Arthur Endrang, sometimes known as Arthur of Mirmillion, was a king, hero, and military officer of the Rownor Kingdom.

Biography

Arthur Endrang was born into a noble family of the City-State of Mirmillion in 604 b. OW. The large walled city was located northeast of the Lake of Stars, in northern Balebu. During his formative years, Arthur received personal education from the best elven sages available. However, he was a rebellious son, often criticizing his family and the other nobility for their extravagant and irresponsible behavior; he was especially shocked that peasants had to work farms to feed the city while fearing for their lives due to frequent orcish raiders, while the nobles lived plentiful lives in the beautiful elven-style marble palaces of Mirmillion. On his 14th birthday, which coincided with the crowning ceremony of the city-state's new Patriarch, he made a scandalous declaration: he denounced the nobles and all they stood for, and declared that the "fat oaf" would only be worthy of being a patriarch if he had lived among the people and fought for them.

Due to this unacceptable behavior, Arthur was unceremoniously exiled from the city for a duration of 10 years. His family enlisted him in the Bromalnor Foreign Legion in the south, because it kept Arthur far away and the Legion was renowned for its harsh discipline. During these years, Arthur greatly developed his martial skills, and he got the opportunity to "live among the people" - whenever his squad went on a march and was allowed to rest in a farmstead rather than the barracks in exchange for labor in the fields, he was overjoyed. Arthur also developed a romantic attraction for Elea, the daughter of a human artisan in Farburg, but the social barrier between the two was too great to surmount.

Arthur deserted the Foreign Legion in 582 and headed back north, accomplishing several heroic deeds and making a name for himself along the way. Most of this quest occurred in the Rownor Kingdom, where people valued Arthur's heroic merit and he made many friends, especially among knightly groups. However, Arthur's destiny was further north, and, a year after his desertion, he finally returned to the fertile hills of Mirmillion.

Twice, he attempted to enter the city. He argued that he should replace the patriarch, because currently Mirmillion's army was causing surrounding orcish herder tribes to band together and pose a threat, while outrageous taxes were far too high for the peasantry to bear. But he was rejected both times. In the meantime, he visited surrounding villages, helping out wherever he was needed and engaging in several legendary quests - some of which were freely invented by later historians and bards, others which actually happened.

The City-State of Mirmillion finally collapsed in 576 b. OW and was overrun by orcs. Arthur and his small group of supporters headed south, setting up residence in the Rownor Kingdom. But Arthur was already well-known there, in equal parts because of his past visit and because of the stories that had trickled down from the north, and he rapidly rose the social ranks. He was a popular figure as much as a capable leader, and was soon after integrated into the Rownian military as an officer. Among other things, Arthur participated in the eviction of the drow from Holimion in 574. Arthur demonstrated great tactical acuity in addition to his heroism and was a well-known personality by 573, when he was widely recognized as one of the greatest embodiments of Brok values and a good friend of Rownor.

King Rownor abdicated, and Arthur was in a perfect position to take his place. He had the respect of all important parties, and thus, after a definitive demonstration of his ability by drawing Rownor's blade from the stone, he became King of the Broks. As king, Arthur incorporated his values into the government. The Round-Table was his most important reform: the government was now in the hands of the eleven greatest heroes of the realm, all of whom sat around a circular table so none would be in a corner. In Arthur's ideal world, the Round-Table would guarantee the protection of the people, fairness, and equal representation of all heroes in the kingdom. The eleven heroes struck out on noble quests across the kingdom, making sure all Brok people fared well and dealing with the greatest problems.

But not all was perfect. While the government relied on a small institution, regional administration was left in the hands of whoever had local power: this led to the rise in influence of guildsmen and political elites, to the point where the Round-Table increasingly shifted from autocratic governance to constant haggling and compromising with the politicians. Arthur was frustrated by this, and his disappointment was compounded by the foreign situation. Rownor was unable to stand as a strong, independent, and inspirational nation on the continental level: the Pact of Iron and wars with Ochebana, along with Rownor's inability to intervene to protect either Brimmer or Undine, made him lose faith in his ability to lead Rownor. As a result, he decided to once more plunge the blade in a stone, and give up the crown, thereby ending the Age of Heroes.