Character Spotlight: Rygorh's History

His birth and parentage unknown, a cleric of Firinna found a young nameless boy hidden in a false panel inside a wagon. The story offered by the cleric was that while traveling back to his temple he came a across a caravan of wagons that had been attacked. The priest was unsure as to the developments surrounding the attack and saw no bodies left behind; nor was there one ounce of food or supplies remaining. A few damaged weapons, lots of dried blood and some horse tracks were all that remained besides the damaged wagons to mark the battle. As the young cleric searched the wagons for any clues, or possibly something of use left behind, he heard the muffled cries of a baby under the floor of a wagon. Using a knife he was able to pry up some of the wooden slats that hid the compartment and found a baby tightly bundled in a red cloak. After checking the baby for injuries or ailments he found the child to be in perfect health and bearing the birthmark of the Reaper; he decided to carry him to the temple of Firinna.

They arrived at the Fiery Haired Goddess's temple where the cleric presented the baby to the high priestess, Valeria. Valeria decided that for this child to have survived not just the battle but in the harsh environment of the Scarred Lands must be Firinna's will. The child was then consecrated on the altar of Firinna and would be raised as a servant of the temple.

His childhood was one of work, meditation and prayer, and the boy was encouraged to grow up rather quickly under this environment. He was considered a ward of the temple, he was given no name, and his job was service. However, one cleric with a good heart took the boy under his wing. Hemrill taught the boy the art of the long sword and the shield, and the ways of Firinna and how to read and write.

In early adolescence the temple came under attack by one of the petty lords of the Eagle Nations. In the ensuing fight Hemrill fell. Upon seeing the lifeless body of his mentor, and the closest thing to a father the boy knew, he flew into a rage. Taking up Hemrill's fallen blade he sought out the assailant on whom he could take his vengeance. Looking out across the smoky blood streaked courtyard he spied his prey: a young human soldier who had a half-orc cleric pinned against the wall and weaponless. The boy charged across the courtyard bellowing a bloodcurdling cry of rage that made several combatants stop and stare. He reached the soldier just as he turned to the sound of a boy's battle cry. The half-orc was forgotten for the moment as Hemrill's sword found a seam in his armor and drove full to the hilt into his side. The last thing that this unnamed soldier saw was the red streaked, bloodthirsty eyes of a child enraged.

With the battle soon ending the boy knelt over Hemrill's corpse and swore an oath to remember him always. He then took the bloody weapon and shaved his head with the blade and uttered a curse for any king, lord or noble who would attack a temple for his own vanity and greed.

During the weeks that followed the young boy was ordered to his room while the high priestess and clergy met and to discuss the events. Finally the boy was called upon and brought to the high altar of Firinna to give his accounting as to what had happened. Once the boy had finished the high priestess declared, "Surely Blessed Firinna smiles upon this one." She then ordered that he was no longer to be a mere servant but was to undergo studies as a brother of the order. Standing before the altar he took his new name, taken from the half-orc that he had saved, Rygorh. He was now to become the student of the half-orc with whom he shared a name.

Under the half-orc's tutelage he learned much of the region and surrounding tribes. As he learned and traveled the land his disdain for self-proclaimed nobles and royals grew; he could not understand how some weak individual could claim the lives of so many. Nobles oppressing the people while they lived in lavish comfort surrounded by their armies and walls to keep them safe nearly drove Rygorh to madness. As he learned and grew in strength, learning to wield the divine power of Firinna herself, he stepped from the shadows of his teacher to speak out against the oppression by the petty dictators of the Eagle Nations. At one point he even inspired several small villages and communities to join together to rise up against their lord and overthrow him.

After this incident the temple regulated his travels to the tribal clans of barbarians and areas not in control of any nobility. This suited Rygorh as he found he respected the leadership of such communities where the leaders were chosen by combat or by the people themselves. Thus remained his duties to travel the scarred lands and speak of Firinna to small tribes and peoples while the Eagle Nations warred with one another.

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