Oswyn Eygris
Oswyn Eygris
A seemingly kind though perpetually nervous and unremarkable young man. He is eager to please and endear himself to those around him as he tries to find somewhere he might fit in despite his past and his strange... condition.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Well toned. His timid demeanor makes him appear physically weaker than he is.
Identifying Characteristics
Heavy scarring on the back of his hands and his back.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
On the surface, Orde seems like a perfect place. A pristine metropolis ruled by a White Council devoted to the forces of good. This, however, belies a society that is, at times, driven to irrational hatred and even violence by a blind, single-minded zealotry. In no story is this made more apparent than in that of Oswyn.
Oswyn spent his early years in a relatively well-off home in a quaint and moderately-sized town just within the borders of Orde. His father, Henric Eygris, was a respected Paladin who faithfully served his country before he was tragically forced into an early retirement. This was due to an injury sustained, as the story goes, while combating an underground cabal of witches plotting against the nation of Orde. Though he could no longer serve directly, Henric was well-liked by the people of his town and was renowned for his valor and devotion to the White Pantheon. Not long after his retirement, Henric settled down with a bard by the name of Erina, who had gained local fame for the almost enchanting sound of her flute-playing.
It was only a few years after Oswyn was born that it was discovered that Erina had been doing the intolerable: dabbling in witchcraft. As it turned out, her family had a history of practicing minor witchcraft which had served to pique Erina's interest. While her shallow exploration of the wiccan arts had only served little more than a mild curiosity to Erina, Henric and the people of the Ordesian town in which the family lived were not inclined to entertain such distinctions. Their devotion to the light was strong and fanatical, even by the typical standards of Orde. Having moved here only a year before meeting her future husband, Erina could scarcely imagine the consequences her flippant use of witchcraft would bring upon her and her son.
Henric, at least by his own distorted view, was not an unreasonable man. He was a well respected and influential man in town and so was able to grant her an "opportunity" for penance. She was to fully devote herself to Vavren. In so doing, Erina would supposedly have the chance to earn redemption for herself. However, stubborn prejudices are not so easily quelled. Her years of suffering and devoted service seemed to bring her no closer to redemption in the eyes of her husband or the general public.
The young Oswyn fared little better. Viewed as a "witch spawn", he was treated as an outcast both in his own home and the town at large. Oswyn was made to work himself to the bone each day and was harshly punished for even the most minor of offenses in the hopes of "cleansing his tainted soul". He was told that evil ran through his veins. He was told that it was only by the grace of the White Pantheon that he was granted mercy. He was told that he must repay this mercy through whatever penance was asked of him. Much like his mother, however, none of his attempts to prove himself good and devout seemed to ever be quite good enough for his father or anyone else.
In truth, when Henric looked at his wife, he no longer saw his wife. When he looked at Oswyn, he no longer saw his boy. Henric saw the witches who had maimed him and cut his promising career short. In his sorrow at being robbed of his ability to defend the country he loved, he had finally found some amount of happiness with his newly formed family. However, in his mind, when he learned of what his wife had done and of her background it was as though even this last bit of happiness had been taken from him by witches. Henric was a man consumed by bitterness and resentment and would never be satisfied.
Nonetheless, as part of the communal effort to bring the young boy into the light, Oswyn, when not toiling, would be told stories of gallant and brave heroes who displayed a selfless desire to help others regardless of the consequences to themselves. As it happened, adventurers were not a terribly uncommon sight in town. In the eyes of a young boy, these were gallant and remarkable figures which matched or even exceeded the descriptions in the tales. These brave adventurers would, in fact, often see Oswyn and his mother and notice the way they were treated. Many, of course, believe that the boy's father was clearly crossing the line. Yet, Oswyn watched as these heroic people witnessed the cruel treatment of his mother and himself and then... look away... and continue on as if they had seen nothing. These adventurers already had their task set before them. They could not spare the time to offend a man of considerable local influence just to spare one boy and his mother. A pragmatic choice for the greater good. However, the young boy naturally came to wonder: did the heroes he heard about actually exist? Or perhaps he simply didn't deserve their help? Maybe he really was as evil and wretched as he had been told he was.
Oswyn's only respite came from a simple possession of his. A doll: some might consider this a bizarre thing for a little boy to own, but it was the only toy Oswyn had. He is not clear on when he found or received it. It was such a long time ago after all. Regardless, he cherished his only possession and kept it hidden away from the watchful eye of his father and his servants. As children sometimes do, he imagined a persona or a character for this toy. He placed a paper crown atop her head and decided she would be royalty. Even if imaginary, she would perhaps be the only figure in his life that would recognize Oswyn as being someone of worth.
All of this went on for about 5 years. However, one day, in seeking to prove her dedication to good, Erina offered aid and shelter to a man who had collapsed in the street. What she did not know was that this man was a recently escaped warlock fugitive. Already being on probation, her aiding and abetting of such a criminal sealed Erina's fate. By Henric's own judgement, she would be burned at the stake by his own hands. Even now, Oswyn only has very vague recollections of the moments after his mother's execution. The cheers and jeers of the crowd. A feeling of overwhelming despair. Intense hjeat. A raging inferno. A demonic creature cloaked in fire. Screaming. Darkness.
Those tasked with investigating the calamity that occurred in the town square had little patience for the boy's tall tales of fire demons. No such creatures were found at the scene or anywhere nearby. It was eventually concluded that the death and destruction at the town square was caused by a curse. A final act of revenge by Erina Eygris on her late husband as she parted with the mortal world. Oswyn was thus shipped off to a church in a nearby town where he spent the rest of his childhood. Though he was spared the rampant abuse he had suffered in his early years, his reputation had preceded him. Oswyn found himself shunned by the other children and though the church's caregivers did not exactly treat Oswyn poorly they seemed to subconsciously treat him with a certain palpable coldness compared to how they treated the other children.
Oswyn lived a lonely, but largely peaceful 10 years as a child of the church. However, as he grew up he felt what could only be described as an occasional itch inside the back of his head. This feeling only grew in frequency and intensity as he grew older. Being as socially isolated as he was, Oswyn spent much of his time studying in the church's library, but never had he found anything describing such a condition. When Oswyn finally came of age, he simply woke up one morning in the wilderness outside of town. Aside from the clothes on his back, he only had two other items on his person. A crudely crafted leather mask and a doll. The same doll from his early childhood that he had thought lost to the flames.
From then on, Oswyn would suffer from bizarre gaps in his memory. Spans of time he could not completely account for aside from vague memories of violence and fire as though he were trying to remember a dream he had. Eventually he came to believe that he was possessed by demon or some sort of evil spirit. He thought it likely that it was the same one he remembered seeing at the town square execution. Oswyn aspired to travel across Kalkatesh in order to research his condition and try free himself. During his travels he observed a group of thugs harassing a woman in a local tavern. Seeing that no one was going to do anything and recalling all of those who had ignored his plight as young boy, he decided to intervene. In the ensuing scuffle, "it" took over. The thugs were slain and the tavern was burned to the ground. Though the rest of those in the tavern escaped the blaze, Oswyn found himself under arrest for arson when he woke up. Given the situation he found himself in, Oswyn opted to join the Shackled Legion. It is his hope that here he might discover the truth behind his current state and, if not cure himself, use the power of that which lurks inside for some sort of positive end.
Gender Identity
Male
Sexuality
Straight
Mental Trauma
Abusive Childhood
Witnessed his Mother's Execution
Suppressed Anger and Resentment
Witnessed his Mother's Execution
Suppressed Anger and Resentment
Morality & Philosophy
Oswyn:
Unconvinced of the concept of a "greater good". Sympathetic towards the poor, the orphaned and the outcast. Traveler:
The world demands strength.
Enemies cannot be left alive.
The young are not yet ready.
They must be shielded.
Mercy is cruelty.
Unconvinced of the concept of a "greater good". Sympathetic towards the poor, the orphaned and the outcast. Traveler:
The world demands strength.
Enemies cannot be left alive.
The young are not yet ready.
They must be shielded.
Mercy is cruelty.
Personality Characteristics
Virtues & Personality perks
Oswyn:
Kind, Agreeable Traveler:
Protective of children
Kind, Agreeable Traveler:
Protective of children
Vices & Personality flaws
Oswyn:
Timid, Nervous, Somewhat desperate for approval Traveler:
Vindictive, Violent, Unforgiving
Timid, Nervous, Somewhat desperate for approval Traveler:
Vindictive, Violent, Unforgiving
Personality Quirks
Oswyn:
Has a habit of scratching the back of his head. Traveler:
Claims to be able to hear the blood of his enemies "singing" to him. Believes himself to be a knight from a kingdom he calls "Clearwater" and that he is bound to the service of its ruler (Lorita).
Has a habit of scratching the back of his head. Traveler:
Claims to be able to hear the blood of his enemies "singing" to him. Believes himself to be a knight from a kingdom he calls "Clearwater" and that he is bound to the service of its ruler (Lorita).
A seemingly average, perpetually nervous young man trying to figure out his place in the world given the bizarre condition he seems to have...
View Character Profile
Alignment
Neutral
Age
18
Birthplace
Orde
Children
Current Residence
Shackled Legion
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Red
Height
5ft 9in.
Weight
175 lbs.
