Rogier Silmuna, nicknamed “The Exiled”, was one of the last surviving members of the Silmuna dynasty after the end of the Fourth Lilac War. After leaving Dameria, he established the Sons of Dameria adventurer company, and fought alongside Corin against the Greentide. The Escanni kingdom of Rogieria, established by the Sons, was named after him.
Early Life
Born in 1406 as the third son of Grand Duke Adénn Silmuna and his wife Calassa síl Deranne, Rogier’s early life was defined by the Lilac Wars. From an early age he was trained in combat by Ricain "the Brash" Silistra, considered one of the greatest warriors of his time. After training, he spent his free time reading treaties of warfare and military organization, knowledge which proved useful during his later life in Escann.
At the age of 12, he accompanied his father to Verne, where he met Trystan sína Redcoast, the son of a member of the lower Vernman nobility. Both became friends and kept contact with letters.
In 1422, when Rogier was 15, his grandfather, Emperor Vincen “the Old Owl” died, and in the same year during the Battle of the Moon Council, his two older brothers were killed, leaving Rogier as the oldest living child of Adénn.
Lilac Wars
During the 4th Lilac War, he served as a squire to Alvar IV, the Duke of Verne, and was knighted by him in 1427. As the war progressed, he became known as a skilled warrior and a decent military commander, winning several minor battles in the Eastern Dameshead against the imperial members of the Rose Party.
In Verne he was reunited with Trystan, and both fought and were knighted together. At some point between 1427 and 1443, Trystan became Rogier’s lover.
In 1443, Rogier was injured after a battle against the Cestiranders in Verne when the news of the fall of Anbenncóst and the death of his family arrived. The newly crowned emperor, Lothane síl Wex, offered the remaining Silmuna loyalist safe passage through the empire if they agreed to go into exile in Escann, and put a bounty on Rogier’s head. With Dameria destroyed, Rogier decided to try to find the last surviving member of his family, his younger sister Eílis, who was in Castellyr as a lady in waiting at the beginning of the Greentide.
Faking Rogier’s death, the Silmuna army led by Trystan and Laurenne sil na Damesdale marched to Arbaran, followed closely by Wexonard troops, until they reached the encampment of the Marcher Lords. Once there, Rogier used the few remaining contacts he had to find information about his sister, to determine if she was still in Escann or was able to escape with other refugees.
Fighting the Greentide
Once safe in Escann, Rogier revealed himself and founded the adventurer company of the Sons of Dameria, formed by his soldiers and other Damerian exiles.
The victory at Rottenstep cemented Rogier’s ability as military commander, since the Sons of Dameria hold the left flank against the orcish horde. This success attracted more Damerian exiles to the Company.
Lothane was already famous between the Marcher Lords when he met Rogier. He was the son of Eílis, Rogier's younger sister, and after their meeting, Rogier decided to legitimace Lothane as a member of the Silmuna family, and named him his heir.
After the battle of Castonath, Rogier led the Sons of Dameriaback to the west, and in 1447 managed to conquer the city of Taranton from the Grasshopper Muncher goblin tribe. He made the city his center of operations, since it was relatively intact, including the walls of the citadel. In the following years, the Sons managed to conquer the central Taran plains and eastern Rohibon from the orcs and goblins. The city proved to be key, as Taranton’s citadel gave the Sons a safe base of operations from which to pursue the fight against the remnants of the Greentide. From there Rogier proved to be a good administrator, establishing trade routes with Cannor and other marcher lords, with the Sons keeping the routes open and free from orc raidings.
Although Rogier and Lothane Bluetusk rarely saw each other in person, they exchanged a lot of letters, talking about their new responsibilities as leaders of nascent states, but also about family. According to the letters, Lothane dissuaded Rogier from trying to reclaim Dameria after Lothane síl Wex’ death, due to the war that would cause.
Legacy
After Rogier’s death in 1473, the Sons of Dameria would grow to be an adventurer state of modest influence, eventually forming the Kingdom of Rogieria, named after their late founder. Trystan, now retired, accompanied Galin síl Acrom, the leader of the Sons, to offer the crown to Lothane and his children. Both Lothane and his elder son Eilis rejected the crown, but his younger son, Rogier, accepted, and became the first king of Rogieria. Trystan remained in Taranton, where he served as advisor to king Rogier I.
Thanks to Rogier’s efforts, his grandnephew Rogier “the Young Owl”, managed to expand the kingdom, making Rogieria one of the most successful Adventurer kingdoms in Escann during the first decades of the 16th century.