Ulric Giselbert was born in the town of Strong Oak, to the west of Sharn on the coast of Loch Modan, mere days after the assassination of Edwin the Second. A largely human settlement, Strong Oak had existed since the time of the late King’s father and it’s citizens enjoyed an independence from the mainland thanks to separation by sea and trade links with their Dwarven neighbours.
Ulric was the son of Johann Giselbert, who served as Commander of the town guard until one fateful night not long after Ulric’s third name day when there came a savage attack by a goblin horde. Driven to escape the unrest in Ederon by crossing the sea in stolen merchant’s ships, the green skinned raiders unwisely chose to take revenge on the humans they found on the opposite shore. Thanks in no small part to the help of their Dwarven neighbours, the people of Strong Oak bravely resisted the attack, but Commander Johann was left crippled after a heroic duel with the horde’s leader. Johann was forced into retirement, but rewarded handsomely for his sacrifice, receiving wealth, land, a place on the town council and the mysterious longsword ‘Caliburn’ - a relic from Ederon’s Golden Age. Johann was keen to see his son follow in his footsteps. Trained from an early age in the art of combat, Ulric also benefitted from the kind of education that his father had never received. The librarian of Strong Oak Academy prided himself on the small but respectable collection of scrolls and tomes from Ederon’s Golden Age and was more than happy to have a new student. Over time, as the troubles in Ederon worsened, the Elders of Strong Oak gradually turned their backs on the Kingdom and gladly accepted the protection of Loch Modan's Dwarven Lords. Largely ignorant of events just over the water, Ulric had a happy childhood, at least when he wasn’t having to attend fencing lessons or learn Dwarvish. His favourite pastimes were to read romantic tales of chivalry and adventure in the library or to spend hours wandering in the expansive woods surrounding the town. On one such jaunt, twelve-year old Ulric came across a hermit’s cabin and befriended the mysterious Loremaster Idorhaah. This was Ulric’s first real contact with ideas beyond the material world - the wealthy merchant folk of Strong Oak were generally more interested in amassing gold than worshipping any Gods, be they Pelor, Tychondrius or otherwise. Ulric visited Idorhaah many times over the coming years, supplementing his training and education within the town’s walls with the hermit’s tutelage outside in the wild. Unbeknownst to his parents, Ulric learnt of many things they would have frowned upon - the sun god Pelor, the craft of alchemy and, most enticingly, the now extinct order of Holy Crusader Knights. Inevitably, Ulric joined the town guard at the age of sixteen and his visits to the hermit became infrequent. He rapidly progressed through the ranks, not only thanks to his father’s influence, but also due to his commitment to Truth and Justice, although this quality oftentimes led to ridicule from his fellow guardsmen. Alongside his daily duties, Ulric did all he could to learn more about the situation in Ederon, questioning traders and visitors from the mainland whenever possible. During his investigations Ulric came to realise that there was more to Strong Oak council's lack of involvement in the affairs of Ederon than mere disinterest. Constantly admonished by his superiors for sticking his investigative nose where it wasn't welcome and often coming to blows with his father over the council's refusal to aid the oppressed peoples of Ederon, Ulric nevertheless was promoted to Sergeant of his own garrison at the age of 23. He immediately set to work using his new position of authority and freedom from walking the beat on the roads of Strong Oak to root out the source of corruption in the town. Within the year, Ulric had learned the awful truth that not only the town Elders, but his father in particular were all implicit in Benedict's rule of Ederon. Aghast, Ulric sought out once more his friend Loremaster Idorhaah only to find the hermit dead in his cabin, having apparently passed on peacefully some time before. After giving Idorhaah a fitting Pelorian burial, Ulric returned to the cabin to find a chest hidden beneath his deathbed containing the hermit’s journal, revealing him to be one of the few Pelorian priests to have escaped the wrath of the Inquisition, also detailing the secret route he had taken out of the realm and across the sea. Taking with him what religious texts he could carry, including the hermit’s journal and a silver amulet of Pelor, Ulric returned to Strong Oak as the sun dropped below the horizon. Entering the family home and finding his parents and their servants asleep, Ulric donned his best armour and removed the sword Caliburn from his father’s study. And with that, Ulric left Strong Oak for good on his first quest, retracing his mentor’s steps back into the KINGDOM OF EDERON. DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNN……
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