Yekkat ‘the Beastmaster’ Tarran

Slim but lean and well toned.

Clean shaven, thin but solid eyebrows. Sharp jaw and small nose.

Long braid, various tattoos across his sleeves and chest, symbolising animal imagery of many tribes and trophies of his many battles.

According to the rumours, as well as his supernatural communication with scythebeasts of multiple species, Yekkat is said to control and manipulate a red fire he can shoot from his hands and his mouth, and can spread red energy around himself, making him temporarily invulnerable. It can also grant him bursts of unnatural agility and speed. This is supposedly why he has not been defeated in single combat, or even against small groups of armed men.

Possessing several weapons, including a spear, a curved sword, a mace and a bow.   With many victories, he has earned or taken rich and wonderful clothes and jewellery from the dead or from purchases, and has apartments across the known world, including a mansion in Phoz and Volgigrod each.

It seems the effects of the shard have slowed down his aging, for reports going back more than thirty years describe him as a roughly similar shape to what he is now. The origin of this is shrouded in mystery, but Tarran’s priest proclaims a story.   The Clawmen claim that seventy years ago (or ninety according to some), Yekkat Terran was a humble explorer in the Dominion’s army in search of treasures to take home. Betrayed by his fellow soldiers, he sought refuge in a cave infested with rippers and a legendary black Gyüragma. Surrounded by traitors on one side and beasts on the other, Yekkat called first upon the gods of Zcaroth for safety. But they did not answer. Then the gods of Phurzia. But they did not answer. Then the Sun God of the Solashites whose land he was in, but even he did not answer. Finally, he called upon the ancient spirits of the land, and upon him great power of fire and charisma, informing him that he was a god in human form! With tongues of fire, he burned rock and steel to ash, and lept like a grasshopper. What was more, the beasts did not fall upon him, but knelt before him as their god, and he became the ancient Beastmaster. He slew his former comrades and escaped the collapsing cave on the back of the very monster he and his men had been sent to slay. Ever since that day, the Beastmaster and his loyal compatriots ride for the protection of the natural world from the arrogance of man and centaur alike.   Rumours, however exist that it was not some divine revelation or apotheosis he found there, but a shard of the Red crystal from the mythical War of the Crystals, granting him the long Forbidden [by the gods] arts of magic. This story is perhaps as unlikely as the first.

Man, he/him

Straight.

Anecdotes of those who have met Yekkat in taverns, brothels or the palaces of the rich say that despite his informed and elequent manner of speech, he is of common north. Charismatic and confident, he inspires loyalty and bravado even before his alleged demonstration of supernatural abilities. The latter though have helped convince the members of this mercenary captain to consider him not just a commander, but a god in human flesh.

Managed to tame a Gyüragma, one of the deadliest animals of the eastern continent as his personal mount, as well as several rippers, both of which are supposedly untameable.   Is to this day unbeaten in single or small group combat, having defeated even esteemed generals and other company captains, particularly Symon Kyne of The Emerald Eyes. Is once said to have killed eight trained soldiers at once without using any of his alleged powers, owing to his decades of training in peak physical condition.

While unbeaten in personal combat, on the wider battlefield, the so called ‘Beastmaster’ has been forced to make tactic and strategic retreats when fighting in battles or wars in the west or the east. For instance, one time in 735AF, when hired by the Silver Sun city of Lindong against an invading Svotzi force, he found himself and his army surrounded by General Nyepilesk’s forces, which was the closest the Claw and Tarran himself came to annihilation.

Given his origins are mysterious, almost nothing is known about Tarran’s life prior to the incident in the cave, assuming it even happened. Given, however that despite the Claw’s reputation for brutality on the battlefield, sexual abuse and the abuse of children are severely punished (a qualm not seen in other violent mercenary companies such as the Yellow Spears or Black Sun), there are speculations that something happened in Tarran’s early life that caused this aversion.

Often leading his soldiers head on into battle unless advised otherwise, the Beastmaster has undying loyalty from many of his men as well as the beasts that follow him around. Yekkat despises cowards and takes no mercy on soldiers that flee the battlefield rather than die gloriously against him. Having said this, the Claw may spare soldiers who surrender willingly to them depending on a whim of their leader. They also differ between tactical retreats of leaders and genuine desertion from ranks. Traitors who try and sell out their own to his forces are punished rather than rewarded as a result.

Cowardice, rape and the abuse of children are seen as unforgivable crimes under the Claw’s regimens, and this stems directly from Yekkat’s own morality. He has no issue with murder out of rage or cold blooded torture, however, often leaving dead or dying enemies littered around as warnings to the enemy.