Friedwall

For many people, Death Cultists are ruthless brutes or grim practitioners of Necromancy with a strong affiliation and love for the dead. The actual image of a Death Cultist is one of calmness and serenity. Friedwall is one of those Cultists that can be mistaken for a scholar of the Arcana Academia. His nature and manners are without a doubt not following the strict image of a servant of the dead.

The young man lives a peaceful life within the Death Cathedral of Mandrealis under the guidance of Master Gill.

## Early Years and the Cathedral

Friedwall was born in a small family of peons. Without the money and food to provide a child, his parents gave up on him and left him to die in the streets of Mandrealis. His fragile form cried an entire night for help. The Soul of the child was almost departing and a member of The Deathwatch was about to bring it into the afterlife, if the Master of the Cathedral had not found the child and bargained the Deathguard to give the child another chance.

Since then, Friedwall was raised in the Cathedral. He learned the teachings and the arcane arts there. His mind adapted to many of the lessons, yet he was never fully able to understand them. A part of his mind and Soul was already departed and the closeness to the dead frightened him. His faith to Death was tainted with the longing screams of the dead Souls to drag him with them into the afterlife.

## The Tests of Faith

For the Cultists, there are specific tests to raise in ranks. The first and most important one is the Walk of the Dead; walking among the resting bodies of the departed and gain the affinity to recognize the dead by name, age, time of death and the cause of death.

Friedwall's testing was the greatest torture to him. His mind was ridden with the screams of agony and the longing pleas of the Dead. They begged him to follow them into the afterlife as a brethren. He knew that he was dead inside in some way and the Walk of the Dead made him fear this part of him.

As the young man emerged from the Crypts of Mandrealis, he was no longer the cheerful youngster. He studied the arcane art of Necromancy in order to relieve himself of the dying piece of himself, but was never able to achieve that redemption. No matter how much he learned the teachings, the part of him that he was most afraid of was unconquerable.

The young man tried to leave the walls of the Cathedral and learn more arcane arts in the Arcana Academia, but his faith and the massive knowledge about Necromancy was detested. The rejection in the greatest college of knowledge hurt Friedwall, yet was he more encouraged to become a Master of Necromancy and surpass his Master and Teacher, Master Gill.

## The Rival

With mere 22 years, Friedwall was already a formidable Necromancer. He was able to perform Magic that not everyone in the Cathedral was capable of and he was proud to be one of the more respected members, despite his personal problems with the Dead.

However, he was not the only one to aspire in the ranks quickly. A young Harlequin girl arrived at the Cathedral and her finesse in handling the (Un)Dead in the crypts and her combat ability made her another capable and well-seen successor to Master Gill. Friedwall did envy her ability to walk with the Dead so easily, unable to overcome his fear ever.

In the years of secret rivalry, Friedwall learned more and more about Necromancy in hopes of being ahead of her. His abilities became outstanding and he had proven to be a powerful Mage.

To this very day, he is one of the most devoted scholars of the Dead and reader of the tomes all about Necromancy.