Drokor the Mongrel
A Conqueror Born
While the origins of Drokor the Mongrel, or simply 'The Mongrel', as he came to be known survived primarily by oratory practices for many years, his life and deeds have been carefully researched by scholars seeking to understand Corindar's history. Wherever he came from, he is well known throughout both dwarven and elven culture as a warmonger, and for having led the greatest host of soldiers ever seen on the face of Enturon. Drokor's Legion spread from one end of the continent to the other, in swamp and plains and desert alike, and assaulted the homes of both dwarf and elf many times throughout its existence. According to the dwarves of Arkthen, even the Mortal War, a centuries-long conflict between dwarf and human, paled in comparison to the destruction caused by the Legion, and it was led by just one man.
Legacy of the Father
"My Soul shall pass and my Body decay, yet never shall the Sun set on my Legacy." Drokor was a hobgoblin, and it is believed that he may have been the first. Known as the 'Father of Goblins', it is said that during his conquests, Drokor took measures to ensure his line would never end, and among goblinkind it is commonly accepted that nearly all of their race can claim some measure of Drokor within their bloodline. It is also believed that Drokor's desire for legacy did not stop with goblinoids, and that many types of creatures were born from either his blood or the magical experiments he and his sorcerers performed on creatures. Draconians are one of the most popular examples, said to be born from dragon eggs Drokor had magically tampered with, but the list is believed to include trolls, bugbears, gnomes, lizardfolk, and orcs, and even many species of bestial creatures such as wargs, behir, and owlbears. Despite his violent nature and tendency to conquer, it is said that it was through Drokor's efforts that Corindar experiences such a wide biodiversity today, and that without his efforts many creatures and people would simply have never existed at all.World-Carver
"If Drokor will not move for the mountain, then the mountain shall move for Drokor." As Drokor conquered the land he also changed it, carving through mountains and redirecting rivers to allow his armies to pass unabated. Many geological features are attributed to him and his legion, most notably the valley between the northern Arkthen Heights and southern Skypiercer Mountains. Dwarven historians speak of a continuous mountain range, stretching across the land from north to south, and studies have shown that both these ranges are of similar geological makeup and age. Yet, the many miles of open land between them split the two, and supposedly because Drokor wished to march his army west without obstruction. The immense task might have seemed impossible, or at least unrealistic, but the amount of bodies Drokor was able to push at a problem made the work possible, and there are many records of man-made geological changes all across the land of Corindar.End of an Era
"And He wept, for there was no more left to conquer." Of all the people and all the lands that Drokor had conquered across Corindar, it seemed his downfall would never come. Yet it arrived not in grand fashion, but in the form of storm-tossed refugees landing upon the southern shores of his domain. Cast out from their homeland, the first humans to set foot on Corindar might have appeared weak from their harsh travels over sea, but within them lay the determination to see their journey to its end. Drokor's Legion had fought and conquered their way across the land for legacy and dominion, but the humans fought for survival, and it made all the difference. It is said that Drokor himself had been in the far north, campaigning against the dwarves when humans first arrived and began claiming territory for themselves. Perhaps this is what led to their initial success as they pulled hairs from the bear's tail, but once they had proven themselves enough of a nuisance, Drokor turned his attention to them fully. With the might of his Legion, surely this new upstart race would fall before him, another addition to his growing army. Yet a series of poor engagements against these people, armed with new magics and weapons he hadn't yet seen before, proved to be the first notes of the Legion's requiem, and by the time Drokor appeared on the battlefield before them personally, they had already constructed their first city, wrapped in protections of stone and metal and magic. The end of Drokor's reign came at the birth of Rutonia, golden city of the humans, as they successfully managed to fend off his uncountable forces, using the land to their advantage as they forced him to fight in unfortunate terrain and in poor conditions. Facing the longest string of defeats of his entire life, Drokor grew rash and assaulted the city day and night, seeking to crush the humans with sheer numbers. However, it was here that his control finally slipped, the cracks of his enslaved army began to spread, and as they died by the thousands his indentured soldiers finally turned on their captors. Kneecapping the Legion by fighting back, refusing to work, or sabotaging the army's efforts gave the humans their chance to strike back, pushing into the Legion even as it fought amongst itself. It is here that, even in human records of the event, reality mixes with legend once more. Some sources claim that Drokor fought to the last, slain in combat with a score of bodies around him. Others claim he fled, the Mongrel unable to accept true defeat and escaping to return again one day. Details of his death or absence are hazy at best, but the results are apparent: with the slaves revolting and the humans skill and steel, the Legion was routed and left leaderless. The full breadth of Drokor's territory was fought over by the remnants of his army, splintering under the many generals who each claimed the right of succession, and their numbers dwindled as many abandoned the army alltogether, entire races who had only ever known slavery under goblin rule. As for Drokor himself, the most commonly held belief is that he fell in battle, and his legend was exaggerated by those that benefitted from his mythological status. Despite this, the Legion was always Drokor's, and without him the grandest fighting force faded into the annals of history.Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
Drokor was a hobgoblin of great stature, tall and muscular. His hair is depicted as long and pulled back tight behind his head, with a beard growing out of the sides of his face yet not meeting at his chin. In almost every artistic rendition of the man, his gaze is forward, looking out at the viewer rather than the setting around him, as if even a reproduction of the Mongrel still looks outward at places he has yet to claim.
Special abilities
- Impossible strength
- Skilled with a wide array of weaponry
- Arcane ability, specializing in combat magic
- Well-versed at reading battlefields and directing armies, even when amidst combat himself
Specialized Equipment
Almost as legendary as the man who bore it, Drokor's signature weapon, a massive greatspear, followed him throughout his era of conquest. While the stories claim Drokor fought with the bough of a massive tree, uprooted and sharpened to a point, depictions of the actual spear have been recorded in dwarven records and was once held within the archives of Rutonia before the city fell and the weapon was lost to the desert sands.
While grand in size, it is said that Drokor wielded the large weapon with ease, often in only one hand as he either bore a shield or cast magic with the other. In some stories, Drokor didn't even need to wield the weapon himself, so eager it was for bloodshed that it would fly from his hands and strike down his enemies before they had even reached him. One legend claims that the spear was all it took to break open the walls of the great dwarven fortress before Drokor's Legion swarmed into the city, but any dwarf will dismiss the tale immediately and with fervor.
Mental characteristics
Accomplishments & Achievements
- Conquered the majority of the continent of Corindar
- Led the most successful military campaign in history
- Formed an army of goblinoids and subjugated entire races to serve as his soldiers
- Sired an incountable number of children, of various racial descents
- Created, through progeny or biological and magical experimentation, hundreds of creatures that still exist to this day
- Tore down great swathes of the Thelas Wood to fuel his army, forever crippling the sprawling forest
- Created the Legion's Pass, now simply known as The Passage, between the Arkthen Heights and Skypiercer mountains
- First successful army to capture Kelarkthen, and led the only assault in recorded history against the subterranean city of Arkthen
Failures & Embarrassments
- Never defeated the Thelassian elves, unable to pierce the divine protections of Ellan Thelas
- Forced to retreat from Arkthen front to deal with emergence of humans to the south
- Unable to overwhelm considerably smaller force of humans
- Manipulated into several disadvantageous battles, fell for ambushes, ultimately defeated by the humans
Intellectual Characteristics
Drokor was said to have an incredibly shrewd mind, capable of long-term planning and managing his vast Legion with ease. With that, however, often clashes his tendency to treat all his problems with the same response: by throwing soldiers at it until it bent before him. The most apparent example of this is in the final days of his life, when he stubbornly refused to adapt to the humans capabilities, assured in his numbers and past victories that he would be able to manage, and ultimately falling to his own hubris. Still, a few poor decisions in his later years did not erase the fact that Drokor was able to not only maintain the largest militarized force in history, but also lead and manage them across vast distances and with great skill.
Morality & Philosophy
Drokor was recorded as having a rather straightforward philosophy to life: might makes right. He saw weakness as something to be excised, and was known to challenge his own generals and soldiers to physical combat when they proved unruly. He saw the world as a battlefield, and as he was the strongest, it was his right to take it. In his own musings, he often regarded the dwarves as foes of the highest honor, as their stone fortresses and sturdy defense against his Legion proved to be one of the hardest difficulties for him to overcome, and forced him to think cleverly and use care as he claimed their homelands for himself.
While he was a very physically imposing individual, it is recorded that his idea of "might" did not excuse those gifted in the arcane arts, and Drokor himself pushed into that realm of power as well. It is known that he held a cadre of sorcerers at his command, and that they helped to turn the tide of many battles during his career. However, this acceptance did not extend to divine magics granted by the Divines, as Drokor was stated to dislike power one couldn't truly own. As such, he forebade worship of the Divines throughout his Legion, and especially amongst his enslaved soldiers.
Current Status
Deceased
Circumstances of Birth
Unknown, Mythologised
Circumstances of Death
Slain in battle
Birthplace
Unknown, presumed within the lands of present-day Drokonir
Place of Death
City of Rutonia
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Deep gray, piercing
Hair
Long, black, often depicted tied back, angular beard
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Ruddy red, scarred and weathered face
Related Myths
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