Bann Valdur Krole is an embittered middle aged man from a long line of banns who have ruled over Ruswold Valley.

Dressed in a simple tunic and leather pants, with a large leather robe drawn over, hiding his infirmity, the bann usually sits behind a heavy wooden desk or on an old gilded throne.

The bann is about forty but could pass for older, especially as his illness and foul moods have hardened him and made him even more gruff than he would normally be. He is direct and takes no lip but is not one to raise his voice or threaten. He is usually polite even if he looks as if he is simmering with anger.

The Kroles were outlawed during the Orlesian occupation as his father and grandfather fought alongside the Rebel Queen. After the war Krole was welcomed as Bann by the Ruswold, despite only being a young man.

Since the rebellion’s end Bann Krole has been fighting his own wars. A fair but not likeable man, he does not know how to ally himself with the people and he holds a fragile grasp on the freeholders’ allegiance. This turned out to be a bit of an issue for him a few years back when he was nearly ousted as Bann by his freeholders for failing to tackle the local bandit problem, an issue that has always plagued the Ruswold.

He managed to hold on to his bannorn thanks to financial aid from his Brother-in-Law, Arl Neruda with which he was able to secure sellswords to supplement his own guards. The battle that followed was a gruesome one, with the bandits ambushing the bann’s men and severely wounding Krole himself. The greater part of the highwaymen were killed while a few of them escaped deeper into the Brecilian forest but in the aftermath many men had perished and Krole almost joined them. Only a timely intervention from a circle mage that happened to be passing through saved the man’s life. He did however lose a leg from the hip and is now a cripple, and one tormented by phantom pains to boot.

Krole was ousted when bandits led by Waldric the Gore-Hand returned to the valley and replaced with Bann Trumhall but with the triumphant return of Russel and his revealing that Trumhall was a liar and murderer he was put back in place by his loyal guard. He proceeded to knight Russel and grant him a small plot of land.

Krole did not like the elves coming on his land but trusted Russel’s word. Later he proved to have a good sense of guile when he sent two of Neruda’s knights from down south into the Brecilian to delay them from travelling to Neruda’s land and mess with the apostasy trial.