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Norn Kade, the name uttered every now and again in mockery of poor leadership, the name many believe bears a malicious omen, the name of a troubled child who never surmounted his internal strife. The life of Norn Kade tells the story of a man who brought about an age of Regalian Pessimism, and the standstill of a once-functional Imperial Senate that stagnated the managerial role of the Regalian Empire for decades. Even ignoring his numerous political flaws, Norn’s personal life was similarly fractured, marrying three times, suffering through the deaths of two of his wives, and the stillbirth of his first child.
| Norn Kade | |
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| Notable Person | |
| Full Name | Norn Kade |
| Race | Ailor |
| Date of Birth | November 17, 249 AC |
| Date of Death | January 2, 272 AC |
| Claim to Fame | Pessimist Chancellor of Regalia |
Origins and Early Life
A child nourished in and pampered by the esteemed bloodline of House Kade would imagine the garnished lifestyle of splendor and luxuries when, in point of fact, Norn Kade’s upbringing revolved around the cruel and even sadistic whims of his father, Morgann Kade, who exposed Norn and his siblings to various, vicious degrees of immoral deviance at a young age. For that reason, Norn sought some semblance of meaning behind the actions committed upon him and his siblings - who later died as a result of their father’s deeds - through means of the Faith of Unionism. This set in place Norn’s moral compass of steadfast servitude towards the Empire to one day assert himself as the Chancellor of Regalia, therefore continuing his father’s legacy.
Before his induction to the tenets of Unionism, Norn was disturbed by the vivid nightmares which haunted his slumbers, ones that entailed the horrendous experiences that etched the outline of his childhood. Accordingly, it became a norm amongst the palace that the adolescent Norn would fill the halls with his late night grisly screams, wailing until a servant could pacify his fright, thereby leaving Norn with a case of insomnia that plagued the victimized child. Moreover, it led to Norn becoming a susceptible individual who found solitude in those who could quell his late night terrors. Whilst this trait lingered into his adulthood, Norn found tranquility upon an encounter with the Supreme Reverend of the time, a man who aided in the path of Norn’s moral development into his early maturity.
History
Solidifying his growth into adulthood, Norn was ushered into an arranged marriage; orchestrated by his father to Amalie Adlerberg, who proved herself a suitable match despite Norn’s numerous personal tragedies. In spite of that, mere weeks into their marriage, and amid Norn’s inauguration into the Chancellorship, calamity struck the hearts of nobility when Amalie Adlerberg was brutally slaughtered before those attending the inauguration by a deranged anarchist who leapt from his seat to commit the sinister deed. Thus, this led to Norn’s self-notion that the Spirit had condemned him for his soiled virtue, a crime by the hands of his father. Afterwards, Norn’s peers noticed the subtle decline of his jubilant and buoyant personality following the tragedy, as his palace escapades became less frequent.
With outright objection, Norn yet again iterated his marriage vows to his second bride, Eleonore Waldersee, an arrangement solely conducted in the devout conviction Norn retained towards his Unionist duty to produce a next of kin. Appropriately, Norn avoided any path of decadent governing carved out by his father. That said, Norn’s aptitude towards administrative duties proved far less apathetic in comparison to the prior Chancellor. In the time of Norn’s reign, House van Sherburne’s meddling with “Death Taxing” sparked the infernos which later blossomed into the Drachenwald Crisis. Norn’s resentment towards the policies of decadence brought him to a conflicting conclusion; for on one hand, he had not wanted to incite any additional conflict with House Sherburne, yet his disdain towards their actions left him conflicted and undecided on how to address the matter.
Norn’s priorities abruptly shifted with Eleonore Waldersee’s unforeseen early labor, occurring an entire month earlier than expected. In the wake of it all, a grimacing reality shocked the Chancellor, that his wife and stillborn child laid blood-soaked atop his silken bed cushions - a statement by the Spirit, Norn proclaimed, that his tainted purity was too unjustifiable to be justified. Since that occasion, historians recorded Norn’s steady decline of empathy in his policies, even having parallels drawn between the once vibrant Norn and the infamous Morgann. After these tragedies, Norn found a way to mask his anguish in the form of a young lady known as Morgannan. Norn was arranged to marry the lady Morgannan’s sister, but upon the eve of their first encounter Norn was entranced by the young lady’s seductive pull. So much so that his intentions of marrying another were formally dismissed to pursue a union with Morgannan. As if the lips of a bear trap clamped down on him, Norn’s relationship with Morgannan Kade took an abrupt U-turn, wherein the once soothing voice of Morgannan now shrieked in his ear. The two would often partake in arguments that shook the palace floors, arguments that, more often than not, resulted in Morgannan proving herself the victor. This, in and of itself, periodically left Norn with a resonating bitterness that frequently carried through to his political duties as Chancellor.
Later Life
All came to peak though, when Olgorr Van Sherburne partitioned to have Regalia allocate men to the rising Drachenwald Crisis. Bolstering a new swagger around him, Norn signed off on the petition and sent forth a coalition army to aid in the ensuing conflicts. At the outset, the first few skirmishes allowed Norn to shine as a brilliant tactician, raising his reputation as a skillful commander. Happenstance would have it that, in the midst of what historians later refer to as the Battle of Lausitze, Norn’s claim to glory would arrive. The theatre had been set, the Imperial coalition forces and the Sherburne’s sellsword army had surrounded a sizable sum of the rebel forces, blocking any means of escape. This tactical omission would prove to be the deciding factor in the impending slaughter. Norn, brandishing a negligent yearning for victory, arrogantly ushered along his platoons to close the gap between himself and the remaining Rebels. At the same time, the Sherburne sellswords, unbeknownst to everyone else, showed their true colors as they slashed at their former brethren in arms, culminating in the utter decimation of Imperial forces and the imprisonment of several prudent nobility along with Norn. As expected, demands were issued for their release, none of which were met. Thus, in a gesture of goodwill, the rebels made their intentions clear by slitting the necks of various noblemen and women - Norn being the first. The measly few survivors of the catastrophe wore the same hollow assertion plastered to Norn’s face, one that indicated his own self-disappointment as, alas, his life drew to a swift, bitter end. However, with the death of one comes the birth of another, a fact which rings true with Norn’s last wife, Morgannan Kade, giving life to Moriarty Kade while the new child’s father was on the battlefield.
Personality
Outliers are not often found in the Kade family, though Norn is one such detached individual who seldom sought the companionship of his fellow kinsman, ergo his poor relation with most other family members. As a consequence of his upbringing, Norn was a mentally disturbed man who clung to those abundant in what he lacked: charisma, soundness, and composure. To those acquaintances during his youth, Norn radiated a vibe of jubilance and an appetite for initiative, bringing about his popularity amongst his peers. Yet, as years elapsed and disaster struck time and time again, Norn’s tender touch of grace calloused over with brackishness, self-loathing, and an animosity towards the unavoidable events progressively picking away at his sanity.
Legacy
Contrary to his intent, Norn’s legacy strayed woefully from its promising path of success with the chain of dreadful events spoiling the fruits of his labor. Historically, Norn is renowned for his accumulative failures following the deaths of his first two wives, more often is he mentioned as the Pessimistic Chancellor in mockery of the ideology that rooted itself during his Chancellorship. Furthermore, Norn’s careless attitude towards his administrative duties brought forth ridicule when compared to his predecessors, further smearing the otherwise authoritative nature most Kades trot out.
The latter period of Norn’s life was riddled with the incredulous debacle of personal and statewide tragedy, tragedies scholars correlate to his desperate flings and pursuits for glory. Norn’s fleeting years leading to his death brought forth the ideology of Regalian Pessimism: a belief that Regalia's tenacity for expansion had far outstretched its ability to govern, and both religious and military movements ceased to a grinding halt with the first few cracks in the Faith of Unionism emerging. In continuation, following the death of Norn, the Imperial Senate had been established in order to broker a peace and conclude the Drachenwald Crisis.
Extended Family
Norn was son to Morgann Kade and Anna Usta, raised alongside his two siblings, Justinian Kade and Shalara Kade. He was husband to three wives in rapid succession: Amalie Adlerberg, Eleonore Waldersee, and Morgannan respectively. He sired one child, Moriarty Kade, with his last wife, Morganna Kade.
Trivia
- It is speculated that Norn Kade employed hex mages to alleviate the severity of his vivid nightmares, although no record has ever been found to prove such accusations.
- The Supreme Reverend and Norn Kade had deep ties with one another, to the point where Norn would consult the Supreme Reverend on many occasions about matters kept exclusively between the two.
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