Lore:Gallants of Hammerfell

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Merric at-Aswala, a Redguard Gallant

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The Yokudan Charger

The Gallants of Hammerfell (also called the Knights of the Desert, or simply Gallants) are expert sword-wielding warriors and horse-riders from the province of Hammerfell, specifically the Alik'r region. A gallant's main choice of steed is the Yokudan Charger, a breed of horse that can traverse the Alik'r Desert better than other breeds. Gallants have several chapters across the Alik'r Desert and are based in the region's various cities, such as Sentinel and Bergama. "Gallants" are the Redguard equivalent of the Tamrielic knight, and Stendarr, the Forebears god of justice is their favorite deity.

History

It is said that "ancient tradition has predisposed the Redguards to knightly orders". Indeed, the Order of Diagna was one of the most ancient among these, dating back to a time when they were a Yokudan order of Ansei People who join a Redguard order must survive dangerous tests of skill to become a gallant. During the Second Era, the Knightly Orders of High Rock were different enough from Redguard Gallants to appear alien.

Back when the Redguards fought the Orcs, a scout from the Bergama Gallants named Abadaman of the Three Scars traveled east to the Fallen Wastes and took residence in the Old Tower, where he worked as a sentry. Over the course of his time, he was visited by various ghosts and one day during a walk at noon, he found a group of ghosts, Redguard soldiers gathered together for an impending event. The officer ghost, Captain Fayda asked Abadaman to defeat the traitor that took their lives, a Redguard named Amil Red-Hand. However, Abadaman deduced that the events that transpired had yet to occur and they were referring to his son, Amil, who was born with a red mark on his hand. Even though he knew Amil would betray his companions to the Imperials, he refused to help them and left them to their inevitable fate.

The Daggerfall Covenant recruited Redguard Gallants. In 2E 582, when the Withered Hand cult of necromancers attacked across the Alik'r Desert and the Sentinel Gallants were deployed to assist the relief effort. In Sentinel, Gallants helped clear out the Impervious Vault underneath the city from the cultists and later assisted General Thoda of the Hammerfell Army in the retaking of Satakalaam from the Seventh Legion.

Known Members

Il-Am-Hakim

A seafaring gallant whose voyages is chronicled in a series.

Merric at-Aswala

A Redguard Gallant that became Guildmaster of the Fighters Guild

Notes

• An undiscovered NPC (or cut dialogue) compare and contrasts Redguard Gallants to Breton Knights.
  • "Gallants. Horse-warriors. The Breton call us knights, but we don't fight like their knights. We wear leathers, turn quickly, fire our bows from the saddle. The [sic] wear steel and wield steel. Their horses can only move quickly in a straight line."
• Gallant "knightly orders" are referred to as a Gallantry in another line.
  • "Mine and no one else's! The Gallantry of Hallin's Stand, the finest horsemen east of the Abecean Sea!
    We came to aid the Garrison. But defending walls is not our way of fighting. I lost many of my fine stallions - and a few horses, too."

Gallery

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  A Sentinel Gallant

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  A Covenant Gallant

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  The Alik'r Desert

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  Knight of the Scarab

See Also

Books

• Legend of the Yokudan Chargers by Honnorah af-Lahreq — A pamphlet promoting the Yokudan Charger breed of horses