Zardrak Throneguard
Zardrak Throneguard is a dragonborn warrior of the Eagle Brigade who takes pride in belonging to the Throneguard clan.1
The Throneguard clan
Some dragonborn clans are far more respected than others. Throughout history the most elite warriors of the Throneguard clan have served as close protectors of the emperors and the royal family, and they can often be found standing guard in the halls of the Marble Palace. After the death of Conrad the Conqueror the Archon Academy created tireless construct guardians, but the clan is still known as the honourable protector of the royal blood, and many nobles have spent their childhood shadowed by a Throneguard as a silent guardian.2
Early life
For a dragonborn born in the Empire, life brings its share of prejudice and isolation. Dragonborn are occasionally seen in the cities, but meeting one in the countryside, especially in the Western Provinces, is extremely rare.3
Choosing to forge his own path, Zardrak left his clan at fifteen. His travels took him to the Northern Provinces, where he worked as a caravan guard on the Imperial supply lines that support the Legions.3
Cassius Fillius
There he met Cassius Fillius, a war-priest serving with the 9th Legion. Over a few years the two formed a bond, sharing words and bread, and under Cassius's influence Zardrak embraced the faith of Alarath and pledged to live by its principles.3
Cassius fell to a dark elven blade during a routine supply run, and Zardrak swore an oath of revenge. After a month of pursuing the killers, he recognised that chasing dark elves into the treacherous Underdark was futile.3
The prophecy
A wise Northern woman, a diviner, foretold that the confrontation he awaited would come to pass in a city with a pit reaching into the depths of the earth. Zardrak found that city, Vansreik, and joined the Eagle Brigade. He waits patiently for the day he can fulfil his pledge to avenge his fallen friend.3
In battle
Zardrak fights in the traditional style of the Throneguard clan, blended with the divine blessings granted him by Alarath. He is truly favoured by the god of war and keeps his allies safe when he fights beside them. He usually takes his place on the front line, leading charges and tearing through enemy ranks, and he always seeks out the mightiest foes; against otherworldly threats he turns his attention to fiends and aberrations and does his utmost to banish them.3
Notes
Sources
This article draws on:
Images in this article
Mercenary Compendium (Bad Badger Games, 2024), p. 154. Art by the Bad Badger Games team.
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DeityAlarathThe god of war and justice, patriarch of the Exiled Pantheon and protector of the Empire, who prizes courage above mercy and whose paladins are said to serve him even beyond death.
OrganisationEagle BrigadeA mercenary guild of Vansreik founded by Donald Whent, a former knight and captain of the Reik Storms. Disciplined, devout and loyal to the Empire, it is one of the most prominent guilds in the city and is caught in a bitter feud with the Warmongers.OrganisationThroneguardA respected dragonborn clan whose finest warriors have long served as close protectors of the emperors and the royal family in the Marble Palace.RegionNorthern ProvincesThe northern provinces of the Empire, bordering the lands of Fraza, where imperial supply lines serve the legions and northern customs such as the Day of the Thousand Fangs have taken root.Organisation9th LegionAn imperial legion. The war priest Cassius Fillius served under it in the Northern Provinces, where he befriended the dragonborn Zardrak Throneguard.PlaceThe Stone Nest CaravansaryThe new headquarters of the Eagle Brigade in the centre of Vansreik, recently opened and a meeting place for many mercenaries.CharacterMatias CainA stern cleric of Alarath, once a priest of the Church of Shamyaza, who serves the Eagle Brigade as its second in command, head advisor and head chaplain.CharacterXamanA half-elven warrior born in the high elven outpost near Vansreik, who left the Scarlet Spears rather than kill elves and now serves the Eagle Brigade as its envoy to the outpost.CharacterFazonHuman leader of the Followers of Zolan in White City in the Raphael Efsanesi campaign, who hires out his fighters and mages to Raphael, shields him from Zolan's searching power and refuses to cross the Empire.CharacterHermann ÇelikyüzThe heavily armed leader of the Bloody Coin, a band of mercenaries hired by the Porvis house, who clashes with Kemp Corvus's company of thirty at the Porvis forest house in the Sürgün Günlükleri campaign.