King Paeon

King Paeon is a dryad monarch and ruler of Taru, a Small Kingdom spanning only two star systems, who dies a celebrated hero at the Battle of Gododdin. A dryad, he has chlorophyll-green skin and red hair and beard described as moss or lichen, with his worlds bordering the Lothrian Commonwealth.

At the Emperor's Grand Council on Forum, Paeon argues for addressing the Cielcin and Lothrian threats simultaneously and is skeptical of Latarran telegraph sensor technology alongside Sattha Kull. He is a consistent presence at the war council at Fort Din on Gododdin, supporting Hadrian's proposals to press the fight against the Cielcin, keeping sessions orderly, and advocating for placing observation stations on high alert.

When the anchor point beyond the ruins of Gododdin is overrun, Paeon makes a last stand with all his men to allow the Mandari forces to retreat toward Cynon. His sacrifice becomes legendary, invoked with the rhetorical question: "Who has not heard of the last stand of King Paeon?"