Yenward Starfall

## Intro

Yenward Starfall is a Monk of the Way of the Long Death. He is a follower of Malark and a current member of the Lost Souls adventuring group.

## Description

**Appearance**

Yenward is approximately 28 years old. Rather tall at 6'1 but more lanky than robust at 185 lbs. Light green eyes - more of a teal. His skin is a light blue, borderline gray. And his hair is bright white - wispy, and underneath it he has a "ridge" of clear prismatic crystals jutting from his head. He wears traditional monk garments that adorn the symbol of the Order of the Dark Moon. His weapon of choice outside of his fists and feet is a decorated Quarter Staff than can be linked together for a walking stick.

**Personality**

## Biography

**Background**

Yenward’s first memory was of him lying on the ground, head searing with pain. Around him, a town destroyed, was this his town? And in the midst of the confusion – a volcano had, or was erupting. Ash all around him, and lava on its approach. Yenward made a run for it, down the mountain in an attempt to breathe fresh air and get away from the burning magma. He took a few steps, looked back in an attempt to understand just where he was, or more importantly who he was. His lungs tried harder to function, jolting Yenward back into fleeing the scene, as he kept coughing – his eyes closed in pain from his chest and his head still. He re-opened his eyes to realize he was 20ft off the ground, levitating. The air up here crisper and cleaner, still hot, but much better than before. His head still hurt though. Just what on earth was going on? And why was he floating? Did he just do that himself, he looked around as if that would somehow give him answers.

Yenward continued to float till finally finding refuge miles and miles away from the eruption. A small farm town, on somewhat of alert from the eruption but knowingly too far to have concern of any danger. The outskirts of town had plenty of farm land and small barns abandoned, or at least not in current use. There, Yenward would attempt to reason these events. He was able to deduce a few things. He had basic understanding and knowledge, such as how to speak and use motor functions. He knew he was a male boy, young, probably around 10 or so. He also finally realized what was causing his head so much pain, a small ridge of crystals were protruding from his head/skull (he thought they were rocks first, but once he was able to view himself much later in a mirror, he realized they were prismatic clear crystals varying in size. From CM to Inch, Inch and half jutting almost directly front to back on the middle of his head, typical of where a mohawk would be, but give or take 2 to 3 inches to the left if you’re looking at him straight on.) He could also tell they were lodged in there though not from being inserted, but rather originating from his body. Also, his skin was a blueish gray, and no matter how much he stood still, his clothes and hair seemed to always be flowing a little as if there was this constant breeze. Later in life he would be able to control that should he want to. And lastly, he had zero possessions besides the clothes he was wearing, and within a pocket a worn piece of paper, with a single question written upon it: What is the purpose of death?

Yenward never learned the name of that farm town, and traveled on his own for a long time in search of knowledge or trying to figure out his past. Did he have one? What was his name? Who were his parents? And a question he feared asking the most, was he the cause of that eruption and the destruction of that village he woke up in?

The next place he arrived at and took the time to learn the name of was, a monastery located out in the plains of Tethyr, seemingly unaffiliated with any other buildings or populous. Just out there, on its own. It seemed fitting at the time that Yenward should attempt to find residency there. It was here that he learned the way of the Monk, for he had entered the temple of the Order of the Dark Moon. It was here that he told what little story he had to the monks, who at first attempted to aid Yenward in finding out about his past. Soon to give up though, as month after month, searches and inquiries resulted in only more questions than answers. Almost like the written question Yenward had in his pocket (indeed, what WAS the purpose of death? And why did Yenward have this on him, did he himself write/ask it?). They were able to at least tell him what he was, a Genasi, more correctly, an air Genasi. While that certainly gave him some more identity, it wasn’t much. Eventually both Yenward and the monks stopped looking into his past and started questioning his future. Yenward felt he liked what he saw during practices and meditation from the monks, and wanted to learn the way. The teachings came naturally to Yenward, who was given that name by the monks, and from early on they saw that he was rather obsessed with the stars and heavenly bodies, so his full name became Yenward Starfall. As he trained and learned and got older, the one thing that constantly plagued him was that question – what was the purpose of death. It’s what led to Yenward specifically following the monastic tradition of The Way of the Long Death for his specific path. He was obsessed with learning about death, but not in a necromantic way, but from a studious way. He was a sage in all aspects considering just how well read Yenward became, and his search for knowledge rivaled his skills as a monk. Specifically an astronomer as he could constantly be caught staring off into space and dotting over shooting stars.

Through his upbringing, and early research days, Yenward befriended a young woman named Holly. They spent a lot of time together as research partners and Yenward told her everything he could about himself, though never about the question he was plagued by, in fact he’s never told a living soul about that question. In return Holly told him everything about humanity and the ways of the world, and also about herself though admittedly her story was rather simple – she was born in the monastery and her parents both were very ill, eventually dying while Holly was too young to remember them. She spent her time learning and working with the elements to further understand them and lived a very simple life. Yenward was also studying the elements greatly and found them fascinating hence their inevitable joint research projects. One day, probably about a few months back from present day, Holly and Yenward were working on a device that could harness all 4 elements at once in harmony. Its purpose was to use the stored elements as way to give life either unto itself or to the recently deceased. The Order of the Dark Moon worshipped Shar the Goddess of Loss, so a lot of work being done revolved itself around death and grieving. Again, a most fitting place for Yenward. Well during their attempt to harness all four elements, the device, a containment unit, exploded violently. Both Yenward and Holly were knocked back a few feet, and after a few moments of disorientation, Yenward made it back to his feet. He looked for Holly, only to be horrified to see her lying there, with a large metal fragment from the containment unit jutting from her neck, a pool of blood beneath her Yenward didn’t have to cry for help as the sound of the explosion alerted half the monastery. They tried with all their prayer and magics to save her, but Holly had died almost instantly. As they lifted her from the scene, one of the monks removed her lab coat as they brought her to their infirmary area. Yenward was too devastated to follow. Instead he stayed staring at Holly’s lab coat as if she was still in it. And that’s when something curious occurred…there seemed to be a note, or letter of some kind slightly sticking out from one of the coat’s pockets. Yenward looked to make sure no one was watching, as his pilfered the note. He returned to his quarters and after staring at the folded note for what seemed like hours, he finally opened it. Written but only one question: What is the purpose of death? Yenward threw the note down, fell back, and tried scrambling away from it as if it were alive and coming for him. Eventually he calmed down. He tried reasoning with himself. Holly was in the Order of the Dark Moon, just as he was, everyone here had some affiliation with death and wanting to learn more about it…that’s not entirely impossible that Holly would have the same note...right? He couldn’t persuade himself to not find this beyond odd. He walked to his kitchenette area, started a small fire and threw his original note of the same question in there. He wanted to be rid of this burden. He then threw Holly’s note into the fire too. Sleep didn’t come easy to Yenward that night, but eventually he did succumb. The next morning, with heavy heart, Yenward started to begin his day, he walked over the kitchenette area to begin breakfast when he suddenly stopped. There! In the ash pile from last night…something protruded! Perhaps a piece of unburnt paper? No…it seemed to carry on under the black ash… Hesitantly Yenward pinched the exposed piece and carefully slipped it out from the ash…blank. Though the paper type…it was if the paper type from his note had fused with the paper type of Holly’s, patchwork like. That’s when it dawned on him, there was something written on the other side…He turned it around still just holding it with a pinch on the corner. As his eyes gazed over each letter, each letter sparked and glowed with fire as it formed the very question Yenward feared in his heart would still be there: What is the purpose of Death?
…
Clearly there was no escaping this. And after some days and perhaps even weeks of pacing and contemplating, Yenward Starfall left the Order of the Dark Moon in search of finally putting this question to rest. Perhaps he’d find out more answers to his questions. Such as his origin…and Holly…why on earth would she have the same question on her at the time of her death? Why were the notes magical, or was only one magical? So many questions that the monastery could no longer help answer. So off he went, in search of answers, and some work so as to sustain himself and give him cause to keep researching. He traveled some parts of the sword coast till it was recommended to him that there might be better work or at least better paying work in the areas of Daggerford.

**Before the Stream**

Yenward has acquired a flying, winged mini chest familiar named Chest.er with whom he can telepathically communicate. It is currently not known how to two came to be, but they seemingly have a very strong bond and understanding of one another. Chest.er helps Yenward from mucking up the conversations and keep a more socially approachable behavior.