It is said, that there is nothing stronger, nothing greater than the bond, the friendship, the love, that binds two creatures together. It is also said, that the strength of one’s own mind, the strength of one’s perception, the strength of one’s will. These ideals and philosophies ring true and real within Artan’s clan. Artan’s conception was a curious one, born to a spirit and a dragon, Artan’s very birth was a spectacle of nature. It seemed this way to everyone but Artan himself.
Upon the conception and consequent birth of Artan, the dragon’s mother left her child and mate, leaving to find herself a new clan to call home. This left Artan to be raised by his spirit father, one Artan grew to despise. As Artan grew, his observing and reserved nature was obvious like a sore claw. While other hatchlings frolicked and played with each other, Artan stayed behind. Alone. Without a caring mother, Artan grew distant and cold. When Artan’s mother left, his father fell into depression. Instead of caring for Artan, Artan wounded up being the one taking care of his impaired father. Such left Artan no time for socializing or finding the true blessings of nature.
Much of Artan’s childhood was wasted caring for his deathly father, though resentful, Artan was still obligated to his father both by moral and standard law. One fateful night, Artan’s father contacted a nearly fatal illness. Known as the
grey death, the disease was characterized by clusters of dead, grey skin all over the body. Though it would not kill Artan’s father immediately, death was assured within a matter of years. No cure was readily available for the slowly spreading disease, and its rarity could only be matched by Artan’s own desperation to save his father.
Though Artan always held a grudge against his father, a spark of love was still buried beneath resentful feelings. That spark caught ablaze upon the sight of a dying father. A blaze that drove Artan to the clan prophet: Adonis.
Adonis was known for his studies in the unknown. Artan figured that Adonis was his only hope to free his father from his deathbed. Adonis promised Artan the ability to save his father, and so Artan began to study under the tutelage of Adonis. Artan learned the ancient ways of alchemy, of long lost sciences and faint drabbles of darker magicks.
For years Artan studied under Adonis, getting closer and closer to unlocked the cure that would save his father. The time it would take slowly drained away, years became months, months became weeks, weeks became days… Until there was but one day.
Artan’s father succumbed to the disease before he could find the cure. Artan discovered the cure a mere three days after his father’s passing. Enraged, Artan confronted Adonis and accused him of delaying his finding of the cure. Though Adonis denied everything, Artan refused to listen. Silently grieving, Artan began to search for a way to bring his deceased father back to him.
Artan began to question Adonis about the dark magicks and sorcery. Black magic, blood magic, anything. The desire to resurrect his father turned Artan to a state of madness, blindly taking any risk or leap of faith to further his knowledge of the arts of necromancy. For a time Artan remained with Adonis, learning everything the old dragon knew. However Adonis’ knowledge was not infinite. Eventually Artan learned everything the prophet had to offer, and like a stone Artan cast Adonis away and continued his frenzied search for dark magick.
Artan’s story is a sad one. A tale of tragedy, desperation and the blind pursuit of knowledge. Eventually Artan realized the futility of his quest. Artan came to accept his father’s passing, but not completely. The knowledge that Artan had acquired clung to him like ivy, tainting his mind and darkening his every thought. Though sure that his father could not be brought back to him, this did not stop Artan’s research of the dark arts, though he had lost everything. His home, his life, his reputation, his honor, everything. All Artan had left was his knowledge, his dark dark knowledge. And that, was something that he refused to let go.
