Paul Cander

Paul Carouless Alden Bambrick Cander (b. June 23, 1126 AS) was born the heir apparent of Eidenmoore Castle in Brelyria, later became the squire for Ryany Germinas, and is currently lost on the eastern continent in the Moranian Wilds. He traveled with Ivan Ashford, Alyosha of Mandala, and Mairra Harshwind for some time before becoming Mane Alcert's apprentice.

He has sandy blonde shoulder length hair, and piercing blue eyes. He has a long scar on his face, stretching diagonally from the brow above his left eye, across his nose, and off the right side of his jaw. He is tall (6'1") and athletically built.

Birth and Noble Fall
Paul was born to Melodia and Gaius Cander as the heir apparent to Castle Eidenmoore and the surrounding lands. His father was killed in the Hobgoblin Wars when Paul was only 4 years old. A man named Arganon Larousse was chosen as the Interim Lord of Eidenmoore until Paul came of age. However, a few years later, Melodia remarried to a powerful merchant named Ohr Grusk, who began vying for lordship over Eidenmoore.

Grusk cited several historical accounts where nobles had been elevated to lordship after marrying a widow of noble birth, even after an interim lord had been chosen. His proposal was not immediately accepted, however, because he was not of noble birth. While the king's counsel was debating his claim, rumors began to spread that Ohr Grusk was planning military action against the Larousse family; that he intended to seize Eidenmoore by force should the counsel rule against him. Ohr denied these claims until damning evidence suggested that he, or someone in his employ, had paid a mercenary army out of the Bruenor Wild Lands to attack Eidenmoore. Ohr was seized by the Larousse family body guards and tortured extensively until he confessed to the plot. After Arganon's son Aliyah delivered this evidence to the assembly, Grusk was imprisoned and his wealth was confiscated. This coin was used to pay the ransom to the Bruenory Mercenaries, as Brelyria was already engaged in a long war with the united Hobgoblin host from the north. Though no direct evidence tied Melodia to the plot, she was nonetheless stricken of her ladyship and cast down from the noble court.

Though officially punished in this way, the houses of Bambrick (her maiden name) and of Cander (her married name) were well loved by Ryany Germinas, one of the wealthiest nobles in the Kingdom and a general of the Heavenly Knights. Ryany's wife Karryn made Melodia her chief handmaiden (which caused all the noble ladies in the court to laugh at Karryn and Melodia behind their backs), while Ryany made Paul his last squire (which caused all the noble lords great confusion, as Ryany had not competed on the field nor ridden directly into battle for almost 10 years).

Kadok's Betrayal and Moranian Stranding
After completing the Mandala right of Passage, Paul and Germinas pursued a hobgoblin scouting party, falling into a trap laid by Ser Kadok, a fellow general of the Heavenly Knights. Kadok blocked Germinas and his comrades, allowing the scouting party to escape. During the battle, Germinas mentioned a woman named Rose, causing Kadok to fly into a blind rage, sweeping half the party off the bridge. Germinas, who was mortally wounded, opened a portal that would lead them back to the Brelyria Capital, but Kadok interfered with it's magic and sent them across the world to an unfamiliar land.

Germinas died shortly upon arrival. Paul buried him and took up his sword and armor. He traveled with Aliz of Mandala through the wolfen wood, and though they were harried by packs of ravenous wolves they came out on the other end in the Bullywug marshes. There they extricated Ivan Ashford from the mud in the swamp. After a brief layover in the Bullywug village they travelled north through Afton. They rescued a bullywug named Polder from a group of evil blight's, fought a group of wild bandits (lead by Anders, the druid outcast), and arrived in Luthe Ada, where they hunted the the werewolf that was killing the poorest Luthe Adan's.

Later they traveled to the Barbarian mountains where they met Mane Alcert. After rescuing Renault, Paul decided to stay in the mountains and train with Mane, learning his totem barbarian ways.

Barbarian Training and Return to Party
"Control the beast. It does not control you."

--Mane Alcert