Sygmund Feist

Deputy Minister of the Crown’s Shield Sygmund Feist was born in 401 AB near the former free kingdom of Sallesy’s Shore. Feist was raised to be a devout follower of Daya’s Light, a religion formed hundreds of years earlier to give praise to the late Sorceress Daya and the sacrifice she made while fighting Winstinius the Cruel. Feist enjoyed an uneventful childhood in peaceful Sallesy’s Shore. That all changed once the Ahlm-Ahri Empire invaded.

The Ahlm-Ahri Emperor at that time was disappointed that his predecessor’s attempts at conquering the Western Kingdoms ended in a trade pact. The Emperor laid out his “Great Imperial Expansion,” a plan that involved invading the smaller kingdoms around him like Sallesy’s Shore and the Trident to the East and the wildlands of the North. Sallesy’s Shore, being the closest target, was hit hard and fast.

Feist was in his late teenage years when he served in his first battle as a front line soldier. He barely survived a series of vicious cavalry charges and would have been killed had Remius Medhai not arrived. Remius Medhai’s Trident cavalry routed the Imperial forces just in time to save what was left of Feist’s unit. Feist and his fellow front line fighters were granted an audience with Remius where they were praised for their bravery and resolve. Feist volunteered to be a liaison to Remius and his troops. This is where Feist forged his friendship with Remius and also his love for strategy and defensive tactics.

Sallesy’s Shore eventually surrendered and the Empire annexed its lands. Feist, now an officer, was brought in front of an Imperial general and forced to swear fealty to his new Emperor. The tips of Feist’s left ring and pinky fingers were severed as per Imperial rules regarding former enemies of the Empire.

Feist’s talent for strategy and general military intelligence were noticed early on. His ability to counter the Empire’s battle tactics was valued by Imperial leadership who were interested in mitigating Imperial weaknesses. Feist was recruited by the Crown’s Shield, the Empire’s premier intelligence service, and served them in many capacities for several decades. It is unclear how Feist came to know the mysterious Laina Redstone or why her success as an agent is so integral to his own career, but this is just one of many mysteries surrounding the Deputy Minister of the Crown’s Shield.