Greetings to everyone, and welcome back for the second installment of the Loved by the Sun Character Biography series. The second character I would like to introduce you to is the Arch-Paladin of Everdark, Sir Rolandd Sunfire.
Rolandd Sunfire is a majestic elf, born in Paean Village in the elven kingdom of Everdark, in the year 2812.
Rolandd was born into a religious, and wealthy, family. His father, Cleric Richorn Sunfire, served the town's pastoral needs, and Rolandd attended services from the time he was three days old. As a child, Rolandd had more interest in rambling about the village and the surrounding woodland of the Everdark forest, than he did in devotion to the chief deity Soleil. He was fascinated with the Everdark Rangers, loving to listen to the tales of adventure and daily life of a ranger whenever one would pass through the village with their animal companion.
Rolandd ignored the typical racist stance that majestic elves took toward other elves of different racial ethnicity, and was often alone when interacting with a ranger of different lineage. He believed that no individual should be treated differently, simply for the bloodline in which they were born, but should be treated according to their own personality and actions.
This stance was not well received by either of his parents, and Rolandd received many chastisements and punishments for his constant defiance of their commands. To the elder Sunfires, they had a public image to maintain, and Rolandd's continual fraternization with other races of elves in such a friendly manner was appalling and defaced their standing in the majestic elf community. Rolandd did not care, and often quoted lines of scripture back to his father to solidify his stance, which was also not well received, and resulted in punishments. He took his punishments in stride, never changing his beliefs to show kindness and love to all of Pelmythia's creations.
At the age of eighteen, Rolandd was sent to Everdark City to seminary, to become a cleric like his father. This also allowed the Sunfires to save face with their society, ending the many years' war between father and son. As Rolandd studied at the Temple of Soleil, he was introduced to the paladins, the holy warriors who served the Temple when combat skills were needed. Although the paladins took their orders from the chief cleric, Rolandd felt drawn to their ranks. So, within his first year of seminary, Rolandd withdrew from the order of clerics and enlisted as a paladin.
News of this reached Cleric Richorn, and the elder Sunfire had a conniption fit (that Rolandd was not there to witness). His mother, Lady Stovyre Sunfire, supported her son's decision, and settled the irate Richorn with words of wisdom, stating that Rolandd was still a servant of Soleil, and would be better suited in the role of a paladin than that of a cleric.
In the year 2835, Rolandd completed his training, and was knighted as a holy paladin of Soleil, rising as Sir Rolandd Sunfire of Everdark. For thirty years, Sir Rolandd served the Temple of Soleil faithfully on the battlefield, assisting the allied countries of Corivon, Ivory Glen, Silvervale, and Reapaurna's Deep, whenever needs arose for Temple business.
Throughout his years of service, Sir Rolandd had learned that Everdark was not governed by the rangers, but by the Temple. The chief cleric and their advisers were the true power in the elven kingdom, acting as legislators and judges both, as well as making all political decisions for the kingdom. Even temples of the other gods of the pantheon were second to the Temple of Soleil, in political terms.
In the year 2867, Sir Rolandd had begun to notice the change in laws and restrictions placed upon the citizens of Everdark, and the additional taxation that seemed unnecessary in his eyes. The people of Everdark began to wither, many unable to pay their taxes and provide for their families. The fact that the chief cleric had turned ill and was restricted to his quarters also did not set well with the veteran paladin. His appointed adviser, a malicient elf known as Petrus Glimmergaunt, represented him in all arenas, and Sir Rolandd saw the decline of Everdark's people continue to spiral with each day Cleric Glimmergaunt was in such a position of influence.
Actions once disdained by the Temple were passed down as orders to be carried out without question. It was this time which Sir Rolandd requested time of leave, with the explanation of returning to Paean Village to see his parents and relatives which still remained in the village. His request was granted by Cleric Glimmergaunt, who simply wanted the resistant paladin removed from the city without a public spectacle.
Sir Rolandd did take his leave of absence, however he did not travel to Paean Village. Instead, he made his way to the kingdom of Silvervale, where he knew to find one of the Shadow Hunters, an elite branch of the Everdark Rangers who were stationed throughout the continent of Neotericus. He voiced his concerns to the Shadow Hunter, and employed him to investigate the strange goings-on of the Temple. While the Shadow Hunter employed his reconnaissance tactics, Sir Rolandd gained an audience with both kings of Silvervale and Ivory Glen, and gained their support upon proof of misdeeds by the appointed adviser.
Within a fortnight, the Shadow Hunter returned to Sir Rolandd with both testimony and physical evidence of Petrus Glimmergaunt's practice of necromancy and dark magic. His report of the state of Everdark City was gruesome: a civil war had erupted between the Temple of Soleil and the temples of each god of the pantheon. With both Silvervale and Ivory Glen pledging their support, Sir Rolandd led the armies into Everdark City, overwhelming the Temple of Soleil's forces. Sir Rolandd was able to reach the chief cleric, finding him on the edge of death. Knowing that he was dealing with dark magic, Sir Rolandd was able to remove the curse placed upon the chief cleric, revealing Petrus Glimmergaunt's true nature as a powerful necromancer.
Many battles ensued as Petrus fled Everdark, summoning creatures from the abyss as well as undead to throw in the way of his pursuers. Sir Rolandd did not give up the chase, crossing the Greymist Mountains and eventually catching Petrus in the Bloodwood Marshes, where the necromancer attempted a final stand.
Sir Rolandd defeated Petrus, the necromancer's powers exhausted and the paladin standing over him with his polearm Abbadon. Sir Rolandd would have been justified in taking the majestic elf necromancer's life, yet he showed mercy. Instead of executing Petrus, Sir Rolandd imprisoned him. With the help of clerics and fellow paladins, unbreakable wards were erected around the borders of the marshes, forever keeping the necromancer from leaving the swamps.
Upon returning to Everdark City, Sir Rolandd discovered the chief cleric had died from the sickness brought about by the curse, and had specifically requested that he be allowed the peace of death and not to be resurrected. In his final moments, he declared that Sir Rolandd be named Arch-Paladin of Everdark, knowing that Sir Rolandd could restore Everdark to its former glory. In the year 2868, Sir Rolandd took his position as leader of the kingdom of Everdark, enacting laws that gave all temples of the pantheon an equal voice in political matters. Further laws were passed that ended the prohibition of racial integration, allowing any sentient race of Pelmythia residence and ability to serve the kingdom.
Throughout the years, Arch-Paladin Sunfire assisted Everdark in rebuilding from the damage caused by the necromancer, as well as remaining a strongly loyal ally to both Silvervale and Ivory Glen. In the year 2998, the prophecy was revealed to Sir Rolandd of the coming of the daughter of Soleil, given as a gift to the devout king of Ivory Glen, King Riobard Ivarius. On the eleventh day of the month of Festarra, in the year 3000, Sir Rolandd traveled to Ivory Glen, accompanied by his cousin Rifkin Nightfire, Chief Ranger Falconnais Duskwalker, and ranger Qounan Wolfswift, to grant Everdark's blessing to Queen Joanelise and the coming princess.
When they arrived in Ivory Glen, they did not expect what they saw...
And that is where I must leave you, my friends. Many thanks for taking the time to read my post. I apologize for the length, however I deemed it necessary to give you all a better understanding of Sir Rolandd Sunfire. I hope you enjoyed it, and are interested in reading the further adventures of the Arch-Paladin of Everdark, in the premier book of the Pelmythia novel series "Loved by the Sun", due to release on November 30.
Until next we meet...
Sword and Phoenix logo copyright owned by Alpha Wolf LLC
www.alphawolfllc.co
