Maldus Randorian is 25 years old. He has lived a troubled life some of which was of his own doing and much of which no man should be forced to endure regardless of their short comings.
Maldus was born to Aldus and Sabeleen. Together they ran a lodging aptly named, The Randorian Retreat off of Voldor Bay in the city of Durven. His father ran the sailing vessel and for a extra fee those staying at the lodge could acquire passage across the Bay as the fog made it dangerous to sail for most. Maldus’s mother was astonishingly beautiful not to mention a brilliant business woman. Long flowing locks of auburn hair fell around her face in the same pristine and inviting manner daily without fail. Men who would visit the lodge would often become transfixed by the lady of the establishment. As Maldus grew and became more aware of this, “attention”, he began to speak to his father during their time together often asking questions concerning the inappropriateness of it and the like with little to no response.
Maldus was a tumultuous child often leaving home for days at a time even before the age of 12. Aldus would liken the boy to a wild animal as he would almost always be found in the Voldorwoods playing with a Dejy child a bit older than he. Both Aldus and Sabeleen were unaware of how close their son and the Dejy boy had become and forbade further contact—this was not adhered to. You see the first meeting of the two boys found Daresh trapped by a goblin and backed into an area of the wood with no escape. Maldus happened upon the situation and assisted in throwing rocks and ran after the goblin with a stick. Daresh fought back as well and while the boys together were not strong enough to kill the goblin they managed to maim him preventing him from following as they escaped. From that moment forward they shared everything. Daresh was the son of the tribal Shaman and agreed to train Maldus in “the ways of the tribe”; however, training was slow and Maldus was only able to gain knowledge of the Bolas, quarterstaff, language and basic customs before life got in the way.
At thirteen Maldus learned of his father’s voluntary excommunication from the Church of Everlasting Hope. Aldus had been a well renowned Counselor within the church, his congregation was in the south in the city of Crandolen. He was on his way to easily claiming the first rank of Soother when he met Maldus’s mother, “She was—as she is now, breath taking, or even more so, if such a thing were possible.”, Aldus said quite often. There are no stated rules that a Merciful Fate cannot wed; however, he explained that he would never have been able to continue with the level of attention that would have been needed as his focus had shifted from a life of service to one where his very own prayers had been answered—in her. He went on to explain and recount adventures of times past and battles won both with regard to physical victory and the winning of hearts and minds.
For years these stories would become the very basis for the relationship between father and son. As Maldus would learn more of his fathers exploits he would also learn about sailing, people and the Lord. He learned from his mother the aspects of business and how cut throat the world could be, but he also so a softness from her that only a mother can truly provide. Shortly after turning 16 years old Maldus met and fell in love with Olelita Stromen who was of similar age and had recently migrated to Durven from Sterden with her family in hopes of a new beginning. Shortly after their meeting Maldus’s mother Sabeleen fell ill and no matter the prayers offered, the sacrifices made, nothing could be done. Sabeleen was lost and with her passing Aldus set sail with a final group of adventurers, but did not return. Maldus received no goodbye and no explanation of the loss of not only his Mother, but his Father in a sense as well, and to this very date he has no idea what became of him.
For a number of years Maldus took much of life for granted. After he and Olelita married, following his fathers departure, he spent many nights unaware of where he was or even who he was with. His daughter’s birth was the first and only thing that awoke the sensibilities that he was taught during his younger years. Finally, Maldus began to see life from a new angle and put his hatefulness behind, looking back into the eyes of unaffected and untouched youth seemed to remind him of the endless possibilities life has to offer. That immense love had brought him back from the brink.
He spent the next 5 years cleaning up that which he had let go. The lodge was still operational albeit a shadow of its former glory. He had even managed to acquire a meager boat with which to reopen the passage across the bay; however, the first day was to prove to be the last. Maldus had secured two passengers and they set out early in the morning of this fateful day. Many problems existed mechanically with this boat that were not of notice until on the open water causing frustration for those aboard. Maldus would not return until a few hours later than had been expected. To add to the calamity this was Mindoleen’s, Maldus’s daughter’s, 5th birthday and the party was to have begun hours before his eventual return.
When he drew the boat to the dock and secured it he could see that the smoke rising from the lodge was billowing out of the roof. He ran up the dock and through the back door to find it a blaze. Fire was in all corners of the main room and the stairs leading to the personal quarters of his family was strewn with blood along his wife’s body at the bottom of the stair, stripped bare of clothing and of life. She clutched at something in her hand and Maldus wiped the blood from her face while relieving her of the note the read:
“They took her.”
Quickly Maldus’s thought went to his child. He ran through the fire, his left arm being badly burned, and in their quarters he found no one — nothing, only more fire. He saw from the corner of his eye what could have been anything really, but Maldus was certain it was an Orc. “The Broken Fang have done this he thought.” With vengeance at the heart of this plan he grabbed what he had left of his fathers belongings thinking back across the stories he had heard and certain that there would be a weapon of great use, but as he threw the box out of the second story window and escaped the inferno with the body of Olelita he found not a weapon, but what would set his life in a new direction….the raiment of the Church…the holy word of Every Cloud…. He felt a quickening of his pulse the surge of anger was beset by immediate and unexplainable calm. The pain that was present in his arm began to subside. He watched as a glow began surrounding his injury and as quickly as it appeared it was gone along with his injury. Fully healed as he clutched to the word.
His parents lost, wife defiled and murdered, and his daughter presumably in the hands of the same perpetrator. But Maldus inexplicably had…Hope.
Word had reached Daresh and upon his arrival in town Maldus explained everything. Daresh was angered to no end for his friend and vowed the support of the Dejy tribe in the retributive strike to come; however, Maldus also explained his new found peace. Daresh scoffed at this and told his lifelong friend that if Maldus would not avenge the loss of his woman and save his daughter then he himself would. He left in anger and on a mission. Time will tell if the two friends shall meet again.
Maldus, following in his fathers footsteps, traveled to Crandolen and joined the order of the Lord of Silver Linings with faith that one day soon he and his beloved daughter would be reunited. He will never stop looking and will never again take for granted one blessed day for it is said, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
