Born to a dead mother, sired by a father who died before he was born, Darius had known from an early age the cold grasp of the underworld. His youth was far from pleasant. An Orphan in his own right, he was ostracized and shunned by his peers, even though he had a family in his Grandparents.
Having no one his own age to play with left him with much time to pursue other areas of interest. He read, continuously, all matters of history, biographies, instructional manuscripts and tall tales. He spent his time learning the Violin, an instrument that he became quite adept with. Darius spent his childhood, not in a constant state of joyous play, but a perpetual state of quiet learning.
He explored, as every young man did, the surrounding areas of the City, traveling to the deep forests around his home, to the mountains and even, once, to the sea and back again. But, unlike other youths his age, Darius spent most of his time not exploring the countryside, but exploring his very own little town! He had learned, from some archaic manuscript, the manner by which one could pick a lock, and had employed this piece of information, after tracking down and buying a set of tools, to gain access to wherever his heart desired.
At the tender age of 120 years old, Darius, still young in Elven years, enlisted in the Guard of a Minor Lord, there to be trained in the use of a blade. It was here that he would find his true calling, employing his quick hands, sharp eyes and ears and his emotionally numb state of being as a Spy and, if extremely necessary, an Assassin, for his employer.
After 10 years of faithful service to his Lord, Darius slipped. Messing up a Contract would cost him his life, he knew that, but he had been ordered to Poison a young Lord, a human boy of no more than 11, at a banquet he, Darius's Lord, would be hosting. Fearing for his own life and the life of the young Lord, Darius slipped... the poison straight into his employers glass. He fled Karrnath that same night, leaving behind anything he could not carry and disappearing into the night.
He traveled the lands for two decades, learning his trade first hand as he stole, lied, cheated and begged for a living. He became adept at both picking locks and charming coat pockets and very soon had earned himself a reputation as a Thief with Potential, amongst the right circle of people!
At the age of 150 he set up his home base in the city of Sharn, pulling off some minor jobs in the higher reaches to earn enough money to get him going, before he became a terror to the Middle class. He stole indiscriminately from everyone stupid enough to not lock up fully at night.
He worked like this for a further ten years, earning himself the nickname "The Shadow", till he finally slipped up. Barely escaping a noose, he fled the city of Sharn in search of adventure and excitement in the outer world, at least till the heat died down a little!
