As of 5/24/99
Lawful Good Paladin
Created by
Drexel
Barslow was an active youth. He had an inquisitive mind
and wandering spirit that drove him to explore. He would
often get together with the other boys in the small village
of Coppermill and go out seeking adventure and unexplored
places in the nearby Fillian Mountains. His parents
considered this normal boyhood behavior and encouraged him
toward a profession as a woodsman or scout.
Unbeknownst to the villagers of Coppermill, a band of
looters and marauders found there way into the Fillian
Mountains in search of new opportunities. Barslow's village
lay in a long valley, partially protected by harsh winters by
the mountains to the south and small foothills to the north
and east. The village wasn't remote, but it was a good
two-days journey to the next settlement.
While Barslow was out early one morning with his friends
exploring a nearby ravine that they had discovered, the
marauders attacked the village. The attack was quick and
efficient. Barslow returned later that day to discover the
village in flames. There were several men trying to put out
the flames by carrying pails of water from a nearby well, but
the effort was wasted. The looters captured as much wealth as
they could and retreated. Several brave men tried to defend
their small homesteads, but they were outnumbered and poorly
equipped. Those villagers that hadn't fled during the attack
watched as their remaining possessions were destroyed by the
fires.
Barslow's family didn't have the resources to rebuild and
so were forced to move to the nearest town of Elvendor to
find work. His father was an experienced iron smith, but hard
times and high taxes in the Province of Arvandus kept him
from finding regular employment. He got odd jobs, but it was
barely enough to keep them fed.
Barslow was unhappy. He was forced to leave the life he
knew and loved. His friends were gone and so were the days of
adventure and exploration. Circumstances forced him to find
work to help support his family. He kept busy making
deliveries for market tenants and working as a stable hand.
His mind kept as busy as his growing body, and all he could
think about were the circumstances that led him to this life.
The more he thought about the marauders, the more he realized
how unjust life could be.
He was in a particularly dark mood one day when he came
across a monk. The monk was just sitting there with his eyes
closed while a throng of bargain seekers milled around the
central market place. He didn't even bother opening his eyes
when he addressed Barslow. This chance encounter turned out
to be an eye-opening experience for Barslow, as he was
introduced to religion for the first time. He made frequent
visits to the local monastery and the strange monk, asking
endless questions about the goddess Nivina and The Order of Life.
The more he learned, the more he wanted to learn; he had an
unending appetite for knowledge. His thirst for knowledge,
however, wasn't limited to just the mind, for the strange
monk was an excellent swordsman and passed down his knowledge
of the blade to Barslow.
It was a fateful day when he finally realized what he
wanted to do with his life. He accepted many things about the
world: how the acts of man affected the balance of good and
evil, and how justice and virtue were used to sway the
fulcrum toward good. He made a commitment then to fight
against such injustices as the marauders that had attacked
his home, and decided to join the paladinhood and The Order
of Life.
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