AUBINISTS

The Aubinists are a royalist faction in Beaugencie led by Enguerrand d’Aubin, Duc de Rivelon. They support the authority of King Renaut IV and the royal council, and believe that the conduct of the war against Albelond has become too dependent upon Marshal Chembaut and the military household surrounding him.

The faction is strongest in Loury, particularly among the royal court, councillors, administrators, and noble households closely connected to the Crown. Aubinist support also extends into several western parts of the kingdom, where many of their captains and retainers have gained considerable experience in earlier campaigns.

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THE GENNISH WAR

The Aubinists do not oppose war with Albelond in principle. Many of their leading supporters are experienced soldiers who have fought extensively in royal service and would readily take the field against the Albish under different circumstances.

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Their disagreement lies instead with the present conduct of the war.

They blame Marshal Chembaut for the loss of territory during the Albish advance through Caronne and argue that his refusal to seriously pursue negotiations has allowed the conflict to become dangerously expensive. To the Aubinists, continued resistance is only justified if it serves the Crown’s interests; they reject the idea that the Marshal should be permitted to determine the kingdom’s military policy independently simply because he commands its principal field army.

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They therefore support opening negotiations with Albelond, even if only to discover what terms might be possible. Many believe that a temporary settlement could preserve the strength of the kingdom, allow the Crown to recover from recent losses, and prevent the destruction of further Gennish lands.

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The Picots dismiss this position as cowardice. The Aubinists regard that accusation as deliberate slander.

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ENGUERRAND D’AUBIN

Enguerrand d’Aubin, Duc de Rivelon, is one of the senior great nobles of Beaugencie and one of the most influential men surrounding the young King Renaut IV.

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Unlike Chembaut, Enguerrand is as comfortable in council chambers as he is in the field. He has spent years moving between military service, royal administration, noble negotiation, and court politics, and is known for weighing decisions carefully before committing himself. Where Chembaut tends to act quickly once an opportunity presents itself, Enguerrand prefers to understand the political consequences of a decision before allowing military necessity to dictate it.

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He is no stranger to war. Enguerrand has campaigned extensively in the western regions of the kingdom and has commanded men in difficult operations far from Loury. His reputation among his own supporters rests partly upon the fact that he has actually endured the kind of campaigning the Picots accuse the Aubinists of avoiding.

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What distinguishes him from Chembaut is not courage, but temperament. Enguerrand is cautious where Chembaut is forceful, deliberate where Chembaut is instinctive, and far more willing to accept compromise if he believes it will preserve the long-term strength of the Crown.

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He also possesses a much stronger instinct for institutions. Enguerrand believes that no Marshal, however gifted, should be permitted to set policy above the King and royal council. To him, Chembaut’s growing independence represents a danger even when his military judgment proves correct.

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This belief is central to the Aubinist cause.

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Enguerrand is known for maintaining a polished but restrained household and for surrounding himself with experienced councillors, secretaries, veteran captains, and legal men rather than purely martial retainers. He listens closely before issuing decisions and is rarely hurried into public commitments.

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He has a reputation for remembering favors and insults alike, though he is generally less openly confrontational than Chembaut. His anger tends to manifest through exclusion, delayed appointments, political isolation, and calculated pressure rather than dramatic public quarrels.

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The death of his younger brother Hugues d’Aubin hardened him considerably. Before the murder, Enguerrand’s opposition to Chembaut was primarily political. Afterward, the dispute became personal as well. He does not necessarily believe that Chembaut personally ordered Hugues killed, but he holds him responsible for allowing the hostility surrounding the Picot household to reach the point where such violence became possible.

From that moment onward, reconciliation became far more difficult.

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THE MURDER OF HUGUES D’AUBIN

The political crisis erupted into violence with the Murder of Hugues d’Aubin, Enguerrand’s younger brother.

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Hugues was killed in Loury by an unidentified member of Marshal Chembaut’s following after insults exchanged between rival soldiers in the streets suddenly gave way to fighting. Chembaut himself was inside the royal council when the killing took place, but the murder immediately transformed a political dispute into a blood feud.

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For the Aubinists, Hugues became proof that Chembaut’s military household had grown dangerously arrogant and that the Marshal could no longer be trusted to restrain the men who followed him.

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The conflict soon spread beyond the capital.

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Aubinist forces made the first overt military move by seizing the small Picot fortress of Chastel-Roux, though the castle was later retaken. From that point onward, raids, local sieges, contested appointments, and armed clashes between rival retainers became increasingly common.

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THE KING AND THE COUNCIL

The Aubinists insist that they act in defence of Renaut IV, not against him.

They believe the King must remain the ultimate source of military authority and that major decisions concerning peace, war, taxation, and territorial concessions cannot be left solely to the judgment of a Marshal in the field.

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Their critics accuse them of hiding behind and maniuplating the young king in order to strengthen their own influence at court. The Aubinists answer that the opposite is true: they argue that without strong councillors and great nobles surrounding Renaut, the Crown risks being overshadowed by men whose military prestige gives them influence beyond their lawful office. This concern is directed overwhelmingly at Chembaut.

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NEGOTIATIONS WITH ALBELOND

The Aubinists’ willingness to negotiate has also made them vulnerable to manipulation.

Lord Robert de Marman understands that a divided Beaugencie is strategically useful to Albelond and has advised King Philip III to allow the possibility of peace to remain open without committing too readily to any agreement.

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The Aubinists are not aware of the full extent of this calculation. So long as they believe a settlement may still be possible, they have reason to continue pressuring the royal council against Chembaut’s strategy. Robert therefore gains something from the negotiations even if no treaty is ever signed.

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This does not make the Aubinists collaborators. They remain enemies of Albelond and would readily fight the Albish if negotiations collapsed.

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THE YELLOW BEND

Aubinist supporters identify themselves by a yellow bend, worn diagonally across the body like a heraldic sash.

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Unlike a formal livery coat, the bend is simple, visible, and easily adopted by supporters of different ranks. It may be made from wool or cloth and is usually worn over ordinary clothing, armour, or a surcoat.

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The Aubinists have no standardized factional colours beyond this identifying mark.

Like the Picots, they continue to march beneath the Cross of Saint Beraut and claim loyalty to King Renaut IV.

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PRESENT DAY

The Aubinists presently face a difficult political moment.

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Marshal Chembaut’s victory at Flodham Field has strengthened the Picot argument that Albelond can still be defeated and has made immediate negotiations more difficult to justify.

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The Aubinists nevertheless maintain that a single victory does not erase the losses already suffered in Caronne, the ongoing siege of Fontregny, or the danger posed by allowing the war to continue without firm royal control.

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To them, the central question remains unchanged:

is Chembaut saving Beaugencie, or slowly placing the conduct of the kingdom beyond the reach of its King?