Heirs to the Valley

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Name: Astoret Vautouir, Bandiúc of Arden
Motivation: A (somewhat distant) relative of the King, Astoret's father Parsnas was a trusted advisor of numerous Kings until his banishment. Freed after the King's death, he is still seen by some as an ideal 'caretaker' until a permanent heir is appointed. Her late mother was the youngest of several illegitimate sisters, all of which are also deceased. A lady of barely eighteen years, she has ties to Royal blood on both sides - a fact her father has widely promoted. She doesn't care about most of that and just wants to be Queen because it means she gets to wear a fancy crown and have people at her beck and call.
Support: Support is split between Parsnas' connections and accomplices, the impoverished territory of Arden-Norte (a montane fiefdom around the headwaters of the Arda River) and the feared Cult of Vines, which sees her as an Avatar of She-That-Feasts, Goddess of Death, Hunger, Beauty and Secrets. Several attempts to outlaw the Cult were made in the past, though without success.
Location: Craq Arden; a once proud castle fort that once was the seat of the Diúcs du Arden-Norte but now exists mainly as the home of the Cult of Vines.
Resources: The Cult of Vines has eyes and ears across the Kingdom and its wandering Priests are both respected and feared, but its numbers are probably overestimated. Their Magic is said to flow from She-That-Feasts, though very few are permitted to receive Her blessing and fewer still know how it is received. Parsnas has a reasonable fortune at his disposal to support his daughter, but with Arden-Norte destitute (some say that She-That-Fests cursed its soil), the funds will eventually run out.