PCs:Sylux Raynes
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Sylux Raynes (PM) Race: Human |
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Guild Affiliations:
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Close Relations
- Aspen Stormcat-Fyne
- Rika Vandor
- Dame Moira Celyn Callindraes
- Fergus Q. Goodmane
- Arwan Mylwen
- Aria Ashby
- Vanar Alhaldren
- Miriel Hana tel'Suzail
- Hert Snyder
- Hyacinth Pike
- Shannen Di'rithia-Amanta
- Rune Amanta
- Jenny Hallendon
- Nax Lazzar
- Troth Vagral
- Rali'vinee Ish'tarestacia
- Doug the Ox
- Thror Stormhammer
Family
- Sephira Everliss Raynes, Wife
- Eudoras Raynes, Older brother
- Xaos, familiar
- All other family deceased
Background
Early Life
Sylux was born in the slums of Mikona, called the residences at the time. His mother stayed at home and did small scale tailoring for the locals, his father owned a small stable for carpentry in the Marketplace. Childhood was hard for Sylux. His older brother Eudoras, a difference of twelve years, often helped his father with the business but dreamed of more. When Eudoras was eighteen (Sylux was six), he set off for the Kurathene to become a soldier and hopefully find a better place of living for his family.
In Eudoras' absence, the family business began to steadily decline. Sylux's father couldn't purchase a building for his business and his stall was easily overshadowed by the more wealthy, established businesses in the area. Gangs and bandits were multiplying in the area, and the residences began to deteriorate into the slums. Fearing it was no longer safe to raise a family, Eric Raynes (the father) decided it was time to consider new options. When the promise of a new beginning arose with the establishment of Visimontium, Sylux's family began making plans to move north. They would never quite make it, however.
The Start of Wizardry
A few weeks after Eudoras had left for the Kurathene, Sylux's father presented him with a book for his sixth birthday. The family was unable to afford a formal education, and Sylux couldn't read. However, his father had hoped that providing him with a simple book might help him learn to read and write with the help of his mother. Sylux caught onto reading quickly and fell in love with literature, seeming to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Sylux began making daily trips to the local library, against his mother's wishes, in order to get new books and read more. When he wasn't reading, he would help his mother take care of his two younger twin sisters, Ashley and Amanda.
Shortly after he began his daily trips to the library, Sylux was ambushed by a group of gang members and beaten horribly. He was stripped of everything he was carrying, including his clothing and was eventually returned home by the Guard. This was the beginning of the family's decision to consider finding a new place of residence. Once recovered from his encounter, Sylux sought out an alternate route to the library that would avoid confrontation with the local gangs. Having found one, his daily trips to the library resumed and he would constantly read new things. His hope was that educating himself through reading would allow him to earn a better livelihood when he was older and help support his family. This would all change when he stumbled upon a very strange book in the library, filled with strange runes and archaic markings. Diagrams in the book depicted images of lightning, fire and various other things.
Overwhelmed with the book, Sylux raced home to show is mother what he had found. He was so excited that he took the direct route home, neglecting to avoid the gangs. He was beset and beaten nearly to death by the same gang members, again stripped of everything he was carrying. As he lay bleeding and fighting for consciousness, he heard a loud cry and a deep snarl. Gaining enough consciousness to open his eyes, he could see a flying creature attacking the gang members, killing several of them in a frenzy before they ran, dropping everything they had taken. The creature then flew over to Sylux and before he lost consciousness, he could see what looked like the wings of a giant butterfly and the mouth of a lizard.
When he awoke, he was in the Shelter of Hope and was told that the Guards were alerted by a series of loud animal cries and they brought him to the Shelter, though the source of the noises could not be found. Sylux spent the next several months in the Shelter of Hope, recovering from near death. His parents visited a couple of times and decided to wait for his recovery before setting off to Visimontium. During his stay in the Shelter, Sylux continued to try and read the book he had found and eventually located a folded note inside the book. The note stated that the book was a journal kept by a mage nearing his death and he had bound his familiar to the book. Whomever could read and understand the secrets in the book, and whose heart was found pure by the "guardian" would become the new master of it.
Upon reading the letter, the butterfly winged, lizard-like creature appeared to Sylux. It stated its name was Xaos and that it was the "guardian" and the "familiar" referenced in the book. After a short time, Xaos began to teach Sylux the basics of the arcane and helped him with his reading and writing. The two became very close friends and Xaos was a source of hope and joy for Sylux during his recovery. By the time Sylux was released from the Shelter, he was able to cast the most basic of spells, called cantrips.
Pain and Revenge
Upon his release, Sylux raced home to share everything he had learned with his parents and help them finalize their preparations to move. When he neared his house however, he was met with a sharp stab of pain at the sight of his house burned to the ground. In despair, he neared the remains of his house and found the bodies of his father, mother and two younger twin sisters. His mother was chained to the floor and his father was chained to a stone chair as the house burned. This was no accident.
Assuming he knew what had happened, Sylux called upon Xaos and stormed to the alleys where the gangs resided and unleashed what little magic he knew, as well as his familiar on the gang members, killing everyone he could find. This left him with an overwhelming sense of despair and emptiness, as his revenge did nothing to bring back his family. For days, he wandered around the slums until he finally resolved to crawling into a cracked wall and remaining there until he died.
His loyal friend, Xaos, would not allow this however. Over the next twelve years of Sylux's life, Xaos nurtured him and taught him. She hunted for him and shared her knowledge of the world, stories of her old master and the few secrets of the arcane that she understood. Her friendship and support carried Sylux out of his despair and helped him find the will to survive. While he remained reclusive for these twelve years, Sylux studied endlessly and would occasionally make trips to the markets and the docks.
A New Beginning
Eventually, Sylux stumbled upon a man named Fergus Q. Goodmane who spoke briefly with him. Sylux was fascinated with Fergus' understanding of the arcane and his kindness. Eventually, he informed Fergus of his own studies in the arcane and Fergus took him to a home in the Markets and spoke with him at length about the Trust of Andrinor and the White Order of the Light. He then invited Sylux to attend a meeting of other White Mages and to see if he could find a home there amongst them.
Sylux eagerly agreed and spent the next several days interacting with other people of Mikona and learning about the recent happenings. When the day for the meeting arrived, Sylux was escorted to Visimontium by a wandering adventurer that was heading that way and eventually found his way to the White Tower in Visimontium. As the meeting progressed, Fergus introduced Sylux to the others and they each took time to talk with him and teach him more about themselves, magic and the Trust.
When the meeting was over, Sylux felt he had found a home and voiced his desire to join the White and learn from them. What Sylux didn't know, was that this decision would be the first in a series that would shape the rest of his future and grant him a new beginning at life.
A New Faith
One of the White Magi Sylux spoke with was Sapphire Moon and she spoke with him a bit about faith. Sylux had read much about the gods but truly knew little. She brought him to a recruiting meeting of the Order of Gorethar and after speaking with Hert Snyder, Sylux accepted the faith of Gorethar and became an Adherent to the Order. Over the next several years of his life, Sylux would pour a great deal of effort into earning a place in the Order and trying to be an example of his faith.
A New Path
A short time after his joining of the White Order of the Light and the Order of Gorethar, Sylux met a Housewoman of M'Chek named Moira Celyn Windspar who took time to get to know the young man and promised to help him stay on his feet in Mikona. Over their time together, Sylux and Moira became very close and developed a Mother/Son relationship. It was because of Moira that Sylux was eventually convinced to join the M'Chekian Guards.
Within the Guard, Sylux had three goals:
- Be an influence of Gorethar's faith in a law enforcement organization that was flooded with and ran by Valokians
- Gain the trust and support of the general populace by turning the Guard into a unit of integrity and justice
- Change the focus of the Guard from law enforcement to protection of the people
Sylux never expected to actually achieve any of these goals, but he would spend the majority of his life trying to do so.
Recent History
((This section will be edited later.))