An interview with Grand Crusader Dathran
These are the words of Dathran, Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Enclave. He's a powerful man, and I don't mean politically. Sitting across from him, I can sense the strength in him, the utter will behind his ever word. It's an imposing moment. He's courteous, that isn't the problem at all. It's not anything he does wrong, his behavior is entirely correct, polite, and refined. Yet I can feel the violence caged inside this man, the strength waiting to be let loose. And the fact that he can control it so well is all the more intimidating, because it hints at the power of the mind and the will inside his head.
Dathran is the son of a Paladin of the Silver Hand, and himself a former priest. He was raised in the Church, and aspired to proclaim the faith to those who would be his flock. It was, as we know, not to be. When Lordaeron fell, he took up the same path as his father, the way of the sword. Soon after, he joined the crusade. "I joined as it was forming, in fact. And because of how violent those first days were, my rise was…swift."
Very swift. He achieved the rank of Vanguard far quicker than usual, perhaps faster than any who had preceded him. It's something I can believe, having been in a room with the man. It's also understandable what happened next, in that same context.
Not content with the aims of the Crusade, or its lack of progress, Dathran soon broke ranks with his superior, Abbendi. Not long after, he says he was declared the Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Enclave as a whole, by universal acclaim of the Enclave's members.
It's the kind of tale a braggart might share, but he tells it without embellishment or exaggeration. It's a recitation of facts he is comfortable in sharing, not intended to impress me but simply to inform, because I asked. I get the notion that he might not have told me any of it had I not brought it up first. He says what is needed, and considers it enough.
"We are not the old Crusade. Torture happened, yes. The Enclave doesn't use torture, though. We've chosen to reclaim our good name, to cleanse it through deeds that will inspire trust."
It's a different perspective than Jandrissa's, I have to admit. I ask how he copes with the task ahead of him, a task of two wars, one against the scourge and its manifestations across the plaguelands, and one in the hearts of the people the Scarlet Crusade has touched.
"I don't think of it that way, I rarely ever consider the whole grand project. I decide instead what task has to be done now, or soon, and then I break that into smaller tasks. If you treat each piece as important, then every victory becomes meaningful."
But what about the crusaders he commands? How does he keep control of such zealous people, some of whom might not be so able to step away from the larger picture into the needs of the moment?
"Trust," he says it without hesitation. "Trust and discipline, of course. We draw lines and limit ourselves, such as no longer using torture, but we also trust one another. I give men responsibilities, and I let them do what needs doing."
Trust. Such an odd word to associate with a movement that grew out of the Scarlet Crusade, with its secret inquisitions and torture chambers. Yet he says it the same way he explained his rise through the Crusade's ranks, and his appointment as Grand Crusader, simply and without artifice. So, he clearly means it, he believes trust is the power behind his movement's almost legendary discipline.
It's fascinating, such simple confidence, the guileless strength in his words. So then, as I asked another not so long ago, what advice does the Grand Crusader have for me, as a Paladin and a free sword?
He scratches at his beard, and takes a moment to think. It's the first time I've seen him hesitate in any fashion. Is my question that weighty? Or was I being impertinent? It's hard to know.
"Be devout, loyal, strong in your faith, and above all value your principles," he finally says. "As Paladins, we are often called to judge. Never, ever try to judge yourself. Let others judge you, and listen. If the judgment is against you, strive to prove them wrong. But if you cannot, you must change. Judge, but be judged as well, as I say."
History has already begun to judge the Scarlet Crusade, I think to myself. And the Crusade has judged right back, as has their successor, the Enclave. But even the willingness to admit that others' judgments might have effect worth noting, that their considerations mean we must change if we value the principles involved, is a titanic departure from the old Crusade. So perhaps we shall be so wise as to judge the Enclave and its Grand Crusader on their own merits. I know that after this discussion, I will be watching to do just that.
"Perhaps we could build elsewhere, even as we fight to reclaim Lordaeron and its lost glory, but where is there to go? There's no room left in the world for that. We have our mission."
These are the words of Dathran, Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Enclave. He's a powerful man, and I don't mean politically. Sitting across from him, I can sense the strength in him, the utter will behind his ever word. It's an imposing moment. He's courteous, that isn't the problem at all. It's not anything he does wrong, his behavior is entirely correct, polite, and refined. Yet I can feel the violence caged inside this man, the strength waiting to be let loose. And the fact that he can control it so well is all the more intimidating, because it hints at the power of the mind and the will inside his head.
Dathran is the son of a Paladin of the Silver Hand, and himself a former priest. He was raised in the Church, and aspired to proclaim the faith to those who would be his flock. It was, as we know, not to be. When Lordaeron fell, he took up the same path as his father, the way of the sword. Soon after, he joined the crusade. "I joined as it was forming, in fact. And because of how violent those first days were, my rise was…swift."
Very swift. He achieved the rank of Vanguard far quicker than usual, perhaps faster than any who had preceded him. It's something I can believe, having been in a room with the man. It's also understandable what happened next, in that same context.
Not content with the aims of the Crusade, or its lack of progress, Dathran soon broke ranks with his superior, Abbendi. Not long after, he says he was declared the Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Enclave as a whole, by universal acclaim of the Enclave's members.
It's the kind of tale a braggart might share, but he tells it without embellishment or exaggeration. It's a recitation of facts he is comfortable in sharing, not intended to impress me but simply to inform, because I asked. I get the notion that he might not have told me any of it had I not brought it up first. He says what is needed, and considers it enough.
"We are not the old Crusade. Torture happened, yes. The Enclave doesn't use torture, though. We've chosen to reclaim our good name, to cleanse it through deeds that will inspire trust."
It's a different perspective than Jandrissa's, I have to admit. I ask how he copes with the task ahead of him, a task of two wars, one against the scourge and its manifestations across the plaguelands, and one in the hearts of the people the Scarlet Crusade has touched.
"I don't think of it that way, I rarely ever consider the whole grand project. I decide instead what task has to be done now, or soon, and then I break that into smaller tasks. If you treat each piece as important, then every victory becomes meaningful."
But what about the crusaders he commands? How does he keep control of such zealous people, some of whom might not be so able to step away from the larger picture into the needs of the moment?
"Trust," he says it without hesitation. "Trust and discipline, of course. We draw lines and limit ourselves, such as no longer using torture, but we also trust one another. I give men responsibilities, and I let them do what needs doing."
Trust. Such an odd word to associate with a movement that grew out of the Scarlet Crusade, with its secret inquisitions and torture chambers. Yet he says it the same way he explained his rise through the Crusade's ranks, and his appointment as Grand Crusader, simply and without artifice. So, he clearly means it, he believes trust is the power behind his movement's almost legendary discipline.
It's fascinating, such simple confidence, the guileless strength in his words. So then, as I asked another not so long ago, what advice does the Grand Crusader have for me, as a Paladin and a free sword?
He scratches at his beard, and takes a moment to think. It's the first time I've seen him hesitate in any fashion. Is my question that weighty? Or was I being impertinent? It's hard to know.
"Be devout, loyal, strong in your faith, and above all value your principles," he finally says. "As Paladins, we are often called to judge. Never, ever try to judge yourself. Let others judge you, and listen. If the judgment is against you, strive to prove them wrong. But if you cannot, you must change. Judge, but be judged as well, as I say."
History has already begun to judge the Scarlet Crusade, I think to myself. And the Crusade has judged right back, as has their successor, the Enclave. But even the willingness to admit that others' judgments might have effect worth noting, that their considerations mean we must change if we value the principles involved, is a titanic departure from the old Crusade. So perhaps we shall be so wise as to judge the Enclave and its Grand Crusader on their own merits. I know that after this discussion, I will be watching to do just that.
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