Ælfweard

Aelfweard, although not physically appearing in the main series, does play one of the most important roles within the series. He is most prominent in his roles within the Aldric and Illuminati arcs. Most of his backstory is revolving around legends made over the millennia (so much so that his actual story is skewered by the modern characters), however, Aldric does confirm that he does exist in the main series. His is mostly accredited to having published the Alchemic Encyclopedia and spreading the training of new alchemists to modern-day Poland, Germany, and Hungary. Although not explicitly confirmed, he does wield the mythical Excalibur sword.

Early Life
Supposedly born in 879, he was the second son to a wealthy Count in Mercia. (The comics do not give an official date, only a "ballpark" estimate). Because he was not the eldest son, he spent most of his life reading and sword-fighting. Eventually, he becomes one of the fiercest fighters within Bath and becomes an attache to the top generals.

However, as revealed to some members of the Order, his family life wasn't the best. The most notable issue he took was the fact that his grandmother and a few members of his extended family thought that he was a bastard child. This supposedly shifted him towards leading the Armies of Bath.

During the Battle of Decram, he was in charge of a few regiments of heavy infantry. Having charged down the remnants of a broken unit, his detachment was completely surrounded by enemy troops. According to Aelfweard,"'By the time we had finished off those units. Our entire central flank had crumbled. How and why?  I am not sure.  All I knew then, and all I know now, is that we were completely... and utterly surrounded.  At first, we thought that they would pass, thinking that since they had won the centre, that we'd be destroyed by their comrades.  But, our banners remained high, and they converged on us.  The rest... is history.'"By his accounts, he was heavily injured during the scuffle. So much so, that when he awoke in the cottage, that not only had it been several weeks, but his entire body was scarred and bruised. It was at this point, after having multiple instances of survivor's remorse, that he decided to seek guidance in the hands of the monastic clergy. And in hopes of protecting them, he could find balance in his life.