Brother Aethelstan

The young priest surveyed the daunting odds that faced his little band. Drawing his black iron mace, his voice rang out. 'Truly, it has been said that one with a Pure Heart, striving for a goal that is Noble and Just, cannot fail of his purpose! Onward for Truth and Justice!'

A Stalwart Young Priest
A young man of only 18 summers, Aethelstan was fostered out in his youth to be raised among the warlike Order of Saint Senren. Living among the Senrenite Order, he grew straight and tall, well muscled and lean. He wears his blonde hair cut short and is invariably clean shaven and fastidiously neat and clean.

The Shaping of a Senrenite
Aethelstan's pious father stood proudly at the front of the chapel on the day his son took the vows of the priesthood among the order that had fostered him. A younger son, the young man had been fostered among the warlike monks before his eighth birthday and had applied himself studiously to learn the ways of the puissant men that surrounded him; it never occurred to him to consider anything else.

In the cloistered abbey, the young acolyte learned the secrets of herbalism, the history and doctrines of the order, the philosophies of justice and the ways of war. He became a trained fighter, as comfortable on a warhorse's back as he was wielding the chiurgeon's needle. As he grew, he realized that he was called not only to defend the righteous, but also to study the mystical truths that his faith revealed. He began to have occasional visions, where his patron saint would try to guide the steps of the unworldly acolyte.

Facing the World
Aethelstan has been called to the path of the pilgrim, wandering the world to uphold truth, justice and the faith of Andur.

Raised much of his life among the pure and puissant members of the Order of St. Senren, Aethelstan is rather naive about the ways of the world. He believes one thing wholeheartedly: When a man is focused with all his heart on a worthy goal, keeping himself pure and faithful, he cannot be stopped.

As can be surmised, Aethelstan has a lot to learn. While he is skilled as a healer and is a trained combatant, he has seen very little of actual battle and the carnage that accompanies it. He tries to act as a leader, but lacks the experience or the steady nerve that the role requires. In combat, he is prone to hysterical outbursts, as he barely contains his panic.

Aethelstan also finds one other thing difficult to deal with: While he is normally quite articulate, he has a difficult time speaking with women without stammering or making a fool of himself. In the presence of an attractive woman, even making simple conversation can be a challenge to the shy cleric. At times like those, he becomes acutely aware of his vow of celibacy...

The Visions of St. Senren
'In town, I was granted a vision of the wise and noble Saint Senren, attired as a Soldier of the Lord of Law. The Blessed Saint warned me not to act rashly and reminded me that justice cannot be rushed. I suggest that we press on carefully, letting those most skilled in stealth guide our steps. We may thus ensure that we remain the hunters, rather than the hunted!'

Tempering his inexperience, the naïve young priest has occasional visions of Senren, his patron saint, visions where the saint, appearing as a grizzled soldier, advises against rash action and youthful folly. These sendings lend him a moral certainty that his companions often find frustrating. With the guidance of St. Senren, Aethelstan almost becomes a different person; he is able to remain calm and approaches danger calmly, confident that he will overcome any foe.

Aethelstan's Equipment
Over his woolen robes, Aethelstan wears a stout jack of leather and horn and a carefully polished bascinet. His jack, handed down from an elder brother of the order, is studded with the tokens of numerous pilgrimages and is easily recognized as the armor of an auxiliary of the Senrenite Order. He wields a mace known as 'The Justice of Andur', a massive weapon of dark iron. The Knights of the Order tend to favor the two-handed weapons known as 'Swords of War', but Aethelstan inadvertently fed his to an attacking monstrosity; he dreads the day when he will have to explain the loss to the Abbot.

Aethelstan carries a battered and patched satchel, in which he keeps any equipment that he thinks he will need. He tries to plan carefully when choosing his gear, but has a tendency to forget a few items he might need, such as food or a warm cloak when traveling.