Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus
Flameguard Captain | ||
---|---|---|
Race | Human (Sulese) | |
Gender | Male | |
Weapons | Flame Spear | |
Birth | 580 AR | |
History
Pyrrhus was born in 580 AR in the village of Seniza to Martus and Nuria. When he was three years old, one of the local children showed signs of wild behaviour traditionally associated with a connection to the Devourer Wurm. Rather than informing their priest, several of the townsfolk allowed the child to be smuggled out of the Protectorate, causing Scrutator Rugal to declare the village a haven for heresy and sentenced to purification by flame.[2]
One day and one night after the village was scoured, Pyrrhus was discovered having miraculously survived the fire unscathed. Scrutator Rugal declared the boy was spared by the very hand of Menoth, and had the Flameguard temporarily take care of him. After several weeks, Pyrrhus' grandfather was confirmed to be Calur, a retired Flameguard commander, who became his grandson's guardian.[2]
Calur's stipend allowed him and Pyrrhus to live in relative comfort in Sul. At the age of seven, Pyrrhus decided his true purpose lay not in this life but in service to the Creator in the next, and began a strict training regimen under his grandfather's guidance, learning both the martial skills and code of conduct of the Flameguard.[2]
At sixteen Pyrrhus was of age to test as a recruit for the Flameguard. He passed each test with ease. Despite the suspicions of Preceptor Heremon Gilroy and others about his heritage as the son of heretics, his training was allowed to continue, and after two years he was inducted as a full member of the Flameguard.[2]
After his induction Pyrrhus was assigned to standard patrol regiments at the main temple in Sul. His superiors took note of his dedication and talent. In his spare hours, Pyrrhus often sought out noteworthy warriors from his and other martial orders and challenged them to friendly matches. These duels went over for two years until a superior, possibly under pressure from the other martial orders, lightly reprimanded Pyrrhus.[2]
Pyrrhus proved himself an exemplary Flameguard, and in 601 AR he was granted the rank of Arms Master, just three years after completing his training - an unprecedented speed. He was made an instructor to the most promising recruits, and during this time he continued his self-imposed training regimen. He proved to be a harsh, demanding but excellent instructor. While unsuited to training raw recruits - several of whom were broken by his regime - he proved adept at forging the worthiest into hardened soldiers.[2][1]
When Cygnar attacks Sul in 606 AR, Pyrrhus wants to take his place in battle, but he's tasked with continuing the training of recruits, as the Protectorate now needs well-trained Flameguard more than ever. He's placed in a special instructor committee to develop a new training regimen that would see fully trained Flameguard in six months instead of the usual two years.[2]
In the last days of the war, Pyrrhus is given command of a special unit of his former two students in defence of the Great Temple. Pyrrhus' unit routs the renowned 37th Storm Knight company, cutting down more than a dozen enemy knights and losing none of their own. After the war, he is promoted to Preceptor and given permanent command of an elite unit, called the Flamespear Votary.[2]
Pyrrhus' unit is first assigned to Tower Judgment to conduct border patrols until reassigned in the spring of 608 AR to guard supply and armament caravans to and from the Northern Crusade. After his last caravan mission in late 608 AR, Pyrrhus is promoted again to captain, and takes part in several noted battles, especially the final assault on the Cryxian necrofactorium in the Thornwood in 609 AR. His actions have served to subvert and discredit the dwindling number within the Flameguard who still view him as a child of heresy.[2]
Personality
Pyrrhus is a single-minded, focused man who only desires to be of service in this life and the next with no regard for politics. He views Caen as only training grounds to develop hisskills to their highest level so when passing into Urcaen he can be of better service to the Creator. This simple motivation is contrasted by virtually every authority figure in Pyrrhus' life: some believe him to be a tainted vessel of heresy, while others believe he has been chosen by Menoth for some higher purpose. According to Gavyn Kyle, all of Pyrrhus' sacrifice is done out of a man's devotion to his god as well as a child's wish to reunite with the parents that were taken from him so long ago.[2]