Backstory

Born to a poor farming family, not wealthy enough to own slaves, Andre grew up working long days in the fields and making dangerous journeys into town to sell his family's produce. More than once, he and his father had to abandon the wagon to bandits. What little free time Andre had would be spent fishing at the nearby Rue River.

At 15, while exploring a wooded area, Andre stumbled on one of the Stone Gates, guarded by several Sentrys. Never able to resist something mysterious, he snuck through the brush to get a closer look. He could feel the buzzing of the stone as he reached out from his hiding spot to touch the carved runes lining the edges. Scenes of great destruction began flashing through his mind. As the vision continued, he was flying over farmland and forests, careening through white clouds. He passed golden fields of wheat and green pastures of grazing animals. When he glanced back, the world had all vanished into black, as though he was erasing existence itself wherever he went.

A Sentry noticed him and shoved him away from the gate, breaking his contact with it. He opened his eyes, shaking in terror, not at the Sentry with his sword drawn in his face, but at the something he felt watching him through the Gate. While the Sentry warned him to stay away, Andre gathered himself, then made his way back to his family's farm.

Although he felt he had only been gone for several hours, his family explained that he had been missing for days. When he tried to explain what he saw in his vision, he was dismissed as the fantasies of a young boy. Andre became obsessed with the Gates, learning anything he could. He would sneak off to local temples and booksellers, investigating every hint of the Gates he could find.

Eventually, Andre discovered the existence of the Order of Sea and Stone and the role of the Gates in Coia's past. When he abandoned the family farm to join the Order, his parents did not understand. 'We'll starve without your help,' they insisted. However, Andre believed that nothing was more important than the Gates, not even his family.

When he left, he knew how unlikely it was he would ever see his family again. After joining the Order, his determination and aptitude quickly gained the notice of the highest-ranking members of the Order.

At 40, he became the youngest person to ever gain the position of High Cleric, a lifetime appointment. Andre's continued blind devotion to preserving the stone portals at all costs and fear of losing his position stand in direct opposition to his actions working behind the scenes to help the Unchained.