Ambassador+Ka'vanau+of+Darguun

=Ambassador Ka'vanau= An older Hobgoblin sent by the Lhesh Haruuc to serve as ambassador to the Prince of New Cyre. Even though Cyre no longer exists as a nation -- in point of fact, Darguun was carved out of what was once southern Cyre -- most nations in postwar Khorvaire sent an ambassador as a courtesy, primarily to discuss repatriating Cyran refugees or appeal to Prince Oargev about Cyran outlaws. Career diplomats know that being posted to New Cyre, as opposed to a nation that still exists, is a career-ending embarrassment.

Fortunately, Ka'vanau is no career diplomat. During the Last War, Ka'vanau was a high-ranking mercenary commanding the Blood Wings, an air cavalry force mounted on Manticores native to the mountains of northeastern Khorvaire (//although some preferred Droaamite Manticores//). Hired by Queen Dannel of Cyre, the Blood Wings scored victories in Karrnath and against the //Valaes Tairn// Elves when they revolted against Dannel to create Valenar. Other times his unit supported a young warlord named Haruuc as he rose to power among the //Dar//, helping defeat other Ghaal'dar and Marguul leaders opposing him in the years before Haruuc's Rebellion. He also led raids deep into the Talenta Plains and the jungles of Q'barra. Ka'vanau proudly wears medals for each and every combat, no matter how insignificant and regardless of the outcome...except one.

For all his success, Ka'vanau was disgraced in 970 YK, even as Haruuc's Rebellion conquered southern Cyre to be a new nation, Darguun. During an air battle in Karrnath, a powerful necromantic spell killed his Manticore and put Ka'vanau into a coma. As he recovered, his ambitious second-in-command, Kogaa, took the Blood Wings and slaughtered scores of Cyran ground troops in a surprise attack -- making him one of the first to stand with Haruuc in open revolt. In the chaos of Darguun's first days, Ka'vanau's absence and a few whispers were all it took to end his military career. He returned to his new clan holdings and worked quietly for 26 years, running farms tended by several thousand Cyran slaves -- and becoming proficient in the growing of Cyre's signature crop, Cyrum belwheat. After The Mourning claimed all of Cyre's belwheat farms and the lives of most everyone who knew how to grow the tricky perennial, Ka'vanau became one of the few remaining belwheat experts. //Unfortunately, there's no legal market for grain farmed by slaves and sold by Hobgoblins//.

And then, a form of redemption: When the Treaty of Thronehold was signed, recognizing Darguun as the legitimate home of the Goblin peoples, Lhesh Haruuc suddenly found himself in need of qualified, high-ranking Hobgoblins to represent Darguun at all the courts of Khorvaire -- and when it came time to appoint someone to the "Beggar Court" of Prince Oargev, he reached out to Ka'vanau (//since he was about the only surviving commander from that time with no Cyran blood on his hands//). Loyal as ever, the old //Dar// took the implied insult in stride and accepted a semi-exile that ironically placed him in New Cyre, mere miles from the Darguun border -- where he found his experience with belwheat gave him a topic of conversation with the Prince his fellow Ambassadors lacked.

Even as an ambassador, Ka'vanau insists on wearing a garish Human-style military dress uniform, complete with jingling medals (including the Order of the Chain, Platinum-class) and a green cape that clashes with his orange skin. He claims to be an expert in the Spiked Chain.

**Update:**
Ever since his posting, Ka'vanau has been the intermediary in negotiations between Oargev and the Lhesh, as they hashed out details of an elaborate Plan that could lead to legitimacy and better trade deals for Darguun //(including legal belwheat exports!)//, and repatriation of thousands of Cyran slaves to the Prince's custody. Zilargo and Breland would also benefit. King Boranel reportedly gave his approval of the Plan. In Zarantyr 998 YK, Lhesh Haruuc also approved the Plan's outlines, sending the details via diplomatic pouch to New Cyre.

Ka'vanau's handling of the pouch almost plunged Darguun and Breland into a new war. His first attempt to send the pouch to Wroat failed, killing his own deputy and leading to harsh back-and-forth charges between the two kingdoms. Fortunately, the pouch was recovered, and an interested third party agreed to teleport a new courier directly to Wroat. This attempt succeeded, despite another attempt to intercept the pouch.

Unfortunately, three days later King Boranel died without designating an heir, throwing the Plan into doubt. However, it soon became apparent that Boranel's brother, Regent Kor ir'Wynarn, also knew of and approved the Plan, implementing it in Olarune and Therendor. Hundreds of Cyran and Zil slaves were freed to seal the deal, and at the end of Olarune Prince Oargev of Cyre bent the knee to the Brelish crown and rose as Governor Oargev of Yedan's Expanse. While technically there's no longer a "nation" needing an Ambassador (//indeed, most other nations pulled their diplomats out of New Cyre within days -- and the Ambassador from the Mror Holds simply abandoned his post even before being recalled//), Ka'vanau was told to stay put until the Plan was finished.

This meant he was on hand to aid in New Cyre's defense when the Swords of Liberty attacked in early Eyre. Though old and still weakened by that long-ago Karrn necromancy, Ka'vanau fought well and saved several lives with his Spiked Chain.