Life Cleric of [[Lialandra]] ## **Early Life in [[Polaria City|Polaria]]** Growing up in the city of [[Polaria City|Polaria]], Cedric was raised alongside his two younger sisters by their father, a respected member of the **Order of the Journey**, and their mother, a skilled physician who ran an infirmary affiliated with [[Lialandra]]'s church and worked closely with the **Keepers of the Twilight** medical guild led by Vera Sol. While his sisters eagerly embraced their father's path of exploration and combat, Cedric's enthusiasm far outstripped his initial aptitude. Despite rigorous training in sword, shield, and survival techniques, he made little progress in the martial skills his father tried to teach him. For nearly two years, he threw himself into the training, determined to follow his family's legacy, but the techniques never came naturally. Each failure deepened his frustration—his sisters were advancing while he remained stuck, unable to meet his father's expectations. --- ## **The Healer's Path** Disheartened but determined to help others, Cedric turned to his mother's work at the infirmary. For nearly two years, he studied the healing arts under her guidance and the teachings of [[Lialandra]]'s clergy, learning to mend wounds and offer divine comfort to the injured. He became proficient in treating both physical trauma and using prayer to accelerate the body's natural healing. Working alongside his mother and the Keepers of the Twilight, Cedric discovered he had a genuine gift for healing. The divine connection to [[Lialandra]] came easily—far more naturally than swordplay ever had. He learned to identify ailments by observation, to mix salves and poultices, to channel divine energy into closing wounds that would otherwise prove fatal. His mother taught him that healing was not just about the body, but about offering comfort and hope to those suffering. Yet even after mastering these skills, Cedric felt incomplete. The real dangers threatening Solare existed beyond [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s walls—in places where the wounded often died before reaching help. Dark forces were stirring across the continent, and Cedric realized that healing the injured _after_ they reached safety wasn't enough. People were dying in the wilderness, on dangerous roads, in places where no healer could reach them. If he truly wanted to serve [[Lialandra]]'s mission of preserving life, he needed to go where the danger was. --- ## **Return to Martial Training** He returned to his father and requested renewed training, but with a different purpose: not to become a warrior, but to learn enough combat skill to protect himself and others in the field. This time, the training had context and meaning. Cedric wasn't trying to become an adventurer like his father—he was learning to _survive_ so he could bring healing to those who needed it most. His sisters, by now accomplished adventurers serving in [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s defense forces, helped with his defensive training. They taught him how to use a shield not just to block attacks, but to position himself between danger and those he was protecting. They showed him how to fight conservatively, how to create openings for retreat, how to recognize when to stand and when to flee. He spent additional time studying combat-oriented prayers and protective magic at [[Lialandra]]'s temple, eventually mastering the goddess's unique philosophy of defending life through both healing _and_ martial skill. The [[The Order of the Radiant Protectors|Radiant Protectors]] taught him that healing was an act of defiance against death itself, and sometimes that defiance required a shield wall and a willingness to face danger directly. --- ## **The Ceremonial Shield** Before departing on his first true expedition, **[[Lialandra]]'s church** presented him with a shield in a solemn ceremonial moment. The ceremony took place in the temple's inner sanctum, witnessed by his mother, his sisters, and the senior [[The Order of the Radiant Protectors|Radiant Protectors]]. The high priestess spoke of [[Lialandra]]'s dual nature—healer and defender, protector and warrior—and proclaimed that Cedric embodied this balance. The shield itself was sturdy but unremarkable in appearance, designed for function rather than ceremony. But the moment Cedric held it, he felt the weight of his commitment settling onto his shoulders. He brought it immediately to the temple's altar for blessing, where it was ritually imprinted with [[Lialandra]]'s holy symbol—an eye with two feathers behind it. The divine energy flowed through the wood and metal, consecrating it as both tool and symbol. This marked his formal commitment to serving as one of the goddess's [[The Order of the Radiant Protectors|Radiant Protectors]]—a healer who would venture into danger, a defender who would stand between the innocent and those who would harm them. --- ## **Years of Service** For the next several years, Cedric worked as a field medic and protector, rescuing lost adventuring parties and providing medical support on dangerous supply runs through South Angoria's wilder regions. He traveled the roads between kingdoms, offering healing to those who couldn't reach the city temples. He learned to set broken bones in forest clearings, to treat poisoned wounds with foraged herbs, to channel [[Lialandra]]'s power while standing knee-deep in mud and blood. His face bears distinctive scars from these years—reminders of the very real dangers he sought to confront: - A jagged line across his left cheek from a bandit's knife - A burn mark on his neck from when he dragged a merchant from a burning wagon - Several smaller scars on his hands and forearms from treating wounded adventurers in active combat situations These scars became a point of pride. They were proof that he had been there, in the moments when healing mattered most. When his skills proved valuable and his reputation grew, the **[[Green Palace]] branch of the Order of the Journey** recruited him, stationing him in that kingdom's guild hall to serve as both healer and investigator. They recognized that his combination of medical expertise, divine magic, and field experience made him ideal for missions requiring both combat capability and diagnostic skill. --- ## **The Devil King's Occupation (3-4 Months Ago)** Everything changed when the Devil King's forces conquered [[Polaria City|Polaria]]. The news reached the [[Green Palace]] in fragments at first—rumors, then terrified refugees, then silence. Communication between kingdoms became impossible as the devils tightened their grip on the mountain city. Reports filtered south in those early days: the Dragon Warriors had been overwhelmed, the outer districts had fallen, devils were hunting through the streets for members of the royal family. Then the refugees stopped coming. The messengers stopped arriving. [[Polaria City|Polaria]] went dark. Cedric, stationed far away in the [[Green Palace]], could only listen helplessly to the fragmentary intelligence that reached the Order of the Journey. Stories of massacres in the streets. Reports of the royal family being hunted. Whispers of torture chambers in the castle dungeons. Rumors that Prince [[Prince Toran Talbain|Toran]] was mounting desperate resistance, but being pushed back district by district. ### **Three Months of Silence** During those agonizing months of silence, Cedric feared the worst. He had no way of knowing if his family had survived, if his sisters had fallen defending the city, or if his mother's infirmary had been destroyed. Every day brought new refugees with new horrors—civilians who had escaped [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s fall brought stories of devil patrols, public executions, and systematic brutality. The Order of the Journey in the [[Green Palace]] organized relief efforts and coordinated with the coalition forces assembling to liberate [[Polaria City|Polaria]], but for Cedric, every day without news was torture. He threw himself into treating the wounded refugees, learning what he could from their accounts of the occupation. He heard about: - **Mass executions** in public squares as warnings to resistors - **Hunting parties** of devils searching for anyone connected to the royal family - **Systematic destruction** of temples, particularly those dedicated to [[Perserphina]] and the gods aligned against evil - The **Keepers of the Twilight** operating in secret, treating wounded resistors in hidden locations - **Prince [[Prince Toran Talbain|Toran]]** leading what remained of [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s defenders in guerrilla warfare - **The royal family** scattered or captured—no one knew who still lived Through it all, Cedric had no word from his sisters, his mother, his father. They could be dead. They could be in hiding. They could be among the tortured in the castle dungeons. He didn't know, and the not knowing was its own form of torture. ### **The Coalition Forms** As weeks turned to months, the coalition against the Devil King grew. The [[The Heralds of Silver|Heralds of Silver]]—fresh from their victory over [[Renald the Sahdowmaster|the Shadow Master]] in [[Silvervale - Port City of South Angoria|Silvervale]]—were summoned to [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s aid. The armies of the [[Green Palace]], the Kalanthie Kingdom, and other allied nations mobilized. Dragons who had remained neutral began choosing sides. Even the gods began to take notice—the Aspect of Eshuall herself manifested to join the assault. But the coalition took time to organize, and every day of planning meant another day his family might be suffering or dying. Cedric volunteered to join the assault forces as a field medic, but the Order of the Journey denied his request. They needed experienced healers in the [[Green Palace]] to treat the wounded who would inevitably flood back from the battle. His personal connection to [[Polaria City|Polaria]] made him too emotionally compromised to make clear decisions in the field. He was forced to wait, to prepare medical facilities, to organize triage stations for casualties that hadn't yet arrived. --- ## **Liberation and Revelation (Two Weeks Ago)** **Two weeks ago**, the world shifted. Word spread like wildfire through the [[Green Palace]]: **[[the Heralds of Silver]]**, alongside Princess [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Aurara]], King Talbain's Dragon Warriors, the Aspect of Eshuall, and allied forces from across South Angoria, had stormed [[Polaria City|Polaria]] Castle and defeated the Devil King in his throne room. The occupation was over. [[Polaria City|Polaria]] was free. The celebration in the [[Green Palace]] was immediate and overwhelming. Bells rang through the city. Crowds gathered in the streets. Allied soldiers who had marched north began returning, bearing wounded but victorious. But Cedric couldn't celebrate. Not until he knew. ### **The Letter** In the chaotic aftermath, as communication networks slowly restored, Cedric finally received word from his family. A messenger—a young woman from the Keepers of the Twilight—brought a letter from his sisters. Her expression was somber despite the victory, and Cedric's hands shook as he broke the seal. **They had survived.** Both sisters had fought during the occupation, using their combined combat training and medical knowledge to protect civilians and tend to the wounded in secret. They had operated as part of an underground network, moving through the city's hidden passages, treating injured resistors in basement safehouses, occasionally fighting devil patrols when discovered. His mother's infirmary had been ransacked early in the occupation, but not destroyed. She had continued treating the injured even under devil rule, claiming to treat "all who suffered" regardless of allegiance. The devils allowed it because even their own soldiers sometimes needed medical care, and his mother was too skilled a physician to kill. Every day she risked execution, but she never stopped healing. His father had fought alongside Prince [[Prince Toran Talbain|Toran]]'s resistance until taking a serious wound in the second month of occupation. He now recovered slowly, his adventuring days likely over, but alive. ### **The Horrors They Witnessed** But the letter didn't just bring relief—it brought knowledge of horrors. Through his sisters' carefully worded account, Cedric learned what had transpired during those dark months: **Prince [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]]'s Death:** The young artificer prince, only 20 years old, had died in the early days of the invasion. His body was found in the southern district during the liberation, surrounded by the corpses of numerous devils. The scene told a story of desperate combat—his magical armor shredded, scorch marks and blood indicating he had fought with everything he possessed. His sister's letter described finding [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]]'s body. Multiple devil corpses around him showed he had fought ferociously. The positioning suggested he had been protecting someone—likely Princess Fey, who was nowhere to be found. The evidence indicated he had died trying to save her, though exactly what happened in those final moments remained unknown. What was certain: [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]] had given his life in an attempt to protect his youngest sister. **Princess Fey's Capture:** After [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]]'s death, [[Anam]] [[Anam|the Withered One]] himself had appeared and taken the terrified Princess Fey. The ancient evil declared her "a valuable gift to the Emperor of [[Askaria]]" and teleported her away. She had been delivered to Emperor [[Glasious]] Cedenious, who now held her captive. The letter didn't detail what was being done to Princess Fey—his sisters either didn't know the specifics, or the information simply hadn't reached [[Polaria City|Polaria]] yet. What was certain: the fifteen-year-old girl [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]] had died to protect was now held captive in [[Askaria]], likely suffering unimaginable horrors, her captivity used as political leverage against [[Polaria City|Polaria]]. **Princess [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Aurara]]'s Torture:** Before the liberation, Princess [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Aurara]]—the most powerful wizard in [[Polaria City|Polaria]]—had been captured by [[Anam]]'s forces and delivered to Ashuan Rual, the mummy lord. She had been stripped, chained, and subjected to cruel magical and physical torture in an attempt to extract information. The torture had lasted for weeks. Her screams had echoed through the dungeons. Ashuan Rual had taken sadistic pleasure in breaking the Princess of [[Polaria City|Polaria]], using her suffering to cement his hatred for the Talbain line. By fortune or fate, [[the Heralds of Silver]]—pursuing their own mission—had discovered her in Ashuan Rual's clutches and freed her. Though rescued, the trauma ran deep. Princess [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Aurara]] had recovered enough to join the final assault on the Devil King alongside the Heralds, King Talbain's Dragon Warriors, and the Aspect of Eshuall. Her power and experience were instrumental in the liberation, but she carried the scars of what she'd endured. **Princess [[Princess Zion Talbain|Zion]]'s Suffering:** Though his sisters' letter didn't provide extensive detail, they mentioned that Princess [[Princess Zion Talbain|Zion]]—[[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]]'s twin—had also been captured and tortured during the occupation. The specifics were vague, suggesting the horrors were too great to write plainly, but it was clear she had endured similar degradations to what her sisters suffered. ### **The Aftermath** His sisters were now working alongside the **Keepers of the Twilight**, using their unique combination of martial and healing training to treat [[Polaria City|Polaria]]'s wounded in the recovery efforts. The city was free, but scarred—physically, politically, and spiritually. The death toll was staggering. Entire districts had been burned. The dungeons beneath the castle had revealed unspeakable torture chambers. And while the Devil King was dead, the wounds he'd inflicted on [[Polaria City|Polaria]] would take generations to heal. Cedric read the letter three times, feeling the weight of each revelation. [[Prince Percy Talbain|Percy]]'s death. Fey's capture. [[Princess Aurora Talbain|Aurara]]'s torture. [[Princess Zion Talbain|Zion]]'s suffering. The months his family had endured while he waited helplessly in the [[Green Palace]]. The guilt was overwhelming. He should have been there. He should have fought to join the assault. He should have done _something_ other than prepare empty medical facilities and wait for news. --- ## **The Mission to Duskwatch** Shortly after receiving confirmation of his family's survival and learning the full scope of the horrors they'd witnessed, Cedric was summoned by the leadership of the **Order of the Journey's [[Green Palace]] branch**. They had disturbing reports from the eastern regions—specifically around **Duskwatch** and the **Deadwood Glade**: - Unnatural deaths in smaller villages, bodies corrupted by something neither purely physical nor entirely divine - A mysterious fog that had engulfed an entire region for over a month - Whispers of corruption spreading through the forest, with symptoms reminiscent of necrotic magic - Reports of creatures emerging from the mist—twisted things that shouldn't exist Given Cedric's medical expertise, divine training, and experience investigating dangerous phenomena, he was the ideal candidate. His mission was clear: 1. Travel to Duskwatch and investigate the source of the corruption 2. Determine if it posed a threat similar to what had devastated [[Polaria City|Polaria]] 3. Identify any connections to [[Anam]] [[Anam|the Withered One]] or his servants 4. Report back with actionable intelligence 5. If possible, eliminate the threat before it could spread