Da Hadez Family/Rguard

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 consists a crow outlined in darkest crimson against a plain black sheet. For a long time they wore uniforms of simple black, hooded robes 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 are very secretive and keep some distance between themselves and their realm-mates though less now than when they first arrived in Norland. They are rarely heard talking and when overheard it is usually only as fragments of whispered conversation. They travel extremely lightly, carrying neither tents nor any of the normal trappings of mobile warfare. This may be 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. Whatever their origins 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 secret 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 all to be men who bore the most horrible scars of battle. R'guard himself was found to have a face so scarred, battered and charred even guessing his age was impossible. His armour was a mass of holes, crude patches and welds and what little of his body showed was in equally poor condition, with many fingers missing from his scarred hands. Shortly after 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 is unknown about these secretive men and their ruthless and mysterious leader. Shortly after his promotion to General R'guard Da Hadez was given the additional honour of being named Baron of Shiverwood. Profile Physical Age:30 years? Character Class:Hero Member of Realm:Norland Lord of: Rank:Knight Titles: Minister of Defense Liege:None Honour:52 Prestige:26