Interviewer: Lord Lodovka, your Grace, Our readers would like to know a little more about you before the events that have led to your current success. Can you tell us a little about yourself when you were young?
Cain: Well, I was born the fourth son of Lucius and Martha Lodovka of Issia after the disappearance of the Rogarvia dynasty. The first son is trained in succession of the family. The Second son is trained in military leadership. The third is given a diverse training in case one of his elder brothers up and gets himself killed. By the time you get to number four, all the family resources have already been taken. Daughters can be married off for alliances, but a fourth son is nothing but a drain and a liability. So my parents sent me off to join the church where someone else could take care of and be responsible for me. The wanted me to become a monk and take vows of poverty and chastity, but I managed to convince them that as a cleric I might at least have a chance to bring the family some recognition even if it was a long shot. Who ever heard of a renown monk?
Int: Is that when you joined the church of Abadar?
Cain: Not at first. My family are followers of Gozreh mostly since we make our living from the waters. So they first sent me to his temple.
Int: So what made you change?
Cain: Well there were small signs along the way, but the big sign was when they put me in charge of various groups of acolytes. I would set down ground rules and anyone who stepped out of those bounds I would clobber. I learned two key lessons from those encounters. 1) Beating people senseless didn't work real well. Which is ironic considering that's what I ended up having to do to tame the wild lands. But afterwords it has proven very helpful. And 2) my sense of structure really didn't fit in with Gozreh's followers. Iris, the high priestess also noticed the problem and suggested that I transfer to Winterbreak where the was a temple to Adabar. She was able to secure me a place there and I corresponded with her frequently in the many years that followed. While we were on separate paths, she provided me with excellent wisdom and help in my spiritual growth.
Int: Many people want to know the story behind your arms, would you mind telling that story?
Cain: Not at all. It happened during the time I was studying at the temple. My family have always been into swimming the lake, and we often hold small races between ourselves and relatives. I was home on break for one of these races. I had usually done respectably and this year I was a little off pace from my normal. Book life doesn't always lend itself to keeping up your athleticism. A freak storm came up suddenly from the north and turned the waters treacherous. We all swam to the shores for our lives, had we been any less proficient in the water I'm sure it would have killed us all. As it was, when I approached the shoreline a huge cross wave hit me and slammed me into the mooring docks. Dazzed from the impact I grabbed a peer for support, but the wave had broken the anchor lines of a nearby ship. It slammed into the peer, cracking it and crushed my arms in the process. My brother Titus saw this from shore and came in after me. The storm lasted long enough that by the time we were able to travel anywhere, the crushed bones had already started to knit in random ways. The master cleric in Winterbreak was only able to repair part of the damage.
Int: Did that make you question your devotion?
Cain: Yes it did. I often wondered how my god could turn on me so. I was devoted, why did he allow me to remain so crippled? But it was this questioning that eventually made my faith even stronger. And it has been that determination that has helped me beyond measure when I've come face to face with mace and mail. However, even after many years, I never regained full use of my arms, and they were substantially weakened from the muscle damage and subsequent use restrictions. It has forced me to rely all the more on the power of Adabar and not in my own strength.
Int: How did you hear about the call to the stolen lands?
Cain: Well, even in the north the call was heard. Merchants and bards travel the roads all over Brevoy. And temples aren't immune from the local gossip and talk.
Int: What made you decide to head the call?
Cain: Well, I had just finished my studies and had been granted my clericship, but had not yet been assigned a temple to apprentice at. Most of the main cities already had full temples, and I knew my hopes of being placed somewhere I could rise in prominence where slim. So when I head of the opportunity to start up a new temple in the wild lands to the south, I saw the chance to perhaps rise even above my older brothers in raising our family name. I requested to travel south and answer the call, and Marcus, the Chief Priest in Winterbreak, granted it.
Int: Did it bother you that as an Issian, you were supporting the Rostlander Swordlords?
Cain: <frowns> At the time it was not known by many that the call had been masterminded by the Rostlanders to provide them allys against the Issians. While house Surtova was definitely positioning themselves to take over, we still stood to gain more by supporting them than by siding with the Rostlanders. So I had no idea at the time that I might be working against Issia's interests. By the time that became evident, it was far too late. House Surtova is extremely savvy, but the plan of the Swordlords was even beyond their machinations. Gutsy, and risky beyond what you could imagine.
