Olgar

Lord Olgar is a nobleman of the Sürgün Günlükleri ("Exile Chronicles") campaign, one of the houses that had backed the rising of Rainer Karga. The mage Klobus knew him as a rich man and was acquainted with his old mage. While Kemp Corvus led the prince's inquiry in Tal'gard, word came that Olgar would visit by night to speak for the rebellion.^{1 2}

The talk of surrender

Olgar came with a retinue of four and called the meeting an informal talk ahead of any formal bargaining. The rebellion, he said, had gone beyond its first plan; the houses feared Rainer themselves, and he had been threatened with death for coming. In return for a formal pardon they would accept penalties such as payments, taxes and support for the legion, and would hand over the commanders and soldiers who had taken part in the violence.^{3 4}

By his account Rainer had joined them with a small band of mercenaries who asked no pay, and through calm advice and accurate information rose to take charge of their security; the soldiers and officers given to him soon grew loyal to him personally, and efforts to curb his influence failed. The houses had not known that Baron Vermont Porvis was held captive, had taken his daughter's presence among the rebels as a sign of his support, and had been told that the small attacks were harmless, meant only to draw attention. Officers unwilling to fight the legion came home leaving most of their soldiers behind, and Rainer called them cowards but let them go; when he refused a call to talks and the baron's counter-proclamation came, the houses decided to surrender.^{5 6 7}

Olgar knew that the money from the tax carts had been shared out among the villages, and said they had not approved; he thought some of it had stayed with Rainer, who had also hired mercenaries of his own and swelled his numbers through plunder and his own fame. Of the eighty soldiers his family had sent, forty had come back with their officer; some of the rest were dead, and perhaps twenty or more had changed sides.^{8 9}

He described Rainer as a former soldier who had been known in the region for about five years and was hired to fight duels; his exceptional skill had won him entry to knights' tournaments and the title of a knight, which he never used, and his sound intelligence and shrewd guesses about hidden outposts betrayed an imperial soldier's training.^{10 11}

Olgar laid out a list of the houses ready to surrender, most of which had given only spoken support. One house on it had recently withdrawn, and its head had been killed at a meal together with his two sons; Olgar did not know by whom. He denied any knowledge of financial dealings with elven separatists, which would be high treason and which he said he would report himself; he knew that Lady Adeline was with Rainer's forces, but not whether by her own will.^{12 13}

He asked to stay in the city in safety while talks went on, and said he regretted the bloodshed in a movement begun for lower taxes and better profit. Kemp received him as a guest with his retinue and ordered the legion officer Malecris to see to their safety without making it obvious that they were guarded.^{14 15}