Derthert is the King of Vlandia and the leader of House dey Meroc. He is the owner of Galend, Sargot, and Talivel Castle, the husband of Philenora, and the father of Erdurand, Alary, Elys, Amorcon, and Morcon.
Background[]
During the Calradic Empire's conflict with the Battanians and Sturgians, Vlandia was called upon to honor their oath and aid the Empire. However, the Vlandian barons were unwilling to fight and resisted this call to arms. Emperor Drosios Neretzes called out the Vlandians for their cowardice and betrayal, angering the barons and causing them to join the Sturgians. Derthert led his people from the rear in the Battle of Pendraic, giving orders on who and where to strike. Though Vlandia and their allies emerged victorious, they sustained heavy casualties, and for this the barons blamed Derthert.
Description[]
The current king of Vlandia is Derthert. In his youth, he dreamt of glorious conquest. However, upon taking the throne, he spent most of his reign simply putting down revolts, quashing pretenders and keeping the fractious barons and counts in line. When possible, he prefers to rule by arbitration, cajoling his vassals to set aside claims to each other's lands and enjoy what they have. But some Vlandians murmur that a warrior people deserve a more virile king.
According to his Personality Traits, he is Cautious (Valor -1), Merciful (Mercy 1) and Calculating (Calculating 1). He has the reputation of being kind, but cautious.
As with all noblemen and women, his Armor, Weapons, Perks, Friends, Enemies, and Attribute Points are all randomized at the beginning of the game.
Skills[]
| Skill | Value |
|---|---|
| One Handed | 120 |
| Two Handed | 120 |
| Polearm | 120 |
| Bow | 100 |
| Crossbow | 80 |
| Throwing | 80 |
| Riding | 100 |
| Athletics | 80 |
| Tactics | 60 |
| Charm | 140 |
| Steward | 180 |
| Trade | 160 |
| Leadership | 120 |
Trivia[]
| “ | Derthert, of the House of Meroc, is King of the Vlandians. His subjects regard him as a decent man but a tired one. He is worn down by years of struggle against vassals who swear oaths of fealty only to break them, who see no patch of pasture so worthless, no dynastic claim so unconvincingly traced, that they will not go to war over it. His heir, Alary, retains some of the optimism and vigor of youth, and it's widely believed that he will make a popular king. The House of Meroc thinks of commoners as a counterbalance to the nobles, and have tried to elevate them to offices of authority when possible. | ” |
| — spclans.xml game file, Sandbox Moduledata folder | ||
- In the spclans.xml game file, several features of Derthert can be found:
- He is a cunning but weary king, who tries to retain compassion.
- He is a reference to Hugh Capet, who was the first king of the Franks from the House of Capet and its founder.
- One similarity between Derthert and Hugh Capet is their inability to gain the absolute loyalty of their vassals, which indicate their kingdoms' internal weaknesses. Hugh Capet's reign saw continual conflict between Eudes II (Odo II) and Fulk Nerra (Fulk III) of Anjou. Hugh Capet later supported Fulk Nerra. Subsequently, Eudes organized an unsuccessful conspiracy. The conspiracy was to kidnap Hugh Capet and his son, and deliver them to Otto III, the Holy Roman Emperor. Hugh Capet's lack of authority was epitomized when no one was punished for the conspiracy.[1] Similarly, Derthert is unable to keep his vassals in line.
- Developers may have intended Derthert to have someone else, instead of Alary, as his eldest son. The son is described as dissolute and a headache to Derthert. However, the son is unnamed and does not exist in gameplay.
Quotes[]
| “ | When my great-grandfather Osrac Iron-Arm declared himself King of Vlandia, the emperor himself sent us a golden crown as a goodwill gift. Hmf. Do not trust gifts from the Empire.
If you toss a bone into a pack of wild dogs, what does having that bone mean? It means that you get bitten a lot. I have spent most of my life in the saddle or sitting in front of a besieged fortress. Once I thought, 'I suffer, but at least my son will rule in peace.' Such lies we tell ourselves. There will never be peace. My son will rule, and he will fight his brothers and vassals. And after him my grandchildren will fight each other. At least, as kings and princes, they can enjoy a dry tent, good wine, and a soft bed between dusk and dawn. That is all the peace one gets in life. |
” |
| — on Politics | ||
| “ | It was a victory, of the kind that is almost as bad as defeat.
We had given an oath to the Empire, to join them if attacked. It seemed clear to me that we should have honored our oath, that the Battanians and Sturgians were aggressors, but there is always room to argue details. Ultimately our barons did not wish to fight with the Empire, so they resisted coming to its help. Neretzes, when he heard we were hesitating, sent us a message calling us cowards and traitors. And you say that to a Vlandian noble at your peril. Neretzes should have known what he was doing. We joined the Sturgians. I did not fight in the battle. I stood on a hill telling my commanders where to go and who to attack. And we did rather well, I think you've heard. Still, we took losses - heavy losses, and gained little. And for this the barons blamed me, even though it was their idea to fight. I learned that day that a king should always lead, never follow. But it was a bitter lesson. |
” |
| — on the Battle of Pendraic | ||
References[]
| Vlandia | |
|---|---|
| Monarch: | Claimant: |
| King Derthert | Unknown |
| Vassals: | |
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| |