Ah yes
Slagar
Another my D&D OC

Murderer, dictator, tyrant, psychopath, eco-fascist, weed fan, and also the most beloved king The Iron Kingdom ever had. With a purple eyes for everyone to drown in.
Saren's grandfather, and thus, Eiris' grand-grandfather.

Slagar the Iron Dragon was born in the year of 148 ADW (After Draconic War) a middle child in a royal family of his father, king Plaegas. He was already an outsider right after his birth, never knowing, why his father hates him so much. His cruel and abusive father often beat the young prince, like even peasant children don't get beaten. With constant abuse, devaluation, insults, etc. Things only got worse, when his yournger brother was born. Not only younger brothers are natural competitors for everyone, but to Slagar's amusement, his father was much nicer to both of his brothers, despite the birth order and other bullshit.
While his family were royals - before that they were armsmiths, and even through their reign, they kept the tradition of learning how to forge blades and even craft firearms by their special techniques. And Slagar wanted to keep up, despite his father being against it. So he studuied in secret from his father, who, in fact, knew that, and punished his middle son for it, but no amount of beating, being locked in a room, and various even worse threats could keep him from his wishes. If he needs - he'll get sneaky, steal some money, escape through the window or bribe his guards, and will study by the books, questions to his relatives and even help from peasant smiths to succeed.
One day he have locked himself in a room to assemble his first flintlock pistol with the parts he made before, but was suddenly interrupted by knocking in the door. That was his father, who knew, that prince Slagar is up to something. And Slagar knew, that for this he will get beaten like never before, most likely heavily injured, and maybe even dead. He had no choice but to save himself the only way he could think of in such situation.
Once one of the royal guards broke the door, so enraged king Plaegas could come in - Slagar immediately shot his father in the face with the freshly assembled and loaded pistol. While he was still relatively young at the age of 15, It was the first murder, committed by Slagar, but totally not the last. Not even the last murder of his own relatives.

The king is dead. Long live the king!

Slagar's older brother was meant to inherit the throne, and as a new king, could order to punish his middle brother for treason. But at the same time - he was sorry for him and his treatment by father. He saw Slagars deed as questionable, yet kinda justified. And at the same time - he also knew, that deeply mentally injured by abusive childhood Slagar wants power much more than he is. So... he gave up on the crown in favor of Slagar. As a gesture of a good will and brotherly love. Then left the royal castle for a more simple life, being actually glad that all the responsibility for the kingdom won't be his. And being the only member of the family, Slagar never actually hated.

In a few years, Slagar quickly got used to the royal things with the help of his ministers and royal teachers. Not having time for actually rulling because of his education at first, but doing a fine job at it later.
Though needs to say, since the day 1 of his reign, he had one little concern...

In 172 ADW riots have occured all over the Iron Kingdom. Riots against Slagar's authority, issued by his yournger brother, who clamed him as an usurper and outcast prince, not worthy or suitable for power.
Was he better than Slagar? Who knows...
When the riots proved to be no use, as not many people cared about Slagar's legitimacy or disapproved his reign, there were only one option left: As being someone with at least a bit of rights on the throne - to challenge his brother for a duel. Oh well, Slagar agreed for that without a second thought, and invited his little brother to the throne room. For a sword fight for the crown.
But youngest prince was blinded by his own arrogance and reliance on the laws and traditions. Once they have assumed their positions to start a duel - Slagar put out a pistol and shot his little brother in the face even before the said brother finished unsheathing his sword, killing him on spot.
Violating the traditions? Maybe. But Slagar never had any respect for traditions once they get in his way.
And once all the inner disputes have been settled, the king could finally go all in for country's prosperity. Or at least he thought so.

In 183 he got married to a young noble woman, Adrianna the Snow Hunter. It's not like they had a lot of love between each other, but... Slagar had no interest for any foreign alliances, but already throught he might need some kind of heir. And after some time - she got pregnant. Which also was an important event in kings life, but for no good reason. Once the egg of his assumed heir have hatched, he was confused at first, and then enraged. The little girl in the egg had red scales. While he has grey, and his queen had white. There could be only one reason for this, as there was only one red dragon in the court, with bloody red scales, strong blood, and... well... quite a charmer too. The country's foreign minister, and also long time friend of Slagar and his family.
With words "Why couldn't you fuck with someone you can't have kids from?!" he shot his wife. Then ordered to drag his queen's dead body in a cart and sold her wedding ring on the auction to one of his landlord friends from other country.
Though, he wasn't a complete mosnter. He have decided to take the born child as his adoptive daugher, and have her a name Andariel. Despite her having no rights for the throne, he still was a nice and caring father for her. Even though, maybe a bit too demanding in terms of education maybe. Later she became a steward for the royal castle.

Kingdom grew further. Slagar believed in the power of technology, industry, complex machines and firearms all over the place.
But industry takes a lot of resources. Coal and iron were abundant, but not enough. Wood supply became quite short, so by the 196 ADW, he had no choice but to order to cut down the sacred Tokara forest. The order that have changed himself and the kingdom forever.

Soon enough reports about missing lumberjacks in the sacred forest became of his concern. But they weren't disappearing into nowhere. They were murdered and found in the most horrifying pictures. Scattered in parts across the tree branches, dried to a state of a mummy, having their spine ripped of and used as a stake in the ground near their mangaled bodies.
Those weren't bandits or wild animals. It was Ween, the spirit of the sacred forest, who had enough of the puny mortals trying to take her land.
What he had to do? Kill it? Forest spirits aren't taken down so easily, and could be even more dangerous when pissed.
Give up on forest? Not an option, country needs wood, and the sacred forest takes a huge part of the kingdom's land.

He came to bargain.

Once he came to the forest in person to speak with the spirit, it's, or better say, her avatar appeared in front of him. In a shape of a beatiful dragoness, covered in soft green fur.
She looked in his magnificent purple eyes, and some kind of a spark have appeared between them. With no witnesses, they had a deep conversation to prove each other's points and maybe... make a deal?
Oh, a deal it was...
What good is your industry, if you can have the power over life and death itself? No matter how many metal contraptions you have over youself - you still a mortal bag of flesh, that needs to eat and breathe. And by srapping all the nature around you, having something to eat and breathe might become a problem. There will be enough for the rest of your mortal life maybe. But what if you will be... immortal? Eternal? Neveredning? After 100 years you'll be still fine, but 1000 years? 10 000 years? The natural cycle of life and death should be kept running. With signing allegiance with blood, Slagar have started to plan a shit ton of reforms, featuring his new ally. Also a guardian, and a girlfriend.

And thus the eco-fascist era of Iron Kingdom have begun.

Slagar have returned to his castle renewed by a nature's gifts that have altered his very blood. Stronger, faster, even smater to a degree. With new regenerative capabilities, his aging have nearly stopped, and immunity to any kind of disease of poison assured he won't be overthrown so easily even if his own royal guards will decide to take him down.
Time for a change.
New rule: A right for violence is a natural right for every citizen. In other words: No punishment for murder. Though, tax evasion, robbery and other not very socially acceptable deeds still could be, and will be punished. If someone bothers you - you can kill them. But don't you dare to rob their dead body. Also, their friends can kill you as a revenge. Sure, streets might become a mess on the day 1 of implementation of this law, but people will get used to it.
New rule: All the trash should be sorted and then recycled. Organic trash will be given back to the forest as fertiliser, wooden trash will be remade into chipboard, metal and glass will be melted and re-used.
Also - no littering on the streets. If a royal guard will see you littering - they must immediatetly punish you.
New rule: Army became obsolete and thus dissolve. Iron Kingdom doesn't do wars and never will do. In case of attack from abroad - well, every citizen can have a gun, will probably get military training at school, so protect yourselves, you pussies. BTW, royal guard is not an army.
In case of emergency - the forest spirit will unleash the deadly plauge that will kill all sorts of intruders soon enough. Unless they are undead or something.
Oh, yes. Another rule: No undead. No necromancy practices, no contructs like golems.
One of the lesser known but more important: No trash talk about the Ween. Your ingratitude for her gifts saddens her. She blesses your fields with rich harvests, she protects you, she makes your life of harmony with nature possible and even sated. Could you please at least not insult her?

And many more.

Needless to say - no one liked the new reforms.
But did Slagar care? No, not really. Those mortal fools just don't understand that this was the only way. They will get it eventually.

New riots have appeared. And now actually massive ones. Complete chaos on the streets, and crowds of armed peasants trying to assault the castle.
Dispute among the royal guards have been settled soon enough: Those who stay with Slagar will be provided with food and water by the Ween herself. Traitors might get killed, and their numeral advantage over a lonely king means nothing. With his new power and altered physique, he can take down all of them by himself. After few doubtful were killed in front of the others in mere seconds - others have taken king's point.
But what to do with the folk sieging the castle? There aren't enough royal guards to take the upper hand.

Well... Guess, that's an emergency!

As promised - Ween have unleashed her plague on the kingdom's capital. All natural food and water sources have become poisoned with her divine disease, killing half of the countries population in less than a month. Storages of food and water in the city with no poison quickly running out, but king himself and his royal guards stayed strong in the castle until folk realised - it's no use, and they have to give up and sumbit to the king's twisted ideas of better future.

A few generations have passed, and as he expected - people got used to it. And even grateful to it. So Slagar the Iron Dragon could enjoy his own paradise he never knew he wanted.

Well... untill his and Ween's son have commited suicide because one of his children was a deadborn and the other turned out to be a half-demon, but that's a whole other story...
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Portrait commission made for me by a wonderful Niners Gestalt