Harridan Serrisom

## **The Veteran Halberdier**

A professional soldier in service of the Klortho royal army. He was sent north into the countryside along with his comrade Mo. He is a deadly combatant with his trusty Halberd, a Longsword as backup and several Javelins for enemies at range.

Harridan comes from the Kingdom of Kularem, located on the far away continent of Carud a land of many mountains and deserts. He was an heir to a long family line of warriors of distinct renown in the Kularen military.

## **Life in Kularem**

### **Childhood**

Harridan was the son of Captain Josef Serrisom, a soldier in the King's personal guard, and Mary Serrisom. As a member of the upper class he received a good education however most of his time went into military training. He became a master of the spear as all of the King's Guard are and eventually became quite skilled in the use of a Halberd. Harridan had all the comings of a skilled and successful soldier who would've gone far in the Kularen army if not for events that would unfold which would change the military's course dramatically.

### **A Legacy is Shattered**

By the time Harridan was fourteen years old the the Kingdom of Kularem was rocked by a trial in which a soldier named Alexander Ehrler was accused of betraying the realm. He was charged with selling dangerous secrets to the Adeta Republic in an attempt to assassinate the king. He was immediately convicted with only minimal evidence present. This set off a wave of protests and riots as members of Ehrler's squadron publicly vouched for his innocence, claiming that he was being used as a scapegoat by another officer.

In a bid to placate the public the King announced an investigation would be launched from outside the military. With the gravity of the situation mounting the army grew more and more angered that their integrity was being questioned in a matter of utmost importance. This anger and resentment turned into open disloyalty as nearly one third of the nation's army deserted, a majority of whom where an officer of some kind. Harridan's own father was among those who deserted. Harridan who held loyalty to the King above everything else in his life refused to leave for Adeta with his father and mother.

As the King continued his investigation he uncovered a plot that included a vast majority of those who deserted to overthrow him. With this new evidence the King declared Ehrler's innocence, he furthermore added that those who had deserted in response of the trial would be killed as traitors to the realm. And yet in a show of both mercy and cruelty he declared that any son or brother of those who deserted would be welcomed again as citizens if they joined the army in a new regiment named, The Ashet, a veritable death battalion.

### **The Ashet**

Harridan immediately enlisted in the regiment along with hundreds of others to display their loyalty. Armed with his prior experience as a master of the spear Harridan quickly became one of the many rising stars in the Ashet's ranks. The Ashet were seen as completely disposable and as such were sent on many suicide missions against a great number of foes, however Harridan was always in the ranks of those who survived. As the years passed Harridan became one of the top Halberdiers in the Ashet and he eventually rose to the rank of captain commanding one of the vanguard units in the regiment. With casualties mounting over the many years of campaigning, and having displayed their unending loyalty and supreme skill in battle the King announced that the Ashet were no longer the disgraced sons of traitors but were models of citizenship and excellence. With this he declared that their required service was finished and any man could return to his past life if he indeed wished. Harridan, having known nothing but service to the King all his life, was determined to stay on with those of like sentiment. With barely a company's worth left the King added the Ashet as an arm of his personal guard and granted every member a small fief.

### **A New Lord**

Five years passed quickly enough for Harridan. He became one of two Commanders of the Ashet, who were at this point almost entirely Halbardiers. Along with many others in the Ashet he took up worship of the god Helm, who he considered to be a model to follow in his military service. One day the King summoned the Ashet and announced that they would be leaving Kularem. He explained that two nobles had been married off to two kingdoms across the sea and that the Ashet would be sent as guardians for these two. As such the Ashet would be split into two different companies each serving a different queen. On the day of their departure the city turned out en mass either to see off the queens or show their respect to the Ashet, with several of the regimental songs being played.

## **Life in Klortho**

### **A New Life**

Upon arriving with his liege, Queen Jocelyn, at the city of Klortho Harridan set to work to try and incorporate the Ashet into the Klortho Royal Army. Unfortunately the unit was too distinct, as it was made up solely of Halberdiers, and so the men were split up. Some became instructors and drill masters, others were enrolled into the city or palace guard. However their new king assured them that if a conflict ever arose they would fight together in one unit if they so wished. As for Harridan he was placed in the palace guard however he frequently attended military training camps to instruct those in the use of the Halberd. Harridan became quite well known within the army as one of the supreme experts on the use of Halberds and Pikes both within and out of a formation.

### **War and Death**

Many years passed in Klortho before death would come for Harridan. However, one morning a state of national emergency was announced and martial law declared. A massive hole had opened in the sky and demons began to pour out, the army was mobilized and brought into a state of active combat. Harridan tried to organize those Ashet he could find within the city however most had been deployed already against the King's promises. Harridan himself was sent far north to contain an outbreak of undead. He was ordered to join a company assembling to leave that day. Dispirited for not being able to serve with his comrades but not defeated, Harridan marched north where he was ordered to hold the undead advance with his platoon. After several days and several attempts to dislodge the undead, who showed a surprising amount of intelligence and organization, a group of strangers who had the look of adventurers about them arrived. Claiming to be here by request of Queen Jocelyn to assist with the undead threat. Making large advances into the undead's ranks, the group was ambushed by several creatures Harridan had never seen before. While trying to assist one of his allies in their advance Harridan was stunned by a Mind Flayer and killed.