Mairen Ralieth



Mairen Ralieth (born S95U) is a  human paladin born and raised in Fort Talonreach, in the borderland of Skan'Kal near Skan's Gate. The daughter of a power hungry provincial ruler, Mairen had a hard life from the start. It did not help that Mairen is the youngest of four children born to Tara Winmaire and Thorrain Ralieth, and their only girl. Her brothers, by age are: Felan,  Mailendir, and  Telland.

Upbringing
Mairen's mother, Tara, was a clergywoman trained in divine magic. She had instructed Mairen in her holy craft from the time she was able to speak. For this reason, Mairen's earliest memories are of helping her mother heal wounded soldiers. Most of her childhood was spent in such fashion, as her father Lord Thorrain Ralieth kept the province and his men almost constantly in battle with the Darkmen to the northwest. The longest period without conflict was a two year standstill when Mairen was six.

Mother's Death
At the tender age of eleven, Mairen lost her mother to a poison-induced illness. Her father claimed that his wife must have been poisoned by a Darkmen spy, and quickly re-engaged in combat. Other theories circulated the Fort, including foul-play on the part of the Lord. It was widely known that his wife fought incessantly with him to return Skan'Kal to the protection of the Kingdom of Orna.

The Ways of War
Without her mother, Mairen found herself becoming even closer to her brother Mailendir. At six years older than herself, Mailendir protected his little sister and taught her the ways of a warrior. He dreamed and trained to become a great paladin; hoping one day to leave Skan'Kal for adventure. Mairen fondly remembers the time they spent together, reading, sparring, and casting. From him, she learned to dream of a brighter future; of a more peaceful time to come.

Death of a Friend
Because of their father's obsession with war, all three of Mairen's brothers had seen combat early on in their lives. So much so, that Mailendir was slain at the youthful age of twenty-one while commanding a platoon. Mairen blamed her father and his pride for sending Mailendir to his death, as he was not far enough along in his training to be given such an important and difficult role.

Departure
It was in part the death of her most-beloved brother that drove Mairen from Skan'Kal. On top of the loss of her last friend and protector, Mairen's father began threatening to marry her off to a royal in Orna, in an attempt to regain attention from King Aquios without the cost of taxation or loss of his title. Such a marriage would stop any ambitions she held about becoming a paladin. So, on the night of her sixteenth birthday, in the middle of Summer, Mairen fled Fort Talonreach to pursue a life of diplomacy and to return honor to the Ralieth name.

Journeys
She journeyed east through Skan'Kal toward the Wickerwind, gaining a reputation as a fearsome warrior, a friend to those in need, and perhaps a bit of a busybody. From the great river, she drifted south until she reached the coastline of southern Gairn. With adventure in her heart, she boarded the first ship she found.