Selwin
“A man of low cunning and high ambition. A dangerous combination of traits, I have found.”
-Kite in The House of Regimen, “Leah Mallister”
Selwin the Last was the twenty-first and last chief of the House of Regimen. During the Siege of the Seat, he was slain by the Allhammer Rennick, and his lordship over the city Summarch was usurped.
History
Selwin, born two hundred years after the War of the Patrons, was the last heir of Regimen. Though his ancestors had once ruled all of Westerland, by the time of Selwin’s birth his family’s lands had diminished greatly, becoming the Once-Realm.
Among the Westermen he was unpopular, for he was brash, ungentle, and he quarreled often with the Allhammers, whom his people loved.
Imprisoning Allhammers
Following the murder of Hagar, Grandmaster of the Allhammers, the Allhammers summoned their wandering members to the Winehall to deliberate upon the crime and elect a new leader. Selwin was widely regarded as the most likely architect of the murder, but no proof had yet been uncovered.
Two Allhammers, Frösted Flækes and Guantanamo Michael, were dispatched to the Seat to question him directly. The pair entered Selwin’s throne room unattended, where Frösted took possession of Keenest, a prized heirloom of the House of Regimen. Selwin, unaware of their identities and interpreting the act as theft, ordered their arrest. During the confrontation Guantanamo hurled a fireball into the ceiling in an attempt to intimidate the guards, but the display failed to scatter them. Taking this as further provocation, Selwin had the Allhammers imprisoned. The two later escaped captivity.
Though Selwin afterward claimed the Allhammers had assaulted him and his retainers, the arrests further inflamed public unrest already festering within Summarch.
Rennick’s Rebellion
Debate soon arose amongst the Allhammers over how Selwin should be handled. The Steward Cresadoc argued for patience and further investigation, while the Marshal Rennick demanded immediate action. Opinion initially favored restraint until Babar Ett-Clan spoke forcefully in support of Rennick, who was elected Grandmaster shortly thereafter.
With his newfound power, Rennick openly declared a revolt against Selwin, denouncing him as a tyrant. Fighting erupted throughout the streets of Summarch as Rennick’s supporters battled for control of the city. The conflict gradually drove Selwin back into the Seat, which was then put to siege.
Rennick led the final assault personally. Marching into the Main Hall of the Seat, he seized Selwin and hewed his feet out from under him, before laughing and cutting his throat. So perished Selwin, who was thereafter named the Last, being the end of his line. After his death, Rennick claimed his titles, naming himself the new Lord of Summarch and King of Westerland.