Galrion Tempest

Son of Galdor and Alwien, Galrion was the heir to one of the most esteemed houses in all of Valenar - the house of Tempest, second only to the royal family.  He had everything he needed in the kingdom - loving parents, an active and bustling community, and bountiful knowledge for studying magic.  Though he had no plans for adventuring anytime soon, he studied to be a cleric so that he could help others when needed.

One day, Galrion found himself alone in the forest.  He remembered his name, his parents... something about being a royal... and vague memories of his kingdom... but nothing else.  The only hint he had was his clothing and a parchment with some sort of symbolic crest embroidered upon it.  He became a drifter who occasionally offered his healing services to fellow travelers for coin.  He wandered the land, showing the symbol to anyone he could (sometimes getting himself into trouble in the process), but he never received any answers.  For five years - the longest years of his life, having never faced the hardships of reality before - he pressed onward, with only his desire of finding his homeland keeping him from giving up.

His luck began to turn around when he encountered a strange group of adventurers at a human restaurant: an armored paladin, a grim-looking little girl, an effeminate man in bright clothing, a piratey-looking sailor, and... some sort of bear humanoid.  Surely such a diverse party would have to know something!  After eavesdropping on their plans for an adventure, he abruptly introduced himself and plead his case.  In an amazing twist of fate, the man known as Haechan knew the high elves in Evereska and how to get there (...roughly).  Figuring this was his best chance at finding out information, he joined the team, and proceeded to accompany them on their journeys across the land...

...until finally, at long last, the group arrived at Valenar.  However, something was amiss - the kingdom was silent, with it's citizens frozen in time, only seemingly awakening when touched.  When the party made their way to the Mythal, the magical force that protected the city for hundreds of years, Galrion learned the terrible truth.  This Valenar was nothing more than an illusion created by corrupted magic.  Everything he had ever known had been utterly decimated by a strange meteor 5 years ago.  His memories came flooding back... including that of his father asking his mother and himself to leave... and his mother forcefully sending him through the teleportation circle at the very last moment when he didn't want to abandon them both.  His parents were gone.  They sacrificed their lives so that he would be safe.

Galrion's shock turned into rage, and he channeled everything he had in him to destroy the twisted Mythal.  After a massive explosion that knocked everyone out cold for a time, he awoke to the real Valenar.  His beloved home was now nothing more than a crater and some rubble.  Unable to take in the sight for long, he bolted in the direction of his home.  There had to be something... anything... anything that survived.  In a battered chest peeking out from the charred floorboards where the house once stood was the family's Spellguard Shield.  His father had once promised to pass it down to him when the time came... Upon recalling this memory, his anger faded into deep sorrow, and he wept until there were no more tears left before eventually rejoining the party.

One of the few survivors, Naris - an elf child who became a sentient fox due to the blast effecting a druid's spell - has chosen to accompany Galrion moving forward.  After finding out about the string of kidnappings in Baldur's Gate, Galrion has decided that he must try and stop them... so that no one else will have to suffer.  But having lost everything, is this really what will keep Galrion going now...?

Since The Incident™, Galrion has become a bit more bitter and sarcastic in his interactions with people.  He usually apologizes afterwards when he catches himself, but he still has a hard time keeping his initial thoughts to himself.  Hopefully he can find himself again...