| Kolrick an Dualach-laoch | |
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 Kolrick without woad. | |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Race: |
Human |
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Affiliations: |
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Titles: |
Advisor |
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Nationality: |
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Status: |
Alive. |
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Relatives: |
Gerand an Dualach-laoch (father, deceased) |
Kolrick, also known as the Godhunter, is an advisor in the Mac Tire Caidre, as well as the former leader of the Gnarled Confederation. He was once to be crowned the new leader of the Wickers, though this was later found to be a falsehood, as he would be used as the new host for the Wicker King. After departing from the Wickers to avoid this fate, having it revealed to him by the troll sage Zulizan, his wife, Verona, and a member of the Thorned Council who opposed the Wicker King named Horith an Darach-rugadh; he established his own faction upon the western portion of The Grip.
He is a bearish man, extremely tall and muscle bound, carrying around a massive blade. Embroidered with the markings of his people, he is known as one of the most fearsome warriors in the Ashen Coast.
History[]
Kolrick an Dualach-laoch was born to Gerand an Dualach-laoch, the Warleader of the Gnarled. As a result, Kolrick was groomed from an early age to become his father’s successor as leader of the Gnarled’s warhosts. A massive man due to the blessing of Tonn upon his bloodline; a gods-given gift that made the main-lineage of his line's men and women tall and strong, Kolrick was prodigal fighter. He easily bested many within his clan.
Destruction of the Gnarled[]
At his father’s right hand in most battles, Kolrick was sent to Wickenden City the night before the Blades of Greymane laid siege to their home within Ironwood Keep, sent to pay homage to the council for more supplies in their position. Having claimed the ancient Galuyn keep from the Gilneans after the Invasion of Gilneas, the Gnarled had made their home within the site that had once been the center of Galuyn power.
Kolrick served the Wickers for many years under his father, and then later as a general in his own right. He was feared by the Gilneans and Galuyn alike for his brutal tactics.
This ended poorly for them, as Gerand was slain, and the Gnarled were divided. Splintering into many clans, the largest warhosts were led by Graftin and Borin, Kolrick’s brother and sister respectively. Graftin had renamed his people to the Reavethorn, and sought to lay low Borin and her co-leader, Jesamine, who had created the clan known as the Crakeriver. Opposing Graftin as he sought to enslave many of the women in the clan as his concubines, the Crakeriver were made up of primarily women and sympathetic Wavewalkers, who had accompanied the Gnarled warhost to aid with traversing the Reach’s waterways around Ironwood. Kolrick was enraged to see his birthright had been shattered, and was forced to remain within the city by the Thorned Council, who claimed his destiny would not have him interfere. Confused by this divination, Kolrick sat idly by as the Reavethorn were defeated, and his father’s ancient axe, Yornroot, had been used by the Crakerivers to do so. To make matters worse, it became clear that the Crakeriver had not won by strength alone; instead, they had allied with Gilneas, in particular, the Blades of Greymane, who had killed Kolrick, and Borin’s, father. While he knew his sister held little love for their father, as he had abused her in her younger years, he saw this as a full betrayal of their people, and saw her as dead to him. Finally, his youngest brother, Geral, had remained with Borin, thus leading to Kolrick losing all of his siblings.
Rise of the Warlord[]
Seeing now what he believed as a divine legacy before him, as the Gnarled fell apart, Kolrick became the arm of the Council. He rallied many of the scattered war clans of the Gnarled together back under their golden banner, and while the Gilneans continued to rally more and more clans to their message of “unity”, Kolrick stood against them. He saw the unity they preached as a lie, another method of enslaving his people to the whim of Gilneas, and that Berenal Grayblade was just another in a long line of subjugators. Gathering his warhost as the Gilneans claimed the ancient grounds of Hirene, as the Thornwind clan turned to ally with them, the Wickers declared their intentions to the Reach by invading the area.
Kolrick initially named himself as Warlord when he took control of the Gnarled.
Appearing as a swarm out from the Ethur’ok Woods, the Galuyn armies swelled against the Reach, who were determined to face this threat without asking for aid from the Duchy at large. They were reeling in the aftermath of the Discord, which saw Ca’ries, a shard of Kil’zoth, defeated after a grueling civil war between the Gilneans and their kin, tainted by his machinations and corrupted nobility. Kolrick abused this weakness to strike at the heart of the Reach; though the Reach called upon their clan allies. Kolrick’s warhost was reinforced by the Ollmhor, the mighty giants having been foreign to the Gilneans who believed them legend, and as a result, the Reach was besieged. Facing the Gilneans on the field with Garrak Dragonbelly as one of his generals, they were caught off guard by the Ollmhor support. Kolrick led on the field personally, facing off against his sister, Borin, who had been left to guard the flank. The two shared few words, as the animosity between the two had grown strong standing on opposing sides, yet Borin had not fully seen Kolrick as dead as he had her. Feigning defeat in the fight, he called for his sister to wait before she advanced on him, only to deceive her and disarm her. Impaling her on her own spear and leaving her for dead, Kolrick’s forces fell back to Wickenden after Garrak was slain by Briana Lockewood, who had managed to topple the Ollmhor warleader. Even with this great loss, however, the Reach was reeling, and Kolrick had made his mark.
Gnarled Confederation[]
Kolrick had proven himself. He’d done so as a formidable general, warrior, and most importantly, as a loyal servant of the Thorned Council. The Council had been looking for a new host for the Wicker King, as Gilneas was at its weakest it had ever been since the Second War of Thorns, and the time for the Galuyn to rise was now. Before the Wickers could act, however, an invasion force landed on an isle known as The Grip off the coast of the Ashen Coast; the Horde had come. The Galuyn had no love for the Horde, as they had been slaughtered by their forces during the Invasion of Gilneas just as the Gilneans had; and the force was vast. When word reached the Wickers of a ceasefire to work together against the Horde, Kolrick was sent as their liaison alongside the Gnarled warhost.
Kolrick named himself King in the wake of the Wicker King's death, seeing himself as the only one fitting to be a monarch to the Galuyn.
Together, Gilnean and Galuyn battled along the isle, rooting out the Horde, though duplicity had been revealed. Oswald Jartya of Cyrvall had been spied upon by the Galuyn forces, and in his stupor, had boasted about an impending betrayal of the Gnarled by his forces; as Cyrvall had been shamed when they were defeated aiding the Reach. Abandoning the Gilnean forces, Kolrick waited in the hills near the Horde occupied city of Karth. When the Gilneans had found victory, the Gnarled forces swarmed the city; destroying the skeleton crew remaining behind and occupying the city for the Gnarled. Unfortunately for the Wickers, Kolrick was made aware of their intentions by a member of the Council, Horith an Darach-Rugadh, the Oakenborn representative; who had long been silent on the council since his people had turned against the Wicker King. Kolrick made himself Warlord of the Grip and abandoned the Wickers. To further his power, he allied with the Barkhide Tribe, a tribe of Horde-aligned Forest Trolls who had been left behind on the isles after the Horde was defeated. Using an ancient ritual, the island was severed off from the Gilnean controlled half of the Grip, and cast out further into the sea.
Creating the Warrior Isles, Kolrick declared himself the Ri of the Gnarled Confederation. Now his a self styled ruler, he sought to create a “true” Galuyn nation, under his rule, where strength was all that matters.
Kingsfall[]
The Confederation stood against the Galuyn for several years, eventually creating the Warrior Isles using ancient magic to separate and cast away the western half of the Grip into the ocean. This allowed for the man to build up his forces, raid, and create his own dynasty without worry of being too close to Gilnean shores.
After the Fourth War was declared, the Confederation aligned themselves with the Horde in order to gain a better leverage point after Aleyina Nathair and Berenal Grayblade set their sights on wiping out the confederation after their repeated raids and attempts to undermine the Galuyn. After uniting the various major clans of the Duchy under the Mac Tire Caidre, the faction came for Kolrick and his people. Though he did not oppose the message of uniting the Galuyn, Kolrick did oppose the concept of Gilnean rule, and as such, refused to surrender to the group.
Kolrick was left drained following his defeat on the Warrior Isles; his hair greyed and his features were less imposing than they used to be.
Across several weeks of battles spanning the Warrior Isles, Kolrick eventually lost the bulk of his troll and horde allies after Zulizan abandoned the Confederation and the Horde departed; seeing that the Confederation did not truly wish to join the Horde. After his wife Verona was slain, having already been killed previously by Aleyina during a raid in the summer, Kolrick stood alone. His own son, Ethevau an Dualach-laoch, who had previously been his lead representative against the Mac Tire Caidre, even stood against him as well. At the apex of his fortress city of Kolr-Coinnigh, Kolrick was at last convinced to stand down and spare his people the blood shed.
Needing more time for his own dark ritual, Zulizan turned the powers of death that he had granted to Kolrick through the ancient galuyn war blade, Bladebreaker, against him. Enslaving him to his will, the troll forced Kolrick to fight the remaining forces of the Mac Tire Caidre as he destroyed the Warrior Isles, sending them to the bottom of the ocean. Managing to defeat Kolrick and escape due to the intervention of the followers of Yim'nir, Kolrick was permanently scarred from the battle; leaving his muscles severely crippled. While he retained full range of motion, over exertion would cause his muscles to strain to extreme amounts that would effectively paralyze the man in pain; preventing him from being a master warrior any longer.
The ancient Gnarled blade, Bladebreaker, was the sword of Kolrick's ancestor, Tonn. After his defeat, he felt too ashamed to wield it any longer, especially after profaning it with Zulizan's magic. It was taken up by Nawar Shanworth in his stead; with the understanding it would eventually be returned to the Gnarled some day.
Handing Bladebreaker to the Mac Tire Caidre, its power drained in the aftermath of the fight, Kolrick entered into the Mac Tire Caidre as an advisor and handed off leadership of the Gnarled to his son, Ethevau. Shamed by this defeat, he entered into a several month long stint of drinking and whoring that saw him degrade mentally and physically.
Return[]
After several months of unsuccessfully attempting to seduce Aleyina and make something of himself, the man was finally approached by the woman with a bargain. She would help him to make something of himself again, in exchange, he would be allowed into a relationship with her and would gain a position of power in the Galuyn that he craved. Finding that the marriage between herself and Berenal had shifted slightly in dynamic to be open in approved cases; the trio came to an agreement.
Kolrick removed some of the excessive elements of his armor after becoming an advisor, as well as taking on the sword, Strife's End; a blade of his own making.
Finding no true love for Aleyina due to her murder of his wife, Verona, the relationship was mostly bound through common goals and lust. Though over time he did grow to enjoy her companionship, he noted several times he would likely never grow to care for her the way he cared for Verona.
With this new alliance in place, Kolrick, Aleyina and Berenal conspired for him to take the un-filled position of General that he once held before the dissolution of the Thorned Council. To do this, he began to reform a guild of warriors under his command, mostly made of his former mionlach, that was represented by a black flame with a white bull on the inside.
Relationships[]
Kolrick has had several relationships throughout his life.
Verona an Dualach-laoch[]
Verona an Dualach-laoch was Kolrick's wife and first love. The woman, a sage of the Gnarled, was one of his biggest supporters throughout his life and sired for him several children; these eight being the only ones that Kolrick truly ever cared for. As Kolrick's prestige rose in his life, so did his temptation. After several trysts and affairs, Kolrick and Verona's relationship nearly shattered, completely destroying Kolrick's perception of a home life.
This was only rectified over time, when the two came to agree on an open marriage; though Kolrick would always place her and their children above any others. This was agreed upon and the bond between the two was restored. Verona served as Queen of the Gnarled Confederation; learning the ways of death magic from the troll sage, Zulizan. This was partially inspired by the idea that her youngest son by Kolrick, Koilin, was slain in a raid by the Mac Tire Caidre.
Verona ultimately met her end after a battle with Aleyina Nathair, where she nearly killed the Wavewalker before being impaled through the skull after taking Aleyina's headdress for her own. Able to manipulate the magic of the crown, Aleyina drove spikes of jagged wood and bone through Verona's skull, killing her.
Verona was later resurrected by Kolrick's sages, though she was mangled in undeath. Her body, left behind in a burning storehouse, was charred and disfigured. Though any sort of carnal relation ended with Kolrick, she remained his closest advisor, and her second death took a great deal of morale from the warlord. Her soul is currently trapped in the blade of Roderick Gallowood, a fact that drives Kolrick with rage.
The Wives of the Warlord[]
Kolrick's relationship with Verona was marked by his numerous 'wives' that he kept midway into their relationship. Though these were not truly married to him, many referred to them as his wives, as they were a hoard of different concubines that Kolrick kept and sporadically grew bored of. These women bore Kolrick the infamous 'Sons of Kolrick', legions of warriors that were sired from the endless trysts that Kolrick engaged in.
Dozens of sons were born over time, though Kolrick rarely showed any affection or attention to these would-be princes. A result of his lust and nothing more, Kolrick used these warriors typically as lieutenants or generals in his armies as they would be loyal to the idea of earning his respect; though few ever managed to do so.
Aleyina Nathair[]
Perhaps once one of the most hated people in Kolrick's life, Aleyina was against Kolrick for the bulk of his time as leader of the Gnarled Confederation. As the wife of his rival, Berenal Grayblade, Kolrick targeted Aleyina for the bulk of his anti-Mac Tire Caidre propaganda and would often attempt to kill the woman whenever the chance arose. After the defeat of the Confederation, Kolrick put aside his hatred to focus on carnal lust for the woman; which she rebuked many times.
After he was effectively useless amongst the advisory council, his only goals appearing to be attempting to seduce Aleyina, the woman proposed to him a bargain. She would help him get into his old position of power, effectively giving her an additional voice against the growing power of Yori an Riamhtine, and in exchange, they could enter into a relationship. Explaining that her husband and her had an understanding that other people could be brought in as long as it was discussed and agreed upon certain rules, the man accepted with the understanding that Berenal would be put first in most things. Though mostly based off lust and political power, genuine companionship has arisen between them; though Kolrick is still jaded over Aleyina's role in the downfall of the Confederation and the death of his wife.
Ethevau an Dualach-laoch[]
Kolrick's eldest son and former heir, Ethevau was one of the only children that ever got to experience Kolrick as an actual father before his downfall in his personal relationships. Having a deep respect for his father, Ethevau acted as Kolrick's right hand in most things, eventually being the one who spearheaded operations against the Mac Tire Caidre for the bulk of their attempts to recruit the outlying major clans of the Ashen Coast.
Ethevau represented his father unwaveringly for years, eventually however finding his match against the Mac Tire Caidre. Repeatedly failing to recruit any of the clans that he had been sent to gather, Ethevau was shamed by his defeat. Needing to blame someone for the reason why the clans refused to join the Confederation, Ethevau was put on the spot and demoted from his position of power. Cast away to the farming village of Eiri Amach, Ethevau was effectively replaced by his younger brother, Tytos.
This opened Ethevau's eyes to the growing distance he had put on his family, and how he had effectively written off any relationships with his children. As such, Ethevau was recruited into the Mac Tire Caidre by the words of Laogh an Galubaile. In the aftermath of his father surrendering to the Mac Tire Caidre, Ethevau was disgusted by Kolrick's degradation into whoring, drinking and effectively being useless. Even after Kolrick began to rouse from his stupor, the two had a severe falling out due to the fact that the broken bridge between them was never repaired. In truth, Kolrick did not seek to repair it as he had no inclination to be a father again; thus leaving the two men often at odds with one another.