Grant Helodan (Valdis, Tyrogatore)
Before participating in the Day of Broken Magic, Grant was already well known through the Great Forest. He had become respected by both sides seeking to control the forest, even though he fought for the southern coalition. He was known to be the greatest Emenotan in the forest, even if it was not true. As Haas and Valizar moved to other tasks as the war slowed after the treaty, Grant remained. Viewed as a judge and moderator, he could move anywhere in the forest without issue, would be granted an audience with anyone he deemed necessary.
He spent much of the five years between the treaty and the Day of Broken Magic adjudicating disputes and looking out for the influence of Iott. The Great Forest did not appear high on their list of targets, but they nonetheless reached out and inquired and slowly made discreet alliances. Not with all of Scalehome or the Southern Coalition, but a town here, a village there. Using the tension as a tool, they convinced scattered pockets to back their control. It was infuriating, as they never presented themselves as a target, so Grant was left to convince rather than combat. In private, he would curse the wizards and pray for the day when he would be able to smash them.
He was thrilled with the outcome of the battle at the circle. The less the arcane magic, the better. Iott retreated from the forest and Grant brought the towns back into the fold. During the next five years, he helped oversee peace in the forest. Free of the threat of Iott, both sides came together and worked to build unity. The orcs left for a crusade and Grant wanted to join them. But he was now in his late 40s and even though in the shape of a man half his age, he was not a soldier. He had not yet figured out the best uses for his spells in this new age of magic. The wugs, without the orcish foil, were told to leave. After several small battles, which Grant attended, they did leave.
Other problems arose, and Grant seemed to have fewer allies to lean on to solve them. The gnolls were pressing to war. They were going to be the second wave of the crusade, but after the failure of the first, they turned back. The unseelie, who had feared the Iottians more than most, now crept out of their holes and began their pranks. At least here, the Foot and the remaining heroes of the forest pulled their weight and helped. Perhaps most concerning in this time was a wizard, unrelated to Iott, that began to weave a web of control. Grant began to pull on the strings, enlisting sheriffs he knew to help. Several times, he had almost found the lair of the wizard, only to be tricked.
Kallark transcending followed soon b Sutyr's betrayal soon flipped the forest on its head again. Scalehome signed a treaty with Iott and the southern coalition did not last long after that. Grant tried to rally them together, but he could not overcome their differences. Akar had grown in power and declared he needed no one else. Balinhost's leader refused to work with the Fire Giants after Sutyr's actions. The Lizardfolk, having found a ruler, named their nation Valley Sar, a name which made Grant want to smash his face into a tree. Grant's task became one that involved even more travel. He would wear out endless sandels over the next five years and fight hundreds of times to convince others of Iott's intentions and the actions they should take. Tyrogatore's faith did well.
The plagues came next and Grant fearlessly despite being in his mid to late fifties was a paragon of physical fitness and worked through them. Conflict slowed as most realms of the forest were hesitant to interact. Only the gnolls did not care, for they alone seemed immune to the effects. To Grant's dismay, worst among them was Razk. Having been trained in filth and by a gnoll known as the disease, the plagues offered him a cover he could have only dreamed. Raiding, spreading fear, and acting every bit the outlaw. Grant was forced to confront him.
He found Razk in his tent, enjoying his plunder, he called out to the gnoll...
Poll