Tarl Taltos
exdir@rmgo.org

Tarl Taltos grew up in a poor family in the heartland of Brittannia, the youngest of 3 sons.

His father found joy in family, though he often talked obliquely of battles -- as if he, himself, would never participate, but knew the horrors of war.  Tarl's father was a devout reader of the Bible, and quite pious. At an early age, Tarl had aspirations to join the Priesthood.

But Tarl's life took an interesting yet horrible turn: deep into the winter, while the young family sat around the fire singing and praising the Lord, howls began to erupt from the hills.  Few could mistake the deep bark of a large wolf, yet Tarl's father looked more than concerned about simple canines.  He retreived a mace from the attic, and handed the boys shortswords -- none were large enough to wield even the lightest of longswords -- all of which his father produced from the mysterious attic.

His father told the boys to guard their mother and each other from within the house, but when Tarl's father stepped outside and ran into the blinding snow, the boys were extremely distraught.  Tarl ran out of the house, calling for his father, impervious to the dangerous weather and the even more dangerous elements outside of his home.

Tarl ran in the direction his father had taken, but he only heard dim sounds of a battle.  It took Tarl more than an hour to return to his home, which was partially aflame.  Tarl never saw any of his family again, for there was little trace of them -- except the unmistakable tracks of orcs, ogres and trolls in the snow.  Tarl hid himself in the attic, thinking it the only safe place now that the snow had doused the flames in the house.

After two days of waiting for a sign of return from his family, he had done much rumaging through the old trunks in the attic.  Though only 15, Tarl attired himself in leather armor, donned a longsword -- which looked absurdly heavy to a very slim and undersized Tarl -- picked up his Bible, and set out for town.

When he found the town, a small village leagues away from his families home, he found more evidence of the evil beasts that had waylaid his family: the entire village was in ruins.  The only inhabitants were the young children, and wounded adults, walking about in a daze.  Tarl spend the better part of 2 months aiding that town.  After he had done all within his meager means, he set out, penniless and destitute, for the largest Abbey he had heard of, pledging his life to become a man of the sword as well as the Bible.

Tarl is a tall human, with keen blue eyes and flaxen, short hair.  He is broad of shoulder, and thick of neck.

He is rarely, if ever, seen without a bastard sword in a baldric on his back or the small family Bible tied in a bundle to his belt.

Since attaining knighthood, and being held in high esteem by paladins across Britannia, Tarl Taltos is often mounted upon a grey warhorse named Throng. He favors lance, when mounted, and sword when dismounted, and wears a combination of platemail joined with chain.

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