PCs:Thaylis Beign

Name: Thaylis Beign

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colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; line-height: 1.25em;"	Brigadier Sir Thaylis Beign, 12th Infantry Brigade (Blackhawk Brigade)
Allegiance	Nation of M'Chek
Service/branch	M'Chekian Army, Navy
Rank	Brigadier General, Rear Admiral
Commands held	* Commander of Blackhawk Command Company. * Executive Officer - Blackhawk Battalion. * Chief of Staff - 3rd Infantry Brigade. * Commander of Blackhawk Brigade.
Awards	Numerous - See Below

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: Looks to be in his early 30's.

Deity: Pelar

Class: Ranger/Rogue/Weapon Master

Birthplace: Family farm, Nelthropian Lands (former, now belonging to Lord Chasworth), M'Chek

Residences: Drakehall Keep in western M'Chek and House Beign along the eastern M'Chekian coast, near the falls.

Affiliations and Titles:

• Knight-Lord Sir Thaylis Beign of Drakehall Keep.

• Breath of Pelar, formerly the Blade of Pelar.

• Brigadier, M'Chekian Army. Served as the Commanding Officer of the Blackhawk Brigade - Retired.

• Rear Admiral, M'Chekian Naval Forces.

• Knight Companion of the Chivalric Order of Balance - KCCB.

• Hero of the M'Chekian Union.

• Member of the 4th Royal House of Nor'Seere - House Silverstrike.

The Early Years

Thaylis was the only child born to Cray and Thrella Beign, hard working farmers who labored on lands passed down for generations near the Order of the Way. When the young boy was only 7, his parents were killed by a roaming band undead who attacked the farm in the dead of night. He was taken in by his mother’s older brother, Garrick, a Pelarite Hunter who lived in a small cabin along the western Blandenberg border.

Learning the Hunter's Way

Garrick was a veteran of the War with T’Nanshi, serving with distinction as a scout in the M’Chekian army. The young boy learned much from his uncle over the years, training in a variety of things; how to handle an array of weapons, the basics of the Ways of the Hunt, and the Teachings of Pelar to name a few.

The Big City and Finding Purpose

His uncle passed in the night, heeding Pelar’s call to his side. The young man soon found his way to the rich farmlands surrounding the capitol, and for the next few years worked odd jobs on various farms in the region, honing his carpentry skills. He soon paid for a room at a local inn, and eventually began to develop friendships and traveled to distant lands, referring to the Gargoyle as home. All during this time, he constantly refined and perfected his hunting and tracking skills.

The Art of the Shadow

While living near the capitol, Thaylis met a master who knew the Art of the Shadow, a skill known as shadow dancing. He was able to strike a deal with that person, to take him on as an apprentice, and for the next several years worked hard and learned much under their tutelage and watchful eyes.

The young Hunter became a master himself in the Art, and passed along that knowledge to many others in the following years.

The Blackhawks

Battle Flag of the Blackhawk Brigade

Just shy of his 20th summer, panic swept the nation at a demon uprising that spread throughout south-west M’Chek. Wanting to help where he could, the young man spoke with Captain Swift of the Blackhawk Company, M’Chek’s special forces unit, and offered his services and Pelarite skills as a scout. He enlisted shortly thereafter, and became a member of that elite unit. The demon threat was neutralized by M’Chekian forces months later.

Shortly after these events, Drotid military forces invaded the eastern coast of M’Chek on several fronts, and gained a foothold on our soil. M’Chek was once more at War.

Rise Through the Ranks

Thaylis’ foundation of military training and experience was overseen under the watchful eyes of Major Fyne and Captain Weller, and the young man excelled in his new path. War was declared against Drotid, and soon after Colonel-Commissar Brittain offered him an officer’s commission which was readily accepted. He rose rapidly through the officer ranks, and later assumed command of the Blackhawk Command Company. Thaylis later served as the Battalion's Executive Officer (XO) under C. C. Brittain. During that time, the young officer oversaw several successful operations against the Drotid invaders.

As the war waged on, Thaylis was later reassigned by High Command to a Chief of Staff position of the 3rd Infantry Brigade under General Arthur Matherson. Promoted to Major, the officer supervised the needs of a much larger command element, consisting of 6 full Battalions.

Command of a Brigade

In an unprecedented move following the infamous raid upon Fort Kasslesstha, War Commissioner Lord Tobias Chasworth promoted Major Beign to the rank of Brigadier General, and ordered him to assume command of the 12th Brigade under Lord Derrington’s banner. He was then tasked with forging the Brigade with the capability to commence field operations against the Drotid invaders in eastern M’Chek. Consisting of the veteran Blackhawk Battalion and the remnants of the 12th Brigade, this command element assumed the name Blackhawk Brigade.

After a successful recruiting campaign, the Blackhawk Brigade continued to spearhead a number of aggressive tactical operations against the Drotid. Elite members of the Brigade were responsible for denying the invaders use of the iron mines located east of Derrington Castle and disrupting the alliance forged with the Bugbears in the region.

In an act of unity and defiance, the naval fleets of M’Chek and T’Nanshi joined forces. Supported by the select members of the Blackhawks and T’Nanshi’s 6th Division, the allied forces conducted a series of coordinated attacks along the eastern coast, targeting Drotid naval forces and land-based targets. This operation resulted in the Drotid no longer having a viable presence in the Eastern Seas, as several warships were captured or sunk, and numerous land installations were destroyed.

In the final stages of the War, Fort Msaelifriss was besieged by M’Chekian forces. A small group of members of the Blackhawk Battalion, commanded by Lt. Colonel Fox, successfully breached the fortress’s gate. Weeks later in a climactic battle Fort Kasslesstha fell, their Warlord slain in the shadow of Chasworth Keep.

M'Chekian Victory and Accolades

An oil painting on canvas of Brigadier Sir Thaylis Beign in his Blackhawk dress uniform, shortly after M'Chek's victory over the Drotid. The Star of the Order of Balance hangs from his neck.

With the defeat of Warlords Msaelifriss and Kasslesstha on the eastern coastline and the Drotid forces broken and scattered, victory over the invaders was declared. A large celebration was held in Mikona to honor the brave men and women who served in the armed forces of the nation, and sacrificed everything in defense of M’Chek. Brigadier Beign was one of 5 officers named Hero of M’Chek and named a Knight Companion of the Chivalric Order of Balance - KCCB.

Struggle Against the Drotid Outside the M'Chekian Borders

An exquisite oil painting entitled "The Last Battle". This artwork depicts the final battle of Voivode Kasseshisrath against Warmaster Kiff and Brigadier Beign.

Shortly after M’Chek’s victory over the Drotid, Thaylis led an elite force of approximately 200 Blackhawks to aid the Elysian Resistance in their efforts to reclaim their city from the Drotid oppressors. Joining forces with the T’Nanshi military and Le’Megen, the joint forces were successful in eradicating the Drotid occupiers from the city.

Soon after this victory was won, High Command presented Brigadier Beign with orders to assemble the Blackhawk Brigade and combine it with General Matherson’s 3rd Brigade, with overall command of this amalgamated unit falling upon Thaylis’ shoulders. Numbering just over 6,000 men and with Brigadier Lambert’s 5,000 soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, they rendezvoused in Port Nireth and joined forces with the T’Nanshi and the Le’Megen. The allied army sailed north to Grantir, with the intention of striking at the heart of the Drotid forces. Intel reports had indicated that Voivode Kasseshisrath had taken the field with a large army with plans on retaking Elysia.

Intercepting the Drotid Army in Grantir, a large and costly battle was fought. A small, elite strike force was formed and struck the Drotid's Army left flank, fighting its way to a ruined fortress in which the Voivode used as his command post. At the height of the battle, the strike force was unable to breach the inner keep, protected by an impenetrable magic shield. The last desperate prayer to Pelar by His Chosen, Kahas, was answered by the God of the Hunt and brought Warmaster Kiff and General Beign within the Voivode’s inner defenses. Together, the two men ended the reign of Kasseshisrath in a brutal, bloody fight in which quarter was neither asked for nor received.

After the battle Kahas, the Breath of Pelar, granted the mantle of the Blade of Pelar to Thaylis for his long term commitment and devotion to the Hunt.

Hel'Byssia

With the growing threat of an ancient evil within the Gates of Hel'Byssia Thaylis received official orders from High Command to march two heavy infantry companies of Blackhawks, numbering just over 250 officers and soldiers, to that peninsula and join forces gathering under Warmaster Kiff's banner. Their efforts were rewarded with victory, but the costs were substantial.

Spirit Kin Threat

During the height of Spirit Kin activity throughout southern Negaria, the Blackhawks mobilized on numerous occasions to protect her citizens from various threats from that quarter. The first such incident was when the Kin Burn wrecked havoc across the countryside, leaving large portions of grassland and farmland in ash and ruins. Key elements of the Brigade moved to protect M'Chekian citizens, farmlands, and assets. Secondly, the streets and alleyways of Mikona herself became the battlefield of a large-scale assault when the Kin Raven unleashed hideous and grotesque creations from within the city. Under General Beign's command, the entire Brigade mobilized to the capitol to defend and protect the city from this threat. Lastly, the Brigade once more mobilized and joined an allied force against numerous Kin who were held in check behind the magical wards of the Hel'byssian peninsula.

End of an Era

After serving M'Chek with the Blackhawks both during the Drotid War and peacetime service, Thaylis came to the decision to relinquish command of the Brigade and resign his commission as an officer of the M'Chekian Union. The time had come to pursue other interests outside of the M'Chekian borders, namely a greater focus and more spiritual pursuit of the Old Ways of the Hunt.

Presence of Marko and his Undead Minions

An immortal Dagathian priest named Marko resurfaced in the southern continent, and began to amass an undead army.  Well known within the Dagath Church, it's said he was one of the original priests present when Dagath took up his mantles of power 2000 years ago.

As Marko’s power base grew, he began to send forth an undead horde to raid and terrorize various communities in M’Chek, Blandenburg, and southern T’Nanshi with undead soldiers from past wars in the region; M’Chekian, T’Nanshi, and Drotid forces long dead and buried were raised and used by Marko.  One key factor aiding him in this endeavor was a shard of a Deathstone embedded in his chest.  This shard provided him overpowering resistances to harm, as well as giving him the power to raise the dead.

Thaylis was heavily involved in this crisis, coordinating with many groups and individuals to find a successful means to bring Marko’s reign of terror to an end.

The Elysian Dragon Wing

During the time the Spirit Kin conflicts surfaced throughout southern Negaria, Thaylis was approached by Finn Kiff and Cole Dayhawke and was asked to join the newly formed dragon riders wing that protected Elysia. Intrigued at this unique opportunity, the Hunter of Pelar agreed and he soon began training, learning aerial combat and maneuvers, and quickly mastered the necessary techniques needed to be successful in the air. He was paired with Skyla Silverstrike, an Avarial Pelarite from the 4th Royal House of Nor'Seere, who could change into the form of a Silver dragon at will. Together they became a cohesive team in the skies, and Thaylis soon took command of the dual-role skirmisher group of the Wing.

The Dragon Wing successfully fought against Truth's siege of Elysia, defending against a horde of stone dragons thrown against the city. The value of air support to forces on the ground proved invaluable to the besieged defenders of the city. Unfortunately, their overall numbers dwindled throughout the conflict, with heavy losses to both riders and Avariel dragons in the climactic battle in Hel’byssia.

Drakehall Keep

Shortly after he resigned from the M’Chekian army, Thaylis was approached by War Commissioner Lord Tobias Chasworth in the wake of the numerous, serious charges leveled against Lord Constantine Drake of Westshore. In reparation for the injuries inflicted on his heirs while held captive by Lord Drake’s conspirators, Lord Chasworth was gifted several select pieces of ancestral Drake lands by the Noble House, specifically Drakehall Keep and Drakeshore. Searching for a reliable individual to hold these new lands, the War Commissioner asked the former officer if he was willing to entertain the thought of serving as a bannerman to House Chasworth.

Thaylis agreed to serve him in this manner, and he soon swore an oath of loyalty to House Chasworth. He was then granted the ancestral castle of the Drake’s, Drakehall Keep, as well as the lands surrounding the stronghold, including Drake Cove. Now a vassal of Lord Chasworth, Thaylis has been entrusted to oversee the prosperity and welfare of Drakehall Keep and the loyal M’Chekian citizens who live in the surrounding lands and holdings.

Recently, Thaylis was gifted ownership of both Drakehall Keep and her surrounding lands, as well as that of Drake Cove from Lord Chasworth with First Minister Rebecca Dald’s full support.  A private ceremony was held in Mikona, attended by several key figures of the M’Chekian government and nobility.

The Fall of Lord Nelthrope

Thaylis and Drakehall Keep were involved in the demise of Lord Nelthrope, thus ending the elder man’s bloodline in M’Chek.  

According to reliable facts, Lord Nelthrope magically extended his life span by the frequent use of Elixir of Longevity.  When he consumed a tainted batch of this fluid, it transformed him into a 5-headed dragon-like monstrosity.  Bolstered by his intimidating new form, he ordered his subjects to worship him as the Thrope, a supposed messenger of “the Five Gods of M’Chek”.  Through this worship, Lord Nelthrope gained immortality and strong indications pointed that he would expand his territory and threaten to start a second M’Chek - T’Nanshi War.

After Lord Nelthrope killed his nephew Nimanoy “Lemonade” Dunster, Lord Dunster invoked the ancient rite of M’Chekian nobility and declared a private war against the monstrous noble.  Thaylis placed his banner alongside that of Lord Dunster’s after Nelthrope invaded the lands of Drakehall Keep in an unprovoked attack, where the Beign’s offered refuge and shelter for several dozen families.  These citizens were Nelthrope's subjects and were soon to be subjected to horrendous magical experiments that would eventually transform them into dark creatures to serve Thrope, as the mad noble had recently done to other groups of his citizens.

Lord Dunster and his many allies, including Lord Chasworth and several adventurers, banded together to stop Thrope’s tyranny.  During the climactic battle, they were able to revert him back to his human form, ending his immortality, and destroyed him and his dark creations in the end.

M'Chek-Brekon War

Days after M’Chek declared war against the nation of Brekon, Thaylis was summoned to Lord Chasworth’s Keep where the War Commissioner reinstated Thaylis officer’s rank and privileges to that of Brigadier General.  The army was rapidly mobilizing once more to defend itself against a hostile nation and experienced officers were needed.

Within a week, he received a second summons;  this time to present himself to the Admiralty in the capitol.  During his meeting with Lord Grumbald, First Admiral of the Navy, he received a naval officer’s commission of Commodore, along with a Letter of Marque.  He and members of the Golden Legacy were given instructions to raid the Brekonese naval blockade at every opportunity and pass along operational intelligence back to naval headquarters.  In this task they succeeded. Thaylis was also present when a group of adventurers eliminated the Evakian Cults which orchestrated the war between the two nations.

Thaylis is still currently on the active officer’s roles in both services.  The veteran officer was promoted to Rear Admiral toward the end of the conflict, and has continued to serve M’Chek in a number of capacities for both the army and navy since being reinstated into the military.

Titles and Awards

• Hero of the M'Chekian Union

• Knight Companion of the Chivalric Order of Balance - KCCB

• Service of Plate presented for actions during the War against the Drotid

• Gold Lion Medal

• M'Chekian Army Medal of Distinguished Service

• Silver Unicorn Medal

• Copper Eagle Medal (with one gold star)

• Medal of Valor

• M'Chekian Army Good Conduct Medal (with one gold star)

• Victory Medallion

• Eastern Seas Medal

• Derrington's Medal

• Serpents Tail Medal

• Medal of Mikona's Valor

• Hel’Byssia Campaign Medal

Community Voted Award

Irreverence Awards 2011: The Big, Shiny Prize

Additional Miscellaneous Information

M'Chekian Medals

Officer and Enlisted Ranks