Name: Edwin Rodriguez
Class: Warrior
Race: Barbarian
Height: 6'2
Weight: 205
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

Edwin's Story

For as long as he could remember, Edwin was always getting in trouble with his family. They lived in a bright wooden cottage built into the side of a tall mountain. In the distance Edwin could see the lights from Halas, his home city.

Before he was born, his grandparents had rejected the upbringing of the barbarian way. Choosing instead to promote the mind and soul. Edwin often heard tales of an Erudite cleric whom had met his grandfather at an early age, and often brought the barbarian books in secret. The Barbarian soon began to publicly protest the ways of the body, and called for the development of the mind. The leaders of the clans in Hala's decided that this was not the way of the barbarian, and they cast Edwin's grandparents out of Halas, bringing dishonor upon them.

They quickly built the house where Edwin and his parents now reside. They lived in peace, reading books and building their minds and spirits, never returning to Halas. In the many years to follow, their bodies slowly changed, they lost physical strength, and gained more intelligence as they grew older.

Edwin's father was born there, it was obvious that the years of isolation and the abandonment of the physical training of the barbarian race had taken its toll on the child. The young barbarian was small, but even at an early age showed great intelligence, perhaps the most intelligent a barbarian to ever be born.

They raised his father in the quiet sheltered shadow of Halas. With each year Edwin's father became less a barbarian. On the eve of Edwin's father's 16th birthday, the Erudite Cleric came to visit, and with him came his daughter. A young and very intelligent Erudite.

Edwin's mother was the perfect Erudite, highly intelligent and civilized. They lived in the shack, and continued to advance the mind. Edwin's grandparents died soon after they were married. A few years later, Edwin was born.

As expected, he was scrawny compared to barbarian standards, but something in his eyes worried his father, he had always been taught of his true barbaric heritage, and in the young Edwin's eyes burned a hunger for battle.

Edwin grew like a tree, tall, yet his mothers frail genes kept him from becoming muscular, that didn't stop his hunger for battle, and Edwin often crept off to hunt small animals with a wood axe. This practice was scorned by his parents, and they often made him return to his studies.

Edwin would sit for hours, daydreaming about glorious and honorable battles like he had read about, but his barbaric blood kept him full of energy. on the eve of his 12th birthday, Edwin asked his father about the city called Halas.

"Father, why can't we go there?" Edwin asked

"They are afraid of us, son" His father answered, lifting his head from a book.

"Why?" Edwin asked, confused.

"They fear us because we are smart, and all their great strength and barbaric ways cannot help them read or understand. That is why we want you to study hard, and forget that silly hunting nonsense" His father said, while his Erudite mother nodded in agreement.

Edwin did not say any more, but for some reason his parents words made him angry.

Late that night, when his parents were asleep, he packed a few belongings and headed to Halas. he arrived before sunrise, and passed through the gates to find two massive guards staring at him.

"Nice robes, girl!" One guard laughed, pointing at the erudite robes that Edwin wore.

"What's wrong with my.." Edwin started, then he saw that both guards wore great kilts, with tunics of bear skin.

"Go back to where ever you belong girl" The other guard said.

Edwin began to get angry, a rage built inside him and he lashed out, swinging at one of the guards. The guard reacted, and the world went black around Edwin.

He awoke to find himself in a bed. His head hurt like never before, and one eye was swollen shut.

"A fine mess, boy," A gruff voice said from somewhere to his right.

Edwin turned his head to find a large man sitting next to him.

"Wha.. What Happened" Edwin choked out.

"Great Halas!" the man exclaimed, "you sound like an Erud."

"My mother is an Erud" Edwin explained, running his hand over his swollen and bruised eye. "What happened to me"

"You attacked a guard, I have heard stories of a barbarian man with an Erud wife living out in the wilds. I never knew they had a child." The man said, rubbing his chin in thought. "It makes sense, you are definitely a mixture of the two!" He added.

Edwin sat up in bed, "My father is no barbarian, my grandparents raised him as a weak man, and they forced me to study their damned books! It has made me weak!!" He explained.

The man seemed almost amused, looking at Edwin thoughtfully. "You definitely have the spirit of our people boy" he said. "You can't stay here though, your families name is dishonored, and the legend of the betrayal of your grandparents will follow you."

Edwin sat back in thought. "How can I regain my honor, I want to learn the ways of my people, here in Halas." He asked the man.

"Well now, Honor and courage and strength in battle is what wins respect around here boy." The man scoffed, "Getting slapped like a woman by a guard is NOT the way to gain respect back."

The man looked over the scrawny but tall boy. "You will never get anywhere unless you build up some meat on your bones" The man added, getting up. "Sleep here tonight, in the morning you will ride with me to Freeport, along the way I will help you strengthen yourself."

Edwin did just that. In the morning he slipped into the merchants wagon headed for Freeport, as they left the city he said a silent vow to one day return as a great and mighty warrior, and bring honor to his name.

Edwin spent the next several years traveling with the merchant. Edwin worked hard for the man, and was able to strengthen himself up some, but his Erudite genes would never allow him to grow as strong as a barbarian his age.

On the eve of his 16th birthday, The merchant died in his sleep, and the merchants wife decided to head home to Halas to live out her life in peace. To Edwin she left him a sword, and swore that she would defend his name to any who asked. Edwin was grateful, and stayed in freeport, confident that he was ready to start his quest to regain his honor.

The next morning Edwin set out into the lands known as the west gate hunting area. There he found some rats and snakes, and slayed them. His heart and soul seemed to find comfort in each sword stroke, Yes, Edwin knew he was a Barbarian at heart. Here on the battleground no one scoffed him, in fact, he found himself to be one of the biggest warriors around, although he knew he was tiny compared to the other citizens of Halas.

After a few hours Edwin felt confident that he was on his path to being a great warrior, and decided with arrogance that the bats and snakes were no challenge to him, (even though he had taken quite a few bites in the few hours) and so he headed deeper out, into an area known as the commonlands.

Edwin was surveying the area when without warning a sharp pain caused his leg to buckle, and Edwin fell. From behind him a stealthy black wolf had snuck up and sunk his fangs into the leg of the aspiring warrior.

Edwin's heart raced, He slashed wildly with the sword, but his skills were too low, and the wolf too quick. The wolf jumped on Edwin's chest, and sunk its fangs into his shoulder, Edwin fought back a scream, and tried to wrestle the beast off of him, but the blood was flowing, and Edwin's strength was faltering.

Suddenly a sharp scream of steel cutting the air was heard, then replaced with steel slicing into the hide of the wolf. The wolf yipped in pain, and turned to face its attacker, but just as quickly a second swing of the mystery sword brought an end to the wolfs life.

Edwin grasped his bleeding shoulder, and stood, finding himself face to face with a human nearly his size in height. but more muscular.

"Are you alright friend," The man asked in a deep yet soft voice.

Edwin was embarrassed, and outraged at the simple wolf besting him.

"How dare you kill my prey" Edwin shouted without thinking.

The man was slightly taken aback, yet recovered quickly. "Of course, forgive me, I didn't realize that even as you bled with the monster having you in its death lock that you were you the victor. Good day friend."

"Do not call me friend!" Edwin screamed "I am the mighty barbarian warrior, Edwin of Halas."

The man looked at him, his expression becoming stern. "you might be Edwin of Halas, and you might be a barbarian, but you are not a mighty warrior."

Edwin sighed, the rage inside him quieting. "Yes, you are right, I want so badly to be."

At this point the man laughed. "Well then, my young friend, all you need is practice, and the virtue of honor, loyalty, and valor will show you the way. My name is Hawke, and I have a friend who can teach you to use that blade. He lives in Kaladim. Go there and practice, when you have learned all he can teach you, return to me, and you can join our guild, it is called Scarab, and we fight for Honor, Loyalty, and Valor.

Edwin took the mans advice, and knew that his service in Scarab would bring honor to his name, and he was happy to have a purpose. Scarab was indeed a noble cause, and Edwin could not have asked for more.

Edwin spent two years with the Dwarven warriors of Kaladin, learning the art of combat. He occasionally thought of his parents, and hoped that one day, after he returned to Halas a proud and honorable member of Scarab, his parents would re-join him.

On the eve of his 18th birthday, wiser and more skilled, Edwin set sail for Freeport, ready to join Scarab, and begin his quest.