Canaris started as a character in July 1990 at Broadsword in East Sussex, played by Mark Dollar. He was, in fact, little more than a minor NPC part for a series of three linked adventures written about House Gereshen and their ambitious Matron Saravay. Canaris was the House Weaponsmaster, which initially saw him lurking in some bushes near where a glamoured Saravay hired a party of adventurers. Said adventurers spotted the Drow male and his troops, but even when he advanced onto the path by himself no one actually attempted to fight him. Later in the adventure, Canaris and his troops proceeded to destroy the adventurers as Saravay revealed her true colours; at least one Paladin died under the Weaponsmaster’s blade, and most who escaped were lucky to do so. More amazingly, the weaponsmaster survived intact through all three adventures.

(Picture of Mark as Canaris circ.1990)

In 1991, Mark and Hugh Wilton attended Summerfest, run by Fools & Heroes, and played Canaris and Prince Varquin. Due to the pure chance of happening to sit opposite Mistress (later Matron) Cortella of the Black Kite Drow Clan on the train, The Prince and The Weaponsmaster as they became known were rapidly introduced to everyone of importance amongst the Drow and the Horde battle side, both ending up as General Gever’s body guards by the end of the first day. Many adventures followed over the next few days (see Tarantulas History for the full details) and by the end of it Canaris was an established character amongst the national LRP Drow community.

(Canaris & Varquin picture outside tent)

1992 saw Canaris and Varquin return, with Saravay and other house members in tow. Gereshen had been agreed upon as Drow First House the year before, and so Canaris’s stock rose with that of his house. Often in the thick of the action, twin scimitars whirring away, it was little surprise when he was made Battle Commander as war became imminent. Canaris stood with the front line (the only weaponsmaster to do so, apparently) and achieved all battlefield objectives required, finally leading the Drow and their allies up the hill, through the woods and on to victory over the Celts, a victory that was not to be repeated until 2001 by the Tarantulas as the Drow group became.

(Picture of Mark with long white hair etc)

1994 Canaris returned as joint Faction Leader and Lord General. Enough has been said elsewhere about the many problems the house, and Canaris / Mark suffered at the hands of The LT and the joint faction leader, but Canaris survived everything thrown at him, leading the entire faction armed force first against the Dragons camp for the theft of a temple banner, then against the Bears for an attack against Matron Mlezzir, and finally led the battle group under Lord General Corvus against the combined forces of The Dragons, Bears, Wolves and Harts, destroying almost entirely the Bears before being the final units forced off the field by the overwhelming numbers and magic arrayed against them. Canaris was the final person from the battle side to leave the field, until it was realised that Matron Vindryss had got herself cut off and a rescue party had to go back for her.

(Picture of Canaris and Shar next to each other)
(Picture of Rank 10 Faction Leader card)

1995 House Gereshen was outlawed by the faction leadership of the faction they had formed, the Tarantulas, largely due to some very petty out of character spite. Canaris, along with most of the House, kept a low profile, even doing a stint as one of Lady Katrina D’Venoir’s bodyguards (the Lady General of the Cymrian Dragons). However, he did become one of the three mortals able to hold the now semi-charged Book of Darkness, so it was not an entirely wasted year. All attempts to eliminate Gereshen failed, and The Tarantulas (the three Houses that remained, Naxos D’Fey, Zommorod A’Tesh and Mlezzir [who were not acting against Gereshen]) had to take the field against most of their own faction, who had outright defected despite The LT’s best efforts. Mlezzir aside, the battle was a rout, ending Naxos’s reign.

1996 After nearly a day of uncertainty, the ‘interim’ faction leadership that had replaced Naxos was removed, and Saravay was OOC unanimously voted in as Lady General and First Matron at the faction moots. Gereshen were back in the fold, and Canaris and Chazmyr of House Creotha chose the best warriors of the faction to become a super unit, The Paladins of Llolth (Lil Orthae Orbb Sargtlin - The Holy Spider Warriors). Canaris became Impoceptor of Paladins, as he had been in essence one all along, and the ritual went well at the Gathering. Canaris survived an assassination attempt on the way back, but Mark was concussed during an assault on The Unicorns the next day, and was not allowed to take part in the battle as a result…..not that it would have made much difference given the absolutely incredible level of cheating displayed by those who stood against the Tarantulas.

1997 There had been much discussion of closing the Tarantulas at the end of 1996, but in 97 the faction was still there at the moots. It came under attack from the individual called ‘The Pendragon’ who was attacking anyone available and bee-lining for the tent that contained Matron Saravay, made invulnerable by ‘The Book of Air’ he carried, so Canaris hit The Pendragon over the head with the Book of Darkness, which baffled the ref present, and then barged the individual out of the camp once the ref agreed that neither of them could harm the other. Canaris later instigated competitions to fill some of the vacant Paladin posts, many of them having gone to Curious Pastimes after the farcical battle of 1996, including Chazmyr, but the ritual was cancelled. Finally, the entire Wolves faction attacked the Tarantulas gate late at night, and somewhat alcohol fuelled. After repeatedly forcing them back, only to be told to retreat by the extremely biased refs on hand, The Tarantulas then suffered a drunk whacking them with ‘Thor’s Hammer’ around the face, and another jumping on them as a Werewolf and proceeding to slap them with his claws until they gave up. With no patience left, Canaris threw his scimitars away, grabbed two glaives and charged the entire Wolves faction, dropping the Thors Hammer bloke (one of several who claimed to have it, all at the same time) first, and then wading in and dishing out the beatings the cheating individuals so richly deserved (as he had magic hits only, this seemed fair ! Not one Wolf had been seen to go down after 30 mins fighting !) whilst his ‘bodyguard’ Gunner proceeded to jump on the Werewolf and give him a taste of his own medicine (which he didn’t enjoy). After this, Canaris concluded that enough was enough, and proceeded to the tavern with most other members of House Gereshen, where they had a huge tavern brawl for several hours, and enjoyed it immensely. That was Canaris’s final involvement with The LT.

(Picture of Canaris at Mad Megs in plate)

1999 Mark was persuaded to go and give Curious Pastimes event ‘Bastion of The Fey’ a try. Having been locked out and had to climb in through the back, the first people he met were an absolutely silent patrol of Drow from House Zommorod A’Tesh, and Chazmyr !! After signing in etc Canaris duly appeared, and found that The Jhereg faction consisted almost entirely of ex-Tarantulas led by StickssS of the Beastmen, one of the oldest Drow Allies from 1991 - 92. StickssS offered Canaris the job of body-guarding him, and so Canaris had a new job. He also had a new House, as he had left Gereshen and joined House Tegredir, Mark’s new project with Liz Thomas.

(Picture of Canaris in plate at Bastion)

Canaris continued on from there to form and lead ‘Uldor’, the Jhereg faction Bodyguard unit, selecting and training individuals to guard StickssS, Hands the faction 2 i/c, and others who were deemed in need of guards. The character assaulted the Bastion of The Fey (see House History), led the mission to rescue StickssS when he was kidnapped, was rewarded as a hero of the faction, led ‘Right Flank’ on the battlefield in 2000, has become a personal friend of the King and Queen of Albion, and spoke at StickssS’s funeral (StickssS was killed AFTER Canaris ceased to be his body-guard). Canaris went into semi-retirement in 2001 when Mark became Lord General of the Gryphons as a non-Drow character, Emmerich. But rather like Bond, no doubt he’ll return.

(Picture of Canaris with Simba)