The Books of Blutora

21 : King Alenor of Balmoral

This is the story of a warrior. The story of a leader. The story of unshaken determination and unrivaled dedication. The story of a hero.

Kore Alenor was born an Arberi human in the year A-64, in the young and quickly growing lands of Goldcrest, within the far southern reaches of Blutora. His parents were Deyovi and Uriy, two laborers of no fortune and a difficult life. Most of their time was spent carrying out whatever tasks the more fortunate would have for them as they needed any money they could acquire. These tasks included farming, cleaning, moving large amounts of things, and most often mining. 

From the moment Kore was born in the year A-64, his parents did their best to raise him in the little free time they had, however it wasn't nearly enough to put him on the track they initially desired for their only son. In his childhood Kore would often disregard his parents wishes and leave their small cramped house to explore the village and make friends. He was extremely outgoing and charismatic, he got along very well with others and rarely found himself in any sort of trouble, outside of leaving the house of course. In his years as a child life was great, he knew not of being wealthy and fortunate, which made being poor no big deal, and his biggest interests were in the friends he had made and spending time with them. 

It wouldn't always be this way unfortunately, as when Kore was fourteen years old his parents were tragically killed when a tunnel collapsed in the mines they happened to be working in at the time. With no money, few skills, and no family left to guide him into the real start of life, Kore found himself in the beginnings of adulthood, far too early. At first, he would assist the parents of his friends for any money they could spare, and that got him by for a while, but it wasn't going to last. He needed something more reliable, and something that he could live comfortably with, not having to worry about when the next meal might be. At the age of fifteen, he enlisted himself into the ranks of the Goldcrest guard. 

Being in the guard would mean he would no longer need for a house and the cost that came with it. It also meant that his meals were all but guaranteed, and regular at that. Considering his situation previously, it was a no brainer. That being said, it quickly occurred to Kore that he had no experience, nor any knowledge when it came to combat, and as such the training period was going to be difficult, and he'd have to work extremely hard. Over the course of the following year Kore would train tirelessly, not taking a single day off, always working on some form of combat whether in practice or research and observation. He made sure to address the issue of being lanky and small overall, by bulking up through constantly working out and eating at every chance he got. Come the end of the year, Kore at sixteen years of age now, was indistinguishable from any of the other guard, outside of the young appearance his face still possessed. Not only did he look the part however, he was already one of the guards best swordsmen, often beating the others handily in their duels for sport. 

Over the course of his young adulthood spent entirely with the city guard of Goldcrest, Kore picked up invaluable experiences and memories. He also climbed the ranks over the years to a high ranking position with the guard, renowned among the citizens for his unmatched skills in combat and charismatic nature. By the time Kore was thirty two years old, well established in his career and position in life, he was chosen for a special task, and a rare opportunity at that. The Crest Council of Eight selected the swordsman to lead an expedition north in the year A-96, to explore the lands to learn as much as they could about what roamed the distant world, whether it be more people or just animals they'd not encountered yet. Kore was selected due to his skills in combat, with two other renowned fighters alongside him in Deo Serite and Reyya Lee. They led a group of thirty in total north into the Withering Sea, deserts and badlands that seemed to go on forever. Deadly both in it's inhabitants as well as it's scarcity of any food or water.. not to mention the unwavering heat during the daytime. 

The expedition proved to be troublesome and quite difficult, even fatal for much of the group. Despite a night of absolute terror due to the deadly desert pack predators the Reyks, the expedition made it past the Withering Sea and eventually found themselves alongside a river that sat at the base of a mountain. The group strongly believed they had only survived thanks to Izan - the guardian of hope, whom many of the travelers looked up to much of their life. They also believed that they were guided to their very spot of rest as a sign that they were to remain there, and build something of it. Kore Alenor would lead the remaining survivors in constructing the beginnings of their new settlement, and by the time they had a well working system in place, in the year A-97, they sent word to the lands from which they came. The letter was to the Crest Council of Eight in Goldcrest, and spoke of the troublesome journey and end result. It spoke of their fortune and unfortune, but most of all, it introduced Blutora to an entirely new settlement, known as Balmoral. 

From the moment the group decided to stay at the base of the mountain and make something of it, they unanimously named Kore the first king of their new found land. From the age of thirty three onward, the swordsmen was no longer known for simply being a high ranking member of a city guard, but as King Alenor of Balmoral. He would go on to lead his people far better than any of them could have imagined. Within only a few years, they had extremely successful agriculture and mining operations that only headlined the success of the young settlement. Over the course of his reign as king over Balmoral, Alenor constructed much of the roadways that still stand to this day. He oversaw the construction of housing that would last for many years to come, as well as expeditions further north and far to the east. More people would make the dangerous trek from Goldcrest to Balmoral over the years in search of a new start and to be apart of the making of the great settlement founded by Izan - as many viewed it. As a result of the number of people who desired a chance at making it to Balmoral, Alenor would begin the construction of a roadway through the deadly deserts and badlands to connect the new settlement to their home of old far to the south. Anything he could do to bring prosperity and success to his people, he would do, and anything he could build to make his peoples lives easier, he would construct. He often thought about how his parents could not do much for him, and despite his desire for no children of his own, he was in a position in which he could bring the world for all of his people, and as such he was dedicated to doing so.

King Alenor of Balmoral would live to the age of seventy eight, and pass of said age in the year A-142. He made it clear that upon his passing, he wished for the people of his settlement to put in his place as king only somebody they trusted by majority to lead them, and as such to hold a vote for the next leader in line. That title would end up belonging to Ryder Leyol who would be named King Ryder of Balmoral only three days after the passing of Kore Alenor. 

The legacy left behind by Kore Alenor is one admired still to this day, the determination, and dedication to his people is extremely admirable. It's in big part due to the great start he gave Balmoral, that it holds the title of the largest city in Blutora today. If only he could be here now to see the settlement he started and how far it's come. 

Balmoral wouldn't exist if not for Alenor, and much of history as we know it would not be as it is if not for the poor child turned hero. 

The laborer turned swordsmen. The guard turned leader. 

King Alenor of Balmoral.