Arthus Harwell

A legend of the early years of the Order. First Son of Sha, Commander of the Order's forces and slayer of Gherald the Traitor.

Early life
Arthus Harwell was born in the year 47 E.G. as the son of a Sandosian city guard. Not much is known about his days as a child and young teenager besides the fact that he started training with swords, spears and bows early on. At the age of 15, he enrolled in the city guard to follow in his father's footsteps. It didn't take long for others to take notice of his exceptional skill in battle and quick wits when confronted with difficulties.

Awakening the Talents
In 66 E.G. a raiding party from the Northern Tribes invaded the coastal villages of Idaer, not far from the city of Sandos. Arthus was given command over a large portion of the city guard and was given the task to hunt down the raiding northeners. All went well and the raiders were taken care of one by one until one day he and his troops found themselves surrounded by northeners his scouts had not seen coming. It was then, while his men were being cut down around him and death approached, that Arthus awakened his dormant powers. With his newfound powers of Enhancement, Sealing and Healing he managed to drive back the enemy, heal his men and send word to Sandos about the remaining raiding party.

Even though he did not yet realize it himself, he was the first person to possess three of the Talents since the Seven.

Joining the Order
With Eresath being finished in 58 E.G. and the news of it spreading, the power of the Talents was becoming more and more accepted in the realm. Following the advice of many, Arthus travelled to Eresath to undergo training and gain control over his abilities.

His arrival in 67 E.G. caused quite the stir as it was shown that he possessed three Talents, much like the Seven had. As he was much younger than the Seven though, he was granted a new rank: Son of Sha, a rank only given to those possessing three Talents.

Commander Arthus Harwell
In a mere 4 years Arthus had completed his training at Eresath and had all but surpassed his mentors, earning him a seat at the Council. After showing his value in several missions over the years, mainly assisting northern cities in fending off attacks from the tribes, he was granted the rank of Commander of the Order's armies in 78 E.G. and eventually succeeded Odell Heiken as First Commander in 85 E.G. Under his leadership, the Order flourished and skirmishes with the Northern Tribes came to a halt.

Defeating Gherald the Traitor
In 152 E.G., Gherald Feynord, Dovra'Sha and former pupil of Arthus, left the Order taking with him many of his followers. When he emerged again in 158 E.G. and overthrew king Moran of Rankar, Arthus was given the task to hunt him down and defeat him. After 5 years of cat and mouse games and multiple battles, Arthus finally managed to trap Gherald in Paros. While Sealers closed the bay by blocking the entrance with rocks from the overhanging cliffs, Arthus surrounded the city on land with his main force. After a ferocious battle, he met Gherald on the field and took him down after a vicious fight.

The clash between a Son of Sha and a Dovra'Sha was, according to eyewitnesses, like a fight between gods. Movements that were too fast for the human eye, sparks igniting where swords made contact... It is said that both Arthus' as Gherald's men stopped fighting each other right there to witness the incredible duel that lasted for almost an hour. In the end though, Arthus got the upperhand and decapitated Gherald in a single mighty strike, thus ending the 'First Traitor's Uprising'.

Founding of the Second Swords
In 350 E.G., already an old man, Arthus felt that it was time to lay down his responsibilities as First Commander, a position he had held for 265 years, and retire from the Order. Still, he could not just stop being who he was. In 357 E.G., after years of travelling, he finally arrived in the city of Highwyrm where he founded a company called the Second Swords. It was to be a haven for retired Enhancers who no longer felt the need to work under the Order, but could not yet lay down the sword.

As well as Enhancers, retired swordsmen without the Enhancement Talent also joined the company and over the years it grew both in size and reputation. The company was often hired to do dangerous missions.