Derek Stormraven
Lord Derek Adalmar Nechtan Stormraven
Derek Stormraven's tale is one of tragedy and disaster. Perhaps some of it is his own fault, but a lot of the blame can be placed at the feet of Clan Cloudphage.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Derek was born in Deorma, the second child of the leader of Clan Stormguard. As happens frequently among the clans, his older sibling died and he became the heir. Also as is typical of such situations, he bucked the responsibility and ran off to become a professional Hero.
It did not work out well, at all. He moved from disaster to disaster, causing a lot of problems for the other heroes he teamed up with. It wasn't entirely his own fault. Derek had moderate fighting skills, and he had a great desire to fight for Good, he just kept picking the wrong battles. Eventually his companions convinced him to go home to Deorma.
And then he met Gwenn Alarch, who was a nobody from a different clan. He saved her from one of his many disastrous heroic encounters, and she in turn tended his wounds, and over the course of the months they fell in love. He went home, to Deorma and to Clan Stormguard. His exploits outside, however ridiculous and however much a failure, made him popular among his people, and they welcomed him gladly. He married Gwenn, and they had two little girls, Glenna and Morna .
Derek's defeats became triumphs when added to the strength of his clan, and where he was a poor Hero, he became an excellent leader. The clan grew in strength and power, and were noticed the world over.
But the seeds of his downfall were already growing. Clan Stormguard had a traditional enemy in Clan Cloudphage. Nothing too drastic, just the usual rivalry that typically keeps both groups occupied. But thanks to Derek, Clan Stormguard was doing very well, which in turn led to Clan Cloudphage simmering more and more in their own jealousy.
In the end, it was Derek's own actions that provided the final straw. He struck against Cloudphage, albeit indirectly, and he didn't even realize it was them. They were so far beneath his notice that he brushed it off when the connection was pointed out to him. This disregard was reported to Clan Cloudphage.
They attacked within a month. Most of the Stormguard were killed in the initial assault. Derek barely managed to get his family out before the final battle. He was captured, and tortured. He lost three fingers on his sword hand before he managed to escape and join his family in Maraphel.
It would be hard to describe him as a broken man, precisely. He received therapy to deal with the trauma he suffered, and was a loving husband and father to his daughters. But he never did take up the mantle of leader again, and Clan Stormguard remained entirely scattered and broken until Morna took up the responsibilities.
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