Chovuk Boyla (ca. 383 AC - 424 AC) was also known as Chovuk Tegin when he was chief of just his tribe, the White Sky Clan, on the Tamire. Chovuk can trace his family back to Ajal Boyla, but the rest of them are unknown. His horse mount was Dragonbone.
Chovuk was known to be tall for his people, had a stone-hard and lean frame, had a weathered brown face with a thin, black beard with no gray in it, a shaved head with one long braid down his back, and had a blue tattoo on his cheek for the mark of the White Sky Clan.
Rise to Power[]
Chovuk had designs on becoming the next Boyla for a few years. So he had set up an ambush against Krogan Boyla by the Kazar so he may claim the right as the next Boyla. When he went to check to see how the ambush went, he found Krogan wounded badly. Chovuk picked up a Kazar arrow and killed Krogan with it to make it look like the Kazar did kill him.
When he came back from this deed, and all of the Uigan found out about Kazar's death, Chovuk laid first claim to being Boyla, but was quickly challenged by Torug Tegin, whom Chovuk hated. When they engaged in one on one combat, Chovuk changed into a Steppe-tiger, and killed Torug. Chovuk became the first known shape-changer Boyla since the First Destruction, and the first sorcerer in about fifty years. Little did anyone know though, that he was only able to shape-change thanks to a magic talisman he had. He would break off a piece of it and eat it for a one time a day ability to change into a steppe-tiger. His sorcerer ability came from his 'Teacher'.
War With The Imperial League[]
As Boyla, Chovuk took on Sugai Tegin as his advisor until he had a feel for ruling. Chovuk wanted to make open war on The Imperial League and drive them from the north shore of Tiderun and from Tamire. First though, Chovuk had to gain himself some allies and looked first to the Wretched Ones in the mountains.
With his Uigan forces in tow, Chovuk travelled to Uesi Ilquar and reached Mount Xagal, home of the Wretched Ones. Accompanied by only his Tenach, Hult, they defeated the King of the Mountain. The rest of the Wretched Ones, led by Gharmu, agreed to follow Chovuk to war against the Imperial League. With these allies, they are able to destroy the Kazar almost to the last person.
Chovuk next looked to ally with the wild elves north of the Tamire, or as the Uigan call them the merkitsa. They were both captured and Hult had to defeat a Hatori in order for them to gain an alliance with the wild elves. The elves gave Chovuk their best archer, Eldako, to follow them into battle.
While marching on The Imperial League along Tiderun, Chovuk has a meeting with his 'Teacher' to learn more magic. In that one night, he looked to have aged 30 years with his beard and hair is now snowy white instead of raven black, has deep wrinkles creasing his face, one eye is milky-blind, long teeth and nails that have turned yellow. Even though he looks old, he is very young in his actions and very powerful in magic.
Invasion of the League[]
Chovuk's army burned Rudil and Malton to the ground, and killed all the inhabitants of those cities. Once Chovuk has these cities in ruin, he wanted to invade the League itself across the Tiderun. Chovuk's army was able to cross the Tiderun when the river drained of its water and the army began to cross to invade.
Little did they know that a Marshal named Barreth Forlo would be sitting and waiting for them to cross, and met them at the waterline. Barreth's army holds up Chovuk's army long enough for magic to be used to bring the Tiderun back down and wiped out Chovuk's army, killing many, many thousands of Uigan warriors.
Chovuk, enraged, already had killed the minotaur officer, Grath Horuth-Bok, and now set his sights on Barreth. Barreth defeated Chovuk with a sword wound into his gut, and Hult came up and slit Chovuk's throat and ended his madness. Little did Chovuk know, but he was just an asset of the Faceless Brethren, who were his 'Teacher', and when his usefulness ended, they abandoned him.
Chovuk Boyla was also known as Chovuk Elf-lover, Chovuk Skin-changer, Chovuk the Tiger, and Storm-Caller.
References[]
- Blades of the Tiger, p. 20-21, 25, 33, 66, 68-69, 73, 106, 116, 151, 204, 233, 258, 304, 329, 381-382, 405