Adhirilan Taar
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Adhirilan Zehadraz Neruban Taar is a citizen of the Great Star Empire of Allech-Atreus, and serves as the High Lord General of the Five Guard Legions, the elite forces of the Imperial Guard.
Born on Danbus IV to a Danbian mother and a High Imperial father, Taar's father died when he turned ten, and was raised by his mother. He was brought up in the fundamentalist Husmangayana faith, and holds those beliefs to this day. His mother was distant, however, and spent most of her time at the Avatar's Temple. Consqeuently, her son found solace watching the local garrison drill. A turning point in his life came at age 18, when he met High Lord General Polyhistor Bacdair while the latter was on tour. Taar joined the Imperial Army when he turned 20, and was assigned to the Imperial Academy as his prowess became apparent.
Imperial Army Years
During his years at the Imperial Academy, Taar became good friends with the professors and officers who ran the school, and became well acquainted with the Legionary Marshals of the Five Legions when they came to teach, and also with Grandmaster Dreth, the head of the school. His theories and tactics were brilliant, and he graduated from the school with highest honors and a commission as a colonel of the Fifth Army Legion. His ability was in high demand, and he was reassigned to the Imperial Guard command, and was given the rank of Master Colonel of the Sunfury Guard Legion, of the famed Five.
Taar never gained the sort of prominence afforded Fleet commanders or noble officers, but he gained some small notoriety during a military revolt on Voltangazie that threatened an Imperial residence. Sunfury Legion Marshal Beditsek was killed in a transport crash and Taar was promoted to command the legion. Assisting the Shadowcats legion, another one of the five, the battle began to go bad until Taar ordered a daring assault and flanked an enemy redoubt. His plan forced the enemy between the Sunfuries and the Shadowcats, and the mutinous soldiers were obliterated. Taar assumed battlefield control of the Shadowcats when their Marshal was killed by stray fire, and within th enext two days seized the enemy stronghold.
The Voltangazie mutiny would have been a shining mark on his record were it not for the actions Taar took after the victory. He immediatly executed the rebel commanders and dispersed the Guard scouts into the surrounding area, searching for collaborators and executing many people. He set fire to farms and razed several villages as a warning to revolutionaries. When the agents of the Eye arrived to take control, they found their job done for them. Their report cast Taar in an unfavorable light for exceeding his duties.
High Lord General
Despite the criticism for the Voltangazie incident, Taar continued to rise in the ranks of the Guard. He was confirmed as High Marshal of the Sunfuries, and was actually given commander of the Shadowcats as well. High Lord General Bacdair, now nearing 200 years old, was growing old and remembered Taar from Danbus IV. He promoted Taar into the position of Field General, the number two rank in the Five Legions, and declared his intent to retire.
Bacdair died before he could name Taar as his successor, but the Imperial High Command saw the potential in Taar, now 80 years old, and gave him the position as well as a noble title. Adhirilan Taar became the High Lord General of the Five Legions.
Recent Life
Taar immediatly set about reforming and strenghtening the Five Legions. He installed generals and marshals from a handpicked pool of candidates, and allowed only the best qualified and strongest soldiers into the units. The Five Legions became known as the best Guard units in the Empire, and Taar's tactics were given considerable study in the High Command.
Despite his successes, Taar turned down furhter promotions, chosing to remain in the position of High Lord General. His continual refusal of advancement led the Command to pass him over on a regular basis, turning him into an institution of the Five Legions. By the current year, his forces were fanatically loyal and highly trained.
Taar's faith in Husmangayana was still as strong as it was when he was young, and he makes constant trips to the temples of Danbus. Currently, he is leading forces in the nation of Altanar, albeit secretly, during the latter country's civil was.
