Grau Soldado is an old acquaintance and childhood friend of Sav Dunid. They parted ways years ago when Grau was selected to train at the famed Orisini Academy for swordplay.

Sav and Shakro recently ran into Grau while looking for a drink. He was hopelessly drunk, a mess and only a shadow of his past, but he did recognize Sav and invited him to share some drinks.

Taking pity on him, Sav helped Grau to sober up, listening to him lament the state the city is in and his story:

Apparently, Grau fell in love with another student at the Academy. However, Vencarlo Orisini himself had cast his eye on her and while the specifics are unclear, the rivalry ended with Grau being kicked out of the Orisini Academy. Even though Grau was able to start a career at the Korvosan Guard and quickly rose through the ranks to become a Sergeant, he got more and more depressed and recently hit rock bottom.

After listening to his story, Sav and Shakro handed him over to a passing patrol of guards who promised to take him to the Citadel and to make sure he would learn who took care of him.

Grau is currently living with his sister-in-law, Tayce Soldado, in Trail’s End in an attempt to distance himself from his addictions and depression both physically and mentally. When Sav visited him, he seemed to be on the road of recovery but still not ready to re-enter the ranks of the Korvosan Guard.

A few weeks after the botched execution of Trinia Sabor, Grau approached Sav with a plea for help, claiming that his sister-in-law’s daughter, Brienna Soldado had fallen ill with a strange disease and the destitute family cannot afford the steep prices the city’s temples demand.