Background:
Born to the trader house V'neef, Zeke grew up in lavish surroundings. His every need was attended to as nephew of the house matriarch. He was favored as a child for his abilities to pursuade and control his classmates. This was encouraged in Zeke and he was rewarded for each manipulative move he made against others. Much to his house's dislike, Zeke did not prefer to control others for his own sake or that of house V'neef. His calm voice was most often used to qwell disagreements and stop fights in school. He gradually built more friends than enemies, an oddity within the dragon-blooded schools. House V'neef had hoped Zeke would become a master spy, aiding in their attempts to gain favor within the empire. Zeke, however, preferred never to harm those undeserving and only gain power for the house through ligitimate means. Saddened by their child's civil behavior and lack of merchantile skills, they nearly wrote Zeke off.
When he was old enough, Zeke expressed an interest in applying to the House of Bells Academy. With Zeke's growing distaste for cut-throat politics, the house matriarch saw the opportunity to groom Zeke into a military commander. What better way to gain favor within the empire than by having the proud House V'neef banner wave at the front of the legions? During his education he began to form a great disdain for the organized legions. Zeke saw them as the extentions of political corruption and refused to join their ranks. He did, however, express his opinion that House V'neef should not be bound by legion rules and should have their own military force. Upon his graduation, The Oak Talon was formed. Little more than a failure in the eyes of his house, Zeke excelled at his schooling but was unwilling to participate in political subterfuge, spying, or any of the other traditional careers of a house member. His idea of a seperate military entity for V'neef caught the matriarch attention. She had long thought this to be impossible, but with the empress gone, the legions were not the sole power within the realm. While more traditional house members tried to gain rank within the legions to curry favor and influence, Zeke was given an unorthadox assignment. He was to lead a group of soldiers outside the bounds of legion control. They would answer to him directly and their mission would be to look after V'neef interests throughout the realm.
In a realm of increasing lawlessness and signs of the return of the solars, a more physical approach is often needed to safeguard the House's interests. The Oak Talon consists of a full talon of trained soldiers (125 men and women), a fourth as many support personnel, and many hangers-on. The talon is rarely together at all times and is often spread out in times of peace. When called to engage, the talon can operate entirely on its own. With the vast resources of House V'neef at his disposal, Zeke can work independently of the legions or local government. The Oak Talon is currently stationed to the north. Fair Folk and barbarian hordes have increasingly tested the defenses of many cities in the region. House V'neef relies heavily on trade in this part of the world and cannot allow it to fall to lawlessness. Zeke is currently the only dragon-blooded within the talon, but he hopes to recruit more...
As of now, Zeke is in the north in defense of a town threatened by barbarian invasion. The advancing tribe is of small importance and likely doesn't know a full talon of professional soldiers guard the town. Currently Zeke's name has been removed from much offical documentation outside of House V'neef. It is hoped that much of his exploits will go unnoticed within the realm and his contributions to the House do not put them at odds with the legions. As such, Zeke is answerable to only the house matriarch. He is largely given free and broad discretion in his actions, so long as they benefit the house. For as long as he has house approval, he can call on replacement men, equipment, and other neccessities. It is likely House V'neef can accomidate his requests with little trouble.