Gergaroth, Ogre Banker

No one can doubt the strength of an ogre. These huge hulks can, with a single light slap, throw a knight in full armour off his horse. It’s easier to run from an ogre of the mountain tribes. They’re sluggish and rather lazy, and so they stop their pursuit fairly quickly.
But in Vallor, it’s best to not even think of crossing a single one of these people. In the peculiar daily life of the Free City, they have found themselves a rather unexpected niche. Could you even imagine a banker better than an ogre? And no wonder. He has far less need in security. What fool would attack an ogre? Who would you entrust your money to, for safekeeping, if not an ogre? He won’t cheat you in a sophisticated way, most likely – he’s simply too lazy to. Besides, their phenomenal memory allows ogres to keep track of everything with almost no records, after all, they don’t like stuffing their heads with unnecessary information.
And of course, who would even dare to try and cheat an ogre? Of course, there’ll always be a daredevil. Or rather a blatant fool, since an ogre can easily make a snack out of the impudent debtor. And, as per the laws of Vallor, he will be in his rights.
And so, slowly but steadily, the ogres emerged as the heads of the financial life of Vallor. And money as they say, rules the world. Almost half of Vallor’s Peers were ogres. The new duke Khan-Dir was also an ogre. But even these lazy and agreeable people have their own undercarpet games.
The war with the spider-like Akkari elves, and later with the Holy Grypharim Empire, as well as the plague that sparked in the outskirts of Vallor took its toll on the economy of the Free City. Many citizens were openly stating that the Duke Khan-Dir is not able to cope with his responsibilities. Even more Vallorians thought this was the case, but were wise enough to keep silent. And the ogre banker Gergaroth became their support.
While Khan-Dir fought with the disgruntled citizens and assembled a larger and larger guard, Gargaroth started spending his considerable funds, which were even comparable to the coffers of Thibaut de Bazan, on various assistance to the citizens. One day he gifted decent weaponry to the militia, the next day – financed saboteurs from the Guild of Shadows, the day after – offered the defenders a keg of good ale. Vallorians who were left with almost nothing were able to get loans from him for merely token interest.
But by no means was his benevolence charity, rather an investment in the future. Those who were well-versed in Vallorian politics understood this very well, and, largely, supported it. Simple citizens, on the other hand, were grateful for the banker’s good will. While one ogre on the throne gathered the discontent of the citizens around him, the other was swimming in the gratitude and love of the people.
Ogres manage our affairs slowly and steadily. They are lazy and they live for a very long time. But if an ogre has set his eyes on a target, one day, he shall reach it. Who knows, who will sit on the Duke’s throne in a few years?