Ayrik Drayven

Name: Ayrik Drayven
Subdivision: Dreadlord
Place of Birth/Raising: Unknown, raised in Tar Valon
Physical Description: Ayrik Drayven is not a small man. He stands at 6’3” and weighs in at about 240 lbs. His build is athletic, though not muscular. His dusty blond hair hangs to his upper back, and he keeps it tied back at the base of his skull. His eyes, a light brown color, tell of a cold and calculating mind hidden behind them. He views human life as something to be used, not cherished. With no remorse, no guilt, no sadness, Ayrik is a borderline psychopath. Look-wise, Ayrik is far from ugly, though he isn’t quite the most handsome creature on the face of the earth. As a matter of fact, though he wouldn’t know it, if he were to cut his hair short and build his muscles, he would look just like Mehrin Deathwatch of the Band.
Being identical twins will do that to people.
History: It is strange how people from across the world can be connected in ways that they never imagined. Fate seems to be against them from the start. For instance, two infants, twin brothers who never knew each other and find themselves separated from one another can often live almost parallel lives, be happy, have a family, and one day find themselves reunited with one another.
Then again, they might not.
Tar Valon is the last place where one expects to find an abandoned child. However, one mild summer night, bookstore owners Talcon and Freya Drayven found just that screaming on their front doorstep. It is always an odd decision to take in such a child, but Talcon and Freya were an exception to such a rule. Freya was incapable of having children, and they had both wanted a son who would be able to one day take over the business. Not to mention somebody to shift attention away from them when people became curious about certain evening events. Friends of the Dark were not exactly welcome in Tar Valon. They took the child in, and named him Ayrik.
Ayrik was easily one of the more well-off children of Tar Valon. Not only did he live comfortably, he was surrounded by books. Showing some mental aptitude from a young age, Ayrik could almost always be found with some book or another. When he wasn’t reading, Ayrik would often sit in silence, his mind wandering. He could keep himself entertained for hours, even if he was only staring at a blank wall. His parents made sure that he received the proper education in other realms, as well. From an early age, Talcon and Freya educated their son in the ways of the Shadow, teaching him of the glories of the Great Lord, and the immortality that could be his if he held true. Even from a young age, the idea of immortality was quite attractive to Ayrik.
At the age of fourteen, Ayrik began showing some traits that were, quite frankly, disturbing. He would sit and listen to some of the adults that came into the store, occasionally saying something to bring about a shift in the conversation. He would then make what sounded like an idle remark, often with the result of the customer leaving the store with their purchase and either angry, embarrassed, or in tears. Each time they would ask him, Talcon and Freya would receive the same answer as to what had happened: “They’re so easy.” The look on his face after any of these sessions was unnerving. It was as if he was operating on a different level than them, and he knew it. The mere idea left the two with some trepidation about their son.
It would be only three years later that Ayrik would shatter the worlds of his parents. Both awoke to the sounds of him screaming in terror. Rushing to his room, they found Ayrik, still asleep. However, the stack of books on the small nightstand next to his bed was burning. Shaking him awake, Talcon suddenly found himself staring into the wild eyes of his son. Then he found himself hurled across the room and against the wall. In a moment, it was done. The fire disappeared as if it had never been, and Ayrik was sitting up in his bed, oddly calm given the situation. “I’ll be leaving in the morning,” was all he said. He knew all the signs that he’d need. The Circles would get him where he needed to be.
UPDATE 2012:
Ayrik's time training with the Dreadlords in the Blight was brief, owing to his intellect. He proved to be a ravenous learner, often found in the library reading anything that came to hand. He made few friends, though he did take a lover. Shortly before being raised in status to full Dreadlord status, Ayrik and his lover murdered another student, a big man who often left the other students severely injured through the Power or through his fists. In order to cover up the murder, Ayrik also killed his lover; she had outlived her usefulness.
When Ayrik learned that he had a brother, an identical twin, he expressed no emotion. When he learned that this twin was Mehrin Deathwatch, the commander of the Band of the Red Hand, and that it would be his task to bring him to ruin, Ayrik only smiled. Shortly after learning this, he learned something else: he learned that he had the ability to enter Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, and he wasted no time learning about this new and useful ability.
Ousting Mehrin from the Band proved to be simple. His daughter had arrived from Lugard, and he was painfully devoted to her care. Ayrik Traveled into the Citadel and, after murdering the girl's caretaker, he took the child. Her exact condition is still unknown.
Ayrik then proceeded to systematically destroy everything that Mehrin cared for. He started by murdering Mehrin's adopted parents, taking great pleasure in their agonized screams. He then went north to Fal Dara, where he finally met his brother face-to-face. Having just killed his brother's lover's parents, Ayrik was riding high on the thrill of victory. He never saw the attacks coming. Weakened by blood loss, Ayrik lost control of his weaves, and Mehrin struck back, leaving Ayrik no choice but to flee for his life.
Ayrik went into hiding after the failure, where he continued his studies, learning more of usefulness, studying the Dream World, and gathering strength and resources. It was time to begin his campaign against his brother anew. It was not enough to simply kill Mehrin. Mehrin would suffer physical, mental, and emotional pain beyond the capacity of any man. Ayrik would see him break. Only then would he allow his estranged brother Mehrin to die...
Category:Congress of the Shadow Bios
Category:Dreadlord Biographies
Category:Biographies