Ashen Origins
Dangelo “Ashstriker” Sarword, AKA Sarword Ashstriker was born to a poor family, but the family was able to at least put food on the table every day. With the money his mother Kaela, father Allan, and older brother Maxwell made each day from their odd jobs was enough to sustain the family. Kaela was a tailor and worked from their home mending the clothes of their neighbors, who were no better off than them. Allan was farrier and horse caretaker for the stables by the inn, tending to beasts of burden from travelers and merchants. Maxwell worked as a carpenter building houses and doing repair when called upon by his boss.
The town they lived in was on the outskirts of a larger city, the entire town is where the low of the low lived, not worthy or wealthy enough to live closer to the city itself. Since crime was a common place, life was that of a police-state, and because of the lifestyles that were being enforced, the town continued to grow restless.
Maxwell found himself as part of an underground movement to overthrow the militia and gain some freedom for their neighborhood. Maxwell told Dangelo about this, who was easily persuaded into joining as well. Later that month the group finalized a plan to cause riots throughout the town, spreading the militia thin, and allowing them to take control of the barracks. Maxwell informed their parents on what was about to happen and told them to get out of town for at least a week, and they complied as they had nothing to lose or gain in the senseless violence that was about to begin.
As the riots started, Maxwell and Dangelo where in the group that was charged with going to the barracks and taking control. As they charged in, out of nowhere, loud explosions could be heard ringing out as the group upfront was scattered. Absolute chaos ensued and Maxwell and Dangelo were separated. Dangelo does not recall what happened after that moment as he found himself waking up alone in an alleyway. The air was filled with smoke. As he rose to his feet, he saw the town was burning in the rising sun of the morning. Cries of pain echoed the streets. He took off running to the one building that remained standing, the temple in the south end of town.
Getting to the temple he saw a large crowd of people helping other and giving shelter to those that had none. He went in and got aid for the wounds he didn't remember getting and sleeping on the ground. He had no clue where his brother was and didn't know to where his parents had fled. So, he decided to stay at the temple until he could find them. Months past and he had no word from any family, but during that time he was greatly exposed to the guards that were helping and protecting those that lost everything. It was then he decided to join the temple's knights, seeing it as a good opportunity to travel to the nearby towns and cities in search of his brother and parents.
The one thing he could not shake from his head was the thought that his brother may have been killed in the riots. Also, the fact that he felt he should have seen this outcome and could have done something to stop it. He felt responsible for what happened and made a point that he was no longer going to associate with the group he and his brother joined. So upon joining the guard and learning the way to combine his fighting with the teachings of the temples, he became a furious fighter.
When sent on missions to cleanse areas defiled with undead, the power of his divine abilities made some of the undead turn to ash just before he swung his hammer, scattering ash and bone everywhere, earning himself the nickname "Ashstriker" by his fellow knights. Liking the name, and with years past with no findings of his former family, he declared Dandelo dead as well. Upon doing so he made Ashstriker his new family name and his former family name as his first name, so that he will always remember to keep searching, and to never forget where he came from.
After changing his name, he refuses to talk or let anyone know where he was from. As he does not want anyone involved in that night to find him, wanting to keep the past where it is and not to be haunted by it.
A New Beginning
Sarword's work with the Knights of the Spiral,
Dualism's branch of holy men-at-arms led him to the mountain town of
Waypointe where he experienced first-hand the onslaught of undead that heralded
Shepherd's assault on Horizon. He aided an adventuring party in erecting a magical barrier to halt the avalanche of undead but returned to Waypointe to save all he could from the occupying force.
Eventually though, he made his way into the lowlands to the north and again joined the adventurers as they sought means of defeating the lich. In the final battle against Shepherd, Sarword proved to be an invaluable ally; keeping his comrades in fighting shape long enough to slay their foe.
Afterwards, Sarword returned to Waypointe to aid in the town's reconstruction. In so doing, he conjured a new temple, which stands proudly at the town's center. It is here that he remained faithfully guarding the people of his chosen home until his eventual passing well beyond the chaos of
The Extinction War
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