Markus III
Markus III "the Defeated" was the last King of the Welds in the Age of Heroes, and died three years into the Exile. Though his name is forever associated with the near-apocalyptic destruction the end of his reign saw, and despite his epithet, Markus bears little responsibility for the Breach of Heaven, or for the subsequent retreat/rout towards the Alder.
He survived that rout when many of his close family members did not - and he was in almost constant danger in the retreat. Though he struggled with the guilt of his survival, as King he was more use to his people alive with them, than heroically dead. He did die shortly after their arrival in Exile - but he had first passed all of his passion for victory, and hatred of the Empty onto his new heir Edvar II.
Most of his reign, though, occurred before the Breach, and he ought to have been remembered as a personally devout King (in a time before a formal Sanctorum), albeit one who loved war and foreign adventure. Indeed, in the days before the Breach, he was discussing with his newly knighted nephew plans for a raid north into Tetra lands. Unfortunately, his post-mortem reputation suffered further given his great tolerance of magic and interest in its study. According to those closest to him, the seditious rumour that he was aware of the experiment to breach the Creator's realm - or even helped fund it - was nothing more than the chaos, confusion, and anger which accompanied the exile. Nevertheless, he was a known supporter of magical enquiry, and tolerance like his would not be seen for centuries after the Exile.
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