Howel Mourn

Howel Mourn (a.k.a. The Lonely Lantern of Harkenstone)

“I have come too far to give up on faith.”
Howel Mourn was a priest. For seven years, he served the Ecclesia of the Dawn faithfully, and became well-loved in his community as both a figure of compassion and piety. Many came to him for advice, both religious and personal, and one would be amiss to claim that Ephyrae wasn’t a brighter place due to his presence. As the years turned, however, the screams of those he burned in Alaran’s name, be they sacrifice or criminal, began to wear on his addled mind, and Howel turned to drink as his companion. Only when he lay at the bottom of a cup were the screams silent.
Until he burned his sister.
Leonhard Mourn was a devout man, zealous, even, and it was under his guidance that Howel joined the clergy in an effort to appease his distant father. The final death of his mother, a sickly woman by nature, came after his seventh anniversary wearing the mask of the Ecclesia, and in a last ditch effort to win the favor of Alaran, Leonhard decided to offer that which was most dear to him: Howel’s younger sister, Isetta. Three times. In an act of either ignorance or punishment for his sinful reliance on drink, the Ecclesia appointed Howel to watch over the ceremony, and in those flames, to a cacophony of screams, Howel saw something that quivered his very soul.
Later that night, in the tavern he frequented, a Sunbringer by the name of Haloth boasted about his role in a similar sacrifice- that of a young vagrant who had stolen a loaf of bread. In a drunken rage, Howel lashed out at the man, and the two fought until they had both suffered a death, bleeding out together on the tavern floor. For this action, Howel was cast out of the Ecclesia. As he departed the temple, and, indeed, Ephyrae itself, he did so only in his priestly robes and carrying a sword that he stole from his father, his familial weapon: Dayslaker. As his home faded behind him, and the hills grew ahead, Howel uttered a silent curse- not to his beloved Alaran, but to the Ecclesia that had so tainted his name with their foulness.
After time spent wandering, he took shelter in the ruins of Harkenstone, an old castle west of Ephyrae, set back in the hills away from prying eyes. It was a large home, and often very lonely, but he knew none would bother him there-- partially due to how out-of-the-way his new home was, and partially due to the rumors of headless specters that wandered the halls, ghostly memories of the former owners of the castle.
Setting off into the surrounding countryside, Howel maintained his devotion to his faith and the innocent people of the world, and offered religious services to local farmers and passing travelers. To bring in money, he plies his trade as a sellsword and healer, and offers blessings to those who won't find such favor with his former brothers in the Faith, be they social outcasts, the sickly, or others of unfavorable ilk. This practice has earned him the nickname "the Lonely Lantern of Harkenstone", for if one is lost in the hills, your only sign of hope is the burning lantern of the lonely priest that walks there.
This has earned him a less-than-favorable reputation in his former home, but the priests of Ephyrae have come to perceive Howel as more of a minor unwelcome nuisance than a threat to be dealt with-- after all, a wavering flame is still a flame.
Right?

An exiled Alarani priest, smouldering with embers of ambition.

View Character Profile

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Age

28

Birthplace

Ephyrae

Current Residence

Harkenstone Ruins

Gender

Male

Eyes

Yellow

Hair

Brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale white

Height

5'11

Weight

170lbs