Details

HISTORY

Vulcan was born in Mead when the village was still small. Everyone knew everybody, so everybody knew when the local farmer's daughter became a single mother at a young age. It was only a year or two before the baby was marked as a mage because of the singular horn starting to sprout from his forehead and his family soon became the talk of the town...but not in a good way. Magic hadn't been seen in that family for generations, but the last mage in that bloodline had become corrupted and viciously burned many crops before it was killed. The winter that followed had been deadly because of the lack of food. Because of this, Vulcan and his mom are shunned and made to move out of the family house shortly after his second birthday.

Even when they were on their own, Vulcan had a lovely childhood. His mother worked hard to make ends meet and the growing foal never lacked food or a warm place to sleep. Seeing his mother toil day in and day out bred some resentment towards his absent father, who he had never met, but his mother quickly banished those feelings from his mind. 'Thinking that way about others is poison,' she would say, and Vulcan listened. Multiple times as he grew, he thought about leaving. His mother's life would be easier without another mouth to feed and maybe mages were treated better elsewhere? He never had the bravery to actually leave, though, instead doing odd jobs around town like helping plow or harvest crops.

Around the age of 12, Vulcan finds his mother cold in her bed on a freezing winter night. He's thankful that her passing had been peaceful, but still mourns horribly for his only friend in life. After burying her in the small village graveyard, he finally makes up his mind to leave Mead behind. Packing what little he owned, he sets off towards Namarast: the city of mages.

There, he finds everything he had hoped for. He trains under the watchful eye of the Order and his magic, which he had suppressed for so many years, flourishes. He graduates quickly, having a simple magic that teachers were familiar with training students in. With his massive physique and offensive magic, Vulcan is the perfect recruit for becoming a mage protector, but is instead pushed into the ranks of the Witchfinders.

For the first few years, Vulcan shoves away the cognitive dissonance that comes from being a mage hunting and punishing other mages. The money was good and he felt like he belonged, two things that he had longed for as a child. Despite his heavy build, he has no trouble earning the trust of mages who saw the spiraling horn on his forehead and recognized him as a fellow mage. Some of the quarries even came willingly after hearing about all they could learn at the Order. Those that were less cooperative tended to listen after a few moments in contact with Vulcan's scorching-hot sword, his signature weapon.

Years passed like this, and Vulcan traveled to his hometown of Mead more than once. He was happy to see the village grow and even felt some nostalgia when wandering the city square or the small neighbourhood he used to live in as a child. His life now was one of supposed heroism but deep down he longed for a calmer life in a smaller town. A life where he wasn't hurting others.

These feelings come to a head in his 35th year. After more than a decade as a Witchfinder, Vulcan meets his first mage who isn't subdued by charm or violence. The word from his commander is clear: eliminate the threat, using any means neccessary. The more it looks like an accident, the better. Blinded by duty, Vulcan sets the mage's house ablaze. It's not until two days later that he hears the news of an accidental house fire that had killed a mage as well as his husband and young daughter. Realizing he killed innocent people, the fire mage goes into a fury with his anger directed at the Withfinders. He quits (after giving the commander a very vulgar piece of his mind) and by the time the sun is setting, he is back on his way to Mead.

The town is bigger now. More mages are around and Vulcan blends right in. A few long-time residents give the large mage a second glance but no one says anything. Using his savings, Vulcan buys a small apartment. He finds a local blacksmith to help, figuring his magic would be of use forging tools for local farmers. He's correct, and though he started later in life than most apprentices, takes up work with the blacksmith. He learns the skill quickly and when the original blacksmith retires in 1030, Vulcan takes over.

Life is good and quiet until the Archmage turns corrupt and destroys part of Faline while Vulcan is on a trip there. That is followed by the rise of Miriam as Archon. He recognizes her immediately as his former commander, the one who had ordered him to kill a mage. His heart is filled with rage but he channels it into his work. In Mead, he's very mindful of Witchfinders and keeps his graduation certificate and evidence of his time as a Witchfinder close by in case anyone comes past to question him.

WC: 912

DRAGONKIN