Da Hadez Family/Rguard

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The House Da Hadez originates in the realm of Darka on the continent of Atamara.

R'guard Da Hadez

Background

Little is known of the mysterious man claiming to be called R'guard Da Hadez, indeed there is no record of this name in the Da Hadez family archives and his claim to be a Da Hadez is, at best, questionable.

He was first seen in Norland shortly after the death of the legendary Norland war hero Balian Da Hadez and it has been assumed by some that R'guard simply chose to use the Da Hadez name either to honour Norland's fallen General or in an attempt to associate himself somehow with the honour of that name.

R'guard arrived unannounced in Norland with two unidentified companions and later was known to be leading a small infantry unit identifying itself as "Hel-Blár" although there is no record of his having recruited any soldiers from the barracks in Brackhead.

The Hel-Blár banner consisted a raven outlined in darkest crimson against a plain black sheet. For a long time they wore uniforms of simple black, hooded robes and capes which completely obscured their features and concealed whatever armour or weapons they carried. On the rare occasions that the faces of one of the the Hel-Blár were glimpsed they were said to have skin as black and dull as charcoal though this was considered likely to be some exotic cosmetic affectation rather than natural pigmentation. While the men who made up the Hel-Blár seemed to be unusually slender, even frail, under their robes there was a sense of concealed strength about them that unnerved those who encountered them. The Hel-Blár bore no insignia or identification of rank and to all observers seemed identical.

The Hel-Blár were very secretive and kept some distance between themselves and their realm-mates though less than when they first arrived in Norland. They were rarely heard talking and when overheard it is usually only as fragments of whispered conversation. They travelled extremely lightly, carrying neither tents nor any of the normal trappings of mobile warfare. This may have been in order to facilitate swift cross-country travel as were rarely seen on the major routes through Norland.

The strange appearance and shadowy secrecy of R'guard and the Hel-Blár caused much rumour and conjecture among the few people of Norland who encountered them; with many supposing that they are part of some ancient, forgotten warrior cult that had come to Norland as part of some sacred quest or pilgrimage. Some of the more superstitious peasants, however, speculate that they may have a far darker origin and goals. Odd stories started to be told about them; that their arrival in any region was heralded by flocks of ravens with whom the band could converse and that the bodies of their fallen soldiers were never found on the battlefield.

Regardless of the truth of their origins or the clouds of superstition gathering around them the Hel-Blár proved to be an effective fighting force; dispatching their enemies on the battle field with a silent, lethal efficiency which compensated somewhat for their unorthodox activities.

R'guard was for some time appointed marshal of The Army of the Order of the Crow, an ancient and little-known army recreated to deal with threats within Norland's borders.

When the official armies of Norland were disbanded pending reorganisation R'guard and the Hel-Blár vanished from Norland for a time as quietly and secretly as they had first arrived. It is rumoured that they spent this time performing some terrible task deep in enemy territory.

With the reconstitution of the Norland's armies - the reformation of the legendary 'Trinity of Iron' - R'guard was appointed lieutenant to The Army of Heimdal's Horn; Norland's homeland defence, region maintenance and police force. He swiftly rose to the rank of Marshal and served well in many hard-fought but ultimately futile battles against invading forces from Minas Ithil.

Prior to a particularly desperate battle in Elost R'guard and the Hel-Blár finally threw off their black robes. They were revealed to be men who all bore the most horrible scars of battle imaginable, some so terrible that it was wondered how the victim could have survived such grotesque injury. R'guard himself was found to have a face so scarred, battered and burned that even guessing his age was impossible. His armour was a blackened mass of holes, crude patches and welds and what little of his body showed was mutilated and twisted, with many fingers missing from his charred hands.

Following this battle R'guard was appointed High Marshal of the armies of Norland and took on the task of regaining the land lost to Ithilian invaders over the course of the previous months. While this necessitated a closer association between the Hel-Blár and the rest of Norland's armies there is still much that was unknown about these secretive men and their ruthless and mysterious leader.

Along with his appointment as High Marshal R'Guard was given the additional honour of being named Baron of Shiverwood though he rarely, if ever, visited his new estate.

R'guard led many furious battles in the war against Minas Ithil and for a good time held the line against vastly superior odds. The occupied regions were retaken and Minas Ithil's tyrannical and treacherous leader agreed to step down in the near future; one of the major reasons given for the start of the war. However, with diminishing resources and manpower it was ultimately a doomed fight. Once the tide of the war swung in Minas Ithil's favour there was little the outnumbered forces of Norland could do to hold them back. Only the intervention of Norland's allies could prevent disaster. Following the refusal of Norland's allies to accept a peace treaty involving the return of all the lands taken from Norland by Minas Ithil R'guard stood down from his position as a matter of honour; having promised the general (and later King) of Minas Ithil, Raoul De La Fere, that should his allies intervene R'guard would not lead a war of conquest against Minas Ithil.

When the abdication of King Dead Angel3 of Minas Ithil finally brought an end to the war R'Guard slipped from sight in Norland as quietly and mysteriously as he had first arrived, leaving his baronial estate in Shiverwood without fanfare. There were rumours that he was heading north, accompanied by a pair of unidentified companions, in order to pay some grave debt incurred before his involvement in the war.

These rumours were soon confirmed as R'Guard was spotted travelling through Darka and even swore allegiance to that realm, apparently to avoid conflict with the locals and ease his travels.

Upon his arrival in the old Da Hadez family lands of Eurotan in northern Darka he and his companions encountered a large band of undead who had sprung forth from some hidden and ancient tomb in the foothills of Darka's holy volcano Mount Sinclair. Witnesses say that although the odds against him were obviously hopeless his trio of riders charged into their ranks with bloodthirsty zeal. It is apparent that he and his companions, whoever they may have been, did not survive this suicidal charge encounter but instead perished at their enemies' skeletal hands.