Journey

ORPHAN OF WAR

Kaelen was born in a small, forgotten village on the fringes of Eldraeth’s northern territories, a place ravaged by endless conflict between warring kingdoms and marauding beasts. His earliest memories are fragmented—shattered by trauma and loss. His parents were killed during a brutal raid when he was just a child, leaving him an orphan.

Raised by a grizzled mercenary named Garron Thal, Kaelen learned early the harsh realities of survival. Garron was a man of few words but great skill, who took Kaelen under his wing, teaching him swordsmanship, tactics, and the mercenary code. Garron’s mentorship was strict but necessary, shaping Kaelen into a hardened warrior.

From a young age, Kaelen exhibited strange traits that set him apart from others: his piercing gray eyes that seemed to glow faintly in darkness, an uncanny resilience to pain, and occasional flashes of insight or power he could not explain. Villagers whispered that he was touched by the old gods, but Garron dismissed such talk as superstition.

When Kaelen was a teenager, Garron was betrayed by a fellow mercenary captain who coveted his reputation and Kaelen’s potential. Garron was killed in a skirmish, and Kaelen was left to fend for himself. This betrayal hardened Kaelen’s resolve and deepened his distrust of others.

The loss of Garron also severed Kaelen’s last tangible link to his childhood and forced him into a life of wandering, taking mercenary contracts across Eldraeth. His reputation grew, but so did the loneliness and the gnawing question of who he truly was.

Kaelen’s true heritage was hidden even from him. Unknown to Kaelen, his mother was a descendant of a secret bloodline linked to Aelthar, the old god of twilight and forgotten secrets. This bloodline was hunted and nearly wiped out after the Shattering, as remnants of the old gods were feared and persecuted by the rising mortal kingdoms and their new gods.

Kaelen’s fragmented memories and dreams are echoes of this divine legacy—visions of ancient temples, cryptic symbols, and voices calling him to awaken his dormant powers. These visions grow stronger as he journeys deeper into the mysteries of his past.

The catalyst for Kaelen’s journey is a mission in Draemor, where he encounters relics and signs of the old gods. This mission triggers the awakening of his latent powers and memories. The visions become impossible to ignore, and the whispers of the old gods grow louder.