Burning Hatred, a character profile for Auzwald Ashmourne

[Fimbulroot]

Born the son of a wealthy merchant family from Tilea, Alric, as he was known then, often traveled with his father on his business trips to Ulthuan, marveling at the glistening, ivory towers of the Elves. One such voyage would alter his life forever, sending him down a path of burning hatred and revenge.

The ill-fated journey would find him accompanying his father yet again, though not alone. This time, his mother Vorna and younger sister Neena were with him, eager to see their father's newly built vessel, awaiting him in the grand shipyards of Lothern. While crossing the Great Ocean, their vessel came under attack by Druchii raiders. The crew were cut down without mercy, while Alric and his family were taken captive, watching their ship burn as they were spirited away to the dark elves ship. They soon discovered they were to be taken back to Naggaroth as slaves, a fate worse than death in the eyes of men. The voyage was long, and true to their vicious and sadistic reputation, Alric and his father were forced to watch each night as the crew would take turns :| Vorna.

One night, they ran into a massive storm which nearly capsized their ship. In thanks to their cruel god, the Dark Elves offered a sacrifice to Khaine, by flaying the skin from his sister Neena's bones. They all watched helplessly as they ripped her apart then tossed her overboard like so much garbage. The mother, overcome with grief, flung herself at her captors only to receive a lance through her throat in response. The crew laughed as Alric and his father looked on, horrified. As the crew prepared to set sail again, they were too busy notice the young boy, and the intense hatred building in his eyes. In his rage, he called out the captain of the ship, who was watching nearby. "I'm going to kill you all" he shouted, unable to contain his anger any longer. The captain sneered and walked over to where Alric was standing, leering down at him. He turned away, as if to leave, then spun around, a dagger in his hand and swept down across the boys left eye, scarring it deeply and nearly blinding him.

The father cried out for mercy but the call fell on deaf ears. He embraced his son, looking him in the eyes to attend his injury. As he looked into the boys face, he noticed something was happening. His sons eyes, once a vibrant blue, were changing right before him. The blue swirled and spun, changing to a fiery amber, glowing ever brighter as the seconds passed. The father soon realized what was happening. In his years trading with the elves, he had heard stories of wizards who discovered their connection to the Aqshy through traumatic events. His son had always been fascinated with fire, a predilection he had always allowed with some caution. Now he knew it was much more than that.

He hugged his son tighter as he knew what was coming. The energy building within him would soon be released in a catastrophic way. He could feel the heat rising and prepared himself for the inevitable conclusion. The captain looked back over at the two kneeling on the deck, his eyebrow cocked in wonderment. Cautiously he slowly wandered back over, placing his hand over his dagger. The son looked up, locking eyes with his father for the last time. "I don't know what's happening...I'm scared" he confided. "It's alright son...just....let go" he said. The captain stood over them once again..."Back to the..." he began to speak but stopped mid-sentence when the boy looked up at him, his eyes glowing a bright orange, a look of intense rage spread across his face. "I told you....I'd kill you all" he seethed just before a ball of glowing, white hot flame erupted from his hands, engulfing the ship. The fireball exploded into a massive torrent of searing heat, incinerating everyone in its path, his father included. The ship was ripped apart in the process, causing the burning remnants to quickly slip beneath the cold black water.

Alric, unaffected by his own magic, clung desperately to a piece of wood as he watched the vessel disappear into the Great Ocean. For three days he would drift aimlessly until a passing trade ship noticed him in the water and rescued him. With his old life gone, he reinvented himself as Auzwald Ashmourne. In the years that followed, his anger at what happened, and his hatred for the dark elves that had caused it, only grew stronger each day. Under the prompting of a family friend, he was encouraged to develop his "gift" and attend the College of Magic in Altdorf. For years he studied and trained, always with the intent of seeking justice for his slaughtered family. He had never forgotten that day and would see to it that he would honor their memory by burning every Dark Elf that he came across.

As it happened, in the wake of preparing to journey to Nordland to help combat an invading force of Northerners, he received word that a similar invasion was taking place in Ulthuan. Seeing his opportunity, he set sail for Lothern at the bow of the very ship his father had commissioned all those years ago, now christened "Father's Fury". As he approached the coast he could hear the sounds of battle and smiled, his eyes glowing bright.

[NectaneboII]

Tremendous .

[maroontom]

Even compared to the usually great quality of writing on this forum, this is probably my favourite, well done.

[Mcgotrek]

What a tragic and yet good story! Do you plan to write more?

[Fimbulroot]

What a tragic and yet good story! Do you plan to write more?

Thanks for the compliments guys! I do plan on writing more in the future, stay tuned!