Quel'Kenoth's background before arriving at Branderscar prison:
Quel is somewhere between 135 - 140 years old. He does not know for certain since there is no one he knows who can tell him when he was born. For all of his life he has lived among humans. He barely remembers his mother and has no memories, or idea, of who his father is. Raised as a slave in the household of Cheliaxians who settled in Talingarde, he had was only an elven youth when the family was killed during the Asmodean Purge.
Quel was “freed” by the Knights of Alerion and who “allowed” him to live in a monastery and orphanage of the Church of Mitra so he could discover the depths of Mitra’s love for his devil-tainted soul. Quel lived for almost twenty years under the roof of Mitra, experiencing the kindness of Mitra’s servants who would take turns demonstrating Mitra’s love on his flesh and a means to his soul.
Though a servant of Asmodeans, Quel never subscribed to their beliefs.Since he was a slave, they never bothered to teach him since it was clearly his place to serve them as his means of serving Asmodeus. Quel believed in no gods and meaningless of his life was all the proof he needed that as powerful as Asmodeus may be, the god could do little make him feel his life was nothing more than pointless experience until he died.
Comfortable with service, Quel lived meekly and patiently in the monastery, doing his chores and tasks during the day and undergoing the clergy’s soul saving at night. The years at monastery by human standards were long, but for the elf, they drifted by like leaves on a briskly moving stream. In twenty years, Quel’s skin never wrinkled, never grew slack, never blemished while the skin of the clergy who sought to “save” him did. Quel watched them and over those years as their eyes darkened and their words harden.
Quel remembers when it began. Father Capius teaching that night were particularly energetic, filled with a shrillness and anger Quel had never seen before. But it was the scent that really started it. It was sweet, light and unearthly but it stirred something deep in Quel’s soul; a soul that never stirred even as estate burned around him and the family he served cried out to a god who did nothing but watch them die.
Father Capius teachings moved along a different tact that night. The good father focused not on Quel but on Quel’s family. Father Capius lamented that his family had failed to save his soul from the devil-worshippers Quel had been found among. Father Capius blamed Quel’s mother and that’s when he saw her. For the first time in all his life, he could picture his mother. She was beautiful. Her hair was like his though more like burnished copper than the deep copper he had. Her eyes were round and dark like his but on the edge a ring of gold, like honey in sunlight. And he could smell her. It was the scent in the air. The scent of the oil Father Capius was burning. That night, Quel cried and Father Capius laughed delightedly.
The following nights, Quel could not see his mother and did not cry. Father Capius and others grew angry and the teachings became more radical, more stringent. Though weary from the teachings, Quel longed to smell that scent again. He began trying to get out of his cell after the monastery had gone to sleep. It took him several weeks to figure out how to open his door, but figure it out he did. He searched Father Capius belongings and discovered the oil. He longed to take it, all of it, but knew he couldn’t. So he soaked a cloth in some of the oil and returned to his cell, making sure to hide the cloth before the monk came to get him in the morning.
Before the end of a season, the oil had run out and Father Capius discovered his oil had been stolen. It never occurred to Father Capius that Quel might be the thief and many a monk and orphan paid the price for Quel’s skill. Quel realized what he could do as he watched the public teachings of those unfortunate enough to catch Father’s Capius eye. Less than a week later, when the monk came to get Quel for his chores, all that was found was an empty cell. It was later discovered that several silver chalices were also gone; stolen from the locked store room.
For eight years, Quel’Kenoth has been living in Ghastenhall. At first he kept his talents to himself and tried to find work honestly but few wanted to elf with no references around. Those who did were not interested in honest work. Quel began working with other less fortunates like himself to make ends meet. Because of his keen vision, he began work as a spotter but it wasn’t long before he was with the inside crew finding things others had missed.
Quel’s sharp eyes made him a popular hire but despite the money he made many men, few were willing to spend any time to getting to know him. After a job run by an old Garundi named Khyber, Quel spotted several men following his crew and told Khyber. Alerted to the men, Khyber and Quel were ready when one of the crew tried to betray them all. Though outnumbered, Khyber’s leadership and awareness of the ambush enabled him to keep his crew alive. The traitor begged for his life but Khyber slit his throat in front of all his men.
Khyber took an interest in Quel, adopting something of a mentor role though Quel was decades older. While Khyber’s age was something of a testament to his skills, he was generally regarded as a fool by most of Ghastenhall’s less fortunates. Most less fortunates would advocate that one does what must to survive, Khyber approach was markedly different. He was fond of saying that there should be honor among the less fortunate, for if there is no honor there, then they were no better than the fortunate.
From Khyber, Quel learned some rules and beliefs that he adopted as a personal code by which he lived. One of Khyber’s rules was never take a job from a someone who has more to lose than you have to gain. Another rule was never take payment for a job until it’s done. If you fail, the client is doesn’t lose any money. Perhaps the most important rule, and the first Quel learned from Khyber, was don’t betray your crew on the job. The second rule was the job isn’t over until everyone is paid.
Quel’s talent had made him a less fortunate of strong repute though he was still considered green by many. Khyber’s trust in his ability fueled a strong sense of pride in his own talents and created the strongest bond Quel has had with any human yet. Quel and Khyber could often be found at a local tavern sharing a drink, sometimes never even speaking to each other.
Quel’s path to Branderscar starts with a fixer named Thorn. Thorn connected Quel to Ronald Swift who hired Quel to retrieve a ruby necklace Swift claimed was stolen from him by business rival. Quel successfully stole the necklace and delivered it as promised. Quel was ambushed and overwhelmed. Swift’s men stabbed Quel and thinking him dead, dumped him in the river. Quel is still not certain how it is he lives but after two weeks of recuperation, his pride and his code demanded Swift be made to pay for violating their agreement. Getting into Swift’s home was easy. Killing Swift was easy. Getting out was harder and he was caught. The magister of the Shining Lord told the elf his killing of Swift was unjustified. Quel quietly disagreed and was sent to Branderscar.
At the time of his capture, Quel is not a devout follower of Asmodeus. Certainly he is aware of the Prince of Darkness, but has never actively worshipped him. Again, he watched as followers of the Dark Lord were slaughtered by knights of the Shining Lord so he has never been fully convinced of Asmodeus’ power. He certainly is not a worshipper of the Shining Lord since he has seen the measure of the Shining Lord’s justice and love, he is not inclined to worship him.
Quel is on the fence of about worshipping Asmodeus. There is something appealing in the idea of service to the Dark Lord; an order and structure from his days as a slave. But he needs something to show him that the Prince of Darkness can act to aid his followers.
Quel was “freed” by the Knights of Alerion and who “allowed” him to live in a monastery and orphanage of the Church of Mitra so he could discover the depths of Mitra’s love for his devil-tainted soul. Quel lived for almost twenty years under the roof of Mitra, experiencing the kindness of Mitra’s servants who would take turns demonstrating Mitra’s love on his flesh and a means to his soul.
Though a servant of Asmodeans, Quel never subscribed to their beliefs.Since he was a slave, they never bothered to teach him since it was clearly his place to serve them as his means of serving Asmodeus. Quel believed in no gods and meaningless of his life was all the proof he needed that as powerful as Asmodeus may be, the god could do little make him feel his life was nothing more than pointless experience until he died.
Comfortable with service, Quel lived meekly and patiently in the monastery, doing his chores and tasks during the day and undergoing the clergy’s soul saving at night. The years at monastery by human standards were long, but for the elf, they drifted by like leaves on a briskly moving stream. In twenty years, Quel’s skin never wrinkled, never grew slack, never blemished while the skin of the clergy who sought to “save” him did. Quel watched them and over those years as their eyes darkened and their words harden.
Quel remembers when it began. Father Capius teaching that night were particularly energetic, filled with a shrillness and anger Quel had never seen before. But it was the scent that really started it. It was sweet, light and unearthly but it stirred something deep in Quel’s soul; a soul that never stirred even as estate burned around him and the family he served cried out to a god who did nothing but watch them die.
Father Capius teachings moved along a different tact that night. The good father focused not on Quel but on Quel’s family. Father Capius lamented that his family had failed to save his soul from the devil-worshippers Quel had been found among. Father Capius blamed Quel’s mother and that’s when he saw her. For the first time in all his life, he could picture his mother. She was beautiful. Her hair was like his though more like burnished copper than the deep copper he had. Her eyes were round and dark like his but on the edge a ring of gold, like honey in sunlight. And he could smell her. It was the scent in the air. The scent of the oil Father Capius was burning. That night, Quel cried and Father Capius laughed delightedly.
The following nights, Quel could not see his mother and did not cry. Father Capius and others grew angry and the teachings became more radical, more stringent. Though weary from the teachings, Quel longed to smell that scent again. He began trying to get out of his cell after the monastery had gone to sleep. It took him several weeks to figure out how to open his door, but figure it out he did. He searched Father Capius belongings and discovered the oil. He longed to take it, all of it, but knew he couldn’t. So he soaked a cloth in some of the oil and returned to his cell, making sure to hide the cloth before the monk came to get him in the morning.
Before the end of a season, the oil had run out and Father Capius discovered his oil had been stolen. It never occurred to Father Capius that Quel might be the thief and many a monk and orphan paid the price for Quel’s skill. Quel realized what he could do as he watched the public teachings of those unfortunate enough to catch Father’s Capius eye. Less than a week later, when the monk came to get Quel for his chores, all that was found was an empty cell. It was later discovered that several silver chalices were also gone; stolen from the locked store room.
For eight years, Quel’Kenoth has been living in Ghastenhall. At first he kept his talents to himself and tried to find work honestly but few wanted to elf with no references around. Those who did were not interested in honest work. Quel began working with other less fortunates like himself to make ends meet. Because of his keen vision, he began work as a spotter but it wasn’t long before he was with the inside crew finding things others had missed.
Quel’s sharp eyes made him a popular hire but despite the money he made many men, few were willing to spend any time to getting to know him. After a job run by an old Garundi named Khyber, Quel spotted several men following his crew and told Khyber. Alerted to the men, Khyber and Quel were ready when one of the crew tried to betray them all. Though outnumbered, Khyber’s leadership and awareness of the ambush enabled him to keep his crew alive. The traitor begged for his life but Khyber slit his throat in front of all his men.
Khyber took an interest in Quel, adopting something of a mentor role though Quel was decades older. While Khyber’s age was something of a testament to his skills, he was generally regarded as a fool by most of Ghastenhall’s less fortunates. Most less fortunates would advocate that one does what must to survive, Khyber approach was markedly different. He was fond of saying that there should be honor among the less fortunate, for if there is no honor there, then they were no better than the fortunate.
From Khyber, Quel learned some rules and beliefs that he adopted as a personal code by which he lived. One of Khyber’s rules was never take a job from a someone who has more to lose than you have to gain. Another rule was never take payment for a job until it’s done. If you fail, the client is doesn’t lose any money. Perhaps the most important rule, and the first Quel learned from Khyber, was don’t betray your crew on the job. The second rule was the job isn’t over until everyone is paid.
Quel’s talent had made him a less fortunate of strong repute though he was still considered green by many. Khyber’s trust in his ability fueled a strong sense of pride in his own talents and created the strongest bond Quel has had with any human yet. Quel and Khyber could often be found at a local tavern sharing a drink, sometimes never even speaking to each other.
Quel’s path to Branderscar starts with a fixer named Thorn. Thorn connected Quel to Ronald Swift who hired Quel to retrieve a ruby necklace Swift claimed was stolen from him by business rival. Quel successfully stole the necklace and delivered it as promised. Quel was ambushed and overwhelmed. Swift’s men stabbed Quel and thinking him dead, dumped him in the river. Quel is still not certain how it is he lives but after two weeks of recuperation, his pride and his code demanded Swift be made to pay for violating their agreement. Getting into Swift’s home was easy. Killing Swift was easy. Getting out was harder and he was caught. The magister of the Shining Lord told the elf his killing of Swift was unjustified. Quel quietly disagreed and was sent to Branderscar.
At the time of his capture, Quel is not a devout follower of Asmodeus. Certainly he is aware of the Prince of Darkness, but has never actively worshipped him. Again, he watched as followers of the Dark Lord were slaughtered by knights of the Shining Lord so he has never been fully convinced of Asmodeus’ power. He certainly is not a worshipper of the Shining Lord since he has seen the measure of the Shining Lord’s justice and love, he is not inclined to worship him.
Quel is on the fence of about worshipping Asmodeus. There is something appealing in the idea of service to the Dark Lord; an order and structure from his days as a slave. But he needs something to show him that the Prince of Darkness can act to aid his followers.
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