I’ve mentioned the four major nations highlighted in the novel but I wanted to speak briefly another ally in the future of story, Kristoph Rupandil.

Erdak is under represented in Two Destroyers, as a past conflict that feels like a distant memory of the Kingdom of Geldbane.   Instead, people have their wary eye aimed at Dendarg from the recent war.    And unlike when Geldbane fought Erdak, Dendarg won that war.

However things are different with the desert nation.   They lay no expectations of reparations for their losses.   Instead Geldbane finds itself still firmly seated as the largest power on the continent.  In Erdak however, not only did they face bitter defeat and the loss (and contamination) of their capital, but they lost almost their entire upper class.

Kristoph however, only benefited from these losses.  The Republic of Erdak, built on the backs of slaves and guided by the rich faced societal collapse.   As Geldbane functions as a Monarchy, the current King delegated power to the craftsmen of the country to serve as governors and mayors.   Those bound by contractual obligations (glorified slavery) were cleared of their debts or ‘freed’ to work on salvage efforts to the ravaged north city.

Kristoph’s father, a doctor, had been granted the high office of Erdak’s largest city.  This granted Kristoph his nobility.   In the truest sense of the word, it is hardly a rags to riches scenario.   ‘Lord’ Horace Rupandil saw to it that his son Kristoph lived a life of comfort.

Unfortunately with the untimely death of Kristoph’s mother, Meena during his birth.  While the hearty nature of the Erdaki people lessen the need for doctors, it also lowers the motivations for people to take on the profession.    In short, Horace was an incredibly busy man.

This left Kristoph along frequently and while his base needs were met, he never truly had the love of his father.  This left the boy with plenty of free time.  At the age of four, Kristoph not only had to contend with his father’s duties as a doctor, but a lord as well.

It was then Erdak endured the greatest trial in the country’s proud history.  The day the region now called “Old Erdak” was plunged into poisonous mist, ending the great war between Geldbane and Erdak, claiming countless lives and securing their absolute defeat.

The King of Gelbane at the time, His Majesty Guiren Solace, granted Horace and many others highly regarded in their fields of expertise nobility.   This served as Guiren’s final act as king, and his son, Darius eventually took the throne upon his suicide.

Four years later, Kristoph’s father met his untimely end.  And Kristoph found himself lone remnant of the Rupandil name.   Despite  charm and potential Kristoph did not follow in his father’s footsteps.    He squandered his wealth and found himself at odds with the blossoming new Republic of Erdak.   At the age of fifteen, he found himself as much a pauper as he was a lord.   There he learned a man that served the King of Geldbane, prophesied the death of his father.    Through investigation he learned his father’s death might not have been an accident at all…

Ten years have passed and Kristoph is led to believe the final pieces to his fathers murder may be settling into place soon.     …and he’s right.