[X] "While I originally hail from Qarth, I spent little time there as a child and even less as a man grown. It was but the first step on a journey spanning creation itself, one which I return to now out of familiarity and nostalgia. -[X] "Although magic has once more flowered upon the Garden, there have long existed rare sites which somehow held a remnant of ancient power. Even more rare, however, were those places which did not so much serve as a reservoir for lingering magic, but instead acted as a timeworn bridge between disparate Planes, allowing a slow trickle of otherworldly energy to coalesce, often with unexpected results. --[X] "It was one of these places, where the barriers of reality itself grew thin and mystical wonders were still possible, even decades ago, that I discovered as a child of just three and ten. Of course, at the time I thought myself ready to be called a man, but few are those who cannot look upon their past selves and despair at their childish naivety. ---[X] "And so I found myself in another world, where the skies shone like molten steel and the air was like the breath of a freshly stoked forge. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant introduction to the greater cosmos, and one which nearly killed me a dozen times over in my first handspan of days there. ----[X] "Life was harsh, but I persevered, aided by the awakening of my magic. With magic came power, and through the exercise of that power life grew bearable, then comfortable. I did not forget about the world of my birth, known among creation as the Plane of Balance, but neither did I let its absence rule my existence. -----[X] "What good was it to long for that which I could not have? Luck and happenstance had brought me to the Molten Skies, but no amount of research or treasure could have opened the way for my return to the Garden. I instead contented myself exploring the many Planes, gathering power and lore, and no small amount of wealth. And then a disaster struck, or a miracle was granted, depending upon whom you ask. ------[X] "Much changed among the Planes with the realignment of the spheres, not least of all the reopening of the Plane of Balance to one such as I, who had not stepped foot on native soil for nearly two score years." -------[X] "So to answer your question, I grew mighty not in the shadow of the Palace of Dusk, but as far from it as any man could ever hope to be." [X] Glyra Level Up -[X] Class: +1 Spellthief -[X] Skill Points (5 points): +1 Bluff, +1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Use Magic Device -[X] Spells: --[X] 2nd Level: Touch of Idiocy
[x] The Palace of Dusk is not known for its morality, but I was raised far from its center. My father was blessed with a bloodline of power and exalted for it, but my mother feared the intrigues and unrest of the halls of power and arranged for me to be raised by one she trusted lest I die before coming into my strength. The man she chose was a good one, who did not deal in sorcery and concealed from me many of my father's ills, giving me a somewhat rosy view of him. That was shattered rather brutally after my guardian's violent death- it turns out that it is very difficult to outrun one's past.
-[x] With my home gone and knives in the back a constant worry, I turned to sorcery for power. It was the only tool available, yet even as I took it up I learned of one horror after another it had perpetrated. I wondered; if I began to walk down the dark path, would it forever dominate my destiny? Certainly it seemed to be the case for those in the Palace, but it is difficult to know whether a man has his nature twisted to wickedness by dark powers or simply by power alone. I could not risk it; I resolved to be better than my father, to learn arts wherever I could but bend them always to the betterment of others and reject the temptations of the darkness.
-[x] I shall not go into my past in too much detail, but ultimately I found that power came together with the willingness to face seemingly indomitable forces while unflinching. Whether the ills I faced were simply perpetrated by the callousness and evil of those with power or a more personal legacy related to my father's many surviving enemies, a mix of careful planning and desperate will saw me rise of the occasion- though more than once a trusted friend had to save my life, and I made some mistakes I regret to this day. I grew in power and wisdom bit by bit with each victory, and by the time I had come to the attention of those in power my prowess was such that they were more interested in inviting me to join them than in paying the price for bringing me down.
