Aedelon

[Aedelon]

Aedelon




Appearance

Race: Ethaefal (Forsaken of Leth)
Mortal Seeming: Human
Gender: Male
Date of Rebirth: 42 Spring, 519AV
Place of Rebirth: The Eastern coast of Sylira, near Nyka


Earthbound Form: By day, Aedelon might be described as an incredibly ordinary human male. He is of middling height around 5’10”, of average build around 165 pounds, and looks to be in his early-to-mid 30’s. He is neither handsome enough to be memorable, nor ugly enough to be off-putting. His hair and eyes are both a very medium brown. With these humble features combined, Aedelon’s daytime looks make him someone who another person might like and trust immediately upon meeting, and then forget about completely within moments of parting.

Ethaelfal Form: By night, Aedelon transforms into another creature entirely. “Beautiful and terrible,” would be the most succinct way to describe his form as an Ethaefal. His lithe, statuesque build and imposing height of 6’3” are matched by skin nearly as pale as marble, which glows with an opalescent sheen in the moonlight. His facial features are extremely handsome but sharper than normal, as though a sculptor wished to convey an otherworldly arrogance in his creation. His eyes are a brilliant violet, and also seem to glow unsettlingly by moonlight. His coloring is that of Spring, the season of his rebirth, and does not change with the seasons like most other Ethaefal (he is Forsaken). Crowning his head are a smooth mass of shoulder length lavender-grey hair and two long horns, white as bleached bone, which swoop gracefully back from his temples in the shape of a wave and point skyward at the tips. To most other mortals, Aedelon’s nighttime appearance is at once mesmerizing and frightening.




Character Concept

Motivation:

Aedelon is driven by two major factors: Pure self-interest, and bitter resentment toward both the gods and the mortal realm at large. His disdain for the gods naturally stems from his fall from the Ukalas, whereas his lost life among them has caused him to view the mortal world as something to be looked down upon - he feels he deserves better than to have been carelessly tossed back into this inferior existence.

The phrase, “The brighter the soul, the darker the Forsaken,” certainly applies to Aedelon. From what he can remember of his previous lives, he had always been a humble servant of gods and men, dedicating countless lifetimes to aiding those in need and sacrificing all to the glory of the divines. But what had all of that devotion and humility gotten him? Cast out from the bliss of Leth’s heavenly stronghold and cruelly left to fend for himself, that’s what.

In this new life, Aedelon has vowed to try a new approach - no more will he selflessly serve anyone, be they man or god. Instead, he will toil relentlessly in search of power. The power to achieve dominion over other mortals (to which he feels entitled), and the power to achieve his revenge against the gods who betrayed him. Lofty goals to be sure, and ones he has no idea how to reach. But with far-seeing patience and planning, a keen and calculating intellect, and pure hard work, he believes it can be done.

Personality:

Inwardly, Aedelon is arrogant, ambitious, resentful, calculating and selfish, but he does not often appear that way in the presence of others. He may generally believe other mortals to be beneath him, but he will gladly act charming, helpful, and even kind toward those from whom he believes he can gain something in return. However, he will dismiss outright anyone he does not see as useful. Aedelon will do nearly anything to gain an advantage or step closer to his goals, but he prefers to use subtler methods of manipulation rather than violence or intimidation. And even if that means he must hide his derisive feelings behind a mask of humility or charm, then so be it. Other people are little more than tools in his mind, and though that worldview may make him effective, it also means that he is unlikely to ever have a true friend or ally.




Character History

Aedelon’s Origin :

At first, all was darkness.

Then, an awareness of floating. Not among the currents of time and space, but in water that buoyed his body gently upon its surface. His body. He could feel its weight and mass once more, and in that moment he remembered that something had happened. Something was wrong.

No…

It could not be. He was one of the fortunate few who had escaped the Fall. He had been promised an existence in peace and wisdom and interconnectedness with all things for eternity. He had been chosen.

Father, no…

More sensations came to him, confirming what he did not want to believe. The chill of the water; the muffled rushing sound of it covering his submerged ears; the light breeze upon his face. He reluctantly opened his eyes at last. A starry night sky greeted his gaze, and the terrible truth washed over him. He was back in the mortal realm.

Shaking, he leaned forward and felt his feet touch rough sand. He stood and found himself waste deep in the sea. His eyes never left the sky, and as a cloud parted to reveal a silvery disc, the full weight of what he had lost came crashing down upon him. The wail that wrenched itself from his throat was animalistic - one so full of pain and sorrow that even the gods might have heard it and wept for pity. It was his first sound as a mortal reborn, and his first utterance came soon after, a question asked directly to the pale moon, the God Leth:

“Father, why?”

~~~~~~

“Ahoy!”

He hadn’t noticed the approach of a jolly boat rowed by two sailors, nor did he know how long he had been standing in the water, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the sky. Tearing his gaze away, he noticed a larger vessel floating a few hundred yards offshore. As the smaller landing craft neared, he could overhear the sailors conversing.

“Gods above… it’s just as the Cap’n said. One ‘o them Ethaefal!”

“Indeed. I haven’t seen one of their kind appear in these parts for years.”

“Pretty one, ain’t he? Kinda scary too though… do we really have to-“

“When one of these creatures falls from the heavens, it is the sacred duty of every gods-fearing man to render them aide.”

The other sailor fell into sullen silence as the boat pulled up alongside him. As they neared, he distantly observed that one of the sailors was old and grizzled, while the other was much younger, barely yet a man. The older one offered his hand and a friendly smile that did nothing to assuage his anguish. “Climb aboard, friend,” the sailor said. Slowly, as though in a trance, he grasped the offered hand and heaved over the side, settling onto one of the boat’s benches and accepting a blanket to cover his naked form and calm his trembling. The sailors began to row, the younger one staring at him with a mixture of wonder and fear while the elder spoke again.

“Lucky for you we were passing by - you were shining like a beacon by the shore in that moonlight. You must be very confused, but worry not. We’ll get you properly sorted once we get back to the Everlight.”

He did not reply with his thanks.

~~~~~~

Several days and nights passed in a haze of misery aboard the Guilded Everlight, which had turned out to be a modestly sized but very well-appointed merchant ship making its way along the Mura Route out of Zeltiva. He accepted the food and clothing offered by the crew, but still he did not speak a word, not even when the captain attended him in the small private cabin provided to him. Everyone aboard was kind and deferential toward him, but he simply could not find the strength to interact with another person beyond a look or a nod. Not with the crushing grief that seemed to suffocate him beneath its weight.

He had awoken the morning after his rescue to discover another cruel twist of fate: His mortal seeming, which was even more pathetic than his fallen form, and which distanced him even further from his critically diminished connection to the divine plane. Filled with shame, he would retreat to his cabin by day and desperately try to remember his home in the heavens and why its loss caused him such pain. By night he would keep a silent, sorrowful vigil gazing at the sky. During these times the memories would come to him, but in receiving them his sadness and torment were made ever sharper. He wanted to die. He wanted to cast himself over the ship’s rail and let the sea take him, but some instinctual part of him knew that self destruction was not a path that would lead back to the halls of his god. All he could do was live on with his grief.

Soon, however, that same grief turned to bitterness as he contemplated his circumstances. After all the time he had spent - all of the lives, if his fragmented memories were correct - devoting himself utterly to the Gods; after humbling himself before them and pledging his very soul… His Gods had rewarded him with the promise of eternal paradise, but had only allowed him to rejoice in it for the tiniest fraction of eternity before letting him be cast out through their sheer indifference. It was a cruel joke. A fallacy of false benevolence.

Bitterness turned to anger. Anger blossomed into a cold rage. Until one night, he stood at the stern of the ship staring daggers at the moon’s waxing crescent, and spoke again for the first time since his rebirth.

“How could you let this happen?” He asked, his voice laced with ice and venom. He let the words flow through his entire being, resonating powerfully as he cursed the divine. “I trusted you. I believed in your goodness, but you betrayed and broke me with your apathy. You are no father of mine, and I will never bow to you again. I DISAVOW YOU!”

As he spat these words, he felt something withdraw from within him. A place inside that was once warm had gone cold, and he knew that his connection to Leth was severed in entirety. The pain of it was astounding, but it only served to fuel his malice. He turned his back on the moon with utter disdain and walked away.

He found himself making his way past the few gaping sailors on the night watch to the Everlight’s bow, which glided through the sea tranquilly in stark contrast to the tempest in his mind and heart. As he glanced toward their heading, a small grouping of stars that had risen just above the distant horizon caught his attention. Five small stars formed a ring, while one larger star lingered closely outside the ring as if it were an inset gem or bezel. It glowed with a faint, sickly green hue. As he stared at the constellation, footsteps approached from behind. The ship's navigator - the same old sailor who had first greeted him on the shore of his rebirth - stepped beside him. Following his gaze, the navigator suppressed a shiver.

"That's Aedelon, the Poison Ring," the old man said gravely, nodding toward the stars. "They call it 'The Bringer of Unseen Vengeance.'"

“Aedelon,” he whispered reverently. In that moment he sensed with clarity that his new name had been found, as well as his renewed purpose in this wretched mortal life. He was Aedelon. He was Forsaken. And he would have his revenge.

Having been rescued by the Guilded Everlight after his rebirth and discovering his new name, Aedelon journeyed with the merchant ship for a few seasons before its return to Zeltiva. He quickly became a fixture aboard the vessel; a figure of wonder and respect among the crew, and a close companion of Captain Marius Feyrwind. It was clear that Aedelon was possessed of a natural intellect and a strong drive toward learning, and the captain - a highly educated man himself - was only too happy to have found a companion with whom he could share his knowledge and engage in elevated discussion.

As it turned out, Marius was the eldest heir to one of Zeltiva’s more prominent ancient families, and though he had been bred to assume the mantle of his late father’s position in Zeltivan politics, he was possessed of an insatiable wanderlust that drew him to the sea. As he put it, “My mother dreams of my ascension to Ancient Quarter Councilor, but I dream only of seeing the world.” Aedelon, however, recognized the captain as a valuable resource, and one who could help to establish him and advance his standing in Zeltiva once they returned to the port city. He was eager to learn all he could.

Many days, as the Everlight made its way along the Mura trade route, Aedelon would sit and converse with the captain in his private quarters. Marius would regale him with his father’s stories of the complex and oft underhanded world of Zeltivan high society and governance, while Aedelon would pepper the captain with questions and press him to share as much of his education in statecraft as he could recall (though he often found it tedious, it was better than the comparatively mundane conversation his crew could provide). The captain was also happy to pass the time in debate with Aedelon on a variety of topics, and though he nearly always won, Aedelon proved to be a fast learner, grasping often complicated concepts quickly and taking to Marius’ coaching quite competently. Through his fellowship with the captain, Aedelon gained a greater understanding of Zeltivan culture, and began to develop skills that he would come to value very highly.

When not sequestered in discussion with Captain Feyrwind, Aedelon often spent his time on the ship watching the crew. Fascinated by the power structure among the various strata of sailors, he often observed their interactions. He noted how the first mate inspired fear in the lesser crew and acted as the enforcer of the captain’s will, issuing a majority of the commands that allowed the ship to function with the ferocity of a lion. He marked how the ship’s navigator was always treated with respect, even by the blustering first mate, for his vital role aboard their floating home and his crucial expertise. He looked on with amusement as various crewmen bribed and haggled with the cook for extra ladles of fish stew or another refill for their wineskin.

It seemed to Aedelon that the Guilded Everlight was a microcosm of what society at large could be. The problem was, there wasn’t much room for advancement in the rigid order of the ship. From what the captain had told him, however, the opposite would be true in Zeltiva - if one had the right connections, the drive to succeed, and the willingness to trample over others on one’s path to the top. Aedelon, for one, was ready to begin down just such a path.




Language

Fluent Language: Common




Skills

Skill	EXP	Total	Proficiency
Leadership	10 RB, 5 SP	15	Novice
Intelligence	10 SP	10	Novice
Negotiation	10 SP	10	Novice
Persuasion	15 SP	15	Novice
Rhetoric	10 SP	10	Novice




Lores

Lore of Zeltivan Culture
Constellation: Aedelon




Possessions

1 Set of Clothing
-Simple Shirt
-Simple Pants
-Simple Undergarments
-Simple Cloak
-Simple Boots
1 Waterskin
1 Backpack which contains:
-Comb (Wood)
-Brush (Wood)
-Soap
-Razor
-Balanced Rations (1 Week's worth)
-1 eating knife
-Flint & Steel 
100 Gold Mizas




Housing

Location: Zeltiva
Housing: 1 season’s stay at World’s End Grotto (Fall 519AV)




Ledger

Purchase	Cost	Total
Starting	+100 GM	100 GM
Housing Cash-in	+500 GM	600 GM
Single Room @ World’s End Grotto - 1 Season (Fall 519AV)	-45 GM 5 SM	554 GM 5 SM




Thread List

Many threads to come!