Born as the single child of a minor baroness and a knight in the small Kingdom of Ludwess, Gerhold Zimmermann was instantaneously inserted into Ludwess' newest 'vassal': a highly-disciplined Knightly Order, created in an attempt to finally defeat the Kingdom's long-standing rival, the state of Novakzic. The order in itself was called the Rabenschwarz Order, carrying a pitch-black raven on its snowy white crest. The boy was never fully inserted in the Ludwessian court; he was instead raised at a border village, in his parents' manor. Despite the distance from the main capital, he still received education and training worthy of a knight. His childhood was an uneventful one, surrounded by a group of friends which he eventually came to 'lead'.

The peace and quiet of his village life was broken one day, however. A cease-fire signed between Ludwess and Novakzic expired, and the Novakian nobility quickly mobilized into a lightning assault. One of their lords, Pyotr Kabowicz, led a small group of raiders into Gerhold's village, in an attempt to deal a serious blow to Ludwess' food supply. The attack was successful due to Kabowicz' elite raiders, but its results were devastating. Gerhold's father joined the defenders but was easily dispatched by Pyotr's mages. His mother attempted to run away with the boy, yet a stray arrow struck her in back, rendering her unable to walk. Terrified and exhausted, Gerhold was forced to carry his wounded mother to the castle of Strumwalder. He dared to look back, and the image of Pyotr smiling as his men sacked the settlement ignited a hateful fire that would never be put out within the young knight.

Upon reaching the Strumwalder, Gerhold and his mother were properly settled and cared for. His mother was unfortunately robbed of her ability to walk, albeit her spirit found support in the figure of her growing son. Gerhold, in turn, aimed his newfound vigor and anger towards his training. Under the supervision of a seasoned knight, the boy became a stellar warrior, albeit his motivations for improving were far from noble: he wished nothing but the death of Pyotr, by his own blade.

Once he came of age, Gerhold began his military career in the battlefields of the fringe regions of Allir Reach. Years passed like seconds before him, and at the age of 21, the boy was now an experienced man with a considerable reputation among both friend and foe, already leading his band of knights into battle against Novakzic. Around this time, he met a supposed deserter from Novakzic, Erykssen. Due to his combat proficiency and profound knowledge of Novakzic's military plans, the deserter quickly climbed the ranks without much suspicion, and became a close friend of Gerhold in the process.

After 3 years in action, Erykssen disappeared under concerning circumstances. A fire consumed most of Strumwalder Castle's library overnight, and with Erykssen, numerous vital documents regarding Ludwessian battle plans and troop mobilizations vanished. Novakzic's attacks became more frequent and obscenely more devastating, striking critical locations and fortifications. The Order's high brass, together with Ludwess' traditional military quickly realized their mistake in accepting Erykssen's assistance; Gerhold, on the other hand, was devastated, spiraling into a cascade of denial and madness. As much as he had matured, he still regarded friendships with great naivety, and the idea that a friend could turn on him was foreign to the knight until that point.

Overtaken by anger and the bitter taste of betrayal, Gerhold led his men into a series of brutal attacks into Novakian territory, sparing no prisoners. Aside from hunting for Pyotr, the knight directed his efforts towards finding Erykssen. By leading his band in increasingly ungodly attacks, Gerhold gained the title of 'White Demon', thanks to the white surcoat bearing the Order's raven, as well as the ceremonial horned helmet worn by himself and his men. Bloodstained and vicious, his presence in the battlefield often terrified the combatants

. His campaign lasted longer than expected, but eventually, Gerhold came face to face with his old partner. A duel ensued, and Erykssen was executed in a merciless fashion. Engulfed by a raging fire of wrath, Gerhold started a violent campaign against Novakzic, allowing his men to freely pillage towns and villages while he pursued Pyotr and those involved in Erykssen's betrayal.

Pyotr was finally found one day. Gerhold dispatched him ruthlessly, though his display of needless violence did nothing to shock the army ready to ambush his knights while they pillaged yet another settlement. Surprised and outnumbered, he was quick to fall on the battlefield, his soldiers slain. Even then, he miraculously survived the onslaught. Hanging onto life by a thread, he was rescued by the Order's troops sent to retrieve what remained of his band.

Nursed back to health, Gerhold was faced with a harsh reality. His reckless, hate-fueled crusade only managed to stain the Order's reputation, as neighboring realms quickly started to pressure Ludwess for its dissolution under the threat of war. His mother had passed away not a week ago, wounded by how twisted her son had become. Left without any allies within the Order, he was judged and narrowly avoided execution, instead striped of his allegiance and exiled from the Order and Ludwess as a whole.

He spent his first months of exile reflecting, wrestling his own conscience weighing worlds from his diabolical deeds. One day, however, after meeting with an eccentric yet empathetic sage in the wild, he was taught how to survive and lead a new life in exchange for a promise to change his ways.

Not much is known about his trajectory since then, but now, Gerhold Zimmermann inhabits the Allir Reach as a wandering knight, offering his services to those in need - or, rarely, to the highest bidder. Gerhold's name is still stained with the sins of the White Demon, a name still used to describe him to this day, and little does he know that some figures would rather see him dead than wandering foreign lands, their motivations ranging from political clean-ups to fanatical faith.

Picture drawn by Simeon Simeonov. If requested, it will be taken down. Link here: https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/asset...imeon-simeonov-slatty-the-lx-3.jpg?1477132004