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 he saw the excesses of the Merebian Empire and its unbridled desire for continual expansion and 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 brother 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