Torel is a ki-rin of former vivacity and wise nobility. Trapped within a sanctuary of his own making by unknown forces, Torel leads the Desperados - an order of paladins that swear loyalty to the open road, named for his former adventuring group - from below. He has been trapped within the Sanctum Cormeum for forty years. Though only a fraction of time for a being as timeless as himself, forty years is eons too long for his ki-rin nature which yearns for and lives by the defense of all that is good. As a result, Torel's ki-rin magic and nature has begun to dwindle. His horns have crumbled to near studs and the once blinding vibrance of his scales are now just burnished gold from lack of sun. His personality has changed too; once an aggressive and fierce foe of evil, Torel has become more subdued. He speaks in softer tones and is often overcome by weariness from too much activity. The lack of exposure to the sun is slowly killing him, and although a ki-rin is functionally immortal, not being able to fully embrace his nature may turn him into a shadow of his former self.   In a previous life, Torel was a half-elf named Korfel Dieron, a paladin of the original Desperados. To honor the dying wishes of his friend Averon who gave his life to save their group, Korfel took an offer from the goddess Selena and was transformed into a celestial being, drawing on his half-fey nature and turning him into a ki-rin. For millennia since his former self's death, Torel guarded over the continent of Valael. Finally deciding a place to inbue with his magic, Torel created a magical place within the city of Foster in conjunction with Jeryth Phaulkon - an archdruid and head of the Dusk Wardens. Thus, the Evergreen Gardens were born. Unbeknownst to either of them, magic was inlaid within the founding incantions of the garden so that it forbade Torel from leaving. Unable to find a way around the problem, Torel began to send dreams to individuals across the continent. He called to good-hearted people with a desire for good and justice, gifting them with a bit of his failing magic and charging them to watch over the continent as best they could in his stead. The Desperados continues to grow but as it does Torel begins to wane, his eternal sun seeming to set.   Quotes for Torel:   Aren't the trees vibrant today? It's almost as if they herald the coming of new life, a fledgling chick into the fold... Welcome small one. Your kind is welcome here, your kind being those of noble heart and nobler step. There is much I know about what once was, but not much I know about what is now. My followers keep me informed as best they can, but there is something to be said for experiencing the warm light of day for yourself. Nothing can substitute for it and I find myself growing ever more out of touch with the world around, even as my hooves paw the grass and my nose notes the fragrance of the snapdragons in bloom. (repeat the tenets of the oath of the desperado)