Born Elitham Plainstrider to a lowborn family of horse breeders in the lower tiers of the Helon Heights, Zod-El was always one to look up to where he wanted to be. Of course as a member of Aelven society of Helon, class is everything and the son of a horse breeder would never be a Marshal or Strategist to the Lumineth army. At least not if he remained here in Helon. So in his youth years, he fled home to find himself a better status in this world.
After some time of travel, he found himself in Greywater Fastness and with a mighty need to eat and probably earn a little coin, the youth fell into a position as an apprentice to a blind Runelord by the name of Glorzod who created fine runes to protect the city IronWatch. Of course to gain his position, Zod-El did have to use a bit of deceit pretending to be a Duardin youth. Whether Glorzod knew or caught on in the few years that the Aelven lad served under him, Zod-El never knew. Under Glorzod’s guidance, He caught on quickly to the use of Runes and Runic Incantations. And it wasn’t before long that he would forge his own ‘Clan Shield’ with his own enchanted runic sigil etched in. Unfortunately, Glorzod was a rather old Duardin and eventually that age of his would catch up with him and he would eventually pass in his sleep. And as Duardin Law was rather strict in regard to inheritance, which a workshop would normally pass to an apprentice but not being of Duardin blood this clearly would not be the case here. And the crime of impersonating a Duardin, they tend to take rather seriously and for that reason, this Aelf now found his name etched into many a grudge book. ELITHAM PLAINSTRIDER.
Now newly unemployed and with a grudge over his name, the wise choice was to leave the settlement and in the process also change his name. In honor of the Runelord that had taken him in, he became known from this day forward as Zod-El Taelec. He had spent so many years away, that home actually began to call to him. He missed Helon and its cliffs and peeks. The caste system of the Aelves was a travesty in his mind but the air was so clear and the sun so bright in Hysh. He felt the need to return, but if he did certainly not back to the life of a Horse Breeder. Making his way to Anvilgard, he sought out a master of documents. Paying the man a rather large sum, the man started on the extensive process of forging a set of birthrights for Zod-El. It would take some time though and with the cost, Zod-El ended up falling into a regiment of Bleakswords to serve in the city watch. Although his time there was unkind and earned the young adult (by this point) a few scars he would bear the remainder of his days, he adapted rather fast to the combat style of the Dark Aelves. It wasn’t as efficient or precise as how the Lumineth Bladelords fought, but the speed and relentlessness of it was more than most would dare reckon with.
Finally after a year’s time, the documents were complete and gold passed hands. He could now return to Helon not just as a young prince of a small noble house but would indeed be granted the position of a Steedmaster in a Dawn Rider Vanguard. Thus began his time with Dawn’s Wrath. A cavalry unit composed of sons of various nobles throughout Helon and other parts of Hysh, their task assigned to them track down and hunt the rogue wizards and predatory endless spells they unleash on Hysh. With the assistance of his Rune Incantations masked as Aelven Spells, Zod-El excelled at his assigned mission and it wasn’t long before Dawn’s Wrath had built quite the reputation for themselves.
Unfortunately with a rise in reputation, a spotlight began to fall on the young “Prince” and
His birth papers. Inconsistencies began to arise as he had to attend a few council meetings here or there and questions of his lineage were asked. With the addition of the ‘Clan Shield’ he carried, that too caused problems of its own for the Lumineth are quite weary of Duardin and Duardin gear. And after an unfortunate arrival of another of the Taelec Bloodline in the court, it seemed Zod-El’s fate had been sealed. He had possibly been outed for good and with the constant whispers and clawing at power that the Aelves cherished so much, imprisonment or worse seemed certain. Certain unless he acted quickly.
Earlier in the day, there had been a group of envoys sent to all over the mortal realms seeking armies to come and aid Renaya Oathsworn, the Satrep of Celandec. Apparently the place she was from, the Prime Dominion, was about to engage in a civil war for land and power and she needed soldiers. The Envoy spoke of Lady Oathsworn love of the people, and more importantly that position and power should come to those that earn it, not because they have been born of a certain class. A dreamer can change their stars.
This would be his answer to the current predicament. He knew in the morning that the council would send a contingent of Bladelords to arrest him for his crime. It paid to have a friend among the council to share such things with him. He gathered his things and formulated a plan. He would take Dawn’s Wrath and the Vanguard of Dispelling Dawn and they would leave in the night. Off they would go to this Prime Dominion, no longer the minor sons of minor houses, there they could earn a real name for themselves that could not be taken from them. So with the speed of the Helon Wind, the forces gathered what little they could travel with, and off they rode. And in the morning when the Bladelords entered Zod-El’s chamber, they were greeted with an empty office with a single pamphlet on the table. A picture of the Celandec Sigil upon it and the birthright papers with the name scratched out and in its place, Zod-El Plainstrider.
