Matthias Stephen Alexander

Matthias Stephen Alexander saved the universe and no one ever knew.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Matthias was born in the usual way; he tore his way out of his mother’s womb, causing her to bleed out before consuming her corpse for his first meal. As his father, a demon by the name of Basdedreal, left shortly after his violent conception, Matthias naturally lived as an orphan during the early years of his life. He has little memory (as few do) of his earliest years, but he was told by the Sisters of the Order that he was passed from orphanage to orphanage for years before he was entrusted to their care. Due to his demonic appearance and violent behavior (there were several instances of biting) he was usually treated coldly and often locked up for days on end, at times for the protection of the other children and at times simply because they could not handle dealing with the little beast.
The sisters of the Order of the Cistern (a sect of nuns in the service of the White Lady) firmly believe and preach the ability of any being (demons, dark gods, imps etc) to find redemption in the path of Light and as such made a point of treating Matthias (a name they bestowed upon him) no differently than any other of the lost children in their care. Though there were still instances of abuse at the hands of his fellow children, the sisters saw to it that Matthias was treated with the same compassion and concern they gave to his peers. This had the intended effect, and many of his peers turned from tormentors to friends, looking past his appearance and history the way the sisters themselves had.
With time Matthias came to hold the sisters, and by extension their religion, in high regard. In time he turned from an angry bestial child into a studious and inquisitive adolescent. The sisters noticed his change and his interest in the faith (expressed in both personal devotion and intellectual curiosity) growing and began to encourage him in this pursuit. They spent time telling him stories of Saints and gods, of battles between light and dark, and of the founding and key events of the order. They taught him the doctrines of their faith and spent more of their limited money on books for their small library. Matthias basked in the unconditional love and support he received from these human women, despite his evil sire and troublesome childhood, and with age devoted himself to the Goddess and the Order, seeking to become a priest in their service. If he can be turned toward the Light with evil blood in his veins, then the entire world can be turned, and hence redeemed. He would play his role in this drama.
When he came of age (due to his long life, some time after the original of his beloved sisters and many of his childhood friends were deceased), he was sent off to train under the only non-human local priest of the White Lady, a half orc named Brother Thaddeus, serving as head temple priest in Lakewood, on the northern border of the Kingdom of Harnell. Though elderly by human standards Matthias was now only in his young adulthood, and had many years of training ahead of him, with much to learn.
The Unity Festival and the Barbarian Incident
After the attack on the festival of unity, resulting in the death of his comrades, Mathias assisted Brother Thaddeus in the various healing duties required across the town. Later that night, heading into the wood with the deceased comrades, they met up with the Elves of the Stone Circle, who reincarnated the pair into new bodies. On the orders of Mayor Silvermane, they took after the barbarians who attacked from the forest, eventually leading to an old stone fortress in the woods. Exploring the fortress and defeating the multiple floors of creatures that wandered it, the group would come across a woman completing a magical ritual, which raised a red dragon from the ground, who proceeded to fly out the building. Making their way back to the town, they found it burnt to the ground, with no survivors or anything of value left.
With little keeping them there, the group split up at this point. Matthias, unsure of what to do with himself, began to make his way back to The Giant's Wall and his former home with the Disciples of Mara. However, on his first day after getting back to Lakewood, he was visited in his dreams by a woman in blue and white robes, who told him he had more of a role left to play in the story, and to find the mayor's daughter, Alicia Silvermane. Waking up in the city of Dragonspire, he was able to find his way through the city and meet Miss Silvermane, who was glad to see him, as she planned to try and convince the ruling lords and nobles that the dragon threat was real. Having an eye witness to the dragon's rising would be a real asset.
Staying in the guest room of Lady Silvermane's residence in the city, Matthias waits to see what else the world might have in store for him, and Lady Silvermane's speech.
Physical Appearance Matthias is an average height tiefling. He is naturally muscular and strong, but due to his life of study and devotion, he has had little use for his strength. His red scaly skin, sharp bestial teeth and vestigial horn nubs cause many people to fear or despise him, but those who get to know him find the fearsome physical contrast to his gentle nature endearing and the impetus behind many friendly jokes.
Personality
Matthias is cautious around strangers, due to the typical reaction of the fearful, however those who get to know him find him to be kindhearted, forgiving, but above all playful. He is fond of jokes and games, and is never found without at least a deck of cards or set of dice. He is fond of beer, but not wine, meat but not overly sweet dessert. He likes children but rarely gets a chance to interact with them without causing nightmares. He likes to anonymously buy toys and trinkets and leave them where he knows children will find them.
Matthias abhors violence, but tragically sees it as a necessity in a world filled with darkness. He will avoid physical conflict whenever possible, but when forced to defend himself or others, he will not hold back unless his enemy is defeated or surrenders. Matthias is known to mourn and say prayers for the souls of those he is forced to slay. Whenever possible he will say a funeral for them. Matthias is a lover of reading, writing, and even the physical attributes of books and the written word. He is well versed in history, poetry, lore and various other academic subjects. He often helped fund his orphanage by doing anonymous commissions for the painting of signs and the copying of texts.

Belief/Deity

The White Lady