Arthur Harawood

Arthur Harawood Earl of Taverley:
Arthur Harawood was an Earl of Taverley, appointed under Varis II of Asgarnia, being a close friend of Empress Quinn of Asgarnia, Founder of Political Liberalism in Asgarnian Parliament and an eccentric intellectual.

Earl of Taverley:
Arthur was an unusual choice for Taverley, he was not a military man, he had no interest in combat and was far more comfortable with reclining in his study with a book on any subject. He'd been quite an isolated young nobleman when he was raised by his parents. He was a creative artist painting Landscapes of many places, all over Asgarnia. Most famously would be his portrait of the Druid's circle.

Arthur was not a usual noble, being fiercely liberal in his heart, Arthur was more than happy to walk the streets of Taverley and shop with the locals. Wanting to be seen as an equal to his people rather than a rigid stuck up nobleman. This caused many clashes between Arthur and other nobles, notably Harys Forrester.

As Chancellor of Asgarnia under Varis II Arthur established trade links with Piscatoris, an achievement which Arthur held dear. Believing that friendly conversation and common dignity should never end at the border of ones own nation.

War with the Kinshra:
Arthur decided to take up arms against the Kinshra, though the man was rather hopeless with a blade, he was more than capable in bravery and sense of duty. He was left for dead by Harys Forrester and was taken prisoner by Sir Skeatt of the Kinshra Knights. Arthur was not easy to crack under torture, losing a chunk of his ear after a noble but foolish attempt to escape. He was eventually released after agreeing to ransom payments set out by the Kinshra, unfortunately this didn't help Asgarnia in the looming food shortage.

The Liberal Reform Party:
 

“The Liberal Reform Party exists to create and protect an open and free society, in which no one shall be enslaved by conformity or tyranny. We aim to protect the rights of the individual and strengthen the right of private property.”

The Right Honourable,

The Earl Arthur Harawood of Taverley.

After the Asgarnian Parliament was formed, Arthur formed the Liberal Reform Party, seeing it as an opportunity to improve the lives of the common people and thus the very lifeblood of the Kingdom.

The Policy aims of the Liberal Reform Party:
 * Further Establishment of Free Trade:  Following the Earl’s approach to Piscatoris and developing trade with them, the Liberal Reform Party understands that foreign nations do possess some goods which are of a better quality than our own and vice versa, therefore the Liberal Reform Party strives for trading with multiple foreign nations to diversify the markets in the Empire. This use of competition will help drive prices down making goods affordable for far more people, seeing a rise in total revenues across the Empire.
 * Peace:  This is a fundamental goal of any who are fit to be in government, to keep the Nation in a peaceful state, some wars are unavoidable; and the Liberal Reform Party will go above and beyond the call of duty to defend the nation from attack during a war, but war costs lives and liberty therefore it should never be considered as a first resort in regards to dealing with another power.
 * Liberty: The Liberal Reform Party also strongly defends the Liberty of the citizens of the Empire, we cannot allow the military to disregard the most basic rights and must create stronger constitutional protections for the rights of our citizens. In addition to this, the freedom of speech must be created as any government worth its metal should be able to take criticism from the public.
 * Opportunity: The Liberal Reform Party understands that regardless of social class, everyone has something to offer. Therefore the Liberal Reform Party would advocate the foundation of a school for the lower classes, in order to teach them numeracy and literacy. The Liberal Reform Party believes that this can be achieved, using funding which would be available by scrapping the National Standing Army program.
 * Military Decentralisation: The best fighters in the battle of Falador were independent Orders of knights, such as the Holy Crusaders and the men of Vassals, therefore there is absolutely no need to have a National Standing Army as it is not only a waste of Imperial funds, but also a waste on soldiers who already receive adequate training from their own lords.
 * Devolution of Powers: It is fundamental to Liberty and the survival of the empire that vassals are able to set their own tax rates, this is due to the obvious need for Vassal sovereignty on these issues as many vassals require different levels of tax in order to protect their own goods or try and attract business to the area.

Arthur did fierce advocacy for Liberty, especially on Military Decentralisation, having many an argument with the Asgarnian Nationalists who were pushing for a more united but in Arthur's eyes corruptible military.

Arthur's Death:
When Varis III attempted to tyrannically seize power from Parliament he tried to make Arthur a scapegoat for the murder of Democracy. Varis III Waltzed into parliament and demanded it to dissolve, despite having an armed guard who was very able to kill the young Earl, Arthur spoke of for democracy and liberty, challenging the King legally. Varis III in his thirst for power tried to execute Arthur on the spot, but the Earl challenged him to a duel which Varis accepted. The duel would have ended in the death of both parties were it not for Varis III's admirer being on hand to heal his lethal wounds. It is clear in Asgarnian history that the Death of Arthur Harawood marked an end to Democracy in Asgarnia.

After Arthurs Death, Luke and Amadis Snow managed to get a copy of his will from his house before the King's guard siezed Harawood hall. The will was to donate all funds toward the commoners of taverley and to gift all art to the land owners, opening Harawood Hall into a gallery. However Varis III seized and censored the will. it is unknown what happened to Arthur's star charts, inventions and other works of academia.