Cerath

Artist's Depiction of Cerath's Penitent Mask

> "*Gods are ghosts. We are watched by those who dwell in the veil we cannot pierce.*"
> ― Quoth Cerath
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## Biography

The infamous Cerath is the founder of the Guild Eldritch, one of the greatest institutions of learning anwhere in Starsong. After arriving to Aerrune during the 3rd Age alongside Oskar daer Gryn, Cerath was a member of the Hundred Families tasked with settling this untamed colossus of a continent.

Cerath was not one for menial labour and instead set his abilities on further pursuits.

Cerath was a close friend of Oskar daer Gryn and many suspect they were closer than just comrades. Oskar was mortally wounded by the native elves of Aerrune in one of their skirmishes and became a Living Saint for the last twenty-two hours of his life. Cerath never ceased mourning. He sought to seek this same divine power and harness it.

Driven from Oskvol due to his experiments, Cerath's powers grew dark and profane. While the Hundred Families argued among themselves Cerath gathered a retinue of loyal followers and left for the Bleak where he built a fortress among the ruins of a grove of elven druids.

When the armies of the natives came for the Hundred Families, they found Cerath and his fortress with loyal knights standing guard against them. What the Families, natives and nobody expected was Cerath to turn the entire land to stone and petrify the entire army of those who once killed Oskar.

Thus was the Council of Stones formed and Cerath's true nature revealed.

Cerath's story continues, as the fortress he and his subjects created became the beginning of the Pinnacle where the Guild Eldritch were slowly forming. Cerath's experiments continued, however brilliant he was he still performed heinous acts with an utter lack of conscience. The remainder of his life he spent perfecting his skills as well as leading battles and quashing rebellions. These talents of his were used to fuel the wars in Aerrune and Dawnforge alike, earning him the mistrust of the Venarium who once called him an ally.

The Saint's War was inevitable as Cerath had managed to fulfill his ambitions. With the natives of Aerrune under submission he would provide the mightiest immortal warriors for the Askarian Empire to battle its enemies. Cerath himself revelled in the profits of this war and being able to witness his finest works made manifest.

How Cerath was capable of creating spells and even turning mortals into saints nobody knows for sure. His secrets died with him when his ship was surrounded by dragon-rider Rexinners and his vessel was sent to the bottom of the Abyssal Rift. His death only lead to further discord as the bloody will of the divine continued through the Saint's War.

His corpse was never recovered.

## Appearance

> "*Face of an angel, morals of a devil.*"
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   Before the death of Oskar, Cerath was known as a handsome Aldwynnian man with blond hair and dull green eyes. His beauty rivalled even the most dashing of princes and he was the envy of many a court noble.

The death of Oskar left Cerath changed.

From then on he wore a mask reminiscent of the penitents of Stygia. This mask he wore into battle on numerous occasions, leaving its cold visage of steel burned forever into the memory of those he warred against.

## Personality

> "*The day is not won with a strike to the heart but a thousand cuts about it. Lay them low and burn their shadows.*"
> ― Quoth Cerath
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There is not much told of Cerath anymore. Known to be a master archmage and adept in combat and strategy, none can say for sure who he was beyond the legacy he left behind. The world knows little of his past or who he was before he fought alongside Saint Oskar.

But we did know his hardships. We know how he suffered and how he loved.

All that we can hope for is that he found some measure of peace in the end.