#ocreveal

Peace. Stability. Law. Order. These are the gifts of Leyan.

Matrus Lavera lived his life in the shadow of the Tauvar family. Born as the family’s “beholden”, his family was dependent on the mercy and good-will of Patreas Tauvar for their fortune and political progress. As many children born to beholden families, he was groomed to be an obedient young man, and taken to befriend Iuvan Tauvar, almost exactly the same age as he was. The two have never enjoyed a good friendship, but Matrus soon learned how to worm his way into the confidence of his appointed friend, and used this opportunity to learn from the one man he admired, even as a child: Patreas Tauvar.

Where Iuvan went, Matrus followed him, playing the part of an obedient shadow. As the two matured, Matrus began to understand how Leyan truly worked, and how he would never get anything more out of his life than be a glorified servant to the Tauvar family. To his surprise, this angered him. When his anger abated, he began to see something more to his situation: an opportunity.

The expectation of his to support Iuvan earned him a stellar education in law, governance, and the oratory arts. The art of war and campaigning never interested him – those were better left to men more crude than he was. Yet, when it came to war, he rode a the head of the Tauvar forces, beside Iuvan, and only a few steps behind Patreas Tauvar. By then, he held many secrets he had accumulated, most damning to his friend, who still considered him a confidant.

But Iuvan Tauvar outgrew his usefulness rather quickly. Following the civil war, there was a growing rift between him and his father, and Matrus, fearing he would have to pick sides, had to act. With Iuvan out of the picture, he was free to court the favors of the most powerful man in Leyan, a man who had known him all his life, and who had just lost his first-born son. Matrus enjoyed a wealth of privileges, being the first pick for any office the Tauvars needed a trustworthy man to. His glorious march forward culminated in his posting as governor of the Agriegos Isles: arguably one of the richest, and most prestigious postings one could achieve.

Matrus, as an avid reader of history, enjoyed this posting. He made a point out of seeing the greatest cities, visiting the battlefields of the past, and walking the path of the legendary Hegemon. He saw that the once waring states of the Isles were united under the protection of Leyan, and even if they distasted the yoke of the foreigners, their lives were better. A century passed since any of them spilled the blood of another, culture flourished in the cities, and the fields had bountiful harvests each year. In his eyes, this was Leyan’s doing, the greatest victory there has been.

Now, with the death of Patreas Tauvar, he returns to Leyan as a seasoned governor, and a man known to have been favored by the man. The masses love him, and he basks in the attention they shower upon him. Yet, in his mind, there is a single thought:

If Leyan falls, there will be chaos.

And he will not allow the world to consume itself.

Beware the wrath of the patient man.

The man they dub Old Larsan sits in the Assembly’s chamber, in one of the seats maintained for the oldest members of Leyan’s most prestigious body. Some would expect one who lived through so much turmoil in the city’s history to be one of the most well-known men in the chamber, alas, you would be disappointed when it came to Old Larsan. He did not walk the long path of accumulating more and more titles. But he watched as others did, guided those he favored, and fought against those he despised with wise council. Once he was favored for a distinguished career – until he offended some of the city’s many traditions, and saw himself fall from grace.

As a young man, he was enamored with the dramatic arts, spending much of his time in the company of actors and singers. he adored these men and women, finding their relaxed atmosphere much preferable to the oppressive cruelty of Leyan. There, men and women were equal at the table, in friendship – and in love.

When he came of age, he joined them, touring the cities of the Niaa Peninsula. While it was an unusual way to be educated, especially as a well-positioned young man in Leyan, it had provided him with ample opportunities to see the world around him, to understand how the people lived under the rule of Leyan. Even here, even in the oldest holdings of the city that was his home, he could see the wounds that ran deep, threatening to bleed the whole thing out while those at the top bickered for their own power. Larsan understood this, and feared what would happen if Leyan was to stay the course.

But his travels did not simply bring him grim realization. On the road with his fellow actors, he found love, a man he cherished above all others. Together, they soon returned to Leyan, with Larsan ready to pick up his father’s place in the Assembly. That very year, he ran for election, and won easily, starting his political career serving as an assistant to a Praxa – a judge. The next year, when he intended to take it a step further, however, he found himself unable to start off his campaign. The family he was beholden to would not sponsor it, or send help. On the day of the election, he stood alone, and suffered a humiliating defeat.

Bitter over his defeat, Larsan sought to know what was the cause of this sudden turn-around. But only a few would talk to him about it. His “unmarried” status marked him as a pariah – in the city of Leyan, appearances seemed to be everything, and Larsan was a man with no intention of having a wife, or children of his own. Many had even told him that Leyan would embrace him once again, if he was just willing to play the part.

Facing a terrible decision, Larsan followed his heart, knowing that his hopes of bettering the city were lost forever. He was angry – beyond furious, cursing the men who made him decide. But he could not abandon the one he loved, and retain his will to fight onward.

Years passed, and turned to decades. Larsan sat in the Assembly and argued for his beliefs, but his words often fell on deaf ears. Yet, he never gave up, knowing that if he can reach a few people, he can still impact change – meaningful, true change. And soon, these men, high and mighty as they were, came to Larsan for advice. For help in navigating the complex politics of the city.

Today, Old Larsan watches the city he had grown bitter about. His love is gone, but he often spends his afternoons just talking to the small statue he commissioned in his backyard to mark his final resting place: he tells him about the death of Patreas Tauvar, the rise of hostilities, and his fears that the city might, once again, fall back to chaos. That their dominion might just finally tears itself apart. He also tells him about someone: one who reminds him all too much of himself. A girl with fire in her eyes, and a name that cannot be ignored. One who might just upset the status quo – might do what Old Larsan wished to do, before he became so old. He tells about Saelin Tauvar.

And then he makes a promise: he will turn his abilities, his knowledge and his sharp, cutting wit to helping this girl. For Leyan must change, and it is only prudent that a man who suffered so much at its hand is helping enact that change.

Tagging @proseweaver @inexorableblob @hell-yeah-writing