Rayth Blackmoore

Rayth was born on an island about the size of Aesry Surlaenis'a, which was known to its inhabitants as Liones. A good distance away from the four known provinces, life was similar if a bit isolated from outside influences.

A typical feudal society, Liones was largely populated by humans, although the other races were not unheard of; they merely were seen as atypical. The elven community stayed to itself for the most part, shrouded in secrecy, having chosen to remove themselves from almost all the doings of the humans.

Rayth was born the first son to a wealthy noble family. His father, Rathir Sultlu, was a Baron who married the second daughter of his liege Count Malmsbourne; her name was Voreene. Although Barons on the whole are not high ranking among peers, the Sultlus had a great deal of influence in the large inland city where they lived.

There were some murmurings about Rayth's parentage, since he had jet black hair while both of his parents and his younger brother Danistyn were blond. However, Baroness Sultlu had her ways of silencing such talk, and so Rayth was raised to be the undenied heir of the family.

The Sultlus were known, if not openly discussed, to be ruthless political players. In particular, Voreene was rumored to have dark personal tastes, although nothing could ever be proven or investigated. Rayth and his brother were raised to accept these methods and excel in them.

A great rivalry existed between the two brothers. As time passed, Rayth's growing discontent with his position in life increased the tension between them. Danistyn would have wanted nothing more than to be the heir to the family, and Rayth's lack of appreciation for the gift he had been given intensified his jealousy.

Voreene Sultlu was a masterful manipulator, but her sons were not foolish. Partly due to the very training they received from her, they began to understand the vast webs of control and deceit she had woven even for them.  Although Danistyn was moved to great respect for her for it, Rayth's anger grew.

One day, spurred by some event he has not spoken about, Rayth denounced his family allegiance and prepared to journey away to the northern end of the island. His brother Danistyn felt this act of defiance was too great an insult to bear, and so he fought with Rayth in a duel. He was defeated, taking a cut to the eye that to this day has inexplicably changed to milky white.

Despite his mother's careless disdain of Rayth's announcement, he knew her ways and knew she would likely send someone after him... whether it be a friend or assassin was unknown to him. Rayth made his way to a series of caverns to the north known to house vicious creatures such as trolls and S'lai. He thought he could remain there a time, throwing off any pursuers, until he could continue on his way.

The plan backfired when he encountered a pack of trolls, too many for him to attempt to fight. He tried to outrun them with his horse, but found himself trapped in a box canyon. Above him, he saw a cave opening, but he could do nothing for the safety of his horse Wing. Hoping to distract the trolls and give his horse a chance at life, he sent Wing charging through the advancing trolls, racing for the opening of the canyon.

The trolls attacked the fleeing horse, but it continued on, drawing a troll or two in pursuit. Rayth did not wait to see the results but used the distraction to climb the rocky cliff face toward the cave.

Drawn in by the obviously manmade interior of the cave, Rayth eventually came upon a subterranean cavern where a strange hovering crystal rotated above an ancient stone circle. Rayth touched it in curiosity, and it enveloped him in its light, sending him on a teleported journey across the oceans to the Province of Zoluren. This crystal, of course, matches the type found in the Crossing's Aesthene's Close in all ways except for the apparent distance of travel.

Once in Zoluren, and after determining that he had ended up quite far from his homeland, he was determined to make his own life for himself. Not quite sure what that entailed, since he had been raised for a career in nobility and little else, he turned to the Guilds for direction.

When he learned he had latent talent in the Elemental magics, he joined the Warrior Mage Guild, assuming that this new path would make itself clear to him.

As the years passed and he matured, he began to realize that he could never pretend to be anything but noble. His time attempting to be nothing more than an adventurer was a youthful preoccupation, but he realized that many of the things Voreene had told him in the past were true, particularly about himself and the position he was born to live.

He'd never been one to hide his noble background, but now he embraced it once more, taking on a court and using his training and talents to seek recognition from the local peerage.

During this time, his brother Danistyn also appeared, having been one of the ones to follow Rayth, all the way through the crystal in the cavern. He brought news that Voreene was dead and that a great disaster had claimed Liones, consumed by the sea. Whether or not it was true is not certain, but Rayth believes that it is so.

Danistyn's grudge against Rayth was apparently ended when they fought a final duel to settle the matter. Since Danistyn had vowed to kill Rayth or die trying, this was a formal way to bring closure to that vow. Danistyn was killed, departed, returned, and to all appearances has abided by the agreement, going so far as to swear fealty to his older brother.

Time has passed, and what lies in store for Rayth, his brother Danistyn, and the members of his court remains to be seen.