Zyr ‘O’ Loth

 

History

Fourth Age

This large, strong-boned child is said to have stared at the midwives and family with eyes that reflected the thunderclaps outside when it was born on a stormy day, the first of 1200 in the mountain village of Gulbabur at the eastern peak of Einnas Ridge Thereafter, he grinned broadly and reached out to his grandfather before anyone else.

Throughout his childhood, he spent more time hunting and fishing with his grandfather than playing with the other kids, which strengthened their incredibly close bond. Because of these experiences, he was a superb tracker. But after his grandfather passed away, he completely avoided those places and started training in weaponry. According to some, he did it in the hopes of one day running into his grandfather’s nemesis.

“Some say the thunder-energies, somehow, came to linger in him, awaiting their release.”

~Skjald El Mary

 

Nobody knows how his grandfather passed away, but it’s almost certain that he witnessed someone killing him in 1217. He left Gulbabur and travelled down the Wickram River. Within a week of arriving in Port Mavoll at Pebron Plain, he had joined their city guard. He rose swiftly through the ranks, becoming an officer in 1225. He quickly ascended the ranks thanks to his fighting and management skills, and in 1232 he was in charge of the entire city guard as Malvoll’s major.

He gained wealth by retreating more and more into local and governmental issues, which allowed him to manipulate situations to his advantage and secure lucrative contracts and favours from influential figures. Due to his cunning and his position, he was able to determine which foreigner was responsible for the purchases of real estate in both their town and the rest of Pebron Plain. As a result, in 1239, when luck was on his side—or was it clever planning by someone?—King Krove Antu II of Oglan noticed him and offered him a position in the court. As his good fortune developed, he relocated to the capital.

There, he slowly but steadily looked at the acquisition of real estate as well as the growth of businesses and organisations. He also began to expand the covert agent network that he had established in Mavoll. He had been cooperating with a foreigner’s agents all this time and had been teasing them about developing a friendship when, in the spring of 1241, ‘the foreigner’ finally came into his presence. When he immediately recognised the stranger at the inn where they were eating, the stranger nodded and said, “So you knew it was me? Well, I always thought you were brighter than most.” “Who else could it be, Lionel?” Zyr retorted.

“Never was there a more uneven pair in deeds with the same goals.”

~Skjald Sigurd

 

Had he but known… nor men or buildings shown…

Was his to own… but items to Zyr’s crow’n…

Gods know… what a show.

“For one it was securing greed… for the other it was greedy security.”

~Skjald Kazumix

 

Although Zyr mostly used his own agents, he tapped into the Triad Traders organisation over the course of the following 13 years with Lionel’s assistance. He thus established himself as a significant force, and when King Krove Antu II tragically perished in 1253 while out hunting, Zyr was prepared to serve as thechild king’s mouthpiece at the Second Fair of the Realm. To his surprise, a lower-class court noble named So-Ein Begir was appointed Court Councillor of Imgall Mir I, the infant king. They said terrible things always happen in pairs, so he was also fired from his job and replaced by Black Pelvis, a really nefarious and cunning emissary.

After being effectively expelled from court, he quickly found a new base of operations by accepting a long-standing invitation to join the Gyron Lords. According to legend, his first assignment took him to The Rim; upon his return the following spring, he joined the Fair of The Realm in 1254 as one of them. Such an achievement was possible due to his intact network, access to the Lionels, and his new base in the Gyron’s.

He claimed to have killed a dragon below. He was carrying a pair of really strange, large jawbone or tooth axes from The Rim as proof. I remember that Polski and The Pilgrim both showed a lot of interest in the weapons. At the Fair of the Realm, he kept a close eye on who interacted with whom and how everyone behaved during the gathering. Thus, he was able to determine who was behind the coup against him in the autumn of 1253.

Few regular men wanted to train combat skills with him due to his grim determination and mood. But he trained with the best throughout his career and has won many competitions. The most spectacular one he engaged in was at the Fair of the Realm. In 1258, he fought to determine which organisation would secure a seat in the Council of Colours. He fought on behalf of the Gyron Lords against Painbringer, who was acting on behalf of the Oktogon. It was one of Zyr’s rare defeats.

“The gods, unable to best the Stoicheian seed, used foul tricks.”

~Skjald Valgrif

 

Though no longer interested in the crown of Oglan but West Fjella as a whole, he moved his headquarters towards the border of Apal. Focusing on the young Imgall Mir I and the Oglan court officials who had captured him earlier, he began cleaning up and increasing his power. Then, in 1262, Nefius, who had heard of him through Lionel, came to him asking for aid to regain his power at Markeoy. Zyr kindly declined the offer.

He invested his time in securing his position in Oglan, Apal, Walizia, and among the Gyron Lords in the years leading up to The Great Invasion. In 1271 it paid off and he became Baron, and in 1277 he achieved to become a Duke.

I eventually had the good fortune to spend a week at his home and finally learn the history of the Dragon Jaws. It makes sense to learn that his previous fall from power caused him to act in the way he did during the unexpected encounter. The very essence of what makes him the hero he is is that he is a man who has just lost everything, who faces unspeakable terror, and who charges his opponent rather than accepting death.

And in 1277, when The Great Invasion struck, he had managed to rise to the rank of Duke under King Imgall Mir I. As one of the royal advisors, ready to outwit them all and put an end to the reign of the lad. Their entire realm was overrun when invaders tore down the gates to their magnificent halls, even though they slaughtered dozens of invading Pigryn and Anurai. Realising their defeat, he grabbed the young kings arm and they fled from the overwhelming force. Thus, Imgall Mir I was able to ride side by side with the High King in 1281, for the Cleansing Crusade, with his adopted prince-brother Zyr on the other side!

“Promoted by the king-child, Zyr was as close to one of his goals as ever.”

~Skjald Sejrik

 

Newer the less… he was not ‘ye bess’…

None the less… he was surely to bless…

With honor act… he realized a fact.

“With trusty pact… he’s line a fact.”

~Skjald Kazumix

 

Organisation

Zyr is a member of Oglans nobility, but also a Gyron Lord of high esteem.

“Just as a coin has two faces, does Zyr. But when spinned, vague glyphs are seen.”

~Skjald El Mary

 

Special

Can move much more quickly than the majority of humans and is exceptional in combat.

“Only one thing would disturb his combat awareness: news about his grandfather’s assassin.”

~Skjald Sigurd