Volkmar the Grim

Volkmar of Erden, knowm more famously as **Volkmar the Grim** was one of the greatest warriors of his time and the greatest Ogre hater to have ever lived in Roggarian history.

## Childhood and Youth

Volkmar had been born in the year of 294 AS, exactly 10 years after the Slaughter of the Frozen shore where his grandfather Lubin was slain by Ledevlast the Wise. He was born as the eldest son of Siegmar Erden who at the time was the Pontiff of Roggar, as such he embedded in the young Volkmar great love for the Pantheon and even greater hate for heretics. Volkmar spent most of his young childhood with his father in the Grand Temple in Dragon's Tomb or with his mother in Lakton often going on a swim in lake Ulrich with the local farmers children, forming sort of a close gang of friends. Once he was old enough he was sent off to the Trusted Defense, to be tutored by the best scholars in Roggar at the time, he was the third generation of Erdens to be tutored there with the tradition starting with his aforementioned grandfather. There he would read scrolls detailing the history of Roggar and it's many wars, and time after time he would find mentiones of these wretched creatures know as "Ogres", they had caused many wounds to Roggar and still did to that day. Even though he had never even seen an Ogre in his life Volkmar hated them, but that was the hate of a young man who was still naive, a man who had not yet seen a single battle. As the heir of the Erden family, Volkmar was expected to be trained in the art of war for the Erden family had long tradition serving the Roggarian military. Volkmar was sent to the Citadel where he showed talent in both personal combat and leadership skills. Soon he became a grown man ready to serve Roggar and the Pantheon, and in 315 AS he got a chance to prove his worth when the old King Dragonfist died after 30 years of wearing the Dragonbone crown. Alas it was not meant to be for Volkmar, he preformed poorly and most of the common folk supported Conaire Hawthorne as DragonKing. As he was returning from the contest he heard the grave news of his fathers death, a freakish horse riding accident had ended the life of Siegmar. Volkmar rushed home to Lakton to bury his father, after which he locked himself in his chambers for 3 days, worrying many of his servants as there were even rumors of the young now Lord of Lakton ending his own life. After 3 days he came out of his chambers ready to rule over his Lordship, but something had changed in the young lord no more was he seen smiling always keeping a grim look on his face thus earning him the nickname "The Grim". Interesting thing to note before we continue with the main story are the letters that had been sent between Siegmar and later Volkmar to Thuzzad detailing a expedition to recover the head of the Madmiral himself, the same Thuzzad would be killed in the civil war around the year 406 AS.

## Barbarian Crusade:Ogre Campaign

Times were getting dark as the enemies of Roggar grew from every side, after a peace that last over 30 years war finally came knocking to Roggars doors, questions were raised if the generations who only saw peace trough their lives could even stand chance against the many evils that lurked just over Roggarian borders. News reached Roggar that the colony of Woumbourne was being under siege by Ogre forces, Woumbourne was a shared colony of the Erden family and it was built by Volkmars recently deceased father and now these wretched creatures he head read about came knocking on the gates of his fathers legacy. The same year many Roggarian nobles were invited to the kingdom of Ondalia which was celebrating it's 200-year anniversary, they journeyed to Laekam,the halfling capital where after several days of feasting, celebrations and all-round merrymaking the Roggarians and Halflings engaged in diplomacy. Volkmar offered some of his families best Zemel priest  only to be laughed at by the halflings, even humiliated he continue engaging in diplomacy. In the end a deal was struck, the halflings and roggarians would work together against the Ogres and would share the conquered territory. Soon the delegation came back to Dragon's Tomb only to get word of the colony being besieged by the Ogres as the colony was standing on it's last legs. A legion was sent in to help alongside a couple of thousands of halflings they manged to save the colony but not before a great part of it was destroyed by the Ogre raiders. With the Ogre menace ever on our doorstep, the growing Barbarian Kingdom and the Ice Dragons spreading death across the Godsjaw sea in the year 317 As Roggar went to war. The Pontiff of Dragonstomb declared the conflict a Holy War, a Barbarian Crusade and the first enemy to be fought were the hated Ogres. Volkmar took command as the Legate of the Third Legion thus starting a tradition that will last until the disbanding of legions in the late 7th century AS, and in the Banner following the Third Legion his childhood friends followed him. Soon the army of Roggar marched trough Ogre pass, and rapidly advanced managing to take the mining town of Ermagn, most of the casualties being caused by the incompetence of Finn II Hawthorne , the son of the DragonKing. After the fall of Ermagn the Roggarian army of 38 000 grouped up with the halfling army numbering 19 000, and marched on the capital of the Ogre Kingdom,Irlashg. In front of the city gates an ogres was found there waiting and issued a challenge to the best Roggarian fighter claiming that he will show the Roggarian army that "their puny strength is not enough to conquer them", he was soon proved wrong by the Minotaur Sinep from the Loophand line. With their great champion dead and their morale crumbling the ogres stood no chance against the mighty Roggarian charge. After breaking trough the walls using siege equipment and smashing the gate the Roggarian army charged in. Volkmar was the one of the first to charge trough the opening, killing everything in his path be it soldiers,women or children they were all monsters, foul beast and heretics who dared to tarnish his fathers legacy, he hated them with all his being and he would be their end. It wasn't long before the Roggarians reached the royal palace and there they found the king of the Ogre kingdom,Saverg. He was looking for a challenge much similar to the ogre that awaited the Roggarian army infront of the gates of Irlashg, but he did not receive such luxury and was charged by many roggarian leaders, Volkmar among them fighting like a demon when all others couldn't touch the beast and he would bring forth the end to his life. The capital of the Ogre kingdom fell in less than a week,the soldiers defending it slaughtered and it's citizens at the mercy of Roggar. After a night of long debate between the Roggarian lords a decision was made and in the Summer of 317 the city of Irlashg was condemned to death. Its people were brutally slaughtered, their homes were burned down, the fruits of their labor was pillaged. The fires raged for days and the smoke and ash would not clear for weeks. The Roggarian army marched on after a quick detour to the nearby lizan colony, to the last remaining ogre city,Mivashg. There on the eastern bank of the "Tepsipil" river the last ogre army of 38 000 many of whom were women held a fortified position. With all the bridges burnt down the Roggarian army called in the navy and used a transport fleet to cross the other side. Volkmar was again leading his men head on when disaster struck, one of his childhood friends with whom he played on Lake Ulrich was struck down by an ogre arrow, seeing his friend die Volkmar was consumed by his rage, no longer caring for his own life he charged straight trough the ogre lines cutting down anything in his sight. And then he found himself in front of a real monster, even for ogre standards this creature was huge but Volkmar wasn't alone by his side were Sinep and the Kings Guard commander. None of that mattered to Volkmar, he jumped at the Ogre Warlor, at first the Ogre warlord managed to dodge his attacks but cornered like he was the Warlord stood no chance. Volkmar and Brutus stabbed,cutted and beaten the Ogre to death. The ogre army soon shattered and the remains retreated to the city which was now under siege by the Roggarian-halfling forces. After a failed infiltration attempt an assault on the wall was called, on the first day Roggarian forces failed at breaching the walls and took casualties without making any progress. However on the second day the Roggarians managed to breach the gates with a battering ram, and a devastating charge was lead by non other that Volkmar "The Grim" which simply cleaved trough the ogre defences and moved the fight to the streets, and finally on the 3rd day of fighting victory was claimed by the Roggarins, who freed around 5000 slaves, killed 10 000 defenders and sold around 23 000 ogre civilians into slavery. With the siege of Mivashg the Ogre kingdom was no more, many of it's citizens slaughtered and their cities burned to the ground. Volkmar achieved his goal of destroying the Ogres yet his rage still persisted in him. The war in the south was over, but in the north the real fight was just beginning, the trials were not over for the young Volkmar.