Pexld

Pexld The Conqueror

"You want to know why the Empire keeps so many troops in the south? Why Enim is such an important town, even though its in the back end of nowhere? Three words. Pexld The Conqueror. Sakmohr warlord who brought half of his people with him and gave the Empire its worst bloody nose in history. No one wants to see that happen again."

Pexld the Conqueror, Pexld the Barbarian, Pexld the Great, Pexld the Destroyer. All titles for one of history's most significant figures, on par with the likes of Jamal Hudor and Til-Yaltur, for individuals who have influenced the current world more than any other.
A Sakamohr, Pexld united many of the previously fractious clans and led a huge army through the pass at Enim and into the lands of The Empire of Belyos. With the Empire in a state of dissolution, Pexld's armies ravaged the southern parts, and the warlord himself drove straight for the Imperial capital of Belyos, where after sacking the city for many of its treasures, set himself up as the new Emperor.
His strength of personality and force of will kept the Sakamohr unified, although he only laid claim to the throne for fifteen years before dying and leaving it to his son. His descendants remained in power for over 150 years, before the Sakamohr finally collapsed into in-fighting and were forced out by a unified Imperial force 25 years later.
In the Empire, Pexld is considered somewhat of divine retribution on Imperial lands that had failed to uphold the unity of the Empire and the promises to Yaltur. Reviled for his treatment of the Imperial Capital, but admired by some for his tactical and strategic abilities, that the Sakamohr were able to produce one of such skill forced Imperials to reconsider the threat posed by their southern neighbour.
In the lands of the Sakamohr his legacy is mixed; amongst the clans that live a long way from the Empire, he is revered as a righteous leveller, who showed the hedonistic Empire that their ways were weak, and that true strength lies in the Sakamohr.
To those whose lands were either next to the Empire, or who now border the heavily patrolled Marches, Pexld is a foolish egomaniac, whose religious zealotry might have given the Empire a bloody nose for a few hundred years, but ultimately brought the wrath of a much larger and powerful nation on them, causing hardships for many. They are keen to remind those who live further away that of the 10 clans that entered the Empire, only 2 returned, much reduced in number, and the crusade that followed them a just over a hundred years later decimated the clans in their path and saw Cheingo destroyed and left in ruins for a long time.

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Mental characteristics

Personal history

His birth and upbringing are largely unknown, as the Sakamohr are not typically a literate people, and do not keep records in the way the Imperials do. Even his original clan is unknown, as during his lifetime he never used a name other than Pexld, which in itself is not a typical Sakamohrian name. 
He first came to prominence in the Imperial year 1384, when he joined one of the many nomadic clans that based their livelihoods and culture on the horse and cattle herds of central Sakmohr. His prowess on horseback, skill with a blade, and charisma saw him rise to the leadership of the clan in a few short years, ruthlessly eliminating his rivals, but treating friends and allies with great respect. 
No one is sure when Pexld started to receive his visions, but by 1389, he was openly speaking of his communications with the Sakamohr deity known as The Shepherd, a largely benevolent god who whilst having many names throughout Sakamohr culture, was recognised as protector of their lands. Critics were silenced with threats, exile or execution, and word of his divine visions quickly spread through the lands.
In 1393 Pexld began approaching other clans, speaking of the unprotected soft belly of Imperial lands, and how the Sakamohr deserved to retake their ancestral lands by force now that the Empire had gone. Not all the clans agreed with him, but those unable to move away from Pexld's rapidly growing sphere of influence saw their leaders killed and their people and riches integrated into Pexld's own clan. Religious fervour was taking hold throughout Sakamohr, with Pexld as its unquestioned leader.
Finally, in 1407, Pexld gathered up his forces and crossed through the Enim pass and into the Empire. Although losses through the pass were notable, most of the army made it through and the Sakamohr immediately began to spread through the unprotected Imperial lands, sacking and pillaging as they went. Most of the forces in the region had been exhausted by decades of intermittent war with each other, so resistance was easily swept aside.
Leaving most of the clans to take the lands around him, Pexld's own clan, by far the largest, made straight for Belyos. A siege followed; the city may have been a shadow of its glory during the Imperial days, but it was still a strong fortress. Its fall was inevitable however, and Pexld negotiated its surrender with the Temple Guard, the last remaining military force of any substantial size. They agreed to allow the Sakamohr into the city, so long as the sanctity of the Temple of Yaltur was maintained and, once they withdrew to the Temple grounds, Pexld entered the city.
Despite having surrendered, the city was ransacked, its remaining citizens mostly killed or enslaved. Many of the buildings from Imperial days were damaged, and a lot of the wealth of the city was carted off, back to Sakamohr by jubilant clansmen. For his part, Pexld moved straight to the Imperial seat of Lanyar Castle, and finding it unguarded took his place as the city's new ruler.
The anarchy of the initial sacking settled into a more formal Sakamohr occupation, and those few Imperials left in the city consigned themselves to their new overlords. Pexld passed laws that offered all citizens of the city some protection, but made it clear that the Sakamohr were in charged, and whilst Pexld's authority carried much weight, it was not always enough.

Pexld aged 68

During his 15 year reign, Pexld made some approaches to the Imperial states that had managed to resist the Sakamohr invasion. Those Imperial lands around Belyos were firmly in Sakmohrian hands, but a lot of the old Empire still remained, and Pexld wished to be recognised as the new Emperor, entering into formal relations with the other parts. These approaches failed entirely, and Pexld was never acknowledged as anything other than a usurper and barbarian invader. The strength of the Sakamohr, both in numbers and in their cavalry, something never seen in the Empire before, meant that no counter-attack could ever be accomplished.
Pelxd died aged only 71 in 1423, and his son succeeded him in the manner of Sakamohrian inheritance. His legacy would ensure Sakamohr hegemony over the southern parts of the Empire for almost 180 years, and forever change how the Empire perceived the Sakmohr themselves.

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Accomplishments & Achievements

Pexld personally saw his taking of the city of Belyos as his greatest achievement, even though it was achieved through negotiation and not force. He dismissed any criticism of this action by more militant Sakamohrian commanders, knowing full well that the city's walls and elite Temple Guard defenders would have inflicted large losses on the Sakamohr.
Ironically, it is the taking of Belyos that Pexld considers his greatest failure as well; he was unable to prevent his forces from scouring the city, laying waste to many of its great buildings and monuments, stealing its treasures and subjecting the few citizens who remained to a great deal of trauma. Attempts were made to forbid mistreatment of Imperial residents, and to prevent the removal of treasures back to Sakamohr, but for the most part, this was not successful.

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Intellectual Characteristics

Considered to be tactical and strategic genius, where Pexld could not overcome his opponents by force, he regularly out-manoeuvred them, or saw to it that strategic considerations rendered his opponent's base too diminished to put up any resistance. Wildly credited with the introduction of the stirrup to Sakmohr forces, it revolutionised cavalry combat, although some Imperial historians claim that the stirrup had been in use for much longer prior to Pexld.
His religious visions both inspired those around him, and gave him a great sense of purpose and confidence that meant that even when faced with loss, or uncertainty, he acted with conviction, never displaying any doubt as to the righteousness of his actions. 

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Personal Banner of Pexld

Ethnicity

Sakamohr

Life

1352 IY 1423 IY 71 years old

Eyes

Light blue

Hair

Blonde

Height

2.05 m

Aligned Organization

Sakamohr Confederacy