August Byrne

August Byrne was born and raised in Redmondburg, Aivintis, an only child in a wealthy family descended from old royalty. August Byrne studied his general education in the University of Castenor before transferring to the Grand Asluagh University, where he double-majored in law and political science. Byrne graduated summa cum laude and went on to become a defense attorney in his hometown of Redmondburg. As his success grew, Byrne founded his own law firm, Byrne Aldworth Grimm, which eventually grew to have clients all over the Duchy of Castenor. August Byrne rose to National prominence when Arthur Frost, the CEO and Founder of Seier Enterprises, hired him to serve as his defense attorney in a criminal case, where Frost was being charged with multiple counts of fraud and corporate espionage. His success in Castenor vs Frost made his firm the number one law firm in the country, extending up as far north as Derrim, and as far south as Grandys. His victory, however, and the subsequent attention he received, made his firm and position big targets. Over the next few months, other large law firms targeted his clients, and eventually three senior partners launched a hostile takeover, voting out the three name partners and leaving August Byrne without a job. It was not long before he was contacted by the Ducal Attorney of Castenor, offering him and his two former partners jobs as prosecutors for the Aivintian Empire. He took the job, as did Nolan Grimm, but Lawrence Aldworth pursued a different career, in politics as a senator. August Byrne and Nolan Grimm rose through the ranks quickly, and by 2012, Nolan Grimm had become the Ducal Attorney. August Byrne reached the national headlines again by taking on a case against a known mafia leader, putting him behind bars after refusing a shady deal with a representative of the Mob Boss known as Alpha. After the 2013 August Coup, August Byrne pursued a career in foreign affairs, taking a job as the Aivintian diplomat to Great Morstaybishlia, as part of the new regime’s attempts to maintain most of the old Aivintian Empire’s allies to ensure legitimacy. In two years, he was promoted to Senior Diplomat, one of the twenty six leaders tasked with running the diplomatic corps on behalf of the Supreme Court. In this position, August Byrne has built a public image of fair leadership and strong diplomacy, standing out in his field. This standing, and his prior relationship with now-Justice Nolan Grimm, was instrumental in securing his appointment as Governor of Castenor in 2021, replacing Howard Magnus after the latter’s resignation. In this position, he quickly consolidated his own authority, strengthening the Governate as a middle man and effectively cutting off the Kritarchy’s direct control and power. His own personal power was growing at the expense of the Kritarchy’s holistic reach.