Kaelon Rogare

Kaelon Rogare is a bastard of Lysaro Rogare and Elaena of House Targaryen of Lys. A long time sellsword and pirate, Kaelon is most known for leading a mercenary company named the Lost Legion during the War of the Three Thieves, slaying Khal Jhaqo in the Disputed Lands, assisting Evaeline Targaryen consolidate her power in Lys and fighting the Ironborn in the Summer Isles. He is the current wielder of the Valyrian Steel sword Truth.

Kaelon's whereabouts are currently unknown.

Appearence and Character
Hair like ash and indigo eyes mark Kaelon's Valyrian heritage, but a lifetime beneath the Essosi sun traded the fair complexion of his forebearers for deep bronze skin. He's built like a man that made his fortune off of the misfortune of others, sturdy and swift at the same time. When not encased gilded steel and boiled leather, he dresses in the fashion of Lys, breezy silks, open vests, and loose trousers.

Early Life (370 - 382 AC)
Born to the bloodline of Daenerys Stormborn and with a name that inspired wealth and power among the Free Cities, Kaelon entered this world with potential only princes could dream of. Being a bastard was not such a terrible curse in the Free Cities, especially not on the Perfumed Daughter whose wealth is built upon love and lust.

As a child, Kaelon never wanted for affection from his mother Elaena, nor his grandmother Saera the Siren. Some of his earliest memories are of the latter, for even in her waning years, Saera never lost the grace and warmth that made her such an enigmatic figure in her youth. Though not married, Lysaro Rogare recognized the young boy as his own progeny and allowed him to bear his name, a choice not made lightly considering the immense power and wealth of the Rogare family. Perhaps it was the promise Kaelon showed as a child that helped earn his father’s acceptance. He was quick to learn his letters and even quicker ride a horse and pick up a wooden sword. Elaena oft filled the child’s dreams with tales of the legendary men that came before him. From Aemon the Dragonknight to his great-grandfather Baelon who took Lys as his own, Kaelon grew up believing though only a distant cousin to the Kings and Queens of Westeros, there was a legacy in his blood that transcended titles. It was this sense of innate power that instilled Kaelon with a dangerous confidence at a young.

Unfortunately, legacy alone wasn’t enough to guarantee a successful life in the Free Cities. While Kaelon imagined carving out a name through the endless conflicts in the Disputed Lands, Lysaro had other plans. If Kaelon was to carry the Rogare name, it was deemed he become a master of numbers, not warfare. So his days of adolescence were filled with ledgers and tomes and lessons from scholars and magisters. His mother was ever content to resign the young Valyrian to a life business. Though not exciting, it promised fortune and security without risking his neck. On the cusp of manhood, Kaelon was actively involved in many of his family’s ventures, not limited to banking. He assisted in the overseeing of several pillow houses and wineries, and while the establishments proved to be incredibly lucrative, it was their services that interested Kaelon most. At a young age, he developed a taste for fine wine and finer women. The more he grew, the more he spent his working hours among the hardy men hired to protect his family’s establishments. Away from the constant watch of his father and the concerns of his mother, Kaelon would pay these mercenaries to teach the art of war.

In his thirteenth year, Kaelon was already taller than many of the men he sparred with, though not yet as sturdy. While the aspiring knights of Westeros learn honor to supplement their swordplay, Kaelon’s talents grew at the behest of men that knew every dirty trick in the book. A fair fight was a fight you might lose.

Eye on the Prize (383 AC)
Spending the vast majority of his time among whores and mercenaries swiftly helped Kaelon develop a taste for dangerous methods of entertainment. Paramount among these was gambling, specifically, gambling on pit fighters.Of all the lessons he learned in those unsavory years, the perils of debt prevailed as the most memorable. After owing too much money to the wrong man, Kaelon turned his father to help bail him out. Lysaro refused to help his firstborn, stating that he was a man grown now and old enough to help himself.

With his own personal funds dried up and no access to family’s fortune, Kaelon had no choice but to work off his debts. He had two choices, selling his body or sword. At the ripe age of thirteen, Kaelon Rogare became a bonafide mercenary. It wasn’t long until he found himself fighting in the same arenas he’d only just been a spectator in. Much to the surprise of Kaelon and his greedy benefactors, the youth had an innate talent for violence and managed to make it through the majority of his fights unscathed. It was terrifying work, but it made Kaelon feel alive. Unfortunately, the lives of gladiators and mercenaries are perilous short, and on the behalf of Kaelan’s mother, his aunt Evaeline paid off the remainder of his debt before the young man managed to get himself killed.

So began a long working relationship between Kaelon and the mistress of House Targaryen of Lys.

Family Matters (383-388 AC)
Part of Evaeline’s conditions upon saving Kaelon from his financial woes was that he work for her now instead. Evaeline had already begun building a powerful alliance between House Targaryen of Lys and the Rogare family, so having Kaelon close at hand was well received by both Lysaro and Elaena. She saw potential in the young brute of a boy, and while his father still pushed him towards a life of banking and trade, Evaeline didn’t intend to let a strong sword arm go to waste. She provided him with the finest tutors available, in exchange, he served as a bodyguard and hired muscle to Evaeline, her children, and her most important courtesans.

The more he grew, the more his skills surpassed those of a common sellsword. In time, Evaeline helped Kaelon become a physical force to reckon with. The budding Rogare warrior became a favored tool to silence, intimidate, and tie up loose ends created by Evaeline’s climb to the council of magisters. By the time she achieved the seat in 387 AC, she not only had the backing of Rogare bank but their finest soldier by her side.

It was during this time that Evaeline introduced Kaelon to UncaBee and Uncle Nikki, two sellsword captains of some renown, favorites of the young Selenya. The men saw the same potential in Kaelon that Evaeline had, and agreed to take him to the Disputed Lands for a year of genuine warfare. It was during his time with these enigmatic men that Kaelon learned raw strength alone didn’t always win a fight. Warfare took finesse and strategy. There were as many lessons to be learned on the battlefield as there was in his studies of numbers and ledgers, a basis which helped Kaelon stomach the logistics of running a mercenary company.

Lost and Found (388-389 AC)
With a year battlefield experience, Kaelon returned to Lys with the mercenary company known as the Lost Legion. Comprised almost entirely of Valyrian males, the Legion had deep roots in Lys and was a favorite of young Lysene nobles looking to prove themselves outside of the pleasure houses. They suffered heavy casualties during one of the final battles in a conflict over a key trade route to Volantis. It was during this same battle that Kaelon distinguished himself and earned a place among their ranks. The company was bruised and battered and had just lost several of their ranking officers. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Kaelon took his own portion of the Rogare wealth and liquidated it into the Lost Legion. The surviving veterans and new recruits alike were outfitted with fine steel forged and designed to emulate the armies of Old Valyria. He wanted their arms and armor to be classical, but effective. Kaelon envisioned a uniform fighting force, not a ragtag warband looking for their next payday. He hired to tutors to ensure each man was proficient in High Valyrian. With the help of Nikovo, he drilled what soldiers were at his disposal day and night, teaching not just how to kill, but the art of war. They were few in number, but by two years time, Kaelon would have created an elite fighting force, lacking in nothing but raw experience.

He'd come a long way from the foolish boy who almost died in the fighting pits, but Kaelon's vision was yet incomplete. He needed a weapon worthy of song, and he needn't look any further than his family's vaults. Without his father's leave, Kaelon liberated the sword Truth from its dusty dwelling-place under lock and key. When Lysaro's men inevitably came looking for the blade, Kaelon simply drew it and stated that if they could take it from him, it was theirs to keep. On the surface, it seemed as though it wasn't worth the trouble for Lysaro to reclaim the weapon, but deep down he understood the value of a strong military presence in Lys with the Rogare name attached to it.

By the end of 389 AC, the Lost Legion was ready for combat.

Gods of War (389-396 AC)
Kaelon chose jobs for his fledgling company carefully. Pick to risky a mission and failure was inevitable, but take on too simple of assignments and they would forever lack in wealth and fame. His first job brought them south to the Basilisk Isles where Lyseni slaving operations were being Disrupted by opposing slave guilds. The forces they encountered consisted of mauraders and corsairs and provided fierce resistance to the Lost Legion's efforts, but were ultimately defeated by their superior equipment and training. In the ruins of Zamettar, Kaelon established the first of the company's outposts and created a safe route between the Summer and the Narrow Sea on the behalf of his Lysene employers.

Life in Sothyros was hardly living at all. When not dealing with pirates and slavers, the men of the Lost Legion had to contend with disease, natives and the beasts of the southern jungles. After two years in the outpost, the majority of his soldiers had come to believe the place was haunted and detested their presence there. With attrition causing him to only break even, Kaelon decided it was time for a change of scenery.

In 391, the Lost Legion arrived in the Disputed Lands, again fighting on the behalf of wealthy Lyseni magisters, including Evaeline Targaryen and Kaelon's own father, Lysaro Rogare. The ceaseless conflicts between the Three Daughters created a bountiful assortment of jobs for the Lost Legion to take on. From 391 to 394 they partook in raiding, guarding, assassination and large-scale conflicts between the Free Cities. Their work took them as far East as the Stepstones and as west as Volantis, but the Legion almost always fought under Lysene contract, their success, connections to the Targaryen and Rogare family and predominately Valyrian make up making them a favorite among the magisters of the Perfumed Daughter.

Blood on the Grass
In 395, Lys and Myr entered a temporary defensive alliance to contend with a Dothraki Khalasar wrecking havoc on the eastern trade routes. A coalition formed to create a force large enough to pose a threat to the passing horselords and none other than Kaelon Rogare was ultimately chosen to lead the force. The men of the Lost Legion suddenly found themselves on the same side as companies they had fought against over the past four years. Many of the other captains had reservations about who should lead them, but Kaelon had earned their relative respect on opposing sides of the battlefield, and more importantly, offered financial incentives for the other captains to keep their contract.

Kaelon's plan was relatively simple, set a trap and cut the head from the Khalasar. If they could kill the Khal and his Bloodriders, the rest of the horde should crumble. With a series of small skirmishes and deliberately placed trade caravans, Kaelon was able to lure the Dothraki into favorable ground. He waited until the dry plains of the Disputed Lands were flooded from spring rains, slowing the Khalasar's progress and minimizing the effectiveness of their cavalry. The Lost Legion positioned themselves at the end of small valley with reinforcements hidden on the ridges. Kaelon and his men were the bait.

When the Dothraki finally struck, it was against a well-prepared position and the Lost Legion arrayed in a phalanx formation. Their objective was to hold out until the Khalasar's leadership had been dismantled before signaling to the other companies to engage. Kaelon deliberately left himself exposed during the ensuing battle, keeping his banner high to draw out the Khal. He proved to be too tempting a target to pass up. What ensued was a duel unlike any Kaelon had ever experienced, or ever would again. Upon confronting each other, the Khal seemed to understand that Kaelon wanted to fight him, that he’d lead his men into a trap. The outcome of the battle rested on the fate of these two commanders. The realization only emboldened the Khal, and with reckless fury, the mercenary and the Horselord met pass after pass. The conflict seemed to slow down around the confrontation and men from both sides looked on, knowing their lives rested in every swing of Valyrian steel and Arakh.

It was Kaelon who achieved the upper hand by eventually yanking the Khal from his saddle. On solid ground, it was only a matter of time until Kaelon and Truth launched the duel into a visceral conclusion. Soaked from his own blood and that of his enemy, he raised the severed braid of the Khal high into the air, his sword still buried deep in the warlord’s chest. The entire battle was a gamble that paid off due to the same reckless confidence propelled Kaelon Rogare from a banker’s son to a warrior of renown.

The battle against Khal Jhaqo’s horde was a bloody one, but would forever remain Kaelon Rogare’s crowning moment as a soldier.

Greater than Gold
The men of the Lost Legion returned to Lys heroes. Kaelon was able to leverage their victory with the council of magisters and place the Lost Legion on retainer for the city. Realistically, this meant a full year of steady pay and little more than guard work for Kaelon’s soldiers. After moving from conflict to conflict since their revitalization at his hand, it was time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Khal Jhaqo’s braid wasn’t the only trophy Kaelon brought home from the Disputed Lands. He took the Khal’s young Khaleesi as his own personal concubine, placing her in a manse in the heart of Lys, far away from the poison water.

War of the Three Thieves (396 AC - 401 AC)
After drinking and whoring for the better part of two years, Kaelon and the men of the Lost Legion decided it was yet again, time to get rich or die trying. The War of the Three Thieves was in full swing. The Ormollen and Rogare families had always been close, and while Three King's victory over the Seven Kingdoms seemed improbable in the long run, Kaelon knew King Daarius would make good on whatever initial payments brought the Lost Legion into the fold.

In mid 396, Kaelon and his men arrived in the Stepstones and began making preparations for the coming onslaught. Their first taste of combat against the men of Westeros was during the Second Battle of Splinters, during which the Redwyne fleet would have been defeated if not for a timely intervention by the Crownlander fleet. The Lost Legion peeled off from the main pirate flotilla shortly afterward to engage a squadron Ironborn longships led by Harron Harlaw. Harron and Kaelon met in single combat on the deck of the Ironborn flagship, a duel that resulted in Harron suffering grievous and Kaelon's possession of the Valyrian steel sword Nightfall. It was a small victory in a war that was doomed to fail, but yet another example of how efficiently Kaelon could dismantle enemy leadership on the field of battle.

The soldiers of the Lost Legion managed to avoid the Kindling, only to find themselves drawn into the penultimate battle of the war. There was no gold or glory to be found at the Battle of the Broken Arm. Fire rained from the sky and swallowed ships whole. Daarius unleashed every weapon he held back and in the middle of it all, Kaelon and his men fought not for victory, but survival. By the day's end, Kaelon watched more than half his legion become little more than ash floating in the Narrow Sea. He himself suffered burns from a dragon's fire, a swift black beast of which he never learned the name. The survivors of that bloody day returned not to the pirate strongholds, but to Lys.

Ideologically, Kaelon believed in everything the Three Thieves stood for. They were heroic underdogs in his eyes, men he could relate to on a cosmic level. The first few victors of the war made the men of the Lost Legion feel as though they were fighting for more than just gold, but upon returning to their headquarters on the Perfumed Daughter, many of the veterans lost their taste for violence and resigned from the company. Those soldiers that remained would be forever bonded by the experiences during the War of the Three Thieves.

Home, Sweet Home (401-404)
With depleted numbers and heavy hearts, Kaelon again arranged for the Lost Legion to remain on retainer for the council of magisters in Lys. Kaelon felt personally responsible for every man lost during the war and set his mind to preserving what yet remained in his life. He again offered his sword and expertise to Evaeline and the now accomplished Selenya. When not embroiled in endless intrigue or on a job, Kaelon often spent his free time with his mother Elaena, his Khaleesi, Kaia, or with his men. His life became less bashing heads in and more about administration. Kaelon helped reorganize Lys' defensive measures on behalf of the council and plan distant conflicts from the comfort a pleasure house leagues away from the actual battlefield. It was comfortable work for a man who'd nearly broken staring down a dragon's wrath, but Kaelon's heart was forever destined to wander.

When Evaeline died, so too did a measure of Kaelon's loyalty to the council. Lingering in Lys long enough to ensure Selenya's position at the head of her house remained uncompromised, Kaelon dusted off the Lost Legion looked outwards for work. Fate would have it that an old foe was stirring up trouble in the Narrow Sea. The Ironborn were back, and if the rumors were to be believed, led by a she-devil.

From 403 to 404 AC, the Lost Legion engaged in several small skirmishes against Ironborn raiders along the Stepstones and southern seas, but their conflict wouldn't reach a crescendo until the following year.

Summer Never Ends (404-407 AC)
Kaelon led his men to the Summer Isles on the heels of the Ironborn and at the end of 404 AC, he finally confronted the wench leading them in single combat. What he wasn't expecting, was to be fighting a woman barely in her first year of adulthood. Her naval expertise was on par with captains twice her age and her ferocity in their fight was enough to keep Kaelon from dealing a mortal blow. Earlier in the engagement, Alannys managed to slay one of Kaelon's own captains, the current owner of the sword Nightfall, and reclaim it for herself. Over the course of the battle, Kaelon and Alannys fought from ship to ship, but the stronger and more experienced mercenary never managed to overcome her guile.

So it was, the first enemy commander to evade execution by Truth was a fourteen-year-old girl.

The Lost Legion took up the defense of the locals and met the Ironborn continually in battle from 404 to 405 AC, during which Kaelon developed a healthy respect for his young adversary. Most curious of all were the Ironborn's targets. They partook in their fair share of looting but seemed more concerned with capturing the Islander's granaries and stockpiles. By the end of 405 AC, they disappeared as suddenly as the morning's fog, returning to whatever side of the world they called home.

Kaelon ordered the Legion return to Lys and maintain their residence in case the raiders return to the Narrow Sea, but he himself would remain in the Summer Isles. The constant attacks from the sea reignited old conflicts between the petty kings of the Islands. It was one such regent, King Makai Zso, that personally implored Kaelon for his expertise.

One Last Job
During a recent attack from a neighboring ruler, the king's daughter, a bonafide princess by the name of Chatana, was captured and currently being held for ransom. Kaelon offered to return the girl for half the ransom price, a handsome payday. The mission proceeded relatively seamless, with minimal throats slit and a smiling princess returned to her father's doorstep in a fortnight. So impressed with his work, and so concerned for the girl's continued safety, the man offered Kaelon a permanent position in their court as the family bodyguard.

Word had spread across the Summer Isles about the Valyrian and his Legion. Of how they fought back the sea-devils preserved the sanctity of their island homes. Truthfully, Kaelon did little more than engage the Ironborn in a few choice skirmishes and kill the right guardsmen to retrieve Chatana, but he let the rumors circulate unimpeded. Having Kaelon in his court was a great boon for King Makai and Kael found himself drawn to the lifestyle of the Summer Islanders. There was little to guard the Zso family from and everything he could need was at his fingertips, including the Princess Chatana who remained eternally grateful for his assistance. It was a fresh start for a man weary of war. For the first time in thirty five years, Kaelon Rogare found peace in the verdant hills of the Summer Isles.

Recent History
After receiving an ominous letter from one of his captains, Kaelon leaves the tranquility of the Summer Isles behind to return to the Free Cities. En route to Lys, Kaelon is waylaid by unmarked ships. They pursue him north through the Stepstones until encountering a storm in Shipbreaker Bay.