Leonhard Tark was the firstborn of the farmer William Tark and his loving wife Mary Morne. Born into a thriving settlement situated deep within the territory of the Crown, Leonhard had a pleasant childhood relatively untouched by hardship or strife, playing with his friends in the lush fields and running errands for his father. Although Leonhard's parents were not fortuitous enough to afford the benefits of an official education for their son, they were well-read enough to homeschool him in the ways of the world, along with basic combat and the art of pyromancy- the latter of which he considerably enjoyed, giving him aspirations of heroism and the dream of using his powers for the good of the people.



Alas, at the age of fourteen, he grew too bold and brash in his pursuit of pyromancy and tragedy struck. Untrained on the usage of more advanced techniques, he began to develop and utilise an extremely destructive spell that unleashed a scorching and wild flame. Foolishly deciding to use this ability indoors to impress his father, he lost control of the spell and burnt his homestead to the ground, his parents incinerated by the intense heat almost instantly. However, he himself was saved from certain death by a nearby band of travelling clerics who saw the flames and pulled him out of the wreckage of his home- the incident leaving him with a body covered in horrific burn scars from the neck down.



Although the truth behind the blaze was concealed from the authorities in order to protect Leonhard from a life of imprisonment or perhaps even execution, he quickly found himself alienated by most of his family who could not bear to even set eyes on him. He only found respite in the sympathetic arms of his merchant uncle Kenneth Tark, moving to a nearby smaller settlement to live with him- he offered counsel whilst also funding an official education for Leonhard due to his wealth. However, the traumatic experience of murdering his own parents inevitably changed his character, and he was noted by his friends who he still saw occasionally to behave in a quieter and far more gloomy manner. He also gained a mean streak and unleashed violent outbursts onto those who tested his patience or brought up his pyromancy, causing his friends to abandon him for fear of their own lives.



Kenneth did gradually realise that these events had changed Leonhard, and he tried his best to rehabilitate the boy- bestowing upon him a special magical ring of concealment designed to hide his charred flesh and improve his self-confidence. A soldier for the Crown in his youth, Kenneth then taught him all he knew regarding close quarters combat and sword fighting- yet this was not much at all, considering he was severely out of practice and had forgotten most techniques. Leonhard in his boredom once again found himself drawn to the art of pyromancy, even though his uncle had strictly forbidden him from even thinking about this practice. As such, he usually trained alone in an open field far from the town and away from prying eyes, with only a charred pyromancy tome for reference.



At the age of nineteen, a few years into his training with both sword and magic, Leonhard thought that it was about time that he forged his own path in the world and left the town with some gold. His uncle also gave him an iron helmet and greatsword he had kept from his time in the military, not in the best condition but more than enough protection for the road. Travelling between towns looking for work and a purpose to his life, Leonhard slowly gained notoriety and a bounty upon his head through the years for occasionally burning or even murdering peasants who insulted him.



He is now in the realm of (whatever this land is called again) looking for adventure and fortune, whilst hopefully avoiding the bloodthirsty bounty hunters and noble men of the law alike who want his head for his grim multitude of crimes.