Alistair Reid

"What can one man do, if pressed? Save the world."

## History

In the year of 4588, a boy by the name of Loghain Rainier was born to a loving family and a warm home within the city of Westcrown. A dull upbringing, until the age of 18, upon which the world folded into turmoil. With the confirmed death of Aroden in 4606, Westcrown; the god's city, was broiled in mass riots. After the city burned and the dead cleared, piled higher than the buildings they surrounded, the young man was left alone.

With naught in the way of remaining family there was little more to do. Rainier had never picked up a trade, never been motivated; he expected to take after his father's mercantile which had since been reduced to ashes, so he did what any homeless, hopeless would do.

Rainier joined the army.

It was a logical choice, after all. It paid decently, there was work and a roof over one's head to be had and with a bloody civil war upon Cheliax's people as the Asmodean underbelly was brought to surface, there was no shortage of men willing to die for a dead god.

It would take just over thirty years for the civil war to end. Brother killed brother, noble houses torn down and rebuilt a half a dozen times over, cities sacked and massacres countless. As Cheliax bathed in blood, Infernal pacts were made in secret and eventually, within the final year of the war, House Thrune brought the full force of the armies of Hell to the field in the Battle of a Hundred Kings.

By it's end, Rainier was no hero.

The civil war had torn Cheliax asunder and thirty years of bloodshed had turned the once soldier of fortune into a veteran, a man who had known war, campaign and battle for all but a quarter of his life. Unspeakable acts of violence and hatred committed in the name of an infernal lord, for a Queen few wanted and a country still reeling in the face of it's dead god left the aging soldier few places to walk in a cold world. Many would cast down their swords for plowshares, but not Rainier.

Word of demons pouring forth from a tear in the world had surfaced amidst the violent civil war, far in the frozen north; tens of thousands lay dead at the foot of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords as armies from the Abyss poured outward.

The world had need of soldiers, still.

The journey north was not one made alone. Thousands of men, displaced nobility and mercenary companies starved for gold and war since the bloody calm had swept over Cheliax were dispatched to the frozen wastelands of Sarkosis before it's fall.

Eight bloody years of warfare followed until the tear was sealed. War against the Demon was unlike that of the Chelish civil war. Monstrous siege engines supported by flying, winged creatures from the depths of some twisted nightmare swooped down to pluck men apart in the skies, left helpless as their comrades watched. To claim Hell had come to Golarian would pale in comparison to the true nature. The once pure white snows of the far north would forever be stained red.

The first crusade would come to a close in the year of 4630 AR, deemed a success in restraining the demonic advance; but never sealing the rift.

Many men and women would remain behind, Rainier included; now finding himself of higher station. As knightly orders from near and far taking the time to bolster the fortifications and to better prepare for the next attack, ballistae lined every wall of every keep, a constant state of watchful readiness and keen suspicion would guard Sarkosis for the next five years. Five years of planning, of preparation, of drills and training; in hopes of finding themselves prepared for the next demonic advance.

The defenders were smashed, scattered and obliterated. Nobody stood a chance against the demonic onslaught that came. Tens of thousands died under brutal, surgical assaults. The second crusade was a hopeless war, skirmishes and open combat led to defeat upon the field. Until the development of the Wardstones, it would seem the demonic forces would cut through the land. Vast obelisks that dot the land, baring demonic entry or teleportation; but they needed to be put in place.

## Appearance

Reid is a dour looking individual, his skin bears a slight hint of grey and his eyes are now a piercing, vibrant yellow. He possesses a well-groomed, dark beard and a full, thick head of hair, tied back into a bun. His hair is graying due to stress, more than age. Of stout build, broad shoulder and disappointed glower, Reid most likely fits the father figure.

He prefers to wear black tones and lighter armor lacking in any insignia however he does possess a solid ruby symbol of Asmodeus.

## Personality

Dour in looks, dour in manner. Reid possesses a rigid mind and an unflinching belief to what he feels is right. Despite his Infernal patron, the Paladin of Asmodeus still puts good before law, in his own unpredictable and twisted way.

If he is disappointed, he will not voice it. If he is proud, his head may rise slightly. Perhaps he will even nod in approval.

Good does not mean nice. Law extends beyond what is written.

## Paladin Code

1. My word is binding. I hold my commitments, and agreements sacred. However, I always seek to turn those arrangements to the advantage of Asomdeus, as it is only through his unyielding law that the worlds will be made perfect.

2. As my Lord and Master, I am a tactician. I make plans, and strategies with meticulous detail. To form a plan or contract faultily is to insult the Prince of Darkness himself.

3. I hold to the established hierarchies, seeking always to gain higher position in those influential  circles which could be used to further the plans of Asmodeus.

4. I have no use for mercy, kindness, or pity. Such things are reserved for the weak, and the weak deserve nothing more than domination, and rule. A home, community, nation, or world left to be run by the weak is an abomination to The Prince.

5. Deception through diplomacy is more effective than through lies, because to rule through law offers no recourse but fulfillment of the contract by the subject.

6. Careful, planned, calculated gaining of influence, and power are more satisfying to the soul than that gained through violence.

## "Loves"

* Reid appreciates quiet confidence. A skilled individual who can do their job without complaint and without fail is an individual of worth.
* Sacrifice and struggle. A man of great sacrifice himself, Reid understands and respects what it means to lose something of self.
* Dark ale. Something of a particular taste the old soldier picked up along the road. He once drank a dark ale brewed with chocolate. It is a life long regret he never got the name of the ale.
* Cold air. A strange thing to want, but with two lives spent manning castle walls within a frozen climate, it begins to feel like home. Biting, freezing wind reminds Reid he is still alive.

## Dislikes

* Demons. This one is rather self explanatory. Reid will most likely plan to kill, or kill, any demon he comes across. Demonic influence as a whole disgusts the man.
* Small talk.
* Lavish behavior. Decades of campaigning and soldiering have left Reid to feel disappointed at overly grand gesture. He is more likely to be comfortable in a war tent than an inn room.
* Immaturity. Insults, poor impulse control, brash behavior and the like are a sure-fire way to disappoint Reid.

## Fears

The singular fear Reid possesses is to disappoint The Black Prince. To squander the gift he has been given, the second lease on life, the power bequeathed to him and show himself unworthy of Asmodeus would be unthinkable.

## Family

Johannes Reid - Father; Johannes raised Reid right. An Ulfen man, he was strict and fair. Many of his values were instilled into Reid. He would be proud.

Marileta Reid - Mother; Marileta was the one who found Reid in his second incarnation. A mother incapable of having children of her own and a devout worshiper of Pharasma, she saw the Duskwalker as a gift from her god, naming Alistair after her own grandfather.

## Aspirations

Two aspirations are at the front of Reid's mind, given his new position within this strange world.

1. Establish a kingdom. Noting the current political climate and the lack of civilization, Reid plans to take it upon himself to establish a nation. Not necessarily dedicated to Asmodeus, but to the well-being of it's citizenry.
2. Rid the world of demonic infestation. Having witnessed horrors beyond counting at the hands of demonic-kin, Reid seeks to flatten them before they take root in this new world.