So Chades grew up very comfortably. He attended the nearest town school, for his father and mother, as typical Reiklanders, valued education a lot. There, he would sometimes be mistreated by his poorer classmates, but, for the importance his family had in the region, even more vicious students had to respect him in front of the teachers eyes, for he would always be protected. But soon he wouldn't need this special protection, for Chades grew larger and stronger than the other children, and his brothers, all of them older than he, were always teaching him how to defend himself.
For, even if his father valued education, good planning and focused thinking, he valued fighting skills in equal degree. Typical Reiklanders in this too, there was a strong spirit in his family of being ready to answer any call-to-arms to help the other less-fortunate Provinces. It was tradition to remember the times of Emperor Magnus, even if he wasn't himself a Reiklander, to state that Chaos was always waiting at the farther borders.
It was a discourse tradition, of course. None of Chades' family members had fought against Chaos, only maybe some help in organizing the region's peasant and farmers into eradicating some small Beastmen threat. Even so, Chades saw almost all of his older brothers go to Altdorf to Military School, even if they were frequently back to celebrate family weekends.
But for all the talk they had about fighting Chaos, they weren't ready for the fate that waited them. Because when it came, Chaos didn't come in the form of armies or warbands of Beastmen. But in the form of a terrible plague that fell killing almost all of the harvest.
It was as if devastation had come from one day to another. Many farmers quickly embraced Morr in sickness, but really the worst of it targeted the harvest. And since Chades' family were no nobles, his father didn't have much to support this darker times. He was an investor, and was not prepared for a whole year without anything to sell. Misery was at their door.
Holding what they could, their only chance was to sell everything they had for a very small price and migrate to the capital. Chades' brothers went straight to their military careers, and his father having some favours owned to him, they made to middle and high ranking posts quite fast. Chaos was already strengthening to the north, after all, for those were the years of the decade before the Storm hitted.
To the youngest son, there was not a clear path to follow. Chades was in his twelve spring and yet ready to follow his brothers. So his father made a choice and sent the boy to an internship school. The one that was faster available to him and had the highest prestige possible at the same time was a school conducted by Vereneans Professors.
At first, Chades had to count on a lot of effort to adapt to this new reality. Even if intelligent, he was not the brightest student at the school, and Verenean Priests were really hard teachers. He even despised it all from time to time, but by letters his father urged him forward, telling him that, in those troubled times, every one of them should use all of their strength to succeed. He would also affirm that he foresaw a great exit for his boy, for if he was the better educated than them all, imagine what he could do!
That made Chades persist. And as the years passed, he developed likeness for it all. Even more. As his persistence was based on the direction that he had to exceed himself, and that his path would lead him to a better world through understanding of things, eventually Chades became almost religious about it.
The greatest turnover of his life was yet to come, nevertheless. And it did when he was about 17 years old. What happened was that he dived in thoughts about the time he and his family lived happily and wealthy. Hadn't they always prepared for the worst from Chaos? Hadn't his ancestors fought alongside great generals and overcame every threat? What was the thing that his family failed to perceive that doomed them all?
The answer was an easy one, even if hard to face. They had always imagined Chaos of coming though it's minions. What they lacked was the perspective that Chaos is everywhere. And the only way to fight it, Chades thought, was through the utmost study of it's ways. Was through the understanding of it's schemes and tactics, in every aspect that they showed themselves. And to do this, one should be protected. Divinely protected, for hadn't they heard a lot of stories about good men who came to be embraced by Chaos in their genuine attempt to help everyone? And so there was one Divine Entity that could answer his call, for She was the one that lead all her followers through the paths of understanding. And She was the one who went to catch the holy sword of truth to slice every lie, every Chaos doing. And She was Verena.
It was like having an illumination. From this day forward, Chades worked very hard to be accepted in the Order, eventually becoming an Initiate. And as his training wa almost over, he had the chance to ask permission for a year as a wandering priest. This was viewed in good eyes by his superiors, as they understood only the practical study of the world could teach with the coherence needed. And as Chades path seemed a strange one, for he showed a lot of interest in studying the ways of conflict and war, the Priests tought this was even more truth in his case.
This way, he went north with a battalion of Reiklanders answering the Emperor's call to arms, not without saying goodbye to his father and mother, who were proud of him even if they didn't understand exactly what he was up to. In this time they were working as merchants in the city, and could live by with some moderate richness.
After fighting some small battles in the way north, eventually Chades's battalion got to a small town called Untergard, in the middle of Middenland territory. There they joined other Imperial forces in the defence of the town, for it holded a bridge that was safe passage through River Taub. Resisting violent battles against the great warband of the Beastman Khazrak One-Eye, the protectors managed to hold long enough until their enemies abandoned the attack to go north help in Middenheim's Siege. Even if losing a lot of his original comrades, Chades met others that would eventually help him protect the good townsfolk in a later escape through the Drakwald Forest. This new companions were Thorne, a young Hunter from the woods, and Magnus, a Roadwarden who helped bring an army contingency from Middenheim to help in the city defence. And after some missions, not long after Magnus left their group to get married, other three joined them: Lenora the Vagabond young woman, Galith the Dwarf Miner and Berthold the Ostland Soldier. It is with these companions that Chades currently fights Chaos, and is about to discover how right he was when he imagined… Chaos is everywhere…
(Chades is played by Dani, the big fellow who will still rule the world. And for the good of it all!)
Chades' current Stats:
Human Verenean Initiate
Male, 1,90m, 110kg, Brown Eyes, Black Hair. Star Sign: The Limner's Line.
WS46% BS39% S41% T46% Ag34% Int41% WP41% Fel39%
Att 1 W 13 IP 4 FP 4
Skills: Charm, Gossip, Perception (+10%), A. Know (Astronomy), A. Know. (Theology), C. Know (Empire), Heal and Speak Lang. (Reikspiel).
Talents: Excellent Vision, Public Speaking, Very Resilient, Very Strong, Warrior Born.
Experience Gained: 1185.
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