Firebrand's Story

Firebrand's Story

The Truth

Firebrand was born in the small village of Maiden's Virtue at the base of the volcano Delia in the nation of Palinor. As a small child he exhibited the bloodline of Pali awakened. The primary order of knights in Palinor, the Knights of the Flame saw this potential and wanted the boy for their order, however his parents would not allow them to take the boy until he could make his own decision. So fervent was the order that they have the descendant of the fire goddess that when they learned of an Orc raiding party heading towards the small town they did not dispatch a regiment to meet it. Instead they dispatched a single knight to secure the boy and spirit him away to their fortress further up the mountain. The town was utterly destroyed, its people resisted but were no match when so outnumbered. Firebrand was raised in the order or the flame, becoming a squire and eventually being knighted into the order.

As a Knight of the Flame Firebrand began adventuring with a few of his knight-brothers, on one hunt for a nasty orcish party that had set up a stronghold within a short boat ride to the borders of Palinor  they were ambushed. The party sustained major casualties but Firebrand recovered and continued the attack subduing the orcish leader personally. It was then that he was visited by his Great great great grandmother Odessa and told of his true potential, lineage and what happened to Maiden's virtue. His blood awakened and enraged he rushed back to the stronghold of the Knights of the Flame.

While confronting the Knights with the truth his anger boiled over and the volcano responded through a violent eruption. The stronghold was utterly destroyed and the order was dissolved when news of their treachery became known in Palinor. Loyalty to the people you serve and who serve you was such an important concept to the followers of Pali that they could not allow such an act to stand. Firebrand with his blood awakened became the second Holy Knight of Pali.

As the second Holy Knight of Pali, Firebrand followed very much in the footsteps of Odessa, traveling the world and protecting the weak. He became friends with and traveled regularly with a Cleric of the Big Bopper named Stumpy. The two became close and Firebrand thought of him as an older brother. During one adventure they were clearing a possessed mansion and encountered a cursed mirror. Dopplegangers sprung forth from the mirror, completely indistinguishable from their counterparts. Firebrand quickly dispatched his but was unable to act as his companions fought against themselves. Stumpy fell and his doppleganger urged the party to burn the bodies and perform the rites to ensure they would not raise as the undead. Firebrand trusted Stumpy entirely and set forth with him to burn and reduce the bodies to ash. When they learned how to destroy the cursed mirror the Doppleganger Stumpy and one other doppleganger of the party turned on Firebrand and the other victorious party member. After defeating the dopplegangers and destroying the cursed mirror Firebrand left on a quest to find a way to resurrect his fallen brother without a body.

The quest took Firebrand far but was unfruitful, eventually turning into an oddessy of self-discovery and travel, Firebrand eventually made his way to the East and like Odessa found Palinor's sister nation of Nippongi. He was welcomed into the order founded by the first Holy Knight of Pali and became a Knight of the Shinsengumi. He trained in Nippongi for several years before returning to the West.

Back in the West Firebrand continued his mission as the Holy Knight but also incorporated the ideals and duties of the Shinsengumi. He became close friends with a self-proclaimed god-king of a small island nation (approximately 50miles across by 30 miles long) called Albion. The two fought well together and defeated many evils, but Firebrand continued his vigilance as Shinsengumi. Eventually the self-proclaimed god-king's power corrupted him and he started to become cruel to the people. Firebrand had no choice but to kill this man he now considered a brother. Albion faded into security soon after the loss of their king and was absorbed into the surrounding nations and forgotten. Firebrand once again journeyed alone until called upon by his friends and companions from the days working with Albion, to deal with Valdrakas.

After the Valdrakas war he returned to Palinor establishing sister relations and the Travel Gate with their sister nation of Nippongi and founding a stronghold for the order of Shinsengumi. After the order was well established he settled in a quiet cottage in the woods not far from the main volcano named for the goddess Pali. He married and had a daughter, Sarah, who in turn fell in love with the forgemaster of Palinor and had a son, Black. Shortly after the birth of Black and after the death of his wife he followed once more in the footsteps of Odessa by entering the volcano to join the side of Pali.

What is known in the West

Firebrand was a powerful knight who fought to protect the weak and destroy corruption in governments. He was well traveled and fierce. He played a vital role in the Valdrakas wars and was one of the heros of legend. After the wars he faded into obscurity. Within Palinor he was known to be the second Holy Knight of Pali and was the Knight master of the Shinsengumi in Palinor. He also established the connections and sister relations of Palinor and Nippongi.