Sceledrus Kane

"There exists an exchange of trust between the ruler and the ruled. Abuse that from either direction and all mutual agreements are nullified."
-Sceledrus Kane
== History ==
The soldier Sceledrus Kane was a compatriot of the other two preeminent warriors of Stormhold, Sid Blackwood and Duvark Greysteel. While Blackwood became a general on the kingdom's frontier, and Greysteel became bodyguard and chief military adviser to King Rainer, Kane commanded troops in the capital. He was held in high regard and respected by his men, so when he launched a military coup against the ailing King Rainer, he surprised his friends and attracted a large number of soldiers to his banner. Though Kane's ostensibly rebelled in order to overthrow a self-evidently incapable monarch and restore order to the kingdom, his soldiers ran wild and sacked the capital before being driven into the wilderness. As they retreated and regrouped, Kane resorted to recruiting bandits and common criminals, stealing from civilians, and sacking villages for supplies. Many of these new recruits operated semi-independently from Kane, were loyal to their own thuggish commanders, and used the chaos as an opportunity to indiscriminately loot and pillage. Allying himself with the duergar, he conquered a mine near Harkenhill and enslaved some locals, forcing them to excavate ore for some mysterious purpose. 
Kane eventually reached out to his old friend Sid Blackwood, now the Mayor of Harkenhill, urging him to join forces, and if not, threatening him with war if he did not give over supplies. Blackwood was angry and upset to see the drastic change in Kane's personality, and he was not alone in suspecting foul play - perhaps some of the cultists had laid a curse on him? Kane was discovered to be under some kind of enchantment, but he had seemingly sunken into evil ways of his own accord, and openly acknowledged the existence of a new, unknown master. At the orders of Lord Varron, he set up a mining operation in Stormhold, building a fortress to serve as a launching point for a future invasion. He was killed at the bottom of the mine by the Steel Jackals, magically compelled to fight to the death. Even surrounded and outnumbered, he fought five foes at once to a near-standstill. 
== Personality ==
"He deserved better."
-Sid Blackwood
Sceledrus Kane was widely respected, and those who knew him in the past pointed to him as an exemplar of soldierly virtues. Those who knew him more recently reported that he had grown more aggressive in more years, but knew of no unusual or mysterious behavior, friends, or possessions. By the time his rebellion was in full swing, Sceledrus Kane was little better than a brigand; it was testament to old reputation that many reasonable individuals still thought he might be a better alternative to King Rainer. 
Sceledrus Kane preferred to fight with a bow, or with a sword in one hand, without a shield. Even after his fall, he was even-tempered, reasonably open, and forthright, but always on his guard. 
Category:Lands of Löthur
Category:Kingdom of Stormhold
Category:Dead
Category:Chaotic Evil
Category:Burning Head