Name: Balinor Buckhannah
Class: Fighter, 9th level (Fighter Lord)
Race: Northerner (human)
Tenure in the Defenders: 2173-2185
Note: Double Hammer Specialist; Bastard Sword Specialist
Played by: Joel Green

Balinor is dour and ugly, and people who meet him quickly grow to dislike
him. In time, however, people can tolerate him, especially those who
understand his cynicism as a personality trait. Perry found him amusing,
and referred to him as "the big guy." Balinor referred to Perry as
"shorty," and to almost everyone else as "kid." To make up for his lack of
social skills, Balinor is a devastating fighter, wielding twin hammers,
both magical. He has named his three non-magical hammers Bessie, Rip, and
Blunt. The first magical one was named "Maiden Basher", after being used to
destory a crystaline elf-maiden golem. Balinor also has an intuitive grasp
of tactics.  The second and more powerful magic hammer is named "Wrath,"
and was acquired as a reward for turning in the hammer of dwarven King.  He
also has a silver hammer, named "Thud".

Balinor began his career upon finishing training in 2164 as a caravan guard
in Petethal. He spent a long time as a lone fighter, with few friends. His
tactical ability often brought him into conflict with his superiors. His
attitude turned even more sour when he saw failure after ignoring his
plans. A few years ago, he was guarding a caravan that was attacked by
bugbears, and he ran into the woods to chase down one of the fleeing
creatures. Most of the caravan guards were dead, but he was uninjured. The
bugbear, already badly wounded, burst out of the bushes and grabbed him.
Balinor was smashed badly and gained many scars that day, but he eventually
managed to get his hammer around and finish off the monster. He now has a
universal hatred of bugbears.

In 2172, Balinor was involved in a successful adventure that resulted in
the killing of a burrow worm. The lair was looted, and the beaten up party
was returning back home when they were ambushed by bandits, who slew most
people and took all the treasure. This made him even more unpleasant than
before. After training as a result of that adventure, he sailed to Lendore
hoping to work with a more veteran party, and joined the Defenders in
Barnacus in September 2173.  There he remained for 12 years, and for a
while was joined by his younger and even larger brother, Kodo.
Balinor's physical appearance has changed from the years of
adventuring.  His hair, still a wild mess, is never mussed, and is oddly
full and brown, which is unusual for a Northerner.  His grizzled face is
even more so due to an encounter with a ghost that magically aged him.  He
has an item, the Arm-a-Armadillo, that gives him the features of an
armadillo (as well as enhanced smell, digging, and jumping abilities, and
toughened skin).  He has also acquired great skill with the magical bastard
sword "Little Thoughtless," known to possess bizarre mind-shielding
powers.  He also carries two very exotic crossbows, one of dwarven manufacture.

Following the retirement of the Defenders in 2185, Balinor realized that
although he was a great warrior, he would decline with age, and
realistically did possess sufficient charisma to become a feudal leader
anywhere, or in fact even become a guard captain.  Realizing that his
skills were limited in the non-adventuring world, and driven by a desire to
become the greatest double hammer fighter of his generation, Balinor sought
out more adventures to increase his power.  He intends to continue fighting
until his body declares his career over.  Despite constant beatings and the
magical aging, Balinor came out of the Defenders relatively unscathed, and
so was able to hire himself out with Cassian to an adventuring party out of
Teft, named The Wreckers.  They adventured together for four years, until
an ogre mage nearly destroyed the party.  The party broke up, with Cassian
heading to the Fane of the Winds, and Balinor was left without a party once
again.

Seeking advice, Balinor returned to his hometown in Latt, along with
Kodo.  There he found the Nevronian cleric Morhion, and they hit it off as
well as can be expected in any interaction involving Balinor.  After saving
his hometown from marauding frost giants, Balinor and Morhion headed back
to Lendore Isle, where Balinor was titled a Fighter Lord, and driven into
debt from his training.  This prompted Balinor in early 2191 to form a new
mostly Nevronian party including himself, Morhion, new dwarven companion
Bodkin, and old friends Albee and Anselm.

Balinor hopes to hook up in the future with a powerful ally, as it seems
likely that Albee and Anselm will not fall into Balinor's general
adventuring schemes.  He has set up preliminary contact with Star of the
Stone Soules.


Balinor's companions:

Morhion Gendahar, Northerner Cleric of Nevron, 1st level

Morhion is a sturdy and loyal friend to Balinor who was drawn to adventure
by the tales of Balinor's time with the Restenford Defenders.  He is not
particularly bright, but he is articulate and diplomatic, and acts as
Balinor's voice on social matters.  He wears magical banded mail and wields
the hammer, like his "boss."

Bodkin Goldsummit, Dwarven Fighter, 1st level (played by Katherine Anderson)

Bodkin Goldsummit is a neophyte dwarven spear specialist who heard about
Balinor's great fighting prowess and sought the warrior out. He hums
absently whenever the party stops to rest or search, and seems fairly
paranoid, an excellent survival trait for any green adventurer who hooks up
with Balinor. He is an avid and experienced gambler AND teamster (a
good-natured Jimmy Hoffa?), and has strong healing and anatomy skills.



Name: Albee
Class: Monk, 7th level (Superior Master)
Race: Human
Tenure in the Defenders: 2181-2185
Note: Spear Wielder, Nevronian
Played by: NPC

Albee was the final addition to the Defenders. He was recruited to help the
party with lockpicking and searching for traps. He saved the party on an
early adventure by being able to evade a huge number of devastating
fireballs. Albee is very good natured and likes to spend his free time
outdoors. The party has many conspiracy theories about his origin, but no
real evidence.

After the breakup of the party in 2185, Albee worked in the Church of
Nevron in Barnacus, under Archbishop Aware.  Albee joined Balinor's party
in 2191.



Name: Cassian
Class: Cleric, 9th level (High Priestess of Phaulkon)
Race: Half-Elf
Tenure in the Defenders: 2173-2176, 2178-2185
Played by: Katherine Anderson

Cassian is a cleric of Phaulkon, god of Weather and the Sky. She is
charming and cheerful, and the party welcomes her counterbalancing
influence on Balinor. She wields the composite longbow and sling. Cassian
has a great interest in history and local lore, and is a strong swimmer as
well. She joined the party during the winter of 2173-4, and took a leave of
absence to work with the Teft church from the summer of 2176 til 2178. She
returned to the party, but still planned to depart one day and work amongst
the cloud giants.  These plans were put on hold when Cassian's taste for
long-term adventuring increased.

After the party broke up in 2185, Cassian adventured with Balinor and a
party out of Teft called The Wreckers.  In 2189, following near wipeout by
an ogre mage, the party broke up and Cassian joined up with Alegra to free
the Fane of the Winds, a holy site for Phaulkon.  In 2191, Cassian joined
with Warwick to form a party dedicated to Phaulkon above all else.  She and
Warwick have continued their high risk adventuring lifestyle in the
mountains near Shabrund.

Cassian's Companions:

Bogomel,  Fighter, Spear Specialist, 5th level

Bogomel is Cassian's henchman. Mel is handsome and has vast physical
talents, but is greatly lacking in intelligence. Cassian is slowly training
him to be loyal to the party and Phaulkonian church, and he recites daily
the prayers she has taught him. Mel is a third level fighter and a
specialist with the spear. Since melee weapons are banned for Phaulkonian
clerics, he serves as a valuable bodyguard for Cassian in addition to his
regular job of carrying much of her gear.

Willis, a Mage, 3rd level

Sirse, Cassian's owl friend/familiar/favorite bird

Lily, Cleric/Fighter 2/1