Syal
| Syal | |
|---|---|
| Status: | Dead |
| Guild: | Paladin |
| Race: | Human |
| Gender: | Male |
| Associates: | Csilla, Hraige, Jerthay, Jenton, Dreldan, Medern |
Syal the Vigilant is considered the founding member of the Paladin Council. The next six paladins dedicated their entire lives and beliefs to him.
Life
The official history on this man is filled with holes, but what little is known about this Human is based on various documents written about him and some from him. He was the youngest son of a lower noble and therefore expected to become a monk. He never felt that was what he was meant to do, however. He was sure that through respect and worship, we could come to understand the nature of the Immortals. In his fifteenth summer, one season before he was to take his vows, he moved away from that life when the gods called upon him to become a Paladin. While he continued to study and come closer to the gods, he dedicated much of his time to studying armor and metallurgy to discover how well a set of armor would fit one's body so that one can maneuver in it to its full effectiveness.
Visions
Syal received visions from the gods throughout his life that he shared with people; these visions allowed little peace in his life. He didn't know how to interpret them until he met Csilla, another of the seven. One documented vision was shared with Baron Falstad of Therengia around 8 BL, which eventually lead to the Therengian Barons' patronage of the Paladin guild that continues to this day. Hraige describes it thusly:
We were truly a sight to behold that day we rode up to the Baron's court to offer our services to him. He didn't believe Syal at first. He thought Syal was a madman and that we were fanatics merely following a charismatic man. Syal truly had a presence when he wasn't wildly conveying his visions. Some of Syal's visions were terrifying even to me. [...]
For several years, Baron Falstad and his army had been fighting against the Dragon Priests. Syal had been having sporadic visions about these men and the creatures of evil that they called upon to dominate the land. Syal was sure that these evil beings would eventually reach Therengia. The Baron didn't believe Syal, but he had no reason to stop him from fighting in his name either. Early on, the Baron provided minimal funding for us to infiltrate this zealous group.
The Bonding
Details of Syal's death are hazy, and seem to be synonymous with an event referred to as "the bonding." Syal sacrificed his own life to save his friends, but it's unknown is if there was a body or a grave. Some think that Rutilor transported him somewhere else to become an avatar, while others think that after he died his friends did not wish to share the location of his burial site. Although he is considered the founding member of the Paladin Guild, the official council, guild, and guildhalls were all created after his death. After the "bonding" Baron Falstad humbly recognized the remaining six Paladins and graciously built the first council chambers to allow them to continue the teachings of Syal.