Garon Bludovius & Leshric Vauger, Founders of Garium

“I’ve traveled many roads in my day, met many important people in my time. Yet of them all, I miss him the most. Stubborn, brutish, even unsociable, yet a friend to the bitter end. The only peace I have is knowing he was avenged.” -Garon Bludovius on Leshric

“Met a strange rose man today, might be good work. Bought drink, bit too talkative. Probably best I don’t think too much on him.” -Journal of Leshric on Garon before embarking on a decades long friendship and adventure

Garon Bludovius was a strange man, from beginning to end. Being born a poor peasant in the central lands of Rosarug, he snuck into the capital to bear witness to a Triumph, which would become a lifelong obsession of his. Running away from his family at a young age, he joined as a menial soldier in a war camp, working his way up to legionary where he discovered the terrible truth. Despite his years of hard work, he would likely never see a position above captain in the army, being born poor and thus had no political allies or experience to earn himself a stronger command. Angry and disgusted, he left the army in time only for the 3rd Wendigo March to arrive.

Garon would fight in the war, but not as a soldier but as a zealous mercenary, helping to beat back the Silent King but would sully his relationship by refusing to turn in Roasarch nobles he was ordered to capture, and instead freed them. Garon and his company were vocal, but Garon’s eyes were set upon the golden opportunity of the now recently purged northwest, which had once been an allied kingdom of the empire. Taking with him a large cadre of outcasts, mercenaries, freedmen, and settlers he would travel to begin colonizing the region. Garon became the de-facto leader of these adventurers, fighting off Wendigo invaders and rescuing natives from horrific fates while at the same time paving the way for Rosarug settlers.

Garon however would receive huge help and would gain his lifelong friend Leshric Vauger, an orcish mercenary who went to become a knight and bodyguard to a Curdan noble and who now came to the region for fame and fortune. Garon would convinced Leshric to join his company, the two going on various wild escapades as Leshric helped to bring in Curdans, Orcs, and even Elves in large droves into the country with his old contacts. This strange diversity brought in many strange heroes and mercenaries to Garon’s inner circle, who united in driving out the last outposts and claimed forts of the Wendigo. Garon and Leshric’s luck in nation building would sour when Garon for unknown reasons decided to enforce Rosarug culture and religion upon the young nation.

Garon, whether intentionally or not, would be the starter of the Contest for Garium, a large political mess which saw many of Garon’s inner circle split with him and forge their own minor realms, along with antagonizing other heroes. Garon enforced Rosarug’s religion upon the increasingly Illuminated realm, brought slavery as a legal institution to the region, and undid many magical and mercenary regulations. Garon was proclaimed governor of the region, but soon was leading armies against his former compatriots. In a series of betrayals and confrontations, along with various strange mishaps, Garon would partially unite his realm for a short time till he would meet and battle with his most known rival, Michael Okov.

Michael Okov was a Kerkian mercenary whose small group of mercenaries had been making friends with natives, Illuminated, and minorities who believed Garon’s cause to be tyrannical, and Garon would soon be faced with an endless series of assassinations, terrorist attacks, and corruption scandals which brought the region to its knees. Michael Okov’s reign of terror had specific targets, freeing many slaves sold to Garium from the young and growing power known as Cusland, which would one day become Cusnova. Michael Okov and friends were tricked into a confrontation where Leshric and Garon would duel Michael alone. Michael would slay Leshric, but in a duel, Garon would slay Michael. The contest would end shortly thereafter, as most of Michael’s allies and friend either fled Garium or surrendered.

Garon would eventually be given his triumph when he was proclaimed Imperator by his comrades and the local legion, his deeds being celebrated in Rosarug in rebuilding the lost realm. Garon would call this moment ‘the most bittersweet day of my life’ for good reason, his mood soured by the loss of Leshric. Garon’s wealth was massive and he spent much of his days in retirement, building up his legend and legacy in the tome The Founding of Garium. Garon would die peacefully in his sleep, but not before making peace with many of Michael’s former comrades after a controversy stirred where many Illuminated began to proclaim his hated rival as a martyr.