Bor Roman

• Dawnguard (usurped)

**Bor Roman** was a male khajiit who served as the stint founder and enterpreneur of the Flower Crown Trading Co. until he rose in power after the Taking of Dawnstar in 4E 223, becoming Portmaster of Dawnstar. Bor conspired with Dex, then Jarl of Dawnstar, to force Skyrim into a war that would,, unbeknownst to him, bring the Aldmeri Dominion to power in Skyrim. He forged ties between trade caravans and governments discontented both with the rebellious followers of Kellogg and the interventional Imperial Legion, and became one of the most influential leaders of the Bandit Horde that coalesced into the Covenant. Dozens of cities flocked to the Covenant's banner and seceded from any allegiance either to the Empire or the Stormcloaks.

As the political leader of the Covenant, Roman led the organization against the Empire in a conflict that would become known as the Covenant Wars. He recruited and trained three of his greatest warriors to lead the Free Armies of the Covenant: Er-Shei Rak'tee, the brutish Argonian that would come to be his Protectorate; Asenath, Er-Shei's protégé; and General Mariber Sicarius, Imperial commander and a follower of Mephala. When the war was on its first stages, Roman was introduced to the famed Scarlet Witch of Anvil, Elvyria Asteria, when he was assigned to investigate her presence in Skyrim. The two grew close during the course of the assignment, though they were caught up when she was found to be a spy for the Order of Light and she was imprisoned by Neo in Riften. Interceding in her favor and using his influence in the Covenant to secure her freedom, and he and Asteria eventually married and had a child, much to the dissatisfaction of the Order of Light's leader, Kydonius Therin.

The war culminated in a great battle on the Imperial City of Cyrodiil. Bor never entered the battlefield, commanding the troops from a conquered outpost. Upon foreseeing and confirming that the armies of the Covenant were in disarray, he entered the fighting zone. He momentarily dueled with Dalacard Rethwode, but seeing the retreat of his armies he was transported to his Protectorate's ship, the El Dublin, by traitorous Count Vulcuno Thramor, who, having once been a Blade, knew the techniques of Mark and Recall. He was never seen again in the years of the Therin Empire.

## Biography

### **Early life**

> "*I realize that your voracious desires stem from the cruel conditions of your upbringing—you and your fellow cubs in ruthless competition for limited supplies. But I understand. We are all shaped by our infantile desires, our longing for affection and attention, our fears of death. And judging by how far you have come, it's clear that you were unrivaled and continue to be.*"
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> ―Neo on Bor's early life.
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Bor Roman was born on Dawnstar itself, and like most cubs of the khajiiti caravans that roamed there, was brought up in their communal and nomad lifestyle until the age of seven. At which point, he and the other cubs were deliberately forced to compete for limited supplies and to steal riches, a practice designed to better shape them to the life most members of the caravan would have to endure. Of them, Roman was one of the most successful. When he declared himself to Roman  in 4E 224, Neo attributed Roman's voracious desires and ambition to the conditions of his early life.

### **Early political career (4E 206-4E 223)**

> "*As I told you once before, Portmaster, you serve yourself better when you serve me, and you serve me better when you serve my brother.*"
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> ―Dex
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Roman founded the Flower Crown Trading Co. as a means to officialize the activities of his caravan and ease his entrance into the Free Cities of Skyrim, since most of them had the habit of denying entrance of standard caravans. By 4E 209, Roman served as the representant of the Flower Crown Trading Co. in Jarl Kazu's court, such influence it had achieved in that political environment. He implored Jarl Kazu to intervene when the Order of the Blades began blocking Flower Crown transports carrying altered ale. Roman demanded the Flower Crown be allowed to create and keep a militia guard, though he secretly met with Kazu's court mage to bring a more decisive end to the Blades' interventions.

Roman himself joined the negotiating team on the Karthspire, though Grandmaster Quintus Petreia, aware of the court mage's plan to attack his forces, sabotaged the khajiit's retinue. Aggressive negotiations broke out on the Karthspire, during which Roman commanded his militia bodyguards to open fire—without specifying the enemy. One of the Blades was shot down by Roman's archers. Unfortunately for Bor, his transport was destroyed, forcing him to tag along with the Blades as they nearly battled the Dark Brotherhood's forces in what became known as the Crossing at Fort Greymoor. Bor Roman was eventually escorted back to Dawnstar, and would afterwards deny he had ever seen a Blade die in action.