Full Name: Abu Haidar Faruk Ibn Faraj Al Haddad Al Saresh
Played By: Jeff Mork
Translation: Father of Hadir, Faruk, Son of Faraj, the Smith, of Saresh
HAIDAR حيدر m Arabic
Means “lion” in Arabic
FARUQ فاروق m Arabic
Means “person who can tell right from wrong” in Arabic
FARAJ فرج m Arabic
Means “remedy” or “improvement” in Arabic.
Race: Human
Class: Cleric
Occupation: Mercenary Paladin
Notable Traits:
- Dislikes Penitent
- Religious Zealot (of Mahsai)
- Mercenary
- Strongly believes in the sanctity of life
- Will not kill enemies if it is avoidable
- Will halt all other activities to save the life of a wounded ally
- Will try to save the life of all, including wounded enemies
- Will only take mercenary contracts to protect or escort (will only attack if he believes in the cause)
UPDATE: After being judged in the Free People’s Court and found guilty of numerous charges, Al Haddad was sentenced to a punishment of maiming and set on a path of redemption. Abandoning the heretical ways and embracing the fire and brimstone mentality of the Chapter of Arnath’s Fist, Al Haddad quickly became a devote member of the Church of Arnath. In June of 287, Al Haddad was involved in the military coup conducted by the Chapter of Arnath’s Fist and helped seize control of the Hand of Arnath and Order Keep. During the following skirmish, a fire broke out inside keep where Al Haddad and a number of other Order Lions were stationed. In the ensuing fight, the Hand of Arnath and the Council of Griffins were killed, and Al Haddad died in the fire.
Backstory
Have you ever lost yourself? Felt the ground slide from beneath your feet, seen the bedrock your beliefs are based on dissolve? I have. I wish I could say that I came through it as a better man, but among the things I deny myself is lying.
The King had risen from the grave, he had welcomed the undead and the penitent with open arms, and the Vandregonians reacted without hesitation. I wasn’t there when they finally destroyed civilisation. I didn’t even know it had happened till months after the fact. I was camping in the Vandregonian forests, hiking through the backcountry, and it wasn’t for recreation.
I can’t blame the Vandregonians for attacking Saresh, or even for breaking our nation. We did betray them in their hour of need. They didn’t stop there though. They smashed our artwork, they toppled our minarets, they burned our libraries, and even that could have been forgiven. But, they believed that just because we didn’t defect to the Vandregonians that we embraced the Undead. They made it their crusade to put to the sword all of us who remained, and in doing so erased from the earth the chance to rebuild heaven. Unacceptable.
And so we found ourselves, my wife and I and a few others, far from any road and making our way to Aldoria. Our hope was to leave this all behind, to catch a ship heading to Mardrun. We crossed Vandregon in secret, fearful of contact with others lest we be judged by the color of our skin. We were scarcely over the border when we met the Undead line advancing southward and were turned from our goal. It seemed at times that we were mere steps ahead of the undead as we flew to the south, ever fearful of approaching Vandregonians again. It felt like it took a lifetime to get there, but we finally made it to a working port. We had even managed to find some of the few remaining May’Kar along the way. Buying passage on a ship headed to Mardrun was out our means, so we opted instead to work for our passage as crew. We were lucky to have that chance, as I am unaware of any ships that have sailed from Faedrun since.
After our arrival on Mardrun, and with it the completion of our duties, my wife and I joined with the other May’Kar we had traveled with in founding a settlement to call our own. With Saresh destroyed and so few of us alive, rebuilding heaven on earth was beyond our means. We opted instead to find a secluded corner of wilderness to call our own, and to preserve what was left of our culture.