2] This becomes very important as the action of the story begins to heat up, so that's why I threw it in.

[3] Stewart's name was originally "Saban", which was a tip of the cap to a character from Final Fantasy III (the American version) named "Sabin". However, when Nick $aban arrived on the college football scene, I changed his name out of disgust.