PCs:Alphonse Irofin
Alphonse Irofin was only a very young dwarf when his family moved to Mikona to work in the mines. While his father and brothers worked young Al spent his time playing with the human children, leading him to yearn for the life of a hero, a flashing sword, dodging blows by skill alone, rescuing maidens in distress and vanquishing dragons. His family disapproved however, preferring him to want to work in the mines, and earn the family suit of plate mail that was his inheritance.
Becoming fed up with the pressure he left home with nothing but the clothes on his back, even going so far as dropping the middle 'N' from his family name, Ironfin, because Irofin sounded more mysterious and heroic.
The early part of his adventuring career had its ups and downs. He performed some acts of bravery, as well as falling in battles against the smallest of enemies. A chance sighting of a poster declaring the winners of a fighting tournament brought a revelation to him, heroes should have style. The picture of a halfling wielding two small curved blades led him to the door of Featherfingers Trading where he timidly asked for, and received, lessons in becoming a 'Kukri Slasher'. As his skills improved Alphonse, or Al as everyone seemed to call him, began his own series of excursions for young adventurers which made him extremely well known among the youngsters in Mikona. It was here that he met Brant, a young halfling who became a good friend, so much so that Al considers him like a younger brother.
After adventuring with an old man, Al was invited to join the Keepers of The Cycle, where although his skills at fighting undead were limited at best he rose up the ranks, organising the Keepers on hunts when Shen Ko was unable to attend.
It was at this point that he met Deostori, a young half-dryad druid who he rapidly fell in love with. He found out later that she was an unwilling Verossan druid, and spent many months trying to 'save her' from Verossa's clutches. After much struggle and personal anguish, an incident occurred that changed Al forever. On a Keepers trip in the Caverns in Ferrell Deostori fell, and remained at Verossa's side for several hours. She was eventually returned to the land of the living, in a hugely weakened state. Al took her to the hillside where he was building his house, somewhere that helped her resist Verossa's calls, and prayed to Dagath with the entirety of his soul to protect her. A calm spread over him, even as Deostori rose with Verossa's wrath in her eyes and threatened to kill him. Since that day Al has been a devoted follower of Dagath.
One of Al's proudest moments occurred when he went with a group into the Canyons of the Lost River, and they faced a near immortal spirit. After attempting to fight him for several hours, Al spoke with the spirit, and to the surprise of all managed to pray the spirit to death, releasing its soul back into the Cycle.
Many months later his life changed again. Deostori left him for a planewalker and Al left the Keepers, his memories of her too closely tied to the uniform. Following a dream he set about re-organising the Council of Dagath, giving it a new energy and purpose.
It was at this point that life took another turn for the worse. An evil creature, a fiend named Bia'taron, was preying on priests of Dagath, to create a flesh creature of his own, to prove that Dagath had no power over him. Al faced him in the crypts in Mikona, striking him down repeatedly only to see him rise again, and mock his faith.
On a trip to Westshore to meet and pray with Pereppi, Al heard screams and discovered Bia'taron attempting to kidnap Deostori. Despite his history with Deo, Al made a deal with Bia'taron to take him instead, appealing to his ego by saying that taking a priest of Dagath would be a greater proof that Dagath had no power over him. Bia'taron removed Al's brain to use in the flesh creature and for a few weeks Al's soul was neither in nor outside the Cycle.
He was rescued by the Keepers, when they managed to track Bia'taron to the cave where his golem was, destroying the flesh construct and returning Al to life. Although fully physically healed, for several months afterwards Al was unable to recognise anyone except those that held a deep significance in his past.
His work for the Council of Dagath continued, even more determined that after his time stuck on the edge of the Cycle that no other should suffer a similar fate.
Leaving the Keepers to deal with Bia'taron Al focused his attentions on the Dwarven Quarters under Mikona, assisting the Order of Gorethar to release the dwarven spirits trapped there. During this time he made many trips to speak with the spirits, and argued that the spirits needed to be freed rather than destroyed. A ceremony performed by the Gorethites eventually managed to free the spirits, and his kin were released back into the Cycle where they belonged.
Since then Al has done much work in Dagaths name, currently overseeing the construction of a new temple up in Visimontium
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