Hans

"*You're never going to survive, dear boy, unless you get a little crazy.*"
—Hans to his nephew Warren.

Lord **Hans of Alderwood**, is a nobleman and the bastard son of Wyatt Corbray. He is the half-brother of Winston Corbray; Hans served as a vassal to Winston despite his older age. A hardy knight and experienced political adviser, Hans became the Lord Commander of the Knights of Alderwood at the age of forty-one.

Hans became the Lord of House Corbray after the death of his brother and exile of his nephew during the Skycutter Conflict. He brought peace and prosperity alongside Damon Lothston after the conflict ended and cemented Alderwood as a major city within the crippled nation of Khanduras. His duration as Lord of House Corbray saw him strengthen the integrity of their noble family that had been crippled during the conflict; through his leadership, attacks from the remnants of the hilltribes were extinguished.

In 1276, Hans was overthrown from lordship by his nephew, whom he thought dead, and was exiled from Alderwood. In recent years, Hans had offered his services as a warrior for mercenary work alongside the Iron Order. His travels eventually lead him to Bastion's Keep Stronghold where he began working loosely alongside the keep's inhabitants as well as the Demon Hunters that charted the Dreadlands, including Terji Joensen and Ramin.

## History

Born a bastard son of Wyatt Corbray, Hans was not acknowledge as his son until he reached adult hood and told by the Corbray household. Seeking no ill will toward his father, nor the fact that he was the son of a whore, Hans sought to help build their household to glory. When he was 22, Hans was anointed into Knights of Alderwood, serving directly under his father's rule until his death.

### ***The Skycutter Conflict***

In 1271, Sir Hans played a integral role within the conflict, proving to be resilient in the countless skirmishes and key at ending it altogether. Hans crossed blades with many of his belligerents, including Roklar, Sir Willem and Sir Maxmillian. After being injured during a skirmish Hans was ordered by his older brother to rest while Warren took command over the forces. Later, Hans encountered the dark templar Alec Kylar, who sought to regulate the conflict and prevent mass killing, and struct a deal of diplomacy for temporary peace so that Warren may not be overwhelmed nor killed. During this time of uneasy peace, Hans warned his half-brother that the tides of war would not favor House Corbray if Warren, both naive and inexperienced in war, was leading their forces.

Marklin Vankor, Winston's right-hand, died during the Riot of Alderwood shortly after the conflict started, proving to be a large setback in the fighting to come. Han's half-brother, Lord Winston, eventual met his demise during an ambush by the forces of House Dunn and House Lothston combined. Wishing to prevent any further bloodshed to his household, and possibly the collapse of his father's family name, Hans promised Alec Kylar he would concede in the conflict if the latter were to discretely kidnap and banish his nephew Warren so that the former may claim lordship, in which Alec complied. Hans later explained that Warren would lead his minions to a certain demise on a quest for vengeance. After Warren was captured and removed, House Corbray withdrew from the conflict; the conflict ended through the victory of Maxmillian's forces and Hans took a leadership role as the new Lord of House Corbray.

## Appearance and Character

Hans is an ambitious man, capable of a great many things, though received little recognition from his father and his older brother Winston. Needless, he proved resilient during his time in lordship over Alderwood; his leadership and influence helped Alderwood prosper. The death of his wife made him a cold and serious man, rarely smiling or able to process jokes. Many consider him boring in social interactions. He known for his superstitious attitude.