Arlian Haiden

> *"If my death is what keeps us apart, then so be it."*
>
>

-*Arlian to the Old Man on keeping Lynda*

A dragonborn that was sent by the FrogSage to meet Lynda Haiden in the woods and raise her. Killed himself after believing that Lynda hated him after abandoning her.

## Biography

### Early Life

Arlian was a dirt poor child growing up, with only a sickly human father to raise him. Eventually his father would pass and their home would be taken by a nearby kingdom. As he grew up, Arlian would work as a blacksmith assistant, a street cleaner, and a grave digger. After work, he would find a nice place to sleep in a nearby forest or woodland. Arlian would barely make enough to survive. He eventually obtained enough money to build a cabin in a forest.

### Daughter of Bahamut

One day while walking in a woodlands looking for work, a frog man ran up to him telling him that he will give him 100 platinum coins to take care of a dragonborn child nearby. Confused, the dragonborn accepted the proposal and followed the direction of where the frog man pointed, which was towards Arlian's cabin. A minute or two later, Arlian would find a starved dragonborn child, covered with several cut marks. He assured the dragonborn girl that "everything is alright" and that her dad was here to protect her. He would call the child, "Lynda".

### Preparing Lynda and The Visit

As Lynda grew older, Arlian would buy several books with the platinum coin, some teaching magic and spells, others teaching Lynda about justice and law. Arlian would treat Lynda as if she were his daughter. One day, as Lynda was catching fish in a nearby stream, Arlian heard a knock at his door. In front of him was an old man in peasant robes. Arlian invited the man in, to which the man refused. He then told Arlian that he was in danger, and that he would have to find someone else to take care of Lynda. Shocked, Arlian refused to do this, telling the old man that he'd die before then. The old man tells Arlian that there are forces at work that will hurt anyone Lynda cares about, in order to break her. He says that Arlian can stay with Lynda if he's willing to suffer more as long as he lived. Arlian smiled at the old man, thanked him, and said "I don't have anything else worth living for". The old man smiled and then left.

### Love and Betrayal

As time passed, Arlian would develop a drinking problem and be very impatient with Lynda, often apologizing later. Arlian would go to the nearby town's tavern every so often, leaving Lynda at the cabin. One day he meets the most beautiful dragonborn woman he'd ever laid eyes upon. Feeling his mind slowly leaving him, he wanted this dragonborn, Hindrith, to eventually take care of Lynda, although she was only a couple years older than her. Hindrith and Arlian would see each other at the tavern often, with Arlian telling Lynda that he was just going out to the market to browse. One night while Arlian was "going to the market", he passed out and woke up with all his money, and Hindrith, gone. Ashamed of losing all of his money, he left the town and Lynda searching for Hindrith and/or his money. Months later, he would break down and cry, his mind, his body, his heart, broken. He felt as if some specter was making him suffer to a point where he would beg for death. He was doomed to suffer.

### The Wizard's Tower

Arlian would one day go to the Orc village Nagara and tell his story to the orc bard, Brogrum, who then promises to create a song about his story. After Brogrum gave the dragonborn supplies and wine, Arlian began going towards Lotharion's tower. Arlian goes to the wizard crying and tells him his story. The wizard, not sure what to do, invites the dragonborn in for a beverage and snacks. Just as the two begin learning about one another, Lotharion hears the sound of adventurers outside his tower.

### Demise

As Lotharion talks to the adventurers, Arlian hears the phrase "nothing stacks up to you", a phrase he told Lynda as he cooked her pancakes. Immediately realizing the voice was Lynda, he begged Lotharion to open the doors. Lynda and Arlian immediately stare at each other, agape. Lynda immediately questioned why he left, to which Arlian tried to explain himself, making Lynda even more upset with him. After being sick of Arlian's story of love and his reasoning for leaving her, Lynda disappears. Arlian beyond happy that he had seen his "daughter" again, was immediately upset that she left him again. Fearing that Lynda's life would be in danger by the specter, Arlian stated up the tower toward a window. Before he gets there, Lynda reappears and throws a pancake at him exclaiming "nothing stacks up to you". Saddened by the anger of his daughter, and enlivened by the thought of peace from the specter, Arlian threw himself from the tower, dying instantly. Hindrith smiled as Tiamat told her the news.

## Trivia

* Although he is a dragonborn, Arlian can't speak draconic or at least prefers not to.