Backstory

As the only son of a minor Earl of Michael's Gate in Northern Elyria, Gerhardt was schooled from an early age to take over the House and oversee the family's silver mining interest in the foothills of the Drakeclaw Mountains. At the age of 15 he accompanied his father, deep into the Opularis Silver Mine and there a seeming tragedy struck, as one of the rare, but often violent Drakeclaw quakes struck and father and son were trapped behind a 60ft long cave in. As far as they knew the miners accompanying them were lost beneath tons of rock. Yet that was not the end of Gerhardt, for it was then when he felt a savage, unbridled force enter him and in a huge surge of wild magic, he turned the blocked passage to flowing mud. He and his father escaped…as did the one surviving miner neither saw cowering deeper in the cave.

Keeping Gerhardt's new found magical abilities a secret was a huge risk, particularly in the Fortress City of Michael's Gate, stronghold of the renowned mage hunters of the Silver Order. Yet Gerhardt's mother and father were too old to sire another heir and could not bear the family name disappearing into obscurity. Gerhardt was cautious to only practice his new skills in the cellars under the family mansion and it was there that he began to hear the voice of someone..something from beyond the veils of this world. Not very often, but it was there, guiding his hands as he slowly learned to control the arcane forces that he tapped into.

On his 21st Nameday, as was tradition amongst the great families of Elyria, there was a gathering of nobles and the clergy in the great hall of Gerhardt's home to celebrate his coming of age and to record his name as heir to the Earldom. Both duchess Beatrice Atwood and High Paladin Uriel Radley were present. As the ceremony came to an end, the High Paladin was given the honour of welcoming Gerhardt to his inheritance and he spoke the words, ending with the traditional "Does any here have reason to believe that this young noble is marked by the curse of the arcane?" Gerhardt glanced nervously at his father, who smiled back reassuringly, all would be well.

And then a voice spoke from the back of the hall, the voice of a miner Gerhardt and his father believed dead 5 years hence. "I sir claim the bounty on this foul abomination and his wicked family who seek to flout the Articles of Inheritance right under the nose of the High Paladin of the Silver Order - he is one of those mages sir, I saw it with my own eyes that day in the mine. I bided my time sir, not wanting to make trouble, I was sure they would send for the Academy to take him away, yet here they are giving him their title - put them all to the flame sir, for that is all they deserve."

The paladins eyes looked sternly from Gerhardt to his father and all was slow motion as with one guantleted hand he grabbed Gerhardt's wrist while the other drew a great long sword from a scabbard filigreed with the very silver from his father's mine. There was a scream from his mother and then a great flash, followed by the smell of ozone as with no knowledge of what he was doing, Gerhardt let fly an eldritch blast at the miner, who died on the spot. Rage flowered beyhind the eyes of Uriel Radley as pointing with his sword at mother and father, he ordered his paladins to "Seize them and bind them in irons". "As for you…".

And then all went still. Everyone in the room frozen like statues and the voice that had become so familiar boomed in Gerhardt's head, louder than ever before

"Should you wish this to end boy, you just need to ask. I believe you have the power to make me a fine servant of the Material Plane and I have need of such. What say you? Simply speak your heart's desire in this moment and it will be yours, but know that in return you bind yourself to the Noblest of Dao, Ghalib Tariqar. That binding promises you much power, but know that I will require you to do my bidding, lest I return you to this moment and allow it all play out…naturally"

Gerhardt with little choice in that moment whispered back to the voice "I would ask that they never know of my magic and that…"

"But one thing for now", the voice boomed. "It is done"

All went black and then white, all around him white, no blue, feint at first, but growing stronger, it was a blue room, round floor of blue glass, and cylindrical blue glass walls climbing up to a glassy blue ceiling. And he was lying on something soft. Cusions, the plumpest, softest cusions he had ever lain his head on and that smell, like incense, but the most soothing, sweetest smelling incence he had ever experienced.

"Welcome my young apprentice, you are safe for now and our pact is sealed. Look to the North, for we travel to poor devestated city of Drakkenheim. Find yourself some companions, for the winds whisper it is a place of danger. They also whisper of a wonderous new gem, that grows there, a gem that is yet unknown in the Elemental Plane of Earth. I would be the first amongst all the Dao, to sculpt my likeness from this so called Delerium. I need but one piece, perhaps just a little broader and taller than your fine little self. You must of course also find a way to transport it to my palace, perhaps some secret in the abandoned mage tower of Drakkenheim may hold that secret. It matterns not, I have faith and look forward to our journeys together…now on your feet for we are not too far from Michael's Gate and we would not have those damned paladins on their winged beasts catching sight of you after all the effort I have gone to, to keep you safe. "

All went black again and as Gerhardt blinked open his eyes, he found himself standing on a grassy river bank, warm sun on his face and something gripped in the palm of his hand, a small silver ring, adorned with a deep blue sapphire. Looking into that sapphire made him feel a little queasy. Looking around he recognised just on the Southern horizon the great white tower of the Paladins in Michael's Gate. Heeding the Genii's warning his eyes flicked up into the sky, but there were no Griffin riders aloft, and so he began the long treck Northwards, towards Westemar and whatever it's cursed capital city has to offer.

Personal Quest