Adonteon De'Cante



'''"Born of death and for the dead. A soul that should never have been allowed to walk the land." '''

Adonteon's Backstory
Cold days in November were common, but this particular day would reveal a most uncommon fate for two young children…

&#160;&#160; &#160;In the nearby town of Celene, an old man had died during the night. The town gravedigger, Tomas Aurelis, had been alerted early on that unnaturally cold, dark morning and so left his young wife, four-year-old son, and three-day-old baby girl in the warmth of their small cottage. As he made his way to the cemetery, he was unaware of the shrouded figure watching and following only steps away. &#160;&#160; &#160;Hours later, he had finished digging the grave and had lowered the old man’s remains into it. It seemed the old timer had no living relatives to mourn him, so Tomas would be his only company. Considering this, he wondered why he had felt as though someone were with him all morning. Still looking at the old man, Tomas reached behind him for the shovel, but could not find it. He turned to see, and only a short distance from him stood the cloaked figure of a man. He bolted upright and squinted into the man’s darkened face. In an instant, he recognized the man. &#160;&#160; &#160;“YOU! You’ve been banished from this town! Get out of here! Let these poor dead rest!!” he snarled. The man laughed a mirthless sound deep in his throat. &#160;&#160; &#160;“And you would stop me, Aurelis the Gravedigger?” a black, cold voice hissed. He took a menacing step forward. Tomas stepped back, remembered the fresh open grave behind him, and stopped. &#160;&#160; &#160;“You will not have this corpse, Robert De’Cante! You’ve interrupted the dead’s rest for the last time! I’ll have the constable after you!” Tomas snarled. De’Cante leaned uncomfortably close to his face and smiled a toothy, sharp smile. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Who said I was interested in the corpse this time?” From the corner of his shock-widened eyes Tomas saw only the glimmer of the shovel’s blade as it sliced the air toward him.

&#160;&#160; &#160;Robert De’Cante left the cemetery. Only the fresh mound of dirt told that anyone living had been there- only the smudge of fresh dirt on the hem of De’Cante’s cloak told he had been there. He followed along the edge of town using the bleak day as his cover as he made his way to the small cottage just on the outskirts.

&#160;&#160; &#160;Cailie Aurelis busied herself about the house, chasing down her four-year-old son for his morning bath, feeding the three-day-old little girl, cleaning, cooking supper for her husband who was due back any minute, and stoking the fire to keep the family warm. A little voice squealed in the doorway. Cailie looked down upon her son, his raven-black hair nearly dry from his bath and his brilliant blue eyes peeking through a crack in the doorway. He ran away from the door and hid behind his mother’s legs. She laughed at him. &#160;&#160; &#160;“What is it, Adonteon, is Daddy home?” she patted his head. He buried his face in the hem of her skirt and shook his head. Another voice bawled from the crib in the living room. “Go see to Amber, okay honey? I’ll let Daddy in.” The little boy blinked up at his mother, smiled, and ran to his sister’s side. She stepped to the door and reached for the handle. The door burst open suddenly, knocking Cailie to the floor. She stared in horror up at the darkly-cloaked man towering over her. She heard Adonteon behind her in the living room. She looked back at him. He was holding his sister and staring at the stranger. “RUN ADONTEON!!” Cailie screamed to him. “HIDE!!” The cloaked man laughed hoarsely. &#160;&#160; &#160;“That won’t do him any good.” He stepped over the fallen woman. She grabbed his booted ankle. &#160;&#160; &#160;“No! Don’t you hurt them!” she tried pulling herself up. He glared down at her and buried the toe of his boot in her ribs. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Shut up, Wife of the Gravedigger. You’re of no use to me,” he snarled. She coughed violently and clutched her midsection. “Your children, however, that’s another story.” &#160;&#160; &#160;“NO!” she gasped, trying again to stand. She caught the end of his cloak as he passed. He felt the tug and, frustrated with her perseverance, he swept over her, crushing her throat underfoot. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Surrender, woman, and die. Your children are mine. I have great plans for them in the future. Go now, and meet your husband in the afterlife,” he growled, grinding his boot heel until he heard the snap and crunch of vertebrae. Cailie gagged, struggled to breathe, and lay still, wide eyes piercing the ceiling in eternal blindness.

Sometime later…

&#160;&#160; &#160;The boy was an excellent student of religion, as taught by his father, a priest of Pelor, god of the Sun. However, it was the tutelage of his arch mage mother in the art of magic that most interested him. Above all, however, the boy was most concerned with the well-being of his younger sister. He wasn’t sure what made him so protective of the little girl, but for as long as he could remember he had always had the strong desire to put her needs above his own. This protective nature would soon be put to the test. &#160;&#160; &#160;The town of Cyril was enjoying a fine spring day. Beneath a sky of clear blue the townsfolk prepared for their annual Feast of Pelor, a celebration of their Sun god, and with the new priest De’Cante, this year’s celebration would be better than ever. Without a head priest, the town’s festival had steadily fallen into disarray. This newcomer, however, seemed to have a knack for livening the town’s spirits and bringing out the piety in everyone. Father De’Cante’s wife was also beloved by the town; since their arrival the previous winter, the good Lady Melissa had used her arch-mage powers to help the townspeople with everything from minor ailments to childbirth and even some good luck charms for the coming season’s crops. Along with most other citizens, the De’Cantes were busy about the town square preparing for the Feast. The children had all gone to the fields just on the edge of town to play. Amber, Adonteon, and a couple of neighboring children began a game of hide-and-seek. While another boy counted, the other children ran for cover. Adonteon hid behind a haystack not far from the forest’s edge. Amber opted for a tree just inside the wooded boundary. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Ready or not, HERE I COME!!” shouted the boy, and the chase was on. Adonteon could hear some other children screaming and giggling as they were found, but he remained hidden. They’ll never find me back here, he thought to himself, smiling. He could hear his sister moving in the woods behind him. She must be getting nervous. Something about the sound caught his attention and he looked back over his shoulder. It couldn’t be Amber moving in the woods because whatever it was had to have been at least ten times her weight. He heard a grunting sound and the creature stopped. He strained his eyes to see where the thing was, but it was the sudden scream from Amber that got him on his feet. &#160;&#160; &#160;The squeal of the dire-boar drowned out the cries of the little girl. Adonteon arrived just in time to see the great beast paw the ground and prepare to charge. “RUN Amber!!!” Adonteon shouted. She leaped off the ground and took off as fast as her little legs could carry her. In the panic, she did not consider running for town and safety: instead she let her flight instinct carry her deeper into the forest. The dire-boar charged with Adonteon hot on its heels. He couldn’t think of any spell that could help his dear little sister, but if he could get between her and the boar… &#160;&#160; &#160;The woods thinned out ahead into a small meadow. Amber broke through at a dead run, but was tiring fast. The boar closed in. Suddenly, the ground fell out from under her feet. She shrieked and grabbed at the closest thing- a tree root- and heard the sickening sound of piercing, ripping flesh. Adonteon froze, just barely missing the huge hunter’s spike trap that had just opened beneath the dire-boar. Amber was hanging perilously on the other side of the pit by a tree root. The boar was skewered in the bottom of the pit by several dozen wooden spikes. He rushed over to his sister. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Are you alright Amber?” he gasped. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Y-y-yes, but I’m sooo scared!!!” she sobbed. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Hold on and I’ll get you out!” he reached out for her hand. The boar twitched and thrashed in death throws upon his bed of daggers as Adonteon pulled his sister up to safety. He had just let go of her hand when he felt the ground soften beneath him. In a panic, he pushed her away as the side of the pit gave way and he fell. &#160;&#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; &#160;By the time Amber had gotten back to the town for help and returned, it was far too late for her brother. When he fell, one of the great boar’s tusks caught him, impaling him through his left side. The right side of his body and shoulder were run through by some of the hunter’s spikes. No surgery could save the boy. But a little necromancy could…

&#160;&#160; &#160;Robert De’Cante carried the boy’s body back to their house. He told the townspeople he was going to pray to Pelor to return his son to him. What he did, however, was instead seize the boy’s soul from its rest in the afterlife and resurrect the injured boy with a little help from an evil deity.

&#160;&#160; &#160;It felt as though he had awakened from a horrible dream, one that left him cold and blind. But the waking up was just as unpleasant- the pain and brightness, the feeling that his body was still cold bothered him. The dark shadow that had suddenly taken up residence in the back of his mind, just beyond his periphery really bothered him. It whispered things to him, dark things, things about the dead and creatures of the night. After a few days, Adonteon still couldn’t bring himself to associate with other children. Their constant happiness only seemed to augment his despair. The cold feeling would not leave; not even in the warm spring sunshine. Amber was his only company. &#160;&#160; &#160;For weeks she was by his side, coaxing him back into society until finally he was almost like his old self again. But fate cannot let a person be, especially after She’s tasted that sweet, sweet fear in his blood.

&#160;&#160; &#160;Adonteon and Amber had spent all day in the fields outside of town. They played games, she picked flowers, and then they headed home. It was nearly dark out when they passed through a neighbor’s orchard. Dew was settling on the grass as they made their way through the low trees. A spider had cast her web between a couple of the trees and unknowingly, Adonteon walked into it. The sticky silk clung to him, and tangled tighter around him as he tried to fight his way out of it. The closeness of the fibers made him feel nearly immobile- just like when he had died. The cold dew drops on the web chilled his skin- like the shroud of Death he had experienced already. Suddenly, he panicked. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, and he couldn’t stop shaking. He felt his vision fading to black and the sounds of his sister’s terrified screaming faded into nothing.

&#160;&#160; &#160;He had nearly died of panic. Luckily, the neighbor had heard Amber’s screams and arrived just in time to prevent Adonteon from choking on is own tongue. He had removed the webbing from Adonteon and carried him home. The boy was comatose for nearly a week. During this week, however, he was not alone. Of course his sister sat with him day and night, but others came to visit as well. The shadow in his mind became a friend, and others became allies as well. The nameless shadow told him of the powers that returned his life to him after the dire-boar incident- it was called necromancy, and the boy was well-suited for such a life. The shadow offered its assistance to the boy. Other undead acquaintances offered their help. Two of these who came to him seemed very concerned with his and his sister’s well being. They were vaguely familiar, as if he had once known them.

&#160;&#160; &#160;For the next five years, Adonteon became more familiar with the necromancer’s art. The days passed relatively uneventfully, aside from him learning swordplay and magic. Early one morning, however, this peaceful façade was broken.

&#160;&#160; &#160;Just after dawn on a crisp autumn morning, the silence was broken by the sounds of a thundering hoard. From the protection of the forest broke forth an army of goblinoids. They charged across the open fields toward the town. The De’Cante household was their first target. The splintering of the back door awoke the family. Amber ran to the head of the stairway, scared but curious. Her screams as the orcs grabbed her drew Adonteon from his room, sword drawn. Melissa also emerged from her bedchamber, spells prepared for defense. The creatures had already carried the girl out the door toward the forest. Adonteon charged close behind as the static crackling of the Arch mage Melissa’s magic filled the air behind him. Goblin and orc screams were cut short as she dispatched those left behind. Adonteon continued full force into the forest. Amber’s screams were a good distance ahead of him, and so focused was he on those screams that he did not notice the ambush waiting. He crossed the forest boundary and the trap was sprung. A dozen goblins and orcs had fallen behind the main siege and hidden in the surrounding brush, waiting for the young hero. When Adonteon crossed into the forest, they rushed him. As the cloud of arrows pierced the air toward him, Adonteon caught one last glimpse of his little sister. She was in the clutches of a large, fierce looking orc. As the first arrows ravaged Adonteon’s body, he saw the beast raise a cruel-looking blade to the sobbing young girl’s throat. As pain gave way to darkness, his last realization was that his little sister had fallen silent.

&#160;&#160; &#160;Melissa arrived moments later and quickly dispatched the remaining creatures. One, the orc, escaped, however, with Amber in tow. Upon seeing Adonteon, Melissa abandoned the chase and turned her attentions instead to her son.

&#160;&#160; &#160;The orc carried Amber deep into the forest into an area long forgotten by civilization. There, hidden away in a dank, abandoned old cavern, the orc abandoned the dying young girl.

&#160;&#160; &#160;He had sustained thirteen arrow wounds, eight of which were fatal. There was no spell to bring him back this time. Melissa prepared her son’s body for burial. She washed and dried him and bound his wounds so any seepage wouldn’t show beneath the burial shroud. Then she left him in a cold room for the mandatory five days of mourning before he could be buried. There was no sign of Robert.

&#160;&#160; &#160;A dark figure entered the cave. It was cloaked in the blackness of shadows. The girl was nearly dead. It bent near her and seemed to listen to her fading heart beat. She thought it was Death, but Death would have been kinder. This creature began uttering unintelligible words and gesturing wildly. She felt her body go very cold, but instead of darkness, a bright light seemed to suck her up. She was suspended in frigid light. The cold hurt; not at all like the death she had heard others talk of. Here was no peace, here was pain. She could see things around her through a fog of sorts. She could see that cloaked figure and her body. The figure approached the light. Amber realized she was trapped in a glass container and when the figure stepped into the light of the machine, she realized immediately it was Robert De’Cante. “ &#160;&#160; &#160;“Now as soon as your brother is ready, we’ll be all set to conquer the world!” he sneered. He turned his attention toward another glowing light and smiled darkly. “Looks like he’s here.”

&#160;&#160; &#160;Adonteon knew the feeling of dying- he was no stranger to it by now. What he didn’t understand was why his spirit guides were so angry. They were furiously whipping about, snapping angrily. He felt himself drifting toward a strange, eerie glow. Suddenly, he became very cold and realized he was no longer drifting toward the light, but being pulled into it. An instant later, he found he was trapped in some kind of glass container. The spirits could not reach him here. He looked around and could just make out the interior of a cave. His prison was a modified glass tube hooked up to a machine of some sorts. He could see another tube like his own attached to the other side of the machine. There seemed to be a figure in that tube too, but he couldn’t see clearly who it was. Adonteon looked out at the cave. He could see a cloaked figure near the first tube. A second figure lay on the cave floor a few feet away. It seemed familiar. He stared hard and realized it was Amber. He pushed against the glass, but found it detained him. Suddenly, the cloaked figure approached. &#160;&#160; &#160;“Well, well, about time you showed up,” Robert De’Cante smiled evilly. Adonteon was stunned to silence. “Now, don’t be so surprised. If you would just remember, you’d know I’m not really your dad, and this won’t seem so awful.”&#160; Adonteon stared dumb-founded. “Come now, don’t you remember? Well, you were just a child… I took you and your sister from your parents when you were just four years old. I killed them and raised you two for this specific purpose. You see,” his smile darkened further,” I needed two related children, a brother and sister, one born of death and one born to die. You were stillborn as an infant, and would have died if it hadn’t have been for that witch of a midwife your mother hired. And your sister, well, she’s nearly died a couple of times now, but you just had to ruin that didn’t you?” Robert moved some dials on the front of the machine. “You see, I had to wait until you both could die without any suspicion falling on me. Now you both have and I have your pitiful little souls, and soon, now, I will use the essence of your spirits to cast the darkest, most sinister spell on the world anyone has ever witnessed. I will taint your innocence and cast it as a devouring spell. It will turn all children into flesh-hungry fiends. They will turn on their families and spread the disease. Then I will, in time, come forth with a cure for the remaining peoples and stop the blight, save the land and all that heroic nonsense. The people will be so grateful that I’ll rule all civilization.” During his rant, Robert didn’t realize the anger building in Adonteon. He could see now it was the soul of his little sister trapped in the other tube, and knowing she was dead and unreachable infuriated him. A dark rage gathered within him and he could feel his power growing. Suddenly a cracking sound resonated within the chamber. Robert’s face went pale as the glass surrounding Adonteon split and shattered. The resulting explosion freed Adonteon and destroyed the main components of the machine. Robert was thrown against the cave wall and pummeled with glass shards and metal shrapnel. Adonteon felt a strange and sudden pull away from the cave. Before he could see whether Robert was dead or not, or whether he could save his sister, Adonteon found himself hovering over his body. His spirit guides were back by his side, directing him back into his body. As he approached, the two familiar spirits placed their hands on the cadaver and a strange light illuminated it. His spirit returned to the body and he awoke. Whether the shock of reanimation or the chill of death, Adonteon could do no more than lay shivering on the table for several minutes. Afterwards, he sat upright, but the light of life was gone from his eyes. It was a long time before he regained the semblance of living, but his memory did not return. In the dead of night, he left the De’Cante house, bound for an unknown destination. With no memory to guide him, and no known immediate purpose, Adonteon wandered for several days before fatigue made him stop. That night, he dreamt unsettling dreams. Betrayal, deceit, misery, and death bombarded him and with the dawn’s light, he remembered. He couldn’t recall everything, but what he did know was that he had lost something very dear, and that he would not, could not rest until that something was recovered.