Factol Ambar Vergrove

Divinity beckons. hear the call of the Forge! Let life shape you as godhood draws near.

- From "The Forge" a song by Factol Ambar

In a place on the Outlands named Fayrill to some, Fayrie to others, and unknown to most, an elf gave birth to a half-human son. this woman Galina, found herself ostracized by her kin- not for her choice of father for her child, but for her refusal to shape her demeanor to the stiff formality customary for those of the Quybier, her clan. galina loved to dance, sing, laught, and play the harp. Not too unusual for an elf, right? But then all Galina knew was her own rigid family. Fortunately for her and her child, she also knew which plants she could eat and how to weave shelter from fallen pine boughts.   Her son, Ambar never knew he was poor. he slept on the softest moss by night, drank clear spring water by day, and thrived amid the beauty of the forest. to his eyes, his home seemed a mansion. He learned his mother's songs and played with fox cubs denned nearby.   The youth discovered his poverty only after he spotted Caye, a maiden of the Quybier, straying through his wood. her brown, silken hair brushed her ankles: her mahogany eyes carried a hint of purple in the depths of their unfathomed mystery: her lithe form was lsim as a birch, but her manner seemed so solemn, like nothing Ambar had ever imagined. the half-elf went to ask the maid's sire, Florien, for her hand, but found himself brusquely refused. Ambar felt astonished. Caye would live in a wooded palace, dine on the finest of viands, enjoy the gladdest of music, and have the most devoted of bridegrooms - what more could a father want?   Ambar's mother enlightened him: Social status, political or military power, a castle built by hands rather than by nature, and monetary rather than inner wealth were necessary attributes for wedlock among the Quybier. The youth believed Galina, but he also believed in himself. He wooed Caye without her father's consent and won her. For a time, all thee exiles dwelled contentedly in their woodland glade: bride and bridegroom in a pavilion of willow wands and grape vines, Galina in her pagoda of pine boughs opposite. The trio sang mad melodies, indulged in woodland feasts, told stories, and danced wild jigs. The news that Caye was with child delighted them.   The warriors Florien sent ended all that. They slew Galina and Caye in the scuffle and brought Ambar in chains before the Quybier lord. To the patriarch's accusation of abduction, the half-elf replied eloquently. "I accuse you! I accuse you, murderer of my mother, slayer of my consort and unborn child! I accuse you of killing my happiness, of defilling my home, and robbing me of my future. Dare you deny me? Dare you demand recompense in the face of that which you owe me?"   In fact, the Quybier dared not. to assuage their guilt over the deaths, they presented Ambar with a velvet casket filled with gems and begged him to depart Fayrill forever, He accepted the precious stones and left. With a fortune in gems and the abilities of the woodwise, a half-elf can go far. ambar guided travelers through the OUtlands, invested his wealth in profitable ventures, and searched the Great Ring for a spot he might call home. He never found it, but he collected a vast selection of artwork and rare musical instruments. Eventually he fell in with the Believers of the Source and discovered that, although no place could feel like home again, a group of people could. his courtesy and kindness - he still likes everyone call him by his first name - earned him many friends among the Godsmen, and in no tim he became factol. He is beloved of all his namers, factotums, and factors - half of hwom believe him well on the way to becoming a power. most of them would lay down their lives at his beckoning. To his credit, Ambar rarely requires such sacrifice. his goal as factol? He wants both the faction and its members to florish. Unlike many of his  followers, Ambar values individuals more than the philosophies they espouse.