Eldmar/Backstory2

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Young Eldmar

Eldmar was born into a very wealthy and powerful family in Marukan. His parents owned a large ranch and made a sizeable income from horse and cattle sales. Eldmar was groomed from an early age to enter into the Marukan army as a cavalry officer, gaining some experience of the world, and perhaps even participating in the officer exchange program with Lookshy.

Eldmar became an expert horseman, highly skilled with the bow and the slashing sword, but his passion was for the books in his father’s library. He took every opportunity to educate himself, he was taught to read by his father Cordan at an early age, and took great delight in the time he got to spend reading. His mother Fatima, taught him the old language – Old Realm, so that he could try to piece together some of the older texts in the library.

By the age of 15 Eldmar was routinely patrolling the grounds and working as a leader on the cattle runs on market day, he was respected both by the ranch hands and by his father. Just after his 16th birthday, the family was hosting a visiting noble from Celeron, councillor Karesh was a mid ranking member of the countries ruling council, and intended to pay them a visit on his way back to the city from inspecting one of the military border posts. Whilst on their journey an outcaste Dragon blooded and his band of outlaws ambushed them, taking their valuables, but more importantly taking the Noble’s daughter Camara hostage. Suffice to say Councillor Karesh was some what annoyed at this and when he arrived at the ranch house made it quite clear that he held Cordan personally responsible for the attack which had after all happened on Cordan’s land.

An armed party led by Cordan himself, with Eldmar and a dozen other Marukan militiamen rode off to the ambush site, to search for anything that may help to apprehend the outlaws. The Marukani trackers are experts after years of hunting down horse thieves and so quickly picked up the bandit’s trail and followed them to their hideout. The militia quickly over powered the sentries, but the alarm was raised and the fighting began in earnest. The outcaste came out on to the field of battle wearing full Jade platemail, he held a Powerbow in his hands and a Daiklave strapped to his hip. He picked off Cordan’s men one by one with a stream of feathered death as they engaged in combat with the other outlaws, finally only Eldmar and Cordan remained. The Dragon blood dropped his bow and drawing his sword he moved in to engage Cordan, throwing up a casual salute Cordan prepared for his final fight.

The Dragon blooded moved with a grace and speed that seemed so unnatural that no mortal would have stood a chance. Even before the scream had left Eldmar’s lips, he saw as though in slow motion his father’s lifeless body slump to the floor, his eyes glazing over as his soul began the journey to Lethe. Then the outcast turned upon Eldmar.

The air around the outcast swirled like a small dust devil, dust and dead leaves danced around his body, propelled by the winds. The sky lit up in a multitude of colours and suddenly Eldmar found himself shackled at the wrist and ankles, the outcast advanced ominously upon the now unarmed and defenceless Eldmar. He took his time, allowing the tension to build; when he began to use his blade, he did so gently and almost lovingly. The outcast wanted Eldmar to suffer, eventually the wounds began to take effect, Eldmar dropped first to his knees and finally to the floor, and as the last drops of blood flowed out of his body, Eldmar’s eyes began to close.

That was when things started to go crazy, everything cleared, the sun shone down directly upon Eldmar’s almost lifeless corpse. Energy seemed to rush through his entire body, and his wounds started to close up. With a huge surge of power, flames engulfed his body, shattering the shackles that the outcast had summoned to hold him. The outcast stepped backwards away from Eldmar, fear radiated from him as he saw his own death rapidly approaching. A terrible light of hatred and revenge blazed in Eldmar’s eyes as he picked up his discarded sword and moved towards the outcast Dragon blood.

The clash was as short as it was furious, it lasted all of a few seconds. The power of the Unconquered Sun coursed through Eldmar as he knocked aside the outcast’s defences, his blade finding the one chink in the outcast’s armour and biting deeply. Light and life faded from his eyes as the Dragon blood fell slowly to the floor.

Eldmar went straight to his father’s side, as he cradled Cordan in his arms the world went black. When he became conscious he found himself lying on a rough bed, swathed in blood soaked bandages. The smell of some kind of soup boiling over a fire filled his nose, the silvery sound of a female voice raised in song filled his ears. Somehow Camara had managed to slip her bonds and tend to Eldmar’s wounds. She explained to Eldmar that she had seen everything, including display of his anima and knew exactly what he had become. She went on to explain how she would keep his secret, and to help ease his fears began to teach him of the exalted. She did not teach him from the biased texts that the Immaculates preached, but from her own hard won personal experience. Camara was one of the chosen of Luna.

It took two days of recuperation before Eldmar was well enough to travel, and so they had time to talk and get to know each other. The journey back to the ranch – a three day horse ride took closer to a week on foot, especially while carrying the body of Cordan and his equipment. Eldmar took the bow and the Daiklave of the fallen Dragon blooded outcast, the rest of his things, along with all the bodies were burnt on a huge bonfire. During the return trip Eldmar and Camara – or Moonblade – as she was known by her pack became closer. There was a very strange and powerful bond between them that sprung up as if from nowhere. By night they dreamt, and their dreams were remarkably similar. They dreamt of their lives in the First age, Camara dreamt of a life in the forest as a warrior and of the name Jolander. Eldmar dreamt of great artifacts and amazing buildings, the name of Salamar echoed through his mind.

Against her father’s wishes Camara and Eldmar fell in love, eventually they married, Karesh finally accepted them as a couple when they presented him with his first grandson. They now have three children, Adama (male) aged 11, Selena (female) aged 8 and Koren (male) aged 2. Under their careful management the Ranch prospered, the herds grew and Eldmar was able to study to his hearts content.

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