[piosenniel]

Dedicated Character - Dúnedain Lieutenant (to the captain) – Saurreg

NAME: Belegorn

AGE: 54

RACE: Dúnedain

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS (No magical, super-hero, mithril weapons. Just good solid Middle-earth weapons and armor only that is appropriate to the race of the character and the time period.):

A 48in long sword, standard issue of the elite rearguard of fornost. The bright shiny steel blade measures 38in long and tapers narrowly towards the end. Blade is made of high quality tempered steel and is well polished and sharpened. Essentially a cut and thrust weapon. Intricate curvings can be found on the ricasso and along the length of the ridge, and the silver quillons of the crossguard are shaped like the outstretched wings of an eagle – the symbolic animal of the regiment. The brass pommel of the sword is curved in the shape of a jewel – the Elessar. The cast iron grip is well banded with black leather strips. Black leather scabbard with a polished steel collar, brass buckles and fittings.

A 17in dagger, also of standard military issue. Steel blade measures 11in long with a crossguard with hooked quillons. Wire wrapped grip and an acorn pommel. Sheath for dagger resembles a miniature version of the guard sword scabbard.

APPEARANCE:

6’2” tall. Broad shouldered with the built, strength and stamina of middle-aged Dúnedain who engages in frequent exercises. Shoulder length black hair with white tuffs showing at the sideburns. No facial hair except for black and grey stubble around the mouth and all the way to the neck. Grey sharp eyes, bushy black eyebrows and a thin tapering jawline that gives him the appearance of a raptor. Thin lips and a mouth not used to smiling (nature scowl).

ATTIRE:

Wears a linen shirt under a green quilted doublet, chain hauberk that extends to half the length of the tights, green woolen trews, and chainmail trousers (don’t laugh).

ACCESSORIES:

Chainmail coif, steel bascinet with a red plume, mail gauntlets with steel vambraces. A forest green surcoat depicting the heraldry of the regiment. Steel greaves and knee-high leather boots with metal soles and toes.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: (No half-Elven characters. No mixed-type characters. No super-heroes. No assassins. No one all powerful, martial arts proficient, or having any magical traits. Just regular characters with normal abilities for their races only):

Beregorn is courageous and devoted to duty and the law. He is extremely proud of his profession and tries his best to be well-mannered and carry himself in a dignified bearing befitting of his military station. He is a strict disciplinarian who has hung many a wrong-doers in his previous units for all sorts of offenses. While those that served under him can attest to his ability to command and grudgingly respect him, they can never love him because of his harshness. Belegorn devotes his entire life to soldiering and thus can be perceived as being aloof and unapproachable socially. His only weakness other than his rigidity is that he feels insecure and irritated in the company of those whom he perceive as being arrogant and haughty due to their higher social status and better education.

Inwardly, Belegorn is worried about the state of the remnants of the Royal Arthedain Army. Although proud to be a commissioned officer in one of the king’s own household regiments, he knows truthfully that whatever potency the army had had vanished and all the regiments with proud histories and traditions are but a shell of their former selves. Nevertheless he continues to serve to the best of his ability and hopes that he can only live up to the illustrious accomplishments and deeds of his predecessors.

Belegorn cares not who the King of Gondor is. He is a professional soldier of Arthedain and will not question orders from superiors.

HISTORY:

The youngest son of an improvished tanner, Belegorn was a product from the dredges of Dúnedain society where class and status dictated the fate of one’s life. Proverty and pressing events denied him the opportunity of a formal education and thus what Belegorn learned in his limited ability to read and write, he learned from a kindly old cleric who also dwelled in the lower part of Fornost. Belegorn is ashamed of this handicap of his and thus becomes insecure and uneasy around other much younger commissioned officers of the same rank who are better educated and of higher social status than him. It is a feeling of inferiority and regret that will never be cast aside easily.

In the year 1938 TA Belegorn joined one of the many yeoman militia regiments as a skirmisher. His courage and skill was soon noticed by his superiors and the teenager was drafted to one of the regular line regiments of the army as a man-at-arms as the war continued and manpower became scarce. For the next four decades Belegorn continued to hone his skills in feats of arms as well as in administration and battle tactics. He acquired a reputation for himself within the regiments which he was shuffled to and fro and his deeds were also noted by superior headquarters. But in the face of Arthedain meritocracy, his lowly background and lack of education denied him due recognition and above all a promotion through the ranks. Belegorn took all in stride however, and continued to serve. It was the state before one’s self.

In the year 1970 TA, Belegron participated in one of the many vain attempts by the Arthedain Army to turn the tide against Angmar by mounting her own offense campaign. The campaign was a disaster but for Belegorn, it was a bittersweet blessing in disguise. King Arvedui was there in person on the battlefield and chanced upon the veteran soldier. Highly impressed by the exploits of Belegorn, the King remarked aloud nonchalantly that Belegorn was the type of man Arthedain needed in such desperate times. Eager to please the king’s every single whim; his glittering entourage broke into action. Inquiries were made, messengers sent and notes scribbled. Before the King and his staff had even left the battlefield, Belegorn was notified that he was given a field promotion to the rank of first lieutenant and made the deputy commander of a regiment.

The captain of the regiment was killed during the chaotic retreat back to Fornost and Belegorn became the regiment’s acting commander for the rest of the withdrawal to the Arthedain capital. There he put all his years of learning and experiences to good use and conducted his regiment very well. In 1972 TA Captain Hírvegil of the King’s Rearguard heard of the Belegorn’s achievements and when the old soldier’s regiment was disbanded, he was invited to join the ranks of the elite.


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Saurreg's post:

The hellish tongues of flames licked the smog-filled sky lustily and illuminated the remaining buildings and standing walls of the lower city with an eerie glow. At the base of the south gate, thousands of Arthedain soldiers charged into glorious combat like an unstoppable torrent bursting from a dam. Their shiny helms shone fiery bright with the reflected light from the fires as did their ready weapons. Onwards they charged, and a host of war cries greeted the darkened sky air, joining in the distinct blare of countless brass, the powerful treble of war drums and the earthshaking reverberation of metallic soled feet thundering across the city ground. Arthedain was on the attack again and the Rearguard was leading.

Belegorn let out a roar and lowered his sword onto the head of a hapless orc sprawled at the base of his feet. The sharp blade cleaved through the black iron helm effortlessly and split the vile creature’s head in two. Just as the first lieutenant delivered the coup de grâce to his latest victim, a huge man – an easterling mercenary of Angmar no doubt, charged towards him with both hands grasping a huge bloodstained battleaxe. Bellowing like a feral beast, the fearsome warrior attempted to smite Belegorn with a single blow from his dreadful weapon but the Dúnedain leapt agility aside in the nick of time. The great axe missed and its bit met and penetrated the ground instead, throwing its wielder off balance. Grabbing the greasy locks of his assailant with his powerful left hand, Belegorn yanked forcefully and tilted the man’s head back, exposing his neck. He then pressed the cold blade of his sword on the laryngeal prominence and pulled back swiftly along the blade’s length. A crimson spray emitted almost immediately much to Belegorn’s satisfaction.

All around him other soldiers were also in the midst of mortal combat. Archers delivered their steel tipped arrows in volleys with deadly accuracy while halberdiers and pikemen charged shoulder to shoulder and literally overran anything in their way. Tough man-at-arms of the line and skillful skirmishers finished off any enemy that escaped the said unstoppable human fence, just as what Belegorn was doing. The impetus of the sortie had thrown the enemy off balance and Belegorn was eager to exploit the opening created.

He lifted the horn of a mountain onyx and blew with his might so that all around him could hear,

“ONWARDS CHILDREN! PUSH ON! PUSH ON!”

Belegorn saw his regimental flag bearer huddled to the rear and called to him in his mighty voice,

“TO ME! AVANT BANNER!”

Belegorn and the flag bearer carrying his fluttering green pennon dashed towards the frontlines. Those who saw the advance of the banner let out a cry of triumph and followed suite. The sortie led by the rearguard continued to surge forwards irresistibly overwhelming everything in its path.