Roland Da’Nevere is a former member of the town guard of the elven city of Illi Ahn who later became an investigator, helping track down dangerous criminals and bring them to justice. While hesitant to reveal details about his past, Roland makes it clear that he recognizes that evil can exist within the police and the army and that he carries some deep regrets from his career. He also believes that many good people are forced into a world of criminality because of poverty, tragedy, and the unfairness of society. He understands both worlds and seems to have expertise as both a thief and an officer of the law.
Roland first met Dara and Rinn when he was tasked to assist Dara in tracking down the murderer of Tonnifer Gillis. While determined to bring the murderer to justice, Roland demonstrated a deep empathy for the Bravos and the innocent families of Downtown. While not as formidable of a warrior as Dara, Roland spent his time assisting the poor whenever he found them, from offering money to the needy, food for a hungry boy at the market, and giving up nearly all he had to the Church of the Dawn to help with the relief.
Roland always tried to see the good in the people he fought and even the people he hated. The tragedy of the Black Parade pricked Roland’s heart, dredging up painful personal memories from his time serving as an officer of the law. While trying to help Dara recover her lost gold, he took personal interest in the story of Baxter Gillis, the former leader of the Bravos and the man known throughout Austernell as the South Side Shadow. Hearing the story of Bax losing his parents to the overzealous actions of the town guards, he begged the boy to give up on revenge, warning him that he would find no peace in the executions of his enemies. He implored Bax to believe in a future where there could be peace and to save his town from the manipulations of Anton and Charlie, the Alpha Bravo who replaced him. More than anything else, he wanted to save Bax from making a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.
Roland’s expertise, street-smarts, and strategy helped to identify and defeat the Killer of Downtown as well as Gretchen, the Hag, ending the poisonous famine that threatened the city. When the Bravos stormed the Uptown streets, he fought without weapons to spare the lives of the young Bravos while defending the guards who were caught unprepared. But for all his bravery, his greatest victory was convincing Bax to put down his crossbow and give up his vendetta against the captain leading his fellow Bravos to abandon the attack. After a lifetime full of regrets, he watched with tears as Bax and the Bravos gang threw down their hoods and made peace with the men of Uptown, finally healing a decade of wounds no one ever thought could be healed.
Armor of Sorrow 