Aelius of the Dawn, Son of Ko

[Aelius of the Dawn]

Aelius of the Dawn (Xbalanque)

Age  28

Gender  Male

Origin  the Arshakan Empire

Occupation  Paladin of Ko

Xbalanque (shih-buh-lahn-keh) doesn’t remember much of his childhood when he still lived under that name, somewhere in south Ilica. He was maybe four or five when his fiery abilities awoke - perhaps something buried deep in his bloodline, a blessing long forgotten or a blessing freshly given; perhaps a strange twist of the shroud within him. Unfortunately, the tantrums of toddlers and the fiery radiance of his powers were a bad mix, and the awakening of his abilities ended with his home burnt to the ground, and his parents dead.

A friend of the family ended up taking Xbalanque in, a professor. He stayed with him for just long enough that he thought he might have a new home, a new family, with the professor. But right when he felt like he was finally home, that maybe he could be more than ‘the weird uncle’, Xbalanque was sent off to the clerics of The Heavenly Father after one too many bookcases were burnt down.

The High Clerics immediately recognized how useful Xbalanque could be. Whatever the true source of his power was, he was radiant like a ray of their Heavenly Father's light - or, what they were trying to sell as a god.

They told Xbalanque of his sacred lineage, that his fire was holy and not a curse, and were able to teach him how to manage his abilities. They saw the boy’s turmoil and directed that energy towards battle, and having an outlet for his issues - so he was raised to be a paladin. The clerics wanted to have full control over him - and so, they gave him a new name, a new identity, let him be “reborn” under Ko: Aelius of the Dawn.

Aelius of the Dawn, Son of Ko, Radiant Flame of the Empire. He was not just blessed by Ko; no, he was proof that The Heavenly Father existed - his son. That's what he's been told, at least. And that is what he is to show the world.

They, of course, neglected to address the guilt he felt with the loss of his family, with the perceived abandonment by the professor, with the self hatred building up and festering over the years. Yes, his abilities were "sacred," but he was still taught that his fire was only to hurt and kill. It felt terrible to be told that an entire part of your identity only exists to cause harm.

Now, Aelius follows the orders of his temple and his god - his Father - nearly blindly, trying to appease them so that they, too, don’t abandon him.