Here's a framework for me to work on when it's not 3AM, but suffice to say for now I will be the party tank.
[center][hider=Ellarian]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/j60WNLl.png[/img]
[h2][color=f7976a]Ellarian[/color][/h2]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/0dXpio6.png[/img]

[color=f7976a][h3]The Rampart | Unbreakable Wall of the North[/h3][/color]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/tzXOe5S.png[/img]
Between the two Mountains of Dust lies a pass which acts as the only way into the heartlands of Ansus that does not have a high rate of attrition. Historically, this pass has been used by many invading forces from the north in order to raid the Southern deltas and, despite its strategic importance, remained undefended for centuries. Barely wide enough to admit two men abreast, the pass is a natural chokepoint for armies. During one of the Heartlands' army campaigns into the north for pacification, it was routed by a barbarian ambush which left them at almost half their numbers. Retreating meant that they would have to enter the pass, which would slow down their progress significantly. That meant, of course, that they would have to have a rearguard, which would most likely die by the time the others make it out. That duty fell unanimously to the Shield Bearers, that group of soldiers who forsook the blade in favour of carrying great tower shields, though this does not make them any less deadly in combat. Send forward in the first wave, the task of shield bearers was to engage the enemy, form a wall, and batter them back while protecting their comrades. This made them the first in, and the last out.

Positioned at the center of the line, Ellarian and his fellows formed a protective barrier around the remnants of their army as they slowly backed towards the pass. One by one, they split off to join the retreat, the line growing ever smaller as the pass funneled them in. All they way, they were under attack from barrages of arrows and barbarians who threw themselves onto their shields, where they were then flung off down the mountainside. Soon they reached the narrowest part of the pass and, after beating some sense into the more foolhardy of the remaining Shieldbearers, Ellarian remained the only one in the pass...and yet the barbarians refused to let up, charging into the breach and onto Ellarion's pitted shield. 

For three days and three nights, Ellarian stood vigil over the pass, pushing the attackers back and suffering many wounds in the process as blades reached around the shield, their owners receiving a heavy bash to the face a few seconds later. With no time to rest or refresh, Ellarion rapidly began to fatigue. As he received a brief reprieve, he slid down with his back to the shield, content with saving what remained of his countrymen, and prepared to slip into blissful oblivion...at least thats what he had thought. A single rock fell on his head, causing him to look up to see loose boulders hanging precariously over the edge. An idea formulated in his head. Unwedging his shield from the pass, Ellarian began to bodily slam against the unstable cliffside. The barbarians, finally seeing the man behind the shield, immediately rushed to the attack. Axes sank home in his arm, spears bit into his torso and swords cut to the bone. But he didnt stop. With a final, mighty crash, he thre all of Ellarian threw all of his bodyweight onto the cliff, causing a rumbling. In a great avalanche of stones and boulders, the pass was blacked off; yet Ellarian himself was unharmed by it in a moment of serendipity. With his job finally done, he slipped into the sweet embrace of death's bosom.  

Such a loud noise, however, was not to go unnoticed. When scouts checked up on the site of the rockslide, they found the corpse of an imperial shield bearer collapsed onto a boulder, his entire right side cut open with multiple snapped spears in him. Recovering it, Ellarian's corpse was brought back to the capital, where he was posthumously heralded as a hero for his actions. Stories were told of the predicted events, and his shield was mounted in the castle armoury as a trophy. He was essentially canonised. He was made out to be the most virtuous, honourable soldier, something for all of the military to aspire to. Children loved hearing his heroic tale spun from the mouth of bards and skalds, and the pass he fought so hard to protect was named after him in his honour. And yet, if he were still alive, he would not want any of these frivolous parties or titles. In fact, he probably would have been somewhat upset at all this...

[img]http://i.imgur.com/TycfObU.png[/img]
Portrayed on several murals, Ellarian is typically depicted as a bulky middle aged man with rapidly greying hair and dark brown eyes. With his hair done up in a bun in the traditional Imperial style and a stern, piercing gaze, he is seemingly the epitome of the disciplined soldier. What the murals fail to portray however is the sheer amount of scars and keloid tissue that covers him. One almost cannot trace an inch on his skin without running over an old battle wound. Such is the life of a shield bearer. Classically, Ellarian is also depicted with a thick, unkempt white beard and, to a degree, that is true, but in reality it is quite well maintained, or at least as well as can be while on campaign. While a bit short, standing at 165 cm, one cannot deny that he is a large man considering his muscular girth, enhanced even further by the Imperial armour that he wears and the towering shield that he habitually carries.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/nRkUdyR.png[/img]
Aegis: A thick, standard shield originally wielded by the shieldbearers of the Imperial Army, it has now fallen into disuse. Made from solid black iron trimmed through with silver in the shape of the Imperial insignia, the Aegis is heavy and unwieldy, but if placed in the right hands, it is a terrifying weapon indeed.

Banner of the Forefathers: An old Imperial banner taken off of the snapped regimental standard of the 12th Imperial Army, the Banner of the Forefathers is now being used as a kind of cape for Ellarian as a homage to his former comrades. Provides a +10 bonus to leadership and +5 to charisma
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