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Lacaine will be put to justice. Many of us have given their lives for this fight, and all of us have bled for it. It was a war that no one wanted...and this is where it ends.
— The Corporal rallying his allies for the final battle against his nemesis

Corporal Tahar also known as The Pariah was the offspring of Isamo Tahar and Andra and the main protagonist within SpellForce 3. He was first serving his father, Isamo Tahar, during the Mage Wars before siding with the royal army and the kingdom of Nortander. During the Bloodburn crisis and the Purity Wars he was the most important individual who did everything in his power to protect the people of Nortander. He was killed by a mysterious group, later revealed to be the Dark Crescent, three years after the Purity Wars.

Background[]

Sinister Origins[]

And actually, it makes sense. It explains a lot, for example why he could activate the portals, enter Mulandir and why he had this vision.
Yria about the Corporal's origin
in Rude Awakening
SF3AvatarPicAndra

Andra

The corporal was not convieced through natrual means, his father Isamo had acquired the body of a comatose shaper woman called Andra from his ally Aalot Iskander, who had found her inside a ruined fortress, and saw an opportunity to research and access the Archfire. All attempts failed and at the end Isamo theorized that perhaps by concieving a child with the woman he could achieve success. Although the process bore fruit and the future corporal was born Isamo's theory proved to be at least partialy false, the ambitious magician was not aware of the Mending.

Troubled Beginnings[]

A failure...that's what you are
— Isamo Tahar
BloodOfMyBlood HelenasGhost

the unresting ghost of Helena

Little to nothing is known of the corporal's early days, it is known that he did not have a good relationship with his father and may have shortly been a vagabond and at some point became best friends with two mages known as Zane and Helena.

Mage Wars[]

As most mages of Nortander the corporal joined his father's rebellion and whole heartedly supported him but towards the closing days of the war he became disillusioned and started to question his father, shortly after zane and helena were executed.

MageWars IsamoTahar

Fires of Ambition

Involvement[]

During the Mage Wars, it was stated that Tahar had thoughts of betrayal regarding Isamo Tahar. However Rohen Tahir, one of Isamo's comrades at this time, revealed this to Isamo. For his thoughts of betrayal, he was imprisoned by his father and would probably have died at this time if it weren't for Sentenza Noria. Noria was sent to investigate the area at that time and although he wasn't able to capture Isamo Tahar, he took his child into custody.

Later on Isamo's child was given amnesty after he joined the Nortander army and worked himself up to the rank of a corporal. He actively fought against his own father's Mage Rebellion and finally, defeated Isamo in the end. What happened then is not exactly known, but since Tahar is still part of the Wolf Guard within the Nortander army, it is safe to assume he was tasked with many different tasks in the meantime.

Wolf Guard[]

The Corporal was brought to Angar Arandir who revealed there is a terrible plague going on within Nortander. The Bloodburn, as it was called, was deadly and there was currently no cure available and neither was the origin of this plague known. Tahar was ordered by Angar Arandir to go to the Liannon fields, together with Sentenza Noria and Anselm, to gather intel about the disease.

In Liannon, the elven army under Scryer Eleon had already put the village under quarantine. Upon having a strong disagreement Noria started the fight with the elven units and finally drove them out of the village. When elven reinforcements came in, Tahar was tasked with taking care of them. The enemy leader reveals that they were only guarding the village not locking them up. This was because Sentenza Noria was going to purge the village by killing all villages to avoid the spread of the Bloodburn.

Tell me one thing: Do you remember her face? [...] Eight years ago in Iskander, when your father tried to execute you and the Wolf Guard stopped him. It was my sister who paid the price for it. [...] He burned her alive, he blasted the skin from her skull. And all that just because of you. All because of the fucking Betrayer's child.
Anselm blaming the Corporal
in The Source of the Disease

Once the Corporal returned back to the main camp Anselm tried to ambush Tahar but got killed instead. However, the blood was still fresh when the rest of the Wolf Guard returned to the sceene, and Tahar and Bertrand were charged with the murder. They were captured by the Wolf Guard and after a short trial in Greyfell they were found guilty of having murdered Anselm in cold blood.

Blood Burn and Mulandir[]

Within the Greyfell prison, Tahar met another prisoner, Yria, who was locked up for being a defiler and for having killed Bane soldiers who tried to capture her. Right in the middle of their conversation, a strange noise was heard, the Song of the Wight. After it ended, Rondar Lacaine, the leader of the Purity, entered the prison and offered both Yria and Tahar the chance to be set free again. He imprinted a rune of Aonir onto both of them and tasked them with finding the dwarven scholar Isgrimm at Farlorn's Hope to help him complete his task.

Once Tahar and Yria reached Farlorn's Hope, they quickly discovered that the town had been besieged by an orcish tribe. Clara Farlorn requested help, but the army did not come until then and thus, Tahar took control of the local militia and fought back the orcish tribe. After having freed Isgrimm from the orc tribe he revealed that the entrance to a secret shaper city, Mulandir, lies in Farlorn's Hope. Upon speaking the key words, Tahar opens the secret entrance which is noticed by the shapeshifting orc shaman Gor of the Firewielder clan of Barga Gor. He offered Tahar to visit him anytime at his Cal.

The shapers are extinct, so no. But it might be someone else using Shaper magic, or a sort of "mental echo". The memories of the dead. [...] We could connect us to the collective subconscious of an extinct race - which then again could help us to understand the song and its origin.
Isgrimm about his theory about the Song of the Wight

However, Tahar first entered the cave entrance and found himself in a pathway which finally led to Mulandir. Inside, Isgrimm was totally amazed by the city since it was mostly undamaged. Upon having entered the Nexus Isgrimm found the Nexus core to be one of the main reasons why the shapers were one of the strongest powerhouses during their time. However, the nexus core was inactive, but Yria found an old map which revealed two power stones which were at an Unknown Island and at Aonir's Blade. For both tasks Isgrimm stated that Tahar needed allies on these tasks.

Rallying allies and reactivating the Nexus[]

Corporal Tahar was able to obtain the help of the Wayfarers and even the Morhir and even the Firewielder orcs had decided to support him. After having helped them with their own problems each, the support from each of the three armies was more than enough to proceed with searching the required Nexus Stones.

One of them could be found at Aonir's Blade, an old Hybernian Empire fortress that now was used by the Iron Falcons to keep the Fial Darg imprisoned after the end of the War of the Six Races. Because of the Song of the Wight many undead had risen from their graves and were threatening the paladins. High-Keeper Arenor accepted the Corporal's help and after having retaken the fortress, she handed over the promised Nexus Stone.

We suspect one of the stones to be in the desert of Aonir's Blade, probably in the possession of the Iron Falcons, whereas the other one is on an unknown island.
Isgrimm about the first stone

The second stone could be found on an Unknown Island within the Black Sea. The Corporal first had to look for an archaeologist called Ilbertus Whateley in Everlight to obtain hints of how to get there. With the help of an ancient portal they reached the island inhabited by the Uulyas Tribe, people originally descending from Hybernian Empire citizens. Tahar helped them to defend against a rogue mage, Shâr, who wished to uphold a ritual, the Trial of Brothers, and killed the medusa army assembled at the village's gates. In return Ashâ gave Corporal Tahar one of the required stones.

Two years ago, there was an archaeologist in Everlight who claimed the same: That there was an island in the Black Sea, unknown to our cartographers. It is a complicated story... but it is a trail that we could follow.
Rohen talking about Ilbertus Whateley

With the stones in his possession the Corporal returned to Mulandir and activated the Nexus core with Isgrimm's help. Once again, he heard the Song of the Wight but now visions had started to mix into it. He remembered the area shown in them: The Eye.

Returning to the Eye[]

Corporal Tahar met with Bertrand Carpel in the marshes surrounding the Eye. Somehow, Sentenza Noria had heard of the Corporal's plan of venturing to his father's laboratory and had occupied the castle once constructed by the house of Waite. Together with Rondar Lacaine and some of his Purity soldiers, they broke inside the fortress with a godstone's teleport. Corporal Tahar first pleaded to his mentor that the Bloodburn was the most urgent problem but the spymaster would refuse to listen and was killed in the resulting combat. Soon after Rondar Lacaine and Corporal Tahar and his companions ventured in Isamo Tahar's Laboratory to investigate the vision experienced at the core.

Inside the laboratory the group had to fight a lot of demons and undead that were roaming the hallways. Another - more powerful - ghost appeared deeper down the dungeon and it turned out to be one of Corporal Tahar's former companions during the Mage Wars: Helena. Because she had been killed by Isamo Tahar for no reason she held a huge grudge towards the living and would attack as she believed the Corporal to be Isamo Tahar. Upon having reached a huge gate Corporal Tahar proceeded alone as the gate shut behind him and Rondar Lacaine told the group that he Harbinger had shown him this important place in a vision.

At the inner sanctum of Isamo Tahar's Laboratory the Corporal found a woman lying on a stone altar. Upon approaching she would talk to him telepathically and reveal herself as Andra. She turned out to be a surviving shaper and - most surprisingly - the Corporal's mother. The Song of the Wight was her doing because, when she woke up from her sleep, she felt that her offspring was alive somewhere out there and she utilized her magic to call out for him. She was entirely unaware that her song had caused so many deaths within the kingdom of Nortander. The reunion with her son met an abrupt end when Rondar Lacaine decided to show up.

Against the Purity of Light[]

The Harbinger utilized a strange amulet to steal Andra's mind, and sealed it inside of the amulet, so that through it he can access the archfire. When Corporal Tahar urged him to free his mother he refused and revealed that this had been his plan all along. And now that Tahar had fulfilled his role inside the prophecy, he was of no use any longer. Rondar Lacaine fought the Corporal but ultimately was unable to overcome the difference in combat strength and thus was forced to utilize the recently obtained archfire. A huge explosion occurred and the laboratory was blown to smithereens, Corporal Tahar passed out.

I fulfilled Aonir's prophecy. "Searching for a cure, the Pariah seeks the truth. A lost mother will be found and awoken from her slumber." And thus I would be able to obtain the Essence. [...] Through its power, I will be able to open the gates and to allow Aonir to return.
Rondar Lacaine telling the prophecy

A few weeks later he woke up again in Mulandir. In the meantime, his companions had fought the Purity of Light because the Harbinger had started to abuse his powers to start a new conflict in Nortander: The Purity Wars. He had overthrown the royal army and taken control of Greyfell and was currently persecuting mages all across the country with the help of the Bane, the Deathmen and the Leonidar forces. Corporal Tahar decided that the prophet had to be stopped and began his combat against the fanatics.

Freeing Myrah Utran[]

The first step in weakening the Purity of Light was to break the rune magic-control over Lady Myrah Utran. The former Lord Marshal Angar Arandir suggested a plan in how to lure out the Utranian forces at the Iskander Wilds. Corporal Tahar took control over the Fortress Vastel and lured out fanatics while he and his companions snuck past the border wall and fought the two Lightbringers that were guarding Lady Myrah Utran. The rune was taken by the Corporal and later destroyed at Mulandir and ever since the house of Utran stood loyal to Corporal Tahar's cause.

Defeating the Harbinger's supporters[]

The two largest forces supporting the Purity of Light were still present after Lady Myrah Utran's liberation: The forces of house Leonidar and the Iron Ones. Corporal Tahar's next steps was to go to the Eye again to destroy Amaria Leonidar's army, and later to go to the Windwall Foothills where the Exalted Lightbringer was abusing the magic of countless defilers. When both had been killed, the fight against the fanatics entered its next, deciding stage.

Forging an alliance[]

In order to start an assault on Greyfell the remaining royal houses of Nortander had to stand firmly side-by-side with Corporal Tahar or at least had to enter an armistice. In castle Waite, the houses of Utran, Hallit and Wulfgar entered a conclave.

I want Myrah Utran, Lady of House Utran, to give me her hand in marriage. Our combined power would outshine even the former house Leonidar. [...] The united houses of Hallit and Utran are too powerful for house Wulfgar to continue playing lone wolf. We could simply force them into submission.
Lord Weyland Hallit about the marriage

Lord Weyland Hallit asked for Lady Myrah Utran's hand in marriage while Lord Sheyn Wulfgar wished for the hallitian lord's death. Corporal Tahar had to balance out the different wishes and demands from each of the three parties in order to get the best possible outcome.

Final battle at Greykeep[]

After having obtained the support from all the royal houses and the three armies, Corporal Tahar marched towards the Golden Road. There, the Purity of Light was entirely obliterated the the road to Greyfell was liberated. However the fighting there took a lot of lives until Corporal Tahar finally had reached the Greykeep and faced against the three commanders that were still serving the Harbinger: Liliath of the Bane, the Deathmen leader Katras as well as the Masked Priest, Lacaine's most trusted Lightbringer.

Corporal Tahar utilized the three insignia obtained from the three commanders and was able to get inside the Halls of Justice where he faced Rondar Lacaine. The Harbinger stated that the Opening of the Gates was imminent and pleaded to the Corporal a last time to stop the pointless fighting. The Harbinger summoned powerful magic and used it against them but ultimately failed. With his last breath he managed to tear a fissure in the fabric of Eo that a terrifying beast used to get in: The Spectral Horror.

Said being was responsible for the Purity Wars as it had impersonated Aonir in Rondar Lacaine's visions. The being had done lots of cruelties to make the Harbinger conduct the Opening of the Gates. The Spectral Horror struck out with his tentacles upon getting into Eo and one of them struck Angar Arandir and killed him with one strike. The being was close to invulnerable and only by breaking its only link to the archfire, Rondar Lacaine's amulet, the creature could be defeated. However this also caused Andra's mind to disperse as there was no other way for her mind to go to.

Aftermath of the Purity Wars[]

Because of Rondar Lacaine being dead and the Purity of Light being close to exterminated, Queen Ayelith honored the former allies of Corporal Tahar for their service. She founded the Circle along with other leaders of the other nations of Eo and promoted the corporal to the acting general of the Wolf Guard.


Yria and Corporal Tahar were speaking on top of the Grey Tower about their future. After she invited him over for a bottle of fine wine, the campaign would end.

Later life[]

In the following years Tahar would use his influence and power to persecute the few remaining fanatics that had served the Harbinger during the Purity Wars. Despite all he had acomplished the corporal was not at peace and his mind began to deteriorate, this was evident to his men and friends by him making tactical errors that a commander as exprienced as him should not have made. The events of the Purity Wars was simply too much for him to bear, this and his exceptionally troubled past combined had turned the resolute and courageous corporal into a distraught and suicidel man.

Death[]

For Tahar life had become a torture...all I did was end the pain.
The Masked Woman to General Aerev

One day the crown was informed about lots of villages suddenly perishing without a trace. The corporal was dispatched by The Queen to investigate the matter. His close friend Yria sensed the sheer danger that he was in and tried to dissuade him from personally becoming involved but he refused. During the investigation he and his group were ambushed by a mysterious group of Dark Elves, later revealed to be The Crescent, and Tahar was killed at the hands of their leader The Masked Woman. A second group who was sent after them was only able to find their corpses. Tahar's body was brought to Greyfell and after being examed by Raith Skadder was given a proper burial. Shortly after his death Queen Ayelith pardoned a disgraced general called Aerev and made her his succesor, this hasty act greatly angered Yria who saw this as trivializing the corporal's actions.

The Corporal's allies[]

On his path the Corporal made a lot of contact with people from all across the continent. Some joined his side and should be listed here.

Companions[]

Note: All heroes with * are only temporary heroes and will not be available for the Corporals group permanentely.

Other allies and traders[]

Notes[]

  • The default name for a male Tahar is Alric and for female it is Alanna. The surname is always Tahar for obvious reasons and cannot be changed
  • While Corporal Tahar could either be male or female in SpellForce 3, it was later stated in SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest that this protagonist was to be considered male canonically.
  • The following images could be chosen for Corporal Tahar's custom avatar picture.
  • Tahar's rank is that of Corporal, but somehow never changes during their entire career. Even replacing General Noria somehow does not grant them the rank of General. This oddity is shared with Commander Sheppard in Mass Effect who, despite becoming captain of a ship and leading a fleet at some point is never promoted.
  • The corporal was an atheist.
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