Gizel Godwin

Gizel is the son of Marscal and Rosalind Godwin. His mother died during the civil war between Falzrahm and Shahrewar, after hearing the news Gizel locked himself in his room and cried for days. After this he swore that he would create a strong Falena so nobody would ever suffer his pain because of war.

Gizel was also the fianceé of Sialeeds during the civil war, but their future union was prevented after Sialeeds swore to never marry or have children after Arshtat took the throne, much to Gizel's displeasure.

His family seized power from the Aethelbald's in IS 349 and took control of the stronghold of Stormfist.

The Sacred Games are held in the Godwin stronghold of Stormfist, the winner of the games will marry the Falenan princess. The Prince and Lady Sialeeds come to Stormfist to inspect preparations for the tournament, but are attacked by giant lizards on their boat, Gizel arrives to save them with a volley of arrows from his navy fleet, and then accompanies them to Stormfist's port. He is extremely friendly to the Prince upon his arrival, who suspects that Godwin may have set up the lizard attack in order to win over the royal family. Gizel takes the group on a tour of the arena, showing them the infirmary, living quarters and the dungeon, where he expresses his pride in keeping prisoners as gladiators, much to the Prince and his group's disgust. During the tour he introduces his representative at the tournament, Childerich, and Gizel has plans to make sure he is guaranteed the win.

Gizel felt that Euram Barows' representative, Zegai, was a threat to Childerich and set up a plan to get him eliminated. Gizel anonymously informed the Armes army of a secret passage into Stormfist which led through the dungeons. A gladiator, Shoon, heard the army talking in the passage through the wall, and snuck out of the dungeon to inform the Prince. Shoon and the Prince's party snuck back into the dungeon and opened the passage to find Zegai with the Armes soldiers, meaning Zegai would be arrested and disqualified. Gizel's plan had succeeded and he had removed his main threat from the tournament. His father, Marscal, warned him not to cause any more suspicion other wise his plan would fail.

During the tournament a new crowd favourite appears in Belcoot, a skilled swordsman touted to claim victory at the Sacred Games. Gizel cannot risk his ambitions and sets up numerous plans to eliminate Belcoot. His first plan is to for Belcoot to eliminate himself by using his sword outside the arena, by intimidating him with local thugs, Belcoot refuses to react and is willing to take the assault, but is saved by the Prince. His second attempt also fails, after the thugs kidnap Marina, Belcoot's close friend, and demand he forfeit his match in return for her safety. The Prince and Sialeeds hear of the plot, and along with Belcoot, rescue Marina. Thwarted again Gizel puts his final plan into action, which proves to ultimately be successful. He has Marina threatened and offers her a deal, in that she gives Belcoot the Dark Arcanum sleeping powder or the inn's owners would be punished. He chooses Marina as she loves Belcoot and would not want him to marry the princess. The powder is placed in Belcoot's breakfast on the morning of the final, Belcoot is drowzy when fighting Childerich and would have been killed if not for the Prince. As Childerich wins, Gizel will now marry Lymsleia, the princess of Falena.

Gizel sees the royal party returning home and expresses his joy and excitement at the upcoming engagement party. After the party leaves Marscal warns that the Prince is aware of his plots and that he will become a powerful foe before long.

Gizel decides he will make his move on the night of the the engagement party. He persuades Alenia and Zahhak to join him, meaning he has people on the inside. He plans to administer the Dark Arcanum to everyone at the party, so he can avoid as much bloodshed as possible apart from killing the royal family, except Lym. Queen Arshtat and her husband, Ferid, anticipate some kind of plot and are ready for Godwin's forces. However Gizel has recruited the supposedly disbanded Nether Gate assassins who are far superior fighters especially after ingesting Raging Nostrum (a drug which causes the taker to go beserk but will kill them shortly after). Gizel's plan succeeds in killing Arshtat and Ferid and capturing Lym, but the Prince and Sialeeds manage to escape to the East Palace. Thinking quickly after hearing of their escape he orders the spread of the news that Georg Prime murdered the Queen and Ferid, and kidnapped the Prince and Sialeeds.

Gizel expects the Prince to flee to Lunas, the sacred ground, under the care of Lady Haswar, the Prince's aunt. His forces arrive at Lunas too late as the Royal's have fled to the city of Rainwall, Barows territory. Gizel orders his army to advance on Rainwall, claiming he is there to rescue the 'captured Prince and Lady Sialeeds.' When the Prince leads the Barows army into battle his plan is finished and now has a rebel army to oppose. Gizel's forces are defeated at Rainwall and he realises he needs extra power.

Gizel knows he must destroy Raftfleet if he is to unify Falena. He orders his navy, led by Admiral Bahram Luger, to attack Raftfleet, but the Prince arrives just in time with the strategist Lucretia Merces who develops a plot to destroy their fleet. Lucretia's plan is succesful and once again Gizel's army is defeated. Once again he marches on Rainwall, but during the battle arrives with an Armes force from the south, the Prince's force and Gizel's army led by General Dilber Novum unite to attack the new force, and succeed in repelling their invasion, the Godwin army pulls back to Sol-Falena after that, whilst the Barows plot angers the Prince and leaves him with no option but to move to Raftfleet.

The Prince is gaining confidence from these victories and decides to attack Gizel's Hatred Fortress to aid Lordlake. This attack was to push Godwins forces off the dam and prevent casualties, when he crushes the dam with a tidal wave. Godwin's forces see the Prince's plan and see him as merciful and join the Prince's army much to Gizel's frustration. Seeing the Prince's force growing with the help of the people of Lordlake and Raftfleet, and then seeing him establish a base at Ceras Lake, caused Gizel to increase his research into the Sun Rune and finding a suitable host for it.

Gizel is struggling to manipulate Lym into being his figurehead and has locked her in her room, with her bodyguard Miakis to prevent her commiting suicide. Desperate to become the Commander of the Queen's Knights he threatens to kill Miakis unless Lym ascends the throne and becomes the Queen, and his threats work as Lym protects her extremely close friend. Lym and Gizel are constantly trying to better each other and the unrest is extremely visible.

Gizel orders a full scale attack on Lelcar with Zahhak leading his forces. Zahhak and the Prince fight a long drawn out battle with Zahhak ordering a retreat after suffering many casualties, Gizel orders them to burn the town upon retreat to leave as much damage as possible. This only damages Gizel's reputation even more as people see him as a tyrant ruling with an iron fist.

Gizel orders his right hand man, Dolph, to destroy the Beaver Lodge after they helped in the destruction of Hatred Fortress. The lodge is burned to the ground but before Dolph and the Nether Gate troops under his control can kill the beavers the Prince shows, up forcing Dolph to pull back after causing the damage he was sent there to do.

Having had Jeane force the Twilight Rune to attach itself to Alenia, he leaves her in charge of defending Doraat. When the Prince attacks the fortress at Doraat, Gizel awaits eagerly to see if she can control its power. However she cannot and although she manages to slow down the invasion, Gizel's forces surrender control of Doraat. Gizel then has the Twilight Rune removed from Alenia.

Lymsleia leads a force against the Prince to try end the violence, suspecting that the Prince will try to capture the Queen he orders Zahhak, Alenia and Galleon to guard her. The Prince uses his decoy, Roy, to distract the guards and leads his main unit to capture the Queen. Gizel had a plan all along with Sialeeds which was brought into action when the Queen was about to join her brother. Sialeeds captures the Queen and escapes with her to Sol-Falena, Gizel is aware that Sialeeds has joined only for her own benefit and is suspicious of her. During the capture Gizel also had Dolph attempt to assassinate the Prince but his bodyguard Lyon protects him.

Gizel orders his troops to attack Lelcar and Lordlake simultaneously and then takes the Prince's base whilst his forces are spread thin and retakes Doraat. His plan was a success.

Gizel's forces are quickly forced out of the Ceras Lake stronghold when it is flooded. He then quickly loses Doraat once again as Childerich retreats there. Stormfist is also quickly routed as Sialeeds flees after a battle with the Prince.

Surrounded in Sol-Falena Gizel sets up his defenses anticipated the upcoming battle. His forces are no match for those of the Prince despite wielding the Sun Rune and the Twilight Rune. His forces destroyed he orders Alenia to allow the Prince into the throne room, she refuses and along with Zahhak they take the Raging Nostrum and form a desperate last line of defense. Gizel awaits in the throne room knowing the Prince will prevail over Alenia and Zahhak, and isn't surprised when he enters. Gizel threatens to kill the Queen but is bluffing and decides to duel with the Prince to end the war. Gizel is a well trained swordsman but loses out to the Prince. As he lays dying in the throne room he explains the Sun Rune and that Sialeeds is the only person who has benefitted from this war. He dies at peace with himself and knows he will be with his true love, Sialeeds in the afterlife.