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Colav Colt has recently arrived in Sundren from another city he will not name, for it is not important. What is important is what happened to him while growing up there.
Colav was born to a noble name. His father is a politician of minor standing, but with hopes and dreams of rising to the top. His father loved his wife, but took her for granted, along with the rest of his familiy. All his father's actions were based around advancing his political career. Which means family appearance is everything. Colav was constantly pressured to excel at whatever he tried. For any failure or public embarrasment, even minor ones, he was berated by his father and told he was weak and incapable. Colav never learned to deal with this pressure and only grew to have less and less self-confidence. He eventually believed what his father always said. His mother and his siblings were never strong enough to intervene as Colav took the brunt of his father's unrealistic expectations.
In his early teens, Colav did show some aptitue for the arcane arts. He was assigned a personal teacher who lived in the same city. His father scaped the money together for this, seeing his last chance to make something of his son that, in his eyes, he could be proud of.
Colav spent several years with this teacher, Magus as he called him, never using his real name. Magus taught Colav well and, more importantly, he reassured him of his talents and did not berate him as his father had. Colav and Magus grew very close over the years and became as father and son.
Suddenly, Magus died from some natural cause. Colav was devastated. This was the only adult he had ever known who believed in him and who he truley loved. The years of emotional abuse from his father had left Colav weak, and he could not handle the passing of his Magus. So, as young people often do, he convinced himself he could do something about it. He could learn a power that no others had. Through sheer desire if he had to.
He had learned some of the features of Necromancy from Magus, but only briefly. He believed if he studied long enough and worked hard enough, he could bring Magus back. Not the lifeless zombies, the walking corpses he had read about, but the real Magus, just as he had been before he died.
He studied long and hard. He foresake all those around him. Ignoring his family and what few "friends" he had. He didn't care. Whispers spread around town about this obessed son of the local Colt politician, of the strange and dark things he was known to study. His father grew increasingly upset. This is exactly the type of thing he didn't want or need. He threatened Colav with expulsion from the city, but it was empty and he still had some love for his son. He simply wanted him to be "normal".
Until, one night, Colav was caught in a local graveyard, digging up a corpse. This was not the corpse of Magus, but one he had planned to practice on. He had practiced on others, but this time he was caught. Many in the town wanted him dead. Colav's father, sacrificing what little political standing he had left and perhaps realizing his treatment of Colav may have played some part, managed to get the townsfolk to agree that Colav should simply leave, and not be hanged for his "evil" acts.
So Colav left, a failure. He wandered roads, endless road, going over in his mind how foolish he had been. He is not some great mage who could raise the dead as a priest might. That is something granted by the gods only. He was nothing but a disgrace.
As he wandered the roads he ended up in a place called Sundren. He had come to a conclusion. He would give up his foolish quest to revive Magus. Time had healed some of the pain, and separation from his father had improved his disposition, to a degree. He still falls into old habits and is quick to chastise himself for any failure.
But what would he do now? He had invested so much time and effort into the Necromatic arts. It is his only useful tool and he would need it. For what, he doesn't know yet, but he is waiting for the time when it will be clear to him.
*****
Colav will not reveal names or places of his past, especially not the names of his family or their current location. He may reveal some details about Magus. He knows he will never see his family again and he does not want to burden them with the possiblity of stangers showing up, speaking of their banished son. He has caused them enough pain.
Colav was born to a noble name. His father is a politician of minor standing, but with hopes and dreams of rising to the top. His father loved his wife, but took her for granted, along with the rest of his familiy. All his father's actions were based around advancing his political career. Which means family appearance is everything. Colav was constantly pressured to excel at whatever he tried. For any failure or public embarrasment, even minor ones, he was berated by his father and told he was weak and incapable. Colav never learned to deal with this pressure and only grew to have less and less self-confidence. He eventually believed what his father always said. His mother and his siblings were never strong enough to intervene as Colav took the brunt of his father's unrealistic expectations.
In his early teens, Colav did show some aptitue for the arcane arts. He was assigned a personal teacher who lived in the same city. His father scaped the money together for this, seeing his last chance to make something of his son that, in his eyes, he could be proud of.
Colav spent several years with this teacher, Magus as he called him, never using his real name. Magus taught Colav well and, more importantly, he reassured him of his talents and did not berate him as his father had. Colav and Magus grew very close over the years and became as father and son.
Suddenly, Magus died from some natural cause. Colav was devastated. This was the only adult he had ever known who believed in him and who he truley loved. The years of emotional abuse from his father had left Colav weak, and he could not handle the passing of his Magus. So, as young people often do, he convinced himself he could do something about it. He could learn a power that no others had. Through sheer desire if he had to.
He had learned some of the features of Necromancy from Magus, but only briefly. He believed if he studied long enough and worked hard enough, he could bring Magus back. Not the lifeless zombies, the walking corpses he had read about, but the real Magus, just as he had been before he died.
He studied long and hard. He foresake all those around him. Ignoring his family and what few "friends" he had. He didn't care. Whispers spread around town about this obessed son of the local Colt politician, of the strange and dark things he was known to study. His father grew increasingly upset. This is exactly the type of thing he didn't want or need. He threatened Colav with expulsion from the city, but it was empty and he still had some love for his son. He simply wanted him to be "normal".
Until, one night, Colav was caught in a local graveyard, digging up a corpse. This was not the corpse of Magus, but one he had planned to practice on. He had practiced on others, but this time he was caught. Many in the town wanted him dead. Colav's father, sacrificing what little political standing he had left and perhaps realizing his treatment of Colav may have played some part, managed to get the townsfolk to agree that Colav should simply leave, and not be hanged for his "evil" acts.
So Colav left, a failure. He wandered roads, endless road, going over in his mind how foolish he had been. He is not some great mage who could raise the dead as a priest might. That is something granted by the gods only. He was nothing but a disgrace.
As he wandered the roads he ended up in a place called Sundren. He had come to a conclusion. He would give up his foolish quest to revive Magus. Time had healed some of the pain, and separation from his father had improved his disposition, to a degree. He still falls into old habits and is quick to chastise himself for any failure.
But what would he do now? He had invested so much time and effort into the Necromatic arts. It is his only useful tool and he would need it. For what, he doesn't know yet, but he is waiting for the time when it will be clear to him.
*****
Colav will not reveal names or places of his past, especially not the names of his family or their current location. He may reveal some details about Magus. He knows he will never see his family again and he does not want to burden them with the possiblity of stangers showing up, speaking of their banished son. He has caused them enough pain.
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