Roharik the Red
Smith and Sellsword
This article contains slavery, sexual assult, and suicidal thoughts, in addition to the normal violence and killing.
Early Life
Born in the quiet town of Kellihís in 1525 AA, Roharik was welcomed into the world by a loving mother and father who lived on the verge of poverty. Despite their financial difficulties, however, the two of them did their best to give their young son the skills he would need to make a living on his own. Thanks to his mother's connections to one of the local smiths, Roharik was able to become an apprentice, and a fantastic one at that.Wrath and Regret
Roharik loved to hammer all day and night. As the boy grew older and larger, so too did his arms and wrath. Out of all the various items he forged alongside his master, weapons were his favourite, especially things such as polearms. While he and a few of his friends were drinking and celebrating his 15th birthday, the young lad decided to steal a newly forged poleaxe from the smithy. Eager to show off to his friends, he began swinging the weapon against logs on a chopping block, splitting the wood.The group had been in a boisterous mood until one of them, a boy who’d been a year younger, grabbed ahold of the weapon, saying that he wanted a go with it. Such an act had enraged the drunken Roharik. He had pushed the boy to the ground and without hesitation, his burly arms swung the polearm around, bringing it down on the fallen friend’s chest. His friends attempted to calm him for but a few seconds before ultimately deciding that it was wiser to run back home and inform their families of what had happened. Roharik stood over the body of the boy he’d killed for a minute, finally realising what he’d done. With adult voices in the distance nearing his location, he chose to run, fleeing for the nearby woods. That fateful day had changed his life forever. He would never again return to his hometown, never again see the parents who had given their all for him, although they would always be in his thoughts, haunting his dreams and filling his heart with regret.
Miscreant and Mercenary
Ain't nothin' wrong with bashin' a few skulls in to earn a livin'. If they're up against me, then it's as clear as day that they weren't in the habit of using those heads of theirs, anyway.Hunted by his own people, Roharik navigated through the forest, foraging whatever he could get his hands on. He had spent weeks lost in the woods without a clue whether or not he was actually getting anywhere, until he had finally reached the edge. His long journey eventually took him to the city of Izinhald where he by happenstance stumbled across a group of sellswords who liked the look of the large, poleaxe wielding boy and offered him a drink and a place in their company.
Botched Beginnings
The group he had joined, the Stags of Speerval, was a boastful bunch of miscreants that sought to leave the empire, looking for greater adventures and better treasures in lands plagued by war and strife. Around a week after joining the band, young Roharik was forced to prove himself to his new comrades in a fight against some unfortunate border guards that had been blocking their way to the lands of the Cuperni. Roharik had gone up against heavily armoured opponents while still in his old atire, but his strength and fury had overwhelmed his foes with relative ease. Once the last of the screaming soldiers was put to death, the Stags looted them for all their valuable, providing Roharik with his first set of armour. While the group's journey through the Kingdom of the Cuperni had gone without worries, the same couldn't have been said for their adventures in the Free State of Melin. As they were helping escort a caravan for a sly merchant that had lined their pockets with coin, a large raiding party of mounted warriors struck under the cover of night. Outnumbered four to one, the courage of the Stags of Speerval faltered and many of them fled or hid from the ensuing bloodbath as Roharik tried his best to save his new brothers-in-arms, but to no avail. He was eventually subdued and clasped in chains, his poleaxe seized so that it could be sent to the Tomb of the Fallen along with the foes it had felled.
Raiders of Deil Auri by Midjourney
Slave and Slaver
You want your freedom back, lad? Work for me and I shall ensure that you will have all the money, women, and fame a man like you could ever desire.Enslaved by his captors, Roharik was stripped of his gear and forced to follow the raiders in chains, along with the other unfortunate captives that filled the cramped wagon of prisoners. There was little room in there for someone of his height and size, but as days turned to weeks, he had learned to endure. After a long and arduous trek through the Deil, the group has reached the territories of the Confederation of the Ualish and their final destination, the city of Eastgate. There, at the crossroads of the Mettelagen and the central Lethean plains, merchants and vile slavers traded and sold their goods to the highest bidder, enriching the Ualish who guarded and taxed the settlement.
Roharik of the Golden Companions by Midjourney
Golden Companions
Roharik had been luckier that most of the other slaves. As the captives were being sold off to work in mines, fields, brothels and other such establishments, he had caught the eye of a middle-aged man clad in steel and adorned with scars and a golden cloak. He had introduced himself as Odo of the Golden Companions, a reputable and well-connected mercenary company, and before Roharik could utter a word, the man had presented him with an offer that he simply could not refuse. Odo was willing to pay for Roharik’s freedom, seeing value in a young man of his strength and stature, but in exchange for such generosity, Roharik had to join the mercenary group and work to earn back the coin that he’d been worth. To entice the young man, Odo brought up the sense of brotherhood that was common among the Golden Companions and he spoke much of the fortunes that each of them got to keep after a job well done. The right to plunder and to seize whatever his heart desired from defeated enemies was also to be his, and with such honeyed words and promises, Roharik was easily convinced to accept the offer, not that he required much convincing in the first place. Provided with a bed in the their barracks and an old used set of armour and a sword from their armory, Roharik was ready and eager to make a name for himself and to start anew, again.Sarzin Conflict
Soon after his recruitment into the Golden Companions, he and his new comrades were sent to Aussel on behalf of a larger Ualish mercenary company that had been hired by Chancellor Kilas III of Rueken to raid and ransack villages along the border. Their goal had been to distract enemy forces and to demoralise their people, but it also gave them opportunities to fill their coffers and gather women and children as captives who they could later sell into slavery.Sack of Mehstau
A couple of years later, the Confederation of the Ualish began to hunger for fresh lands and the Eranen seemed like an easy target. The Golden Companions were asked to infiltrate the town of Mehstau before the outbreak of the war so that they could strike from within and open the gates. The pillaging and plundering that followed their victory had been enough to pay off all of Roharik's remaining debts and earned him the name Roharik the Red.Lion of Laipēta
Captain Odo hoped to turn Roharik into his successor and so the young man was given command of his own troop and told to complete a contract for a wealthy patron in Laipēta. Upon reaching the lavish estate of their client, the surrounding guards had turned on them, revealing that they had wandered into a trap. Despite their quantitive disadvantage, Roharik and his men tore through the enemy, laying waste to all who stood before him.Raper and Retriever
Best steer clear of our red patron tonight. I suspect we'll be losing a few chairs again.
Victory in Laipēta had come at a great cost. Roharik had left the courtyard drenched in blood, but over half men had fallen, further fuelling the fury of sellswords. Once vengance had been achieved and their false patron’s head had parted from his shoulders, the Golden Companions began their restless march back to Eastgate. The few groups of travellers, merchants and pilgrims that they encountered on the road fled at the sight of the blood-clad men, but not all were as lucky and Roharik’s wrath could not be withheld.
One such unfortunate group that had failed to avoid the Golden Companions was a family that had been travelling to Athe on a pilgrimage. The eldest of them had been struck down by the mercenaries and the rest fell captive, forced to march east with their captors instead. Roharik had taken a liking to one of the women and claimed her for her own, seperating her from the fate of her siblings and uncle who were eventually sold in Eastgate.
Pilgrims on the Marcher's Path by Midjourney
Failure and Frustration
Once the group had reached the safety of Eastgate, Roharik met with Captain Odo to discuss what had gone wrong in Laipēta. Although the old captain seemed understanding and expressed that it had been his mistake to send them there, Roharik felt frustrated and conflicted within. He felt like a failure for losing so many men in the ambush and wanted to be stronger, to show no mercy. Later that night, Roharik went from tavern to tavern, drinking and fighting before the nausea had put a stop to his rampage. When he had finally got back to his room, he saw that the girl he had captured was still there, trying to sleep in a dark corner with her hands bound. Unsatisfied from all the fighting and drinking, Roharik took his frustrations out on the prisoner, forcing himself on her and leaving her broken and in tears before casting out his dinner onto the floor and passing out. When he woke the next evening, he could see the broken girl in the corner and the memories came rushing back to him. A small part of him considered apologising, but he quickly dismissed that idea, failing to see what good that would have done. Instead, Roharik left the room and found some of his subordinates. He told them that they were to keep their eyes on her and move her to one of the Golden Companions’ properties on the outskirts of town where she could live for the time being while he figured out what to do with her. With the command given, Roharik left Eastgate with a handful of men, hoping that a new and exciting adventure out in the wilderness would clear up his head.Quest for Wrath
Roharik and his men chose to delve into the lands of the Theocratic Realm of Deil Auri so that they could recover his long lost poleaxe. What seemed like a quick adventure on paper ended up costing the group over a year and a half as they failed to concider the magical might of the priests that guarded the Tomb of the Fallen. They were all imprisoned for ten months before an opportunity had finally presented itself and they had managed to make their escape, grabbing Roharik's Wrath on their way out.A Feast to Remember
Roharik’s return to Eastgate had come as a surprise to many of the Golden Companions who had all but figured him for dead due to the length of his absence, but they were nevertheless pleased to see him back, great poleaxe in arm. A feast was held in the lost companions’ honour and as Roharik sat beside the aged Odo, enjoying the tender steak before him, a woman approached with a child wrapped in her arms. The same woman he had left in the care of his men, he quickly remembered as the greater realisation of what the babe in her arms meant. Unbeknownst to him, he had become a father while he’d been on his quest.Father and Failure
Alís Being Presented to Roharik by Midjourney
Apologies
As soon as he was able, Roharik apologised to the mother of his child, knowing in his heart that no apology could atone for the suffering he had inflicted. As he kneeled before her for all the hall to see, he realised he had never even bothered to learn her name. Ashamed of how pathetic and vile he’d been, Roharik confessed to his ignorance before promising that all his wealth and power would go to her and the child. He was to be their servant if she was willing to accept the offer.Acceptance
Elsylle, her voice meek and trembling, told him her name and that of her young daughter, Alís, and agreed, failing to see what other options she had. All she had known was that she was a captive, a slave, and the strange man who had uprooted her life had now promised the world. Her own will to live had broken months ago, but she cared for her daughter, no matter the manner of her conception.Never before had I seen a man of such might and stature, someone so respected and feared, break at the mere sight of a joyous and oblivious child. Roharik was a man whose eyes were as dry as the Rahigina, yet in that moment they had flowed with tears, unbothered by the audience that bore witness to the event. He'd knelt before Elsylle and the child like a fallen combatant, pleading for mercy at the hands of the victor, confessing his shortcomings and offering up his wealth and power. That was the moment that the Roharik we knew had died.
Death and Desertion
You, my dear, will have the safety and stability that I have lost. One day you’ll have a home of your own in some far-off village with neighbours that will cherish and care for you, far from the dangers of this land.Elsylle and Alís had been provided with a cosy house with its own staff of servants and a few of the Golden Companions as guards near the heart of Eastgate, a prominent district where the rich lived and lounged. Roharik knew that Elsylle probably hated the sight of him so he kept clear of the building. It did pain him to be uninvolved in the life of his daughter, but he viewed it as a punishment for his many crimes, one that he had certainly deserved.
East of Eastgate
For two years, Roharik worked to gather money for Elsylle and Alís, taking on dangerous and arguably somewhat suicidal missions, which came with handsome rewards. Eventually an injury forced him to cease his adventuring, giving him time to rest in Eastgate. When he returned, however, news had immediately been brought to him that Elsylle had unexpectantly died hours prior to his arrival. Elsylle hadn’t appeared sick nor had it seemed like a suicide, as despite her crushed will, she cared deeply for Alís and her future. She had simply passed away in her sleep during the middle of the night. With his head filled with guilt, Roharik entered the house that he’d given her, looking for Elsylle and their daughter. Before he reached the room, a servant came running up to him, mentioning that Alís was being taken care of in another room, and she also told Roharik of Elsylle’s promise. A vow that she had given Alís promising stability, safety, and a pleasant home and community far from harm. The oath given to Alís would become Roharik’s sole goal in life. It was all that he could have done to repent for the pain he’d put Elsylle through, and so he intended to follow through with her promise. There would be no more drinking, no more wandering the world as a mercenary. He swore from that day on that the only time that he would ever lift his poleaxe would be in defence of Alís. Without a word to the Golden Companions, he packed up what he could carry and embarked on the journey east with his daughter.
Roharik and Alís on the Road by Midjourney
Settler and Smith
I'm not fond of idle chatter. Best tell me what you're after or sod off. I haven't got all day.Roharik and Alís journeyed to the east, carrying with them the ashes of Elsylle so that she could be buried wherever her daughter's home was going to be. They stuck to the territories of the Confederation of the Ualish, following the Celadris down towards Dirth'ela. Roharik had hoped that his reputation and service to the Ualish would keep them safe, and he'd been right. None had dared to draw steel against the old mercenary, with some even offering to follow them for a while, making sure they could traverse riskier areas unaccosted.
Flag of the Kingdom of Enliten
Land of Promises
During their stay in the ancient alchen city of Dirth’ela, Roharik researched all he could about the world, trying to find a calm and prosperous realm for his daughter. Everywhere he looked reeked of death and despair, however, their histories filled with suffering and strife. He’d nearly given up on his intentions were it not for a traveller he stumbled across at an inn. The strange fellow had kept offering to buy drinks for Roharik, but he refused, knowing well where alcohol had got him in the past. Instead, he questioned the wanderer, asking him for news and information. From there he heard tales of a young realm to the east, one with plenty of unclaimed land to offer.Road to Enliten
As a man of Rustilenlân, Roharik had heard of Enliten before, seeing as the first king of that realm had been one of his own countrymen. It was a land that spoke his own mother tongue and welcomed all with the desire to start anew. He’d been worried that perhaps the land would be too unstable and prone to bloodshed, with it being so new and all, but the traveller’s tales eased those concerns, helping him make the final decision. All that stood between them in Dirth’ela and the Kingdom of Enliten was the Exalted Republic of Helendriel and the Sehenian People, a measly shadow of a once vast empire struggling to hold on to its lands. Going through the forested realm had been a struggle as the land was plagued by separatist forces, various extremist groups, and the occasional opportunists praying on poor unfortunate travellers. Luckily for Roharik, he had brought much of his wealth with him, giving him the means he needed to hire a competent band of guards as escorts. The guards had taken them to Réhyalil and from there he boarded a merchant vessel headed to the city of Valskaen in Enliten, a popular destination for migrants coming from the northwest.
Eastern Watchtower of Olok's Wall by Midjourney
Settling in Reterval
The immigrations office in Valskaen had been able to provide Roharik with all the information on the country that he needed. They had provided him with a list of small towns and villages throughout the land and the unincorporated territories, and out of all the available options, Reterval seemed like the best spot. The riverside village was in need of a smith and it was remote, a good distance from the bustling cities of the realm, away from anyone that might have heard of Roharik the Red. The official that had provided him the information did mention that it was close to something called Olok’s Wall, a fortification that supposedly protects the land from the aberati, but the way he spoke of it made it seem that such dangers were overblown. Roharik had never in his days encountered a single aberati as well, leading him to believe that claims of their existence were dubious at best. Roharik the Red was 26 years old when he began his new life with his 3-year-old daughter, settling in a blacksmith’s workshop that had been constructed prior to their arrival. While Alís grew to have a relatively normal childhood, making friends with the community, Roharik was too raddled with guilt and fear, terrified that he’d one day lose control of himself as way. The reclusive smith served his community with his crafts, but seldom did he wander from home, leaving the socialising to his daughter.
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
1525 AA
42 Years old
Birthplace
Kellihís, Rustilenlân , Empire of Pallernen
Children
Current Residence
Reterval, Unincorporated Territories of Enliten
Sex
Male
Eyes
Blue
Hair
Ginger, short
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale with a red nose and cheeks
Height
1.88 m
Weight
126 kg
Belief/Deity
Golden Companions
Notable Combat Experience
- Attack of the Crossing (1540) - Assaulted several Pallernic border guards as a member of the Stags of Speerval, killing two men and securing himself a set of used armour before venturing forth towards the Kingdom of the Cuperni.
- Raid of the Plainsmen (1540) - Attacked and taken captive by a large group of raiders from Deil Auri in the middle of the night while serving with the Stags of Speerval to protect a merchant caravan.
- Sarzin Conflict (1542) - Raided Ausselian border villages as a member of the Golden Companions on behalf of the Ualish mercenaries aiding Kilas III, the Duke of Nordhei and Chancellor of Rueken.
- Ualish Conquest of Mehstau (1545) - Infiltrated the town of Mehstau with the Golden Companions before the start of the war, and launched an attack to cause chaos and capture the town's gate as the Ualish army approached.
- Betrayal in Laipēta (1549) - Butchered his way through an ambush in Laipēta that he had been lured into with the promise of a lucrative contract. Hunted down the merchant that had betrayed them and escaped the city with only half of his forces.
- Quest for Roharik's Wrath (1547-1548) - Attempted to steal back Roharik's Wrath from the priests of the Tomb of the Fallen in the Theocratic Realm of Deil Auri, but ended up imprisoned for a while until successfully breaking out and snatching the poleaxe.
- The Final Contract (1550) - Ventured north to the Order of the Başeiril to destroy one of their encampments, freeing all the innocent captives that were anxiously awaiting their grizzly ends. Wounded in the fighting and forced to return to Eastgate for rest and recovery.
The Lion's Pride
An overview of the members of the Golden Companions who were sent to Laipēta under Roharik's leadership.
Survivors
- Roharik the Red (age 24)
- Carl Vikevik (age 21) - Injured
- Heinrik of Lúdalstá (age 18) - Injured
- Ahti the Saralian (age 24)
- Brimir (age 24) - Lost an eye
- Elihánil Dalatái (age 43)
- Ostin Bellow (age 32)
Fallen
- Boguslaw the Bold (age 38) - Stabbed to death
- Marai Ri Baraq (age 19) - Succumbed to injuries
- Gaççir of Araş Mari (age 22) - Shot in the back
- Larei the Lakeman (age 41) - Speared in the leg
- Ēliks of Last Hope (age 27) - Throat sliced
- Holg the Hulk (age 50) - Fell after twenty stabs
- Iakopo (age 18) - Stabbed through the gut
- Ditwin the Dull (age 29) - Speared in the back
- Ihleich of Eberstêi (age 24) - Arrow to the face
- Nihl Qa Eltei (age 24) - Died of blood loss
- Diederich (age 19) - Stabbed in the back
Out of all the men under Roharik the Red’s command, Heinrik of Lúdalstá had perhaps been his most ardent admirer. He had hailed from the ancestral homeland of Roharik and aspired to be as fierce as his commander, training diligently both day and night. When they had all walked into the ambush in Laipēta, Heinrik had been one of the first to react, rushing into the fray in defence of his brothers-in-arms. Despite suffering a few injuries, the young recruit’s feats of valour had ensured their survival that day, forever earning the respect of his comrades. Another of Roharik’s close companions had been Ihleich of Eberstêi, a fellow man of the old empire who would regularly join Roharik for a drink at the tavern during the weekends. The two of them had developed a strong friendship over the years, always looking after one another both in Eastgate and on the field of battle. Unfortunately for them, they had found themselves separated during the chaos of the fighting and Roharik had been powerless to stop the archers who had unleashed a volley of arrows towards his friend. All that he could do was to ensure that each of the murderers died an agonizing death at his hands. Without the means to transport all of their fallen home, the dead companions were left to be buried in Laipēta
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