Truath

For the Dark Elves, loyalty is a precious and rare commodity. Few are those who do not feel ambition’s sting, and fewer still are those who would not betray even their own kin for influence or advantage. But there are some Dark Elves who have made a name for themselves by offering up their loyalty to the highest bidder and never breaking a contract, once accepted. Many of these oddities can often be found acting as bodyguards for anyone who can meet their exorbitant prices. But among their number, one name stands far above the rest: Truath. Like many of his peers, Truath began his career as a soldier, although under a different name. He was the leader of a hand-picked elite; veteran warriors, tasked with finding the weak point in an enemy’s battle-line and exploiting it. Thanks to Truath’s almost instinctive grasp of tactics and strategy, his warriors were capable of turning a stalemate into a rout, or breaking through an enemy pincer movement, allowing for the escape of an entire army. Truath’s successes on the battlefield did not translate to successes off it, however. Never the most tactful of warriors, Truath made enemies out of his superiors by pointing out the flaws in their strategies. His exploits reflected poorly on them, for Truath’s interventions were credited time and time again for driving home a victory, or saving armies from destruction in the field. While Truath initially took little notice of his commanders’ resentments, it became impossible to ignore when, at the Battle of Redvine Gorge, he and his warriors were sent forward into the teeth of the Orc enemy with no support, on the orders of a junior officer he’d inadvertently insulted. Truath’s detachment was all but destroyed, and Truath himself was badly wounded. By the time Truath recovered, his commanders' war against the Orcs was all but over. Haunted by the memory of what had happened, Truath changed his name and sought new employment. Lacking the stomach for assassin’s work, and having no talent for skullduggery, Truath found himself selling his services as a bodyguard even as he pondered how best to insure his previous failures were not repeated. Initially, Truath’s employers were merchants and minor functionaries, but with every successful contract, his renown grew. Employing the skills he’d acquired in his former life, Truath could single-handedly defeat a pack of hired killers or help his ward evade nearly any ambush with little difficulty. In time, the nobility took note of his skills, and Truath found himself with a whole new sort of clientele, who paid far more than his previous employers. After one incident involving the rescue of a sorcerer marked for death by his rivals, Truath even received a mystical artifact by way of payment. The deadly Staff of Liferip became his constant companion, and it meant the difference between life and death for him and his clients more than once. The artifact proved to be a boon to his longevity in more ways than one; its sinister magics added the lifespan of its victims to that of its bearer, allowing Truath to extend his life, and indeed those of others if he so wished, decades beyond normal. Now moving in rarefied circles, Truath discovered that there was more than one way to defend his charges, and himself. He realized that during his time as a soldier, he’d made the mistake of paying attention only to the battlefield, and none to the political games of his peers and superiors. Determined not to repeat past mistakes, Truath learned everything he could about his clients, and their friends and enemies. He learned the names of their servants and bodyguards, noting those who were open to bribes or threats, and used both to learn what he could about their masters. He took note of the ever-shifting webs of alliances and rivalries, and used what he’d gleaned to his advantage, so as to ensure that he received the best price for his services and was never on the wrong side of opponents too powerful for him to best, in combat or otherwise. Soon, Truath was known as the most resourceful, successful, and dangerous bodyguard in all Durham Forest. These days, his renown is such that bidding wars often erupt as nobles vie to enlist his services, and the very rumor that he has been hired by one faction or another has brought at least a public end to innumerable feuds. Moreover, Truath’s hard-won knowledge of the ever-fluctuating political networks of Durham Forest have made him far more than just a physical threat to the enemies of those who hire him. It is said that he can cripple a noble house with a well-placed word in a scullery maid’s ear, as easily as he might defeat an assassin in combat.