Backstory

"I was born into privilege, yes, but it is a burden that I carry with pride. My parents taught me that it was my duty to uphold the laws of our land and to protect those who won't protect themselves.

I have taken that duty to heart. It's not enough for me to simply exist. When a chance for a worthwhile undertaking comes to me, no matter how dangerous, I am ready.

You know, I fought a dragon when I was 12 years old. A fire-breathing snake about the size of a hunting dog. I had been sleeping under an elm tree nearby when I saw the thing swoop down into an entire flock of sheep. I was up and running, eager to turn my the new sword I was given on something deserving of death. It only managed to kill a couple sheep before hearing my shouts to draw its attention away. When the dragon turned and spit a stream of fire across across my leg, I lunged, striking it in the eye. As the dragon fell, I felt the pain. I still have the scar across my leg to remind me.

If I hadn't shouted to draw it's attention, I could have dropped that dragon without it ever knowing I was there. I learned a valuable lesson. The greatest danger isn't the enemy, it's the ability to make hard sacrifices for victory."

Pelonious Pomp was born into a world of privilege and luxury, the only child of wealthy nobles. From the moment he entered the world, he was groomed to become a Paladin like his father before him. His parents put an enourmous amount of effort and resources into instilling a sense of duty and purpose, teaching him that it was his destiny to ensure the protection of the state of Coia.

Pelonious grew up in a sprawling estate in the heart of Calimport. His days were filled with lessons in swordplay and theology by his distracted tutor. His evenings were spent attending the lavish banquets and social gatherings of the nobility. The opulence of every facet of his life, surrounded with servants and attendants that catered to his every need, reminded Pelonious daily that it was his duty, and his alone, to preserve the world.

Pelonious's only childhood friend was Mythac, daughter of one of the estate's servants. She was slighlty older than him and would sit in on his tutoring lessons paying far closer attention than he ever did. Despite her social standing, Pelonious enjoyed spending time playing in the gardens and exploring the woods with Mythac. She would often chastise him for how he would talk to those he saw as below him, such as servants.

When Mythac was twelve years old, her parents sent her to a nunnery. Pelonious just woke up one morning, and she was gone. He never knew the circumstances and had almsot no contact from her after that, expect for the occasional word from her father and a letter once or twice that he never responded to.

After Mythic left, Pelonius focused all his efforts on training to become a Paladin. He had a strong fighting spirit, but struggled with the theology. A crawling thirst for danger kept Pelonious constanlty looking for any chance to prove to himself. He began picking bad fights with the wrong people. After being nearly beaten to death for the third time, his parents decided to use Pelonious's need for adventure for their own good.

A band of thugs had been raiding nearby villages, killing dozens of innocent people with each attack. With some coin from his parents, Pelonious rallied a group of men from town and set out to hunt down the thugs. They tracked the thugs to a wide cave and charged in with weapons drawn, dispatching the entire band, but at great cost. Only Pelonious emerged from the cave alive. He was hailed as a hero, although some wondered how he came back so unscathed.

Pelonious continued hunting, dispatching bandits and trolls, goblins and demons. These small missions kept him satisfied, but only barely. He longed for his chance to mark the world. To live up to his motto:

Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to you, and obey those who have authority over you.

Then he recieved a letter from Mythac asking him for help...