Kalen Hornraven is an Aasimar war cleric and member of the adventuring party known as the Order of the Brown Dragon. Kalen is a devout worshipper of Torm and recognised as the current rightful owner of Kelmar, the holy sword of Kord. He leads a dual life as an adventurer and leader of the Stormgard temple and head of the city’s council.

Description

Appearance

Kalen is a tall, well-built man with dark brown hair and green eyes. His true nature as an Aasimar is concealed until the height of battle. Kalen wears his hair at a medium length and maintains a well-kept full beard. He sports a distinctive scar over his left eye from an encounter with a monstrous beast in his youth. When required to reveal his true nature, angelic wings of golden, radiant energy sprout from his back, and his eyes are flooded with radiant light.

Raised as an acolyte and an experienced soldier, Kalen is rarely seen out of his armour and vestments. His faith is apparent from his singular white gauntlet. He currently wears a suit of mithril plate mail, which is well polished and maintained. Worn on his back is the divine artifact Kelmar, which crackles with electricity when wielded.

Personality

Growing up, Kalen was a bold, but friendly and charismatic person, who was well suited for life as a warrior priest. He possesses a martial mindset and an innate sense of justice and fairness, both of which inform his actions and behaviour towards people. His celestial-touched soul drives him towards goodness and righteousness, something struggled with, but has ultimately embraced. As a result of his experience as a soldier and war priest, Kalen has a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie with those he fights alongside.

Despite being ordained as a priest of Torm, Kalen had very little experience with the structure of the clergy. His childhood in the remote Stormgamalbondgard, where his father was the only other religious figure, caused his to have little respect for the wider religious hierarchy. In his eyes, respect is reserved to those who serve the gods best, a belief that led to some clashes with religious authorities, in his youth. Although he is a devout worshipper of Torm, his acts of worship are generally a private affair, and he considers the use of his divine powers’ acts of devotion, as well as a service to the gods. He is not a proponent of proselytizing, believing instead that individuals and the gods must find their way to each other as a universal rule – though he is happy to teach to those who ask.

In combat, Kalen is a fierce fighter and a reliable comrade, more than willing to charge into the thick of battle to strike his enemies and defend his allies. If he believes his cause to be righteous, he will gladly fight to the death and give no quarter to evil doers. From his enemies, he accepts only their unconditional surrender or a quick death – a conviction that may seem merciless at times. He believes in second chances, but draws the line there, unwilling to let a transgressor slip should they misstep again. This conviction of his, makes him unflinching when delivering justice upon the wicked.

Biography

Pre-Campaign

Early life

Kalen was born in 4E734 the third child of a priest, Vord Hornraven, and a wine maker, Elera Evenwood. He was raised in the town of Stormgamalbondgard with his four siblings. From a young age, Kalen had dreams believed by his father to be divine in origin and he was trained as an acolyte in the temple of Torm. His true nature as an Aasimar was revealed when Stormgamalbondgard was attacked by undead monsters on the day of his sixteenth birthday, killing his whole family alongside the residents of the town. Kalen was able to escape with the assistance of his angelic guide and spent several weeks wandering in a daze before he was found by a pair of elderly gnomish merchants, Brocc and Lilli Glittergem. The pair had never had children themselves, so they took Kalen and treated him as one of their own. Thanks to them, Kalen recovered enough from his trauma to regain a semblance of normality in his life.

The Lord Wars

Kalen was conscripted by a gnomish lord when he was 21 served in his retinue during the Lord Wars between 4E755 and 759. He was grievously wounded in a battle early in the campaigns but survived due to his developing magical abilities allowing him to heal his own wounds. In the following years, Kalen earned a reputation as a skilled soldier and healer.

Post War Life

Following the ending of the Lord Wars and his discharge from military service. Kalen briefly returned home to find his adopted parents ailing in their old age. Kalen remained to help them in the final stage of their lives and ease their pains. After Brocc and Lilli passed within days of each other, Kalen left their home and set out on his own. He travelled for several years, earing bed and board as a wandering healer, and slaying beasts that plagued the country. Over the years, Kalen slowly developed his skills and prowess in battle, but for all the good he did, felt unsatisfied. Several times he tried to end is wandering by joining a temple however, this never lasted long as he often clashed with higher ranking priests, some of whom he considered unworthy of positions over him.

He eventually headed north through the mountains towards the Kingdom of Medora following guidance that had come to him in a dream. Trusting in his angelic guide, his travels brought him to Embermill, and eventually Colchester, on the hunt for a cambion which led to the door of the Order of the Brown Dragon.

Relationships

Sardielr

Kalen first met Sar when he was seeking to hire the Order of the Brown Dragon to aid him in his hunt for a cambion that had taken up with a group of bandits. Initially expecting to find just a group of standard mercenaries, Kalen was surprised by Sar’s aptitude in combat and impressed by his speed and agility. Kalen quickly came to respect Sar for his battle prowess and was the secondary reason for Kalen offering to stay and later join the group.

During their travels, Kalen’s respect for Sar deepened as he found Sar to be a wise and thoughtful man, despite his young age. Their bond grew stronger as they fought together, forming a sense of camaraderie between them. Kalen grew to appreciate Sar further as time went on, and they eventually became fast friends and comrades. Through Sar’s insights into his own actions, Kalen has developed more confidence in himself and has come to see himself as a conduit of the gods’ wills, and not just a vessel or instrument to be used.

The two have had some disagreements in their time, usually over Sar’s relaxed attitude to the gods or Kalen’s sometimes blind devotedness, but Kalen still trusts Sar implicitly. He respect the young man's wisdom and is happy to defer to Sar’s leadership and judgement over Order matters, even to the point of letting him take the Wand of Orcus without question. There is no person Kalen knows, living or dead, that he would rather have at his side to face down the apocalypse.

Character Information

Personal Quests

Notable Items