Sir Corbinian was a Wight who served as the Red Duke's lieutenant, both in life and in death.
History[]
Sir Corbinian was originally a refugee from the Dukedom of Mousillon. He was a wanted man, declared an outlaw by his own father for an outrage perpetrated against a Shallyan priestess. Corbinian had escaped custody, killing his brother in the process and fleeing to Aquitaine. Whatever chivalry the knight had ever possessed had died inside him long ago, replaced with a brutal sadism that made him a perfect vassal for a Vampire.[1a]
When the Red Duke had set forth to face the army of King Louis the Righteous, he had entrusted the safekeeping of his castle, Crac du Sang, to Corbinian. The knight had broken faith with the Vampire however, and when the Red Duke returned, he had him captured. First, Sir Corbinian's lover was tortured in front of him, stripped bare and placed upon the infamous Fingers of Hell, an Arabyan torture device. The knight begged that the Red Duke spare her, but it was in vain. Soon, the same torment was inflicted on Corbinian. Before he died, the knight swore he would kill the Red Duke, if it meant crawling out of the pits of Morr himself.[1a]
Indeed, the Red Duke, upon his return centuries later, decided to help him. He knew that Sir Corbinian would serve him more faithfully now that he was beyond the distractions of the flesh. The Red Duke stood within his ruined castle and commanded the long-dead knight to rise. Rubble began to shift, and soon stone blocks were tumbling from a pile of debris, clattering about the flagstones at the vampire's feet. After many minutes, a tunnel like opening was exposed. A dark, spindly shape lurched from its hole, its face a fleshless skull with green witch-lights burning in the depths of its eye-sockets. A rusty, bat-winged helm encased the skull and about the skeletal body, decaying strips of armour were draped.[1a]
Corbinian fought at his masters side at Chateau du Maisne, guarding the escape tunnels and slaying those who would escape.[1b] At Mercal, Corbinian accompained the necromancer Renal to defile the Grail Chapel which prevented the Red Duke from approaching. The wight fought and mortally Sir Maraulf, whom the Red Duke chose to become one of his own sons-in-darkness through the Blood Kiss for his valor.[1c]
The wight met its destruction during the Second Battle of Ceren Field, when Duke Gilon of Aquitaine cut it down, splitting its skull.[1d]
Canon Conflict[]
In the supplement Circle of Blood which details the second rise of the Red Duke, Corbinian does not exist, his role instead being overtaken by the Dark Knight.