Uo Pyregrain

The High Priest of Colum Uo Pyregrain

Mental characteristics

Personal history

The history of the mysterious Pyregrain family is tough to pin down, and Uo is no different. The royal family of Colum has always had a high ranking cleric to provide religious and spiritual council to its members, or high level healing magic in the event of an emergency. By many accounts, Uo has been that cleric for the last 150 years or longer. He was a central pillar of King Hiyak the Lively’s royal court, providing insight and cultural guidance for the many new holidays the good king established. Dozens of beloved public celebrations like the Day of Melody, a two-night celebration of musicians and art, are the direct result of the cooperation between Uo and King Hiyak.
He served diligently under Queen Cassandra of Vastwood, saving her life by healing the injuries she sustained during the Night of the Winter Flare. When more peaceful times arrived, Uo and Cassandra worked together to create a new title to award to especially powerful guilds, the “High Powers”. The idea was to create something that adventurers could aspire to and that the people could rally behind, to stir stagnant guilds into action and shore up the defenses.
A decade later, Uo acted as the primary liaison to Ashley Moztel during The Three Crown War. Despite some theological disagreements, Uo helped facilitate the movement of reserve troops to the new Kelic region to support those fighting against The Assembly. Ever since, Colum has had a deep relationship with its foreign ally, perhaps deeper than any other.
At the turn of the millennium, Uo and Queen Cassandra communicated avidly with the newly forming Church of Solanil. For centuries, Colum owned the de facto capital of the sands, Crixis, a prospect that became less tolerable every year for the native Spirixians. Most of the Colum Protectorate advised against relinquishing power in the region, but Uo took a hard line in defense of Spirix’s cultural and religious independence, a stance that Cassandra empathized greatly with. After assisting one foreign ally free themselves from oppressive, interventionist governments, it was difficult for her to not do the same for an even closer neighbor.
Ever since the 1100’s, Colum has begun unwinding its foreign operations and direct influence. The rationale provided for this course of action is to allow territories previously controlled or overseen by Colum and its royal family the opportunity to develop more completely in a cultural, spiritual, and economic capacity—and to continue their relationships into the future on the basis of friendly trade. This massive shift in foreign policy has been directly overseen by Uo and now by Cassandra’s son, King Cedrius. The technological capital of Waleah has been set on a course of financial independence by the 1130’s, which has rippled to Harthwater as well. This decision would likely never have been made without the influence of Uo Pyregrain.
Though he stays out of the public eye as best as he can, Uo is well known internationally as one of the most powerful clerics on the planet. Despite this reputation, none know who his chosen deity is, least of all the royal family. His relaxed demeanor and lackadaisical personality suggest a docile or complaisant god. Many salacious rumors have circulated about Uo’s visage being a front for the crown while he secretly obeys the whims of alluring dark gods, like Lolth, Shar, or Beshaba. There’s even less evidence to support these rumors.

Accomplishments & Achievements

During the Night of the Winter Flare, Y.E. 1088, Uo was a key member of the royal support team, providing healing and combat readiness spells for dozens of soldiers. It was during this night that Queen Cassandra did battle with Qyrdhal, the Lost Phantom, an extremely powerful and dangerous Death Knight. Qyrdhal was a legendary adventurer who ventured too far into the tainted earth of Ob-2 and met a gruesome death. What exactly he was looking for or attempting to do has been all but lost to time, but all sources agree that Qyrdhal rose again with foul necromantic magic and became an unstoppable force of evil and malice. A foe of his caliber would have been difficult for a team of powerful adventurers to subdue, and all but impossible to destroy. That is to say nothing of the horde of undead that followed at his heels, making him all the more difficult to get to. Uo, with sacred holy magic, was able to use his divine powers to destroy all the lesser undead in the way, evening the battle field into a one-on-one skirmish between Qyrdhal and Cassandra. From the back line, he provided healing where necessary and opportune strikes where possible, slowly chipping away at the undead knight’s defenses. It took time, but together the two of them were able to lay Qyrdhal to rest, a major victory that was all but necessary to win the night.
Then came the most dire threat of the Flare, possibly the single most threatening entity since The Impetus. A leviathan of scales and rotting flesh, the creature was so great and dreadful that being near it was enough to reduce a full-trained soldier to a stumbling, vomiting heap. The creature appeared impervious to damage and living creatures too close to it would slowly succumb to disease, then rise as infantry. Despite its size, it was incredibly fast, and the undead that it created would follow it across the battlefield wherever it went, a trait that earned the unnamed evil the title of “Dread General”.
When it seemed like no weapon would defeat such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, Uo reserved himself to quiet prayer and called for the divine intervention of his patron deity. Suddenly, the Dread General was frozen, petrified and transparent, as though its entire body had been turned to glass. Then, it splintered into pieces, falling back to the earth as glittering shards, more plentiful than the falling snow. It was at this moment victory was assured.

Current Status

Counseling Prince Cedrius of Colum

Current Location

The Colum Kingdom

Date of Birth

Nightal 30th

Sex

Male

Eyes

Vermillion Deep

Hair

Long Silver

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Burnished Bronze

Height

6’2”

Weight

193 lbs

Belief/Deity

Torm, the True (theorized)