Post by Wargamer on Aug 27, 2005 14:37:28 GMT -5
James Valkys Dragonheart:
Son of John Dragonheart, James lost his mother when he was but a baby, and with his father forever at war and no brothers or sisters, was raised never truly knowing his family. As he grew up, he resented the fact his father was never there for him, and hated how his father seemed to view him more as a drinking buddy than a son. However, as he grew older, James began to understand the requirements that knighthood put upon its warriors, particularly warriors like John Dragonheart. His hatred turned to admiration when he realised that so great was his father’s dedication to Evadia and its people that he sacrificed everything, even his son, so he could defend it.
James himself is now a Paladin of Evad. Like his father, he has black hair and brown eyes, and stands 6’2” tall. Whilst he is not as skilled a warrior as his father, he is a much more competent general, able to lead from the back as well as from the front.
James fell in love with Elena Gryphon, and the two were married. They currently have a child, an infant named Techys. It is undecided whether Techys will take the name Dragonheart or Gryphon; such a decision will be left to Techys when he is old enough.
John Dragonheart:
Son of William Dragonheart, he was born into the Dragon Knight order of Evadia, situated in the port-city of Junon.
Dragonheart is a warrior of legend. He earned his colours at the age of ten, and was the youngest warrior ever to reach the rank of Paladin.
Dragonheart’s career is filled with examples of heroism and valour. For the past forty years, whenever there has been a heroic charge, a valiant last stand or an all or nothing assault, Dragonheart was probably at the head of it.
Dragonheart is 6’6” tall. His hair is black, and he has brown eyes. He loves to drink, and has proven on numerous occasions that he can drink the entire order under the table. He wields his family weapon, the Dragonblade, and wears a simple plate top as armour. When he goes to war on Atlantis, his dragon, he wears the gilded full plate of his family, and fights with a massive lance.
Numbered amongst his closest friends are James Nixon, a Paladin of the Dragon Order, and Valkys Gryphon, the current King of Arms. Though he is getting old, he is still greatly desired by women, and he has at least a dozen children born out of wedlock. However, he has only married once; a servant girl named Susanna. She took ill during pregnancy, and died just months after giving birth to James Dragonheart.
Upon Gryphon’s promotion to King of Arms, Dragonheart was made a Knight Baron, and placed in charge of the Dragon Order. Those who know him well say this has made him melancholic, and he looks with fondness at the young Errants of the Order, particularly his son James. Many believe that he fears growing old, and being left a weak invalid forced to sit and watch younger, stronger men earn glory. It is certainly true that Dragonheart cannot drink as much or as quickly as he once could, and he is wounded more often now than he was as a young man, and the wounds take longer to heal.
With this in mind, there are those who believe Dragonheart is seeking to get himself killed in battle, so as to ensure a glorious and honourable death. If he succeeds in this, it will be a tragic loss for Evadia…
William Techys Dragonheart:
Father of John Dragonheart, William rose to the rank of Knight Baron in the Dragon Order. His son John was born after he became romantically involved with a young Knight Errant named Jane Crowe. He also had a daughter, Alexia, but she died at the age of fourteen, earning her colours on the field of battle.
William died on the field of battle, aged thirty-nine, and waist deep in Orc corpses. It was, all agreed, a good death.
Captain “Highway” Harlad:
Harlad is an Evadian mercenary in his thirties, although his exact age is unknown.
It is unknown where Harlad was born. His love of black powder and “modern” armaments suggests Kakria, but his name suggests the Harlad quarter of Alexhiem. However, it could equally mean he is part of the original bloodline who founded the now-destroyed city of Harlad. He was known for a time as Harran, presumably to avoid being arrested and executed for banditry…
Harlad stands just shy of 5’ 11” tall, and wears a flamboyant costume of black leather. He looks, in every measure, a brigand, right down to his brace of pistols and highwayman’s mask. Many believe this to be just an act, but in truth Harlad and his “Highwaymen” do commit crimes upon the road, holding up coaches and plundering merchants from Evadia to the Empire, and sometimes beyond. The few who know this keep it a secret, presumably to blackmail Harlad later.
Harlad’s weapons of choice are his Cartridge Pistols. Very rare and very expensive, these Kakrian-built pistols have killed many a foe, and can be reloaded far quicker than a conventional flintlock, especially in the expert hands of Harlad. He also carries numerous other pistols (some black powder, some spring-based), and a Sword of Might.
When operating as a mercenary, Harlad enjoys the company of Klaus von Chenov, his Paymaster.
Harlad is a regular at the Sell-sword Arms in Aureushiem, where he can be regularly found leading a drinking song. Despite appearing to be a happy, sociable man, Harlad rarely trusts people, and so finds making friends difficult. He is constantly on the lookout for an escape route out of any situation, and more than once has had to use one to prevent capture.
Recently, Harlad purchased a small ship, and began operating as a merchant. Whilst this seems legitimate, all who know him are willing to bet good money that not everything he sells in port was onboard when he left…
Macharius Hawk:
Son of Thomas Hawk, Macharius has proven himself to be a competent general. He is determined not to live in the shadow of his father, and has struck out for himself. He currently commands a Heavy Cavalry regiment.
Thomas Hawk:
Tom Hawk is seventy-three years old. His hair is short and grey, though was once chestnut brown, and cut short in a military style. He is six feet tall exactly, and his blue eyes, though world-weary and heavy with age, still posses a mischievous glint, especially when someone mentions money to him.
Hawk is one of the richest men in the Old World. Born on a stage coach heading to Vulcania, Hawk has always had a longing for excitement and adventure. Though born Evadian, Hawk did not earn his colours on the battlefield, but rather had his colours awarded to him by a Praetorian who saw in the young boy of thirteen a cunning mind and brilliant intellect; gifts that should not be wasted unduly in the carnage of war.
Despite this, Hawk longed for war. His father was a merchant who, though not unduly wealthy, earned enough to give his family a luxurious lifestyle. He wished for Thomas to become a merchant as he had, but try as he might, he could not persuade his prodigal son to follow in his footsteps. Seeing in his son the need to travel and adventure, Hawk’s father contacted Captain Francis Black, commander of the Hellbringers, and requested his son be enrolled in the regiment. The captain refused. The next day, Hawk borrowed a considerable sum of money from his father, swearing to repay the dept and then some.
Hawk tracked down Black, and presented the regiment with new armour; finely-crafted Half Plate, and asked only to fight as an infantryman. In the face of this offering, Black had no choice to accept.
Hawk proved himself a brilliant warrior. Though not overly impressive in terms of his own skill, his strategic mind allowed him to formulate plans and tactics that certified victory every time. When black fell in battle in the mountains north of Nibelhiem, Hawk took command of the regiment. By the time he returned home, some five years later, he was a man loved by his soldiers and admired by his peers. However, he arrived home too late.
He found his family mansion empty. Upon tracking down his butler, who was now living in Sandsobar, he was told his father had taken ill and died just a month previously. Hawk was stricken with grief, his heart broken. He was now faced with a debt he could never repay, and as his mother had died when he was but an infant, he had no living relatives. It is said that he was so stricken with grief he did not eat nor speak to anyone for a week.
When Hawk finally emerged from his mourning, his face was a mask of determination. He had decided that he would uphold both ambitions; his fathers ambition for him to become a great merchant, and his own to become a great mercenary.
Many years later, after leading a successful campaign into Khemri, Hawk returned to the Old World, only to hear of great strife befalling the Border Princes. It was now that Hawk formulated his most daring, and most brilliant plan:
Hawk sent messengers laden with Khemri gold to Alexhiem, and had them petition the King of Arms to sell to Hawk the ruined castle north of the Hawk Mansion, along with all lands therein. Seeing no value in the castle or lands, Meridioc conceded.
Other merchants rode fast to countless regions of Bretonnia, Tilea, Kislev and the Empire. The messengers found men and women left homeless and poverty-stricken by war, plague, famine and drought. All these people were gathered in a massive pilgrim-caravan, guarded by Hawk and his forces. As he travelled, more and more people joined the exodus, drawn in by promises of a new life, enticed by the riches Hawk and his forces carried with them, or driven out by the horrors of their former home. Finally, the massive convoy of people, now swelling beyond fifty-thousand, reached Hawk’s lands.
Here, carpenters and builders had begun constructing a simple coastal village. Those who were able joined the task, and the settlement expanded rapidly. By a stroke of good fortune, one of Hawk’s cousins, a stonemason by trade, had heard of the project, and offered to assist in the rebuilding of the castle.
Now, as funds grew short, Hawk once again turned to Meridioc. Stating the strategic value of the settlement as a port, Hawk convinced Meridioc to send money, supplies and manpower to expand the port and build vessels there. At the same time, messengers were sent to the Empire and Bretonnia, stating that as the land was not technically Evadian, it belonged to Hawk and Hawk alone. The Empire saw in this a chance to control lands south of Evadia, and jumped at the chance. Soon, convoys of resources and gold came from the Empire, further funding Hawk’s ambitions.
The Bretonnians were less eager to claim this venture. However, several farsighted lords made donations, on the grounds that they would be given exclusive trade rights. Those who did not deal with Hawk in this way later regretted it once the price of the Trade Rights increased tenfold.
The settlement grew into a town, then a city, at a meteoric rate. Hawk named the city Aureushiem, meaning “City of Gold”, and it instantly became a haven for trade, and for mercenaries. Karl Franz, the Emperor-King, realised his Elector Counts had been fooled, and sent an army to vanquish the city, only to be confronted diplomatically by dignitaries from Bretonnia and Evadia. The resulting political debate waged for a long time and by the time it ended, Hawk had once again found himself on top of the heap. Finally, realising they had been fooled, the rulers of the Empire insisted that Aureushiem raise State Troops, and provide a tithe to them. However, the amount they asked for was too little; by this time, Hawk had money to spare.
After the passing of Meridioc, Gryphon assumed the throne of Evadia, and once the threat of invasion was dealt with, turned his eyes to Hawk. By this time, Hawk had enjoyed nearly sixty-years of monopolising the region, and much of the Old World. Gryphon studied the Lores of Evad, and determined that all of Hawk’s riches technically belonged to the Kingdom, not him. Rather than revoke Hawk’s treasures, Gryphon simply insisted Hawk provide a considerable fund to the Kingdom, and make him a Duke. The rank of Duke had lain dormant for many centuries, but no other man deserved it more.
Hawks city has had lasting implications throughout Evadia and beyond. Hawk invented a system of “payment by debt”, whereby he would provide those who worked for him a credit note, written on intricate paper that was all but impossible to forge. These credits could be exchanged for solid money, or cash equivalent of gems and items, within the city of Aureushiem. Hawk also used these for trade, meaning that not only did he not need to risk large sums of money on the road, but also those he traded with had to spend the money in his city…
In truth, this plan backfired slightly. Hawk’s Credit-cheques are now accepted methods of payment between mercenaries or those with dealings in the city. So quickly and readily has this caught on that Aureushiem’s bank has printed fixed-value credit notes; the Old World’s first paper money system. Combined with its Engineers guild (which rivals that of the Empire), its numerous scholars, artists, engineers, diplomats and the dread legion of Hawk’s accountants, Aureushiem is a model of things to come for people in the Old World… and at the centre of it all, like a spider in a web of gold, sits Thomas Hawk.
Son of John Dragonheart, James lost his mother when he was but a baby, and with his father forever at war and no brothers or sisters, was raised never truly knowing his family. As he grew up, he resented the fact his father was never there for him, and hated how his father seemed to view him more as a drinking buddy than a son. However, as he grew older, James began to understand the requirements that knighthood put upon its warriors, particularly warriors like John Dragonheart. His hatred turned to admiration when he realised that so great was his father’s dedication to Evadia and its people that he sacrificed everything, even his son, so he could defend it.
James himself is now a Paladin of Evad. Like his father, he has black hair and brown eyes, and stands 6’2” tall. Whilst he is not as skilled a warrior as his father, he is a much more competent general, able to lead from the back as well as from the front.
James fell in love with Elena Gryphon, and the two were married. They currently have a child, an infant named Techys. It is undecided whether Techys will take the name Dragonheart or Gryphon; such a decision will be left to Techys when he is old enough.
John Dragonheart:
Son of William Dragonheart, he was born into the Dragon Knight order of Evadia, situated in the port-city of Junon.
Dragonheart is a warrior of legend. He earned his colours at the age of ten, and was the youngest warrior ever to reach the rank of Paladin.
Dragonheart’s career is filled with examples of heroism and valour. For the past forty years, whenever there has been a heroic charge, a valiant last stand or an all or nothing assault, Dragonheart was probably at the head of it.
Dragonheart is 6’6” tall. His hair is black, and he has brown eyes. He loves to drink, and has proven on numerous occasions that he can drink the entire order under the table. He wields his family weapon, the Dragonblade, and wears a simple plate top as armour. When he goes to war on Atlantis, his dragon, he wears the gilded full plate of his family, and fights with a massive lance.
Numbered amongst his closest friends are James Nixon, a Paladin of the Dragon Order, and Valkys Gryphon, the current King of Arms. Though he is getting old, he is still greatly desired by women, and he has at least a dozen children born out of wedlock. However, he has only married once; a servant girl named Susanna. She took ill during pregnancy, and died just months after giving birth to James Dragonheart.
Upon Gryphon’s promotion to King of Arms, Dragonheart was made a Knight Baron, and placed in charge of the Dragon Order. Those who know him well say this has made him melancholic, and he looks with fondness at the young Errants of the Order, particularly his son James. Many believe that he fears growing old, and being left a weak invalid forced to sit and watch younger, stronger men earn glory. It is certainly true that Dragonheart cannot drink as much or as quickly as he once could, and he is wounded more often now than he was as a young man, and the wounds take longer to heal.
With this in mind, there are those who believe Dragonheart is seeking to get himself killed in battle, so as to ensure a glorious and honourable death. If he succeeds in this, it will be a tragic loss for Evadia…
William Techys Dragonheart:
Father of John Dragonheart, William rose to the rank of Knight Baron in the Dragon Order. His son John was born after he became romantically involved with a young Knight Errant named Jane Crowe. He also had a daughter, Alexia, but she died at the age of fourteen, earning her colours on the field of battle.
William died on the field of battle, aged thirty-nine, and waist deep in Orc corpses. It was, all agreed, a good death.
Captain “Highway” Harlad:
Harlad is an Evadian mercenary in his thirties, although his exact age is unknown.
It is unknown where Harlad was born. His love of black powder and “modern” armaments suggests Kakria, but his name suggests the Harlad quarter of Alexhiem. However, it could equally mean he is part of the original bloodline who founded the now-destroyed city of Harlad. He was known for a time as Harran, presumably to avoid being arrested and executed for banditry…
Harlad stands just shy of 5’ 11” tall, and wears a flamboyant costume of black leather. He looks, in every measure, a brigand, right down to his brace of pistols and highwayman’s mask. Many believe this to be just an act, but in truth Harlad and his “Highwaymen” do commit crimes upon the road, holding up coaches and plundering merchants from Evadia to the Empire, and sometimes beyond. The few who know this keep it a secret, presumably to blackmail Harlad later.
Harlad’s weapons of choice are his Cartridge Pistols. Very rare and very expensive, these Kakrian-built pistols have killed many a foe, and can be reloaded far quicker than a conventional flintlock, especially in the expert hands of Harlad. He also carries numerous other pistols (some black powder, some spring-based), and a Sword of Might.
When operating as a mercenary, Harlad enjoys the company of Klaus von Chenov, his Paymaster.
Harlad is a regular at the Sell-sword Arms in Aureushiem, where he can be regularly found leading a drinking song. Despite appearing to be a happy, sociable man, Harlad rarely trusts people, and so finds making friends difficult. He is constantly on the lookout for an escape route out of any situation, and more than once has had to use one to prevent capture.
Recently, Harlad purchased a small ship, and began operating as a merchant. Whilst this seems legitimate, all who know him are willing to bet good money that not everything he sells in port was onboard when he left…
Macharius Hawk:
Son of Thomas Hawk, Macharius has proven himself to be a competent general. He is determined not to live in the shadow of his father, and has struck out for himself. He currently commands a Heavy Cavalry regiment.
Thomas Hawk:
Tom Hawk is seventy-three years old. His hair is short and grey, though was once chestnut brown, and cut short in a military style. He is six feet tall exactly, and his blue eyes, though world-weary and heavy with age, still posses a mischievous glint, especially when someone mentions money to him.
Hawk is one of the richest men in the Old World. Born on a stage coach heading to Vulcania, Hawk has always had a longing for excitement and adventure. Though born Evadian, Hawk did not earn his colours on the battlefield, but rather had his colours awarded to him by a Praetorian who saw in the young boy of thirteen a cunning mind and brilliant intellect; gifts that should not be wasted unduly in the carnage of war.
Despite this, Hawk longed for war. His father was a merchant who, though not unduly wealthy, earned enough to give his family a luxurious lifestyle. He wished for Thomas to become a merchant as he had, but try as he might, he could not persuade his prodigal son to follow in his footsteps. Seeing in his son the need to travel and adventure, Hawk’s father contacted Captain Francis Black, commander of the Hellbringers, and requested his son be enrolled in the regiment. The captain refused. The next day, Hawk borrowed a considerable sum of money from his father, swearing to repay the dept and then some.
Hawk tracked down Black, and presented the regiment with new armour; finely-crafted Half Plate, and asked only to fight as an infantryman. In the face of this offering, Black had no choice to accept.
Hawk proved himself a brilliant warrior. Though not overly impressive in terms of his own skill, his strategic mind allowed him to formulate plans and tactics that certified victory every time. When black fell in battle in the mountains north of Nibelhiem, Hawk took command of the regiment. By the time he returned home, some five years later, he was a man loved by his soldiers and admired by his peers. However, he arrived home too late.
He found his family mansion empty. Upon tracking down his butler, who was now living in Sandsobar, he was told his father had taken ill and died just a month previously. Hawk was stricken with grief, his heart broken. He was now faced with a debt he could never repay, and as his mother had died when he was but an infant, he had no living relatives. It is said that he was so stricken with grief he did not eat nor speak to anyone for a week.
When Hawk finally emerged from his mourning, his face was a mask of determination. He had decided that he would uphold both ambitions; his fathers ambition for him to become a great merchant, and his own to become a great mercenary.
Many years later, after leading a successful campaign into Khemri, Hawk returned to the Old World, only to hear of great strife befalling the Border Princes. It was now that Hawk formulated his most daring, and most brilliant plan:
Hawk sent messengers laden with Khemri gold to Alexhiem, and had them petition the King of Arms to sell to Hawk the ruined castle north of the Hawk Mansion, along with all lands therein. Seeing no value in the castle or lands, Meridioc conceded.
Other merchants rode fast to countless regions of Bretonnia, Tilea, Kislev and the Empire. The messengers found men and women left homeless and poverty-stricken by war, plague, famine and drought. All these people were gathered in a massive pilgrim-caravan, guarded by Hawk and his forces. As he travelled, more and more people joined the exodus, drawn in by promises of a new life, enticed by the riches Hawk and his forces carried with them, or driven out by the horrors of their former home. Finally, the massive convoy of people, now swelling beyond fifty-thousand, reached Hawk’s lands.
Here, carpenters and builders had begun constructing a simple coastal village. Those who were able joined the task, and the settlement expanded rapidly. By a stroke of good fortune, one of Hawk’s cousins, a stonemason by trade, had heard of the project, and offered to assist in the rebuilding of the castle.
Now, as funds grew short, Hawk once again turned to Meridioc. Stating the strategic value of the settlement as a port, Hawk convinced Meridioc to send money, supplies and manpower to expand the port and build vessels there. At the same time, messengers were sent to the Empire and Bretonnia, stating that as the land was not technically Evadian, it belonged to Hawk and Hawk alone. The Empire saw in this a chance to control lands south of Evadia, and jumped at the chance. Soon, convoys of resources and gold came from the Empire, further funding Hawk’s ambitions.
The Bretonnians were less eager to claim this venture. However, several farsighted lords made donations, on the grounds that they would be given exclusive trade rights. Those who did not deal with Hawk in this way later regretted it once the price of the Trade Rights increased tenfold.
The settlement grew into a town, then a city, at a meteoric rate. Hawk named the city Aureushiem, meaning “City of Gold”, and it instantly became a haven for trade, and for mercenaries. Karl Franz, the Emperor-King, realised his Elector Counts had been fooled, and sent an army to vanquish the city, only to be confronted diplomatically by dignitaries from Bretonnia and Evadia. The resulting political debate waged for a long time and by the time it ended, Hawk had once again found himself on top of the heap. Finally, realising they had been fooled, the rulers of the Empire insisted that Aureushiem raise State Troops, and provide a tithe to them. However, the amount they asked for was too little; by this time, Hawk had money to spare.
After the passing of Meridioc, Gryphon assumed the throne of Evadia, and once the threat of invasion was dealt with, turned his eyes to Hawk. By this time, Hawk had enjoyed nearly sixty-years of monopolising the region, and much of the Old World. Gryphon studied the Lores of Evad, and determined that all of Hawk’s riches technically belonged to the Kingdom, not him. Rather than revoke Hawk’s treasures, Gryphon simply insisted Hawk provide a considerable fund to the Kingdom, and make him a Duke. The rank of Duke had lain dormant for many centuries, but no other man deserved it more.
Hawks city has had lasting implications throughout Evadia and beyond. Hawk invented a system of “payment by debt”, whereby he would provide those who worked for him a credit note, written on intricate paper that was all but impossible to forge. These credits could be exchanged for solid money, or cash equivalent of gems and items, within the city of Aureushiem. Hawk also used these for trade, meaning that not only did he not need to risk large sums of money on the road, but also those he traded with had to spend the money in his city…
In truth, this plan backfired slightly. Hawk’s Credit-cheques are now accepted methods of payment between mercenaries or those with dealings in the city. So quickly and readily has this caught on that Aureushiem’s bank has printed fixed-value credit notes; the Old World’s first paper money system. Combined with its Engineers guild (which rivals that of the Empire), its numerous scholars, artists, engineers, diplomats and the dread legion of Hawk’s accountants, Aureushiem is a model of things to come for people in the Old World… and at the centre of it all, like a spider in a web of gold, sits Thomas Hawk.
.