Faerlen Lunseg

Faerlen Lunseg (b. 14 Patchwall, 4166) is a forest gnome mystic from the hamlet of Barakist in Mountainshade Forest, Riikania. Most notably, Faerlen is involved in combating a necromantic plot in Freewheel.

Early Life
Faerlen was born to his mother Caiysis and father Petneiros Lunseg in a small community of only gnomes. The midwife who delivered him said he was far too cold when he was born, and that he would probably die, but his mother just held him close for warmth, and right then granted him his first nickname: "Chilly". He attended the Mountainshade School for Gnomes near Barakist, which was attended by all the young gnomes this far north of the larger schools on Mt. Glittergold and in Ravenholdt proper. Conventional education did not always hold Faerlen's attention, when he missed days of school, he could often be found wandering the forests, studying the world in his own way. His teachers often thought him touched, but he always performed adequately - if not exceptionally - on the standardized tests from Ravenholdt.

Even for a gnome, Faerlen is - and always has been - short and thin. He has an affinity for climbing trees, with none of the aptitude that ought to accompany it. He was often scolded by his father and warned of the danger. When he was 13 years old (still a young child in gnome years), Faerlen climbed a tall juniper tree, but slipped from a branch high off the ground. His arm broke at the elbow, and, to afraid his father would be angry with him to come clean, tried to heal it himself. Like all gnomes, Faerlen had some natural affinity for magic, but had no great powers then, so when he tried to repair the break magically, it didn't heal properly. To this day, his elbow makes a clicking noise when fully extended.

When he was 15, his mother Caiysis contracted the Shakes. It was over within days, before they could even make it to a proper cleric in Ravenholdt; Faerlen was left alone with his father. He always felt closer to his mother than his father, as she was more understanding of his peculiarities. Faerlen and Petneiros could never see eye-to-eye on traditional gnomish materialism; his father sought jewelry, fineries and comfort, while "Chilly" preferred the open sky and the cool night air on his skin.

After his mother died, Faerlen's school attendance dropped off almost entirely, and he took to independent study, wandering the woods and reading on his own. He became very at home in the woods at night, so long as the moon was there to light his way. His affinity for the dark and aversion to convention made him something of an outcast in his society, but he met many others with whom he became close.

Adulthood
As he aged, Faerlen grew weary of his familiar runs in the Mountainshade Forest, and continued to increase his range.he would occasionally take overnight trips out to the Northern Fjords, where he would watch the Raptoran folk soaring from their perches on the cliffs. The Raptoran youths would often pass through the forest during their Walk of the Four Winds, the Raptoran coming of age ritual, and he would meet many of them, and even befriend some. Much of what Faerlen is he owes to the Raptoran ways: they thank Iopia for its gifts and pray to the trees and animals they must kill in order to survive. Their respect for the natural order, as well as their lust for travel and personal growth, has been an inspiration to Faerlen since he first knew of them. Despite his best efforts, Faerlen's pale skin was sometimes a liability when trying to hide in the dark forest; the Raptoran, with their keen eyesight, gave him the nickname "Nightsheen", and would often joke about how easy it was to spot him atop the cliffs.

Through his association with the Raptoran of the fjords and his meditation and worship of the natural world, Faerlen found himself best suited to the path of the mystic, a divine spellcaster whose power comes without the direct intervention of any god. The magic he practiced reflected his passions and surroundings, mastering spells that manipulated the cold and the darkness, bending the snow and the shadows to his will.

Adventure Begins
On his 50th birthday, Faerlen "Chilly" "Nightsheen" Lunseg bundled up his very sparse belongings and headed south to Mount Glittergold. He had visited a few of the surface towns before, but never made the three days' trip to the northern gate of Ravenholdt, mountain fortress of the gnomes. He decided he needed to see what a real city looked like, and how it operated; if so many thousands of his people lived here, he should probably understand it to better understand himself.

Faerlen regretted his decision almost immediately, he hated being underneath so much rock, cramped into dark, stony chambers covered in linens and tapestries. He made his way around Ravenholdt, taking in its lavish markets and the shocking diversity of peoples there. He offered his services free of charge as a healer of the poor, but soon realized that in order to survive in the city, he would need actual coin. He began to offer his magic and natural affinity for alchemy to those who would pay for them, but Faerlen was not a shrewd businessman, and his generosity was often taken advantage of.

It was after almost a year in Ravenholdt, in the winter of 4217, that he decided he could no longer survive in the city and started north back to the forest. As he made his way down the mountain road, he came to the aid of a dwarf who had fallen victim to a small avalanche. The dwarf, as it turned out, was an important icesmith on his way from Riikanopolis to Stensburg Castle far to the east. The man originally hailed from Mt. Hanseath, and carried with him rare blue ice. As a reward for saving his life, the smith crafted a unique divine focus made entirely of the steel-hard ice.

Then business started booming. Word of his deed spread among the smiths of Ravenholdt, and then to some of the nobles, and Faerlen now had wealthy customers and a symbol that commanded a modicum of their respect. This was all well for the better part of another year, but as he became friendlier with some of the nobles, he could feel himself being drawn into the politics that go along with such things, and so he took a job as an escort for some cargo headed out east to Stensburg, capital city of the last nation of free humans and, he hoped, far outside and away from all he had known before.

Faerlen met his travelling companions, the humans Hava Slavish and Vesta Tardon and the dwarf Torkthar, and set out towards the Stensland via the Mansway Crossing on two wagons. Their precious cargo was locked away in a chest in one of the wagons, its identity known by Vesta by undisclosed to the rest but to say it was an important relic of Pelor, en route to the new church in Stensburg. En route, however, the party was attacked by robbers, but the party fended them off, slaying two and capturing another, Ralf Brockridge. On one of the bodies, Faerlen found a curious ring. Upon their arrival in Stensland's border town, Freewheel, they stored the relic safely in a locked room at the inn and sent their captive to jail with Vesta.

The next morning, a half-elf girl turned up murdered in the stables, clutching some cryptic rhyming couplets in her hand, and Vesta and the relic had disappeared!

Known Affiliates

 * Torkthar - Dwarven Crusader
 * Hava Slavish - Human Binder
 * Praetorious Zord - Head of the Zord family
 * Caladria - Half-Elf Rogue
 * Petneiros Lunseg - Gnome, Faerlen's father
 * The Bellstouts - Keepers of the Temple of Heironeous and Freewheel Cemetery
 * Ravi Zord - Grandson of Praetorious

Known Enemies

 * Brockridge Brothers (deceased) - Freewheel blacksmiths Mike and Ralf
 * Vesta Tardon - Paladin of Pelor, liar, charlatan, corpse
 * Drax Morrow - Former servant of Praetorius Zord
 * Garrit Sturp - Patriarch of the Sturp family, would-be lich.