PCs:Vichan Lyonsen
NAME: Vichan Lyonsen
RACE: Human
Vichan Lyonsen, son of Theod Lyonsen, Paladin in the service of Gorethar.
Vichan is a young lad of 18 years who stands 6'1" high to the top of his long sandy hair. From a very early age he felt the calling, and thought that he was to become a member of the clergy of his local church. His Father Theod, who was a very minor dignitary in Redgate (one of the Seven Free Cities) raised him and his three brothers with the teachings of Gorethar.
While being tested for an initiate position within the church it was determined that his future as a cleric, would be quite limited. Vichan was never told how they came to this determination but he was instead sent to a martial college where he was taught in the ways of combat, at first he sought a monastic life, but he was not comfortable there.
Vichan had always been in good shape, not terribly strong, nor incredibly quick, but he had a quick mind and was a fast learner. He was soon selected as a Paladin and began his career as a Gallant, in the service of Gorethar.
Several years passed, and during this time things became bad in Redgate, corruption and greed became rampant for the local economy had taken a bad turn downward. At this Time Vichan served with the town guard. It came to pass that he learned that his own father, had broken with the ideals of Gorethar, and had accepted bribes from local hooligans, to look away from their smuggling operations. It broke his heart and he was torn for he loved his father dearly but his standing in the church would be lost if it were discovered that he knew this thing, yet did not act.
And act he did, he turned his father in for accepting the bribe, and before he could speak with his father, he went to the precept of the church and told him that he must travel. He did not want to face his father or his family for this deed he did. Instead he left what money he could, to help pay his fathers fine, and he left.
He travelled in the company of merchant caravans when possible, alone when necessary, but eventually he arrived on the Outskirts of Mikona. He sees great opportunity in this dangerous town, an opportunity to make a name for himself, an opportunity to serve these people, to serve Gorethar.
((Source))
Vichan Lyonsen, son of Theod Lyonsen, Paladin in the service of Gorethar.
Born in the City of Redgate to Theod Grandin Lyonsen and Marie Lyonsen, Youngest of four, the next youngest being five years his elder.
From a very early age he felt a calling, and thought that he was to become a member of the clergy of his local church. His Father Theod, who was a very minor dignitary in Redgate (one of the Seven Free Cities) raised him and his three brothers with the teachings of Gorethar. His brothers all were clergy of Gorethar.
While being tested for an initiate position within the church it was determined that his future as a cleric would be quite limited. Vichan was never told how they came to this determination but he was instead sent to a martial college where he was taught in the ways of combat, at first he sought a monastic life, and for several years he studied in the monastery attached to the temple of Gorethar in Redgate. Two years into this study he had an experience during a meditation session. After the session he approached the prefect of the church, a week later he was moved to an academy for Paladins and began his career as a Gallant, in the service of Gorethar.
Vichan had always been in good shape, not terribly strong, nor incredibly quick, but he had a quick mind and was a fast learner.
Several years passed, and during this time things became bad in Redgate, corruption and greed became rampant for the local economy had taken a bad turn downward. At this Time Vichan served with the town guard, as it was common practice for new paladins from the Academy in Redgate to serve some time in the local constabulary.
It came to pass that he learned that his own father, had broken with the ideals of Gorethar, and had accepted bribes from local hooligans, to look away from their smuggling operations. It broke his heart and he was torn for he loved his father dearly but his standing in the church would be lost if it were discovered that he knew this thing, yet did not act.
And act he did, he turned his father in for accepting the bribe, and before he could speak with his father, he went to the precept of the church and told him that he must travel. He did not want to face his father or his family for this deed he did. Instead he left what money he could, to help pay his fathers fine, and he left.
He travelled in the company of merchant caravans when possible, alone when necessary, but eventually he arrived on the Outskirts of Mikona.
Mikona is a large city, and Vichan was quite accustomed to such places so he wasn’t entirely surprised to find that Mikona had its share of problems. Gangs, crime and a certain lack of order. But he wasn’t ready for the scale that he found in Mikona, literally dead bodies in the streets and children playing around those bodies as if there was nothing strange about it.
Time passed and he continued to do what he perceived as right and just in Mikona and the local areas around it. He contributed to local charities and fought to defend the city when attackers came, be they Unlife, giants or the occasional Sereg.
Late one evening soon after his arrival in Mikona, he was watching over a group of civilians who were near a sewer grate that was a known source of large beetles that would issue forth and attack nearby locals. Usually the city guard could be found nearby but this night there were none. While standing his vigil until the guard returned he encountered a dark haired man in Gold and Blue armour.
Aradan Kir was his name, and he was a member of the Order of Gorethar. Now Vichan had of course heard of this Order before for who could claim to have spent any time in Mikona and not. A brief conversation ensued, and when Aradan learned that Vichan too was a follower of the Battlelord he told him a little about the order and said he would be in touch.
Vichan of course really didn’t expect to hear again from Sir Aradan, such a person had many more important tasks than one lowly Paladin fresh from the academy, however not several days later Vichan did get a message from an Initiate of the Order by the name of Carek Smith. Carek had been asked to seek out Vichan and train him or at least assist him and show him the ropes.
There of course were more attacks on Mikona, and he and Carek joined the fray when they could. But for the longest time Carek was the only member of the Order that Vichan knew. He met Feeb Ironfist after an attack by a huge force of undead on the city.
A few years passed, or so it seems to him now, Vichan was approached by Gloknall Heartcrusher, the renowned warrior cleric of the Order of Gorethar, he was also the head recruiter for the Order at the time. Gloknall asked if Vichan wished to join the Order, to which he promptly replied in the affirmative. Vichan didn’t learn until much later that it was reasonably uncommon for the Order to ask someone if they wanted to join.
The Blessed high Cleric of the Order of Gorethar, Jorio Alerian, stepped forward and volunteered to be Vichan's mentor, and mentor he did. The first order he received was to uproot from Mikona and come to Elysia. Brother Jorio being the Cleric in Residence of that city.
So Vichan pulled up his roots, vacated his room at the Adventurers guild house and moved to Elysia. Though he continued to return to Mikona often for that was where he felt he was most needed, even to this day he tries to return to Mikona once every week.
Elysia, the City of O'Ma was a much more peaceful place, clean and relatively crime free so he spent more time learning his crafts, Vichan is an accomplished woodworker, and over the years has managed to hold his own in Herbalism as well. Not many remember, but Vichan had long blond hair and a pair of pale blue eyes. This changed not long after the spiders in the coves in the borderlands broke through a stone wall and made the lower levels of those caverns reachable by adventurers.
During one particular trip there Vichan foolishly went without head protection, and was attacked by the spiders that spat a corrosive venom, Vichan was nearly overcome, and barely escaped with his life. But he was badly injured, scarred badly on one side of his face, he lost an eye and his long hair was burned away. To this day hair no longer grows on that side of his head and it remains closely cropped. He bears an eye patch over his missing eye...the facial scars have healed for the most part.
Then came the Balor king and his influence over Lady Tennira Arkenheld. Vichan was there at several attacks on the city in which the Balor attempted to gain samples of the Lady's blood for some nefarious reason or another, and he was part of the Group that ventured into the underdark to capture and imprison the Balor king. To this day he still checks on that beast’s prison from time to time to ensure it remains unmolested.
During these years in Elysia Vichan rose through the ranks of the Order of Gorethar, Adherent, Aspirant and Initiate. During his time as an Initiate, the quest for the lightforgers grove came up. For while one weapon of light had been found, another was needed before the Demi-lich Sorvanok could be destroyed. Tanmar Stronghammer, an Ordained member of the Order was tasked to go to the lightforgers Grove. Of the many forces arrayed to make the journey, Vichan was one. He fought along with other legendary figures such as Vian Valorian and Tri'us Ju'ier in the paths of shadows until the Lightforgers grove was reached.
Time passed and Vichan continued to learn of the ways of Gorethar and the Order. He eventually was ordained to the Order and was made almost immediately an assistant recruiter to Aradan Kir, during this time Vichan became more involved in the leadership role that all Ordained must undertake. It was during this period that the final assault on Sorvanok in Mikona was planned. Vichans role was secondary, but he was there with the rest when Sorvanok was defeated...
Not long after this Brother Kealyn MacCaddor was called away to Galdos, the legendary High Paladin of the Order of Gorethar that was known far and wide had been called away, and Vichan was asked to step into his shoes by the high council of the Order. This position was to be temporary until Kealyns return, Vichan was made high Ordained on that day and began his interim leadership of the Order.
Years passed and it became clear that Brother Kealyn would not be returning anytime soon. Lord Vian in an unannounced visit to an Order meeting promoted Vichan to High Paladin and made his leadership of the Order official and no longer a temp position.
As high paladin Vichan continued in his task of leading the order to the best of his ability, then the second Fairy war began. The fey of the greater god Titania renewed their quest to destroy the abominations that they saw the O'Ma fey as. the Order of Gorethar, headquartered in Elysia and part of the EDF became embroiled in this.
To make matters worse, the Titanian fey were allied with the M’Chekians to the south, and the Shaasek of Drotid came to the feys aid, and they too were allied with M’Chek. Placing the Order in a position where it might be percieved that they were taking sides against that human nation put much stress on Vichan, as he tried to balance the needs of the survival of the O'Man fey and the City-state of Elysia against church doctrine not to get involved in the M’Chek/T’Nanshi war.
Members of the order were split, some heading south to stay in Mikona, to aid there as possible, while some remained in Elysia protecting that city. Vichan stayed, always saying that his lot was cast with that city. It was Vichans battle tactics in that war that eventually saw him promoted to Colonel in the EDF, second in rank to General Alxicus.
That war raged on, and the tides went both for and against Elysia. When the city-state agreed to help push the Drotid back into the pass and out of Tnanshi, its forces were divided. The Order, having received instruction from the church that the slavers of drotid were enemies of all goodly peoples was there. This left Elysia exposed, and Titania englobed the city, with numbers twice that of the garrison Elysia could muster against them. Worse, the Titanians had a Demon, of great might that could not be vanquished by strength of arms alone.
When it came time to face it, the members of the EAV under command of Eloryn Yeritashemar, of the warrior Maidens, were there. In the Vanguard was Vichan, flanked by members of the Order of Gorethar and other great heroes of Elysia. The champions were engaged with the demon, and unable to affect it..Vichan did not hesitate, he and that group attacked as well..knowing that they too would have no effect but that engaging it would give the wizards in the party time to use an artifact to strip the demons protections.
No description can do justice to the effort expended by all that were present, all were taking wounds the great vorpal blade of the demon was singing as it cleaved the air about the beast. Eventually, the artifact was put to use...and the demons protections went down...against the might of those arrayed against it, it did not last too long...at the end, as the demon was on the verge of death it uttered...'Your pain shall be eternal... I shall have my revenge '
Grabbing hold of Vichan he vanished, his threat against Elysia gone, but also gone...dragged to the Abyss..was Vichan.
For Him, time lost meaning, dragged to the Abyss he was imprisoned, tortured and made to fight in gladiatorial games for the amusement of his captors. So far removed from Gorethars presence that it was not long before his Gorethar granted gifts began to fade, from sheer distance. Vichan retreated to his early years as a Monastic, and only through countless hours meditating was he able to retain some semblance of sanity.
Little did he realise that the Order of Gorethar had never given up hope, the efforts of many in the order made it possible for them to determine that he still lived and furthermore his exact location. Then came the day when they ventured to the Abyss to recover Vichan. That story is one that must be told by another, but in the end they did, and they returned him to Avlis.
Vichan has changed though, even though his return to this plane saw the return of his Paladin abilities, Vichan continues to follow the monastic teachings, without the discipline of the mind it offers he would surely suffer an emotional breakdown. His scars inflicted by the demons whips, though healed still cause him pain. He no longer wears the armour he used to, and he has stepped down from the High Paladin role, leaving it to Thror Stormhammer who held that position during Vichans long absence.
Vichan now struggles with internal demons and nightmares, his work in the Order of Gorethar is being carried on by others. Source