The backstory of Brother Marcel De Monchard, Human Paladin, told from the first person point of view.
I am Brother Mercel De Monchard. Although that is unlikely to be my real name, that I do not know for I never knew my father or mother. I was orphaned as a child, my father brutally murdered and me left for dead in the middle of winter. If it were not for Master Gastain De Rochevert I would have surely died that day. Instead he found me and took me to the nearest place he could, this being the nunnery of the Sisters of Saint Lisbet. There I was raised by Mother Elize Pernier, such a caring, loving woman.
Master Gastain would often come visit me, each time donating a sum of money to the nunnery to pay for my upbringing. He was like a father to me, in fact I came to call him Father, and he took me under his wing, teaching me the ways of his order, the Order of the Pale Wolf, saying that I should join him as a proud knight when I was old enough.
My favourite memory from this time is when he used to take me out riding on his horse through the woods. We would travel for miles, just us two. I used to enjoy the freedom this brought us, free from the schooling of the nuns and free from the burdens of the world. Of these I had my own but Master Gastain always seemed to have more even though he would try to hide it, I could always tell if there was something on his mind.
It was on one of these rides, when I must have been about 8 years old, that my master must have sensed something was wrong, he stopped the horse and just sat there still, looking around in silence. Then he suddenly spurred his horse to flee from whatever it was he had detected but we were thrown from the horse by some sort of trap. At that a man appeared with a face I will never forget, a rough looking man with a deep scar running down his right cheek was calmly walking towards us, sword drawn. It was then plainly obvious that he had set the trap and had been laying in wait for us.
I had fallen clear of the horse due to me being small but Master’s leg had been trapped beneath it’s body and he was unable to break free. I stood to defend who I considered to be my adopted father, the one person I loved more than anything in the world but I was not enough, this man merely swept me out of his way like I was nothing to him, seemingly fixed only on my father, who despite being trapped drew his sword to defend himself but he was soon overcome. As this would be assassin raised his sword to land the final strike I saw my father’s spear laying on the ground.
With all the strength I could muster, I rose to my feet, grabbed it and lunged forwards, impaling this man in the leg. He cried out in pain and with a wild backswing caught me on my left shoulder which was enough to knock my small, light frame backwards down a slight incline. I looked up to see my father pull a dagger and plunge it deep in the attacker’s belly but it was not enough.
Without a single word the sword was raised and stabbed slowly through the throat of my Master, my Father, the man who while with different blood had become the only family I had in the world. In one fell blow my whole world was broken and my heart ripped out. I felt like I had failed to protect my father and now this man turned his attention towards me. I had only one option left, RUN!!
Bleeding from my shoulder from the wild sword blow that had thankfully only glanced off, I rose again to my feet and fled, crying not only because of my loss but because I had to escape and leave him behind. To this day I only think that I managed to survive because of the injuries inflicted to this killer because I got away. I ran back towards the home I was raised in but couldn’t make it before I passed out, both due to my injury and the biting winter cold.
But I had been left for dead in the snow before and I lived, I would do it once more. By chance two other brothers of my father’s order were on the road where I fell unconscious. My final thought before I passed out was the man’s face, now forever burned in to my memory. I was taken back to the nunnery where I was cared for as the knights searched for the fallen body of their master and brother in arms.
Since that fateful day I swore that I would join the order when I was deemed old enough and worthy and ever since I would dedicate my life to finding that man who tore my world apart. I have had my real family taken from me and now my adopted father too, I would not rest till I could find the truth behind both and bring whoever it was to justice, although quite what that ‘justice’ would be I am unsure.
PLAYER GOAL for the CAMPAIGN:
As for why he adventures, either it’s part of the work for the order or following up leads etc on the murder of either his biological family and any information about them, finding out his roots etc or regarding the murder of Master Gastain. Plus the odd occasional job that comes up just to get some money.
