Alcor Miursa
High Rider Alcor Miursa
Alcor Miursa is the current High Rider of Elturel, a lifelong career Hellrider, and the father of Arcus Miursa, one the Lost Star Detectives that ended the Damnation of Elturel. Alcor's reign over Elturel was marked by a myriad of troubles, from the threat posed by the vampire Klav Ikaia to the dissolution of Elturgard as a state.
History
Alcor Miursa was born in 1448, next in a long line of Hellriders, whose membership included his own mother, Tori Miursa. Despite the loss of prestige the Hellriders suffered following the 1447 Reign of Vampires, Alcor always knew that he was destined to join their ranks and enlisted as soon as he was of age. Alcor's first posting was in the village of Triel in 1466, a settlement that had recently been folded in to the burgeoning nation of Elturgard. While there, Alcor met a local farmer's daughter, Callista, and the two of them made an instant connection and married in 1468. Alcor and Callista remained in Triel for the next several years as Alcor slowly gained more and more command of the garrison in the village. During this time, Callista gave birth to two sons: Kaiden in 1469 and Arcus in 1472. In 1478, Arcus fell victim to a curse by the hag Zilly Redwood, who lived in the woods near Triel and to whom Arcus mistakingly traded his voice, rendering him mute. Alcor and Callista tried everything to dispell the curse, even taking Arcus to Elturel to try and take advantage of the city's increased resources, but nothing worked. However, knowing that Elturel had a small mute community and believing that a change of scenary would do Arcus good, the Miursas relocated to Elturel permenately. The move to Elturel proved to be a boon to Alcor's military career and improved his relationship greatly with Kaiden, as Alcor and his fellow Hellriders began to recognize that Kaiden was a burgeoning prodigy with the sword. Alcor attempted to get Arcus to train with him as well, but Arcus was never passionate about swordfighting, and Alcor began to spend more and more time with Kaiden, who joined the Hellriders in 1487, while Arcus helped Callista with her gardening. In 1491, Callista magically disappeared, stolen away by Zilly Redwood, as Callista's guidance was helping Arcus regain his metaphorical voice. Callista's disappearance, and presumed death, had a profound affect on Alcor, who began to believe that had he or Kaiden been present when she was taken, instead of Arcus, they could have saved her. This created a rift between Alcor and his sons that was only mended in 1495, when Alcor began attending gatherings of the church of Lathander and started mending his familial relationships, admitting to his faults. That same year, Arcus was blessed by the goddess Eldath, who gave him a facsimile of his voice back, causing him to begin striving to serve as a paladin in her service. On the 2nd of Eleasis, 1497, Elturel and all of its inhabitants were teleported into Avernus in the Nine Hells as a result of a pact between Archduke of Avernus Zariel and High Observer Naja Bellandi of Elturel, signed fifty years previous. Elturel's planar relocation was coincided with the reveal that nearly all of the upper leadership of Elturgard's government, the Hellriders, and the Order of the Companion were members of the cult of Zariel who transformed into devils upon the city's arrival in hell. To make matters worse, Hellriders, Order of the Companion members, and their families who were killed were transformed in death into devils as well, which was unknowingly a result of the Creed Resolute they all were made to swear. Alcor was one of the few higher ranking Hellriders to have not been inducted into the Zarielites' ranks, and he led a minor resistance against the Hell Knights and other devils that stalked Elturel's streets. However, as the city was lowered further and further to the surface of Avernus, threatening to submerge all Elturians in the waters of the River Styx, Alcor chose to lead a desperate band of Hellriders out into the Avernian wasteland to find aid or a solution to their damnation. Alcor left Kaiden in charge of the Hellriders at Helm's Shieldhall and left. After traveling great distances and fighting off devils and demons, the band of Hellriders discovered the demon lord Kostchtichie, who had been imprisoned by Zariel and wanted revenge. Alcor negotiated with Kostchtichie, promising to free him in exchange for helping Elturel, but before the Hellriders could do anything, they were captured by agents of the archdevil Gargauth, who had recently been freed from his own captivity by the Lost Star Detectives, a group of adventurers trying to save Elturel that also included Alcor's son Arcus. Gargauth, who had a special animosity towards Arcus, believed that Alcor would give him a bargaining chip, and so the archdevil kept Alcor while trading most of the other Hellriders to Zariel, as a show of good faith. While in captivity, Garguath plied Alcor for information on Arcus, but did not torture him, knowing that he needed to stay in good condition. Gargauth's gamble was rewarded when Alcor was exchanged in a deal not made with Arcus but Zariel, who had been redeemed due to the actions of the Lost Star Detectives, and who shed her infernal nature during the 1498 Battle of Elturel, which also returned the city to the Material Plane. With Elturel back where it should be, Alcor began reorganizing the Hellriders. With the aid of the Detectives and Zariel, who had given her angelic nature over to the Detective Alesine Zadava, Alcor was able to wrest control of the eastern half of the city from the vampire Klav Ikaia. With his military status and his connection to one of the heroes of the city, Alcor became first the de facto leader of Elturel and then its official head. Out of love for the city's Hellrider heritage, and a desire to distance himself and the city from the leaders that caused the city's damnation, Alcor reinstated the title of High Rider as the city's dominant title, replacing High Observer, which had been in use for the past fifty years. Alcor was also reunited with his wife Callista, who was rescued by Arcus during his adventures. Though the two still loved one another, Callista was changed by her imprisonment, and she rarely made public appearances alongside her husband, preferring to spend most of her time gardening.Social
Reign
Alcor's reign over Elturel was turbulent. While a lifelong military leader, Alcor had little experience in traditional domestic policymaking, which hampered his effectiveness in the years following the city's rebuilding, when martial law was implemented. Alcor also made a few notably unpopular decisions early in his reign, such as attempting to reinstitute the requirement that all future High Riders, and thereby rulers of Elturel, be members of the Hellriders, which was publically rejected out of fears lingering from High Rider Klav Ikaia's return and the infernal infiltration of the city's military during its damnation.
Alcor's tenure as High Rider was also troubled as a result of the geopolitical changes wrought by Elturel's disappearance and return. The city's presumed destruction resulted in the collapse of Elturgard as a nation, and Elturel's return was not enough to convince the many once-city states to again join Elturel in a union, especially one with Elturel as the capital and dominating political force. Additionally, in the north, the monsterous kingdom of Najara began making inroads into territory that was once ruled by Elturgard. Though its slow creep south was halted by a hastily formed military alliance of Elturel and the other former Elturgardian states, the instability in the region was a sharp contrast to the prosperity of the previous fifty years.
Family Ties
Alcor is very close to his family, though those bonds were strained following his wife Callista's disappearance in 1491. While his relationship with his two sons, Kaiden and Arcus, has been repaired, there is still some tension between them.
Alcor is very proud of the Miursas storied history in the Hellriders, and the family can trace their lineage to nearly the foundation of the Elturel. It is family legend that Shiarra, the first High Rider of the city, was related to the Miursas, though this isn't backed up by any historical record.
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