Rolland Brackwater (born January 26th, 305 AC) is the current Highlord of The Wetlands, a position he has held since 324 AC. He is the son of Forian Brackwater and Jesende Blyke. Rolland is known as a generally kind man with a knack for tactics, but can be very easy to anger depending on what the topic of discussion entails.
History
Rolland grew up as a typical noble boy, being educated in all manners of life, such as history, martial education, and so forth. During his teenage years, Rolland developed a loving bond with his youngest brother Pelagius Brackwater; however, his relationship with his younger brother Haythem Brackwater was far from loving, and one could say the two even hated each other. Their similar ambitions meant that Haythem was always interfering with Rolland's affairs, so as to somehow inadvertently cause his death and become heir of the Wetlands. Pelagius had no such desires, being something of a simple man -- even when asked about desire of a title, he dismissed the notion and instead relayed all attention to his two older brothers, busy getting into a scuffle or hiring henchmen to corner the other.
To get away from the pressure of eventually having to take up the crown, Rolland joined the Andorasi military when he was sixteen, under newly-crowned King Aeganar IV Dragomárus, whose reign was just experiencing a golden age known as Aeganar's First Five. A fine soldier Rolland was; he was seldom beaten during duels, being accustomed to others fighting 'dirty' due to the numerous times he had such fights with Haythem. News reached him of his father Forian's death in 324 AC, when Haythem was 19 -- however, he remained as a soldier even after taking the crown.
A story, albeit some have cast doubt on its authenticity, tells of how Rolland and Aeganar once personally met while the Farmers' Revolution was transpiring, during the Battle of Garanide in February 328 AC. From this conversation, Rolland developed a strong affinity for his king and swore to defend his life no matter the circumstances. To this day, Rolland still punishes those in his court who speak out against Aeganar, or those who question his sanity. It is also notable that Rolland still considers himself a vassal of the Kingdom of Andoras, and should anyone with a proper claim, such as Taeronys Dragomárus whose survival no one in Andoras is aware of, return to the western continent and declare his crown valid, Rolland would almost certainly join him.
The Civil War
During the Second Siege of Dragonspire, Rolland was trapped within the city itself, his men and himself stayed in order to protect the Dragomárus family at all costs. After the gates were breached and the assault of the Final Spark began, they felt lost. They were malnourished, outnumbered, and most of their will was broken. Many, seeing no point in fighting, simply fled for their life instead of deciding to take part in the battle.
During a large skirmish, Rolland was able to take on several Karthmere elite soldiers, even killing the captain of the Stone Knights, Borus Haren, in personal combat. Sadly, this was not enough for him to save all of the Dragomárus children or his king. Rolland watched as a Thyllanorian soldier -- believed to have been Dalan Karthmere himself -- cut down Aeganar like a pig. With a rush of fury, Brackwater stormed towards Dalan; however, this was thwarted when a spear lodged itself in his calf. He was forced to limp off of the battlefield injured, and was recovering bedridden when news of the war's loss came to him. He fully expected to be captured by whoever took the throne in Aeganar IV Dragomárus's place, but learned soon after that the Treaty of Dragonspire declared that no new kingdom could be established in all of Andoras, that the title of Kingdom of Andoras was abolished, and that the victorious rebels had pardoned everyone who fought in the war against them, claiming it just to defend the crown even though Aeganar was a tyrant. He wished to protest against this, but thereafter learned that his diplomats had already signed the treaty in his absence. With a heavy heart, he continued his rule, now as an independent Highlord (though he denies such a claim), and as one of the last on the continent truly loyal to the deposed Kingdom of Andoras.
Current whereabouts
Rolland currently resides in Blackmire with his son, his daughters, his wife, and several servants. As of now, he is investigating the death of his younger brother, Pelagius. He grieves deeply, but knows he must remain strong for the good of the entire Wetlands. He has been wary of Dalan Karthmere because of his actions at their recent peace summit for the War of Embers, and has recently forged a small alliance with Byron Grimolt conversely.