Berrian story begins like so many of our stories with his father. Authron was a powerful sorcerer and a well-respected adventurer, who – after saving many a village and many a fair damsel in his younger years – settled into a life of teaching. Near the end of his career as an adventurer of fortune, Authron defeated a powerful summoner and, when rummaging through the spoils, found amongst the summoner’s possessions what he assumed to be a fairly normal storm in a bottle.
After thorough study of the artifact, he found that the storm inside the bottle was sentient and beginning to learn. He found that it had no memories and a childlike personality. For a short time, he kept it as a familiar. The storm soon proved to be burdensome. The old wizard cursed the storm and trapped it inside the physical form of an eladrin baby. He thought this would be a fitting way to instruct and train the young elemental. In the early years, when the elemental was first learning language it began to refer to the old wizard as “father” and the wizard saw no need to correct it. Thus, the elemental grew to think of itself as a young eladrin and the sorcerer’s son and apprentice.
As such, the young eladrin found himself adept and easily able to out pace his peers. His classmates tended to claim it was nepotism because he was the son of an elder and an adventuring sorcerer. Berrian felt his father was too busy with his pupils to find time for his son. Authron showed little approval for any of his pupils, and did not make an exception for the fooled elemental.
The child grows and becomes a man. His classmates, despite being far less skilled and of obviously limited power in comparison to the elemental, still venture out into the world to seek their own fortunes. Still, the old sorcerer forbids the elemental to do the same. He uses his position as Berrian’s adopted father to pin him down as a journeymen in limbo. The son sees this as an act of protection. He endures for a time, but as the next batch of apprentices begins to take on their own adventure and as Berrian is called into consultation on the adventures of his erstwhile classmates, but never allowed to make adventures of his own, he devises eventually to set out on his own.
Basically he is a runaway and a mercenary sorcerer for a time. He goes where the wind blows him and ends up in Harkenwold.
When he arrives, he is immediately aware of something being wrong. He finds out quickly that the Iron Circle that runs everything only took over recently and that they took control while the majority of the Keep’s army was busy elsewhere. The impetuous young Berrian saw this as his chance to overthrow the Iron Circle. He would infiltrate this small band of poorly organized miscreants, assassinate their way-turned leader, Nazin Redthorn, and {depending on the disposition of the remaining thugs} he would either lead them himself to right the wrongs they had done {if they were just mislead} or else flee in the chaos of their mourning should they actually look up to the evil boss.
He joined the Iron Circle at a time when they were in some need of extra guards because there were but few remaining in the Keep. At the time of his joining he told them more or less the truth as he knew it. That he had run away from his father after the father had shielded him to forcefully from the world; that he had traveled many months and many many miles from home to seek his fortunes; that he had lived this time on his craft; and that he would join the Circle in search of money, power and respect.
He omitted that he intended the money to come more in rewards than wages, that the power would come at the Circle’s expense, and that he intended to be respected as a champion and enforcer of the law. These three things he omitted for his own safety, and it’s a good thing that he did.
The Circle accepted him quickly and with little if any ritual. He took up residence and earned little notoriety, but was well liked by those who worked with him. He kept his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open, biding time until he could assassinate Redthorn. He found out soon enough that the leader was in hiding, deep within the Keep and would not emerge for any reason until his trusted lieutenants returned from their current tour. They had been sent out with detailed strategical orders to divide and destroy the scattered remains of the HarkenWold’s armies before they could be regrouped and led back against the castle keep.
Now Berrian faced a catch 22. No matter how he tries he will not be able to get at the leader for some months until the current campaign is ended and the lieutenants return with their men. But at that time, the castle will again be overflowing with regular Circle scum and if he is found out he could be in real danger. The confidence his early successes inspired begins to wain, but Berrian decides to bide his time and wait. And his patience is rewarded.
Eventually, an adventurer is found trying to infiltrate the Circle. The adventurer is questioned but will not reveal his true identity or his intentions. He is imprisoned in the keep dungeons. Soon thereafter there is an attack in force on the castle keep. Berrian springs on this as his best chance. He heads for the dungeon and tells the guards there that all available archers are needed at the west wall [somewhere where archers won’t be helpful, but it would sound like they would] and that he will remain to guard the prisoner (being of no use as an archer himself). The guards go. Berrian stays and releases the prisoner, explains that he wishes to help and joins our merry band of adventurers in their travels.
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