Kaiser Shalt

Kaiser Gustav Shalt
Hometown	Gallens, Gallantria
25|1376|Cadora|8|1443|DR}}
Gender	Male
Height	6'0"
Weight	186
Alignment	Unaligned

Kaiser Gustav Shalt is a former Emperor of the Gallantrian empire, crowned as such during it's most trying moments in the rebuilding of the empire following the Greater Races war. Shalt was a perfect example of the Gallantrian ideal that through hard work and sacrifice a person is capable of anything. Shalt was born to a woman of common birth and joined up with the Gallantrian Army, already a capable fighter at 15, the Age of Conscription. He worked his way up through the ranks and eventually joined the fabled Landsknect, the elite military force of the empire. Shortly after assuming command of the 1st Landsknecht Heimwehr, disaster struck, however. Viscount Thomas Hayze, a Gallantrian Nobleman returned to the city after several months away, and requested audience with the Emperor. While meeting with the Emperor, Hayze revealed his true intentions, and cut down the emperor, and the entire imperial family. He quickly took over Gallans, and Shalt, upon catching wind of this, mobilized his army to put down what he thought was a simple insurrection.

His entire unit was wiped out, as Hayze's fel armies took them by surprise, though Ahalt and his commanders were taken alive. Hayze offered Shalt, who was known to be a brilliant tactician, a place in his army. Shalt turned him down, and as punishment, had an eye removed. He was then thrown into the dungeons below the Palace.

Months passed as Shalt wasted away in the imperial dungeon, and the Greater Races War raged on outside. One day, a band of heroes, including Eric Carver and Loudin Stirling managed to break in to the dungeon, and helped Shalt to escape. He was escorted to where the tattered remnants of the Gallantrian Army were in hiding, and, being proclaimed Grand General, set about the task of retaking Gallans, as the heroes that had rescued him went separate ways in an attempt to gather more support from the free races of the continent.

The Battle of Windfall

In the mean time, Hayze's armies had ravaged all of the Windman continent, and used a massive ancient spire known as Windfall, located in the south of Gallantria as his base of operation. The opposition to Hayze began making progress against him, which culminated in the Battle of Windfall. Here a collection of Gallantrians, Cantonians, Continental Elves, Insel Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes under Shalt's command clashed with the Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Kobolds and Demons of Hayze's army. Though the fighting was fierce, Eric Carver and his fellows made their way into Windfall, and defeated Hayze and the evil artifact he was using the amplify his powers.

After Windfall

Life was not easy in Gallantria since the Battle of Windfall. Several large areas remain destroyed, and the entirety of the Vally of Windfall Tower remains barren, and overrun with evil creatures. Shalt continued to wage wars for several years within Gallantria, attempting to reconsolidate the massive empire, lacking any form of official power to do so. This changed, however, when the Great Generals crowned him Emperor in 1436 DR [1012 WE|25 GWR] . He was able to use this as leverage to pull the remaining provinces in line.

East and West Gallans

Ruling the empire proved to be too difficult, and Shalt, a far more brilliant military tactician then a politician, found governing difficult. With the destruction caused by Hayze still plaguing his country, in 1440 DR [1016 WE|29 GWR] he signed a proclamation, breaking the empire into to separate divisions demarcated along the Veltmons Spine mountain range. He would continue to rule East Gallantria, with the capital in Gallans, now named East Gallans, and West Gllantria, which he entrusted to his friend Loudin Striling. The city of Bel was renamed to West Gallans, and made capital. Time will tell if this will ease the problems faced by Gallantria.

Later Years

The last couple year of his life, Shalt was beset by a number of health maladies, as his hard life and the cold climate of Gallans took it's toll on him. He died, his body wracked by blood poisoning and pneumonia, at the age of 66. His daughter, Aleria, was crowned the next week.