List of Historical Figures in KoY W

Though the players involved hold very little role in the story as of yet, the province of Sadistique has a long and varied history, most of which surrounds the predecessors of the three oldest families. These ancestors set the groundwork for the land as it is known in the main story line, with their descendants making up most of the central cast.

The Traeridi
Known collectively as the Traerid, the masterminds of the War of the Wilds were the Kann'aire (clan lords) of Clans Payne, Hyatt and Faire, rulers of the land of Tarsh--the place that would become Sadistique. The three were instrumental in the famed War of the Wilds, an attempt by the barbarians to repel the Crown from their lands. It was an attempt that succeeded only in angering the Crown, who captured their perceived leader, the appropriately named Royal Payne, and publicly executed him. The remaining Traeridi were casualties of the War. The survivors of the Clans went on to found the Three Houses. While little is known of them personally, their legacy as revolutionaries has been a source of inspiration and speculation for centuries. The true nature of their bond remains largely unknown.

Royal Payne
(Meaning: Royal Pain)

It is an easy thing, to get wrapped up in the glamor of a folk hero. In truth, Payne was a figure of some controversy long before his rise to infamy, notorious for his short temper and cruel sense of humor, but found by many to be jovial, charming company. His "personal side-arm," as he laughingly called it, remains a topic of intrigue to the current day. Affectionately known as "Royce"--a diminutive, in honor of his slight stature--Payne was a combat longbowman, renowned throughout the Clans for his strength and accuracy, as well as his skill with a dagger. He was well-loved as a leader, and greatly feared in battle. The few who saw him in combat and lived spoke in fearful tones of the ease with which he took a blow--and the ease with which he killed. As Grandmaster to his clan, he was not afraid to get his hands dirty.

When he wasn't cutting people down on the battlefield, Payne was happily involved with both of his others and his wife, all of whom he managed seamlessly. His desirable nature and charm were hard to deny--though his interests behind closed doors were considered polarizing. He had a unique relationship with his namesake, and the fact was well-known to those who shared his body. In addition to his various husbandly duties, Payne was a devoted father; he invested years in training his children to face the war that they would inevitably inherit.

If he had any weakness at all, it was pride. Payne pushed for the final meeting with the Crown forces, predicting an attempted betrayal. He was famously taken captive by the Crown, suffering at Their hands until at last he was executed. His famous last words would inspire the future name of his family. His death sparked the final push-back against the Crown, resulting in the formation of Sadistique. His name has never been used again by his descendants, in honor of his singular nature.

Hyatt Vil I
(Meaning: Hateful [One])

Publicly, Hyatt was a man to be feared, renowned for his great size and strength, and his ability to respond to a threat at a moment's notice. He was always prepared for a fight, and would readily take one when offered, if only to spare another the harm. Though not overly intelligent, Hyatt was clever, and well-spoken enough (despite a persistent slur) to get his thoughts across in short order. In combat, he was a frightful sight--a giant armed with a claymore the size of a man, able to rend a soldier in half at the hip. His certainty of victory inspired his men to follow him blindly. Many would have died at his word--and, unfortunately for them, many of them did.

In private, Hyatt was soft-spoken, reserved and reluctant to instigate contact or conversation. His son knew him to be brave and moral, his wife weak-willed and ineffectual. He did not argue either case. A childhood spent alone had left him with little confidence and few social skills, an issue only worsened by the injury that gave him his iconic scar. Brain damage left him unable to think or speak quickly, though his reflexes remained unaffected. Though able to draw--a skill he used both in map-making and as a pastime--Hyatt's inability to memorize complex patterns left him unable to read or write. Surrounded by brilliance, the fact was a source of shame for all his life.

Though common enough in his time, his illiteracy served him badly in the end, leaving no surviving shred of his thoughts or motivations regarding the war. The truth behind his absence in the final confrontation with the Crown was known only to his son, and to the First, who slew him as a traitor.

Faire Lae Aerynid
(Meaning: Fairly [Earned]; alt: Fair Lay)

While considered "dead" in the modern world, in Tarsh, magic was alive and well, and the strongest mage in all of Tarsh was Faire Lae. A sorcerer as mighty as he was beautiful, Faire was an accomplished spellweaver, able to call down fire and lightning from the sky at will--concurrently, at times. A genius by any standard, Faire mastered Kingspeech simply by ear, and wrote more than a dozen books on history, society and the Craft. His most well-known work is the infamous War Chronicle, a series of journals kept during the War of the Wilds. The work acts as the basis for much of what is known of the conflict.

His beauty and delicacy are often highlighted by history, but what is seldom remarked upon is his personal life, which he guarded closely. His relationship with family survives in his many letters; Faire was maestyr to his eldest son, instructing him in the enchantments that would help turn the tide in the war. In the Hall of the Traerid, Faire was the voice of reason, mediating disputes between his vitriolic others and comforting them both as need arose. The affection he held for the others of his council is thought to be what forced his hand in the final decision to face the Crown.

His presence was vital to the balance of their way of life, which just makes his early death all the more tragic. Faire was the youngest man ever to ascend to the Traerid, and the very first of them to die. He was a casualty in the final confrontation, when the call for his reinforcement rank to charge never came, leaving the Faire sorcerers to fend for themselves against the Crown guard. The final volume of the Chronicle was found with his belongings, feet from his unrecognizable remains. His death is often attributed to the supposed betrayal of Hyatt Vil, a fact denied by everyone who knew either of them, save for Vischias Payne.

Poinciaua Payne
Kann'iaera of the assassin clan, "Lady Aua" was Payne's sca'haen--or 'mirror'--a partner chosen to be his balance. In this, she was variously successful. Where Payne was vain, arrogant and mischievous, Aua was calm and rational, but known to have a temper, a fact which she made no attempt to hide. Even in that time, a woman with an opinion was considered a burden, but her strong-willed nature made her a good match for her lord husband. Never one to hesitate to correct his behavior, Aua nonetheless supported Payne, often backing his decisions to their fellows--with one unfortunate exception. She was accepting of the Traerid's traditions, and all that they entailed. Nonetheless, she shared a passionate relationship with her husband, bearing him five children in total.

Aua acted as a source of council and support to the other sca'haeni, even after the deaths of their partners. She was first advisor to her son when he succeeded his father, and though he seldom heeded her word, she was one of the only forces that could rein him in.

Vischias Payne/The First
(Meaning: Vicious Pain/Vicious Sadist)

The eldest son of Royal and Aua Payne. Known affectionately to Payne as "Kaet('an)" ("First", for first-born), Vischias was a swordsman and alchemist, brilliant and determined, but notorious for his impulsiveness and pride. He was known to be temperamental, even for an assassin, favoring direct action over elaborate strategy. Those close to him knew him to be of an emotional bent; he often cried from frustration, shortly before taking his temper out on whatever (or whoever) was nearest. Though favoring blades, he was not above using his fists to finish a job when pressed. Those who witnessed his fits of temper often theorized on just how much he enjoyed the violence.

The death of his father at the hands of the Crown only threw these traits into sharper relief, the event leading him to rally the remaining Clansmen in a march on the Capital. Infiltrating the city with his forces, he took the entire Court hostage, threatening death by slow-acting poison if the demands of his people were not met. The Crown agreed, save a single caveat: the barbarians needed a leader, and it was to be him. Swayed by the promise of peace and greater influence in the future of their land, Vischias accepted the deal.

Vischias Payne was created as Vischias Sei'Dist I, Viscount of Sadistique--and in so doing, he violated the oldest tradition in Tarsh: the peered rulership of the Traerid. This change was further cemented with his first act as Viscount: the execution of Hyatt Vil, for the crime of treason...a sentence he carried out himself. It was a choice that forever alienated his would-be equals, and set the tone of what would be a bloody--and brief--rule.

Eriy Payne
(Meaning: Eerie Pain)

Little is known about the second of the surviving Payne children, whose name would go on to be a taboo scarcely written down. All that survives is that he resembled his father, in everything but his fervor. Eriy was not a leader, often standing in the wings to allow the boisterous and headstrong First his way--but he was his father's son, to his core. When Vischias' rule evolved into something darker, he took it upon himself to intercede, unwilling to see their people further shamed by tyranny. A vocal opponent of his brother's methods, Eriy acted as advisor to the First, and--when the latter refused to heed him--eventually attempted to organize a coup to unseat him, a decision backed by the former Clan leaders.

With gathered evidence of his violations of tradition and his growing instability, he went before the Clans and insisted that he be forced to abdicate, in favor of the more level-headed Faire Nys. When this failed, he attempted to have Vischias assassinated. His efforts were for naught, and his involvement in the attempted coup was quickly brought to light. A duel was held to decide his fate, and Eriy was quickly outmatched, becoming the first of his line to be slain by his brother. His death set an unfortunate standard for Sei'Dist family tradition in centuries to come.

Like his father, Eriy's name has never been reused, in fear that doing so would make the bearer a traitor.

Wright Payne
(Meaning: Right Pain)

The third and last of Royce and Aua's children to reach adulthood, Wright grew up in the shadow of two brothers destined to become infamous for their roles in history. Born a handful of months before the fated peace talks, Wright was 16 years junior to First and 10 to Eriy, making him just a year old when his father died. His mother was nearly fifty when he was born, and the shock of his survival is reflected in the letters between she and her soon-to-be-famous husband.

The death of Eriy Payne taught Wright a healthy distrust of his surviving brother, enough so that he stayed out of the political arena entirely until First was forcibly removed from office. As the last of the three brothers, Wright was expected to take power from the surviving children--but in a move more like a Faire than a Payne, he instead adopted the title of Lord Protector, electing to hold power only until the children came of age. A pragmatist, he saw the value in the Crown alliance, in so much as it kept them from death, but he also recognized the pride and anger of his own people, having lived beneath First's rule all of his life. He elected to rule in a neutral capacity, paying his obeisance to the Crown as needed while also heeding the cries of the people. Though he could not free Tarsh from the gilded chains of the surrender, he could work for the betterment of those like himself, who had been left without a say in the matter. And that was what he did.

Though he never officially held the title, Wright Payne--later Wright Sei'Dist--is considered by some to have been the first true Viscount of Sadistique. His focus on fairness and willingness to listen set the standard for the behavior of many of his successors.

Triska Hyatt
If Kann'iaera Payne was a perfect match for her husband, Kann'iaera Hyatt was the opposite. Intended to balance his uncertainty with her surety, Triska was the definition of a battleaxe, deeply opinionated and prone to fits when not given her way. Though she presented as friendly and kind, her true nature was much darker, a fact that became apparent to anyone who spent time in her company. She was notoriously bad-tempered. Her overbearing nature and drinking habit only further damned what was, from the start, a terrible relationship, with her badgering driving her lord husband to distraction. Triska held a deep resentment for Vil, whom she viewed as weak-willed and fickle. His involvement with his others was a source of endless jealousy for her, a fact preserved in her many scathing letters to him...which had to be read to him aloud.

Her interactions with her children and the other Kann'iaeriy were equally caustic, with Triska and Aua often in conflict over her treatment of others, especially regarding her husband. Royal Payne openly suggested she be exiled for her behavior. Triska regularly locked horns with Vilii as well, who was far less compliant than his father, with much of her time spent struggling in vain to bring him to heel. After Hyatt's death, the polarizing woman largely disappears from history. Her ultimate fate is unknown.

Hyatt Vil II
(Meaning: Hatefully)

The only son of Hyatt and Triska. Despite sharing his name, Vilii (pronounced Villy) proved early on to be the polar opposite of his father, having inherited his mother's penchant for speaking up and holding his ground. He had no problem taking a fight when it arose, and often sought them out, to the exhaustion of his parents. He was considered the ideal among his Clan, strong and stubborn and largely fearless, regardless of whether his courage came from bravery or simple ignorance. In truth, it was both. Once his mind was made up, Vilii didn't budge.

Being the son of a Traeridi, Vilii grew up with his future others, a fact which bound him closely to them. As he was often called "First," Vischias Payne took to calling Vilii "Second" (Daraet'an), in reference to both his shared name and lesser age. They fought constantly, a practice which belied a complex personal involvement. Nys was Vilii's closest friend, working to curb his temper and guide him in the right direction. He was one of two people he heeded. The second was his father, whom he looked upon with equal parts respect and admiration.

The end of the War and subsequent installation of Vischias I as Viscount, combined with execution of Hyatt Vil, drove a wedge between Vilii and First that would become hereditary. Heartbroken by the murder of his father, Vilii spent the rest of his life in opposition his once-friend and lover, clad in black as a symbol of all he had lost. Both of these would go on to form the basis of Domine tradition for centuries to come.

Hyatt Abelle
(Meaning: Hateable)

The family's only daughter, and one of few women born to Clan Hyatt. Abelle lived a short life, passing away in her teens just prior to the end of the War. Described as small and "mannish," she was nonetheless well-liked among her Clan for her eagerness to be included and the friendliness she showed. While she lived, she was known for her general good humor, sharing close relationships with both Eriy Payne and her older brother, Vilii.

Faire Nys
The eldest child of Faire Lae. Nicknamed Bonny by Royal Payne at her birth, in honor of her great beauty, Nys was a brilliant tactician, and a mage in her own right, rivaled only by her lord father. She was the youngest of the Traeridi heirlings, like her father before her, a handful of years younger than the like-aged Vil II and Vischias I.

Faire Aune
Third and final child of the Faire Clan master, who lived to five with no one knowing their gender. They passed away of cold the same year their father was lost. (Meaning: Fair One)