N/Entities/Steghart the Sturdy
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Steghart the Sturdy (Ang: Steghart Strigge; Dur: Stegran Stolin; Ark: Steaghad Shmishmish; lived 6228 - ?) is the hero of the epic The Ballad of Steghart the Sturdy and the legendary founder of Anglia.
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[edit] Life
[edit] Childhood
Steghart the Sturdy was born in Verlaginch, Arkanros in around 6228 CE. Much of his early life is unknown, except that his father was a wealthy and influential merchant who was assasinated when Steghart was 10, his mother was a mlihk-spinner, and he was an only child. When his father died, Steghart inherited all of the family's property, including cows, cloths, and caravans, and he learned the art of trading from his uncle. His mother versed him in poetry and taught him handy things, such as how to spin a sail from mlihk leaves, how to build a house, and the art of self-defense.
[edit] Flight from Arkanros
In 6258, when he was around 30, Steghart had amassed a fortune in both money and property, and had found two loyal friends: the Bernchor Ahmant the Truthful and the Geugavian Mirtos the Mirthless. He had purchased a private ship, the Parpatad, and was planning to open up trade with the inhabitants of the remote continent of Gallorum. Contact with the "westerners" had only been limited to trade with the Galician part of Geugaw, so Steghart hoped to become the first to establish diplomatic relations with the fabled Armidian Republic in the west.
His plans were ruined, however, when in Gudjevg 5, five dragons came hurtling through the sky. These Dragons of Doom settled at the five corners of the world, the fifth settling in the Mouth of Lamoth. Steghart at first hoped to be able to continue with his program despite this unforeseen distraction but was shown the foolishness of this by his friends. However, after the dragon Ulminior set the northern plains on fire, Steghart decided to gather up his belongings and family and escape to Armidia. This was a move that had never been undertaken before, and was very dangerous, as he and his companions would have to pass through the territory of two other dragons, cross two seas and two continents, and face unknown perils. However, he knew it was for the better, as Armidia, a strong, unified nation, had been able to withstand attacks for many millenia, whereas the loose conglomerate of encaselets in Arkanros was vulnerable to every kind of assault.
Steghart and his friends left for Armidia a week after the dragons came. They were to take a route past the Mouth of Lamoth to Geugaw, through the Gordean Ocean, then upwards through Meriavincla to Tukakua, and finally to Armidia. Their journey was expected to take around seven months. It took them five years.
[edit] Life in Armidia
Upon their arrival in Armidia, Steghart and Ahmant (Mirtos having died on the journey) sought refuge with an Armidian senator. Steghart was immediately lauded for his skill in dueling and his ingenuity in transacting, Ahmant for his integrity and his coolness in distressing situations. The senator introduced them to the military commanders responsible for the defense of Armidia. It was agreed that Steghart and Ahmant would lead a battalion of soldiers against the attacking dragon the next time it would fly near.
At around this time, Steghart came to know a group of non-natives who had first arrived in Armidia from Arkanros roughly a century before, and won their trust. They promised to support him in every need and to welcome him should he ever decide to pass by their villages.
On Tawnio the 7th, spies reported that the dragon Belniu was approaching Armidia, intent on its destruction. Steghart and Ahmant, each leading one battalion of archers and knights, sped towards the oncoming threat to put an end to it, once and for all. Ahmant's battalion was the first to intercept the dragon; he ordered the archers to fire at the dragon, and stayed calm even when Belniu consumed a third of the soldiers with flame. Steghart, unwilling to let his friend die, rushed towards the dragon and attacked it himself. To occupied with burning the other division, the dragon did not notice the arrows in its side and the lance thrust at its head until it was too late, and fled to its lair, never to return again. Alas, in its enthusiasm, the dragon had attacked and fatally wounded the cool Ahmant, who, despite the treatment given him, died in the town of Lamurra. His death was met with great sadness, especially from Steghart, and regret over the loss of what had promised to be a great commander. Steghart left the military after a few weeks, unable to bear the depression and misery.
[edit] The Anglian King
Steghart had heard rumors that his friends the immigrants were being opressed by a ruthless warlord called Gulfric. Wanting to investigate, Steghart donned the outfit of a beggar and journeyed to the village of Campleton, one of the main villages in the east region. The villagers there recognized him, and gave him a shelter and a warm welcome. Over the course of a fortnight, he organized a campaign to bring down Gulfric and his minions. Word was spread to the neighbouring villages, and on the night of Springleaf 17, Steghart and the villagers staged the Wesgrave Uprising. Gulfric was deposed and chased from his manor to the marshes, where he was left to die or wander. His money and works of art were seized and redistributed to the people. His cronies were placed in custody, and order was restored to the villages.
After this, the people wanted Steghart to be their king. How could he refuse? So on Springleaf 30, 6264, in Campleton, Steaghad of Verlaginch was crowned the first king of the Anglian Kingdom. He had a castle built to commemorate the triumphs of freedom over oppression, and from then on, Campleton Castle became the capital of Anglia and the official residence of the king.
As a gesture of kindness towards his fellow people, Steghart sent a fleet to all the stricken kingdoms of the world (with the possible exception of Serdia) with the task of bringing as many survivors as possible to the safety of the Armidian-Anglian continent. Thus was born, in a time of destruction, a ray of hope in Anglia.
[edit] Myth or Fact?
As the Ballad is an epic myth written in ca. 8370 CE, some of the facts are hard to verify. From old king lists, scholars could ascertain that the first king of Anglia was indeed a "Steghatt", who had overthrown a Gulfric, but his origins are unknown. The faithful companion Ahmant was made into a war hero in Armidia, and so his existence could be verified.
The rescue of the hundreds, however, is based on shaky foundations. There was indeed a massive influx of immigrants towards the end of the First Age, but no record has ever been found of a great fleet being built to transport them to safety. Even if this were true, it is unlikely that a fledgling kingdom could build a fleet in so short a time, though some historians speculate that the Armidian or Galician Navy could have lent some ships for the cause, a plausible scenario but also somewhat foggy.
