The General

The General is the de facto ruler of the nation of Yuritan.

Real Name

The General's real name is a bone of contention amongst scholars. He has, on separate occasions, given his first name as either "Lucian" or "Zephram". He has never divulged his family's name. In his own words "...my family's name is of no importance. Either you have heard of it or not; either way knowing it tells you nothing about what sort of a man I am or my love for Yuritan - it merely reinforces whatever opinion of me you already have. Hence I see no reason for it to be recalled."

Early Life

Little is really known of the General's early life. He himself has been especially vague about even the most trivial of details. However the following pertinent facts have (as far as possible) been confirmed:

1. He was born at some time around 270 IC
2. He was the eldest of five sons
3. His parents were traders in either furs or silks from the east of Yuritan
4. He had a relatively good schooling, some of which was in Dominus itself

It is understood that he excelled in languages and military history and became something of an expert in Imperial military formations and tactics. However he has also said that as he saw first-hand the excesses of the Merebian Empire and its unbridled desire for continual expansion he became convinced that an Imperial invasion of Yuritan within his lifetime was almost inevitable.

Rise to Power

The General states that in around 290 IC, after having finishing his schooling in Dominus, he returned to Yuritan ostensibly to take over his family's business but his concerns over the Empire soon led him to instead become involved in politics and it was in that arena that he quickly rose to a position of prominence. His four brothers instead continued the family's trade and the General has, on multiple occasions, stated that their business continues today (although no one has seen any evidence of this).

The earliest records of his existence is in 296 IC as the chief adviser to Corolang a warlord from the south of Yuritan who desired to expand his power base northwards. It is Corolang who called him 'the General' despite having no military expertise. Whether this was an acknowledgement to the tactical skill in battle that the General would later show or some form of sarcastic moniker is unknown but the General nonetheless adopted it as his official epithet.

It is the General who is credited with convincing Corolang to seek alliances with other nations as a way to build a power base that would eventually allow him to (peacefully) take control of Yuritan. The General was always insistent that war between rival factions in Yuritan just made them more vulnerable to the Empire, but if they could form their own Empire then they would be safe for generations.

The Alliance of Independent Races

Corolang's attempts to unite other nations were hampered by the warlike and distrustful nature of the inhabitants. Both Nallurok and Mortarch wanted only glory in battle and would both have much rather attacked Yuritan than work with it against the Empire. The General however used Mortarch's fears of the Imperial navy at Bal-Morath, and Nallurok's hatred for the Elves of Lyrazante to convince them that a pact of mutual assistance would be a strong defence for all three nations.

The General has often said that discussions behind the scenes allowed him to forge the alliance whilst Corolang and the Orc and Bugbear leaders were publicly being defiant. In 303 IC there was, quite suddenly, a change in the mood of Nallurok and Mortarch and an alliance was formerly brokered that Summer.

Some say it was it was Corolang's failing health that facilitated a softening in stances. Others say that the Yuan-Ti of the Ophidium had a hand in it. Whatever the cause, Yuritan had an alliance with its neighbours, the General was widely considered the architect of that alliance and the north and south of the country finally came together.

War

It was in 304 IC that Minosha, far to the west and home of the Minotaurs, first approached the Alliance. There had been rumours for a while that Chundria was unhappy with its membership of the Empire and that they had been secretly been in contact with Minosha to form an alliance of their own. Minosha was uneasy about doing so alone and its trading partner, the Ophidium wanted to stay entirely neutral. Hence the Minoshans sent ambassadors to speak to Corolang and the General about purchasing aid. Corolang was interested in providing assistance (as an extreme price) but the General spotted an opportunity to significantly weaken the Empire and convinced Corolang to instead offer a nominal membership of the Alliance to Minosha. They accepted.

The General saw this as a perfect opportunity to weaken the power of the Empire and successfully planned a co-ordinated attack that led to the start of the last war in 305 IC.

Peace

Since the end of the last war little has been seen or heard of from the General. The prevailing theory is that, as he is most likely an elderly man by now, he has gone into a quiet retirement. Other though, say that he is planning something spectacular.