James Ardannt

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Haelyn's Bastion of Truth » James Ardannt

Arms of James

Male Anuirean Noble 4/ Priest 3; CR
Supreme Hierarch of Haelyn's Bastion of Truth
Lineage of Lesser Nobility
Minor Bloodline of Anduiras, 19
LG Medium Humanoid

VP/WP
Init +0
Languages language

AC , touch , flatfooted
Fort + , Ref + , Will +

Speed ft
Melee Atk + (damage /critical, weapon)
Ranged + (damage /critical, weapon)
Base Atk +  ; Grapple

Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 13
Feats:
Skills:
Special Qualities: including linked blood abilities
Description: , lbs
Possessions:

Italicize feats and abilities followed by a brief description

James Ardannt

Typical Dialogue:

Biography:

James Ardannt is a war-priest of Haelyn who never expected to become Supreme Hierarch. He expected to command a company of cavalry, or perhaps to be captain general of all the temple's forces, but when the guild temples of Sarimie threatened to obliterate the Bastion, the temple looked to a leader with the heart of a soldier.

The Ardannt family hails from Hidaele where his brother Uther Ardannt is the lord of Blue Wood. As a younger son, James was fostered for a time in the temples of Haelyn, where he received his formal education. He stayed on a few more years to complete his ordination with the hope of supporting his family's political aims. Gwenaël Dhariel, a slightly older knight, convinced James to join him in seeking adventure in Cariele, which is near three goblin realms. The country of Thurazor was raiding its neighbors and often sought pillage in Cariele. James and Gwenaël fought these raiders and pursued them back into Thurazor.

James' friend, Gwenaël, fell in love with the Baron of Cariele's sister, the lovely Ivinie Cariele. James would often meet with one or another of Ivinie's attendants to exchange messages between the lovestruck young nobles. The Baron, Daenel Cariele, opposed the match and forbade Gwenaël from seeing Ivinie. Despite wining a joust and winning victories against Thurazor, Gwenaël made no headway until a hill giant began to tear up villages near the border to Markazor. James and Gwenaël found a scout from Mhoried who claimed to know the passes in the area quite well, and enlisted him among their party. As it turned out, this so-called scout, Shaene Mhoried knew very little of the area and tried to join the party in hopes of a share of the giant's treasure. James had learned to treat wounds in his temple training, but the violence of combating a giant was well beyond his healing skill. Many died in heroic combat against the giant as the fought through the mountains, but James, Gwenaël, Shaene, and a few others emerged from the quest with the head of the giant.

Daenel Cariele was compeled to offer Gwenaël what ever reward he could name, and when he asked for the hand of Ivinie, Daenel reluctantly agreed. However, it so happened that Shaene was the son of the Mohr, and when news arrived that the Mohr was seeking the hand of Ivinie for his oldest son, Daeric Mhoried, Baron Daenel withdrew his consent for Ivinie to marry Gwenaël. Gwenaël alone stole into Cariele Castle and and the two fled the castle and Cariele for the lands of Dhoesone. The young priest, James Ardannt, married the couple and earned the ire of Daenel.

James and his friends had many adventures, including meeting the young Fhiele Dhoesone in Tuarhievel while the elves yet prepared her for her later duties. They danced in the halls of Ravenroost at many of the parties thrown by Ljorrah, Queen of Stjordvik. And on many occasions they fought in Dharilein, Stjordvik, or the Giantdowns against the aggressive raids of the Blood Skull Barony.

James began to attract the notice of the Hierarchs of the Bastion, and they offered him command of knights in the temple's forces. James and Gwenaël continued to fight for Dhoesone, though their friend Shaene decided to seek his fortune in the east.

Affairs in Cariele would soon change the power of the Bastion, however, and see James rise to the highest office of his temple. Mheallie Bireon, the daughter of a dispossessed noble was able to take control of the Stonecrown Coster and lead this guild to dominance in the land of Cariele. Her rise brought civil war and catastrophe to Cariele. Both the temples of Haelyn and Aeric were destroyed in the Barony of Cariele and a new temple of Sarimie, the Northern Reformed Church of Sarimie, took its place. As this Sarimite temple grew, it expanded into Dhoesone as well, and for a time it was able to repeat its early success, overthrowing temples of Aeric and Haelyn in Nolien, Sonnelind, and Tradebhein. The Oaken Grove of Erik found new leadership from a Brecht convert, Günther Brandt, who became druid of Dhoesone and began to stem the tide. His knowledge of Sarimie from his native lands helped him to forge counter arguments and revitalize the temples of Aeric in Dhoesone. Likewise, the temples of Haelyn needed new leadership and they turned to James, whose spirit did not know defeat no matter what the odds.

James has prevented the loss of further holdings for the Bastion and cultivated priests in Sarimite towns ready to lead them back to Haelyn. The temples of Sarimie however draw from secure holdings in Cariele to support their expansion and seem to have an alliance with the powerful Northlands Exchange as well. James has worked with Günther Brandt to forge a partnership to oppose the new temple and restore Haelyn and Aeric as the temples of Dhoesone. The Rjurik call this partnership Holn's Companionship. Lessons learned in Cariele and Dhoesone are now being put to use to end the advance of the Northern Reformed Church of Sarimie.