The
apocalypse has not been kind to the Elves, gone are their kingdoms,
their lands, their forests. When the dead rose from their graves,
many were killed, those that weren't fled. Right into whatever open
arms were present.
So did
Alvin's ancestors come to be under the powers of the Demonic Host.
Alvin
was born into the craftsmen class, his parents eventually settling in
a mining colony, not far from the Demon's main stronghold. Alvin,
when not hauling ore or other manual labor, would spend his free time
in his youth defending the colony from roving undead, taking potshots
from the trees, then hiding or scampering away.
His
martial potential came to the attention of a sergeant of the guard,
who took him as a pupil and started training him with weaponry.
Eventually leading to him accompanying the guards on missions outside
of the settlement.
One
such mission was a raid on small nest of zombie humanoids in the
area, with Alvin accompanying in a support role. A quick strike wiped
most of them out, but the noise of battle drew the attention of
several zombie grizzly bears to the conflicting. The group moved to
withdraw, but Alvin tripped on some tree roots and was quickly
surrounded, which is when his magical abilities first manifested.
Lights and sounds erupted all over the area, drawing attention away
from the still youthful elf allowing for his escape.
The
detachment had witnessed this event and duly reported back to their
superiors upon return. The bureaucracy moved slowly but decisively to
put Alvin into an academy to develop his abilities for the legions.
His prior training in martial combat along with his relatively late
start in magic pushed him toward a hybrid role.
Proving
to be very bright, instructors tutored him in any subject he could
master, developing a wide ranging set of skills. As well he proved to
be physically weak, even though exceptionally agile.
After
proving his mettle in many group excursions he was offered a position
in the elite division of the army. Specifically a group strike force
of professionals at the top of their craft, he was not ready for his
initiation.
He
would meet his new teammates prior to the secretive ceremony, initial
appraisal seemed optimistic enough, but none were aware that they
were going to be linked for life. While laying on the slab of marble
listening to chants of the clerics as they connected his soul to the
others, he wondered aloud if this was what life was really meant to
be.
Murmured
comments along those same lines from the others helped to comfort him
in the ordeal, but struck a note with their new commanding officer.
The captain, a high ranking warrior, would launch into a tirade of
rebuke towards the groups attitude at every moment from then on. This
is when Alvin first felt the emotions and presence of his new soul
keepers, a deafening chorus of disdain and rebellion towards this
man.
The
group would embark on many missions for the enrichment of the city,
and those in charge, namely the demons. Alvin would show deference
and respect toward those arrivals
from the other dimension, but held great disdain for the bureaucracy
in which he was caught.
He
would continue to work on his illusionist talents but felt that he
was not assisting the team as much as he could. The opportunity
arrived after defeating a coven of hags in a magical production
facility of magically enslaved dwarves that they were tasked with
scouting out. After exploration of the facility led to the
realization that it was now under their control, the group set to
looting the area. Alvin examined a small stone and found that he
could not let go of it.
This
stone weighed upon him, slowing him down and making him feel even
weaker. Before leaving the facility word was passed back to them that
the group was to stay put and guard the location. They lock down the
entrance and settle in for awhile. With the wizard using her time to
try and identify all their loot, and the others distracted with
exploring or training, Alvin decided to use the break and the load
that he carried to try and improve his physical health.
He
carried around bags full of iron, worked on the treadmill with the
enslaved dwarves and assisted in hammering out metal with the giant
hammers they used to work. After being relieved of their guard duty,
the group traveled back to their base in the city. Alvin would find a
wizard to remove the stone and found that
he was feeling stronger than before. Endeavoring to continue, Alvin
would take every free moment possible to train and become stronger
than he was before.
