King Burdred came to the throne in 1114 when his father King Wulfhere died aged 50 after a short illness.
Much controversy surrounded the succession as Wulfhere had long maintained that he would revive the tradition
of appointing the most suitable of his sons to succeed him rather than just the eldest. Burdred's younger brother
Penda was a dynamic and popular individual who outshone his brother in almost every aspect and the
whole realm expected him rather than Burdred to succeed his father. Wulfhere, however, had made no formal
declaration on the matter although having just appointed Penda as ambassador to
Sankhar he strongly hinted that he would confirm Penda as his heir if
that position went well. Wulfhere was attended on his deathbed by both Archmage Algeric and Archbishop
Herlaf and there was much shock that these two could neither cure him or persuade him of the necessity
of making the required declaration.
One of the reasons why Penda found favour with Wulfhere was his ability to make a wide variety of friends
and to seek wise counsel. Burdred on the other hand tended to favour the company of a single individual,
Cerdric, over all others. Still the Council had no choice but to ratify
Burgred as King as the laws of the realm required. Burgred, however, made the first of many
disappointing decisions by insisting he be crowned before the return of his brother from Sankhar. After
a short stay in
Pell's Hold Penda was reappointed ambassador to Sankhar where he stayed until his untimely
death in hunting accident in 1125.
The reign of Burdred has been a turbulent one as he has had a tendency to make enemies and to bitterly
resent the fact that as king he can't always punish those he simply doesn't like. His much loathed
counsellor Cerdric, his friend and favourite, although something of a ruthless individual, is at least
seen as rational and intelligent. Burgred on the other hand is emotional and apt to lash out at
perceived slights. The three individuals in the realm he resents the most are Lord Fairchild, Lord
Erendor Halfelven and the Duke of Ragenport. It is no coincidence that these are the Lords of the
three Provinces that can legally block the implementation of the King's decrees in their lands.
The King is, however, generally popular with the upper echelon of society in Pell's Hold as he
throws lavish feasts and is said to have increased the wealth of the Treasury substantially.
His has done little, however, to foster good relations with other kingdoms or other races and
has created a tense situation on the border with
Reetland. Further his tax aimed at providing funds for the strengthening
the army seems to have been spent mainly on the unpopular
Geogoths who seem to have been used entirely for an internal crusade against
magic.
Also of concern to the realm is that fact that Burgred has not produced an heir and seems unlikely to do
so given his cold relations with Queen Mirabella. His death would seem likely to provoke a constitutional crisis.