Baelon Helas

Having been born into a weaker branch of House Helas, Baelon was set to have a comfortable but dull life. He spent a portion of his younger years in Ayrith, learning under the tutelage of various masters of literature and the arcane. As such, he has always had a distinct love of books, boasting well over two hundred works in his personal library. While in Ayrith, he became accustomed to the cosmopolitan nature of the Droth and took some of this back with him when returning home to be married later in life. He had been set to wed his cousin Mavora Helas upon the death of his older brother, as his family decided that then was the time to solidify their position and begin producing heirs. This was good fortune for Baelor from a matchmaking position, as Mavora was the new head of House Helas, and it was a more prestigious match than Baelor had any hope for.   Baelor's marriage to Mavora may have started devoid of love or closeness, but it grew over time. Particularly with the birth of their two children Athanas Helas and Valara Helas, Baelor and his wife felt immense joy, especially at the birth of a tiefling in the family. Stone by stone, they toiled to build a family with a foundation of aptitude and love. Having shared much with his son, Baelor saw himself in the boy, especially with their shared thirst for knowledge. Fate would not smile on the Helas family for long, however. During an evening of travel, Baelor's son Athanas and his wife Mavora were caught up in a slave revolt rampaging across the area. Despite the family not owning any slaves, a pecularity among the nobility of Daeruin, the two were lynched by the mob before the local kingsguard regiment put down the revolt.   Left with only Valara, Baelor found his grasp on his happiness fleeting at best. While he loved his daughter, the death of his wife and son left a hole in his heart that nothing seemed to fill. During a diplomatic mission in Mistvall, Baelor's Snow Elven hosts fell victim to a spike of bad luck. Road conditions caused their carriage to slide down the mountainous cliff, leaving behind only their young child. Baelor was with them at the time and managed to save both himself and the baby. As a final promise to his hosts, with whom he had great rapport before their demise, he chose to bring the young Snow Elven boy with him back to Daeruin. Knowing the danger this held, something in his heart told him it was the right thing to do. He named the boy Midari and adopted him as his legitimate son. Since then, Baelor has raised both Midari and Valara without marrying again.

Baelon was born in the first century of the reign of Emperor Derarose. During this time of radical cultural shift away from the dragon cult and a return to the infernal gods of old, he was raised, like most of House Helas, to follow Strife. The Lord of Plots has always served as an aspirational force for his house to one day ascend to the ranks of the Great Houses. Baelon has proved less devoted than his late wife. While he does not spurn faith altogether, he falls more in line with Dark Elven tradition, viewing his relationship with the deity as purely transactional. He rarely, if ever, does more than what is ritualistically expected of him and seems to treat overly zealous people with suspicion. His time in Ayrith likely gave him a healthy dose of appreciation for many religious paths and none.