Balastro

Balastro was an Algarvian Marquis who served as Minister to Zuwayza during the Derlavaian War. He negotiated that country's alliance with his against Unkerlant, and became well known in Bishah. Zuwayzi Foreign Minister Hajjaj was quite fond of Balastro, despite his discomfort with Algarve's policy of killing Kaunians for the purpose of "special magecraft". When Balastro expressed his anger that Zuwayza was harboring Kaunians who had escaped from Forthweg, Hajjaj reminded Balastro that Zuwayza had protected Algarvians fleeing their country's turmoil after the Six Years' War. As an aside, Balastro took up with Tassi, the estranged wife of Yaninan Minister Iskakis, but the affair did not last long.

At the end of the war, Balastro himself sought refugee status in Zuwayza, when King Swemmel of Unkerlant named him among the list of war crimes suspects. Hajjaj found safe haven for Balastro and several other Algarvians in the same predicament at the inland town of Harran. Although this was done in secret, Swemmel found out about it and demanded the Algarvians' extradition. King Shazli felt unable to resist this pressure, and turned all the refugees over. As to be accused by Swemmel was to be automatically found guilty, Balastro was sentenced to death and executed by blazing. Hajjaj doubted that Balastro was guilty of the alleged crimes, and retired from politics in protest.