General Druig

General William Druig was a half-elf half-goliath warlord, and one of the five Heralds tasked with defending the High World from the Khor Agul. Starting off as a timid boy, he was ashamed of his mixed blood and was bullied for it, leading to him mutilating his own ears in shame. He became a military general before leading a human colony to the High World and becoming close with Lord Baltair. Through the Dragonborn Civil War, he was appointed as one of Baltair's Heralds in the chance that Valdreg and the Khor Agul brought forth Eschaton. Druig's main role as Herald was to find other warlords and neighboring powers overseas, and wipe them out before they potentially invaded High World shores. He became angry and spiteful due to Agrydon's success, and let his ventures in war act as his way of coping with his turmoil. When his newly found barbaric ways were discovered to Baltair, he took his position as a Herald away.
Druig spent the next half a decade building an army known as the Eternal Legion, an armada of immortal soldiers made through the use of magical artifacts. He returned under Myslevian's request and overthrew Baltair alongside him, leading to Rhavelis being the new king and himself being the lead general of the High World militaries.
Not only did his mental decay continue, but he rebelled against Rhavelis' rule due to finding him an incompetent and sloppy ruler. He took over Merdia and went to war with Myslevian, but two years into his campaign came a Vindicated pilgrimage housing the High World Guardians. Despite his best efforts, the cruel general was slain by the heroes, specifically the survivor of one of his many conquests named Cian Breatnach.
==History==
=== Born a Bastard===
Druig was born from a goliath father and an elven mother in a village long forgotten by now. His father had no presence in his life, and his mother did her best to raise him for his formative years as a single parent. While not immediately evident, Druig would retain his father's size and might but his mother's ears and fair visage, and was seen as a freak by the locals. As he grew into his teens and got to almost seven feet in height, the bullying only got worse, and Druig grew to hate who he was and the mixed blood within him. He became a shy, reclusive child that aided his mother and other people in his village, but spoke rarely on his own emotional burdens and feelings. While he seemed kind and gentle, he was an emotional mess that felt hatred for the people who judged him and himself for being unable to overcome his fate. 
Druig would decide to join the army in his early adult years, leaving his mother and home behind to fight in wars. He was not only an incredible fighter but also a smart strategist, helping come up with strategies and methods of combating the enemies they faced. While he was applauded for his accomplishments, the bullying remained ever constant amongst his comrades and he felt forever held down by his heritage. The night he was promoted to be the commander of a platoon of a hundred troops, he mutilated his ears with a razor, wittling them down in an emotional fit of rage and self hatred. The elven attributes of his ears were sliced off hastily, and from that point began the birth of a new, relieved Druig.
=== Founding the High World===
In the years before the High World's foundation, Druig continued his time as a general and defeated many armies and tyrants in his time. As he climbed the ranks, his ambition became clearer to those who graced him; Druig was a man seeking redemption and justice, particularly for the defenseless. But while people viewed this goal of redemption as a noble act of self-discipline and actualization, the truth was that it all came from his still-persistent hatred of his unfortunate birth and heritage, and his yearning to prove himself in spite of that. 
When word told of a land being founded as the perfect utopia amongst the bleak, war-ridden world, Druig decided to help lead a pilgrimmage of farmers and poor folk to the new world. To him, this was his chance to overcome his "tainted" blood and manifest his own destiny. When arriving, he met the benevolent Lord Baltair and became acquainted with him as a military advisor. Druig helped Baltair structure the military of the High World, and how to structure their defenses in case of an enemy attack. The first two years of building the High World was smooth for Druig, feeling proud of where he ended up after 35 years of guilt and shame. 
But when the Dragonborn Civil War began, he knew he had to take initiative and convince Baltair to go to war despite his reservations. Druig was on the battlefield every day of combat, analyzing their strategies and way of fighting to make sure he knew his enemy as much as they knew themselves. When it all seemed hopeless, he found new resolve with the rise of Agrydon the Valiant, who led the commonfolk into war and inspired more to join the fight against the invaders. He helped lead troops and break down the defenses of the Dragonborn, and thanks to the combined efforts of Agrydon and Druig's leadership, Emperor Basavrez was slain by Lord Baltair and the Dragonborn had failed to conquer the High World. 
While the victory led to plenty celebration and praise to all who participated, Druig felt insecure about Agrydon's praise; he had reached Druig's status in a week, whereas it took Druig decades to reach the same peak. He wouldn't pay mind to it that much, but it lingered in the back of his mind like a parasite, further pushing his insecurity.
=== Herald of the King===
Three years after the Dragonborn Civil War, Baltair appointed his five closest allies as what he dubbed "Heralds", to be there when the Khor Agul inevitably rise and breach their world as the prophecies foretold. Druig was chosen amongst them, and felt prideful in his status amongst Baltair's closest allies. 
For around fifty years, Druig would be Baltair's first person he'd call upon when the threat of a foreign power came about. However, he didn't want it to be public and for the residents living peacefully to be aware of outside wars. Essentially, Druig was the general he called upon to do his dirty work. And Druig did this with pride, and would take care of these threats before returning back to Godhome and living amongst the other Heralds. However, these years took a toll on Druig because his envy of Agrydon would creep further into his mind and his relationships with others would lead to further emotional distress. He wasn't close to any of the Heralds, and he felt unimportant to them as comrades. The only person he would talk to was Baltair himself, but even then he could tell he was never fully invested in that relationship and was dealing with his own burdens. And as a Herald, Druig felt so detached from the people of the High World because of his physique and status. His pride and pompous behavior became a mask for his loneliness and inability to relate to others. So to cope with his time alone, Druig would ask Baltair to increase his tasks and keep him busy. 
Druig's time doing this busy work was monumental, not only keeping the High World safe but also further sending him into a downward spiral. Day after day in battle leading faceless troops led to him seeing everyone else not as people, but obstacles and filled roles. The individuality of people was no longer present, and so he killed and ordered troopers with a far more blunt, emotional angle. In battle he wouldn't even think in the moment, but ruminate on the insecurities and envy he's felt for the last few decades. And this only worsened during one of the yearly parties Baltair threw for him and the residents of Godhome, when Myslevian revealed a secret to Druig; Agrydon was gifted the Golden Dew by Baltair to become immortal and stand amongst the Heralds and their long lives. This sent Druig into a fit of despair, and for the next two years he would not set foot in Godhome again, losing himself in war and battle that Baltair needed him to take care of. But on the battlefield, his emotional distress and self-loathing was at an all-time high, becoming bloodthirsty and cruel as a way to cope. Druig was no longer a quiet, depressed, but kind-hearted warrior, he was a cruel, envious, and hateful person that used war and bloodshed as a way to cope. 
When Druig finally returned to Godhome, he brought with him the heads of multiple warlords that Baltair requested the deaths of, his armor stained with blood and his face showing all of his mental wear. A few days later, and Baltair felt he had to relinquish Druig of his duty as a Herald, for he was clearly losing it mentally and wasn't believed to be fit as one of his closest allies in time of need. On the day he left, Agrydon wrote him a kind letter wishing him the best in his future endeavors. He tore the letter up and left it at the steps of Elysium.
=== Rise of the Eternal Legion===
Druig spent the next half a decade warmongering and doing what he knew best. He became a colder, more vulgar person that didn't care for appearances or civilities. He was just focused on war and combat, but through that he slowly garnered a following. Slowly, he grew an army of devoted, battle-ready soldiers that followed him everywhere he went. By the end of his first year away from the High World, he had an army of over a thousand strong, taking over the armies of warlords he had defeated and creating a name for himself as a truly terrifying force on the battlefield. 
With his new army, Druig wanted to indulge into one of his obsessions; immortality. He spent time between battles reading the journals of magic-users that he had scavenged while on the field, and used this research to find multiple artifacts and ornaments that helped extend his life. Whether it was by a few days or a few years, he would search for as many mystical artifacts that would give him the immortality he so desired. He would even melt these artifacts together, eventually creating a grotesque pieces of underarmor and chainmail comprised of life-extending artifacts. Perhaps this obsession with immortality came from his immense jealousy of Agrydon, but he would never admit such a thing. 
Soon, he had an army of immortal soldiers that wore the same jewelry and ornaments that he adorned, and he was an unstoppable force on the battlefield. He named his army the Eternal Legion, and would even be the target of kingdoms and rich lords who needed extra manpower. Druig would not only acquire great wealth and fame, but the pride and self-love he had been searching for so long. He had found his calling as a true, unashamed tyrant.
=== The Usurpation of Lord Baltair===
During Druig's glorious reign as a conqueror, he was greeted by a familiar face; Myslevian. The elven scholar had tracked him down and sailed for days just to meet with his old acquaintance, and wanted Druig to aid him in usurping Lord Baltair. While Myslevian saw Baltair as an unfit ruler, Druig saw this as an opportunity to cement his name in history and get revenge on the man who demoted him. So the pair sailed back to the High World, Druig leading the Eternal Legion right into Godhome and breaking into the confines of Elysium. He dueled Baltair himself as his forces kept Agrydon and the Trifectorum distracted, and let out all of his built up hatred to defeat him in combat. The coup was successful, and once Baltair was left to die in the Tides of Loss, he was appointed as the lead general of the High World's military by the new king Rhavelis. 
His role was much the same as it was all those years ago, except Rhavelis didn't care to hide what he and his council were doing. Druig's name was by now was known by almost everybody in the High World and beyond, his reputation proceeding him. Druig would even hold this notoriety over the head of the retired Agrydon, using the few moments he spent with him to humiliate the beloved warrior. 
However,
THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE RECOUNTING THIS EVENT HAS BEEN SCOURGED BY THE PRIME HISTORIANS AND RULERS OF THE HIGH WORLD, AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF IT IS NOT TO BE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S EXISTENCE SHALL BE NONEXISTENT.
=== Overtaking Merdia===
For the first century of Rhavelis' rule, Druig would be at sea doing his usual deeds under the tyrant king. His role was much more involved, for with the absence of the other three Heralds came more power for Druig and Myslevian to possess. With the Trifectorum disbanded following Baltair's exile and death, all of the political and magical duties were passed to Myslevian, and all of the strategic and war-focused efforts were passed down to Druig. He was no longer just a lap dog to Baltair, he could now choose the enemies he wanted to eliminate and make all of the calls himself. The Eternal Legion was unlike Myslevian's Rivellian Concord, for Druig's army was not exclusive to himself and instead was the main force acting out on Rhavelis' command. 
But while the years of endless warfare were heavenly to Druig, the armor he wore slowly corroded and damaged not only his physique, but his mental state. He was beginning to become one with the armor, binded by flesh to this monstrous construct of artifacts and magical apparel. His skin became grey, with stark black veins becoming visible through his pale skin. His left eye had suffered the worst, for it was now purple and consumed by the black veinage and tumor that grew on him. The immortality granted came at a cost, and that cost was his mind and body. Druig's sadism and bloodlust grew worse when the decay began overtaking him, and made him see things from a much more extreme angle. When it seemed like Druig couldn't be any more barbaric, the decay of his mind proved otherwise. 
Eventually, Druig began to notice Myslevian's influence seeping into every aspect of Rhavelis' rule, and he was approached by the elven scholar to lead yet another coup. This time, Myslevian would rule and they would appoint a figurehead to act as the king in the public eye to withdraw suspicion from the people. It was here Druig saw Myslevian as the snake he was, realizing that this cycle would remain endless so long as Myslevian was alive. He also saw Rhavelis grow into a weak, frail king with little drive or wits to rule a kingdom sufficiently. Druig disbanded from Rhavelis, and disappeared just as he did when Baltair exiled him. 
Only this time, he returned a year later with a larger army and a new goal; to rule the High World and kill the current rulers. He attempted to convince the Dragonborn of Ioth Thaczil to join in his conquest, but they refused to work with an enemy of their kind. Druig stormed through Merdia, and after a day of traveling combatted Myslevian's army in the Midlands. War began, with both forces battling for what seemed like days as they ravaged the villages and settlements of the Midlands in their conflict. Eventually, Myslevian had shown to be the far stronger strategist and let Druig go with a warning. Druig didn't care for Myslevian's mercy, and retreated back to Merdia in order to plan for the next battle ahead. 
Druig would take over Fort Talon, the old home of Agrydon and his knights that now housed plenty of commonfolk and aspiring soldiers. He forced the people from the fortress and made it his new base of operations, allowing his plethora of troops to sleep and take residence in the many houses and barracks that remained. Druig would demolish a statue of Agrydon that remained in the courtyard, using the pile of rubble as a seat when meeting with commanders or other visitors. In his living quarters he kept a larger than life painting of Agrydon up on the wall as a way to motivate himself during his conquest of Merdia, and it led to Druig realizing what he had to do; strip the land of it's heart. 
First began the attempted occupation of Erron, which went poorly and led to the entire town being massacred by the Legion. It acted as an example of Druig's wrath, and what would happen to the people of Merdia if they rebelled against him. Orwen followed next, burned down due to the whispers of rebellion that were brewing there. Slowly over time, people began to leave the east and seek refuge in the western side of Merdia. Druig took note of this, and took over a small farming town that was starting to grow from people trying to escape the east named Yensen. It was his first fully occupied and ran town, and at a certain point the city had walls and a small fort surrounding it that dwarfed the initial size of the town. Druig wanted to take his time, slowly widdle the people of Merdia down to where they feel hopeless and unable to stand against him. In a sense, he felt like killing the soul of Merdia was killing the memory and impact of Agrydon. And he adored that. 
Issues arose in Druig's occupation however when the orcs of Vlash'gak began to take refuge in eastern Merdia, building their own camps and scavenging around for resources. Druig took no pity on the orcs, and thought they were too pathetic to be of any issue to him. Then came the war against Myslevian, which would remain active yet unproductive in the Midlands. For every win came a loss for the Legion, and the same applied to the Concord. Then the Vindicated pilgrimmages led to more annoyances, mostly with the bandit group led by Urin that would occassionally target Legion encampments. The Vindicated and the orcs were both too small to care about compared to the might of Myslevian, which is where most of Druig's focus was on. He would become irritated by the lack of progress and loss of resources, even losing a crimson drake he had pitted against Myslevian's forces. But Druig was willing to play the long game, for every bit of progress in the Midlands paled to his progress of taking over Merdia.
=== Fall of a Tyrant===
Two years into his takeover of Merdia came another Vindicated pilgrimmage, which he didn't pay much mind to. However, from the vessel came a group of aspiring, heroic Vindicated that later named themselves the High World Guardians, which took down his soldiers' camps one by one. Word came saying they killed his lost drake, and one of his patrolmen was sent to Fort Talon by one of these Vindicated delivering a threat. Enraged by his soldier's incompotency, he would order all outposts to double their men, and to have patrol parties out on the roads. But the Guardians continued to destroy Legion outposts, even working with a secret resistance brewing from within his army that was planning multiple operations to undo all of Druig's progress. 
Reports told of one of these Guardians being killed by the Legion, and the rest finally being in captivity. Hours later they escaped and fled to Yensen, planning an operation to retake the town in the darkest of night. But Druig started piecing together that there was a mole in his ranks, and realized that the infamous Soldier Town outside of Fort Talon was home to this resistance. As his forces began burning down Yensen and slaughtering the resistance fighters, he went on a rampage with a group of a hundred men towards Soldier Town and Harper Farms. He burned both to the ground, slaughtering the residents with little remorse. He even killed one of the biggest parts of the resistance, a farmer named Gill Ballan, who fled in his final moments and led to him meeting the High World Guardians in all their glory. But what he didn't know was that one of these Guardians was the sole survivor of a city he burned to the ground long long ago; Cian Breatnach of Wydalia. Druig ordered them to come to Fort Talon by noon to discuss solutions to their conflict, or else he'd burn the rest of Merdia to the ground like he did to Harper and Yensen. 
The next morning he and his men celebrated their killing and pillaging, eating and drinking what the farmers had worked so hard to cultivate and grow. And just like Druig wished, the High World Guardians arrived on his doorstep. After monologuing and attempting to strike a deal with the Guardians, a battle began between the heroes and the mad general. 
However, the Guardians were joined by Arya of Merdia and the orcs of Vlash'gak as they breached Fort Talon. Druig and his forces fought hard, the general refusing to die despite his arm being severed and his army losing to the orc resistance. But at the final hour, Cian Breatnach struck the general in the throat and bisected his face, killing the tyrant once and for all. As his forces fled Fort Talon in fear, Druig's last moments were spent witnessing the re-emergence of Valdreg in one of the Guardians, Eve Linfree. But before his soul left his body, he felt more humiliated than scared; the soul of Merdia had persisted and destroyed his own, defeated not just by the people Agrydon inspired, but by a victim of his own cruelty and malevolence. In reality, Druig was a footnote in the legends of others.