First Name: Aelcar
Last Name: Lightbringer
Appearance: Tall and well built, full plate and longsword by his side. Pure white mantle.
Race: Aasimar
Age: 21
Height 7'' ca.
Weight: 240 lbs ca.
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Silver
Facial Hair Style: no facial hair
Personality Profile: see story below
General Health: no distinguishing marks, fully healthy (actually..unnaturally healthy
)Deity: Tyr
Initial Alignment: Lawful Good
Profession: Paladin
Base Class & Proposed Development: Full Paladin all the way to lvl 30
Habits/Hobbies: loves history, strategy and tactics. Plays chess.
Languages: Celestial, Common, Elven
Weapon of Choice: Longsword, the favored weapon of his god.
Background: see story below
Goals: see story below
Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts: Aelcar is fully committed to defend the weak, help the needy, and be the embodiment of the "Hand of Justice", as Tyr demands. He is a Knight of The Merciful Swords, he has been sent to Baldur's Gate from his order (see story below), and can join any cause he deems worthy.
STORYLINE
- Lightbringer's Birth
He never knew his family. Whoever his mortal parents were, they abandoned him on a small corn field, in a wilderness area close to Nashkell. He was found by monks of Chauntea, who brought him back to the temple where the priests recognized his celestial heritage, named him Lightbringer, and raised him with a clerical career in mind. The boy was surely gifted, with a magnetic personality, a quick mind and a natural attunement with a blade. Tall, with a penetrating, purple eyed stare and long, silver hair, he was a natural born leader even if only 15 years old. Lightbringer, however, was far from perfect...he was righteous, and naturally good inclined, but overzealous and rash, and constantly restless for a chance to prove his superiority over the others. His sermons and chiding (of adults and children alike) often ended up in broken bones (that he called "justice"), and the adventures he was seeking were putting at risk the lives of all his friends, who saw him like a paragon and worshipped him like a god, following him everywhere. At 16, and totally out of control, the monks were forced to provide him with goods and put him on the road to Nashkell, only a few days of travel far, so that he could find his way...
- The Battle of Nashkell
Not much is known about his stay in Nashkell, but Lightbringer was less than well accepted there. His "black and white" vision of the world brought him more enemies than friends, and he barely escaped a knife through his ribs more often than not, due to his inflexibility bordering into outright hostility towards anyone straying from his very own vision of "law", "justice" and what is "right". A turning point came at the age of 17, when Nashkell fell under attack by a combined humanoid force. The snow fell early that year, leaving the town to fend off for itself as usual, de facto cutting all the travel routes until spring. Shortly after the usual winter isolation started, townsfolk started to mysteriously vanish at dusk, and strange shapes to be seen in the darkness at the edge of the outer torches' circle of light. Patrols of town militia went out to investigate the mystery, but they never came back. With the tension rising, one day the attack came: a band of hobgoblin started to rain fire arrows to pin the militia down to their cover, while groups of bugbears were sneaking in the city, assassinating easy targets (military and civilians alike) and bringing the conflict in the very roads of Nashkell. In this already difficult situation, a horde of goblins swarmed out of the mines, opening a new attack front and threatening to end the resistance immediately. In the darkest hour, when all seemed lost, Lightbringer rallied some friends and a few adventurers who were waiting in town for winter to pass, took up a fortified position right before the exit of the mine valley and stem the green tide. He held the position for six days, day and night fighting to stop the onslaught, showing strategic wisdom and tactical awareness as well as competence with a sword. He fought his battle, allowing the militia to fight their own against hobgoblins and bugbears. The stalemate was broken by the arrival of a mighty cleric of Tyr and his retinue of knights, whose charge annihilated the hobgoblins and gave the militia the chance to fight back and repel the invaders. When the Cleric rescued Lightbringer and (supposedly) his party, they found he was the only one alive, and even him would not have survived the day without the cleric's healing powers. The next day and night, Lightbringer and the Cleric discussed. Noone knows what was said, but at dawn of the second day, The holy priest announced that he was going back to the Order of The Merciful Sword's stronghold in Waterdeep, and Lightbringer was coming with him to be ordained officially as a Paladin of Tyr.
- Aelcar, the Knight Templar of Tyr
When the vigil was concluded, the sun dawned on Aelcar Lightbringer, Paladin of The Order of The Merciful Sword. They say Aelcar was one of his best friends, that sacrificed his life to protect him during the battle of Nashkell. Whatever the reasons behind his name, it is said that Lightbringer had developed a dislike for humanoid monsters bordering in prejudice, and outright hatred. They say in the following years, he kept riding out in the night, visiting known caves infested with Orcs, goblins, gnolls and the like as near to the the City of Splendors as possible, and slaying countless numbers of them, not to bring justice and smite evil in all its forms, but out of pure desire for vengeance.At the age of 19, now being a knight errand for the temple, he was assigned to Daggerford, and in particular to help defeat a group of cuttroaths formed by ex adventurers and deserters from several militias who banded together and were preying on travelers. On his way to the city, it is said he found a Half-Orc bent on a human child, on the side of the road. Without a second thought, he quickly dispatched the halfblood only to find out he was just trying to use his clerical powers to heal the mortally wounded child, now as well beyond salvation. This occurrence had a deep impact on Aelcar, and possibly is one of the most important milestones in his life: The young Lightbringer, rash, impulsive, full of prejudices and with a black and white vision of good and evil died with that child. A new Aelcar was born: his judgement was now based on actions, nevermore race nor prejudice of any kind. He now started to perceive good and evil as aspect of every living being, and therefore the righteous must be vigil and aware that he is not immune to the taint. Conversely, not all evil is beyond redemption, although justice and law must be defended and enforced at all costs regardless of a villain's chance for salvation. Once he guided the local forces to a decisive victory against the bandits, he went back to Waterdeep and spoke to the Cleric who brought him into the order, explaining what happened to him and his ideas. After reflecting a few days, the priest claimed he had a vision from Tyr, and that Aelcar's destiny would unfold in Baldur's Gate. More he could not say, but he arranged the travel immediately, giving the Paladin full powers from the Order to bring hope and justice wherever his quest to fulfill his own destiny brought him.