Adriaan's rise to power

As a Cleric, Adriaan De Vries was tasked with researching a set of cursed armor that was brought to The Temple of the Undying Sun by a merchant. While trying figure out how to destroy the item, a voice in his mind started to tell him that a rival cleric was trying to undermine his authority. The longer he spent in the presence of the armor, the more paranoid he became of this rival. After months of listening to the telepathic manipulation of the armor, Adriaan decided that the only way to protect himself was to dawn the armor and attack his rival. Upon clasping the pauldron, a darkness consumed him and he blacked out.

Upon awaking, he found a templar standing over him, the cursed pauldron in hand, and next to Adriaan on the ground was the body of the other cleric. At the trial, it was found that Adriaan had not acted of his own volition, however, this stain on his record meant he could not stay in the Temple. He was cast out and the guilt of having hurt a colleague drove him into public service. He got into politics and made connections with the city guard of Eerste. Between his respect for the Temple, his good humor, and connections, he soon found himself leading the nation's capital.