Admiral Galanor Ryx [Fantasy]

Known as the "Tide Devil," and the "Quarreler" by elves who fought him.
Admiral, privateer, navigator and life- long soldier, Galanor Ryx was the devilishly capable and hard-fighting admiral and tutor of the young prince Helu- who would go on to become 4th Hegemon of Heldan.

Born the bastard child of a low ranking courtesan and an unnamed noble. Ryx entered into the royal navy at a very young age. In time, he grew up to be a charismatic and extremely daring commander where he earned the King's attention and a position of independent command.

During his time as admiral he aggressively asserted and expanded the kingdom’s watery domains, including coming into direct conflicts with elves at a time where they too committed to an aggressive foreign policy. Ryx then fought several running battles with them. One of his most famous exploits included the burning of the high elven king's navy at anchor near his capital. His famous sea duels also included sailing against both the famous elven admiral "Sea Phantom" and "White Stripe on the Wave," to a stand still, even when outmatched and slipped away at his terms.

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On a more personal note, one of his greatest accomplishment was raising the young and sidelined Prince Helu who he took a liking to. As mentor and confidant he gave the young prince an intensely street smart education. The sidelined Prince was brought up in the seedy underworld with a deft combination of resourcefulness and flatfoot improvisation. The 2 qualities which brought Helu to supremacy. So that according to Helu himself, even he found himself without a single penny and only have a tarp cloak for clothing, he could be utterly without worries and can take out miracles in even in such a state.

Ryx would train the boy on intense physical education, paying for his first "experiences" in the cat houses, and taught him the art of making friends from all walk of life. Despite doting on the boy, he was firm in his tutelage. The old admiral was once observed to have back handed the prince for gravely stepping out of the line and acting unbecoming of his duties- he was also a pagan and kept to the lusty faith his whole life. Despite this, Helu after his maturity remembered old man fondly and called him old "seahorse" because male sea horses rears their young and are good fathers.

When Helu became king he promoted the trusted old admiral and unleashed him with great freedom from oversight.
A revered admiral, Rxy subdivided the great navy into 6 distinct type of ships. Also made it a highly mobile force so that any place bordering either fresh or salty the navy could be threatened at any time, any where. Ryx was known for his suicidally daring raids but also personal clemency- captured foes were frequently spared then enrolled to become his crew and his ranks rapidly expand. Even for those condemned to death he often offered some snuff and good wine before their execution.

He declared himself protector of the channel monasteries of the Falling Stars. And to keep elves out (old but ineffective previous protectors) it was total hypocrisy of course because in his headstrong youth Ryx also plundered these island monasteries. Still, these greatly expanded the sight and response speed pf the navy and these rings made the inner sea close to the kingdom's its own private lagoon.

A devout pagan who kept to the traditional gods, when on death bed after his last victorious campaign conducting a long siege near the shores, the old admiral requested that he be buried at sea so he could be with his lost crew and in keeping with his faith, noting that on land the new Faith and obedience to the king means he would contradict himself should he die, so at sea kept his faith and judgement to the old gods.

Upon hearing of his Mentor’s death Helu held a ceremony where he empties out the palaces’ wine cellars on to the scenic beach then drank the rest with the gathered subjects and told the citizens that their sons and daughters have no fear of death in service on the waves bc the Admiral will be there for them.

A century later, the elven admiral White Stripe fully made his name as a genius and reknowned admiral. During a dinner in his honor a courtier brought up the “Quarreler” the elven moniker for Ryx. And the woman said that it was humorous he died so early, since human lives are "little longer than dog lives.” The poised elven admiral then became silent, and responded with that it’s tragic, less for Ryx who led a sparkling life but his own. For that ever after he had faced Ryx, in the century of battles later after he faced him, each felt like death, because he knew fully before and after wading into battle that he was going to win. But when he faced Ryx, each second he did not know if he was going to make it out with his head. For so long without such a foe, he forgot what it felt to be alive.