Beryl

Realm: Salamandastron

Position: Court Jester, just as soon as he gets his hat.

Favorite Fighting Style: Indefinite Tactical Retreat

Favorite Weapon: Mini (single sided) Glave

Other Names: B(lue) H(air), Voda, Babe (the blue ox), & Hey You

Origins: Kantya Hazgard was born a lowly peasant and through her short brush with royalty, during which she was raped by the King of Salamandastron, conceived a child that prophecy spoke of only as "The Blue One." Once finished with her, the King ordered Kantya executed, so as to prevent the birth of a bastard child. She escaped unexpectedly when a pack of wolves attacked the King's camp and distracted the guards. Kantya hid many miles away in an abandoned mine, and it was there that she gave birth to Beryl Hazgard. Beryl grew up surrounded by the forest and the animals that resided therein. He lived a simple life with his mother for many years, mining out the precious stone from which he got his name and trading it in the nearest village for supplies, food, and the rare luxury. The King heard of the stones' reappearance and sent a party of slaves and soldiers to reopen a mine he had once thought drained of its fruit. On Beryl's 17th birthday, the king's men arrived to reopen the mine and, finding Kantya alone, executed her. Beryl returned from his morning hunt to find his mother slaughtered and his home overrun with the kings men. Having been raised to use his head instead of his brawn, Beryl fled from his home, promissing himself that he would kill his father, or die trying.

The night of his mother's murder, Beryl ran into a wandering band of minstrels lost in the forest. The performers had tried to get to their destination by a shortcut, as there juggler had contracted an illness and needed a healer. Beryl agreed to help the performers out of the forest and under the guidance of 17-year-old bastard, the minstrels reached the town before the sun had risen. The juggler was rushed to the healer, but what had appeared a mere illness proved t be the plague. The juggler died as the blood-red sun rose mournfully over the horizon. The minstrels were one man short and, in what they assured was a great honor, offered Beryl the dead mans place in their band. Beryl agreed and spent the rest of the year traveling with the wandering performers, learning what little juggling the others knew and practicing on his own. A fortnight after his 18th birthday, Beryl and the minstrels wandered into a small harbor town looking for work and a cheep inn.

On the next morn, the small town was raided by the Sea-Troll Vek, who set upon the screaming people with an almost aimless aggression. The inn within which the minstrels were staying was toppled when Vek removed two of its supporting beams with his giant hammer Carthrix. The performers died as the ceiling came don upon them, but prophecy would not permit Beryls death, and mercifully allowed his corner of the room to remain affixed to one of the two remaining structural supports. Instead, Beryl was knocked unconscious by a flying piece of debris and only awakened after the sun had fled beyond the edge of the world. Dazed and bleeding, Beryl made his way into the ruins of what was once a thriving thoroughfare. Beryl called out, but no response was given to him. High above the small harbor town, the moon in all its full glory shined down a serene light that seemed so fitting for the graveyard that Beryl found himself in.