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About Broken Prince

Garroth Cailean was a fair babe, abandoned at the Swiller's Due Orphanage in the bustling lawless town of Nerosyan. His early years were poor, but happy, and now seem impossibly distant. The orphanage embraced the rough and ready ethos of its patron god, but the merry disorder always frustrated Garroth's orderly soul.

Always small for his age he nevertheless took to martial training intending to make a living as a mercenary. But he caught religion from a Priest of Aroden, Aldma Schoss, who came to tend the orphans during a bout of Coppertongue Fever the father gave him a copy of Aroden's holy text, The History and Future of Humanity, which he still carries two centuries later.

At eighteen he set out as a caravan guard, but found himself called to aide a small hamlet on their path being beset by raiders. As he battled the bandits leader, a bear of a man who had him outmatched in both power and experience he found a moment of sudden calm amidst his panic and felt the blessings of Aroden lend him the strength to smite the bestial bandit. So called he presented himself to the Church of Aroden in Cheliax and was acknowledged as a Paladin.

Life was hard, but rewarding as a sword of The Last Azlanti, and for thirty years he served, helping those in need, smiting the wicked, and furthering the expansion of the Chelaxian Empire - humanities brightest light. Then in an instant it was all gone.

The Starfall Doctrine foretold that in 4606 AR Aroden would lead the human race to a thousand years of wonder and prosperity, The Age of Glory, and take the Chelaxian throne. Instead Garroth found his connection to his god severed, and the Empire he had so loved descended into darkness and diabolism.

Broken and bereft he journeyed back to his home and began to train men suddenly eager to learn skill at arms with The Worldwound consuming nearby Sarkoris. Here he first realized that his strange abilities, his youthfulness, the fact that his eyes could pierce the darkness, etc., were not the blessings of Aroden, but a curse. He began to drink heavily, earning the disapproval of the Orphanage's staff, for Cayden Cailean celebrated drinking for pleasure not maudlin self pity.

Then from nowhere he me a woman Celiese, a bakers daughter, plain, but with a laugh and smile that could warm the coldest heart. Bringing bread for the children each day Celiese courted the moody, but handsome Garroth with patient sincerity and they were married in 4620 AR.

They were swept up in the 1st Mendevian Crusade and were amongst the founders of the Fortress City of Drezen. There they raised a family, five boys, and one girl.

In 4638 AR Garroth Cailean's beautiful family were caught in the wave of chaotic energies that overwhelmed Drezen and transformed before his eyes into slavering bestial monsters. But Garroth's curse protected him, it saved him so he could watch his sons tear his wife to shred and devour her, so that he could stab his beloved daughter in the heart as she tried to claw out his throat. It saved him so he could know despair.

Seventy five years have passed, since he fled Drezen in the chaos. Decades of misery and drunken impotence. Part of Garroth longed to die, to be with his family, but every time he tried to summon the courage to end his life he saw their twisted faces. How could he end his life when some of his sons were still trapped as monsters? Did their souls writhe within those hideous shells, did they know what they had become? But it was hopeless, one man could never hope to strike into the heart of The Worldwound, so he sank into bottle after bottle to numb the pain...

Then she came to him, bright as the sun in gleaming armor, and she told him that she would grant him a chance. The time for wallowing was done, it was time to stand to take up the sword and to reclaim his honor. The Lady of Valor offered to restore his mantle of old. He awoke to rumours of a 5th Crusade, and rekindled purpose.

Now shriven, and determined Garroth Cailean means to free his lost sons, and drive the demons back into the Abyss.