Gabriel Athan, The Pale Flame
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 11:15 am
Last Name: Athan
Appearance: Gabriel is taller than your average human and he has a rather fit build for a mage. Even with his pale skin, bald head, full beard and the permanent scowl on his face, his friendly blue eyes could fool anyone to think he is a naive, nice guy.
Race: human
Age: 30, born in 1320DR on the 3rd day of Flamerule (July)
Height: 6'2" / 188cm
Weight: 198lb / 90kg
Eyes: blue
Hair: dark brown (currently bald)
Facial hair: full beard
Personality Profile: He was an extremely trusting and positive person. His past experience made him dark and cynical, unable to fully trust anyone, other than his summoned allies. Although he is still a generally nice person, he has a hard time dealing with others, but he can put up an act for short conversations or business deals. That's why he prefers to make short work of everything, just to get rid of the trouble as fast as possible.
General Health: He is just as healthy as a vagabond adventurer can be. Although his pale skin may suggest otherwise.
Deity: Mystra
Initial Alignment: Neutral (probably slowly changing toward Neutral Evil)
Profession: travelling mage, adventurer
Base class: wizard, slowly working toward gaining Thaumaturge and Blood Mage levels.
Weapon of Choice: While he prefers to use his head, he always has staves and other magical items ready to protect himself.
Habits/Hobbies: Gabriel has an unhealthy sense of curiosity, so he has a hard time dealing with the unknown, almost as much as dealing with others. Basically he is enthusiastic about all treasure, especially relics and arcane knowledge. Although he feels annoyed when others assume he to be a simple treasure hunter.
Languages: common, arcane, thorass, alzhedo, halruaan, elven (far from fluent)
Background: Gabriel Athan hails from Waterdeep, where he was born in 1320DR (Year of the Watching Cold) on the third day of Flamerule as the single son of Ianros Athan, a travelling mage and Krisstine Ryner, a local sorcerer. Sadly due to unknown complexities Krisstine died while giving birth to him.
His father was an odd one. Others often mentioned how they never seen him mourning the loss of Krisstine. Ianros was a veteran of the Dragonspear Expedition (1315DR) and a fine alchemist. He frequently told stories about the First Lord of Waterdeep and the mysterious world under their feet to the young Gabriel, but sometimes it seemed more like he was just mumbling to himself about wondrous treasures, mixtures and other arcane secrets. One day his father disappeared without a trace, so he was left in the care of his mother's parents. The old couple gave him a loving family and they raised him to be a decent young boy. That's why like most waterdhavians, the young Gabriel was talkative, friendly and hard working.
Soon his grandfather, who worked as a senior scribe at the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors noticed Gabriel's sharp mind and natural aptitude for the Art. In 1327. (Year of the Blue Flame) at the age of 7 he became a candidate junior apprentice at the Blackstaff Academy, and later, even if only as a helper, he gained admittance as one of the youngest (spellcasting) prodigy in the history of the Blackstaff Tower.
His friendly, straightforward behavior and that he always tried to satisfy the needs of his fellow apprentices made it easy to get used to his new home. Although there were times when his seniors had to rebuke him for his easygoing attitude toward the Art. "All potential, no selfcontrol. You gifted younglings are all the same." The young Gabe heard that line way too often back then.
Even if it was a bumpy road, he managed somehow and in 1337DR at the age of 17, he became an official apprentice of the Blackstaff Academy. One who could proudly call himself a mage. After almost a decade of cleaning duties and assisting his seniors in their researches, finally he could start his studies for real. To celebrate this occasion the other apprentices invited Gabe to the Jade Dancer ( a popular festhall in the South Ward). It should've been one of the best days in his life, but things turned out quite differently. Instead of joy and laughter with his fellow students, it felt more like the dancing and cheering crowd swallowed him whole. Soon he lost consciousness.
It felt like days passed before he finally woke up in a dark cell. After continously shouting for hours, he was about to give up, when he noticed a silent figure in front of the barred door. At a closer look the person wear a black mask and a crimson colored robe. "Magic runs deep in the blood." - said the robed person in a low, yet powerful voice. "True power is made from one's blood." - he continued, then left without a word. Somehow the robed stranger felt familiar, his voice felt familiar, but Gabriel had no idea and fell asleep without knowing that he is about to witness the dark side of the arcane arts.
Days passed again, and he realized the robed stranger wasn't alone, there were a whole lot of them. Sometimes he heard distant voices, screams maybe, but with his dimmed senses, he couldn't tell. One day they came for him, it was his time to face the dreadful truth. The crimson robed mob dragged him to a chamber, where he needed long minutes to get used to the sudden brightness, but even almost unconscious he could smell the stench of blood all over the place. On that day they tortured him and soon it became a daily routine. Later, after they put him back in his cell, once again he found the crimson robed stranger at his door. Gabriel could tell, it was the same person he met before. He was about to leave when instead he leaned closer to the barred door and whispered: "You are weak, just like they were...True power is made from one's blood... When you temper your magic power, you must focus on the flow of blood."
On the next day he woke up to a loud noise. It wasn't like the usual screams before, it was more like sounds of battle. It was a chaotic mixture of metal hitting metal, explosions and death screams. It was the day when a black robed Magister and his company of city guards raided the lair of the cultists... and the day when Gabriel regained his freedom.
Most of the cultists died during the assault, but some of them managed to escape. Later he found out that the Magisters were investigating the increasing number of disappearances in Waterdeep and that his grandparents were among the victims. Without them he was alone again, just like in that dark cell before.
This experience changed his outlook on the world. He returned to the Blackstaff Tower, but he was a different person. He became aloof, he just couldn't trust anyone anymore. He became quite a bookworm in his desperate search for answers. Nightmares didn't let him sleep, so day and night he was busy reading and researching. At first his teachers were even proud of him, but soon everyone around him realized that he embarked on the path of self-destruction.
He needed time, they said. Maybe they meant well, maybe they just wanted to stand in his way, but after they forbid him to continue his research and to use the libraries, he decided it was time to leave the academy and with that his journey began.
Goals and Possible Plot-Hook Ideas, additional misc stuff:
- Arcane knowledge and with that power.
Uncovering the truth about the cultists (Bhaal worshiping blood mages) and the crimson robed man.
Uncovering the truth about the deaths of his grandparents and his mother
Taking vengeance on everyone responsible.
