Born Tarathrieal Hycinth in Engima, Southern Eretejva Askaris' fate was destined to be that of the Worker Caste in the rigiid quandary of society that is that of the Tundra Elves. His mother and father were members of the Worker Caste, a hierarchal status which meant they both did skilled manual labor; his father a mason and his mother a tailor - they were far from poor, the quirks of Engimatic society allowing them to wealthier and more influential then most Warrior or Religious Caste families despite their seemingly inferior birth. As always the society of Tundra Elves rarely is what it showed on it's face.

It was expected Askaris would follow this tradition of the 'working aristocrat', as a boy he was taught both how to do harsh labor and host lavish soirée all in the same breath. Perhaps a natural eccentric or rebel, Askaris had little interest in doing as was expected of him. A voracious reader he was fascinated by tales of battle, of the philosophy of a warrior and of the cultures of other races and places. Due to his parents considerable influence he was shielded from ridicule or worse due to his eccentric nature, and when he was in his early teens it was decided he would be better suited to study abroad.

Using their wealth they sent him across the globe to Liadian and the Desert City of Annuakat in Amol-Kalit, using their connections to a small cell of former Tundra Elf dissidents actually working for the Church of Eleth under such a cover to spread his influence. It was in this far away land that Askaris learned the harsh realities of his love of other cultures, bigotry, slavery and much more was a common occurrence inside the blue walls of Annuakat. Prosperous for those with whom fate allowed, and destitute beyond compare for those it did not. Left in the hands of zealots these lessons were framed by his caretakers through the lens of the religious beliefs of his people.

However, his rebellious nature could not be contained and soon he was leading a small gang of street urchins of every race; attacking strangers in the streets and even moving into the drug trade. Fearful he would draw the ire of the larger underbelly of Annuakat his caretakers quickly enrolled him in a small military academy in the region. The only non-human in his entire year Askaris quickly asserted himself as one not be trifled with, but the schooling slowly had it's desired effect.

His once rebellious nature had been channeled into a stern, rigid mindset of discipline and attention to detail. His habit for reading had allowed him to excel not just as a common student but get him fast tracked into the Officers program where he learned conventional military tactics and of the history of various important battles to the people of Annuakat. A mercenaries academy most lessons were focused on the protection of convoys and dignitaries from the hated Sand Elves.

Fascinated by their frequent victories listed despite their inferior numbers Askaris attempted to learn more, but was met with suspicion or out right anger for it. Perhaps due to his Elven lineage or due to their own embarrassment they refused to entertain any idea of the validity of the tactics of their hated enemy. Unhappy with the level of education offered Askaris asked to be sent back home by his caretakers; this message was relayed to his parents which declined. Their Worker class son could not return with a Warrior caste mindset.

Frustrated at the young age of twenty three he dropped out of the Academy and left the shelter of his caretakers home - signing up as a cadet in a small time escort mercenary group. Able to ride a horse and fluent in multiple languages the small time organization quickly promoted him to lesser leadership without ever testing if he was battle ready. Leading a unit of mounted light cavalry scouts Askaris worked to move ahead of a caravan, inspect the area for any Sand Elf ambushes and warn the caravan if he did find any.

It was here he served for five years, with little action except the occasional routing of over matched bandits and little sign of the Sand Elves which so fascinated Askaris. His first encounter with his obsession ended poorly for the young mercenary Officer, his scouts were ambushed and their mounts killed. Unable to hold a coherent defensive circle amongst poorly trained men his group was captured. His Elven heritage is the only thing that spared his neck being slit like his subordinates. Captured he was forced to live for a few months as a sort of slave, but in that time Askaris quickly learned their language and integrated with their culture.

This unexpected development eventually had him freed and given the nickname 'Askaris', or literally 'Pale One'. In his time with the nomadic Sand Elves he had learned much about warfare simply be observing their movements. A calculating man when Askaris returned to Annuakat he quickly rejoined his mercenary company. Using his insider knowledge he used his new scouts to ambush the ambushers, making use of their known travel routes he had witnessed. Angered that their kindness in freeing him had been met with more war Askaris only laughed - he held no ill will toward the Sand Elves, but they were his prey and that would not change.

These successes allowed Askaris to lobby for turning his scouts into larger force of light cavalry. The rough desert precluded the concept of the couched lance charge, and eventually Askaris developed a tactic of using the horse to ambush the enemy with it's speed and then dismount to actually fight. A five year long cat and mouse game soon followed, with Askaris adapting more and more to the guerilla warfare style of the Sand Elves and using it against them. When it was all over the very chief which had allowed him to live lay dead at his feet, the 'Pale One' the final victor in their deadly game of hunter vs hunter.

Bored of the desert Askaris formed his own elite unit made up of his most loyal men and sent him on a 80 year journey across the world fighting in mostly minor battles. A small company of elite mercenary cavalry their specialized skills were used to quell various revolts, put down tribal orc incursions or other generally morally questionable jobs.

For the last few decades Askaris and his men have served mostly in the Tundra, taking part in the truly most minor of skirmishes. Perhaps it was this complacency that resulted in his men's complete destruction. Hired by a Nordenfiir mining expedition to serve as guards deep into the Blightlands Askaris was poorly prepared. The flat, open plains of the Blightlands proved difficult to make concealed, guerilla maneuvers and attrition amongst his men built up day by day as they ventured further and further into the orc infested lands.

There was no single great moment, it was the grinding attrition of guerilla warfare which eventually wore at his men. These were not the elites from decades before, battle tested through battles from the desert to the tundra. These were hard drilled rookies made cocky by easy victories in skirmishes in the Tundra, so confident in their semi-legendary commander they failed to even fathom the idea of hardship.

As days turned to weeks and small, often bloodless raids grew into a twice daily occurrence Askaris men broke. Perhaps complacent or blinded by his own success Askaris responded with his typical dry, harsh discipline. Yet when these bloodless raids turned into brutal, focused attacks his men had no fight left. Disease killed as many as the blade, the harsh empty steppes contained little game and before his party could ever reach their destination they fell apart. Most died, some deserted and others still just vanished.

His reputation in the Tundra ruined, Askaris now seeks a new path - alone as a mecenary for the first time in his long life.