Van'Algia

Van'Algia is quite a young half-elf at 68, yet even still, he's quite tall for his age having reached a height of almost 2 meters by his 20th birthday. Some of the people in his village admired him, and yet others shunned him. Introverted as he is, Van'Algia never tried too hard to form friendships with them.

Van'Algia had always been a very curious as a boy. His curiosity didn't wane as he grew either. Having been born a half-elf, he generally wished nothing more than to roam through the forest around his village. He preferred the solitude that it provided.

What he loved most about the forest was it was home to a vigorous pack of wolves. These wolves, having taken a liking to him, semi-adopted Van'Algia as their own and taught him many things: How to hunt, how to stalk, and, most importantly, how to protect the other members of the pack. Van'Algia was well adapted to protection and, with mental acuity surpassing others of his age, saved the pack from numerous dangers while he traveled with them.

After a time, the people of the village decided they'd had enough of Van'Algia wandering around with the wolves that so beset them. The wolves that ate their flocks. The wolves that harassed passersby. The town decided to remove the wolves from the forest. Van'Algia overheard their plans and, fearing for the pack that had taken him in, ran out into the woods to try to get them to understand that they had to flee. But it was for naught. He barely understood that they each had individual names that were variations of pitches of howls. He could not discern how to tell them to flee. Instead he took a fighting stance and decided he'd chase them off himself, for he knew the villagers would not be as gentle to them as he. It took a lot of poking and prodding and the smacking of a tree limb on their bodies, but he eventually made them run off away from the town.

Deep down, Van'Algia was filled with melancholy. He had chased off the only friends he ever had, even though he knew it was in their best interest. Unsure of what to do, Van'Algia locked himself inside his house so that no one would bother him. He gathered what happiness he had left and tried to force it to fill his entire being but it would not suffice. After a few hours he passed out.

He was visited in his dream by an oracle. The oracle told him to use this event to fuel the rest of his life. He told Van'Algia that he should strive to be a healer and protector. He told him to train to be a cleric in the Temple of Lathander.

Van'Algia awoke with a surprising calm. In his heart, there was no more turmoil about what he had done, only peace knowing that he protected the family that had taught him much about surviving in the wilderness. Now, he decided, he would go learn how to heal and protect. He packed his things and set out to train at the Temple of Lathander.

After much travel, he arrived at the temple. Nervous, and anxious, he pleaded with the acolytes to train him. They saw in his heart that he was virtuous and compassionate. They agreed to train him in the arts. Many years passed, Van'Algia grew stronger and, as it turns out, more open to the world. No longer was he as introverted. He made many friends with the other trainees. He was neither the strongest nor the wisest, but he strived to become the best cleric he could be. After some time, the Acolytes bestowed upon Van'Algia a Medallion of Lathander, The Morninglord. It depicted a sunrise over a field. To keep it close, Van'Algia designed a belt with which to affix it to.

Having finished his training, Van'Algia set out into the world to journey and find something he wished with all his being to protect. He would stop only when he found what he was looking for. Something he needed. Something to make him whole.

An thus, Van'Algia traveled far and wide in search of this one thing.