Hildar Palatine

Hildar, the first of his name, is the current high king of the Realm. His epithet “Palatine” refers to his role as Grand Master to the Palatine Order. The responsibility of king and of grand master are not of any less importance to him because of their coexistence, but rather he bears the weight of both with great endurance and fervor. Hildar was crowned upon the death of his older brother Calgar, returning from Holy War to fill the vacant throne of his father Adalgar. He led his people against the orcs and goblins in RR 421, and though he has yet to return to Sundria, he has been a strong ally to the Kingdoms in the South. Today, after 19 years of rule, his mind is troubled by the renewed strength of Septimar and its many pawns, and he now prepares the Realm for the next great war.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
Hildar was born in the year 407, the youngest son of High King Adalgar, now known as “The Old”, and Queen Eleanor of Walden. He had two older brothers, Calgar and Adalgar, and three sisters. Adalgar and two of his sisters fell ill and would not make it to adulthood, leaving Hildar second in the line of succession after his brother Calgar. Hildar preferred to train in sword-fighting, wrestling, and hunting, though he was also proficient in the studies of statecraft and history. Hildar was tutored by the Palatine Order from a young age, and fought his first battle at Fallowfeld, helping to put an end to strife among the Kingdoms of Foxtrot and Riftmar.
=== Holy War ===
While Hildar rose through the Palatine Order in his youth, his brother Calgar sailed to Sundria to support the Southern Realms in their defense against the Shamshir Dynasty. Hildar would follow him in the coming years, though his father was loathe to send both of his heirs into the perilous lands across the sea. Hildar’s ship was attacked by pirates twice along their way, but both times they were repelled. When questioning the captives, Hildar first understood how Septimar was pulling the strings on countries that were not even part of their growing empire. 
When Hildar arrived at port in Sundria, he met with his brother and helped to lift the siege of Merced. Hildar and Calgar continued to fight in the south for the next five years, helping to turn the bad fortune of the Southern Kings and the many who made their Pilgrimage to Erech. After the costly battle of the Zephyrhim Plains, Hildar was ordained as Grand Master of the Palatine Order, his blazing sword having cut through the guards of the desert prince and claimed the life of the prince himself. Calgar continued into the deep desert to seek the aid of the nomadic tribes, but his party was attacked and put to flight. 
It was at this time that word reached the Southern Kingdoms of the death of High King Adalgar. Hildar rode to the aid of his brother upon receiving word of the attack, but by the time he caught up with his brother’s party the group was dehydrated and had suffered insurmountable losses. The heir apparent Calgar himself died of infection from a scimitar stroke as the two parties returned to Erech, earning him the title “Calgar the Crownless”. 
Hildar would be recalled to the Realm, for already the throne had been vacant for a year. It would take another two years for Hildar to return to Paragon, his party worn from constant stress and demoralized from their sudden withdrawal and the deaths of so many good men. Even so, his knights had grown to respect Hildar as a brother, and then as grand master, and would now serve him as High King. Hildar had been away from his home country for nearly 10 years, and in that time his prowess and courage had become legend.