Dausk VIII

Dausk VIII was made Kvar of Vul after his father and brother were killed by a Dolish horde in 948. The early years of his reign saw him and his Sarhinda making war across the whole of Vulsha, exterminating Dolish tribes, and plundering the other Vulshik of their riches. He wielded the political power of the Kvarik Council to cow his rivals and pit the other Kvars against one another.   He was roughened by warfare, and vicious to rivals. Like most in the Line of Dausk, he could control flames and call down lightning from storms. He used his gift, his well armed Sarhinda, and nationalistic levies to exert Vul's supremacy over the other Vulshik tribes for many years.   While he proved an aggressive warlord to the other tribes, the people of Vul regarded Dausk VIII as a savior. He was the strongest Kvar the city had seen in many years, steeped in Lordling blood, and ruthlessly cunning to rivals powers. Dausk fed and clothed the poor, funded apprenticeships and education across all trades, and saw to the restoration of Vul unlike any Kvar had prior. In Starspell 982, He even took a seamstress to wife from among the common folk.   His work with the commoners chaffed the city's nobility, who did not like to see the rising wealth and power of their lessers. They too gained fabulous riches from Dausk's campaigns however, and would not move against him.   In Sunspell 986, Dausk finally met his match from the combined might of Kvar Ymir of the Ru'Hava and the Sarhinda Gerza of Ta'Riev. The two allied together in the campaigning season, and crushed Dausk's warband as it was crossing the Mosiva River. It was said that Kvar Ymir had been granted the power of foresight from his god, Galhonshir, the Whispering Cave. He always knew exactly where and when to strike. Gerza in turn provided the most battle-hardened Sarhinda to hammer away at Dausk's own warband.    By Starspell 990, the Kvar of Vul was forced to halt his attacks and make concessions before the Kvarik Council. Afterwards his focus turned inward to the efforts of restoring his city to its former glory. Pressures soon mounted as the treasury stores dwindled and the nobility seethed against his populist interests. This was compounded further by Dausk's son and heir, who bore no sign of the powers of his bloodline.    This period of decline wore at the Kvar greatly. His Sarhinda taxed his people heavily to fund the excessive lifestyles they had grown accustom too, and refused to fight for Dausk unless he made drastic legal reforms. Meanwhile his old rivals grew powerful, and began raiding settlements in his territory.    Desperate, Dausk began seeking allies beyond Vulsha. In 997 he arranged a marriage between himself and Gwynwul fe'Ald. He hoped to sire a powerful heir and reignite his peoples' fortunes. This hope was dashed however when Gwynwul disappeared in 999.    Dausk became a shell of his former self, but still imparted all his martial prowess and political cunning on his firstborn son, Ruthven. He grew sick in 1018 and began to grudgingly pass on more of his responsibilities to Ruthven.    Death neared as Starspell 1019 closed in on the old Kvar, but not before fate would bring his second born to Vul. The young Gwyrden bore Gwynwul's name and countenance, and his command of fire marked him as one of the Line of Dausk. The old Kvar gave his youngest son as much wisdom as he could before passing in 1020, leaving his lands for both his sons to rule over jointly.