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Balhadur

Balhadur "Dûrbréthil" of Linhir

Name Balhadur
Occupation
Ranger of Ithilien, traveller and pipeweed enthusiast.
Age
Young
Race
Man
Residence
Balhadur has been traveling of late, covering the long leagues from Gondor to Rivendell, even as far as the Shire.
Kinship
Men of Gondor
Outward Appearance


Physical Appearance:

From afar, Balhadur is easily recognizable as a Ranger. Only on rare occasions does he alter his attire from the faded green cloak and hood of his order. Underneath a green and brown outer garment, he wears rusted chain mail leggings and a dented platemail chestpiece, worn from many years of usage. Plated vambraces cover his forearms, and his boots are of hard boiled leather, strapped on tightly. A silver brooch depicting a birch is fastening his cloak to his chest. A ring belt wraps around his waist, and hanging from it are two things: his bastard sword and a tobacco pouch. It contains a smaller version of pipe than what he prefers, but it is one that he is content with. And of course, the pouch is full of his beloved Lengalenas weed. Strapped diagonally from his right shoulder across his back to his left hip is a short bow made of ash wood, and a quiver of Elvish arrows.

Now, Balhadur's stature is fitting for a Ranger: He is fairly tall, 5,9 feet in total, and his limbs are slender, but with toned muscles. He moves with grace and agile uncommon for Men, and is a good terrain runner.

His face is stern, but just. Although he can trace back numenorean blood in his lineage, intermarriage has caused the remnants of this once noble heritage to fade away, leaving Balhadur with a lifespan almost similar to that of Middle Men. At age 45, he is still in his early manhood, but a few wrinkles have already found their way to his forehead. His chin and mouth is covered by a dark brown goatee, and his shoulder long hair hangs loosely.

 

Outward Attitude:

Balhadur's upbringing have left visible signs on his personality. He is a brusque, sometimes brooding man. He is commanding toward his inferiors, and loyal to his superiors, but nothing, neither rank nor relations, stands in the way of his righteousness. He is just and fair, but harsh.
He believes that the Dwarves have grown too greedy and too avaricious, and as such he respects them for their skill at arms and crafting, but distrusts them.Oddly enough, he has a great desire for wealth himself, a desire that is ever in conflict with his righteousness. 

Background

Early Life:

Balhadur's life started in the busy streets of the port city of Linhir on the confluence of rivers Gilrain and Serni, in the province Lebennin in Sourthern Gondor. His father, Balohir, waged war on Mordorian forces, for he was a Ranger of Ithilien, and thus was constantly away from home. As a consequence of that, Balhadur was raised by the streets. Along with his brothers Himharad, the older, and Aegdhir, the younger, he spend his childhood stealing vegetables on the marketplace and fencing with wooden sticks. His sister, Belanor, who was born a sickly child, never left home but for a few select occasions, and she was tended to by their mother, Tínuéth. She was a merchant's daughter, and had a background that would support her economically, should Malborn lose his life on the frontier. Therefore, she used every living hour on her sick daughter.
One day, on one of the numerous corsair raids on the Gondorian port cities, Linhir was attacked and raided. Chaos filled the streets with screams and sobbing, and by the end of the day, many citizens of Linhir had been slaughtered or carried away to thralldom or death. One who had been taken was Aegdhir, younger brother of Balhadur. Himharad had witnessed the kidnapping but done nothing, and for this Balhadur would forever judge him, for Balhadur was fond of Aegdhir, and pitied him his fate.

 

Later Life:

Balhadur grew into a fine warrior, strong and resilient, but reserved and, at times, brooding. Upon entering manhood in his late thirties, he joined the local militia and was trained in both swordsmanship and archery. After a while he began to show great prowess as a soldier, proving a vital aid in the defence against corsair raids. He gained respect among his superiors and was given command over a unit of territorial line infantry, with which he led many defensives against the Umbar pirates. Balhadur, then aging fourty, was then summoned to Minas Tirith to do service in the Line Infantry of the Dagarim Aran as a Hadron, a skirmisher fighting with bow and sword. There he fought alongside his elder brother Himharad, who had joined the Line Infantry as an Ehtar a few years prior to Balhadur. Although he still blamed his brother for not intervening in the kidnapping of their younger brother Aegdhir, he had come to like his older brother, and thus a couple of years went past with the two of them serving in the same unit.
Serving in the Line Infantry, Balhadur was a good tactician. He relied on unit placement and terrain advantages rather than head-on attacks. That, along with his skill as an archer, made his superiors request for him to be transfered to a Ranger unit. Their request was accepted, and Balhadur quickly found himself in the ranks of the Rangers, stationed in the wooded hillside of Ithilien. There he expected to serve under his father Balohir, who by then was a seasoned Ranger. However, he learned that Balohir had been sent to Minas Tirith to be trialed for desertion under controversial circumstances. Although he asked his father, when once again he was in Minas Tirith, if the accusations were true, he never received an answer from Balohir. So Balhadur returned to the woods of Ithilien, and has not seen his father since then. To this day, even though in his heart he knows the truth, Balhadur does not acknowledge his father's desertion.


Events of the Past Year:

A year ago, Balhadur was given temporary leave from his unit, that he may journey to Eriador to aid the Dunedain Rangers and bring tidings of Gondor to the lands beyond the Misty Mountains. On his horse Tegalad, he journeyed from Gondor to Evendim through the southern parts of Rohan, across the Gap of Rohan to Dunland and later Enedwaith. From there, he made his way to Rivendell, where he stayed for a few weeks before cutting across the Lone-Lands into Bree land. It was there that he met the Rangers Helgorim and Teorlan, who were stationed near the town of Bree. Together they formed an entourage, and covered the last leagues from Bree through the North Downs to Evendim. From there, he has been venturing out on raids against the Orcs with his fellow Rangers. But ever does his heart yearn to return to the lands of Gondor, the glory of the White City, and Linhir, the minor port city settlement where he grew up with his brother Himharad, and his beloved younger brother Aegdhir.
Friends
Some
Relatives
Father: Balohir , Mother: Tínuéth, Brothers: Himharad, Aegdhir (diseased), Sister: Belanor
Rivals/Enemies
Loves
His siblings and his pipe
Hates
Men of Umbar and Harad
Motivation
To live his life justly, and never to fail to act.
Quotes
"Failure does not inflict shame on one, lest it be failure to act"

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Balhadur's Adventures

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