by Matthew Allen Olson

RACE: Human (or at least thinks he is)

HAIR COLOR: Blood Red Dreadlocks

EYE COLOR: Blue

HEIGHT: 6'2

WEIGHT: 225 lbs.

APPEARANCE: Jet black cloak, sleeves cut off at the elbows, which emminates the slight smell of smoke and incense. A short red taft-beard. Dark red, fingered gloves which bear a symbol that resembles a war banner. A singet ring with same symbol. A necklace with a few protective charms. Under cloak: a brown tunic, black pants, short-legged boots, flame tattoos on arms.

HISTORY: Much of this individuals history has been shrouded in both mystery and treachery. Yet, certain pieces of importance have been uncovered, best to describe how the man known as 'Pyronide' came to be.

The length of his story begins at three months old. His family lived in the faraway nation of Taerland, before it became the oppressed nation of Malignborne, near a town called Morshire. It was a town located near the mountains, of which was known for its history of superstition. One night, his mother was rweturning from the town, carrying the infant back to their home up the mountain. One of her possesions had fallen from her person, and she set down the covered basket which contained the infant to retrieve it quick. Unfortunately, she slipped and was killed in a fall from the cliff, leaving the baby child alone, and in the cold. As it would seem that fate had superstition in store for him, a lone demon named Manticle Twizrabane, who hailed from the lower realm of Twizra, came across the infant. However, Manticle was not a cruel, or initially hateful demon. Rather misunderstood. As he realized the infant was slowly dieing from the cold, Manticle found a faint incentive within him to take him up, and bring his to a nearby stall, which coincidentally was his fathers. There was only one way to save the infant at this point. In a small ritual, he injected a mixture, composed of his blood, and brimstone into the infant, and began to speak a spell incantation to keep him from freezing to death. Before Manticle could fully finish, the father had entered, and Manticle fled immediately. Having not finished the incantation, Manticles blood was allowed to manifest to a faint amount. Alas, the damage of this would not be realized until Pyronide had grown to be 13.

His first unfortunate experience with his curse happened one night during a town festival. He and a neighborhood girl had ran off into a barn to be alone from everyone. After their converstation had drifted, he was forced into a kiss. In the flood emotions, his hormones had set off a biological trigger, and as a scream erupted from the lass, he realized that he had set fire to a nearby bail of straw. Soon the entire barn was on fire. In a fit of panic, he fled, accidentally burning down two more barns, before he was confronted and brought to the people. They accused him of being a sorcerer, and the mob had threatened to hang him. His disrespectful father did nothing, as he only shunned his son. He was able to escape, and in fear, had ran far, far away from his home, never to return.

Under intense emotional stress to himself, more of these infernal incidents happened. Throughout his childhood, more and more accidents happened, making his emotional scars deeper, and his thinking more corrupt. Eventually, he began to understand that the incidents had to do with some sort of magic. Now, in the present of whence he lives, in his age of 26, having become fully atoned to his 'curse', he was now able to use it at his own will. The torturous childhood transformed him into a demented individual, with a sinister appearance.

Most of the rest of his history is hidden, composed of being a troublemaker, demon-hunter, and roguery.

Yet, one of his most interesting stories behind Pyronide comes not of his childhood, but of his present self. One of the most documented series of events that deem to label Pyronide with another reputation altogether.

Back in the nation where he was born, a kings pride and greed would send his beloved Taerland into a civil war. Out of this civil war, an ungodly regime spawned from the ashes of hate. Taerland, ... one of the more powerful human nations, which used to be a thriving free land, was shook of its freedom, as a new, seemingly post-apocalyptic government took hold, and the nation was renamed to Malignbourne, after the brutal leader of this movement. The Ironclad Regiment, an underground dictatorship/fascist government, which had marked the beginning of an industrial tyranny, specialized in new, Steamtech Age weaponry, such as firearms, spiked armor, artillery, cannons, etc. ... Under the control of this party, brutal laws were put into place, suppressing anarchy, and public outcries, banning other faiths, magic and supernatural items, and other radical enforcements. All citizens of the nation were instructed to bear the Ironclad Symbol upon either their forehead, hand, or wrist. As eight years of this tyranny passed, upto the present, Pyronide decided to breifly return to Malignbourne. In the eve of one day, Pyronide had committed a minor act of crime, and was threatened to be arrested by an armored Ironclad guardsman, and was confronted into a fight, which resulted in the murder of the guard, having impaled his body upon a barricade wall spike. He fled the scene, and tried to act like it never happened, but as he kept becoming angered by their actions, and challenged by their strict conduct, he murdered more of them, driving himself into anarchy and revenge against the dictatorship, and was quickly accepted by the nearest thieves guild. Out of this, myth had been passed about the nation of a mysterious being who hides in the shadows, murders Ironclad soldiers, commits arson, and sabatoges Ironclad storages. ... Unfortunately, one attempt at sabatoge had not only confirmed his identity, but had put in danger the theives guild he was employed to. It was quickly suppressed, and Pyronide had no choice but to flee. Having become their most wanted criminal, he was forced to retreat the nation of Maligbourne. He had traveled to several places in escape, but the Ironclad were able to send patrols after him. He was forced to move onward. As time passed, he became confident that the Ironclad would no longer attempt to look for him, although... he has a faint feeling that he might be in danger still.

Only a few months later had now brought him to The Ravens Keep. Hearing rumors about the famed city, he decided it may be a decent place to blend in with the crowd, and indulge his curiosity. Maybe the Ironclad wouldn't find him here. Maybe he was over-suspecting. Maybe,.... he'd just have to find out what the place would have in store for him.

PERSONALITY: Pyronide is no otherworldly being, neither is he an all-powerful mortal. He is merely a young human who found his life in the dark, altered by the brimstone running through his blood, aiming his attention to plight of desire for fame, or rather... infamy. He is not a simple pyrotechnic for that matter. He is a dark, gothic, and at times sadistic and twisted individual, but still retains his Chaotic Neutral/Good alignment. He is not evil whatsoever, but it does not mean he isn't a villain at times. His personality is fairly humble to the deserving, but wicked and retributive toward the disrespecting. He enjoys the appearance of being a bit on the shady side, .. yet most of all, it is to express the pain of his earlier, regretful childhood, and struggling through his pyrotechnic curse.

He is like a flame. He comes off sly and mysterious, and has a youthful spark to him. He does have an attitude however. Give it fuel and it will begin to burn away at whoever triggered him, showing his infamed 'bad side', even eccentric at times. His good side has many charming attributes, such as being humorous, caring, respecting, trustworthy, honest, supportive, and such. Due to his lifestyle, he is part pyromancer, part rouge,... so it is not uncommon to find him thieving around, or breaking-in-entry, assault, and definitely... arson. He doesn't trust in evil,... just chaos,... and if the situation calls for a little flame, destruction, punishment, etc. ... he is up for it.

However,... his more adapt occupation is Demon-Hunting. He has slayed demons in the past, and he has made it his personal goal to rid such places of the damned and the diabolic. Due to his slaying to being the senseless beastlike demons, he is interested in searching a better prey. Retribution for his curse? Maybe. To signify his resent for the evil forces at work? Sure. Nobody really knows. Given the question, he doesn't really know himself for that matter. He wishes to be known throughout as a demon hunter, feared by the underworldly, and respected by the anti-evil. He hasn't quite dedicated himself to a specific religion, but does feel that there is one single, conscious force that works.

CAPABILITIES/SKILLS: Supernatural, Pyromancer. Detection of the diabolic. Clothes can't be harmed by fire. Has a resistance against most fires, except for hellfire. Other lesser spells.

Skills: Tracking. Good listening skills. Good eyesight. Persuasion. Can swim. Is litterate. Can brawl hand-to-hand. Can sneak. Knows of the diabolic. Can forage contracts/papers. Has an iron will. Can use his environment to his advantage, such as making a quick weapon out of an object, or hiding in shadows.

Equipment: Jet Black cloak can't burn. Has minor enchantment of protection (acts like studded leather).

-Blaze-: A large, fire tinted hatchet. This relic had been forged for him specificly, and is bound to him. Very mobile. Although it is his most prized weapon, he won't hesitate to find another object to his use, or throw a ball of flame or two.