Salem Talviaikaan

Zarela Forticana (Ancestor)

## Crags of Crego

Crego is a beautiful city built on the slope of a large cliff with the castle overlooking the sea and the city itself. The elves of Crego and even Vlakon are said to be one of the most beautiful looking elves from the wood elves to the high elves. Although they all have the same sentiment, aside from the dwarves they share the island with, elves are the more superior race. Although not rude or hateful to other races, backhanded compliments and passive aggressive comments can be heard when talking to other races. Crego is known for many things sea trade, music, ships, and their fighting skills honed for generations back from the Talviaikaan family.

Since Crego is backed up against the Zolin Expanse the elves of Crego know their way around ships and sea. Their ships help ferry cargo from Crego and Sterrick to the mainland and back helping keep the trade route protected from pirates and other forces that call the expanse their home. Along with the ships and trade within Vlakon at least, Crego is known for music particularly music that is played on the shawm and flutes. Musicians and bards from Crego can be found with a shawm or flutes in their repertoire as their instrument, being it was introduced to them at a young age and probably mastered first. The music played is known to be both beautiful and haunting.

Fast as lightning and ferocious as a bronze dragon is what describes the Talviaikaan fighting technique. Many of the stories telling the origin for the inspiration of the style was based off a battle between a Bronze dragon and Red dragon many generations back. The fight was witnessed by the head of the Talviaikaan at the time, watching from a distance as lightning crackled and fire roared through the sky, the bronze dragon fought with ferocity that is left an imprint on him. In the end the bronze dragon came out victorious, inspired by the battle he tried to create a sword fighting style that emulated this battle. Over the years and generations of the Talviaikaan family it was honed and sharpened becoming one of the most prestigious fighting style that the ruling family of Crego invited the family to teach the technique to their army and in return they would grant the family and all following generations the title of Duke and nobility in exchange. The offer was accepted and the Talviaikaan fighting style as been in Crego since then, the military still uses this technique to this day.

==
**THE POSH LIFE ==**
Eylliszea Talviaikaan is an intelligent and persuasive woman but on top of that she is beautiful, her long black hair and hazel eyes command attention. She is a woman of social graces and politics. Solonor Talviaikaan was a soldier of Crego’s military before retiring, to teach and improve the style. He is the direct descendant of the creator of the Talviaikaan sword technique. He is a quiet man and thoughtful he thinks before he speaks making whatever he says impactful he is a strong and fast warrior despite his reserved demeanor. Duchess Eylliszea and Duke Solonor had one child as is customary of Crego’s nobles to have only one to pass down their heritage, this was Salem.

Salem was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. As the son of Duke and Duchess he was brought up to be prim and proper at a young age. He learned everything from dinner etiquette, social etiquette to those above and below you, being well groomed and dressed. He was brought up to be like his mother political savvy but he never enjoyed it, he always put just enough effort into it to please his parents. Nothing was ever out of his reach if he wanted it, it could be his but he never used his title unless his parents were present. What he truly enjoyed was the stories of his ancestors that is grandfather told him and watching his dad train Crego’s army.

He went to his grandfather who was the former head of the family before stepping down giving the head of the family to Salem’s father. He asked him to train him. At first he was told no but after a week of thinking on it and pestering from the young Salem he relented with a smile grin and taught him the family’s sword technique, he took to swordsmanship like a fish to water it was beyond natural to him it felt like it was made for him. He balanced learning social graces and learning his family fighting style but it wasn’t enough he wanted to learn more, his thirst for learning to fight only grew from there. He began making up excuses to miss some social events or dinners here and there not enough to garner attention but enough to continue training with not just swords but all weapons from simple clubs to greatswords anything he could get his hands on and apply his fighting style to he trained with.

After a while it got harder to hide his training as he body was far more athletic than any normal elf in political circles. His broad frame stood out among the other, he body started to look more like his father lithe and strong compared to the other men of higher social caliber. Salem soon got sloppy in hiding his training when started studying magic. To Salem magic was a struggle since he had no formal teacher he had to learn on his own by reading books and teaching himself. After some time he got a small grasp of magic but he reached a threshold he could not get past on his own. During this time he missed social gatherings and dinners with no excuses or telling people of his whereabouts he just vanished for days at a time. At this his parents confronted him and at both of his parents behest he told what he was doing in secret for almost the last 100 years.

The following day his father took him the home's courtyard threw him a sword and said “guard yourself” and his father tested him there starting from basics and gradually getting more complex. Salem held his own for awhile surprising his father but experience from real battles trumps practice and his father end it with a flourish and a smile stopping the fatal strike at Salem’s chest over his heart. After that he was told to wait in his room until they called for him, three days went by he was confined in his room only to have his meals brought to him by butlers and maids. On the fourth day which was he was called down by his parents, they sat him down and talked to him. Telling him that they are not angry with him but disappointed at the path he chose to follow despite raising him to be more posh and politics.

They gave him an ultimatum. Forget about fighting and step into politics like they raised him to be or Leave home and go explore Anitor. His mother told him, once you have sown your wild oats come back home and if you are willing to hang up your sword then step back in politics as you were meant to be as the next head of the family. His parents both accepted his decision when he told them the next day. As mothers do she fidgeted with everything asking if he would be okay and to at least write every so often maybe visit too. His father calmed his mother by proudly telling her that Salem can more than hold his own after all he is a Talviaikaan. Before he left his mother gave him a kiss on his forehead and gold to help him on his travels. His father embraced him telling him he was proud even if he didn’t choose the easy life, his father then left and returned with a longsword from his personal collection telling Salem it would serve him well as it did him when he was in the army.

==
**Wayfaring Stranger ==**
So Salem left to escape the humdrum lifestyle in Crego. For the next 50 years he traveled learning and honing his sword skills and trying to mastering what little magic he had, earning coin from contracts he found at different cities. Many jobs he took were protecting wealthy individuals or tracking down bounties and bring them back alive, he was good at what he did but more importantly he was happy. He was happy to be of help to those that needed and show off his sword skills, earning coin was just the cherry on top.

During his travels he befriended a man named Olan from a Slayers guild on Yarun, although Olan always told him to join but Salem never officially joined them but the guild still gave out jobs to Salem because he was good with a blade and as an honorary member but never ones that were of high importance. One of the rules of the guild were that you always go on a contract with a partner never alone because of this rule Olan often partnered with Salem when he took contracts because of their close friendship and compatibility in battle. They were a nicked named the “Golden Pair” by the guild because of the success rate when they took on contracts, because of this Salem learned from Olan how to take down varying monsters with ease and precision. Salem considered Olan his best and closest friend since he left Crego, he also considered Olan a mentor and regarded his opinion and beliefs.

Olan being a human got older and rose higher in the ranks of the guild soon being less available to do contracts. He continued to try and find time to do them but personal guild work was not to be told to those who were not among their fold. Salem parted ways with the guild to become a wayfaring stranger again taking jobs in different towns and cities for coin, coming back every so often to check-in with Olan and the guild. Until one day Olan didn’t come back from a contract and the guild reached out to him requesting his help, Salem immediately accepted to help his old friend. The mission was to eradicate a den of lycanthrope and rescue the survivors. Together with a team of 5 other members from the guild he took on this job with the promise of being accepted as a member of a high rank but mainly to save a friend.

## Blood to Blood

The job was a massacre on both ends the former team was turned into the enemy including Olan, the battle was long and in the end it came down to Olan and Salem the last alive. Salem was victorious in the end but at a price, he killed his old friend and he was bitten, feeling the lycanthrope burn through his veins in a ruined castle far from help he resigned to his fate never to be the same again.

The next 100 years Salem was at the whim of the beast, he watched from the inside as it slaughtered hundreds of people. Animals, men, women, and children nothing was spared at the wrath of the beast. He watched as the beast went from small towns and villages eating and killing its way through these place some of them the same towns he helped were now being destroyed, he could do nothing but watch the bloodbath happening before him. It took him two years after the 100 year rampage to somewhat control the beast and a year more to hear a rumor of a cure that an old woman that lived deep in the Spine Ridge woods knew of. He sought out and found this woman deep within the heart of the woods, she told him the cure could change him even more than it has done now should it fail but he accepted. He followed through with the cure but the stakes were higher than he thought during the process he lived through those 100 years again all in one night and during this time he changed one final time.

When he woke the woman was gone but a blood mess was left behind not knowing if killed her or she got away he no longer felt the beast inside him but something inside was broken. After the cure Salem was different he was in anguish for the things he’d done, he turned to the slayer guild for refuge but they refused him after hearing his story. He slipped into a dark time turning to Blood lotus to free himself from his dreams and mind but soon became addicted to it. It wasn’t until the blood hunters found him on word from the old slayers guild that he found a new direction for his sorrow and anger. After 10 years with the blood hunters training undergoing a painful process to use his blood as a weapon and working he set out for repentance for the things he had done while under the control of the beast, taking contracts that others would not for fear of death. The old Salem from Crego was dead and gone, now a dark attitude permeated his being, though he left them he still holds a solid reputation with them and they still contact him for jobs that even others refuse from time to time. Since then he travels killing monsters and evil men to atone for the innocents he's killed, he holds on to things that make him feel joy again with all his might.

40 years later he meet a druid named Rhene, which he loving calls puddles. They travel to Vasimar college wanting to learn of her Gensai heritage,  I as well want to head to this college for personal reasons of magic to become immortal and further my knowledge of magic as well. Puddles is my new joy I will stay with her no matter the cost.