Joseph Argon

## **The Beginning**

### The Early Days

Joseph was always a quiet, self-secluded individual during his early days. Born in Hallengard, he quickly became accustomed to life there. In his youth he would act as if he were a knight, trying to prepare himself to one day work under a king. With high hopes, Joseph was confident that he would achieve his goal.

While he was raised under Hedatism, he never was fully committed to any religion, as he found it as a distraction. He had only wanted to commit to the ruler that he would serve under.

Once he was old enough, Joseph decided he would travel the Hales. His parents then decided that they would leave the Hales to go live out the rest of their lives in the Winterlands, where they were born. Joseph then began to head for Aedwin. Despite his distaste for the kingdom, he figured it would offer him the best opportunities.

### The Man

When Joseph reached Aedwin, he immediately went towards the courtyard, since it seemed to hold the most people. There he began asking people where he could find a nice blade. Most people ignored him because he was Hallengardian, although one man stepped forward to speak with Joseph. He said that he knew a place where he could find a short sword and some armor and that he would show him.

They then ventured forth, getting to know each other along the way. The man had talked about his experience with a sword, and how he could teach Joseph about how to use it. They agreed that they could train when they got back to Aedwin. Once they reached a cave, the man showed Joseph the blade, and after grabbing it, they went back to Aedwin.

In Aedwin, Joseph began his training. The man showed him the different ways to use a sword and then showed him how to block with a shield. After a few days, the man mysteriously disappeared. Remembering his training, Joseph decided to head back to Hallengard. He still doesn't know what has come of the man to this day.

### Ser Arryn, the Rebellious King

When Joseph arrived in Hallengard, he decided to head to the Hot Springs and relax. While in the water, he noticed a strange man in the corner also relaxing in the hot springs. Joseph would later know that this man was Ser Arryn Greyheart. After a while of soaking, Joseph decided he should get back to work. He left the hot springs, the man still on his mind.

Once outside, Joseph saw two men having a conversation. They immediately turned to him and asked him his beliefs on Aedwin and Hallengards current ruler. Joseph said that he disliked how no other kingdom in the Hales could hold a candle to Aedwin and that Hallengard should be more independent. The men then asked him to join their cause to overthrow Hallengards leader, offering him a position in return. Hearing about how he could become a guard, Joseph agreed to their terms.

Later that night, the large number of men that had been recruited were gathered outside the castle to confront the one who was soon to be crowned king, Ajax Glasco. Arryn and Ajax discussed the matters, and Ajax reluctantly handed over rulership. The men of Arryn then worked toward their next goal, which was to take the head of Vince Simmons.

They marched toward Aedwin with a large force. Once they arrived at the farm closest to Aedwin, they set fire to it. As they then approached the Aedwin drawbridge, they noticed it was shut and that Ajax was sitting near the entrance. He yelled to a guard that Arryn had arrived. This complicated things, forcing Arryn to negotiate with the king at the time, Nikolas Simmons. With hatred in the air, the Hallengard troops were forced to head back to Hallengard.

Once they returned to Hallengard, Arryn gave Joseph a position as a knight, which he gladly accepted. It had seemed that he already achieved his goals in life. However, many things were soon to change, as Arryn did not remain in power for long.

### Ajax Glasco, the King of Hallengard

One day, Joseph walked to the gates of Hallengard. He noticed different men working, which concerned him. He hadn't seen Arryn for a while, so he had grown suspicious. Regardless, he approached the bunch.

Once talking to the group, he realized that one had a crown, and that person was none other than Ajax. Joseph revealed his identity, only to be met with 3 sword tips getting pulled on him. He immediately surrendered, notching how outnumbered he was. He denounced his promises made to Arryn and gave up his title, later returning the equipment that was in his possession. Noticing how cooperative Joseph was being, Ajax decided to discuss matters with him later.

In this meeting between the two, Joseph admitted that he disagreed with many of Arryn's actions. Ajax saw that Joseph was no longer a threat but rather showed potential. He offered Joseph a position on the guard, to which Joseph quickly accepted. He had felt even more accomplished, now that he was apart of a more stable guard. Over time, he would gradually work his way up the ranks, ending up as a Master-at-Arms.

### The Forest

Josephs job required him to travel to Aedwin with the king often, causing him to develop more of an enjoyment for the place. One day, he was told about a robbery. He and his friend that was also in the guard went to investigate, trying to be good people. When they arrived on the scene, they were jumped by a group of thieves.

They fought to fend off the thieves but were ultimately unsuccessful seeing as they were outnumbered. While Joseph did manage to survive this attack, his friend did not. Forced to move on to survive, Joseph stumbled forth, disoriented from the attack. Eventually, he reached the forest. At this point, he was fatigued due to his injuries and had to rest.

The next morning he woke to a bright sunny sky. He knew that to survive, he would need to find his way back to civilization. After all, he made a promise to Ajax that he would defend him with his life, and he wasn't about to back down on it. Doing his best to ignore the pain, Joseph began wandering around the forest. As he walked, he came across a cave. He had heard rumors about the Ghost Kingdom and its location, so he found it best not to investigate.

Eventually, Joseph found himself at a river. He followed the river until he finally reached a place he could recognize, the Swamplands. Now knowing where he was, he ran as fast as he could to Hallengard. There he met Ajax once again, and he then carried out his normal duties after his wounds healed. Joseph refuses to forget his friend that died in battle.

 **The Decline**

### The War of Reyne

As time went on, Joseph continued to show his loyalty towards Ajax. This loyalty was about to be tested following the upcoming war with Reyne Greyheart.

One man came up to Ajax, telling him that Reyne was gathering his troops in the hot springs. Fearing for the safety of his kingdom, Ajax gathered his troops and they investigated. They were met with fully armored men, all ready for battle. Reyne and Ajax then discussed what was going on, while tension grew among the two opposing armies. Eventually, they both pulled back.

Later on, the word was sent that Aedwin was soon to be attacked by Reyne's men. Hearing this, Ajax and the entire Hallengardian force traveled to Aedwin. upon arriving, they were met with the terrible truth that they were lied to. As it had turned out, Hallengard was lured out to Aedwin so that Reyne could take the castle. Now knowing this, Ajax and Nikolas had prepared their armies and went out to battle Reyne.

The first attack was short, as it had a few casualties on both sides since the gates weren't to be opened. Most went back to Aedwin to regroup, and a few stayed back, including Marshal Gareth and Sylas. As Joseph would soon learn, these two breached the gates and took down the army. Joseph had gone back with Ajax to make sure he stayed safe but never forgave himself for being so useless in the effort. Regardless, everyone was able to return to their homes and rest after the bloodshed that had commenced.

### The Recruiting Incident

While guarding the gates to Hallengard, Joseph overheard Sion saying that they needed more guards. Hearing this, Joseph decided to look out for a few men to recruit. Soon enough, he found 3 looking for work.

These three men were very dedicated and seemed that they would make good additions to the army, so Joseph decided to institute them. Drunkenly, he appointed one as Master-at-Arms and gave him a key. This man then gave the rest of the recruits keys and even proceeded to hire 2 more people on his own.

One day, one of the newly recruited men came up to Joseph. He said that Prince Vince Simmons of Aedwin was at the gate and that they were holding him back there. Joseph immediately rushed over there, hoping no conflict had begun. When he arrived, Vince was gone and the troops were sitting there waiting. Joseph told them that they should never act hostile to any official from Aedwin, and had begun to rethink his previous decisions to hire them.

Later on, as Ajax came to find out about the recruits, he instantly talked to Joseph about it and then fired the recruits quickly. Joseph had learned from this mistake, and no longer makes calls about the army in an attempt to make no further mistakes.

### Royal Guard Joseph Argon of Hallengard

Ajax had been given a personal guard before, but that guard had guilty of trying to get close with Aja despite him being married. Naturally, this guard had to be fired, and the spot opened up for a new royal guard. Ajax was thinking to give it to one of his high ranked troops, which Joseph was included in.

Ajax told Joseph that he would likely become the new Royal Guard since he has proven his loyalty to Ajax. He quickly accepted the position when offered, knowing it would suit him better than general since he often followed Ajax around to defend him anyway. Joseph quickly grew used to this job and served it well.

### Ocelotte and the Order

Upon learning how Reyne was killed in Hallengard by Aedwin, he grew upset. He gathered his troops and traveled to Aedwin to talk with Nikolas about what had happened.

When they arrived there, they were met with a large group of men called "The Order" that was invading Aedwin. Hallengards troops were moved into the cells, as Ocelotte said he did not quarrel with them. Ajax submitted, not helping with Aedwin since he was angry with them. This did not sit well, as Aedwin and all of its people were put under extreme risk that day.

Eventually, Ocelotte ordered the Hallengardian troops to be released and sent back to Hallengard. Joseph felt uneasy about what had happened, knowing that he had just left so many people to their demise. Regardless, he made an oath to Ajax and nobody else.

Joseph stayed back a bit from the other troops, to take one more look at Aedwin. Just then, he saw three men come up, all carrying bodies. They immediately came up to Joseph, telling him that they had killed Ocelotte and destroyed the order. Joseph was shocked, telling them that they should get going. However, since Aedwin was now freed, that would mean tensions with Hallengard would grow.

Back in Hallengard, Ajax had recently been in an argument with his wife about the whole ordeal. Seeing Ajax in a broken state, he stepped up and tried to comfort him, since they were getting to be close friends. In the middle of their talk, Aedwin officials began storming into his room, including Vince, Nikolas, Sylas, Walter, and Hales Devil. Vince and Sylas began yelling at Ajax for his decision to leave them behind, despite Ajax yelling at them to leave. Walter then asked them to leave, so that Nikolas could speak with Ajax.

Joseph knew that the peace between the lands would be no more, and that conflict would rapidly grow. Once Nikolas left the room, Ajax told his troops that if Vince, Sylas, or the Devil were ever spotted in Hallengard again their heads should be taken. Things only went downhill from there.

### The Assassination of Ajax Glasco

The Hallengardian peasants, angry with King Ajax, were grouped up around the outside of the gate and held pitchforks, ready to strike. ajax gathered his men to meet the angry protesters, and they began to negotiate. Eventually, somebody opened the gates and the peasants began storming in. All of them were slain that day, their blood staining the stones on Hallengard.

After this was done, Sylas was spotted up higher on the mountain, shooting arrows at the troops. Immediately, Ajax and his troops stormed towards him. They eventually got to Ajax's bedroom, where they found Sylas and Vince. That's when the fighting had begun.

In such a tight space, most of the troops couldn't attack often in fear of hitting their allies. Eventually, barely standing, Vince and Sylas had won the battle. Ajax lied on the floor, clinging on to life. They then began striking him to finish him off. Joseph was yelling for them to stop, trying to move in front of Ajax. Alas, it was all in vain. After they were done with ajax, Sylas and Vince then killed the troops, including Joseph. This night was one full of bloodshed and hatred, later followed with despair and regret.

Three men then came in and took Ajax's body, then moved the guard's bodies to the top of the mountain and left them there. However, not every kill was confirmed, as Joseph was still breathing.

 **The Age of War**

### Joseph's Recovery

Joseph woke soon after Ajax had died, barely clinging on to life. He looked down at himself, seeing how bloody he was... and how he was missing a leg. Someone had patched him up, ultimately keeping him in a somewhat stable condition. He looked to his right to see that Gareth was gone, and he was the only one left laying there. He crawled down the mountain, trying his hardest not to pass out again. He was in search of a replacement for his leg, which he had eventually found.

Some man who had specialized in crafting wood products saw Joseph in his nearly-dead condition and immediately helped him out. He laid Joseph to rest on a bed, making him some carrot stew. The man could not stay long, so he left behind a peg left for Joseph, adding a note telling him there would be no cost.

Joseph, after resting for a while, drank the carrot stew and managed to put his peg leg on. After trying to get used to it, he decided he had no time left. He had to get out of Hallengard, as he was being constantly reminded of what had previously gone down. He felt he must still stay strong, and began moving towards Aedwin.

It was a slow walk, but Joseph managed. Constantly having to stop and take a rest due to his wounds, it took more time than usual. He encountered no others during his walk, being in complete isolation. That is until he reached Aedwin however, which was booming with people as usual. His old hatred for the place had arisen, but he had nowhere else to go. In time he figured he would recover, but for now, he had to find some way to deal with his issues.

### Vince Simmons, the New King of Aedwin

Upon arriving in Aedwin, Joseph's first instinct was to change his identity. He had no idea whether or not everyone would be alright with him surviving the attack, so he created a fake name for himself, James Adler. While it didn't seem right to Joseph, he felt it necessary to stay safe.

The first place Joseph went to was the courtyard, where he saw that Vince was now the king. He was taken back by this, seeing as the man who just killed his best friend was now a king. He immediately asked around to find Nikolas, to which he was told that Nikolas was sailing away. Joseph then ran to the port, just in time to talk with Nikolas before he left.

He revealed his identity to him, to which Nikolas immediately apologized that things happened that way. Joseph took the apology kindly, knowing that Nikolas was a good man. Nikolas then asked Joseph to look after Vince in his absence. Joseph replied that he would, although it may be rough considering their past. With that, Nikolas sailed away from Aedwin.

Joseph later went back to the courtyard only to see none other than a previous guard, Gareth, was speaking with Vince. Gareth was now a Marshall, to which Joseph was surprised. Vince said that he was fine with Gareth surviving and that he only went after Ajax that night. After this talk, Gareth noticed Joseph and pulled him off to an alley.

Gareth got Joseph to reveal his identity, and they both talked about how they were glad to see each other. Joseph then told Vince how he was alive, and about his promise made to Nikolas about looking after him. From that day forward, Joseph had kept an eye on Vince and his kingdom, helping to keep it safe, but not being officially apart of Aedwin.

While Joseph was beginning to recover, it wasn't enough. Each night he would get drunk to try and forget his past, constantly missing his previous friends that were lost. While Joseph visited Hallengard every once in a while, he couldn't make himself stay long. He had failed his best friend and could never forgive himself.

### The Old Brotherhood

One fateful day in Hallengard, Joseph was leaving the castle clad in full armor after helping Sion deal with a rebellious group. That is when they saw members from the Old Brotherhood waiting outside. Everyone moved into the meeting room where Sion and the diplomat discussed matters involving Ajax's reign. They asked for Sion to pass over rulership as one of their demands, with Sion, of course, refusing this offer. The diplomat said that this decision would lead to bloodshed, and left.

After the meeting, Sion was freaking out, as he had very few soldiers at the time. Knowing this, he told Joseph to convince Aedwin to aid them in the upcoming battle. Joseph then got his friend Gareth to journey towards Aedwin in hopes of gathering a larger army.

When the two arrived, Joseph ran to the castle while searching for Vince. He saw Nikolas, instinctively begging him for Aedwins help. He turned toward the commander Theutrich, telling him that he would have to make the decision. Despite many of Aedwins soldiers being absent at the time, they still sent the most they could. Joseph finally decided to enlist back into the Hallengard ranks, putting his past aside so he could focus on protecting his home.

When the army arrived on Hallengard's gate, Sion gained hope. Everyone got the supplies they needed and worked out formations before sending a scout to check whether or not the Brotherhood had arrived. Once they received word of Brotherhood forces in the area, everyone marched out to meet them in battle. Both sides immediately began firing arrows, slowly transitioning towards using their blades instead. The Hales won that first battle, although Joseph had run into one problem- Sion had gone missing.

He ran off to find him and soon learned that the second wave of Brotherhood soldiers arrived. After he found Sion, someone sliced him down before being slain himself. The small group that had formed rushed Sion to Aedwin and soon met up with everyone else. They had formed a battle plan, then went back into the fight. They again remained victorious, with only injuries and a few casualties. Sion also remained in stable condition, as everyone celebrated their win.

Nobody that day knew of the rough path ahead.

I still have more to write so wip