Ji'Ardan Family

Family

Abek Ji'Ardan

Abek Ji'Ardan, Count of Duil, Vice-Marshal of the Defenders of the Bloodstars, Knight of the Temple of Sanguis Astroism, he sits of the Vasilif's Council of Astrum

Notable Moments

Being Promoted to Vice-Marshall Right Before a Battle

Abek was relaxing comfortably with his unit near his command tent. They were celebrating their recent battle in Knyazes. It had been the Whitebows' first battle in a raging storm. All their advisers had said that their archers would be worthless.

"Tell that to Knight Batugan!" and the men laughed. The Farronite commander had left the battle field with their white-fletched arrows buried in his body.

Captain Axelbrand ran up to Abek ending their brief moment of light campfire banter.

"Sir, this just came in! Marshal Turin is in Sabadell. Duke Brance has just named you the new vice-marshal for the Defenders of the Bloodstars," the captain said to everyone, their faces slack-jawed, including Count Abek.

Abek responded, shocked, "He did what?" His men were shouting and clapping and celebrating the news. Abek and Axelbrand locked eyes and exchanged a grim silence.

He pulled his captain to the side and spoke quietly but quickly, "We need to get up to speed as quickly as possible. While I have command of our army, I will be depending on you to ensure the Whitebows continue to perform as we have both come to expect."

"Of course, Vice-Marshal," he said with a smile. He had always liked his Lord. Fearless in combat, friendly and approachable to his men, he had earned his Lord's trust and respect and would die for him without hesitation if it came to that.

"Dispatch a letter to the Lord Strategos, I need to know what our orders..." Count Abek began as a scout ran up to him and saluted.

A breathless scout interrupted, "Lord Abek, the Farronite peasants have formed a militia and are blocking our movement into the village!"

Abek looked over the reports of the "enemy" forces, "Grim work putting down peasants, but the Defenders will not be turned away." At least he could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that his first command would almost certainly be a success.

He dispatched runners to all the other unit commanders, ordering them into the "Archer Opening" formation, of course.

Once the battle was over, Count Abek pulled a flask from within his tent and shared a good stiff drink with his Captain. Reminiscing about days long past when, as a young knight, he had travelled back and forth across these peaceful lands in search of any way to earn a name for himself, and often arriving after the battle was over.

"Now we were at war against three enemies, above and below, and I'm in command of one of the largest armies in all the land," they both took another drink from the flask. These were certainly interesting times.

"It's time we talk to the Lord Strategos," his captain nodded and pulled out his quill and ink and began scrawling on a piece of parchment...

Realizing the Depths of Farronite Insanity

Finally, the last Farronite banner fell, splattered in blood, defeated. Their echoing screams could still be heard throughout the entire bailey.

A nasty ugly battle, that revealed one thing to Count Abek's mind: the Farronites were a lost cause. He had once believed that the Asylons had somehow tricked or bribed corrupt officials in the Farronite Republic in order to convince the rest to turn on Astrum, but even if it were true, it no longer mattered. The Farronites had thrown their lot in with Asylon completely, and whatever ties Astrum and the Farronite Republic had once shared, whatever hope there had been for them to come to their senses had died along with the 1500 soldiers of both sides on the walls of Farrowfield, a tragic unnecessary slaughter.

He could still hear the mocking laughter of the Farronite nobility in reply to his offer to spare the slaughter of their own countrymen. What kind of person laughs in the face of their own doom? Clearly, whatever light the Bloodstars shone within these heretics had long gone out, in its place a diseased flesh that seemed human but was not.

There was nothing to do but reap the diseased flesh of these lost heretics off the body of the Church, and pray to the Bloodstars that when all was finished, the Church would be stronger for this struggle.