Burford Nodnol
A Harenae Tortle’s song: Before the 1st year anniversary of a Harenae Tortle’s hatching, as part of their upbringing the infant tortle is given a song written specifically for them and sung to them by their family. They are to memorize their song and sing it often to themselves and to others they meet from their race and kind. The song tells the young tortle three important things. First, where they come from (family tree and cultural history), then who they are (birth order, personality, characteristics) and lastly what they will become (a prophecy pertaining to their future calling, destiny or purpose in life). The Harenae Tortle’s song is very important to its tribal members as it becomes the guiding light for everything they do heading into adulthood. Even near the end of a tortles life when they are to do their duty to procreate and find a mate, the perspective couple’s songs must harmonize together for the union to be accepted.
Unfortunately for the Tortles Burford, when his song came to the part about what he would become, it was shrouded in mystery. Save for two things. He would be an oddity and stand out from his own people, and he would see his demise approaching but to the best of his abilities he would not be able to escape from it.
Burford’s father was a nursery guard so he taught his son to defend and fight, while his mother was an adventurer and taught him to hunt, track and survive in the wild.
Burford chose to be an adventurer and around the time he entered Tortle adulthood (15 years old) he became an admirer of one of his fellow countrymen, the once crown prince and heir to the throne of Shegoth Stryder Blackstrand, now known simply as Stryder. He admired Stryder for his adventurous spirit, courage, resilience, and perseverance; but most importantly his ability to cheat death. Out of the original three Companions, Stryder was the only one who never died, even when by several accounts he should not have survived the things he encountered. Burford believed that Stryder might hold the key to avoiding Burford’s prophetic and unavoidable death. So, when word spread that the Companions were to be given a party in their honor in Imperia he quickly made his way to the capital city of Crescentia, hoping to have an audience with him.
In an event of unfortunate timing, Burford arrived as soon as Nex - The Screaming Tyrant returned to the Mortal Realm. Burford was killed by a white dragon, his final thoughts wishing that he had been faster.
In 1006 3A, Burford was resurrected by the Alphacian Alex / Arcturus, along with the other members of what would become The Sanctioned.
During his time with the Sanctioned, Burford became close friends with Alex's goblin assistant Frez. He also discovered he had the uncanny ability to travel at extremely fast speeds; speeds that at one point allowed him to travel back in time. Meeting the real version of the Alphacian trapped inside of him, Burford gained knowledge on how to break Alex free from his programming.
During the Sanctioned's final confrontation with Janus, Burford was able to repair the damage the Weave had suffered using his incredible speed and the abundance of Primordial Light energy. Though Burford did lose his magical rock friend Flint in the process.
After the death of Janus, Burford finally attained his dream of meeting with the legendary Stryder, with the latter wanting the tortle to travel with him as his ambassadorial assistant. Having said farewell to his friends, Burford currently works alongside Stryder with the hopes of uniting the people of Western Arkos.
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