[SIZE=18]Initial Submission[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Name: Leon Ignus a.k.a. ‘Blaze’ Age: 20 Race: Human with some long lost Giant blood, many generations past. He does not know his heritage. Class: Cleric Deity: Grannoch [/SIZE][SIZE=13]Domains: Fire and Protection Order: The Order of the Flame Alignment: TN Physical Appearance You see a muscular male of average height before you, his arms very well built and his skin a deep tan. His hair is an unusually deep red and peaks almost like a crest at the top of his forehead. Around his neck, a small golden flame sits on a study copper chain. His eyes seem unusually bright and are blue in shade; they almost look out of place on him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]As you watch him, he seems to want to attract the attention of all those he passes. Stepping loudly on the ground and winking to the occasional passer by, he seems very friendly if a little full of himself.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Outside of battle he is usually clothed in somewhat revealing clothes, usually not covering his arms and most of his upper body. His clothes are usually of a vibrant red, accented with darker tones and black. His bright blue eyes stand out against all the crimson tones.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]In the midst of battle, he is a fearsome sight to behold. Heavy plate mail adorns his body, yet his attire still has a somewhat dramatic flare. In his hand he holds a large Maul, often enchanted with billowing flames. His face is adorned with many piercings of black metal, which give his face a definite unusual quality. As he sees you he takes a moment to assess you, his eyes playfully study every inch of you though his face remains calm. Content you are an ally he gives a slight grin before walking on, you feel somehow as if you have been judged. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] Personality Strong willed, impatient, head-strong and passionate are words often used to describe Blaze. He has also been called aggressive, dumb and annoying in his time, yet Blaze does not listen to such idiots! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]This young man treats life as a full-time adventure and is constantly seeking out ever greater battles to test his faith in the Tamer of Flame, Grannoch. When not seeking out his next fight, Blaze may be found in local towns, generally causing a ruckus or otherwise making a lot of noise. He is prone to over-exaggerations, and will often boast about that dragon he slain by his might just last week, or the lich that gave him a bruise before he promptly knocked his head off! Many find his self-assured nature arrogant, yet to Blaze, he merely knows how strong he is, not to mention amazing![/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Underneath all the bravado, Blaze is actually a sensitive soul, though he will rarely show it, having only truly opened up to one person in his life he is not used to dealing with emotions other than anger and passion. This young man also enjoys jokes and has a remarkable wit, considering he is not the brightest spark around. He prefers to be the centre of attention, and enjoys taking on leadership roles within a group and his natural charisma help him to lead fairly effectively. However, his brash attitude and head-strong nature sometimes set him at odds with a group who favours a more pre-planned approach. Not one to shy away from a fight, Blaze sees planning as a task for the fearful.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Blaze can get on with most people though he has a somewhat irrational disliking for dwarves, especially those with loud mouths, to rival his. He also does not get on well with Mistites, given their disregard for all other elements other than air. These emotions only rise up further when faced with those who do not give due reverence and respect to his adopted element.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]This young lad also has trouble connecting with wizards, their constant need to prepare and study bores Blaze. In contrast the raw power of a Sorcerer he has much respect for, especially those who wield flames so effortlessly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Despite his outward behaviour, Blaze is actually a very caring man, and will seek to protect all those he holds dear, if for some reason he is not able to protect those in need, he can become moody, and in some cases angry.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] History Born, Leon Ignus, this young human man never knew his birth parents; he was left at the edge of Lake Io in Rilara in a woven basket when he was only a few weeks old. There a cleric of Grannoch from the nearby monastery took him in and raised him as her own child. The woman, Serrisa, was a follower of the Water of Life, Leon would later learn, and she would teach him of the elements, and of the need for balance, but most of all to adopt a devotion to water, and to pray daily to the Mistress of Cold, Grannoch.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] Even though Serrisa had been the best mother Leon could have hoped for and his faith in Grannoch was unwavering, the teachings he received and the constant meditation he was instructed to undertake slowly began to grate upon his curious, adventure seeking heart. Some months after his ninth birthday, Leon, bored with his tutor ran from the lake as far as he could. As he ran he saw Serrisa with a few of her friends talking. Instinctively he headed for the nearest place to hide and ran straight into a dark opening in the side of the Ledros Mountains. As he entered the cavern all fear from being found by Serrisa was gone. Instead he noticed the intense heat which seemed to blanket the dark space and surround him on all sides. The young Leon had never felt such heat, and became very fearful of what could lay down the stairs before him. Yet his curiosity was aroused and the dim glow beneath him beckoned him onwards. Slowly he began to descend, the heat becoming more intense with each step. As he neared the bottom the temperature was almost too much to bare, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and took the last few steps. The sounds of battle and the roar of open flames were all around him, and as he entered the wide open cavern a sea of red seemed to engulf the space. As he entered, all around men and women were dressed in red robes. Some were practising using combat dummies, and training their fists to act as deadly weapons much like in the rest of the monastery, while others sat, glaring at the flames in front of them intoning deep mantras and prayers to Grannoch, among other elemental deities. The most striking aspect for the young Leon though, was the lack of any peaceful meditation that he could see. While Serissa and the others had stressed the importance of thought and vision to achieve a link with the Mistress of Cold, the monks and clerics down here seemed to care more about the practicalities of fighting and attuning themselves to the fire element Excited and fearful all at the same time, Leon continued in, looking around, trying to take in the plethora of sights available. As he walked he did not notice the very large man before him, and walked right into his legs. Leon was knocked back and fell backwards to the stone floor. The man merely turned, as if he had been tapped on the shoulder, and looked down at the boy. His face for a second looked stern before he smiled a large toothy grin. ‘Hey there!’ the large man bellowed. Leon crawled back a little, as the large man stood over him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Noticing his fear, the man put out a large open hand to Leon. The hand he offered was as large as Leon’s head and the boy tentatively took it. In a second he was swept up off the floor, felt weightless in the air for a few moments and then found himself placed with a slight bump on his feet in front of the large man. ‘Now then, who be you?’ the man bellowed once again, ‘I be Azar’. Leon looked up and spoke, trying to hide his nerves. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] ‘I’m Leon’, the boy said. The man grinned again before saying, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]‘What kind of a name is Leon?! Leon looked up at him, shuffling nervously before shrugging.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]‘Well we’ll work on that! Ha!’ the man almost shouted before asking Leon if he wanted to stay to watch the group train and begin evening prayer. Then noticing his deep blue robes he said, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]‘You sure you can cope down here? We play a bit rougher than what you be used to!’ The boy smiled and mustering all his courage he simply said, ‘Good!’ That day was one Blaze will never forget, and from that moment forth while he still worshiped Grannoch as her cleric, his allegiance lay with her fire aspect and the Order of the Flame. Azar taught him many things about his new adopted element and to strike with greater force. He also gave him the name of Blaze he now uses, no longer wanting to be known as Leon. In spite of his new devotion to the glory of the flame, Blaze still lived among the followers and clerics of the Water of Life for many years. Eventually the day came when Blaze made his choice. He told Serissa about his other training and how he wanted to follow the path of the flame, while still worshiping Grannoch. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Saddened by Blaze’s wishes but understanding she could not stop him, Serissa agreed to let him train full-time with Azar. Truly Serissa was glad that Blaze wanted to train to focus with water’s balancing element, if he would not become a follower of the Water of Life then the Order of the Flame was the second best place for him, and he had been a distraction to the others during meditation since he was born! Since that day, Blaze as he was now known continued to live with Serissa, yet he would train with Azar and the others of the Order of the Flame. Over time Blaze became very strong and grew close to Azar, seeing him almost as a father. His mentor gave him valuable lessons in combat and also taught him the ways of the Tamer of Flame. Azar, who Blaze later found was half fire giant, taught him how all the elements are balanced, and must be kept as such. Blaze could not believe how one deity’s dogma could be seen in such diverse ways, and later he came to learn of the other elements air and earth, which also had followers and clerics of Grannoch. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]As the boy grew he quickly came to understand the ways of the elements, and through his training with fire, came to understand that others in the monastery were training with their own element and thus keeping the balance, though they did not all follow Grannoch as he and Azar did. So great was Blaze’s respect and admiration for Azar, over the course of his training Blaze had many piercings on his face to emulate those which Azar had. For each year of his training, ten in all, he had another piercing to mark the occasion. Upon his 17th birthday Blaze took his final test of training and swore his oath to Grannoch, whereby he had to show both his physical strength by lifting a large boulder, and his faith in the Tamer of Flame. Upon completion of the test, Blaze swore his oath before all under the mountain.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]I am Fire. I am heat, I am light. I am dangerous. I will burn those in my way. I am unpredictable. I am strong. I cannot be hidden or extinguished. I am Fire.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] For some time after his final training was complete, Blaze continued to live at the monastery; after all it was the only home he had ever knew. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Blaze had always got on well with others despite the odd scuffle, and upon completion of his studies, he found he had much more time to socialise, when not on errands for Azar. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]While he had never really found a need for friends, as he got older he spent more time in the company of others, in particular a young monk named Jeran, who followed the path of the Water of Life. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Despite their differences the pair grew closer over a period of just a few months, something about Jeran intrigued the young Blaze, while he was like the other followers of water in that he favoured calm over the noisy environment Blaze was used to, he also found him different. Jeran was much more fun than the others, he could joke and have fun, yet he always saw deeper into things than Blaze ever would. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]After just six months the pair were almost inseparable and while the others saw them as good friends, it had become deeper than that. The pair cared for each other unlike any of their other friends, and would meditate over their balancing elements together.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Yet Blaze could not continue his life there, already Azar had hinted he would better serve Grannoch as her travelling Cleric, helping and protecting those in need, yet Blaze had now grown so fond of Jeran the thought of leaving scared him.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Becoming more and more confused over his actions, Blaze did not know how to deal with such feelings and emotions. He had never even thought he could be so close to another person. Angry with himself, and at Azar who continued to pressure him to see the world, Blaze eventually snapped and left in the night as Jeran slept beside him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Taking his Maul and donning his armour, he ran as fast as he could, being weighted down by all the metal, yet he persevered, mustering all his strength he dashed through the wilderness until the sun rose. As day broke he found himself outside the shipping town Karthy and spending a few days there he heard of the adventures to be had in a place called Hlint. Intrigued he offered his services as a labourer to a docked ship bound for Mistone. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Blaze wandered the lands of Mistone for months, eventually coming to the gates of Hlint. Still haunted by the thought of leaving Jeran, yet determined to live out his life in service of Grannoch here, Blaze steps through the gates of Hlint.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] [/SIZE]
