Ardeal the Render. This man, well who you think is a man has been on this plane for many years. And now he has returned to his home plane after being banished from the Abyss itself, for it could not tame this one. It began 20 years ago. Ardeal as a young child. Full of love, and joy. His parents. His father a mear merchent with a standing in a local thieves guild, and his mother a seemstress. They lived in one of the busier towns as his father was away on buisness much of the time. Unknown to his father, his mother took many a lover from time to time. All of which Ardeal had no understanding of what was happening, all he knew is a new father would come in every time his father left.
This pratice went on for many years, Ardeal now of the age 13. His skills in the blade grew, for the blade was the only friend he had, had since birth. It felt natural to him. He would on occasion visit the commander of the guard in the city, he knew him through his father, and from time to time he would practice on the commander. The commander of the guard was always impressed with his skill and agility from the first time he witnessed the young lad attempt a small feint and attack.
At Ardeals 15th birthday, he was asked to join the guard of the city by this time in his life Ardeals body had been finely honed, and he was very well muscled and very tight and compact. His skill with a sword outmatched everyone in the city, and the entire guard noticed this fact. One evening after he had been with the group long enough they were out scouting, and there they found a small encampment of Drow. All the men were frightened. But for the good of the City they ran in, charging weapons flashing out of scabbards and roars of battle sounded. The Drow, who the Humans had greatly underestimated were more agile than anyone had see, in the blink of an eye they had weapons drawn and were ready to face the men.
The Drow were brutal and efficent in their skill, they hacked, and slashed at man after man, with deadly precison. All who stood now was Ardeal and two Drow. Ardeal was unsure of what to do, so he switched weapon hands, and put his sword in his secondary hand, and picked up a short sword from the corpse of a man and gripped it in his primary hand, He lunged forward and slashed the first Drow unexpectedly across the throat, slicing his windpipe completely open. The Drow gasped his throat and fell to the ground, Ardeal now a bit content with himself for dispatching the first drow so easily didnt hear the slow chanting the last Drow was now doing, Ardeal snapped his head around and turned to look at the drow who's eyes were glowing red, and his face wore a foul grimace. Suddenly a portal opened up infront of Ardeal and a beastial hand reached out, and pulled him into it, all Ardeal could hear was a foul cackling, then all went %^BOLDdark
Ardeal awoke in a land hot as hell itself, grey mists all around. Infront of him was a huge six armed beast. A Balor stood infront of him, a foul smirk across his huge face. And thus the torments began. Ardeal lost track of all time, and minute after hour, after day, and after year he withstood torment after torment. Never being allowed to die. Ardeal now seventeen years of age, muscles hardened by age and from withstanding all the foul torments, Ardeal came to the conclusion he couldnt take this anymore, his good heart had grown foul with with hatred, and his good soul had twisted into something dark and sinister.
One day while the Balor was tormenting him, Ardeal reached out and took his huge wrist in his hands, and in a blink of an eye, had wrought the longsword from the Balor's hands, and leaped out from his grasp. Before the Balor knew what happened, his longsword was now impaled in his heart, thumping and vibrating with each heart-beat till the balor lay still. Dead. A change awoke in Ardeal. He took pleasure in that killing. He quickly skinned the Balor and fashioned himself some armor from the corpse, and a cloak from the wings of the beast, and with longsword in hand, he set out. He would repay the beings in the Abyss.
He would thrive in it.
Thrive he did. Another year passed, and Ardeal had been captured by the spider queen Lloth. Pleased with his work, but displeased with all the death of her loyal minions she cast Ardeal out of the abyss back into prime material plane, Ardeal appeared in a vast desert. He wandered time and time again finding water, or a snake to satisfy his hunger till he came upon some gates. The city of shadow. Since then he disappeared. Some people claim to have seen a human with extreme and expert fighting skill slaughter people helplessly, and with no emotion on his face as he took their miserable and bleak life.
Stories till trickle out of the wood work and find their way to your ears of this heartless if not souless killer who wanders shadow. If you cross him be warned, for he will not forget you, or your face. And he will surely cross your path again. He is the Render, the Render of Souls. He will come for yours. He will come for everyones.