Trydgis Winnekin

**Trydgis Winnekin** (4183 - 4257) was the founding patriarch and first king of the Kingdom of Trydgisia. Initially an independent clan leader in the Hanarikar Lands, Trydgis banded together several of his people during the Isla Eisen Pirating Raids of 4211 and, along with King Auberda, liberated the Mid and East-Isles. Trydgis eventually went on to assist in the creation of the Revolutionary Union, in which he would go on to lead alongside several others against Emperor Diskella in what would eventually be known as the Continental and Transcontinental Conflicts, or collectively as the Askeldian Wars. Trydgis was a direct emissary to the lord Baltora, through which he gained immense power, wisdom, and strength throughout his lifetime, most notably exhibited through his revival from death. Trydgis went on to become the central figure of the Askeldian Wars against Emperor Diskella and was eternally revered as a hero after leading the final campaign into the City of Althoria and defeating the empire.

## History

### *Birth and Early Life*

Trydgis was born on the largest island of the Mid-Isles, not far from the capital city of Belrague. He worked as a lumberer with his father for most of his childhood and was eventually joined by his younger brother, Berritus. Trydgis' father was named Vuldrian but was called Longfeather by many thanks to a feathered hat which he wore constantly. His mother, Stella, was the owner of a successful clothing store in Belrague called Stella's Regalia. Despite the popularity of the attire sold in Stella's store, and the hard work of the men in the family, income was not significantly high, likely due to the low population and harsh living conditions in the Hanarikar Lands at the time.

Although pirates had been a constant problem in the Hanarikar Lands for decades, there had not been many problems inland until 4198, when the pirates of Isla Eisen began laying siege to many of the smaller towns and villages throughout the region. They eventually banded together at the peak of their strength and attacked Belrague. Berritus and Vuldrian were both in the city at the time, and are believed to have been killed along with the some 8,300 other suspected deaths. Trydgis and his mother were both hurt immensely at the loss of their family. The attack changed their lives for the worse. Stella used what profit she could to aid the chieftain of Belrague in rebuilding the city, and after several months, the welfare of Belrague was returned to how it was before the attacks, with a much greater focus on defensive capabilities. Trydgis was offered a job in the city's military, in which he helped to train guards and foot soldiers. It was at this point that Trydgis first met King Auberda when he was visiting the city on friendly terms.

### *Clan Leader*

Trydgis was eventually appointed as a *lovende* in the Belrague Guard, which was the third highest rank in the structure. He was paired with another lovende named Brakeld Blackhammer. The two were placed in charge of a garrison that was tasked with patrolling the western peninsula of the island, which they did very well for the remainder of the year and well into the beginning of 4201, until the pirates of Isla Eisen once again sacked Belrague. This particular invasion lasted less than a day, and was far more violent and devastating than the previous. There were extremely high casualties on both sides, along with nearly 75% of the civilian population either being captured or killed. Nearly all of the government officials were killed in the siege, including the chieftain - Earl Mondrakan. By the end of the night, the pirates fully held the city, but their numbers were so few that defending from an allied army or an attempted recapture would be extremely challenging. Upon the return of Trydgis and Brakeld's garrison, there were already a number of guards and militia from outside of the city preparing an attack. As Trydgis and Brakeld were the highest ranking of the guards, they took command and began the retaliation. Before the sunrise that morning, Trydgis and Brakeld had successfully recaptured what remained of the city, however, it was in such a state of ruin that staying proved to be worthless. The amount of fires and carnage throughout the destroyed city, along with Trydgis' discovery of his deceased mother, forced the survivors to flee and establish a camp along the Lion Mane River, which eventually would become the Fort of Trydgis.

Later that year, after the Fort of Trydgis (simply referred to as "the fortress" by the clan) was established on its original log foundation over the ruins of an ancient castle, Trydgis had his clan officially recognized by the other native clans in the area, which he soon found to be in support of his situation. King Auberda especially saw reason to give aid to Trydgis' clan and the others that made up the remains of the city's population. The king from the East-Isles visited often and supplied ample amounts of resources to aid the clan, causing a close friendship between he and Trydgis to form. It was not long before Trydgis found himself assisting Auberda against enemy clans in return.

### *Symbol of the Hanarikars*

Trydgis soon found prominence throughout the Hanarikar Lands as a skilled fighter, and stories soon traveled across the globe of his amazing feats at the side of his friend, Auberda. Trydgis had quickly grasped the entirety of the Mid-Isles of the Hanarikar Lands and formed a permanent alliance with King Auberda of the East-Isles, who would eventually cement an alliance with King Narakas III and truly unite the Hanarikar Lands for the first time in centuries. Together, the three leaders went on to rule justly and defend their lands successfully, until 4209, when the Pirates of Isla Eisen (hired by the Askeldian Empire) would go on to continuously sack towns and villages throughout the easternmost islands of the Hanarikars, forcing Trydgis and Auberda to band together with their soldiers and fight the pirates themselves. While Narakas III did help tremendously at first, his own lands were soon attacked as well, forcing him to retreat home to defend them by the end of 4210. When Narakas III returned, he would discover that it was not actually pirates who had attacked his home, but the forces of the quickly growing Askeldian Empire. After attempting to reclaim Port Skörg, the king was captured and publicly executed in front of his subjects, legitimizing the claim the Empire had on the West-Isles.

Trydgis and Auberda eventually managed to rid their lands from the pirates after trapping them in the Roothing Forest and killing them off in the final battle. After salvaging what remained of the pirates' ships, Auberda and Trydgis sailed them to Port Skörg with intent to sell them, and then eventually take the remainder to Norvastr. It was at Skörg, however, that Trydgis learned that the Askeldian Empire, an unknown government to him at the time, had slain King Narakas III and claimed his lands as their own. Disgusted at seeing the king's head on a pike on the docks, Trydgis killed an Askeldian harbormaster and fled the scene, only to be branded as outlaws by Countess Canylles Aurorhet, the imperial governor of the occupied West-Isles.