The Kelvin family of Karameikos
by Stefan BeateWorking on my B11-12-10 campaign line, I tried to get the Kelvins line cleared up for me.
I am not aware of any canon source mentioning Desmond Kelvin´s II age. If I´ve missed that, please point me to it.
GAZ 1 mentions him wooing Adriana Karameikos, while K:KoA has this failed.
His father was a friend of the duke, and he is the “eldest son”, implying that there are more sons. He is said to have joined the Order of the Griffin at age 13, again, no year is given for that.
B12 has the wooing of Kaerin Penhaligon of Alerena Kelvin, a daughter of Desmond Kelvin II (B12, p.14) Kaerin is said to be 26 years old. (B12, p.18)
GAZ 2 tells the tale that a former Ylari ambassador killed a baron in a duel (GAZ 2, p. 41). As it is stated explicitly that it was a baron, it could not be Arturus Penhaligon, leaving only Desmond Kelvin I as victim (and posing the question why he was not resurrected?) Again, no date is given for that, but as nothing indicates any strains in the relations of the countries, this probably happened quite some years ago.
This led me to speculate and try and build a chronology of the Kelvins.
Of course, Desmond Kelvin I comes to Karameikos in 970, being in all probability an experienced character. He builds Kelvin in the subsequent years, until he is killed. His son was apparently able to take over the barony instantly, at least a few years after joining the Order of the Griffon.
Then, his daughter Alerena. If she is at least 14 (and thus, probably of legal marriage age, assuming pseudo-medieval standards), her father would in the mid-thirties at least. If B12 takes place in AC 1000, he would have been born around 965 AC, and his daughter in 985 or 986.
Thus, Desmond Kelvin I would have been at least 20 years older than that, maybe 25, being born 940-945 AC. Lets say 945, that would be rather close to the Duke in 948. Desmond Kelvin I came to Karameikos at age 25, with at least one son and heir apparent, age 5. The son would join the Order of the Griffin in 978 AC, marry some years later (say, 983), and had a daughter in 985.
What happened to all the dead people? Desmond Kelvin I was killed in a duel, say, in 990. Resurrection? Depending on the rules edition you use, the raw material components might not have been available in time. An acting ruler would be important enough to resurrect, but then, throwing his life away in a duel might be a point of contention with the church, who might have taken a few days to ponder on that, missing the critical time limit. His wife, being the reason for the duel, probably went back to Thyatis.
If Desmond Kelvin II was married, his wife might have died in childbirth at some point after 985. Desmond Kelvin II looks like a natural candidate for marrying the heir apparent to the duchy, as ruler of the second-largest city. Adriana Karameikos would have none of this, of course, being the independent-minded woman she is.
So, putting together a chronology:
945 Desmond Kelvin I born
964 he marries
965 Desmond Kelvin II born (“eldest son”)
970 Kelvin family follows Stephan Karameikos
970s Kelvin barony and city established
978 Desmond Kelvin II joins Order of the Griffon
983 Desmond Kelvin II marries
985 Alerena Kelvin born
990 Desmond Kelvin I dies in duel, Desmond Kelvin II becomes Baron Kelvin
995 wife of Desmond Kelvin II dies in childbirth
999 Desmond Kelvin II starts wooing the recently-returned Adriana Karameikos
1000 (current year) Alerena Kelvin is engaged to Kaerin Penhaligon