Hailing from the bustling Absalom, young Kaedric grew up surrounded by epic legends of holy knights and vindicators who had throughout the ages hunted the wicked and brought peace and compassion to the good at heart. His human father Fenric worked as a captain of the guard while his aasimar mother Iyre (pronounced eye-ree) remained a stay at home mom. She was a cripple ever since an accident occurred involving a fallen tree crushing her legs. The Iomedae clergy sought to her needs, and while her limbs were restored, they never regained function.
As such, his father tasked him at a young age to protect and care for her mother. It was his interactions with his family that taught him the value of hard work, conviction, compassion, responsibility, and other virtues that were then further inspired by his religious education provided by his father and mother. Kaedric never enjoyed reading, his restless and youthful spirit drawn to swordplay and acts of chivalry.
When he had matured, he fell in love with Esther, a cleric who studied alongside the paladin. They were a perfect compliment as Esther was more of the studious and patient one to temper Kaedric's reckless and zealous nature. Likewise, time spent with Kaedric helped the young woman find confidence in her own power and not just Iomedae's blessing. They spent every moment they could together while upholding their duties to their community, church, and family.
However, a black veil was cast upon Kaedric's happy life when he and Esther were assigned to aid the seasoned paladin Tyrinth. As part of their graduation, the two lovers were to investigate and clear out a potential hideout for Rovagug cultists. It was a cave with several winding tunnels. They killed many of the cultists, and victory seemed almost assured. It was the height of Kaedric's life: battling evil forces alongside the very holy warriors he venerated, even more so that one was his lover.
The cultists planned a last ditch effort to defeat the party by capturing Esther and escaping into the winding tunnels. The Kaedric, Tyrinth, and their band of clergy graduates searched every tunnel to find them. Kaedric had the misfortune of finding Esther stripped of her gear and chained to a stone table wherein Rovagug's vile servants invoked an evil ritual using Esther's pure soul as the sacrifice. She was stuck in the heart with a gnarled dagger, the blood dripping upon a magic circle that opened a swirling crimson portal. From it, a succubus arose, Esther's soul swirling helplessly in the demon's aura.
Kaedric could only tremble, his very spirit crushing under the weight of the cruelty before him. Luckily, Tyrinth had found him via an adjacent tunnel acting as a short cut. Without batting an eye, he slaughtered everyone, leaving Kaedric to mourn for the loss of Esther. He doesn't look back and simply orders for the bodies to be properly buried.
A few years passed, and during that time Kaedric questioned his faith, his morals, and his overall outlook on the world. After the shock of Esther's death had faded, he sought council with Tyrinth. The veteran, while normally stone faced and unfeeling, sympathized with Kaedric. He told Kaedric that he had some fortune in the wake of Esther's loss: he understood the true price of sacrifice and why such great heroes arise from the darkness.
Inspired by Tyrinth's monologues, he gathered his things and explained to his elders that he was leaving Absalom for the adventuring life. Kaedric's zealous attitude had matured into one of compassion and gentleness, the only reminder of Esther's good nature that Kaedric ever needed. Rumors of the abandoned arcane laboratories in Sandpoint draw him towards the city, knowing personally that evil strikes first from the shadows.
