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Kussaz Fall-staff

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Pictured Right

[i]Age[/i]: 54

[i]Sex[/i]: Male

[i]ALLEGIANCE[/i]: Kussaz is a sworn sword of Kerenatam Ap Tadh. Beyond that he owes no vows of loyalty to any tribe, nation, or people. 

[i]Profession[/i]: advisor, commander, mercenary.

[i]A brief biography of Kussaz Fall-Staff [/i]

Transcribed and (annotated by Rikaz, bard and druid)

I was born here in Thraxia. My mother belonged to a Vedatanni tribe and worked as a seamstress for her village. My father was a wandering hero who had passed through my village some months before[sup]1[/sup]. Growing up was rough, and I did anything it took to help our family survive[sup]2[/sup]. When I was old enough to leave, I did. I signed on with a unit of mercenaries headed south to fight for the imperials. 

Life was good as a mercenary. We were treated well by the Empire and were highly valued for our obedience and strength. While I never took part in the politics of the imperial bodyguard[sup]3[/sup], I heard that Thraxian influence in some cases stretched as far as the palace. I spent most of my campaign attached to a "peacekeeping" unit that would go on loan from governor to governor. We killed bandits for the most part, but we also hunted pirates, infiltrated resistance groups (in the north of the empire), and served as hired muscle for town guards. I got to see most of the world in that job, made a fair bit of coin, and laid with about every type of woman you could imagine. While I never learned how to read like the officers did, I made it a habit to try to listen to locals and their stories if they would let me. I speak many languages poorly, but I spoke more than any other enlisted man[sup]4[/sup].

I returned to my homeland at the end of my service. I was still young enough to enter a chieftain's retinue.  Now I am a half decent commander, but I’m not touched by the gods. I wasn't born into any great house, I rarely held the fate of men and my hands, and the fate of nations is far above my station. I was posted under the command of the young commander Kerenatam. 

Kerenatam was no more than a boy when I met him. But his claim on his neighboring land and his noble birth ascended him to a position of command in the court of his neighboring chief. I was quite fond of this young commander, and made myself useful as an advisor on battlefield, logistical, and troop management matters. While at first Kerenatam was guarded around me, in time the scared boy grew into what could only be considered a conqueror[sup]5[/sup]. In a short time Kerenatam has done more to unite the warring tribes than any warlord of the past. While I wouldn’t dare claim any credit for the lads accomplishments, it has been my privilege to witness his conquests[sup]6[/sup] thus far.

Traits: Protective. Honest. Direct. Greedy. Selfish. Stubborn.

Talents: I have a talent for organizing men. A great man can use an army to topple an empire, but a lesser man must be at his side to make sure that the army doesn’t starve along the way. While in my youth I had other talents, at this point in my life logistics and administration are my most useful skills. 

Footnotes
1: All evidence suggests that Kussaz's mother was an escort and his father one of her clients. This is due to the fact that Kussaz has many siblings from various stock.
2: This included petty crimes like pick-pocketing and burglary, as these are the only means of income for a young boy of his stature of birth.
3: The Emperor has many bodyguard units, including some entirely composed of foreign mercenaries. In addition to a unit of Eunuchs and a contingent of Slave-Boys. 
4: Most mercenaries are not famed for their education, for good reason. 
5: Liberator.
6: Unification.

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