Voldemar Kirkegaarden Character in Lagash - the Last City | World Anvil

Voldemar Kirkegaarden

Voldemar Kirkegaarden

tl;dr Parents were carpenters called Ida and Melphos. Left their old town when Voldemar was young and started a new cidery. The cidery joined the Cider-maker's Guild. Mother died during a plague and father was severely weakened. Voldemar uncovered how corrupt and unfair to newcomers the guild was. Father died and left behind a recipe right before his death. Voldemar quit the guild and did well initially on his own until he ran out of guild-exclusive spices. Cider got a bad reputation for being the dullest in town. Turned to drinking his own cider to deal with stress. Contacted smugglers to get the spices. Things got better and he contacted Dust's character to get him the special spice to make his father's last recipe. Got arrested, broke out of jail, escaped town with his special cider, supplies, and gear. Lived in the wilderness for a while grinding XP to get to level 1.
Voldemar, son of Ida and Melphos, was born to a family of carpenters. When he was still a young boy, around 13 or 14 years old, he and his parents were forced to move to a new town for reasons that remained unknown to him.   Their new home was an old collapsing house, but despite having lost their old workshop and business, his parents were bristling with optimism. During the next following years, Voldemar's father, Melphos, worked on a construction project as Ida looked after their home and her son. They were able to renovate their home and to turn it into something special after years of hard work.   Melphos had developed a great interest in cider and the process of brewing it. Instead of restoring his carpentry business and building a new workshop, he decided to give cider making a chance. By Voldemar's 15th birthday their renovations had been complete, and the additional rooms Melphos had made for his new cidery were ready.   Voldemar was eager to work and to make himself useful, and his father appreciated his diligence and eagerness to learn. At around the same time as they were acquiring their first batch of apples, Melphos contacted the local Cider-maker's Guild in hopes that they would accept him into their ranks. The Guildmaster agreed and informed Melphos of the duties that the members of the guild had as well as all of their benefits. Voldemar's father agreed with the terms and conditions and figured that access to the guild-exclusive spices and other ingredients were well worth the monthly fees.   Their business would slowly grow over the following years, but eventually, another tragedy struck. A dangerous plague swept through town, and although Voldemar's symptoms were barely noticeable, his parents were less fortunate. Ida's health had failed her, and she passed away. Melphos was lucky enough to cling on to life, but he emerged from the outbreak a scarred and depressed man. His body had become more feeble, and he was forced to rely more on his son. By the age of 40, Voldemar was actively working in their cidery and regularly attending guild meetings. During one such event a week after his 58th birthday, he overheard something that would radically alter his views on such authorities.   In a dark corner, far from the bustling feast halls of the guild, the master and the owner of the largest and oldest cidery discussed business. From what Voldemar could understand, the guild actively helped that specific cidery to the detriment of all others. It was as if the guild itself was a puppet to the oldest and most prominent cidery so that instead of worrying about competition, they could impose guild fees on them instead. The power of the guild within the local government also meant that certain goods were only accessible to members of the guild forcing all aspiring cider-makers to join them.   Voldemar was furious and stormed out of the building with his father in tow. Once they were home, he told Melphos what he had discovered. His father remained sceptical, unwilling to move against the guild without further proof. His father looked visibly frail and tired - in no condition to act out against anyone or to investigate into their wrongdoings.   For a week Voldemar continued to attend meetings and regularly frequented both the old cidery and the guild's headquarters, but found no further evidence. When he went home one night, he found his father collapsed on the floor next to a small round table with his recipe book and a tankard on it. Melphos had drawn his last death before Voldemar's arrival, but the ink on one page was still fresh - a brand new recipe for a special cider. One that required ingredients that even the guild couldn't get their hands on.   After the mourning and the burial came the anger and fury. Voldemar kicked open the doors in the guildhall, interrupting a private meeting with the Guildmaster. He announced that he would be leaving the guild and hurled insults at everyone in the room before the guards dragged him back out again. Free from the conspiracies of the guild and the fees he had been forced to pay, Voldemar worked hard to keep the business afloat. The first week had felt normal, but soon the tale of the commotion he had caused spread from tavern to tavern, resulting in a boom of sales. Things looked bright, but with each cider he made, the supplies of guild-exclusive spices dwindled.   Voldemar tried his best to negotiate a deal with the town's government, but they weren't willing to go against the wishes of a guild. For them, it was safer to trust the larger collective of cider-makers than the one rebellious one. With no means to get the ingredients he needed, he was forced to put less of the good stuff into his ciders, diminishing their taste.   The popularity his cidery had gained with the controversies were soon undone as the populace started regarding his cider as some of the worst in town. There were a few loyal fans of his work and those who couldn't afford anything else, but his profits plummeted.   The stress and fear of losing all that his father had established forced Voldemar to turn to his cider. One night during one of his drunken fits of rage, he broke down in tears on the spot his father had died. As he wept his manly tears, a thought came to him as if a whisper from the heavens. If the government and the guild were unwilling to let an honest businessman do what he loved then why would he live with their shackles? He figured that the freedoms he sought would only help the economy of his hometown and therefore bring happiness and prosperity to all others. That to him seemed like a just cause, even if it went against the laws of the land.   Contacting someone that could help him had been difficult as the criminal world was relatively unknown to him, but after a while, he had contacted a skilled smuggler. The price the smuggler asked for was high, but she was willing to bring enough spices to Voldemar that would last him a while. Confident that he could make a profit, Voldemar sold much of the furniture in his home and handed the smuggler the last of his coins, keeping only what he needed for rent and food.   It took Voldemar a while to earn back the trust of the people and to get rid of his cider's poor reputation, but eventually, things got better. Every once in a while, he would contact a smuggler to bring him a large bulk of ingredients, but no one seemed to know of his illegal activities.   For years everything went perfectly fine, and Voldemar realized that he nearly had all he needed for his father's final recipe - All that was left was the unique spice. He contacted a smuggler called DustsCharacter, an expert who his previous supplier had informed him about.   Dust did the job quickly and without drawing any unwanted attention. With the spice now in his possession, Voldemar began work on what he hoped would be his masterpiece - the best bloody cider in the world.   During the finishing phases of the process, a pair of guards knocked on his door. As he opened it for them, they grabbed him and dragged him away without saying a word. With a sack over his head and his hands bound, he was brought before the city council and the Guildmaster, the latter of whom accused him of importing illegal goods into town.   There were calls to flog him, to take away his cidery and to confiscate the goods. Some wanted to chop off his hand or to banish him to the dangerous wilderness, but Voldemar could only think how his father's legacy would be destroyed. He didn't expect to make it out of the situation with the cidery, but there was a chance to save the product of the final recipe. All he needed were a few extra days.   Voldemar accused the Guildmaster of fabricating the tale and asked the council for a few days which he could use to gather proof of his innocence. The council members agreed, but they tossed Voldemar into a cell nonetheless and left the investigating for the guards.   After a few days had passed, a guard approached his cell with a cheeky grin on his face. Voldemar knew that he had to act. As the guard unlocked the door, Voldemar pushed hard against it, smashing its rusty bars into the man's face. With the guard unconscious and the keys to his escape on him, he freed himself from the shackles that had been placed on him and made a run for his cidery. The guards soon learned of what had happened, and they followed. Unfortunately for the law, Voldemar's legs were sturdy, and they carried him quickly to the cidery and then through the open gates of the town and into the wilds.   He was able to take with him a handful of money, some weapons and armour from back when his father had served in the army before his birth, enough gear to stay alive for a while, and most importantly, the final cider.   He then faffed around in the woods for a while grinding up XP to get to level 1.
Alignment
Neutral Good
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Light brown
Hair
Bald
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tanned
Height
1.24 cm
Weight
64 kg

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