Michael Harnus

Michael Harnus is Hazegate’s local stablehand. His stables are located near the tavern, just across the street. A convenient location as many travelers station their horses with Michael, allowing him to make some coin. The stablehand is a run-of-the-mill guy with nothing, apart from his husbandry skills, standing out about him. He offers riding lessons to the locals in his spare time, taking them around The Meydian Plains. He’s been doing this for many years now and as such he is one of the first who would warn any against setting out in misty weather.
Half a decade ago, when Tagus the Plague of the Plains first appeared, he was among the unlucky few to encounter the beast. During a riding excursion with a band of sell swords, Michael and his group were overwhelmed by the heavy fog. This was nothing new at the time and it was well known that the plains were not safe during these weather conditions due to increased monster activity. However, the merchants accompanying the stable hand were eager to go out for hunting so they did not hurry back. Michael, who felt safe enough around the well-armed man, did not protest. This mistake cost him dearly, however, as the group encountered the beast. Michael was the only one to survive and is still plagued by the memories of the event even now. People around him say that the day he came back he lost all of his youthful courage, becoming a far more reclusive man, which was the complete opposite of his past personality. It took him a year to even set foot out of the city, and another few months before he began riding his horses again.
Michael is usually dressed in a plain manner, wearing simple clothes that are often dirty due to the work he does in the stables. He has short brown hair that hangs down to just about past his ears and a cleanly shaved face, making him appear a lot younger than he actually is. He has a slim, but strong physique. Although, this doesn’t quite show as he carries himself with hanging shoulders, something which is likely a remnant of his past trauma.