CADERYN

Race: The People
Etymology: Celtic for “battle lord”
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Chief of the Red Clan and
chosen Battle Lord of The People

Caderyn is the latest in a long line of Clan chiefs in his family. The youngest son of four, he and his immediate elder brother, Cadmael (“war chieftain”), were the only survivors of a savage Monc ambush which nearly destroyed the Red Clan. It was a battle which claimed, among countless others, the Battle Lord of The People: Caderyn’s father, Caedmon (“wise warrior”). The Red Clan had long established itself as the most proficient among The People exercising a level of warrior doctrine none could match . Historically fractious clans spent generations fighting among themselves, but ultimately unified in the cause of survival against common foes, be they Monc or the Muties. Red Clan rose to prominence as The People’s first line defenders. This relationship, born of convenience, eventually led to specializations within each Clan to benefit The People as a society.

Red Clan was consumed by the fight, and Caderyn became the driving force behind the Red. They directed the society with a focus on survival through rigorous physical training, refinement of war strategy, and most notably, spiritual strength through the seeking of The One. Among the Moncs and other enemies of the Clans, their blood red banners were a grim prelude of events that would soon follow.

Having witnessed the slaughter of his friends and family, an inner strength and controlled rage has guided Caderyn’s actions since that fateful day. Caderyn is consumed in the study and practice of warfare and leads by bold, but never brash example. His talents are not limited to the sword. Among the first lessons he took away from the ambush was the need for projectile weapons that could be fired from atop one’s mount. The short bow was the result of this epiphany, and a new dimension of war unleashed . He is also a surprisingly private individual with regards to his past. Dagda, on the other hand, felt the recording of Caderyn’s history was integral to the future of The People. Much of what I put here is based on her words.

I’m told Caderyn was the youngest ever to become Battle Lord. He was universally accepted as the most capable warrior, and a Battle Lord’s son, at that. Cadmael departed the Red Clan and joined the Green Clan, known for its studies of the healing arts, where he quickly ascended to its leadership. Many felt he turned his back on his warrior bloodline, though they stopped short of labeling him a coward. This was due less so for what they believed about the elder brother than the respect they held for Caderyn. Cadmael is rumored to harbor a measure of jealousy towards his younger brother and his countless successes after being thrust into power. The nature of the relationship between the two is best described as “amicably tense.” Beyond that, I will never press…

Following the Red’s slaughter, Caderyn set about rebuilding their devastated numbers. The handful of survivors from that ominous day was bolstered by anyone from the other Clans who would commit their lives to the highest study of battle. Several elders saw this invitation as a political maneuver to create a fighting force that would be above question or challenge…a danger to their own influence in matters concerning The People as a whole. If all the best fighters were Red, then surely they could never be displaced. Wise beyond his years, Caderyn moved quickly and ended several tribal laws to allow socially embraced cross-clan marriages and encouraged a sharing of knowledge between one another previously unheard of. It was political, yes, but necessary in Caderyn’s mind. He recognized that the strength of The People lay…in its People. Not the individual. Even he is rumored to have taken a wife outside of the Red, though exactly who and from which Clan remains a mystery. Stubborn suspicions remain in some circles, but Caderyn demands more of his own daughter than anyone save himself. This burden placed on his child dispels any lingering fears of favoritism (or nepotism) and, if anything, garners a level of sympathy for Aodh. Any further aspersions died as quickly in The People’s hearts and minds as his enemies fell on the field.
Dagda suspects the mystery surrounding the nature of Caderyn’s wife was maintained to prevent one Clan or another from feeling superior to the rest. These first steps moved The People towards unification in previously impossible fashion, and they have flourished for it.

By dissolving inter-clan barriers, the Red Clan that emerged from his efforts far deadlier in combat than the one his father had led. More importantly, the other Clans rallied tightly around this “new” Red Clan as its members were drawn from the warriors of all Clans, equally represented and respected. Caderyn was not only the youngest to become Battle Lord, but also the most talented to ever assume the post. He may have been elevated as a matter of honor, but has held the post by sheer will, wisdom and skill.

By all accounts he is considered a fair ruler with The Law at the core of all his decisions. Caderyn has earned every victory against his enemies, and perhaps more strikingly, the unconditional respect of his own people.