Sergeant Darminder Babington
Sergeant Darminder Babington was a commando holding the rank of Sergeant, and a member of the narrator's crew. He served as part of Zaira von Monocle's expedition party and was described as a good, pleasant member of the crew, though the narrator acknowledged barely knowing him personally. His death in the Nightmen Arena at the hands of Takala was witnessed firsthand by the narrator and later cited as a warning of the dangers James Gentry would face.
Description
In The Blood of Giants, Babington was noted to be shorter and less physically defined than his arena opponent, Takala. When forced to fight in the arena, he was dressed in leather armor adorned with brass beads over the shoulders, with bare legs, bare arms, and a bare head, and carried a long sword.
Babington was described as quiet during the jungle mission. He was an enlisted man with battle experience on the front lines of the war with the Wyranth Empire.
Biography
Expedition and Field Service
In The Blood of Giants, Babington was one of the commandos the narrator recognized as part of Zaira von Monocle's expedition party. He remained largely quiet during the jungle mission, though he nodded in grudging respect at the Baron's decision at one point. During a desert phase of the mission, Babington reported that he saw no signs of life other than insects, and subsequently warned the group that something moving beneath the sand was approaching them.
When the Liliana arrived during a confrontation with the Nightmen, Babington fired a flare gun from his pack and shouted that the Nightmen were falling back, crediting the airship's arrival with the turn of events. He was also noted to have joked with Corporal Fox about losing gold at dice, suggesting a degree of camaraderie within the crew.
Capture and Enslavement
In The Blood of Giants, Babington was at some point captured and purchased by Drayum as a slave fighter. He was subsequently forced to compete in the Nightmen Arena.
Death in the Arena
In The Blood of Giants, Babington was pitted against Takala in the arena. Before the fight, he drank a battle potion, though he hesitated in doing so. The narrator, watching from a viewing box, could see that Babington fought without the desire to kill. During the bout, he circled Takala, blocked a heavy blow, and managed to kick Takala in the gut; however, he did not fare well overall. Takala employed the same cornering tactics against Babington that would later be used against James Gentry. Babington was ultimately killed by Takala's electric sword to the neck. His death was described by Zaira as terrible, and it was used as a direct warning of what James faced should he enter the arena against the same opponent.
Relationships
- Zaira von Monocle: Babington served as a member of Zaira's expedition party. Zaira described his fate as terrible.
- Corporal Fox: Babington shared a joking exchange with Fox regarding losing gold at dice, indicating a friendly rapport.
- Takala: Babington's arena opponent and killer. Takala used the same bully tactics and cornering strategy against Babington that were later employed against James Gentry.
- James Gentry: Babington's death served as a cautionary reference point for James regarding Takala's fighting style and lethality.
- The Narrator / Crew: Babington was a member of the narrator's crew. The narrator witnessed his death from a viewing box and noted he was a good and pleasant crew member, though they barely knew each other personally.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, Sergeant Darminder Babington is identified as a member of the Liliana's crew who was enslaved in the Nightmen City and subsequently killed in the Nightmen Arena by Takala, described in the sourcebook as the Nightmen champion.
The sourcebook adds no biographical detail beyond these points and does not elaborate on Babington's background, rank, or role in any specific expedition. Notably, A History of Rislandia identifies Babington specifically as a member of the Liliana's crew rather than of the narrator's crew or Zaira von Monocle's expedition party as such, though these affiliations are not necessarily mutually exclusive.