In the years before TheDude's conquest of Militiregnum, the nation of Britay experienced a turbulent political period, as the royal family split into two over a battle for the crown.
Edward VII:
Good king. Lad. Had, maybe, less children than everyone would have liked, but no-one was going to complain about two healthy sons, right?
Edward VIII:
The son everyone complained about. Not outrageously evil or anything, but just kind of incompetent. He was eventually deposed by his brother, Richard of Norgrove, who became Richard IV.
Richard IV:
Decent king. More suited to a life of warring than a life of ruling, but his experience with military command and his keen negotiating prowess meant that a large amount of people â and, eventually, he himself â considered him a better candidate for king than his brother Edward. And, to be fair, he was. After deposing his brother, he ruled the country efficiently enough. Further uprisings were prevented by his competency, as well as the fact that he was as much of a son to Edward VII as Edward VIII had been.
Anne of Nichester:
Also a keen negotiator. Helped to mediate the situation between the brothers when things came to a head. Acted as an advisor to both of them during their respective reigns.
 Matilda of Calibus:
Edward VIIIâs marriage (as part of an alliance with Morcia). A ferociously tough woman, she fought far harder for her husbandâs right to keep the throne than he did.
Henry IV:
Son of Richard IV, and a very good king. Spent time staving off his rival for the throne, Roger of Blackwood â even if their rivalry was more amicable than most.
Roger Blackwood:
The son of Matilda of Calibus and the former Edward VIII. Raised in exile, his mother raised him on the idea that the throne was rightfully his. He was tenacious in his attempts to take back the throne, but he was also a noble warrior as many members of his family had been previously. Despite king Henry IV being the representative of a family line, the two men must have gotten along to some degree, because Roger ended up naming his firstborn son âHenryâ, presumably after the king.
Lionel I:
Lionel was the firstborn son of king Henry IV. Taking after his grandfather, he fancied the life of a warrior more than the life of a king, and spent so much time fighting abroad that it was eventually decided to crown his brother, Henry, king instead. (Which he was honestly fine with.) However, he was forced to return to the country by the murder of his brother, and the claiming of the throne by Henry Blackwood (Henry VI). He rose up in rebellion, taking the throne. After a successful rebellion, he fought to retain said throne from the Blackwoods. He avenged his brother, and protected what was left of his family, but he also married a woman from a lesser family and struggled to efficiently rule the kingdom. In the end, he was dethroned for good when TheDude took control of Britay.
Henry V:
The younger son of king Henry IV. Despite coming to power at a young age (as a result of the premature death of his father, and his brotherâs disinterest in ruling), he showed promise and potential as a strong king of the future. However, this was cut short by his murder by Henry Blackwood, who then took the throne for himself.
Anne of Worath:
Elder sister to Henry V, she blamed herself for his death and joined their brother Lionel in efforts to take the throne back. A marriage alliance was eventually arranged between her and a prominent Aquilan lord, in order to provide Lionel with the army and funds necessary to return to Britay in force.
Henry VI:
The son of Roger Blackwood, Henry had inherited all of the cunning and intelligence of his father, but far less of the honour. It was his determination to take the throne back, returning it to the splintered Blackwood family line. He initially tried to weasel the throne out from under Henry V, but the young kingâs intelligence and boldness forced Henry to take drastic measures (i.e. murder). Being forced off the throne by Lionelâs return only angered him further, and the two fought until his eventual death in combat with Lionel himself.
Richard Blackwood:
Younger brother to Henry VI, and steadfastly loyal to him throughout his attempts to take the throne. He acted as something of an advisor to his brother, but â seeing as Henry was wise enough on his own â acted as more of a partner, someone for the man to bounce ideas off of. After Henry VI lost the throne, he retreated from the limelight, working from the shadows. He seemed unperturbed by his brotherâs death, but faded into obscurity when the land was overrun by TheDude.
Ama Barrister:
Born to a low-down noble family, Ama eventually found herself embroiled in a relationship with king Lionel himself. Her family suddenly found itself very much involved in court politics. Though she loved the king, and he her, their relationship suffered scrutiny from not only those who thought that a foreign marriage might have been more advantageous to the king, but those who were jealous of her family. After TheDude successfully conquered Britay, she went missing.