Name: Maardaire "Ra'is" Eihnigan, Archduke of Steel-Stream
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Appearance:
While born in the mountains of Borea, Maardaire lacks the fair-features inherent in most people of the region. When trade still bustled from the town of Deepshaft, the Eihnigan family often wed foreigners, to the point where it's been joked that they cannot entertain themselves, for their hands were born local. Regardless, aside from this his well toned but lithe frame indicate a style of swordsmanship that focuses on the fluidity rather than brute strength. Perhaps due to the craftsmanship of his weapon never requiring it against most foes.
Personality: Gregarious would be Maardaire summed up in one word. He enjoys the company of others, and socializes frequently with people no matter how much lower than he is on the social ladder. A thrill-seeker, he relishes the feeling of his blood pumping when in danger, and rarely can he resist the chance to challenge someone whose skill level can match or exceed his own. Still, age has tempered this tendency of his, and being the father of a growing nation with no heir means he could afford fewer risks in life.
History: The Steel Stream is a great river that runs south along the eastern edge of the Iron Kingdoms. While it's original name has been lost, it's 'nickname' comes from the town of Deepshaft. Deepshaft was positioned perhaps better than any town on the content for metalworking, nestled between the ore-rich Iron Ridge mountains, and a forest of rare Firewood trees. Firewood, despite it's unassuming name, is renowned for it's ability to burn hotter than anything short of what can be produced in an alchemy lab. These trees fueled the forges of Deepshaft for centuries, and helped produce what is considered some of the best steel in the world.
Since the town's origins, it has been lead by one of the founding families, the Eihnigans. Although called mayors, they were lords of the surrounding lands in everything but name. Trading their goods downriver quickly made the area rich and well armed, and it's vital role in supplying the armies of the other surrounding lords ensured it's safety. The land was always neutral in the conflicts that ravaged the Borea, and it's value paradoxically guaranteed it's independence. If one of the bordering kingdoms or duchies set it's sights on the town, Deepshaft would call upon the other surrounding lords for safety, who complied for fear of one of their rivals gaining the valuable territory.
So it existed for centuries, growing in riches and influence, but never size or power. After the Years of Dusk ravaged the land, it withdrew from the world and tried to isolate itself. Regional powers became far too unstable to arm, and generations of plying some of the most sought-after arms in the world ensured that it's people had the wealth to survive until some sense of stability returned to the land. It was these conditions that Maardaire was born into. Sixth son of the Eihnigan family, with almost no prospects of inheriting the lands of his family. Growing up isolated from the rest of the world, with tales of the past importance of the land, and of the horrors outside it filled him with a sense of wanderlust and adventure. Much of his youth was spent reading of the outside world, and training to survive it. Armed with Deepshaft steel, now a rarity in the outside world, he set off while still a teenager, never intending to return home.
Thrust into a world of horror and strife after a lifetime of relative peace and security was an adjustment for Maardaire. Still, every mutant he faced, every brush with death, every time he passed a caravan that may have been bandits in disguise filled him with an utter sense of... living. The young man quickly found work as an escort for caravans, a life of extreme risk in the modern age. For several years he made a living at this, protecting rich men's cargo from the swarms of bandits, barbarians, and stray mutants that ravaged the land. His skills in combat grew steadily, and with it his reputation as a guard. Eventually, he was hired for what was considered the mother of all escort missions: A caravan to bring back goods from the Jade Kingdoms. It was a trip that would change his life.
Ironically, despite the importance and high pay of his task, it was perhaps the most uneventful of Maardaire's jobs. No bandits or beasts beset them on the journey and while the lands they visited were exotic, they were also far too dangerous and secretive to explore in detail. On the final night before returning to Borea though, he stumbled onto a bizarre scene in one of the local watering holes: Six men from the Sand Kingdoms, one very finely dressed, arguing with more than a dozen locals, a few of which were finely dressed themselves and all of which were armed. Apparently the man from the Sand Kingdoms was trying to, unsuccessfully, negotiate a trading agreement with some of the local merchants. These merchants were not taking kindly to the foreigner bothering them, and the dispute quickly escalated from there. It was at the mention of "Dirty lying Sand Snake" that caused the situation to explode, and in an instant nearly twenty weapons were drawn and silence filled the bar. Silence that was broken by Maardaire walking warily between the two groups.
He had done business with one of the Jade merchants the day before, and wasted no time in clapping the man on the shoulder and trying to stay his weapon.
"
Come now, booze is better than blood yes? I'll buy us all drinks."
The man, whether swayed by Maardaire's words or his reputation slowly relented, and with a grunt sheathed his sword. Tension left the air, and gradually the silence did too, replaced with calls for drinks. Taking a seat next to the man from the Sand Kingdoms, the two began exchanging tales about their past and their reasons for being so far from home. It turned it the man was a minor lord, and trying to negotiate an agreement with the Jade Kingdoms to bring more wealth to his homeland. Wealth that would buy more weapons, more men, and allow him to take back land that was stolen from his family during the Dusk Years. It was, in the end, a long tale. One that required many drinks, and by the end of the night Maardaire remembered none of it. However, upon waking up in the morning he discovered the men who escorted the young lord were heavily bruised, and Maardair himself had several new injuries. As well as a new job, pay raise, and friend in the man he was now hired to protect.
Salah-Istandar.
For nearly a decade Maardaire served his friend faithfully. First as a bodyguard, then the Captain of the Guard, and finally as general of Young Lord's armies. Armies that found much success under their new leader, who tried to reform the organization of the army he led. Slowly, he shifted his lord's reliance of mercenaries to a retinue of more local and loyal forces. Men who would fight for honors and land and lord rather than whoever paid them the largest sum of money. Maardaire always led from the front, inspiring his men with his own prowess in battle, and cementing their loyalty to him as well as Salah. In battle, it was nearly always the enemy who broke first, mercenaries motivated by living to spend their earnings rather than their lord's cause. Slowly, the Young Lord beat back his enemies, reclaimed the lands his family lost, and was poised to become a serious power player within the Sand Kingdoms.
Then a letter arrived.
The Eihnigan family was no more. A small neighboring kingdom, finally seeing opportunity in the chaos that followed the Dusk Years, seized Deepshaft. When Maardaire's family refused to swear fealty as well as relighting the forges and supplying their conqueror's army, they were put to the sword. Now, famine filled the region as his people were starved nearly to death, in an effort to make them cooperate without killing off the Master Smiths. An Eihnigan had always ruled over Deepshaft, and now they were begging him to return.
Upon sharing the news with his friend, the man was immediately let go. For his service in helping Salah-Istandar take back his own family's lands, he was allowed to take a portion of the men he had led for years with him, to be his personal servants. In exchange, all that was asked for was a few shipments of the now-scarce Deepshaft steel to help equip what remained of the army. So many of the men he had led volunteered for the job, that more had to be turned away than not. Picking as many without families as possible, Maardaire wasted no time in departing with a seasoned army at his back and as much foodstuffs as his friend could spare. Ahead of him, a rider carried a message back to Deepshaft;
"
Fire the forges."
Word of "Ra'is"s march ("Lord", the name his men of the Sand Kingdoms often referred to him by) quickly spread through the Iron Kingdoms once he reached Borea. A Borean leading an army from the Sand Kingdoms was an... unusual sight to say the least, let alone that is was the surviving son of the Eihnigan family. The small kingdom, having gained no Deepshaft steel to bolster it's relatively little military might reconsidered it's blockade of the town and withdrew, offering reparations to Maardaire in exchange for peace before the man had even reached the Steel Stream.
Briefly, the man considered it. His people were half-starved, there had not been nearly enough time to forge Deepshaft steel equipment for his entire army, he had just thrust upon his people a force of foreigners that now made up a significant portion of the population, and most importantly waging war against the kingdom would throw away centuries of neutrality that his ancestors had upheld. Still, many friends he had growing up died as a result of the blockade, and the blood of his family still stained the soil.
In the end, it was not a hard decision.
The town had never considered itself a kingdom, and the mayors had never considered themselves nobles. A new banner was designed, a river dark like Deepshaft steel, winding through blood red sands. Under this banner his army marched, battle-hardened veterans from the Sand Kingdoms, and Deepshaft-clad Boreans thirsty for revenge. They too, before long, had taken to called him "Ra'is" and when the capital city of that shortsigthted nation fell, it was "Ra'is" that was chanted from outside the city walls.
Five years have passed since that day. Wary of being called King in a land where such nations were toppled yearly, Maardaire took the title Archduke and named his lands the Duchy of Steel Stream. Since then he has expanded slowly, fighting off invasions from the neighboring kingdoms and barbarians alike. Still, most of his time has been spent consolidating the power he's obtained. Settling the many Sand-warriors who chose to stay in Borea under his banner, fortifying Deepshaft into a capital city that will never be taken again, opening trade for limited amounts of Deepshaft steel to leave the Duchy, and solidifying an alliance with Salah-Istandar in the Sand Kingdoms. It cannot be said that Steel Stream is one of the most powerful nations around, but none can discount it as a new player in the ever-changing political landscape of the Age of Dawn.
Journey: Restore the stability lost after the Age of Kings for his people. Both through securing his own borders, and trying to prevent war between the dozens of petty kingdoms that have arisen since.
Ideals:
Friendship: This man would march an army to Hell and back for a friend in need, facing demons from the front lines.
Thrill-Seeking: A daredevil by most measures, he relishes a chance to throw himself into danger. Somewhat tempered by his age.
Gregarious: A father to his men, his friendly social nature has earned him the love of many followers over the years.
Multiculturalism: There is strength in diversity, ethnicity and birthplace mean little to this man. He intends to forge a nation that is stronger than the sum of it's parts.
Holdings: The Duchy of Steel Stream, a small but wealthy and well equiped nation. His most precious belongings include: Salah, a Deepshaft sword he's carried for most of his life and named after a dear friend, and a red cloak that is fastened with the heraldry of one of the Sand Kingdoms.
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Damycles
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