Samuel Chaste

Samuel Chaste was the blacksmith of Frankfart, and personal armorer and weapon-smith for Emperor Henry IV and his associates. Samuel Chaste was the son of poor sharecroppers in Metz. On his 16th birthday he took up a blacksmithing apprenticeship in Frankfart. Samuel excelled at his work and eventually gained enough prominence to begin his own smithing businesses. His craftsmanship impressed everyone in the town and word of his sharp blades and durable armor reached the crown. Emperor Henry IV was so impressed with his work he made him his personal weapon-smith and armorer. He made armor for Emperor Henry IV and his associates(highest ranking generals, advisers, and his two sons).

Prince Henry and his brother [rince Henry would engage in practice spars as children. Despite their very large age difference(10 years), Prince Henry lost every time. He blamed these losses, not on his own lack of lack of skill, but on Samuel Chaste's armor and weapons being made extremely poorly, which of course was not true. Prince Henry refused to accept his own lack of skills. He instead contrived a plan to have Samuel Chaste cast out of the kingdom, so he could have him replaced with an armorer who was "superior". He forged letters that showed a friendly correspondence between Samuel and Emperor Chen, and showed them to his father. Of course, due to the Great Shame, anyone shown fraternizing with Emperor Chen was also a subject of embarrassment and shame. Despite the many misspellings and factual inaccuracies in the letters, Emperor Henry IV believed his son and took the letters to be true. This was because if he denied his son and called him a liar, it would show a weakness in the house of Henry, and potentially make Prince Henry seem unfit to be King later down the line(though now that obviously doesn't matter). Due to his correspondence with "The King of Shame", Samuel was cast of Henry IV's court, and out of the country. Ironically, Emperor Chen's empire was the only one that would accept him once word of the correspondence spread. Samuel was able to deduce that Prince Henry was the culprit behind the letters soon enough...as Prince Henry asked Samuel to proofread the letters, but of course the word of royal must be taken over a blacksmith. Happily though, Samuel flourished in China and became one of the richest men there, and one of the most elite of the Emperor's staff, again becoming personal armorer.

Years later when Prince Henry had gone crazy and attempted to siege Metz, he had decided he needed top of the line armor. Naturally, no blacksmith, or anyone really, would speak to him. Except for one. He gladly contacted Samuel, assuming he would have either never figured out how he got banished, or just forgot that China wasn't Germany, and would be happy to help him! An excerpt from Prince Henry's letter to Samuel Chaste read as such: "Peasant, Samuel Chaste, I have a ounce in the lifetime chance for you too fix yur pathetic, poor, depresing, and pathetic life. Surely you rember me as your favorite employer. Work for me again and make armor. I have nothing to pay you, but working flour me should be enough. See you soon, PEASANT". Naturally, Samuel did not take this as an "honor" but rather a chance to get revenge. He gladly took up Prince Henry's call, and made him the brittlest, weakest, encumbering set of armor he could. But he painted it gold, and that was more than enough for Prince Henry. The armor broke almost immediately when Knight of Templar Larry David met Prince Henry in combat and defeated him in seconds.

After Prince Henry's first death, Emperor Henry IV was finally able to admit to the public that it was almost certain that Samuel Chaste was an innocent man, and that his son had framed him. He invited Samuel back to the empire with open arms. Samuel Chaste however, refused to return to the Holy Roman Empire, saying: "Just because he is a royal, it does not make unlawful punishment okay. I was wrongly framed and sentenced without any trial. This would never happen in Emperor Chen's China. In fact, as I have lived here I have learned that I am guilty of the crime I was framed for many years ago. Because Emperor Chen is a man of great virtue and moral standing, and I am proud to call him my friend, and King." Naturally after reading this all mention of Samuel was banned and he was forbidden from returning to the empire, or any others, for associating with the Man of Great Shame. Samuel Chaste is still the head blacksmith for Emperor Chen today, and he is doing very well for himself, and has married chief adviser Chen, a woman named Samantha Choe(now Chaste).