Atreides

By all rights even Atreides wonders sometimes how he is still alive. The young man standing nearly 6 feet tall, black of hair and hazel of eye has seen more battles than most his age should have or would have survived. He is a strike commander of the Trifid City Gendarme. An elite strike force serving the wizard Clapham of Trifid City.

He knows little of his own past. What life he does know is that of being trained as a wizard from a young age. While undergoing his magical training he was also trained in the arts of war by Brennus Oenomaus, Clapham's castellan. His martial training was meant to teach Atreides how to deal with warriors such as knights and barbarians. This training however proved to be far more beneficial than Clapham had ever intended. Atreides' proficiency for the sword and shield was far greater than most wizards were capable.

During his first engagements as a wizard within the Gendarme Atreides proved his skills as a wizard. While he may never prove to be master of great renown, it was during his 15th year that his true potential was realized. While on a scouting mission on the outskirts of the Endless Sands, the squad he was in was ambushed by raiders. Unable to safely cast he was forced to draw his shield and engage with the rest of his squad. Outnumbered and unable to cast, his frustration and anger led him to attempt to cast his favorite spell, 'shocking grasp' as he swung his blade. To this day he is unable to explain what happened in that instant, but as his sword crashed against his foes armor a bright flash lit the field as if lightning had struck. His enemy lay burnt on the ground.

Instinct took over as he was at the next and the next each being shocked in their armor and dropping to the ground as charred corpses. Confused by this strange assault his squad routed the remaining raiders. Upon completing their mission and reporting what had transpired to Clapham, they found out just how Atreides had done what he did. He was a 'Duskblade'.

An ancient order of elven warriors were the originators of this combat style. Atreides had achieved this by chance, or at least to his knowledge. Clapham knew better as he knew Atreides lineage.

Years past and he perfected his skill as a Duskblade through the use of chains and whips. While he had the strength to wield a greatsword as many of the order did, he preferred to aid his companions and not mitigate his skill as a wizard. This skill led him to become a strike commander. He led countless successful missions and was able to boast that he had only lost 1 specialist for all the years he had command. That was until Clapham sent his team into the Endless Sands.

Clapham saw a prophecy of a a fire coming to take the city and this relic was a key to its salvation. He was to recover an artifact known only to be held within a temple hidden in the mountains. At first it seemed as though it was going to be a standard mission. They entered the temple with little resistance and found the relic they were searching for. That was when the tongueless monks of the temple attacked in force. It was unlike any assault his team had ever encountered. They all escaped the temple but it was the night assaults that took his companions one by one. Butchered in the night, he made his way, alone, back to Trifid City. He presented Clapham with the relic. On its side was the inscription, “Recludam”.