Percival the Guardian

Percival the Guardian Percival.png Grand Duke of Monsbergia, Second of the Union The Lord of Monsberg Lord-Protector of Solum's Gate

Percival the Guardian was a Monsbergian statesman and military leader who served as both the Lord-Protector of Solum's Gate and later as The Lord of Monsberg and the Grand Duke of Monsbergia until his death/disappearance in late 1264.

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Early Life and Education
Percival was born on The 68th Sun of 1204 YS to Alexandar of Monsberg and Cecilia of Scorcross. As a child, he was quite strong, both terms of physicality and his brash personality. He was the family's first son and thus the heir-apparent to his father's titles from birth. This birthright resulted in a man who would never falter in the face of any adversity. As quoted by Eridanion, he was "the bravest man I'd ever met. He would never back down from any challenge." He had one brother, Adrik. The boys grew up together in Monsberg Castle, and were frequently seen running through the halls, or play-fighting in the courtyard. Their father instilled in them a great sense of pride for their homeland, and to value the preservation of Monsbergia above all else. When he was of age, Percival attended the Holy University of Solum starting in 1225, studying warcraft and battlefield command. During their time in Solum, he and his brother would become great friends with other influential figures, including Eridanion, Kellerin the Sailor, and Arivan.

Tenure at Solum's Gate
After his graduation from the University, Percival was assigned a post at Solum's Gate as Lord-Protector. While the longer tenured troops stationed questioned his inexperience, he quickly earned their respect as a worthy leader. Over his years as Lord-Protector, he built a reputation for vigilantly protecting the small northern villages from raids from the mountain wildlings. On one such occasion, his party was attacked by a large band of wildlings while patrolling through the village of Valles. It is said that he singlehandedly fought off twenty of them on his own, earning him his epithet "the Guardian." The people around the region and eventually the whole of Monsberg would begin keeping replicas of his shield as a symbol of protection. With the news of his mighty deeds spread across the Southern Union, Percival secretly hoped that he would be granted an artifact of his own, to preserve his legacy and become a symbol of his lineage. This hope would later turn into disappointment and bitterness as his request was ridiculed by the Council members and the Archmagus Yuvira. Though Eridanion held to power to overrule the Council and grant his wish, the Archon did not. While at the time Percival did not hold him accountable for his failure, later in life Percival would come to see this as a betrayal of their friendship, thus planting the seeds for the end of their friendship.

Coronations and reign
With the death of his father in 1242 YS, Percival ascended the throne of Monsberg, coronated on The 73rd Sun, 1242 YS. His brother would be granted his post at Solum's Gate. Less than a year later the Grand Duke Florian passed away of old age, and the title of Grand Duke of Monsbergia would also fall to Percival.

Percival ruled fairly over his subjects and was well-liked amongst his people, making regular public appearances. He would host various festivals and fairs on the Monsberg Castle grounds, bridging the gap between himself and the people. For the early part of his reign, Percival's with Eridanion would grow into a fruitful partnership between Monsbergia and Solum, with many trade agreements and treaties signed over drinks between old friends. Only later in life did Percival grow cold towards his former friend.

Personal life
Percival never married nor did he have children. It is suspected that the reason for this was that he was madly in love with Kellerin, ever since their university days. While Kellerin was friends with both brothers, she would fall for Adrik and the two were in a relationship for several years after university, only ending when their respective duties grew too much for handle.

In early 1239, Adrik came to Percival with a child he had concieved out of wedlock. Percival helped his brother convince their father to raise the child as a member of the royal family, even as Adrik hid the name of the mother of the child from him and Alexandar. After Adrik was stationed to Solum's Gate, Percival would raise Illya as his own during the long days that Adrik could not.

Throughout his life, he held a deep rooted nationalistic zeal for his country. Over the years, as his relationship with Eridanion and the other nations soured, his love for Monsberg never wavered. Towards the end of his life, he grew weary of the restrictions imposed by the Archon and the Council, but without the power to fight on his own, he had to bide his time. This search to the power to impose his own will on the Union led him to obtain a Drop of the Void.

Death/Disappearnce
During the night of 329th Sun, 1264 YS, Percival was awakened by his guards, telling him that Illya had returned with a group of strange characters. Upset to awoken, he dressed and went to throne room to receive the guests, only to be met with six people who were not Illya. These people (the party) petitioned him for answers regarding a scrap of red Monsbergian fabric and the crest of a royal guard they had found in the belongings of some cultists. Percival feigned ignorance, telling them the cultists must have stolen it and the crest. During this conversation, Akou is able to sneak up behind the Duke and suddenly stabs him with a rapier, clean through the throat and breaking the chain of his necklace. Choking on his own blood and dying, Percival crushes the Drop of the Void, desperately attempting to preserve his life. However, the transformation into an Avatar of the Void is unstable as he was dying when in occured. The blackhole would gradually tear apart his new body, destroying it. This process was expedited by his own niece, blasting him with Guiding Bolts, and her newfound friends. As the blackhole sucked in the last of his Avatar, a bright life pierced the ceiling of the throne room. When the party recovered their sight, they were left in a room full of rubble and fallen pillars, and no sign of the Duke.