Gareth Dragonsbane

Gareth Dragonsbane is king of the land known as Damara.

History
He was once an adventurer working as a knight of the Order of the Golden Cup and tithed 50% of his gains to the organization. Despite this, he became a very wealthy man and established a comfortable homestead on a large estate in the northern part of Damara. The war with the Witch King Zhengyi and the army of Vaasa tore apart Gareth's comfortable life. He commanded a brigade of Damarans in the war and acheived every single objective he was tasked with. In retaliation, the Witch King burned down his estate. With his home gone and his men either dead or dispersed, Gareth travelled to the southern baronies of Damara, left as vassal states by the victorious Zhengyi.

He was recruited along with six other adventurers, Olwyn Forest-Friend, Friar Dugald, Riordan Parnell, Celedon Kierny, Emlyn the Gray and Kane to protect the village of Bloodstone from an army of bandits. After a difficult battle, the heroes prevailed and were next sent to investigate the recently abandoned Bloodstone mines after a series of vicious Worg attacks. In the mines, he and the party discovered a temple to Orcus. The Duergar of the temple were planning on gating in Orcus to the Material Plane. But Gareth and his party foiled the plot by killing the Duergar clerics performing the ritual to do so. Gareth then helped set up a mining agreement with the Svirfneblin living in the mines that ensured increased prosperity for the Barony of Bloodstone.

During these adventures, Dragonsbane had fallen in love with the Druidess Christine, daughter of Baron Tranth of Bloodstone and the couple had been engaged to be married. The wedding was held in the Spring of the next year. During the wedding feast, Baron Tranth surprised everyone by stepping down as Baron and placing the title in the hands of his new son-in-law, making Gareth the sixth baron of Bloodstone.

With Bloodstone now prosperous with the reopening of the mines, the town flourished, but then an assassination attempt on Gareth and the other adventurers now on the council of Bloodstone roused them into action once again. Following leads, Tranth suspected that the attack was from the Duchy of Arcata, a theory proved when Arcata marched against Bloodstone soon afterwards. It was war. Arcata was added to the Bloodstone territory after a lightning counter attack on the city of Valls. With Arcata defeated, the Duchy of Carmathan joined the fray but were defeated as well. With this news, the Vaasan puppet baronies of Ostel, Morov and Polten attacked but lost to the armies of Bloodstone too. The territories of Damara had finally been united. The Grandfather of Assassins, a close ally of Zhengyi, lured Gareth and his party to his mountain stronghold, which could not possibly be taken by sheer force. Brilliantly, though Gareth led his original party into the fortress disguised as assassins themselves and succeeded in neutralizing their threat. Unfortunately, this was the last straw for Zhengyi who amassed the armies of Vaasa to put down the impudent ones to the south.

The battle was held at Goliad, the scene of the greatest defeat for Damara in the first war with Vaasa, this time though, the Damaran army battled to a stalemate after it was realised that Zhengyi's undead troops could not move south of a certain line on the battlefield as it was too far from the magic that animated them in Vaasa. The mortal warriors were defeated and the Damaran army left the field of battle for Heliogabalus where Gareth was soon crowned king of all Damara.

There was still an undead army waiting at the northern border and the Witch King was still alive to threaten the new kingdom though. Attacking Vaasa head-on would be suicidal, even if the armies they had at their disposal had not already been weakened in the battles of the past months so it was up to Gareth's party once again to save the day. The party travelled to Castle Perilous where they defeated the demons and dragons that defended the place to reach Zhengyi himself. It was an epic battle but Zhengyi was killed. The war was over and ever since Gareth has ruled benevolently with his wife.

Magic Items
Along with the following items, Gareth also wears a magical set of platemail and carries a magical shield. His paladin mount, Glendan also serves as a faithful companion to his master.


 * Crusader is Gareth's magical longsword. Blessed by Ilmater and aquired while he was still an adventuring knight. Gareth used it throughout his time in the Cold Lands and still holds it to this day. A powerful weapon in its own right, as he grew in power, so did it, and now as well as the powers of dispelling magic and doing extra damage to evil creatures it also heals the injured of all their wounds, both physical and otherwise, increases the users strength and can charm people when Gareth's own personal charm isn't quite enough. It also has the power to disintegrate the weaker denizens of the Lower Planes.
 * The Silver Horn of Valhalla summons several barbarians from their afterlife in Warrior's Rest to aid Gareth in Battle.