Ashwen left home at the age of fifteen to escape an abusive father and indifferent stepmother. He found shelter and acceptance among the clerics of Eldrath, goddess of peace. By the age of 23 he had risen to be the lead acolyte at Mordain, a remote monastery dedicated to sheltering pilgrims visiting the woodland waterfall Banfoss, noted for its healing properties. One night, everything changed for Ashwen. A clamor outside woke him. Just as he reached the heavy main doors of the monastery, they crashed inward atop him, knocking him unconscious. He woke to the last sight he would ever see--a glowing red poker plunging into each of his eyes. The raiders sacked the monastery, killing everyone but Ashwen. They left him alive to deliver a message to the clerics of Eldrath. Ashwen still has their note, sealed, unread, and undelivered. Ashwen took the armor and supplies of a murdered cleric and wandered the woods near Banfoss for more than a year, surviving on twigs, berries, roots, and insects. Gradually he learned to find his way around with the help of the only other survivor of the massacre, the cook's mangy black mutt, Droog. The dog is old, decrepit, and utterly useless in a fight, but totally dedicated to his new friend, the sightless cleric. With Droog's help, Ashwen has returned to civilization. Every sinew of his whipcord-thin body is devoted to three goals: 1) to become powerful enough to regenerate his burned-out eyes, or to earn the favor of a cleric powerful enough to do it for him. 2) to find a way to return Droog to youthful vigor, and thus repay the dog for saving Ashwen's life, and 3) to find those responsible for desecrating Eldrath's monastery. Ashwen does not wish to kill them, although he will if he must. He wants to accomplish something far more difficult: converting them to worship the very goddess they profaned. [I'm a longtime D&D player and DM but new to Roll20 and 5e. I love roleplay and a good fight or interesting puzzle. Let me know if you might have room for me in your game. I'm in the Eastern Time Zone. Thanks!]
