Heradric Dreth'dor

Heradric Dreth’dor, the monster hunter of legend, was a symbol of hope in a time of darkness. True or not, the tales of his exploits bolstered the spirits of the people, helping them through this dark age. Generations of men that have passed the tales of Dreth'dor onto their children, with the earliest known record of the man dating back to 736 GD, during the time of the Empire of Nerath. In Matrona, he was known as Eradrico of the House of Dreddore and believed to be Matronian.

Dreth'dor's grave is situated in Dreth'dor Manor.

Dreth'dor's greatest enemy was Vesypr von Drugoth, a vampire that Dreth'dor fought and killed numerous times.

By 953 GD, new tales of Dreth'dor were still cropping up from time to time, though by and large the stories were being told less and less frequently, and his legend was fading. The Disciples of Dreth'dor took on his torch, keeping his legend - the hope that goes with it - alive.

Historicity
The historicity of Dreth'dor has been debated for centuries. The oldest references to Heradric Dreth'dor are hints and allusions to an anonymous hero found in various tales of monster hunting in the Empire of Nerath starting around the year 700 GD.

The first record of the name Heradric Dreth'dor being used comes from 736 GD, when a man who saved a town from a monster introduced himself as such.

Eradrico of the House of Dreddore
Many Matronians believe that Heradric Dreth'dor was actually the noble Eradrico of the House of Dreddore from northern Nerath, and that his name and accent were misunderstood by the southerners that first heard him speak it. As a less prominent member of the noble family, little was known of Eradrico, who actually held a reputation of mystery. He was born in 703 GD and is said to have died in 746 GD due to illness, though no one but his personal servant saw him for at least a decade before his alleged death, and his burial was a quiet affair.

Heradrius the Dread Terror
Some Gaves believe that Heradric Dreth'dor was the fearsome southern Nerathi warlord known as Heradrius the Dread Terror, and that his named was changed in stories to sound more palatable to northern Nerathi sensibilities.

Heradrius was born in 716 GD and had a reputation for disappearing for days at a time on lone hunting trips. He died in 794 GD, at the age of 78, during battles for the title of King of what would become Gavriel.

Edric Dredger
Some Galefridish scholars believe that Heradric Dreth'dor was just a simple small-town dredger named Edric. During ancient Nerathi times, people would use the word "Herr" as a form of address, similar to "Master" in modern usage, and so it is believed that Edric would introduce himself as Herr Edric Dredger. No formal records exist of his date of birth or death, but it is believed that Edric was in his 20s when the first tale of Dreth'dor was recorded.

Heradric Dreth'dor as an alias
It has long been suggested that "Heradric Dreth'dor" was a stock alias used by numerous heroes over the generations, either directly passed down from one "Dreth'dor" to his successor, or perhaps adopted by multiple individuals at a time with no coordination.

Mythology
The Farraji commonly believe that tales of Heradric Dreth'dor stemmed from mythology or folklore, though there is little scholarly support for this view. In Farraj, the tales of Dreth'dor are greatly exaggerated relative to their western counterparts, elevating Dreth'dor's exploits to that of an immortal demi-god.

The Order of Solis
Only the secret Order of Solis knows the truth about Heradric Dreth'dor, who was employed by the Order to hunt monsters. He was sent multiple times to kill Vespyr von Drugoth, the first vampire. Vespyr von Drugoth, when human, had made a pact with the lord of the eight hell of Baator, Mephistopheles, to grant him eternal life, but the blessing was also a curse.

Through his deal with Mephistopheles, von Drugoth returned each time Dreth'dor killed him, and each time he no longer had the weakness (such as a stake to the heart) that had killed him. As he become increasingly immune to vampiric vulnerabilities, in 893 GD, Dreth'dor himself made a pact with Mephistopheles to keep the vampire progenitor trapped in Baator. The price for his deal though turned Dreth'dor into Mephistopheles' personal servant, staying with him in the eighth hell, where he resides to this day.

Lohadric Dreth'dor, son of Heradric Dreth'dor, continued his father's exploits under his guise.