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Official Site: David Gemmell

Waylander the Slayer is the protagonist of several of David Gemmell's books, including Waylander (1986), Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf (1992), and Hero in the Shadows (2000). Unlike other Drenai novels, whose events are dispersed over a period of over millennia, the three books follow, in chronological order, the life of Waylander (real name Dakeyras). The first book, Waylander, depicts him as an ageing man, in his forties.

Before this book, Waylander served in the Legion with friend Gellan. He retired and settled down with a woman named Tanya, siring three children, a boy and twin girls. However, Dakeyras' wife and children were brutally murdered by a group of raiders. That day, Dakeyras changed into the assassin Waylander. It took Waylander over nineteen years to find all the murderers, by which time the last had forgotten about the killings.

Then, Waylander took on contracts, becoming a professional assassin, until his actions culminated in the death of King Niallad of the Drenai, paid by Kaem of Vagria, who ultimately betrayed him and didn't pay the contract money; this resulted in Waylander accidentally killing Kaem's only son.

Waylander begins with the cold and cynical Waylander saving a priest on a whim. The two have an influence on each other, Waylander hardening the priest and the priest, Dardalion, softening Waylander, and reawakening his long-forgotten humanity. Partly fueled by guilt, Waylander agrees to seek the Armour of Bronze, an artifact of legend that can give heart to the Drenai, who are locked in a desperate war - a war brought about by his assassination of the king. Waylander end up rescuing a woman Danyal and two young girls, Mirel and Krylla and takes them north with him to find the armour but leaves them in a town were he meets Durmast, a giant of a man who is a minor criminal and tavern owner, who agrees to take Waylander north with his small group of guards. During their journey north Danyal tracks Waylander down and after a while Waylander falls in love. LAter on in the journey they venture into Nadir lands were the group is attacked, all of Durmast's men are killed and Waylander is split up from Durmast and Danyal. Waylander thinking the pair dead kills the Nadir chief in charge of attackers but the Nadir shaman Kesa Khan creates Six werebeasts to hunt Waylander down. during his journey Waylander comes across Kai, a man-monster who dwarfs Durnmast in height. Kai was created by the Nadir when a spirit was taken from the void and placed in women's womb and has inhuman speed, strength and healing abilities. Waylander finds the starving Kai and offers him food. After parting with Kai Waylander is confronted by four of the werebeasts, the other two having drowned and starved. Waylander manages to kill two of them with his crosbow before it is knocked from his hands. Facing the two remaining werebeasts, Waylander realizes his death is certain when Kai appears and kills the two werebeasts with his bear hands.

Waylander The Slayer has not been a contender in any CBUB matches.