[Characters] Memoires of Darian Illeniel

[Outmind]

Name: Darian Illeniel
Race: Half-elf
Sex: Male
Class: Paladin, divine defender archetype
Alignment: Lawful good
Age:29


Brief historyIf one were to take a superficial look at Darian, one might find that his bronzed skin and callous hands are more used to toiling in the fields than doing the work of a holy man. In fact, this was exactly the case for most of his life.

Darian's childhood and early youth were spent in blissful ignorance of the unknown that lay beyond his hamlet home. What started out as a trading post between humans and elven folk grew steadily in the decades that followed, turning into a small village clinging to a forest's skirts. As time passed and trading relations improved, it became almost commonplace for a number of elves and humans to establish friendlier relations, and it wasn't long before the first half-elven children, Darrian among them, were born.

His mother, Ehanna, was a hard working and pious person, while his elven father Tylial, while kind and compassionate, displayed the aloofness and occasional wanderlust all elves possessed. Although his father was an inspiration and wise in his knowledge of nature and the world, Darian took more to his mother, being more down to earth and concerning himself with observing the rituals and lifestyle which befitted a worshiper of Erastil, the god of land and hearth, rather than listening to fantastic stories of funny sounding countries and unbelievable creatures.

The years went by, and Darian became a well respected member of their small community, helping others as best he could, and enjoying life far removed from politics, depravity and deceit. As his physical strength grew, so did his piety, and why shouldn't it - Erastil had provided for the world he knew, and being sincerely grateful was the least he expected of himself.

Alas, the times of plenty drew to a close. First came the floods, striping away the fertile topsoil essential for farming. Once the torrents died down however, a drought came down upon the area, causing the last of the crops to fail, and burning away many acres of forest. Hunger had given way to disease, and Ehanna was among the first who succumbed to it. Devastated, Darian had to face yet another life-shattering decision - the elves inhabiting the area had decided that if they were to survive, they needed to retreat deeper into the forest's heart where there was still enough vegetation to sustain everyone. Hunting rabbits and foraging for berries was one thing, but having to completely change one's way of life was something Darrian did not want to experience, especially now.

Having discussed this with his father, Darian finally decided that he would venture forth on his own, seeking out new life in another village. He spent the next few seasons working as a hired hand, making new friends wherever he went. People immediately took a liking to his naive yet goodhearted nature which sometimes bordered on ignorant smugness, but which never crossed the line of being downright condescending.

Then one day, as he arrived to a somewhat bigger village, he received a blessing by what he later found out was a cleric of Erastil before heading out for the day's work. He befriended the man soon enough, and was astounded to find out that there was so much more to his god than the few prayers and rituals his mother had impressed upon him. Darian found himself dwarfed, but, for the first time in is life, eager and experienced to do more. In the months that followed, the cleric had taught him how to read and write, and how to use his natural affinity to calm people and settle their disputes. This was all well and good, and Darian certainly wasn't lacking in gratitude, but with increasing knowledge came the need to act as well. The histories which he had now read spoke of perils and evils hitherto unimaginable to him, and his lifelong desire to protect his world grew with his knowledge of it.

The time had come for the two to part, as the cleric suggested Darian go to yet another village, one which hosed a small group of Erastil's paladins. He found them to be plain folk with worldviews closely resembling his own. After a time of trials, he was accepted as a lay brother, and in a few years, as a full fledged paladin of Erastil, protector of the community and servant of the weak.

The life he had established for himself anew did not last long. As if cursed by fate, Darian found his home The target of another peril. This time nature's wrath gave way to evil incarnate - a host of goblins, lizardfolk and kobolds on their way to an unknown destination decided to sack the village out of sheer malice. Darian and his felow brothers fought as best they could, and the young paladin felt true rage and hatred for the first time in his life. The fuel they gave to his blows wasn't enough however, and as the only surviving paladin it was his duty to bring the few remaining survivors to safety.

Having accomplished this, Darian swore he would get to the bottom of such a pointless act of pure evil. The chancellor's summons was to him a sign of divine providence.