Aranast Aragis' son

Aranast Aragis's Son was the oldest of several sons of Aragis the Archer and was heir apparent to his father's kingdom. When the Elabonian Empire returned to the Northlands and attempted to subdue Gerin's kingdom by force, reverting it to its earlier feudal state of a barony, Aragis placed Aranast in command of the army which held the kingdom's southern border against the imperials while the king himself traveled alone to Balser Debo's Son's keep. There he met with his fellow Northlander king, Gerin the Fox. The two kings had been on the verge of going to war over Gerin's acceptance of Balser's oath of fealty. Aragis proposed that, since the imperials provided both of them with an even greater threat than each posed to the other, they leave aside the issue of Balser's fealty for a time and face the new enemy as allies. Gerin agreed, and Aragis returned to the southern reaches of his kingdom along with Gerin and his army. He then relieved Aranast and assumed command over all the allied armies of the Northlands.

Aranast's command of his father's army was his first experience at the head of so large a force. Aragis wanted him to have the learning experience, but he was also unwilling to see his kingdom fall should Aranast prove unequal to the task. Thus, he assigned Marlanz Raw Meat, a proven commander, to advise Aranast and, shoud the young prince fail, to assume command of the army and attempt to salvage the situation.