Drillmaster Leon

"'Congratulations, recruit — or should I say rookie? Yes, you're now officially a rookie Slayer. Kick down that last door and let's get you on a mission.' - Drillmaster Leon, Recruit Training"

Drillmaster Leon is the most prominent NPC in the Heroes! 2 cast. Leon works for the Slayer Alliance and guides Slayers as a drillmaster and general mission giver. He is a member of with The Order of the Purifiers, and is a devout believer in the return of The Distant Goddess. Introduced during the beginning of the game as the first NPC the player meets, he guides them through Recruit Training and teaches them the game's basic mechanics. He reappears in various missions later on.

Appearance
Leon is a bald man of dark complexion, standing at a height slightly taller than the default player avatar. There is a scar on his left eye which he received under unknown circumstances. At the Headquarters, Leon wears helmetless white platemail and carries a sword and shield on his back. On his shield is a symbol depicting the Order of Purifiers.

Biography
Leon was born in the desert nation of Yakund nearly fifty years ago. At some point, he came to Embrithas and became a slayer, developing feelings for his fellow slayer Vladiv Kyrsek. The two would become good friends until they eventually joined separate factions, Leon joining the Order of the Purifiers and Vladiv joining the League of Valor. As a member of the Order, Leon would go on to become drillmaster and teach the following generations of slayers.

Post Mission Dialogue:

 * Recruit Training - "Good work finishing the Course, rookie. When you're ready for a real fight, head over to the Missions table, and we'll delve Rookie's Grave. Oh, and don't worry about the name. It's just something we call it to scare our rowdier recruits. Mostly."


 * Rookie's Grave/Default - "What do you need, slayer?"


 * Tower at Kastakar - "That orc lieutenant didn't put up much of a fight, eh? For all their strength, orcs lack skill. That's why we win. But it's strange. Orcs are known for their burrowing, but we've never seen an outbreak of this scale near Kakasta"


 * A Tunneling Threat - "I heard reports that the orcs under Neiss are using explosives and complex tools. That's worrying. Have they gotten smarter?"


 * A Grave Issue - "The Jukumai are taunting us, surely. Why else would they dare come this close to the City of Peace? To our very headquarters?"


 * Haunted Forest - "I wish we'd traveled to Iskis with more pleasant purpose. A beautiful land utterly different from my homeland of Yakund. That aside, I wish we could figure out what the Jukumai are doing. They were largely dormant for many years, and now two attacks?"


 * Broken Bones - "Well done defeating that monstrosity, slayer. I know it must've been hard to slay the bones of your comrades, but remember they were merely puppets. Still, I've never seen anything like that osseous aberration before. A terrifying giant of bone, to be sure. We should have known that the Jukumai would experiment."


 * Sudden Incursion - "The jolians really took their time reporting this orc outbreak near New Grahst. Guess it's their misplaced sense of superiority. Strange westerners, they are."


 * Homefront Defense - "Well done defending Fort Ryonos. Did Vladiv treat you well? I know he can be a bit boisterous, but he's a good man and a great slayer. How different things might have been if he'd joined the order instead of the league all those years ago... [He clears his throat.] No matter! I wonder what's causing this sudden attack by the shadows. We know so little about them, so this only adds to the mystery."


 * Pushing Forward - "Good job recovering that foothold in Lorithas, slayer. Every inch of that ruined land we hold, the better."


 * Scouting Ahead - "The situation with the orcs in Kakasta is strange, but it doesn't explain their resistance to our presence within their borders. It's true that the orcs weren't exactly attacking, but that only adds to the mystery. What's going on, here?"


 * Growing Suspicion - "I've got to be honest, slayer. I'm beginning to grow angry. The number of possible explanations for the orc situation is dwindling, and few of them are without long-term consequences. If what I fear is true — what I hope to the Distant Goddess is not true — then something truly terrible may have come to pass. Regardless, we must press on. Chin up, Slayer!"


 * Outskirts of Fyreth - "Well done claiming that staging area in Lorithas. I was aghast when I heard about Vladiv's plan, but I have to admire his gumption. Glad you pulled it off. On to the siege proper, eh?"

Trivia

 * Drillmaster Leon was physically implemented in the lobby on March 7th, 2020.
 * His dialogue icon used to have a different appearance, depicting Leon wearing white platemail that excluded his typical red shoulder pads.
 * Drillmaster Leon is canonically homosexual. This is hinted at with some of his dialogue regarding Vladiv Kyrsek.