When I think about the term ‘Noblebright Fantasy’, I tend to imagine knight-in-shining-armour type characters. Think Brienne from Game of Thrones – who, for myself at least, was one of the dreariest POV characters in the books. I found her constant preaching about nobility boring and out of place with the rest of the characters – which is of course what G.R.R. Martin planned. But then I had a rather surprising realisation. Probably my all-time favourite character in fantasy has more than a few shades of noblebright in their character.
Druss the Legend – created by David Gemmell, is an axe wielding warrior who lives by the words of an iron code:
“Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against the evil strong. And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the pursuit of evil.”
Throughout his books, that code drives Druss to do some pretty reckless things. Tackling a horde of bandits to save a woman would be the least of the challenges he faces. In fact, the first book David Gemmell ever wrote (Legend) tells the tale of Druss as an old man, making his way to a fortress under siege. He is sixty years old, but still he marches answers his country’s call to arms, unflinching in his duty to protect the weak.
So why do I love a character like Druss, while finding Brienne dreary and uninteresting?
I’m not sure there I could tell you for sure. But perhaps it is because I know Druss’ story. The book ‘Druss the Legend’ is the follow up to David’s original work, and tells the story behind the legend of Druss – the events in his life that shaped him into the man who at sixty years of age stands and defies an army.
And it is quite a story. The tale starts in a simple settlement where Druss (a simple woodsman) and his young wife are working hard to start a life for themselves. That does not last long. Within the first chapter, the settlement is attacked by bandits and the woman kidnapped. That sets off a journey spanning years, as Druss travels the world and goes to the depths of hell itself to rescue the woman he loves. In that time, we see Druss go from a sheltered countryman to world renown soldier. We watch his despair as his wife slips further away, as he descends into darkness, and his eventual redemption.
And by seeing all this, we realise why Druss sticks to such an iron code. He knows there is a darkness within him, a beast straining to break free. His code is its shackles, the iron chains that hold the beast back.
Without it, he would be no better than the bandits that stole his wife.
I am forever impressed by the characters David Gemmell could conjure up on the pages of his books. I hope one day I will have the skill to do the same.
Write on!
Aaron Hodges
This post was written by Aaron Hodges. He was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his job and see the world. During his travels he picked up an old draft of a novel he once wrote in High School – titled The Sword of Light – and began to rewrite the story. The third book, Soul Blade, marks the final conclusion of that epic tale. Fans of Aaron can signup for updates and special offers at aaronhodges.co.nz/newsletter-signup/.
