Rashnak Ironfang

Death Knight Commander

As a young boy, Rashnak was sold into slavery by a rival war party of bugbears led by his own uncle. This was most likely due to his noble heritage. His uncle had long had his eyes on the throne of their clan, and eliminating a rival would take him closer to his goal. After several years in the service of a noble merchant captain who eventually saw his worth as both a warrior and strategist, Rashnak ended up in Suzail. There, he made a career as the bodyguard of some of the most prominent families of Cormyr, earning him his knighthood.

As his recollection of his savage past dims, he grew accustomed to life among humans. But the boredom of the Cormyr courts, his martial instincts and his craving for war and glory drew him into military service. Many years in the service of Cormyr followed, as a mercenary in their wars on Sembia and the pirates of the Sea of Fallen Stars.

He answered the call of the divine in 1483 DR, however, after a brutal massacre of an entire Sembian village at the behest of his mercenary commander. In a vision he was compelled by Kelemvor to avenge the suffering and needless death and take up arms against his former battle brothers. After the deed was done, he had to escape Cormyr, and sought refuge across the Sea of Fallen Stars in Ormpetarr.

He made the pilgrimage to the recently completed Monestary of Kelemvor, but left the massive monestary with the impression that life as a doomguide was not for him. A friendly priest told him to search out the Death Knights of the Sunset Vale. They were Kelemvor's wrath in this world.

Rashnak packed up his things and started another ardous journey, this time to the northwest via the pirate den Westgate and the dwarven town of Easting. He eventually made it across the River Chionthar and to the ruins of Iriaebor, determined to find his way and make a life in the Western Heartlands.

The need for mercenaries in the Vale made the transition an easy one, and he quickly picked up work as a guardsman on the caravans of Berduskan traders, the most prominent of these were the wine traders of House Ilvani. His solid skills was said to have impressed even the elven matriarch Andraste Ilvani herself.

She called him to their villa in Berdusk to learn more about him. She wrote her son, the Death Knight Pax Ilvani, to tell him of this strange creature. As Pax got wind of a hobgoblin worshipping Kelemvor in his family's employ in 1486 DR, he quickly got in touch with Rashnak to satisfy his own curiousity.

As the letter from Pax reached Rashnak and he learned about of the Death Knights of Eternal Order at Soul's Rest, he wrote back, establishing a steady correspondance between the two unlikely kindred spirits. Eventually, Rashnak sought out the keep of the order to earn his place among the Death Knights.

Rashnak now serves as a Death Knight Commander in the order. His current posting is to ensure the safety of the order's shipments on the Dusk Road, after several sightings of various wild races, bandits and undead by the traders in the area. For this mission, his troop has travelled to Asbravn. He still corresponds with Pax Ilvani, sharing insights, observations, news, gossip and intellectual arguments.