Izzyraen was born in Zirnakaynan to House Dolour. Raised in the dark, he was a skilled man-catcher in the tight tunnels of the darklands.
However he never had the innate hatred that his fellows had for other races. Oh, he loved the thrill of going after them, but it was mostly the same thrill as any other hunt.
A few years earlier, his house took in a handful of new slaves, including one of the hated surface elves. Izzyraen was immediately taken by her looks, and spent quite a bit of time her. He didn't really care for her, but after a long trip out from the palace, her nightly comforts helped. And she also explained the surface world, specifically her faith in Calistria. It amused him to no end that she had fallen into similar jobs below as she did above, despite her protests that the two were wildly different.
When she was dragged to the fleshwarpers, he decided he would take it upon himself to go to the surface and view the lands himself. He had learned the surface language well-enough, and the recon could be useful. He suspected the surface dwellers would be easily fooled enough with a hood, gloves and a decent mask. A simple lie, a bribe here and there, or just slipping into the shadows should work.
The matron of his house thought it a good enough plan. He was quickly outfitted, and sent up.
His journeys above ground were odd to say the least. Riddleport and the other towns in Varisia were completely unlike Zirnakaynan. It was disconcerting to see these lesser folk being able to work together, and their deities were so odd (though this thought of some test that could make him ascend intrigued him. His house would like that little bit of info). He slowly worked his way east in some caravans.
He made his way into the lands of humans called Ustalav. It felt better than Varisia as that blasted sun was rarely out past those "clouds." As the caravans headed on a trail through western Ustalav, a man burst through the foliage with some large furry beast (a large wolf) on his heels. Before the rest of the caravan could act, Izzyraen had burst forward and buried his rapier into the creature.
The man immediately began throwing praise upon the masked figure, offering his thanks and promising to pay him back one day. That night, Professor Lorrimor had hired him to help with his current project of delving into some ancient crypt. Izzyraen proved invaluable in defusing a few traps, and Lorrimor got out with some relic.
As the months went by, they stayed in irregular contact, and then the letter came saying that Illyraen was being summoned to the man's funeral. Oh well, the streets of Caliphas were beginning to get suspicious of this stranged hooded elf. Might be good to get out and recon a little further afield.
