### **Aldric Whitewood – The Silver-Tongued Patriarch of House Whitewood** --- ![[DALL·E 2025-02-22 15.10.07 - A tall, refined nobleman in his early 50s, exuding the effortless grace of a master diplomat. He has short-cropped dark hair graying at the temples, a.webp]] #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Lord Aldric Whitewood - **Race/Species:** Human *(Noble lineage of House Whitewood, Brevoyan heritage)* - **Class/Profession:** Noble, Diplomat, Master Strategist (Non-Combatant) - **Alignment/Morality:** Lawful Neutral (Seeks **stability, influence, and the survival of his house above all**) - **Age:** Early 50s *(A man in his prime, commanding Brevoy’s political landscape with precision)* - **Gender & Pronouns:** He/Him - **Appearance:** - **Tall, lean, and refined**, with **the effortless grace of a man who has never needed to raise his voice to command a room.** - **Short-cropped dark hair, graying at the temples**, always impeccably groomed. - **Piercing green eyes**, sharp as a **finely honed dagger**, constantly **reading the people around him**. - **Dresses in tailored, elegant noble attire**, never ostentatious but always **a statement of power and refinement**. - **A ring bearing the crest of House Whitewood**, always worn, always visible—a silent reminder of his authority. --- #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Aldric Whitewood is **a man of words, not war**. He does not lead with swords or armies—he leads with **alliances, negotiations, and quiet, calculated power**. Unlike his father, **Brinnard, who sees war as inevitable**, Aldric sees it as **a failure of strategy**. He believes that **strength lies not in battle, but in the careful manipulation of events before a war ever begins**. He is **charismatic, patient, and utterly ruthless when necessary**. To him, **power is won in courtrooms, not battlefields**, and he has spent his life ensuring that House Whitewood remains **an indispensable force in Brevoy’s ever-shifting political landscape**. - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Master of Diplomacy:** He can **charm nobles, disarm rivals with words, and navigate the most treacherous political landscapes**. - **A Calculated Mind:** Every decision Aldric makes is **measured, weighted, and planned for both immediate and long-term effect**. - **Coldly Pragmatic:** While others cling to **idealism**, Aldric focuses on **what must be done to ensure survival and prosperity**. - **Effortless Manipulator:** He understands **human nature, ambition, and fear**, and he **leverages them with precision**. - **The Whitewood Network:** Unlike Brinnard, who relies on **soldiers**, Aldric **commands influence**—spies, merchants, and diplomats **owe him favors across Brevoy**. - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Sees Power as the Only Security:** He does not believe in **friendship without advantage**—alliances are **transactions**, not **bonds**. - **Detached from Family:** He **cares for his sons**, but **views them as extensions of his ambitions**, rather than as individuals with their own destinies. - **Underestimates Sentimentality:** **He struggles to understand why people act on ideals rather than logic**. Brinn, in particular, **frustrates him with his moral convictions**. - **Wary of Brinn’s Leadership:** He does not outright **oppose** his son’s kingdom, but he **questions whether Brinn is strong enough to lead it through diplomacy, rather than force**. - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - **Speaks softly, but with absolute confidence**—his voice carries weight **not because it is loud, but because it is deliberate**. - **Rarely shows anger**, preferring **calculated disappointment to shape others' actions**. - **Never speaks without knowing exactly how his words will be received**. - **Smiles often, but it is never careless**—it is **a tool, a weapon, a calculated expression.** --- #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Born as the **only son of Brinnard Whitewood**, Aldric was **never meant for war**. While his father **trained armies and led campaigns**, Aldric studied **the art of governance, finance, and courtly intrigue**. - Where **Brinnard saw conquest**, Aldric saw **alliances**. - Where **Brinnard saw enemies**, Aldric saw **opportunities**. - Where **Brinnard trusted steel**, Aldric trusted **paper, ink, and whispered promises**. His rise within **Brevoy’s nobility was not one of military victories, but of political maneuvering**. He **secured House Whitewood’s standing through shrewd alliances, lucrative trade deals, and a careful balance of favors owed and collected**. He married **Lady Evelyne Marwin**, daughter of a powerful **merchant family**, further **cementing his influence in both noble and economic spheres**. Together, **they expanded Whitewood’s wealth and reputation**, ensuring their house **remained indispensable in Brevoyan politics**. But his **greatest challenge** has always been **his second son, Brinn**. - **Brinn rejected politics for war,** choosing **his grandfather’s path over his father’s.** - **Brinn left Brevoy to rule a fledgling kingdom,** rather than strengthen their house **from within Brevoy’s courts**. - **Brinn now leads a rising power outside of Aldric’s influence.** And Aldric **does not know whether to be proud or concerned**. - **Current Motivations:** - **To ensure that House Whitewood retains its influence in Brevoy, regardless of Brinn’s success or failure.** - **To keep Brinn from making a political mistake that will cost them everything.** - **To assess whether Rivermarch can be leveraged as a power within Brevoy’s noble politics.** - **To remind Brinn that ruling is not just about ideals—it is about strategy.** - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[Brinn Whitewood]] (The Son Who Defied Him):** Aldric **does not hate Brinn, but he does not understand him**. He **sees his son as naive, idealistic, and potentially disastrous**—but also **a leader who could become a powerful ally, if tempered by wisdom**. - **[[Brinnard Whitewood]] (The Father He Could Never Satisfy):** Aldric **walked away from war, and Brinnard never forgave him for it**. Their relationship is **cold, distant, and defined by years of quiet resentment**. - **Lady [[Evelyne Marwin-Whitewood]] (The Wife Who Understands Him Best):** A **perfect match of minds**, Evelyne **is one of the few people Aldric genuinely trusts**. She **shares his pragmatism, but also tempers his cold logic with emotional insight.** - **[[Tybalt Rattigan]] (The Emissary Who Intrigues Him):** Aldric sees Tybalt **as a rare kindred spirit—a man who understands that power is not taken, but maneuvered into place**. - **[[Castruccio Irovetti]] (A Dangerous Rival):** Aldric **has studied Irovetti’s rise and sees him as a reminder of what unchecked ambition can achieve**. - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **House Whitewood (His Life’s Work):** Every move Aldric makes is for **the preservation and elevation of his house**. - **Brevoy’s Noble Courts (His Battleground):** He **moves among lords and ladies like a king among pawns**, securing alliances and **maintaining Whitewood’s political standing**. - **Merchant Houses (His Unseen Network):** Through his **marriage to Lady Evelyne**, Aldric has **economic ties that extend beyond Brevoy, giving him access to resources many nobles lack**. - **Notable Items & Equipment:** - **The Signet of House Whitewood:** A **symbol of his authority, worn as a silent reminder of his rank**. - **Ledgers of Influence:** He **keeps records of debts owed, favors promised, and alliances forged—a network built on leverage, not trust**. - **A Single Letter, Unsent:** Addressed to Brinn, but never delivered—**a father’s words left unspoken, waiting for the right moment.** --- #### **Recurring Themes & Story Hooks:** - **“A ruler does not wield a sword. A ruler wields people.”** - **“Brinn, you are playing a king’s game. Do you even know the rules?”** - **“Power is not taken through war. It is taken through whispers in the right ears.”** - **“A kingdom does not survive on honor alone. It survives on strategy.”** --- Aldric Whitewood **is not a villain, nor a tyrant—but he is the kind of man who wins wars before they even begin.** And if Brinn **cannot outmaneuver him, then Rivermarch may soon be just another piece on his board.**