Role

Chapter 1

Lathlaerilandanarias Ar'dan Elorinathas was born under the stars on a
peaceful autumn night in Arendyl. He was born as the fourth son to a loving
mother and a stern and disciplined father. His father was an invoker of some
repute, and he spent most of his time in council at the Palace in Darsylon.
But his mother was a match to all challenges parenting provided, and
Lathlaeril grew up in a happy childhood, surrounded by love.

As a child he spent his time climbing the great Ironwood trees, chasing with
his friends across the brooks and meadows of the Valley. They sometimes even
crept up to the edge of the Valley, built an effigy to attract the aggressive
falcons and then threw rocks at them. Sometimes running away from the
aggravated birds was half the fun. Until his father found out about it.

While his mother was a central presence in his life. His father, even though
mainly absent, spent all the time he had with his children reinforcing
structure and discipline and had a deeper impact on Lathlaeril. All matters
were to be pursued with the obsessive demand for perfection characteristic of
the Invoker's Guild, or not pursued at all. Needless to say, the additional
time required for perfection in even the simplest of task created friction
between father and son.

In an act of rebellion against his father, Lathlaeril chose to go against
tradition, and enroll in the Palace Guard instead of becoming a mage himself.
The expected outrage from his father never came. If he felt slighted, he
never showed. That in itself was irritating. Infuriating even.