Pavolli
Biography
Early Life
Pavolli was born in a nest east of the small town of Grambugh in the Ammar Midlands, now a territory of the Diocese of the Fen, on the 2nd of High Tide 9009FFC. His parents were poor farmers and Pavolli learned from them patience, compassion, and respect. He had two siblings, one died mere weeks after hatching and the other, Torasha, moved to Wikbugh upon reaching adolescence to further her career as a musician and singer. Pavolli was left to care for his aging parents, and met the love of his life, Yokshibeth, when shopping for supplies in town. They were wed on his family's farm and had together twin girls, Povilla and Parashi. Upon the passing of his father who was well-loved and respected in the town, Pavolli assumed his mantle and quickly became a community leader and steadfast confidant for many farmers and merchants in town. He even turned down an offer to become mayor and instead preferred living on the farm where he had learned much and had begun making quite a profit.Fen Invasion
As the Diocese of the Fen approached the Midlands, many Grambugh citizens hoped their town was insignificant enough to pass over undisturbed, and yet when they did, a base of operations was established in the mayor's hall of Grambugh. While most inhabitants joined the Fen immediately, Pavolli led a resistance group in the shadows for most of the three month grace period before inquisition while simultaneously being the primary source of produce (sometimes poisoned or tainted) for the Fen leadership in town. He first led caravan attacks and interfered with patrols and later captured Fen operatives with this band of freedom fighters.
As the Fen sent more troops, the group's efforts increased, resulting in the death of three Fen soldiers. When conviction to resist conversion became apparent and the violence became more severe, the Fen sent a strike force to destroy the small resistance, crushing them swiftly and capturing Pavolli on his farm in the middle of the night as he slept. He was questioned relentlessly and after 11 days of starvation was led to the town square to see each member of the resistance group hanged. Finally, he was released to return to his farmstead and instead of scarecrows found the bodies of Yokshibeth, Povilla, and Parashi guarding fields of burned crops.
Devotion to Hoar
"I teetered between intense rage and depression, going so far as to tell the Fen officials to kill me so he could see my sweet girls again, but they refused. With a Fen operative watching my every move, I spent weeks drinking the shell of myself away in the tavern and wandering through town. It was then I heard a familiar voice, that melancholic melody of Torasha, singing praises of the Fen and their ways. Losing the last source of potential happiness in my life, I vowed to end it. When buying the rope to make a noose, I was approached by a gaunt man dressed in black with jet black eyes. His voice echoed in my head without the man's lips moving and in a raspy voice chastised me for giving up so easily."Poor pathetic bird. Too afraid to fight back. But if given the tools maybe your wife and daughters' deaths will be for something."
Angered, I swung at the man and his hand swept through as if it were smoke as the man disappeared and I fell to the ground in a puddle of not only water, but my own grief. I was truly at my lowest and even lacked the conviction end my own life. The expulsion from my home came quickly and was a drunken haze. Some other refugees I have met said their memories were affected, but I cared not. If the Fen were in the least bit caring they'd have erased mmories of my girls and my home. Upon reaching Hi Ba I was robbed and beaten. Starving and dying in an alley, I saw the gaunt man once again. Before I could react a broadsword came down upon me, killing me. Well, killing that poor pathetic bird he mentioned the previous meeting. I felt myself floating, seeing the tattered feathers and bloodied beak of Pavolli as the man spoke.
"You were broken and I killed you. You have no excuse now. Stretch your wings and envelop those who deserve to feel as you felt. Deserve to die as you died and not be saved by me. Now get up, bird. Your life starts again."
I woke in the body I had just seen. Invigorated and angry. Mad at myself for not seeing sooner and not preventing this all from happening. Mad at the Fen for being the ones that took it away. This apparition had given my life new purpose, this being who I later realized was the very god of vengeance himself, Hoar. I pleaged the rest of my life to this deity, this being that created me anew and shall use me as his instrument to wreak havoc upon the Fen and all they stand for."
- Pavolli
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