Alasdair Ranald is the King of Dael Riata, and the fifth of that name. His mother was the only child of Alasdair IV (reigned 700-739), and his father was a Skyssian merchant who spent some time in Dael Riata before escaping.

Alasdair Ranald holds several titles, including Grand Duke of Reoch, King of Dael Riata, and as such all the Earls of the Kingdom are expected to swear loyalty to him. He is a great grandson of King Harold VII of Bernicia (reigned 687-711, his grandmother was the second child. Alasdair V has a strong claim to the throne of Bernicia should the current Queen (Eleanor I - born 706, reigning since 756) die.

He is 20 years old (born 754), and is currently engaged to be married to Lady Elizabeth Wallis. She is the heir to the Earl of Stylet, the current secretary to the aging, and childless, Queen of Bernicia.

The Grand Duchy of Reoch is the largest realm within Dael Riata and it has some of the most fertile farmland. On top of that there are royal duties paid on trade that passes through the main ports. The capital is Dalreoch, the biggest city in the realm, with a population of around 25,000 and a flourishing trade network. It even has its own university.

He has been King since he was three months old, and asserted his adulthood at the age of 15, having been through four regents in the time since his mother was forced to abdicate.

Since breaking free from the last of the regents (his second cousin Bhaltair Gilranald, Earl of Norpen, with whom he has a strong bond) Alasdair V has pacified the country and resolved the failure of fifth Earl of Uisdean to swear allegiance. The current, seventh, Earl of Uisdean has sworn an oath of allegiance, under duress as he claimed, after the threat of losing the family lands and extirpation being made.

Domnhall Murchadh and his brother Fearchar met the King and his Steward for a negotiation over dinner at Caer Suibhne, a neutral ground. The rules of hospitality were in force, and the Earl of Douglas was their host. After dinner the Suibhne family left the two parties to negotiate. Raised voices were heard, and the clash of steel. When the Earl of Douglas entered the great hall he found the King's Steward cleaning his sword, the King staunching blood from a wound to his face, and both of the Murchadh brothers dead on the floor, their drawn swords next to them. Alasdair V asserted that they'd tried to kill him, and only his Steward's swift defence had saved his life.

• Bhaltair Gilranald - A cadet branch and very loyal, although some have questions around how the previous Earl, Bhaltair, conducted himself as Regent. Alasdair himself is fiercely protective of his elder cousin, and claims that were it not for his regency then the kingdom wouldn't be in such a healthy state.
• ahearn - The Horse Lords are the strongest supporters of the King outside of the Ranald family.
• Other reliable families that the King has a favourable view of include riata, sithech, and suibhne.
• All the Earls have formally sworn allegiance to the King, and none are currently under arms within Dael Riata.

• The Murchadhs - the Earls of Uisdean raised rebellion against his rule, and allegedly made a direct attempt on his life. Alasdair V threatened the current Earl of Uisdean, Diarmad Murchadh, with extirpation and loss of the ancestral lands if he didn't swear allegiance.
• The King doesn't trust aonghus or The Alpins because both were allied with Murchadh during the civil wars that followed his mother being deposed.