Mylnric

Origins
Mylnric started life on a family farm in Bardonia. Named for the powerful mill which his mother was enamored with, he was taught to raise crops as an ordinary freeholder. Mylnric was barely beginning to reach adulthood when, well, history happened.

With the family farm reduced to ruins by war with Uldaraash and winter coming, young Mylnric needed a new way to feed his family. Recruited by a group of local highwaymen, he set out to even the odds. Life as a henchman was not romantic, involving long sorties across the countryside punctuated by moments of sheer terror for all involved.

Fortunately for Mylnric, this group proved to be Bardonians in spirit as well as in name. What started as opportunistic thievery from Uldarasshi merchants evolved into well coordinated attacks on high value targets. As his superiors gained notoriety and began to win contracts for politically driven sabotage, Mylnric kept a lower profile and studied the patterns of both politics and business. Now more than a meat shield, he used his unparalleled knowledge of the land to understand strategic opportunities while mastering asymmetric warfare tactics.

Age is no soldier's friend; bandits doubly so. With every battle came a new scar or injury, slowly wearing down Mylnric's combat abilities. As peace began to come to Bardonia, he realized the time was coming to find a new way of life. Upon hearing news of the discovery of Eldham, Mylnric decided to sell his well-worn sword for a ticket to the new land.

The worst thing you can say to Mylnric is "go back to Rathnir". As a long time criminal, he's heard just about every incarnation of swearing and rightous indignation that exists. However he'd rather spend a week at the Lutum sand mines than a day in Uldaraash, and is not above drawing a sword on someone to make this point known.

''Out of character note: Mylnric's player is native to Eldham and has no history in Rathnir. This character backstory is exactly that: a backstory. He's also not a god-tier PvPer, which is represented in game by Mylnric's growing list of physical weaknesses and his present aversion to armed conflict.''

= Life in Eldham =

Settlement in Eldham
At first, Mylnric landed in the frozen wilderness of Irulan and attempted to set up a small farm unbeknownst to the local government. Having no local contacts or claim to his land, Mylnric set out to see if other nations may be better suited to his needs. Xenophotastic invited him to check out Leethharka, then little more than a few homes and other buildings carved into a mountain. Sheep grazed where the outer city is now located. Seeing the strategic potential in the location he was warmly welcomed to, Mylnric sought to learn more about the A.W.E.. At the time, it was a new nation formed from two others and was in the process of acquiring Bostadia. Mylnric was one of the first citizens of the A.W.E. to visit Fort Sporania, and may or may not have “mislaid” evidence of Mr. Pierogi’s legal claims to the region in the namesake horse’s stables.

Early Career in the A.W.E.
Mylnric expressed an interest in road building when joining the A.W.E. He reasoned this would be an excellent way to get to know the empire, while setting the foundation for a mercantile career. Xenophotastic commissioned him to create a road connecting his city of Leehhtarka to the town of Adamentem (now Neboria). This was completed in time for the Unity Day Festival, and remains in use to this day.

His efforts and overall maturity received widespread recognition within the AWE leadership, leading to Mylnric's promotion to the High Council. Serving in this role gave him a level of visibility and influence within the government unlike anything he had ever experienced.

When Xeno developed a new kind of egg farm underneath Leehhtarka, Mylnric took it upon himself to establish a bakery for making cakes. This is a major export product for Eldham and provided Mylnric with a more reliable source of income than selling experience bottles at auction.

Phoenian Crisis Involvement
While planning an extension of the AWE's Great Northern Road into Phoenia, Mylnric was introduced to his counterpart Astapf. Discussions of the road network led to Mylnric mapping Phoenia, but little more than that. Not long after that, RageOFire came to power in Phoenia.

Astapf came to Mylnric for assistance, claiming that Rage was abusing his power as the King of Phoenia. Under the Second Constitution of the Republic of Phoenia, the King and the civil government were required to be separate, and this was not the case under Rage's rule. Other abuses of power were alleged, including the buying of votes. Mylnric conferred with Xenophotastic, his mentor and at the time a higher ranking official in the AWE government. He suspected that Xeno was unofficially playing the role of a spymaster, and therefore very knowledgeable on foreign affairs.

The Holy Empire Of Lutum had just lost control of its claims, and while this was happening, Phoenia was expanding into Lutum's territory. This event had forced Blue Arbiter to seek asylum in the A.W.E., where he took a job as a police officer. In order to better judge Astapf's intentions and ability to work with the A.W.E., Mylnric invited Arbiter to the Sobering Scribe Tavern in Leehhtarka for the negotiations as well. His reasoning was that if Astapf were to seek asylum in his city, he would need to come to terms with the fact that the man protecting him is from Lutum.

Negotiations at the Sobering Scribe led to a plan of action, exposing the inconsistencies between Rage's policies and the Phoenian constitution as justification for supporting a planned rebellion against Phoenia. However Astapf pre-empted the necessary Senate vote to support such a measure by declaring The Phoenian Civil War anyway. The lack of public justification forced the Zamotz Union to quietly withdraw support, and the A.W.E. to offer no formal support whatsoever. Astapf became a wanted man in his home country, narrowly escaping pursuit by heavily armed mercenaries. The citizens of Rapture loyal to him fled through the jungles of the AWE and founded their own city, Ironton, before Mylnric could react. This claim was later legalized when its residents formally applied for and were granted citizenship. Phoenia itself would lose its western coast to a new nation, Soliana, and join the Zamotz Union.

Lutum proved far more patient and coordinated. Their king, TheClarkyCat, and his trusted man Lord_Volt broke their exile to meet with Mylnric and Xeno at the tavern. This resulted in a long conversation about the future of Lutum, and a tentative promise from the AWE to offer protection for the rebuilding process. Lutum became a formal protectorate of the A.W.E., retaining its sovereignty and population while offering its benefactor considerable influence in a region that had previously been overlooked. Mylnric did not pursue options to get involved with Phoenia, figuring that his nation lacked the necessary settlers to retain control of a chaotic land. Allowing the land to fall into the hands of a trusted ally was no setback in his eyes; after all, "it's only yours if you can keep it". Lutum offered the support of its native population, and therefore would not need the AWE to draw resources away from domestic priorities except in the event of a war.

Forgotten Ideals Movement
In a strange twist, Xenophotastic was elected Senator of Ekari Province and then chose not to be seated. Mylnric served as his delegate for about two and a half weeks, trying to keep the government stable and taxes low. After Archeon was stripped of his High Council position, Mylnric returned the senate seat to its original owner. While the legality of this move was questioned, Mylnric pointed out that he was legally entitled to re-seat Xeno as Xeno was the duly elected Senator.

Xeno became increasingly frustrated with the AWE government, and began plotting efforts to change how it was run. He decided to launch a "coup" on the AWE discord, using mod powers to strip government positions from his nemeses and promoting TheOtakuKaiser as the true emperor of the nation. Mylnric was caught completely unaware by this, and moved his personal belongings out of his home in Leehhtarka to a recently reclaimed farm in Cansavia. The coup attempt resulted in a ton of personal drama, and culminated with "plea deals" being reached between Police Chief Lafonze (Gangstapimplimp) and Xeno. Xeno was revealed to be Rennoc, Quincy Saint of Magic, and therefore able to gleefully defy being publicly executed for treason and forced to mine sand. Kaiser was not so lucky, and remained dead after his own execution for his minor involvement in the plot.

Much like Saint Rennoc, the drama didn't die either. The AWE Senate voted to consider merging with another nation, and several other members of the government sought a wide variety of reforms. This turned into an extensive Discord group thread between a number of similarly aligned people, discussing a wide variety of things including a new Constitution and a new name. However the group thread had a mole, reporting to the appalled General Archeon and exposing the conversation at a public event. Mylnric was at the time aware of the entire discussion, though a relatively minor contributor to it. He held the view that reform was best achieved by voting out political opponents, rather than insurrection. Nonetheless Mylnric was called upon to defend all aspects of the conversation in public, with many of the others involved forced to log off due to time zone differences.

The entire group, including Mylnric, was charged with treason. Mylnric used his public platform to refuse any plea deals, and the others later did the same. Due to a shortage of judges and jurors, this caused a collapse of the A.W.E.'s legal system. Controversially Mylnric enlisted foreign support by disclosing this to Eldham without any approval from the Emperors. In his view, the nation was on the verge of splitting up into pieces, and Eldham as a whole would care if its 4th largest nation imploded. Making the dispute public would provide useful outside pressure to get the situation resolved constructively, and prepare alternatives if it didn't. One friendly and one neutral nation offered assistance running a more unbiased court, while the AWE's enemies quickly took notice. Unknown to Mylnric, the other Entente nations had been informed of the situation.

Grand Falcon Coolworld moved the Senate to vote on the charges presented. While there was a lack of clarity whether the Senate was voting to pursue charges, or to convict the accused, this did result in Mylnric being let off with a clean record. Subsequent private negotiations led to the departure of several prominent members of the Forgotten Ideals Movement from Eldham, including Xeno. Others accepted plea deals, leading to a public execution at the city of Vonkari. Maxi put his city ahead of himself and chose to remain in the nation, along with one other. This alleviated Mylnric's concerns about "Vonk-exit" and caused him to scrap some contingency plans, which for legal reasons must remain classified. Yoissy was deeply unhappy with Mylnric's use of outside pressure, but swiftly moved towards constitutional reform.

Life in Cansavia and Lutum
With the Forgotten Ideals controversy finally put to bed, Mylnric began to focus more inward. His bank balance was desperately low, in fact barely capable of sustaining a land claim. Interestingly, his situation was rescued by the former Phoenians who now led Soliana. Selling potatoes and then cactus for XP bought enough time to win a partnership with AdmiralDalai, who had created an egg farm in Encan City. Finally having the missing piece of a cake-making business without venturing into Leehhtarka, as well as a lucrative trade agreement abroad, Mylnric was no longer poor.

Realizing the limits of a single man to run a settlement, Mylnric decided to open his land up to other settlers. At first he attempted to recruit locally available cheap labor to work his lands. This was thwarted by then-Governor Alyra of Brunia, who recognized the laborers' right to unionize. Fearing the prospect of USSE influence in his own town, Mylnric opted to solicit new citizens by giving away surplus food to new players and the occasional bandit. After a controversy between one of his citizens and the city of Willowreach, Mylnric opted to rebrand the "Company Town of PortCansavia" to the "Village of Gaia's Garden" and focus on making a good home for people who are looking for a more rural lifestyle.

Mylnric received an invitation from his longtime friend, Blue Arbiter of Lutum, to assist with economic development in that nation. Arbiter had become King of Lutum and attracted a large number of new citizens to the region. Mylnric theorized that shipping eggs to the rising nation and distributing them publicly would help its citizens get financially established. This proved to be highly successful, making both Mylnric and his business partner Admiral Dalai wealthier in the process. Money earned from a different business deal with Dalai was also spent in Lutum. Mylnric had previously acquired a worn-out netherite pickaxe, and was able to acquire the mending book needed to restore it from a fisherwoman in Lutum. Pride in Lutum's success has led to Mylnric becoming a citizen in that nation, despite deep reservations about potentially being given a title of nobility.

Return to Arms
Encansavia Province has grown considerably since Mylnric settled there, welcoming a surprising number of new citizens. Among them is a former squatter town named Makanda, now part of the A.W.E.. This town practices a rat-oriented faith deemed heretical to Ratism, and has been under frequent attack from the Ratists and their hired proxies. Mylnric has sworn to protect his people, and if this means attacking Rattican City and its protectors himself, so be it. This is a significant departure from his policy of staying out of Eldham's wars.

Mylnric has long been aware of Grimmith Blackflame's extensive collection of heads. In fact, Mylnric has said that he would be willing to deed his head to Mr. Blackflame in exchange for tickets to the Hall of Heads Amusement Park. However, due to Mylnric's rising prominence on the world stage, Grimmith has indicated that he would like to collect said head sooner rather than later. This poses a dilemma, as Mylnric is mortal and does in fact still need his head to function as a living being.

Given these dire threats, Mylnric can neither confirm nor deny that he is looking to acquire an Elixir of Youth. This beverage would restore his fighting abilities to their former status under Bardonia, making him a considerably more difficult mark for those who terrorize Eldham. Due to the revelations in his dream about the Black Raven, he is thoroughly convinced this elixir can be found somewhere under Ravenguard. What sacrifice will the gods require of him in exchange for defying the circle of life? We will see.

Mylnric is in the process of converting to Junicism. However he has promised his citizens not to convert the entire town, as Sir Ulrich raised objections and the A.W.E. guarantees freedom of religion as a constitutional right. That said he banned Ratism from the province for sponsoring terrorism against Makanda. The legality of this measure has yet to be challenged.

= Values and Beliefs =

Religion
Mylnric's religious views are shaped by his longstanding fascination with the cycle of life and death. While his relationship with the divine powers of Rathnir is best described as "mutual contempt", Eldham's have made their presence known to him on numerous occasions.

Privately, Mylnric will describe his understanding of the Gods of Eldham as a progression of four seasons. Each season has a different divine representative who demands different things of Eldham's people. It can reasonably be considered a limited form of universalism, as he sees believers of several other faiths as people who simply misinterpret what is really going on. Not every faith is legitimate in his eyes. Mylnric sees the Rat King as "eight rats stuck in a honey block", which he has better plans for.

Eldham is currently in early summer, and Juni is ascendant. Mylnric feels called by her to defend Eldham against the coming darkness.

Winter: The Deathless One
Winter's god is elusive, and has thus far not given his true name. He is a tortured god, burdened with many memories of years past and prone to fits of lightning. His prophet, Xenophotastic, is the lightning rod who attracts many controversies. As the Prophet of Winter, Xeno has used his divine power to laugh off his own execution among other feats.

Winter calls upon mortals to reflect upon their choices. He is the god who gave free will to the mortal races long ago, allowing us to embrace the gods that make our world better and rebuke those who would tear it apart. Mylnric retains lasting magical protection from the God of Winter, though the true nature and limits of this enchantment are not fully known.

Spring: Gaia
Gaia is the Quincy goddess of life, evangelized by the prophet Yoissy. Mylnric has met Yoissy in person on a number of occasions, serving under him in the government of the AWE. While Gaia's influence on Mylnric's life is best understood through Yoissy's work as Astrukan of the A.W.E., Mylnric has seen the Heart of Gaia in Aktala in person. Many other faiths follow a deity of natural creation, whether that it represented by The Cube or a food such as berries.

Spring's challenge is growth. Conflict will emerge as new life enters Eldham, and Gaia's challenge is to find room for everyone. She rewards open mindedness and innovation, as well as those who embrace change.

Mylnric's town is named "Gaia's Garden" in honor of the prosperity she has brought to mortal life. Accordingly it has attracted people with a close relationship to the natural world.

Summer: Juni
Since summer is just beginning, Juni has not fully revealed herself yet.

Mylnric met Juni's wife in Lutum, where she was distributing gifts to help the young nation grow and prosper. They got to conversation, which led to Mylnric being introduced to Junicism. He sees Juni as a highly ambitious young woman who has become an avatar of the god who is rising to prominence. Her ascension is both a sign of the new season and an invitation to get more involved in Eldham's affairs.

Autumn: The Black Raven
Mylnric met Onetapped in a dream, who invited him to see a bombed out ruin where the city of Roma once stood. Clad in full netherite armor, the Raven Prophet told Mylnric and a bandit incarnation of Lathien about his plans to spread the word of entropy. The ruin was later replaced with a copper field, from which Mylnric harvested a small amount of copper. While the city of Roma has returned to its customary location, the copper collected has not disappeared. Mylnric keeps this as proof that his dream was, in fact, real. (This occurrence was the result of a minor staff scandal over differing interpretations of griefing, but the sheer absurdity of experiencing it in character makes for a good religious experience.)

Autumn's arrival is prophesized in numerous other religion. Soleannen myth speaks of Entropy, and Cubism speaks of The Void. The entire object of Solonist faith practice is to forestall the arrival of autumn. Mylnric sees this god not as one to be feared, but as one to be understood. Has Mylnric's close relationship of death prepared him to meet Autumn's challenges? We will see.

Beliefs
All life must have a beginning and an end. Immortality is an aberration, and typically a curse. Embracing death is part of respecting the sanctity of life.

Property is ephemeral. Mylnric is quick to spend his wealth on his town and nations. He prefers to invest in hard goods such as netherite ingots, as these can be distributed to his citizens without banks being involved.

The gods covet mortal believers because mortals have free will. Hands of the faithful shape the outcome of divine conflicts.

Trust is sacred. Accurate information and reliable promises are paramount to surviving life in the underworld, and these values continue to shape his religious views. "One's health and property come and go. One day you're a king, the next day you're at the hangman's noose. That's just life in Rathnir. Reliable friends are worth more than gold. The people who will tell you that what you've seen with your own eyes isn't true? Nothing good comes from that, and the gods shouldn't suffer them to live."

Cats are the gods' greatest creation. They understand intuitively how to balance violence with compassion, protecting the people and places they develop a bond with.

Political Philosophy
Mylnric is a committed minarchist and has been much of his life. Having seen the capacity of kings to ruin the lives of those who live under them, he is highly skeptical of state power. Mylnric believes the best form of statehood is a voluntary union of free men, and is very willing to volunteer his time for the greater good so long as this is reciprocated by other citizens. His strategy for making money is to leverage his power to gain the knowledge he needs to become a successful merchant, rather than to draw a government salary.

While Mylnric is still nursing wounds from Rathnir and has little appetite for combat, as a Bardonian he understands the value in giving younger and more war-hungry men a constructive outlet for their passions. He is a firm believer in never fighting fair, only engaging his enemies where he has a distinct advantage. Soldiers shall be fought in court; scholars on the battlefield. Mylnric understands the brutal nature of conflict, and is not above drawing on the lessons learned from banditry to achieve results he believes are worthwhile.

"I don't understand why people believe a successful empire requires unchecked aggression. Fools are born every minute. Why alienate potential allies when there's no shortage of marks?"

As the founding Minister of Regional Planning for the A.W.E., Mylnric aims to grow both the economy and the relationships of his nation. He uses the government primarily to coordinate efforts across different communities, leaving each to be run according to the preferences of those who live there. He is inspired by Yoissy’s example of leadership through conflict resolution, but uses it pragmatically to preserve the integrity of nations which have done right by him.

= Magic = Mylnric is the former student of Rennoc, Saint of Magic. As such he possesses a limited amount of magical power.


 * Rennoc's Protection. Always in effect. Mylnric cannot be infected with Neiherenspried, and has in fact visited infected locations with no consequence. The full extent of this protection is unknown, but it likely extends to other supernatural diseases such as vampirism.
 * Rennoc's Retreat. Mylnric can attune to any two locations within Eldham, and travel to either location when not in combat. He uses this primarily to conduct trade between the AWE and Lutum.

In all other respects, Mylnric is an ordinary human. He is afforded no specific protection from sharp objects aimed at his face. After all, magic provided by a Prophet of Choice does not in fact protect a man from the consequences of bad choices.