Henry's "Family"
Of the three natural sons of William the Conqueror, Henry was always the most manipulative. His adopted family on the other hand, lacked the intellect to keep up with his schemes. This made them useful pawns in Henry's quest for turning England into one of the greater powers of Europe. Leonard, Charles, Paul and Morcar were almost extensions of his will.
Leonard was the least loyal of the group. He still had some potential, so Henry had him sent to govern the province of Wales, where he could do the least damage if he turned rebellious. He was ignorant and a drunk, but managed well enough. He was tolerated by the people of Wales, due to his sense of Justice and bravery. He was noble in rule, trying to do what was best for the Welsh, even if it wasn't the best for England. His alcoholism also made him more social with the people, so he was reasonably well liked.
Charles was just as ignorant as Leonard, but did not seem to realize his own idiocy. He was extremely confident in his own abilities. He was somehow a skilled bureaucrat, so is able to keep the old French fortress up and running. He turned it into the largest castle in English possession, and it was constantly training new men for the army.
Paul acted as Henry;s representative to the public. He was incredibly handsome, and incredibly brave on the battlefield. He was a stereotypical knight. Unfortunately, he was handed everything he could want on a silver platter. He was lazy and slothful, sleeping for long periods at a time, and hated physical effort. He was social and had charisma, and attracted the attentions of the King. Despite his incredible ignorance, he was chosen as heir, and eventually became King. This fit perfectly into Henry's plan. He had the perfect figurehead ruler who would listen to everything he said. Unbeknownst to Henry, Paul was secretly gay and attracted to him. As a result, Paul would do almost anything Henry asked of him.
The smartest of the bunch was Morcar Robins. He was an excellent commander who was willing to do anything in order to secure a victory. Henry saw his potential and sent him to deal with the newly conquered Scottish and Irish territories. He ruled his new lands with an Iron fist, with a harsh and cruel hand. He considered peasants beneath him, and ruled through fear. But for some reason, Morcar turned to drinking and gambling to control his boiling anger. The man simply seethed with rage, and had constant rage attacks. He was driven by a rage that no one but him understood. the lands he rules are considered the backwater areas by those in London, so he is free to do as he sees fit.
But the balance of power shifted with Robert's death. Paul was somehow King and completely unsuited for ruling. He let the power go to his head, and Henry eventually lost control. When the Pope called a crusade, Henry told Paul that it was his destiny and told him to join it. Paul couldn't resist the glory and took an army by sea to Antioch. He gained a reputation as a Malevolent man for his slaughter of Muslims he conquered. He tried governing there for a while but found it unbearable. He sold the land to the Papal States and tried returning home.
England was having trouble while Paul was off on his crusade. Due to circumstances out of his control, Henry had gotten Spain, Portugal and Venice to declare war on him, while he was still trying to destroy France. While England was still stronger than the rest of them individually, the lack of trade was hurting the economy. The treasury was almost empty, only sustained by sacking French Cities for cash. Marseilles, the most profitable city in the English Empire since it was conquered, was constantly under siege. Her governor, Jasper had turned into a paranoid and partially insane man due to constant assassination attempts on his life and spies causing unrest in his city. England needed a new leader.
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