Lore:Chevalier Renald

Chevalier Renald was a knight descended from the Akaviri protectors of Reman Cyrodiil I, serving as a bodyguard for Reman III  and as the snake-captain of the Dragonguard.  He is the focus of the second chapter of Remanada. In the text, he was apparently under instruction by a pig. 

Renald and his fellow knights were said to have vampire blood (either Tsaesci or literal vampire blood) which allowed them to live for ages past Reman and kept guard of his ward, Potentate Versidue-Shaie. He and  , an apprentice of the  , were brothers-in-arms for centuries.  Renald once went under the identity of Vershu, and under both identities, served as the snake-captain of the Dragonguard. He identified as Renald when Savirien-Chorak was assassinated by the Morag Tong via a poisoned black dart.   He thereafter "became the protector of the northern west".  With the Dragonguard disgraced and disbanded, Renald and many of his fellow members were forced to exile themselves and go into hiding.  

At some time around  , Renald and his fellow Dragonguard began shadowing the Five Companions before parlaying with them at Pale Pass. Renald revealed that he knew much about their quest to find the Amulet of Kings, and offered to assist Varen in locating theirr prize. Renald and Varen clasped arms and swore an accord on their honor, though Abnur Tharn remained skeptical of its value to this Renald. Abnur would soon write to his daughter Clivia, asking her to discreetly learn more about Renald and his company, suspecting he had connections far too close the Emperor. 

During the Interregnum, specifically in  , the   encountered Chevalier Renald, who had the appearance of an Imperial. However, his red eye color and dark hair are said to indicate a significant amount of Akaviri heritage.  He was also at least 600 years old at the time, having served under Reman III. He claimed that the Akaviri Dragonguard shed their old skins and were reborn in the service of the Empire, and in time he too will "shed his skin",  leaving the meaning of skin-shedding up for interpretation. 

When the Vestige met Renald, his focus was turning his ally Grundwulf away from the vampiric Hollowfang Clan. Using his skills as a Dragonguard, along with the aid of the Hollowfang, Grundwulf managed to trap the dragon Sahrotnax, allowing for the opportunity to drain the Dragon for his blood. The Moongrave tribe convinced Grundwulf that drinking the blood of the dragon would allow him to become a Dragonborn, making him eligible to succeed the Ruby Throne. Renald enlisted the aid of the Undaunted, but was too late in preventing Grundwulf from absorbing Sahrotnax's blood. The Dragon's blood empowered Grundwulf, who attacked Renald and the Undaunted, and was slain as a result. 

In the years preceding the Tiber Wars, Renald discovered the prowess of Cuhlecain and then supported him towards the throne of Cyrodiil, with Cuhlecain later becoming the "Emperor Zero".   Only later would it be revealed that Renald did this in order to become closer to General Talos Stormcrown, who would go on to become Tiber Septim, Emperor of the Third Empire. 

Notes
A chevalier is a rank in the   and various knightly orders.
While he has the appearance of an Imperial, he implies he is a Tsaesci when the Vestige meets him, with other texts like Remanada making similar implications.

See Also
For game-specific information, see the ESO article.
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References