Martin Swiftsword (1521-1561 a.S.), initially son of a wandering merchant for whom he worked as a guard, was mainly responsible for the founding of the so-called Swiftsword Mercenaries, which developed from a rebel group he led. He taught and led the forces who founded the guild from the lands of the Kuglimz to the Eyelian Kingdom.

Picture description: Portrait of Martin Swiftsword, founder of the Swiftsword Mercenaries. Image drawn by Faugar.

Martin Swiftsword (1521-1561 a.S.), initially son of a wandering merchant for whom he worked as a guard, was mainly responsible for the founding of the so-called Swiftsword Mercenaries, which developed from a rebel group he led. He taught and led the forces who founded the guild from the lands of the Kuglimz to the Eyelian Kingdom.

Biography. At the 5th day of the month of the passing clouds 1521 Martin Mauróis was born to a wandering merchant who was part of a caravan which frequented the routes between Elsreth and Strata. Growing up he spent alot of time with the guards hired to protect the caravan, learning survival and sword skills in-between playing with the other caravan children. When the caravan stopped to trade in town, the women taught the children to read and write and the men taught him math. Upon his 16th birthday his father bought him a longsword and offered him a position among the caravan guards. Martin took the job, quickly rising to the top ranks because of his sword work. His strikes and parries were swift, earning him the nick name "Swiftsword". Martin had always secretly disliked his last name and gladly began calling himself Martin Swiftsword.

In 1539 in the city of Santhala, Martin's father was approached and asked to deliver a certain longsword to its owner, which could be found on his route. It was a distinctive weapon: the blade seeming to gleam in the day and suck in the night, runes located on the upper portion. The hilt was in the shape of an eagle, wings stretched forward. His father accepted when shown the amount of money that was being offered as a down payment, and was told that the owner would know the sword when he saw it and be able to read the runes. He would not give a location to take it, or even a place to start looking. When his father returned, he told Martin of the transaction and asked to him wield it so as to give it as much exposure to people as possible. From then on Martin went into town with the goods the caravan was selling wearing the longsword,  sheatheless at his belt. While drawing many curious stares, no one claimed it, though there were many attempts to steal it, all thwarted.

In 1542 Martin, age 21, left the caravan. He was growing bored, no one of any skill ever  attacked the caravan, the guards could handle it well enough without him, as he told his father. Despite his father's objections, Martin convinced him to let him go off on his own. His father set one condition, that Martin continued to search for the owner of the sword he wielded. Choosing this as his quest Martin set off, heading northwards.

Travelling north, Martin had come across many new things and challenges, but not the miraculous owner of the sword. Having come to like it very much, Martin was loath to have to give it up and refrained from telling people why he was wandering. For several weeks Martin stopped over in the town of Elindor, buying maps and supplies, before continuing north. Crossing the Luquador River, Martin followed it through the Prominent Mountains. On the other side of the mountains Martin turned south, travelling until he came to the Liben River, where he found the remaining population of the town of Dralgath, training for battle. Inquiring as to what had happened, Martin learned that they had been raided by the Ashz-Oc orcs. Having seen their skill, Martin was unable to make himself leave them to their fate. His offer to train them was gladly excepted. For the next fifteen years Martin and the farmers trained.

In 1559, finally deeming the farmers readily trained, Martin acceded to the farmers' wish to guide them on their vengeance against the orcs, and so Martin led them on their first battle against a small clan of the orcs in the nearby moutains. However, they were forced to retreat all the way to the coast. Gathering supplies Martin led them south.

After having traveled through many kingdoms, and fighting battles with some of them,  Martins's forces finally arrived in the Caltharian Kingdom (1561), where Martin fought his last battle. Defeating the demon the Caltharian army summoned Martin won the battle, but died in the process.