In stark contrast to his brother, Palanon spent much of youth as a spoiled princeling, roaming his father’s lands and holdings with no goal or purpose other than relaxation and enjoyment. His natural charm and friendly, easy-going nature made him plenty of friends, and while he was shiftless and undisciplined, he was not a troublemaker or a bully. He simply felt no call to any higher purpose in his life, and never felt that he excelled enough at any of his studies to pursue them with any discipline. For a time, he felt his nature might be best suited to being a bard, but he lacked even the discipline to pursue that path with any vigor.
One day, whilst roaming around the library flirting with the librarians and female students therin, he jokingly picked up a magic wand that had been left on display on a pedestal. Without meaning to, he accidentally activated the wand of detect magic, and found himself suddenly transfixed by the sensations flowing into his body. His eyes suddenly beheld the magic all around him, from the mighty wards protecting the building to the minor light spells illuminating the study tables. Stunned and amazed by this new input, he was also dazzled by the sensation of magic flowing through him, the ecstasy of the energy flowing down his arm unlike anything else he’d ever experienced. From that moment forth, Palanon’s life was changed.
He turned to the study and pursuit of magic with a vigor none had ever seen him display. He discovered that he still did not have the discipline to study magic as his brother did, but that magic flowed from him nonetheless with very little effort on his part. Reveling in his natural talent, he began to pursue study and knowledge, attempting to better understand the power that seemed to flow naturally through him, power he came to believe was his birthright.
During his studies, Palanon discovered the secrets of astrology and astronomy, and found himself feeling somehow called to the stars above. He believes that somehow, some way, his destiny lies with them. He set his mind to becoming a powerful mage, powerful enough to perhaps visit the stars themselves, or bring them down to earth with a wave of his hand.
During his continued studies of magic, Palanon began to be plagued with visions. At first, these visions were distracting at worst, but over the months and years they became more and more insistent, eventually intruding on his waking mind, tormenting him with sights and sounds, images of faraway places, and lives not his own. Palanon tried to resist, but the visions only became more insistent, and have now begun to take thier toll on his sanity.
He was once a distracted, absent-minded youth, but he is now becoming more and more disconnected from day-to-day reality. As his magical prowess grows, the focus of his mind is shifting to broader perspectives, drawing him away from the present moment and perpetually more and more into the past, the future, or both simultaneously. With a great effort of concentration, he can center himself in the present moment alone but this is taxing for him, and he is not always successful. It remains to be seen if Palanon will master the tremendous magical power flowing through him, or if he will be crushed under the burden.
