Nefius

Legend

“One of the most splendid stories of a noble’s rise to power and inability to use it is that of Nefius.”

Skjald Yell'a'Beard

 

History

Fourth Age Born the eldest son of a King in one of the Five Plateaus of Efron, he had to break from the princely child-life when he was nine. His father was assassinated by a rival, grasping for the crown of Efron. Nefius quickly adopted the role, and within a few years, he had surprised every advisor and royal rival.

At the age of 14, he was crowned King of the Five. and at 18, he had outmanoeuvred every other noble in all of Efron. Such was his cunning that, at the age of 20, the old King of Efron abdicated. Handing him the crown of all the country.

Southern Efron opposed the coronation though and crowned a king of their own, claiming that all north of Edolph Mountains bent the knee. It was quite a mistake, as Nefius didn’t march a grand army south to fight his countrymen at their home. Instead, he spent a tremendous amount of wealth hiring ships, sailors, and assassins and started planning.

One month before his 21st birthday, in the summer of 1187, his planted army of helpers acted. The entire shadow court was kidnapped in both the king’s stronghold at Mt. Ajba and in the capital Bumory in the Bay of Mewlo. And on an armada of ships anchoring up in the bay, a single ship sailed into the harbour. There, on his hired warship, the entire city watched. He proclaimed that the king of Efron could not accept, nor forgive, rebellion and treason. And every noble-born who had supported their king was beheaded alongside their usurper and his entire family. Everyone else was spared, and nothing was grabbed as loot.

His first act as King of the United Efron was to promote local nobles to fill out the gaps created. He gave not a single seat of office or house to anyone from the north or his allies. It was a very wise move by a king to rule from far away.

Skjald Ulrich

 

Mountains are no real obstacle for a man knowing what he wants. In 1188 S.A., he began constructing a network of agents from all the men he had hired for the takeover. He started buying property in Braburg, Skium, and Obran, using his wealth but their faces. Giving them new starts and well-paid livings. All they had to do was gather information and argue about his agenda. And send earnings back so their shadow empire could grow.

It is said that when he became 30, he owned at least one-third of each of the kingdoms at Markeoy. And wealth just kept building up, unable to hire and buy at a pace that could use the values gained. He started buying ships and created a gargantuan trade fleet, vacuuming markets as they docked but never flooding anywhere with goods. This he had learned from a trader, Lionel, who came from the south-west to their lands when Nefius was a kid. And for very rare goods, he recalls, the trader sailed off with goods to reeling. That sight he never forgot, and over the years he came to do many a bargain with Lionel, exchanging common goods and the rare Combat Herbs, for Kinoblin goods, southern furs, etc.

Skjald Vinotis

 

Then, in 1190, reports began floating in that Kinoblin goods could also be bought from a trader in the north, Crimsonhand of Shoak. Nefius travelled there to see for himself; he stayed there for a month, sealing a close friendship with Crimsonhand. But then words reached his ear that the Kinoblin was asking to buy huge amounts of beef. But it had to be kept a secret so as not to disturb Lionel or that annoying King Black Oak of Ye Olde Zephyrs. Nefius knew of just the right person for such a deal, and with lots of highland cows, good ‘ol Longhorn would surely be able. The very one who sold him tonnes of Junnatu Weavers meat back when he prepared to take south Efron.

He sailed there directly and offered Longhorn to be part of what they would call the Triad Traders, a pyramid of immense size and wealth. The leadership would be Longhorn, Crimsonhand, and Nefius. Nefius, as King, had to spend too much time managing his court and adhering to the Law of Hordes. So he would be in the council and fund it with gold, ships, and men. Longhorn agreed to be up front, but he wanted one-third of the earnings. A deal was made, and Triad Traders was born.

Skjald Yell'a'Beard

 

Nefius spent the next 60 years provisioning the Kinoblin, certain they dried the beef and sailed it home. Had he known he was feeding a growing shadow army, he might have acted differently. Act he always did, so when a few old friends in 1239 asked if he would be interested in helping create a united realm, he forbade warring, raids, and plunder to stabilise trade. He joined the waggon and became one of the few equals King Black Oak counted as friends. Oh, had that blind ‘ol tree been able to see what went on? I guess we’ve seen a proper duel.

Anyways, Nefius aided Black Oak in forming The Realm. and, to his surprise, was also crowned as High King. Seemingly, there had been an inner circle within the circle, with a second agenda. Because as soon as the High King sat on his throne, the almost completed great hall echoed words forbidding the use of Thralls and combat herbs.

Skjald Valgrif

 

It is said that the outlawing of drugs cracked the friendship with Black Oak and might have been the irritation point, making Nefius get far too upset in an argument over his daughter’s possible marriage to a non-noble in 1257. Despite Black Oak insisting that Nefius daughter and this lad were the couple that would be the saviours of The Realm, he would pay him whatever asked. Imagine Black Oak advocating an Allele Diploid agenda.

Nefius became so furious that he drew his dagger and sliced the air between them to illustrate what he would do to that lad if he touched his daughter. Black Oak knew Nefius rage and the origin of the blade, so he stepped back, tripped over a bag of grain, and fell out over the fence and down into the turning mill wheel.

Nefius stopped the knife from moving, froze, and aside from the large thud, he heard nothing but the grinding of the mill. Slowly, he looked out and down and saw blood-smeared stones grinding a bloodied mass of grain and cloth. He had just killed his friend, the former King of Ye Olde Zephyrs and High King of the Realm, and knew he was doomed. Panicking for the first time in his life, he couldn’t think straight and ran out of the windmill. To his mansion and then to the harbour, where he sailed off.

Skjald El Mary

 

Had he but known… ol’Oak was not down… he’d still be a crown…

Skjald Kazumix

 

He spent the next 4 years hiding; none know where. Then he learned that Black Oak was alive and sent a message begging for forgiveness. The answer came six months later, when suddenly Den Godan stood in front of his mountain cabin, calling him out. Knowing there was no point in fighting this messenger, Nefius listened and travelled along to Grimsborg.

There he was pardoned in front of all the court and was told that the blame was to be on the combat heroes, and thus the High King opposed them. Nefius went back to Efron, where he discovered that the Holy Star Order, the Free City of Muldum, Longhorn, Crimsonhand, and many more had acted swiftly and filled the vacuum his absence created. Efron even had a new Queen and King. His daughter and that lowborn pet of the High King.

Skjald El Mary

 

Organisation

So as 1262 dawned, he began plotting his way back to the top. But it was as if his every move was anticipated and countered by opponents not wanting to allow him foothold or give him room for more maneuvering. But finally, as the sixties turned to the seventies, things began to work again, and he slowly climbed… then The Great Invasion hit hard.

The realm crumbled, old Hordes was wiped, organisations dissolved, proud housed slaughtered, his daughter raped and burned along with his dying grandson inside the throne room. He has since killed countless invaders and traitors and mostly walks alone as if seeking death—maybe in grief that he helped feed some of the invaders.

Skjald Ulrich

 

Special

Wealth everywhere… agents everywhere…

Eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and bags…

Foes everywhere are countered.

Skjald Kazumix