Vallen Alberon's page

About Vallen Alberon

Growing up in the slums is hard. When those slums happen to be in Zaun, it gets even harder. You have to fight, steal, and sometimes kill to survive like everyone else, but throw in all the mad scientists looking for new test subjects, and you've got even more reason to start watching your back. Someone looking to take you back to their lab could be just around any corner, not to mention all the toxic waste they'll be spilling into the alleys.

Such was the life that Vallen Alberon found for himself in his younger years. His parents did the best they could for five years, the two having found themselves in a low point of their lives after Vallen's birth. It wasn't a good life, having to steal, fight, and beg for their every meal, but it was all they could do without resorting to horrendous tests from the many scientists around. It was just life to Vallen, though, not knowing any better. Sure, he questioned many things, but if they were doing it just to keep him alive, it had to be good.

A lot of that changed, though, when his parents were tricked into being test subjects of a new, potent, synthetic drug. What they thought was going to be their next meal was actually something laced with Craze, a mild toxin that caused hallucinations, convulsions, and a strong sense of euphoria. The euphoria lasted only for ashort time, before temporary insanity kicked in, causing a wide variety of reactions. The worst part about it, though, was just how addicting it was; one dose was all it took for Vallen's parents to get hooked.

Needless to say, Vallen's life took quite a turn after this event. His parents were completely indisposed most of the time, and it was up to himself to keep himself alive, a task that was a bit more difficult than usual at the age of six. There was a lot of things that young Vallen had to do to get by, and many of them he'd rather forget. Year after year, he felt dirtier and dirtier about his way of living, and longed for some sort of alternative. All the stealing, all the fighting, and all the "small favors" he had to do were wearing on his soul. His parents weren't getting any better, either, which made it even harder on him.

On the brink of despair, a faint glimmer of hope shined down on Vallen in the form of a robbery. It wasn't one he was begrudgingly planning, though, but rather one he happened to pass by while trying to scrounge up some money. Two armed robbers were holding up a small shop. This didn't concern the 16 year old Vallen all that much; it was just common to the slums of Zaun, after all. However, when he heard that little girl, no older than 5, scream out in terror as one of the robbers fired a shot just over her head, he couldn't stand by. Terror ran through his chest, but he just couldn't let a child get shot for nothing. Picking up a stray pipe nearby, Vallen charged in from behind and clobbered the closest gunman in the back of the head. The loud thunk was enough to get the other to turn around and immediately shoot, but by some miracle, the spread of pellets missed Vallen as he charged in to strike the other man, and just like that, he saved the day.

Unsure of what just happened himself, he just stood there panting, looking at the girl who still seemed terrified. The store owner called out to the boy, though, and snapped him back to his senses. He fell to his knees and dropped the pipe, a strange sensation washing over him. It was tingly, it was sudden, it was...pure. He barely heard the thanks and gratitude that was being given to him, his mind getting lost in the moment. To this day, the store owner never gets tired of retelling how bright that boy's smile was after he realized just what a great deed he had done. He even remembers how amazed he was that Vallen refused any sort of reward afterwards, as well.

After that, Vallen felt he knew what he was meant to do. A full year after his first good deed, rumors of a savior of the slums spread, this lone, blonde, young man stopping robberies and muggings all on his own, and for nothing more than to simply do it. Word had even spread to Demacia, who, for reasons unknown, decided to send an army recruiter to seek out this figure. He was quickly found, as the recruiter was held up at knifepoint almost as soon as he was within Zaun's borders, but before the gang could make their threats, they were beset by Vallen, who quickly knocked all of them out with a makeshift hammer. Already impressed, the recruiter offered Vallen a chance to join Demacia's army and help spread justice and peace throughout all of Valorian.

At first, Vallen refused, feeling that his good deeds were more appreciated in Zaun, but his slow mind starting to work on all the opportunities for glory and good deeds an army could provide for him. He still wanted to help his parents, who were still addicted to Craze, but he had found his own addiction, and it was hard to pass up the lure of all the goodness he could spread in the army. After three days, he met with the recruiter again, and he found himself serving in the army of Demacia.