Elaris of Ponrada

Childhood and Upbringing

Elaris was born in -298 AG (whatever that is in DG) in the Elven lands north of the Empire of Garfarr. He grew up as part of a small Elven tribe, showing a strong affinity with magic. He excelled in the use of magical wards, arcane abjuration spells that could be used to protect an area or structure. However, the ambition of the young Elf could not be contained by the simple Elven way of life. He moved to Bocamar at the age of 73, in the pursuit of fame and power.

Rise to Prominence

Elaris would be off to a rough start, making barely enough money to survive. He would spend most his time in the The Golden Crown tavern, taking low level jobs from unsavory people. His magical skills were highly sought after by criminals needing protection, but Elaris would become extremely disgruntled with the way he was treated by them and the lack of respect they had for the arcane arts.   An opportunity would present itself in an unexpected way in -215 AG, when he took an escort job for one of the most infamous crime bosses in Bocamar at that time who was planning to rob the Imperial Vault of Bocamar. The mission was considered so important that the crime boss hired a personal bodyguard, with Elaris serving alongside them together with another magic user named Zaval. Elaris and Zaval immediately took a liking to each other and Elaris would consider him his first real friend since his arrival in Bocamar. They shared their interest in magic and their resentment towards these criminal jobs. However, the escort mission was ambushed by forces trying to capture the crime boss. As they could not hope to escape from their pursuers, Elaris created a magical ward to shield themselves in the vault. This bought the crime boss enough time to get to his planned prize, The Crown of the Sea, a magical crown of shells that can influence the tidings of the sea. The crime boss had also come in possession of Portal Chalk; extremely rare magical chalk that allows the drawing of portals on any surface. Just as the crime boss was about to escape, already having passes halfway into the portal, Zaval dispelled all magic inside the vault, revealing himself to be an inside agent. The crime boss was brutally split in half, killing him instantly, with the Crown of the Sea being lost at the other side. It resulted in the imprisonment of Elaris and the crime boss. The events became known as the Burglary of the Imperial Vault.   The friendship with Zaval would not be in vain, however. Recognizing the skill of the Elven stranger, he pleaded for his release from prison. Zaval was a man with many connections, heading an collective of magic users living in Bocamar, called the Sorcerer Socialites. Because of this position, he was asked to enter the services of Emperor of that time and assist him in the capture of the crime boss. He convinced the Emperor to release and recruit Elaris, promising that he had much potential. Indeed, Elaris would become a faithful servant of the Emperor, even reaching the position of Councillor. He also became part of the Sorcerer Socialites in Bocamar, succeeding Zaval as its head after his death in -176 AG.  

Position of Power

Elaris would continue to advise the Emperor for a long time, especially on manners regarding crime in the Empire, which had been on the rise lately. As the prisons of Bocamar were overflowing, Elaris proposed the creation of a penal colony at the edges of the Empire. It would function as a prison, supervised by Elaris himself. Elaris had long desired to lord over some place, and he believed that becoming the prison warden would grant him that power he sought. The construction of the prison would be approved, located at the western edge of the Empire of Garfarr, which would later become known as Ponrada.   However, before it became known as Ponrada, it was simply referred to colloquially as 'The Prison'. It was a place build to purposefully instill fear on people. Elaris received large amounts of subsidies from the Emperor to run The Prison. With this money, he introduced the Chainwalker March; a system of caravans travelling between cities to buy prisoners to alleviate the pressure on their prisons. They are forced to walk in chains behind the caravan and are paraded through the streets to spread terror among criminals. The towns and cities in Garfarr were of course happy to oblige, trading their prisoners for some money. These prisoners are transferred to the dungeons below the tall towers of The Prison. Because of his bad experiences with the criminal underworld during his time in Bocamar, Elaris treated prisoners extremely harshly. Elaris would also invest in a private army of prison guards, who are tasked with keeping order in the dungeons. Additionally, he brought a great number of magic users from Bocamar with him, founding the Warding Magic School. They project powerful wards around The Prison, stopping unauthorized magic users from casting spells. For his great effort of reducing crime throughout the Empire, he would be nicknamed 'The Warden of the West'.  

Fall of the Empire

When the Empire fell, Elaris was no longer subservient to an Emperor. He immediately proclaimed himself a sovereign ruler of the town he named Ponrada. However, the fall of the Empire would also mean that he could no longer rely on the subsidies granted to him by the Emperor. To secure a steady stream of income, he would implement a controversial but ultimately successful measure.   The plan consisted of turning the dungeons into underground forced labour camps. The prisoners are now made to toil for long hours, making simple products that are sold with a high profit margin. In contrast to the famed label Made in Aldarr, products with the label Made in Ponrada are often ridiculed for their shabby quality. Although they are extremely cheap, they will often fall apart when used extensively. Still, the income of the forced labour would be enough to sustain the Chainwalker March, thus securing a stable source of revenue.   After so many years, Elaris had finally fulfilled his life long dream of obtaining the power he had so long desired. However, his new-found authority   The Touched Souls still reside in Ponrada under the protection of Elaris, planning their next moves, hoping to capitalize on the current chaos in Aldarr.