Jhaxaryon Virind Jiquen (jack-SAIR-ee-on VEER-ind jih-KWEHN)
CW: blood, physical violence, harm to loved ones, children witnessing harm
The past is never really past.
Virind fled to Lilyr'ythra to escape his violent life, the allies he'd betrayed, and the enemies he'd made. He thought to lay low someplace where no one would ask questions, sell his mercenary skills for a time, then move on someplace else. Same as always.
Until he fell in love.
With the man, the city, the people who care so genuinely and understand how to discover exactly what each heart needs to heal. He fell in love with the gentle, twinkling magic all around him and the comfort of the shadows. He fell in love with his own life for the very first time. Virind found the deepest contentment and joy in his husband Eldantir, who learned every horrible thing Virind had ever done and still wanted to have dinner with him. He found a best friend in Nathda, Eldantir's partner and eventual bearer of their three children. Like Lilryth remaining in the Demonweb Pits, he chose to keep his {DRACONIC ETHNICITY) name when they married, and the three of them took the Draconic word for acceptance as their family name. He found fulfillment in fatherhood.
Witness, Winter, and Wonder became Virind's entire purpose. He approached parenting with a studiousness and dedication that he had never applied to anything else in his life. Devoting himself fully to his children, he left his warhammer and well-worn armor to gather dust, but never got rid of them. In his heart of hearts, he blames this refusal to completely relinquish his past.
More than a decade after Virind had fled sins of his past, they found him. His former guild destroyed his home and attacked Eldantir, leaving his husband in critical condition and his children terrified. Swearing an oath of vengeance to Nathda, Virind has left Lilyr'ythra and promised not to return until his past can never hurt their family again. She honors his decision reluctantly. Faithful Vorvenn, a family friend and the votary currently caring for Eldantir, encouraged Virind to seek redemption before he left. It was offered to him, after all, and no one can heal while they are being tormented.
Virind does not know what he will do.
Personality
Keeping his mouth shut has always been Virind's most valuable skill. As an enforcer, his guild trusted him not to talk to authorities and let enemies blab their way into a corner. As a Mythalenairran father, it left him room to listen and observe.He spent most of his life without room for hobbies or interests, unless you count beating the shit out of people. Which he does not. Anymore.
Discovering a life worth living introduced him to the satisfaction of rock climbing, but most of his free time was dedicated to raising his children. He learned to play the rock harp when encouraging Witness' interest in music, bred dancing spiders for a time with Winter, and studied magic to spend time with Wonder. His quiet delight nurtured creativity and curiousity in his children and he was always looking for the next thing to share with them.
Virind spent most of his life with few bonds or strongly held beliefs. Now, he is wholly dedicated to Mythalenairran wellness philosophies and the intrinsic dignity every living thing possesses. Without the catalyst of the attack on his family, he wouldn't have believed it necessary to root out harmful actors, just to heal whatever came his way. Now, on his own and worried for his family, he wonders if he has a duty to ensure as many people as possible are protected the way he is protecting his own.
Presentation
Virind is weighty in both physical stature and presence. He exudes an aura of command that can be as menacing or comforting as he wills it, a versatility he utilizes to its fullest extent. His black scales are dull and cracked, covered in tattoos made by etching designs into them and filling the scrapes with ink. Grey, segmented horns curve around his chin, and a transluscent fin runs from the top of his head to the nape of his neck. A silver earring dangling from one scaly spike in front of right ear hole is his only jewelry.His clothing is simple and unadorned, in dark earth tones. A dark tunic over lighter trousers, cut loose to not snag on his scales. A thick, white cloak is most often rolled into his pack but is large enough to keep him warm against wind and snow. He does his best to keep his clothing clean and becomes mildly distraught when he notices stains and tears. His armor, in contrast, is a tarnished bronze breastplate with no noticable insignia and the maker's mark hammered out. Wrapped around his meaty forearm is the white silk blanket each of his children were swaddled in at their respective births. Tucked under a twist of the fabric is a corner stained dark. Eldantir used the blanket against a wound after the attack.
A scarred leather pack from his criminal days carries his equipment and supplies, the weight of it far too familiar for his comfort.
Fighting & Casting Styles
Virind allows his weight to carry him into and through fights. He attacks the nearest enemy to him and carves his way toward the greatest threat, heavy swings pulling him across the battlefield. The magic of his oath sizzles and burns, acid clearing away both sins and virtues.Whenever he either pursues vengeance or permits redemption, a tiny purple spider crawls across the blanket wrapped around his wrist. His connection to Lilryth is weaker than most Mythalenairra, and privately he worries that not understanding the sign is mark of failure itself. Regardless of the inciting action, he begins every sentence with the phrase "forgive me" for the next day or so after noticing the spider.
Ethnicity
Age
43
Children
Pronouns
he/him
Gender
man
Presentation
masculine
Eyes
bright green, reptilian, concerned
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
dull black scales, cracked and tattooed
Height
imposing
Weight
solid, grounded
Comments
Author's Notes
The concept of this character is, "If a paladin who swore an oath of vengeance shows mercy or allows redemption, does that make them an oathbreaker?" Throughout the course of his adventures, Virind must choose to maintain the principles of salvation his chosen home embodies or follow through with the retribution his past would normally demand. If he takes vengeance on those who harmed his family, does that mean he never really changed and is still a violent criminal? If he permits them redemption, will the magic of his oath break him for it? Would his goddess, to whom he has sworn nothing, intervene either way? Would he want her to?