The reigning monarch of the human kingdom of Lloegr, King Magnus has proven himself a competent (if ruthless) warrior, ruler, and diplomat in his short time on the throne.
Early Life
Magnus was the firstborn child of King Octavio Ruduval and his wife, Queen Aedryn. The oldest of three sons, he was trained from a very early age in preparation for his eventual rule.
Magnus spent some of his formative years accompanying his father and other knights into conflicts along the border of Lloegr. The king and his advisers took note of Magnus’ tactical skill, and by his eighteenth summer, he had received his own small command that patrolled the kingdom’s frontier.
The prince spent most of his early conflicts dealing with rural bandits and ruffians, some monster dens, and non-humanoid incursions along the border. He gained a passing interest in the Arcane, and actually managed to activate some latent magical potential within himself. His aptitude with magic was a novelty to the royal line, and while some mistrusted it, Magnus wielded his magical abilities to great effect on the battlefield and on the frontier.
Along the way, he learned tell of his family’s famous campaigns against the Elves, and the bad blood that remained between his people and na Daoine. Most of the land of Lloegr had at one point belonged to the Elves, and at times he ventured into the vault of Castle Lloegr to see the artifacts that his ancestors had earned from their conquests.
The Iron Crusade
After a period of relative peace, one Lloegrian noble, Prince Signus, went against the King’s orders and led his forces to the dwarven city of Hammerhold. The motive behind this assault is shrouded in mystery, as most dwarves saw it as an unprovoked assault, while members of house Signus maintain to this day that the dwarves committed some unmentionable crime.
Regardless of the factors leading to the assault, once the dwarven rage had been kindled, the unified dwarven army carved through the lands of Sigland. They were not simply raiding and pillaging hamlets – the dwarves were burning entire settlements to ashes. Scouring the land with their war machines, several dwarven clans dedicated themselves to the eradication of all humanity.
King Octavio, in failing health, sent Magnus to lead the nobles at the front. Upon his arrival, however, Magnus quickly saw the desperate situation that Lloegr had been forced into. The dwarven war machine had stirred awake for the first time in centuries, and Lloegr seemed powerless to stop it.
Visit to Ilym & the Horizon
Considering his options, Magnus assembled a secret meeting among all the heirs of Lloegr to discuss alternatives to direct confrontation. They reluctantly agreed that holding the frontier was a near-hopeless task and that their fathers would probably not be swayed to give up land as a concession. Besides, the dwarves were not open to peace talks anyways.
Magnus then presented his plan. He planned to take a trip back to Lloegr, and then escort an ancient artifact of the elves through the dreamlands of the Horizon, into the distant lands of Ilym. The land between lands, few mortals knew of any safe paths to the homeland of the Elves, and fewer ever returned.
Most of the other princes balked at the prospect of abandoning the front, much less to venture into the land of na Daoine, and others saw going behind the backs of their fathers akin to treason. Even so, several saw the need for more forces and believed in Magnus. Prince Signus and Prince Demolund pledged their loyalty and offered to accompany him on the treacherous journey.
With that, Magnus and his companions left the front, returned to Castle Lloegr, retrieved the Sword of Gilgond, and began the treacherous journey to Ilym. Much of the trip borders on the fantastic and has been distorted by legend and myth. Even so, what is known for certain is that Magnus returned months later without Prince Signus, but with the pledged support of the enigmatic Elf Queen Anuvariel.
Crusade’s End & Ascension
Upon his return from Ilym, Magnus heard that King Octavio had finally succumbed to his illness, and that the crown had now passed to him. Warfare on the front had not gone well for the humans, but with newfound support from the forces of Ilym, Lloegr was able to turn the tide in battle, eventually pushing the dwarves to peace talks.
The conflict ended with a shaky truce on all sides, not because of any conclusive victory, but because each faction had exhausted most of its resources in the Crusade. Magnus returned land that his ancestors had conquered years ago from the Elves, and awarded conquered dwarven land to the nobles who had lost settlements in the conflict.
After some initial resistance among the various princes of Lloegr, Magnus ruthlessly re-established the supremacy of his rule, executing or imprisoning several nobles who did not swear fealty to him.
Although there are still some subjects who grumble and chafe under his rule, Magnus Ruduval has managed to preserve the kingdom of Lloegr during a dangerous time. Only time will tell if Lloegr will thrive under its new king.
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