Forgotten Freedom:Halester
Halester
Original: NG Elf Cleric of Aureon/Binder
In his first life, Halester was a Vassal in the waning days of the Kingdom of Galifar, faithfully serving the gods and protecting the inhabitants of the world they cared for. It was on one these travels he encountered an Elven woman by the name of Laurel and fell madly in love with her. The couple quickly grew inseperable, and soon Amelia was born. Despite the girls relative fraility, they were quite happy.
Eventually they met up with Jarlot and Andrea. The group took up adventuring, Halester and Laurel doing their best to mitigate the destructive impulses of the incourageable Jarlot as he continually tried to be a hero only to be brushed aside by someone younger and more bishie.
A few years later, Haru was born as well. By then the four adventuers had made quite a living for themselves raiding dungeons, breaking up cults, stopping people with an overdeveloped tendancy to monologue till their opponents ears bled, and restoring the Crystals to their rightful place to balance the forces of Light and Da- wait...that's Final Fantasy...nevermind.
It wasn't till the coming of Arijani to Eberron that things began to turn sour. Along side a few new friends, a Ranger from the Reaches (can't introduce him yet. He hasn't appeared in the thread) and Gaia, the group set out to stop this menace. Upon finally cornering him, Arijani lashed out and killed Halester with a single sickening crack of the man's neck. The remaining five took him down (for a time), but Laurel was heartbroken. She retreated from the group, taking Amelia and Haru with her. The Ranger followed her, hoping to at least provide support, and Gaia left as well when Halester proved impossible to revive.
Reconstructed: CE Fiend of Corruption Shadowmaster
In the depths of the Plane of Shadow, the Demi-god Theronas infused profane energies into Halester's fallen form, twisting the once good man into a horrid beast. The new Halester lived to cause pain and suffering in his victims and gather followers for his new master. Taking on his old, mortal form, he and Theronas returned to the Material Plane and abducted Laurel, Amelia, and Haru, leaving the Ranger she had grown to love near death and the baby boy (Rose) at the mercy of the elements. Only Gaia's protection and the timely arrival of the Gatekeepers she alerted saved them both from death.
Back on the Plane of Shadow, Halester quickly began the process of securing the vessel his master required for his ascention to true godhood, using his own children in experiments to fulfill the requirements. Amelia broke mind, body, and soul under the pressure, and the botched partial-possession of Haru drove the boy completely insane. It now fell to his third child, Terra, whom he had forced upon Laurel shortly after her abduction, to bring his master's plans to fruition.
In the process of performing the ritual, the moment it seemed to be succeeding, Laurel killed Terra rather than see the poor, frightened child be lost to such horrifying evil. For this treachery she paid with her own life, but when Halester tried to have Terra revived, the magics in the room reacted badly, sending Terra to the Material Plane just as life returned to her.
For the next hundred years Halester tried and failed to find a new vessel for his master. It was not until Terra began traveling the Planes with Volrath that they realized she had survived. By then the time for the ritual had passed, and they were forced to wait till the next alignment of the planes occured to act.
By then Terra had found her way to the Forgotten Freedom, but they were still able to kidnap her. The crew pursued them much more quicky then they had anticipated, and the ensuing crisis forced them to use the enslaved Terra before she was truly under their power. With Lisa's help, Terra broke free and sought her revenge. For his betrayal of his own flesh and blood, Halester was beaten to near death, only rescued by his master. When Theronas finally fell, Halester's soul was torn to shreds when Volrath sought him out and took his own revenge on the one who had hurt his friend so gravely.
