Harrad, Cour, and Laelix after the Seven Rings race.
Harrad Ilum; family man, pilot, and CDN's moral center.
A not-atypical turian, Harrad is proud of his heritage, and amused, angered, and intrigued by the quirks of other species (this is why he chose to hang around on an ostensibly pro-human newsfeed).
Born on the farming planet of Silona, he went through boot camp as a pilot, and joined the Hierarchy fleet to fly in-atmosphere ships.
Although primarily a dropship pilot, he also spent a tour piloting patrol frigates in the Krogan Demilitarized Zone, as part of the CDEM. His career in the Fleet was cut short by a gunshot received off-duty, leaving him with a slight limp in his right knee. In order to keep flying in “combat” zones, he resigned from the Fleet, and joined with the Lifebearer Brigade.
With the Lifebearer Brigade, Harrad spent ten years evacuating refugees, delivering aid, and scouting disaster areas all across Citadel Space. As a result, he’s seen the worst nature (and sometimes sapient life) has to offer, and, on the flip side, how everyone can come together in the face of crisis.
His partner, Cour, eventually received a promotion within the Lifebearers, and had originally been reassigned to an office on Nova Sepra. However, after serving in immediate rescue efforts on Taetrus, the pair were moved to the Citadel. Harrad sat on the “Panel for the Analysis of Current and Future Crisis Relief Methods,” as an advisor, until he formally stepped down from the Lifebearers. The Illums then adopted a Taetrus orphan, Laelix, who quickly became a dear part of Harrad’s life. In order to help raise the boy, Harrad retired from his previous career in order to be a homemaker. He spent a great deal of his time with his new son, and when he was free from both child-rearing and the apartment, spent time with Wings of Tayseri, a charity that teaches disadvantaged children to fly.
Family
Harrad and Cour met on Septeria, during the Septeria Impact Event, while Cour was serving in the Fleet as a volunteer officer for the Lifebearer Brigade. Though not a typical romantic relationship (which might explain all the romcoms), the two have been together since.
Harrad and family post-war (Art by Armax_Hammer)
Cour is the quicker-witted of the two, much to Harrad's chagrin. He's also the more book-smart, thanks to his Hierarchy training as an officer. Like Harrad, Cour resigned from Fleet when he joined the Lifebearers.
Cour's relationship with his family is strained. The Cassidus family is an old, noble line from the old turian settlement of Pulan. With a long history of high-ranking officers, Cour's resignation from Fleet angered his family, who blamed Harrad for ruining a potentially great career.
Trivia
He has some ambivalence toward the krogan. He usually does a good job of keeping his prejudice under control, but when under stress, his negative feelings about the race can bubble to the surface.
He is fond of the operas of Hin.
Harrad speaks Silonan (having been raised there), Pulanese, Hilurian, Palaven Standard, and a standard trade language. He notes that Silonan and Palaven Standard are pretty close, so it was never a problem in school. He also knows about a dozen versions of "get in the shuttle, dammit", which came in handy while working for the Lifebearers. He also speaks "tourist German and survival Portuguese" - "How many aliens didn't pick up a human language or two while the whole solar system was stranded?"
On his first sexual encounter, he says this:
"I'm probably outside of the turian norm in that my first experience was before boot. It was the "first crush/romantic interest" thing with another boy in town. Nothing much happened with it, but he was biotically gifted, and we knew that once we hit boot we wouldn't be seeing each other any more. So we grabbed a tent and camped out a few days before we were to be shipped out. I'd like to say it was a beautiful time under the stars, but the weather was lousy, and things were more awkward than exciting. Still, I haven't forgotten it, or him, though we haven't kept in touch."
Posts and Threads
Promotion: Cour gets a promotion, and that means a change of setting for Harrad.
Planetside: Getting settled in.
Has Anyone Here Not Been Under Fire?: Noticing that CDN users tend to get shot at a lot, Harrad creates a poll asking after the community's experience of being under fire. He relates his own tale of being shot in the knee by a krogan.
Going to Taetrus: After the Vallum Blast, Harrad is off to assist on the devastated colony.
Outrage over Hanar 'snuff film' on extranet: Harrad explodes on several posters over the topic of torture.
Cerberus Daily Help Me Out: Harrad and Cour are taking a vacation to Earth. Leading to...
A romantic interlude with Tom and Harrad: Double-date with a pair of young humans.
Cat, Frog, Hawk, Faceplate and Flyboy: They Fight Crime: The tale of Harrad's one and only merc job, in which he obtains the Agamemnon, and the windfall that would allow him to move to the Citadel. Don't forget its sister thread, Poker Face.
Meeting at Respite: A huge conversation thread. Important Advice is given to Allard, and a few stories are passed around. It has a sequel, too: Respite 2.0: RESPITE HARDER.
The Rookie: Harrad is on Taetrus again, with Allard Kyarlen and Everett Maliszewski of the Paladins.
The Paths We Take: One of the first of many threads with Sicaria Perihelion, setting the tone of their friendship.
Tangled in the Web: Harrad and Sicaria are still aboard Agamemnon.
Give Me Your Parental Advice!: Harrad and Cour are adopting, and so ask CDN for advice.
Family: Harrad and Cour welcome their son Laelix to their home.
Laelix and Cakethief
Introducing Laelix: The board now get to meet the boy.
Stuck in the Middle with You: Where will Sylvion go now? Thinking about new directions with Harrad, Cour and Sicaria.
Bah! Hamburg!: Not a typo! Harrad and Laelix bring some Christmas cheer to the board.
A Subdued And In No Way Raucous Night Out: Harrad and Cour do things other than be adorable together...
7 Rings Race: The Seven Rings Race, the edge-of-your-seat showdown between former Fleet rivals Harrad and Gat (Gatrinex Arthutan). Great flying is performed.
Back From The Race: Harrad in the aftermath.
School: Laelix is enrolled in school.
Return To The Pale Blue Dot: Harrad gives Albert a lift back to Earth.
GWO Charity Masquerade Ball: Harrad is in attendance at the big event during the Who Goes There? arc.
I Guess Some Apologies Are I Order: After Lepantis Corvax posted some very provocative photos, it touched on one of the more sensitive subjects for Harrad. Here he offers his apologies for losing his cool.
Intervention: Having accidentally drawn Suri'Neyvi's attention on the forums and certain that he's going to be either forced into the Embodiment or killed, Emon Spiza withdraws from the forums and hides from the world...at which point it's up to Harrad (and Grackel) to try and restore some modicum of sanity to the guy.
A Conspicuous Absence of Rising Tension: Without anywhere to stay, Spiza is at Harrad's place.
Fail to Plan: Harrad and Sanjin, and families, meet up.
Best Year Of My Life: One year of Laelix.
The Priiize: A guest instructor (namely, Albert Lowell).
Time Off From Boot: While on leave, Kayana makes sure to catch up with Harrad and family.
But We Didn't Order Pizza: Quatra comes calling.
Reaper War
Messages: Initial response to the Reaper invasion.
Did the Band Play the Last Post and Chorus: With SteelUnifier (Daia Caran) and Sicaria, discussing life and death as Harrad mourns Gat.
I Know: With Albert Lowell having passed the truth about Adrianea Galaex on to Harrad, now comes the confrontation.
Guess Who's Under "House Arrest"?: Harrad is ordered to take some time off.
Second "Glad You're Not Dead" Party: Meeting up with the retired (supposedly dead) Aphin.
Harrad Illum, I'm Calling You Out: Who is the cuter, with the better heart-melting "look"; Harrad or Jeral?
Confessional: Knowing she won't get another chance, Sicaria talks with Laelix, about some uncomfortable things. She and Harrad part on difficult terms.
A Friendly Visit: Albert Lowell has a request for Harrad and Cour.
Post-War
Prodigal Daughters: Harrad and Sicaria at one of the new turian nurturing centres.
An Exchange With Kayana: Mostly concerning the folk of Sniper's Touch.
With Great Responsibility Comes Great Headache: Catching up with Kayana.
Child Tsunami: Catching up with Dippy.
Il n'y a qu'un homme comme toi: Catching up with Vindi.
King Me: Harrad takes his first dip into the world of the STG, since Spiza is in trouble during the Entish fallout. By the end, he's decided "never again", and walked away.
Cour, Come Into This Thread: Harrad is still unwell. Dippy hopes to provoke him into posting.
Happy Christmas From Silona: Reporting in from holiday on the homeworld.
Sol Rises First Annual Fundraiser
Illness: Harrad copes with his worsening condition.
I'm Dying: A blunt admission to the board.
Frog And Flyboy: The Happening: Dying, Harrad wants to patch things up with Spiza.
Lungs and Puns: Board response to Harrad's old lungs now being outside of his body.
Those are his old lungs.
Amazing People: Harrad remembers Gatrinex.
Bask In The Glory of First Harrad: Dippy finds some old calendars...
He Is Summoned: A few years on, a glut of returning posters sees Harrad improbably summoned to the forum by Flower Wilde...
Buzz The Tower: Back to the 7 Rings Race, or at least the try-outs for the chance to fly for Veratix Station.
Aftershow Blues: The aftermath of the tryouts.