Rane

Me.

Born to a mother with the Affinity and a father without, I'm one of a rare few men in Eorþe who can use magic.

When I first presented with the Affinity, my parents moved to an isolated town and kept me from using my ability. My mother, a constitutional lawyer who works closely with Cymhen Grym, patriarch of the Grym family, was acutely aware of the lengths the Great Families would go to in order to gain influence over me. Her response was, perhaps, a bit extreme, as I essentially had no contact with anyone other than my parents and Cymhen until I turned twenty and left for university.

Cymhen offered me a place in the Grym family when I came of age, but I declined; partly out of respect for the position I believed it would put him and his family in, but also due to the fear of being discovered that had been hammered into me growing up. Cymhen was understanding, and offered to use his influence to get me accepted into one of Eorþe's most prestigious universities, one that his eldest granddaughter just happened to attend.

And so it was that I met Cerys Grym. We quickly became inseparable: me delighting in my newfound freedom alongside a wild and carefree Cerys, and she in having a close friend that cared more for her than her station. The two years until she graduated passed in a blink.

Like all Family youth, Cerys left for her wardship immediately upon graduating. I agonized over whether to tell her about my Affinity, but the old fear won out in the end. Without her presence, university quickly lost its appeal. I left, seeking the familiar comfort of isolation.

I stayed in touch with Cerys for a time, but the doubt and guilt eventually pushed me to cut contact and retreat further into my self-induced exile. It was there, in a moment of peace and clarity, that I first felt the Weave. That moment changed how I saw myself and my place in the world.

After months in the forest learning to sense and interact with the Weave, my fear and shame seemed to melt away. It was a strange feeling, acceptance. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace with my Affinity.

Then, I donned the mask. It was empowering, not only using my ability, but doing something constructive with it. Making the world a safer place, one criminal and mercenary at a time.

Eorþe came to know me as 'The Daemon'. More than a few people came looking for me: gloryseekers looking to make names for themselves and mercenaries for a quick buck. A new wrinkle accompanied the last group, however.

Cymhen Grym. He had long suspected my new identity and sought me out after learning of the latest attempt on my life. He made me an offer, and more than that, gave me an opportunity: to come back to the people I cared for, to make up for past mistakes, and to move forward with a new life.