Calemis V'anyrul
Youth
Calemis V'anuryl was born to Marien and Alaric V’anuryl. He had one sister, Linnea, 21 years his senior. His parents were Druids, and so he learned to adhere to the Druidic Codes at an early age.
When he was young he displayed some talent, and unquestioningly obeyed the Druidic dogma laid before him. For Calemis there was no distinction between law and action. Impressed by his ability and strict observance of the Conclave code, Calemis’ clan elders took him under their wing when he was still a young man. Assuming the authority of those set over him, Calemis became intolerant and inflexible, even at such an early age, and he regarded those below his talent level with contempt.
The Blighters
50 years after Calemis was born, the Druidic Conclave was forced to put down a rebellion—a rogue group of Druidic blighters that had separated from the Conclave after a philosophical debate concerning the nature of creation.
The blighters believed in an indivisible cycle of destruction and creation. The leader of this movement, Simon S’olermyn, thought that, by escalating the cycle of destruction, he and his followers could cause a great conflagration in the world, which would in turn lead to the advent of paradise on earth. He based his reasoning on a number of natural principles, and recorded his thoughts in a philosophical dissertation entitled Paradise Regained. What follows is an essential excerpt from his book:
“It is known that, in the Wilderness, death sustains life. For example, the ashes of a forest fire provide more fertile soil for future growth. In this way natural death is essential to natural rebirth. Our task, then, is to facilitate natural death—we must sweep across this land like a wildfire. We will be a cleansing furnace, and in our wake a higher level of growth and existence will rise.”
S’olermyn was declared a heretic by the Conclave. He was captured in a raid and quickly executed. However, S’olermyn proved to be more influential in death, rather than life. His martyrdom unified the blighter movement, and to begin their Armageddon, they desiccated nearly a quarter of the Druidic territory—leaving no plant or animal alive in their wake. The battle that ensued between the Conclave and the blighters was of epic proportions—but in the end the blighters were isolated and overwhelmed.
Calemis, though enraged by the Blighter’s philosophy, was considered too young to fight, and was involved in no real violence during the short war.
After Effects
After the rebellion, however, discontent shook the foundations of the Druidic Conclave. The Druid Hierarch, Thawne Elewyvne, was frightened and outraged by the Blighters philosophy. Gradually his fear grew into a desperate paranoia, and he created an organization of Sentinals, who were tasked with tracking out and killing any Blighters or Necromancers that might’ve escaped death in the war. The Sentinals instituted a massive internal witch hunt. For decades following the war, thousands of Druids were accused, tortured, and executed by the organization. Elewyvne was supportive of the organization’s actions:
“They (the Blighters) wanted purging fire, and so we will give it to them. Eliminate them where ever they can be found!”
The Sentinals
Calemis, at the age of 85, was impressed by the Sentinal’s mission, and joined the militaristic organization. Eventually, Calemis’ ambition propelled him to the top of the organization’s ranks, and he was considered the Sentinal’s poster-child, the epitomy of loyalty to the Conclave. He was personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of Druids.
Five years after Calemis joined the Sentinals, several members of the organization itself were executed for heresy. This led to widespread paranoia within Sentinal’s members, and a great number of its associates were tested for loyalty. For Calemis, this development was tragic. Calemis’ on-and-off-again girlfriend, Rosynna R’allion, was falsely accused of heresy by Kellas Cambrion, Calemis’ immediate superior and rival in the Sentinals. Calemis was ordered to lead the trial and investigation into Rosynna’s actions. He refused.
Cambrion was outraged by Calemis’ insubordination, and accused Calemis of being an unrepentant Necromancer. Calemis and Rosynna were tried by Thawne Elewyvne himself, and both were found guilty.
Calemis was shaken by this development. The system that he had fervently believed in had betrayed him. Calemis and Rosynna would’ve been executed that night, but a small group of blighters broke into the trial proceedings. An intense magical firefight ensued, and a number of Druids, including Thawne Elewvyne were killed. The blighters freed Rosynna and Calemis, and escaped to the coast, where they caught a ship and fled the continent. The Druids set up a fierce pursuit, and tracked Calemis, Rosynna, and the Blighters to an island, where they systematically slaughtered the heretics.
Towards the tail end of the fight, Kellas Cambrion ambushed and killed Rosynna. Calemis pursued Cambrion, and was critically injuredin the subsequent duel. He managed to drag himself to the ruins of the blighters’ ship. The ship, loosed from its moorings, floated out to sea, and Calemis, sorely wounded, lapsed into a coma.
Later Life
He awoke some days later, on the eastern shore of Harim'Ra, an archipelago of islands far out in the sea. Distressed by his narrow escape, and the death of Rosynna, he decided to remain on the island. He quickly met up with a group of interesting and sometimes outrageous island residents, including the necromancer Nezra and a psychic named Aeluna.
Together, over a year, he shared a number of adventures and more than a few conflicts with his erstwhile companions. Tragically, Calemis died after his group was attacked by a jungle elemental.
Legacy
Calemis left a mark on his island home. A skilled manipulator of stone and wood, he used Druidic Magic to craft a temple high in the mountains on the northwest coast of Halim'Ra. The temple included a well, a grove of fruit trees, and an extensive tunnel network, where Calemis kept some of his more valuable (and dangerous) souvenirs from his quests. The temple is all but inaccessible, except from the air.
Calemis also crafted a pair of ships, including the first steam-powered vessel, which was designed to take a party to the Sarattan South Pole. Both ships appear to be crafted out of a single piece of wood, and are well-armed and hardy. After Calemis' death, both vessels went untended, and may still be moored in a hidden harbor on the northwest side of the island.