| Aliases |
High General Sserys |
| Species | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Status |
Deceased (Soul Consumed?)
|
| Affiliation | |
| Family |
Zel Shivertail (Romantic Partner) |
| Occupation |
General |
| Residence | |
| First Appearance |
Interlude - 3 (Mentioned) |
Sserys also known as General Sserys of Liscor, was the [General] of the Liscorian Army who battled the Antinium during the First Antinium War.
Appearance[edit | edit source]
His scales was an orange-red that turned to green near the very edges of his scales. His eyes were blue and pink, like his scales, the blue shot with the faintest transition to pink around the edges. He was shorter than Zel, but taller than a Human. He had a slimmer, but definitely a warrior's figure, but was missing a neck-spine three down from the top, and someone had lopped off his second finger on the right.[1]
He wore a gilded armor, emblazoned metal that looked like mithril cut with some other metal to give it an evanescent pale green-silver look. On it, it had etched the insignia of Liscor’s heraldry, and below it, the sigils of all six Walled Cities. Yet Liscor’s emblem, the city-on-the-waters, representing the Floodplains and spring rains, rose above them all. Next to it, Sserys had a shortsword, but his true weapon was the spear attached to his back, angled to avoid tangling with the ground or his tail, also plated in the same armor.[1]
Personality[edit | edit source]
One of the most accomplished military generals in recent history, Sserys was a fearless and daring leader whose prowess on the battlefield helped ward off the Antinium incursions in Izril. In sharp contrast of his prestigious reputation, he has a foul-mouthed and uncouth personality and often rude to others. However he had a more contemplative side based on entries from his private diary. Sserys greatly loved the city of his birth, which he reminisced on in the final hour of his death. He was in love with Zel Shivertail and considered him to be his soulmate.
Sserys was unafraid to speak candidly and was fiercely independent, which was evident during the First Antinium War, when he rejected pressure from officials of the Walled Cities to act defensively, curtly replying with his now-famous words, "Drakes do not run." Sserys was sharp-minded and well-versed in military tactics. He was also an insightful person, as he once described a young Magnolia Reinhart to be a "monster." Xrn also claimed that Sserys was also heedful and cautious when necessary. Ultimately, his eagerness to defeat the Antinium and quickly end the war would cause him to underestimate their remaining forces, resulting in his death and the destruction of the First Unified Army.
After his death, he is shown to be more bitter and cynical, especially in the wake of his lover, Zel's sacrifice. He regretted the circumstances of his death, and felt remorse that the Drakes were doomed to war with the Antinium for decades, if not centuries.
Background and History[edit | edit source]
Sserys was a Drake general in Liscorian Army, one of the strongest forces in Izril, prior to the start of the First Antinium War. While on patrol, he discovered an early Antinium worker group in late 4 B.F. near Ussls and continued investigating, but found nothing until the war began in earnest in 3 B.F.
During the First Antinium War, the Liscorian Army under Sserys was one of the few successful armies against the Antinium fight against the Drakes. Early during the war, Sserys was unsuccessful in rallying a unified coalition army because of distrust of the mercenary Liscorian Army. However, after achieving the first great victory against the Antiunium at Shivering Falls Pass, Sserys was able to muster the First Coalition Army of Liscor and lead a counterattack.[2]
The eventual alliance that came under Sserys's command included the entire Drake army, leading to Sserys being named High General and given command of the entire war. He personally led an elite mounted group of soldiers to rescue then-Lieutenent Zel Shivertail from the dungeons of Geir, bringing hope to a relentless Antinium front.
At one point, Sserys's army was pushed back to Liscor by Antinium forces, besieged on all sides. At the last minute, a unified Human army led by Lady Magnolia, came to the rescue of the First Coalition Army of Liscor. Bolstered, Human, Drake, and Gnoll forces combined to form the Southern Alliance, with the First Unified Army led by General Sserys. During this period of fighting, the Southern Alliance discovered the Antinium's weakness to water and drowned a hive, killing a Queen.
Leading the First Unified Army, High General Sserys assaulted the main Hive of the Antinium Grand Queen, but was met with complete and utter destruction of his army. There were no signs as to how the destruction happened; in fact, most of the encampment was intact, with all bodies missing. Only Sserys' corpse remained, with his final diary entry.[3] It would later be revealed that the entire First Unified Army was caught off-guard by Twisted and Flying Antinium. Xrn the Small Queen prevented Sserys from moving while Wyrmvr the Deathless ran him through the heart.
The death of Sserys was a major blow to the Southern Alliance, and especially to Shivertail, who led the Second Unified Army to recover Sserys's corpse.
Chronology[edit | edit source]
TBA From Chapter 8.11 E
Powers and Abilities[edit | edit source]
Classes/Levels:[edit | edit source]
Skills:[edit | edit source]
- [Company, On Me]
- [Supreme General of the Cities: Shut Up And Follow My Orders]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- General Sserys was in a romantic relationship with Zel Shivertail, which was kept secret or simply discussed about due to homophobic attitudes among Drakes.[6]
- Despite having coined the phrase "Drakes don't run," Sserys expressed distaste of the expression entering the modern Drake lexicon, calling it a "stupid thing to say."[7]
Quotes[edit | edit source]
- (To his Soldiers) “There is no time for speeches, no time for mighty oaths or solemn vows. Here is the enemy. Here we stand. I will not take a single step backwards. Who will guard my tail?”
- (In his Journal) ‘Oh sunfilled skies, let me ride again on the fields of battle in another life. To Liscor, and the world, fight on. May we one day know peace.’
- To everyone:
- “‘Drakes don’t run?’ What a stupid thing to say.”
- “Drakes absolutely run. It’s called a strategic retreat. You do it all the time when you’re losing—then you ambush the bastards or regroup.”
- (To Relc) “Correct, rookie. Now shut up and follow me. I am a Drake on a mission. Is this your friend’s body? Don’t worry. I’m just borrowing it.”
- (To Chaldion) “Hey, you scheming, one-eyed fiend. I should have known you’d fight old age as bitterly as everything else. I need a word. Even you can be useful.”
- (To Relc) “…I smell my city. I’m standing over my grave, and I need to piss, and I’m terrified of that. I know I’m dead, but I feel alive and it’s wonderful. My people are being idiots, which is nothing new. I could handle all of it. But…you told me you dug up my grave.”
- (To Zel’s ashes) “There you are, my greatest friend. My soulmate. We should have fought together a hundred wars instead of just one.”
- To everyone in Liscor:
- “…We have always been that cornerstone of Izril. Forgotten and alone. These coming days—I need you to be the city we have always claimed to be. Build higher. Strengthen the walls. Join tails with Gnolls, even Humans, and Ants if you have to.”
- “I have always been your son. I hope you were as proud of me as I always was of you. Go well. You are beginning to look like how I dreamed of you.”
- (Referring to Erin) “Thank you. Let me borrow this for a bit. I promise—I’ll do what I can.”
- (To Valeterisa) “That city didn’t deserve you. But we need you now. We are called upon to serve until we break. But we got it wrong. What we need to break is everything else. Follow me. Our people need us.”
- (To Liscorian Army) “So this is Liscor’s army? I’d rather take the crap I just passed into battle. But you’ll do. Some of you are tough bastards. Most of you are as stupid as rocks. But you’ll do. Mind you—I could take half of you on in my bed and use the other half to wipe my tail. What are you doing? Working for Zeres when the Gnolls are about to kill each other? If you’re done stroking each other’s tails—I have a real battle for you.”
- (To Liscor’s armies) “Can’t have that. Someone protect the brat. I have a date with the Dragonspeaker where I kick her teeth in and she pulls Manus out. Get me the bravest bastards. A group with punching power.”
- (To Lulv) “Want to trade, boy? I can do this all day.”
- (To Luciva) “I am General Sserys from the grave, and I came here to tell you everything. The Necromancer killed Zel Shivertail, not the Goblin Lord. I will have you avenge him.”
- (To Ilvriss) “Oh yes. You’re one of Izril’s kids, alright. Not a minion. You figured it out? No…are you that ponce that Zel told me about?”
- (To Fetohep) “I am General Sserys of the Drakes. Son of Liscor. I am not your foe, whomever you are, you bag of bones.”
- To Luciva:
- “Do I look like a thief, Luciva? Do I look like a Selphid? No…do I look like a [Slaver]? I’m dead. I was never the hero you all wanted me to be. I was the [General] of one war, and Zel Shivertail was the Drake who became what you wanted. You let him die. I kept this body for a young woman who’s nowhere near my equal. But it’s hers.”
- “I am not a child. I had one chance. And do you know what? I outgrew my Hoarding years long ago. Enough of the walls! Enough of tradition! Drakes will change or be buried in their cities!”
- (To Erin) “What’s there to say anymore? I never wanted your body anyways. Skin is disgusting. Just give me one last fight.”
- (To Cauwine) “Do you want me? You’ll have to take my soul first.”