Appearance:
Gideon is tall, and trim, a statement of lean muscle mass. He carries himself with a confident air, and usually has a smile for everyone. His white teeth framed against his ivory skin almost always invoke a return smile.
He has copper colored hair, and ivory skin. His eyes are amber colored, and tend to almost glow with an inner light.
Gideon has custom shining brass coated chainmail with a tabard featuring the rising sun of Lathander on back and front.
History
Gideon’s parents grew up in a farming community a few miles south of Icewind Dale. This was at a time when bandit activity was at an all-time high, and a particularly evil band of Ogres had recently began to terrorize the area. Though they came from a large family, they were herders, not warriors, and the constant raids of the ogres began to take a major toll, not only on friends, and neighbors, but on the family itself. Several cousins, and uncles had already fallen to the ogres voracious appetites, and his mother Ruth, decided she had had enough. Prayers to various gods seemed to do no good, so she finally went out to the barn at night, and pleaded for intervention from anyone. After this episode she went in to rest. The next morning she found out that her sister, and her entire family had been murdered by these greedy monsters. She fainted from the grief, and in her despair had a vision. Before her stood a giant being fully 20’ tall with 5-towering wings. He wielded a massive Sword, and his visage bespoke both anger and compassion. He spoke to her…
”If it is vengeance you desire, that I can give you, but you must give me something in return. If you would avenge your family, you must promise me the service of the child you now carry. You must deliver him to my shrine in Waterdeep when he is one year and one day old, and he will be in my service as long as he desires”.
Overcome with grief at her sacrifice, it was still one she felt she must make. True to his word Lathander destroyed the ogres to the last. When the child was born her grief intensified as he was perfect. True his skin and eye color were strange, but there was something special about him, but true to her word she delivered her infant son to the temple. Thus begins the saga of Gideon Dawnbringer.
Though the worship of Lathander was a common one in Waterdeep, it was an accepted and respected one. Gideon swiftly adapted to life in the shrine, and quickly developed into a trusted and respected young man. From an early age he revealed a strong personality, and wisdom beyond his years. He was trained and seemed destined for a special place in life. One of the trials he had to undergo before being made Abbot required him to search the area for several holy objects. It took the young man two long years to seek out the desired objects, but he was finally able to do so, and so became vested.
He spent the next several years travelling to isolated corners of the land setting up new shrines to the Dawnbringer, and leaving them in the hands of lay priests before moving on to the next one. It was a fulfilling life, but he knew he needed more. There was still something missing in his life. Finally, one day as he watched a pitiful band of slavers move through the area, the thing that had been missing came to him. Freedom. He had been born into a role and had never had the chance to make his own choices in life. Though his life had been good, and he had been allowed to develop a relationship with his parents, and his brothers and sisters, he still had been given a role in life.
He prayed about it for weeks, and finally felt at ease with his letter to the church. He would continue to serve the church, and Lathander, but he would go his own way to do so and do everything within his power to ensure that nobody had to suffer the bonds of slavery. That every man, woman and child in the land would have the right to make their own choices.
Gideon served many missions for the faction. His fantastic speaking voice, and way with words often prevailed where force of arms failed. But when called upon for more severe matters he took with that with aplomb as well. Though not particularly quick, he was strong and healthy, and seemed to glow with the guidance of his chosen god. It was during one such raid on a group of slavers, attempting to free some ill-gotten slaves that his life changed once again. In the midst of the combat, when things were looking grim an angel appeared. Wielding longbow and scimitar this vision of holy vengeance stirred him like no other. He had found a focus in life. Someone he could follow, serve and protect… on his terms, and by his choice.
