Prince Vaelen is the Governor of Glaril — the largest underwater city in Criozevan — and the younger brother of Queen Nayele. He is the head of House Abyrath, a cadet branch of House Nereval established upon Nayele’s ascension.
Appointment
Vaelen was appointed to govern Glaril by his sister upon her ascension in 996 ACC. The appointment was not controversial within the family — it was obvious to anyone who knew both siblings that Vaelen was the more capable administrator, the more patient listener, and the more rigorous thinker. In Ipadoran society, a man cannot hold the primary seat of the royal line. He can, however, govern a city. Nayele made sure he governed the most important one.
Governance
Vaelen governs Glaril as a just and considered monarch with his people’s interests as the consistent organizing principle of his decisions. Glaril is the largest concentration of fish-type races anywhere on the continent — a population that is diverse in origin, complex in need, and accustomed to governance that either ignores them or exploits them. Vaelen does neither.
His approach to policy is deliberate and consultative: he moves slowly, asks questions of the people affected before making changes, and accepts that good governance is not the same as impressive governance. His system draws comparison to a representative democratic republic — elected delegates from Glaril’s various district communities participate in governance alongside Vaelen’s own administrative office, with Vaelen holding final decision-making authority but rarely exercising it unilaterally.
Military
Vaelen commands one of the most diverse military forces on the continent and one of its smallest. The Glaril defense forces draw from every fish-type race present in the city — the result is a force with an extraordinarily broad range of capabilities, environments, and specializations. Its small size is compensated by the quality of its training and the specificity of its tactical knowledge. Fighting in and around Glaril is a different discipline than surface warfare, and Vaelen’s forces are exceptionally good at it.
Character
More patient than his sister, more methodical, and — by his own assessment and hers — more suited to most of what ruling requires. He has never shown any interest in the throne she holds. He is not certain he would want it even if Ipadoran succession law permitted it. He is good at what he does. He does not need it to be more than that.