Patrick of Balendor

Patrick of Balendor (30 Raintide 300 - 1 Frostfall 412) called Padraigh in his native Northern Gnomish dialect, and often denoted as the Young King or the Last, was the final gnomish High King of Balendor, reigning from 388 to his death in battle in 412 of the Imperial Era. Coming to the throne at a young age compared to his predecessors due to the deaths of his father and grandfather, he exhibited an energetic and bold form of kingship. His early reign was marked by attempts to build common institutions for the Old Empire, advocating creating a common imperial army and a common currency and treasury, as a counterbalance to the military might of the Order of the Dragon and the financial power of the elven banking establishment. The ongoing political conflict between Patrick and the Dragonriders is often cited as a possible motive for the sudden disappearance of the dragons and their riders in 400 IA. The failure to establish a large military with imperial jurisdiction is also generally seen as a reason for the Empire's collapse when the Orc Khaganate invaded the following year. He also became known for advocating the abolition of slavery, though he stopped short of doing so in his own kingdom, largely due to opposition from the clan chiefs.
In the following twelve years, Patrick attempted to rally the imperial states to a common defense, to no avail. The dwarven principalities and human tribal kingdoms fell one-by-one to the Orcish onslaught. Balendor and the Elven cities and freeholds on the western coast belatedly sent expeditions east to stem the tide, with Patrick leading an allied force with the royal Furious Host as the vanguard. While initially successful against the orcs, primarily due to gnomish hit-and-run shock tactics, they quickly were overwhelmed and were forced to fight a six-year long holding action. During this time, the rump Imperial Senate named him war duke and granted him dictatorial powers.
In early 410, Patrick decreed the end of slavery in all lands under his leadership as a wartime measure, which by that time included virtually every territory formerly of the Old Empire that was not yet under Orcish rule. However, despite massive recruitment of freed slaves, his authority collapsed in the face of numerous defeats and he was forced to withdraw his army farther west into the highlands, and everything east of Balendor fell to the orcs. After launching a few raids, he and his forces made a valiant last stand on the coastal headlands of Cape Balen, where he died and his entire army was wiped out.