Aiken Brudenell
Staff member
- Influence
- 26,105.00
Willard Robert Brudenell
| Age | 48 (Born Smarch 3, 1716) |
| Species | Stoat |
| Build | Somewhat thin, average height. |
| Rank | Minister of War (1736-1748), Lord Protector (1748-1754) |
SKILLS:
| Physical | Mental | Social |
|---|---|---|
| Fencing [Novice] (1) | Economics [Master] (9) | Debate [Trained] (2) |
| Skill [Rank] (Points) | Law [Veteran] (6) | Dancing [Novice] (1) |
| Skill [Rank] (Points) | Sailing [Novice] (1) | Skill [Rank] (Points) |
| Skill [Rank] (Points) | Skill [Rank] (Points) | Skill [Rank] (Points) |
| Total Points in Category: 1 | Total Points in Category: 16 | Total Points in Category: 3 |
DESCRIPTION:
Aged beyond his years by a life of stress and ambition, flecks of grey run through his fur, otherwise the standard brown and white of his species. The stoat looks well for this, however, appearing dignified and wizened without the fraility of age. Never a physically strong beast, devoted much more to scholarly pursuits and the infernal movement of paper and numbers, he has nevertheless kept a trim figure, and dresses sharply, though not ostentatiously.
His normal wear is typically formal but plain, and very much civilian - shirts and jackets of various colors, with a mild preference for red or maroon. Though entitled to military awards and uniform from his days in office, he has not put on such an outfit since the end of his time as Lord Protector of the Imperium.
BIOGRAPHY:
Willard Robert Brudenell was born on Smarch 3rd, 1716. His parents, Edward and Rosaline Brudenell, had met during their time in the Stoatorian Guard, retiring at officer ranks to pursue life and family in business. Using their contacts in government and the military, the Brudenells slowly began to exert control over the import market in Bully Harbour. Through ruthless business acumen, and more than a few allegations of corruption, the pair would also acquire controlling shares in numerous high-profile corporations, such as Ye Olde Berries, and were even considering a foray into Vulpinsula’s developing chemical industry.
Impressed with the performance of various explosive compounds during the Winter War, the husband and wife would travel to Marquistry Cape in Dismembre of 1734, intent on visiting the grounds of a promising chemical plant seeking further investment. Though the exact details are and likely shall forever remain unknown, it is believed that an accident occurred with a container of highly dangerous pyroglycerin, setting off a series of explosions that almost destroyed the entire facility. Edward and Rosaline Brudenell were killed in the blast, along with several dozen others, with hundreds left wounded.
It is important to note that young Willard was not with them. Whether because of his parents busy schedule, or else an aversion to exposing him to the grim and grime of Imperial life outside their mansions, the young stoat was most often confined to their family home on Tully Shore, his life spent studying with private tutors and reading from the Brudenells’ expansive collection of books. When word finally reached him of his parents’ deaths, he reportedly felt more at ease drafting legal proceedings against the chemical works than trying to organize a funeral, suddenly beset by all manner of distant relatives whom he had never even met, from all sides of an Imperium he’d never truly been to.
Only 18 years old, but clearly well-educated, the stoat indeed wasted little time in dismantling Vertoll Chemical Works, bleeding the corporation dry and eventually seizing its assets in a series of aggressive legal attacks. His parents’ vast fortune and business empire behind him, and armed with considerable sympathy from some areas of the public, he embarked on a buying spree, showing special interest in Bully Harbour’s war-damaged shipbuilding and repair sector.
One of these acquisitions was the United Shipping and Repair Company, a conglomerate of several small, failing shipbuilders and suppliers based around the harbour. Though Willard was not alone in predicting a major resumption in shipbuilding by the Ministry of War to replace war losses, much of the industry expertise had been scattered by the war, and many of their facilities left damaged. Looting and theft was an enduring problem, exacerbated by the resurgence of many criminal organizations in the harbour after the end of martial law. A mercenary group, the Special Dispositional Services Corporation, was founded in part to police the shipyards, and was quickly recognized as a potentially useful future asset, receiving much funding from corporations owned in part or full by Brudenell.
Though the shipyards remained deeply unprofitable and inefficient, even when policed more actively by SDS guards and bankrolled by more productive Brudenell holdings, it was recognized by the Ministry of War as a major asset and critical to the policy of the Darkon administration – rapid rearmament to once again rival the Coalition. Increasingly, Willard Brudenell used the leverage his ownership of the yards provided to try and influence MinoWar policy, even calling upon his family’s Stoatorian Guard contacts to give him a voice in meetings and ensure his letters were read.
In the end, as the incumbent Nadia Darkon had retired and the Ministry was occupied with choosing a successor, Willard put his own name forward. He was by now well known within the Ministry, seen as a beast of incredible drive and competence, but also out of touch with realities on the ground, having lived so much of his life in isolation, and oblivious of military requirements.
WIP STILL!!!
POSSESSIONS:
Though the Brudenell business empire was largely cannibalized or destroyed in the civil war, some portions of the family's import business still remain, with offices in Bouillabaisse and smaller holdings in the MSC. Many of his non-controlling holdings in various corporations remain intact as well, allowing the stoat to leverage a considerable fortune, though nothing as vast as it had been in his younger days.
Most important to him is the old family home on Tully Shore, the place where he spent much of his early life, and the place of his negotiated exile after the end of the civil war. A considerable estate, its walls give it the appearance of a small fortress, with a private dock for several small sailing ships, and the potential to recieve much larger vessels.
It is rumored that he mantains a secret vault of precious metals and jewels siezed from enemies of his government, though the location of such a treasure is unknown, and nothing of such value was recovered from his home in the aftermath of the war. Keeping his usual silence on public affairs, Willard has been content to allow this rumor to persist.
Last edited by a moderator:
