Vahrun Ruenhart

From Snowblossom

Viewed as a villain by some and a hero by others, Lord Protector Vahrun Ruenhart is both the King of Argun and the Lord Protector of the Middle Kingdom. He has drastically changed the Middle Kingdom in his ten years of holding the job of Lord Protector. Left with a nation that was besieged by giants, bandits and undead, Ruenhart took a more totalitarian role as Lord Protector.

History

Vahrun Reunhart was born a scion of the Ruenhart Clan. The Ruenharts were once the most powerful family in the realm. The man who formed the Middle Kingdoms, Johan Reunhart, was feared and respected by the other Kings. However, Johan's sons died in battle, so when he passed, his sister and brother-in-law took over the kingdom of Argun and the Ruenhart Clan was out of politics for generations.

As Vahrun grew up in Argun, the Middle Kingdom suffered with invaders and poverty under two Lord Protectors. When Vahrun reached maturity, he siezed power for the Ruenharts in Argun, eventually proving the inheritance of the Ruenharts to the throne and taking his place as King of Argun.

Vahrun Reunhart came to the Council of Five when Lord Protector Georga Kalavar stepped down and promised to bring peace to the Middle Kingdom, but the bureacrats were hesistant to allow the Ruenharts to gain power over all the Middle Kingdom again. The people of the Middle Kingdom, however, beleived they could count on the Ruenharts to protect them. With popular support in favor of Vahrun, the Council felt they had no choice but to appoint him Lord Protector.

Since that day, Vahrun has beaten the bureacrats of the Council of Five at their own game of legal intrigue. Each time he siezes power, he finds a part of the treaties of the Alliance which allows him to do so.

Vahrun's methods border on the extreme. Certainly, the Middle Kingdoms are much more orderly now, with the undead of Nazrahim held at bay and the roads protected from bandits by the Red Guard. However, the Lord Protector's insistence on taking back the Norddland after two decades of independence leaves many leaders cold to him, and his military build-up along the border of Telwar has many worried he may start a war with the elves.