Roland Fast-Steed

Art done by Felix Ortiz

Roland "The Immortal" Fast-Steed was a member of the Red Berries, one of the greatest mercenary bands to ever live. In his old age, after the mercenary band had disbanded, Roland made his way to Vigil's Keep to occupy his time with being a warden.

## History

Roland was born in the Hinterlands His mother was a horse broker, and his father operated a distillery. It was a peaceful life, and a very boring one that left much to be desired. That was until a mercenary band made their way through his town. They were recruiting at the tavern when Roland was 15. During the recruitment process, a bar brawl broke out, as they tend to do in the presence of drunk mercenaries. Roland sided with the mercs. He picked up a broken bench as a shield as if it were weightless, and somehow managed to be the last man standing besides to leader of the mercenaries, Varneth.

The band left his town with only one new recruit. A 15 year old boy with a shield and a big knife. He didn’t tell his parents or anyone else where he was going. He just left, and traveled with one of the greatest bands to ever live. They were legendary, and despite being an important member of the band, Roland rarely got recognized. He didn’t slay the biggest monsters, or have the handsomest face, or kill hordes on his own. No. He was the man that kept his mates alive. He took sword blows for them, deflected arrows, even broke the teeth of a drake with his shield before it could bite.

They were best friends, all of them. Roland never resented them for their fame, as they made sure Roland knew how appreciated he was. They would do anything for each other and that was a fact.

That was all years ago, however. Roland had since retired, and the man spends his time telling stories at taverns, drinking, and occasionally doing labor for money.

Every few months, Roland would visit his friends in whatever far flung corners of the Thedas they happened to have settled. Most of them were dead, but a few remained alive, like Varneth. Roland visited him more often than the rest. They had a strong bond of camaraderie. He spent a few days or a week there in their tribe at times. They often stopped in his tribe while they were out adventuring. That is where he was dubbed the Immortal, due to how frequently Roland escaped death by a hair’s breadth. Although, they joke that he got the name because he could eat anything, even poison, without suffering any ill effects.

Varneth died just when travelling up the frostback mountains was beginning to get too tough for Roland, though he still came to visit when he could. He was just old now, but retirement did not suit him at all. He longed to be on the road again, fighting impossible odds again. With that in mind, the old bag of bones made his way to vigil’s keep to join the wardens. Least they would keep him busy until something managed to kill him.

## Personality

Roland is a quiet man that lets his actions do the talking for him. Out of his former mercenary band, he was the least renown and least popular, though he served his role and came away with glory, money, and stories to spare. He’s not particularly serious, despite being quiet, and generally breaks his silence to make a quick one liner, or point out a pun.

Roland is old. His knees creak, his back aches, and his feet are always cold, though that’s a recent development. His bluntness has been a constant source of bar brawls and weeping suitors. He’s mostly illiterate, save for knowing how to write his own name by memorizing the signature a bandmate had shown him. On the few occasions he dealt with those in higher standing than himself, he has shown a lack of tact that occasionally led to the other party taking offense.

## Sentinel

Sentinel is the name of Roland’s shield. It is a round wooden shield with a leather wrapped rim. The wood is scarred and knotted, but hearing the stories behind the damage would make one wonder how it has not been hewn in half already. The shield was crafted by a dalish smith after Roland had brought him the entire corpse of an ancient Sylvan that had possessed the body of an Ironbark tree.

Though Varneth is credited for the kill by the elves, the band remembers who to really credit everytime they see that shield.