Nathaniel grew up in the Narrows, the poorest and most dangerous district of Oppara, Taldor's capital city. Made up of muddy-streets, filth-ridden buildings, and narrow alleys, the district was run and controlled by gangs and rogue guilds. His life was difficult, violent.
Nathaniel finally escaped the Narrows and made his way to Azir, where he quickly gravitated toward and joined the Night Watchmen. Nathaniel was determined to make certain no one in Azir would ever experience what he lived through as a child.
A few months ago, Nathaniel and his fellow Night Watchmen were laid low by a group of highly organized thugs. Left for dead, Nathaniel thought he had met his end. Fate, it seemed, had other plans. A stranger brought him in from the streets and tended his wounds. As he lost consciousness, he had a brief vision of a woman, with short dark hair, dressed in full plate mail, holding a shining longsword, standing over him.
When he awoke, however, he found himself in the care of a young cultist. She could not have been more than 15 years old. Unsure of what to make of the cultist's unnecessary kindness, Nathaniel thanked her and quickly left the hovel in which she had housed him. The last thing he needed was to be associated with a rogue worshiper.
A few months later, on Oathsday, the 29th of Gozran [metanote: two nights before the first thread post], Nathaniel was assigned to a new patrol, one of several being created and given the rare opportunity to work directly with the Pure Legion. The target was a cell of thieves who had formed an underground network of tunnels to smuggle people and goods. The operation was a success, and when the Pure Legion and Night Watchmen confronted the thieves, they easily overpowered them.
As the Pure Legion began their interrogations of the criminals, the Night Watchmen began to inventory the group's contraband. Among the drugs, slaves, and prostitutes, Nathaniel was surprised to find the young cleric who had saved him. Turning around to see if anyone was watching, Nathaniel found himself face-to-face with a member of the Pure Legion. The Legionnaire asked Nathaniel what he had found, and to his own surprise, Nathaniel told him the truth: Nathaniel pointed the Legionnaire directly to the cleric and explained that she was a rogue cultist. The Legionnaire confronted the young cleric directly. Obviously afraid, the girl confessed her faith and refused to renounce it. The Legionnaire's justice was swift, complete, and without mercy. In the final moments of her life, the young cleric looked at Nathaniel with what seemed like genuine pity, as her eyes went cold.
That night, Nathaniel told himself that he had done his job. He told himself that the cleric was a fool for not lying or at least denying the charges. He told himself that he could not be held accountable for what she had done. Since that night, however, Nathaniel has not been able to sleep and has started drinking again. Worse still, he cannot bring himself to be rid of the holy symbol he lifted from her body, even though he knows no good can come of having it.
