Neutrino

Neutrino the Magnificent, whose original name was Tavar, is a character played by Ryan Neenan. A former wizard in Aglarond, he quickly realized that he was just not cut out for the ways of good. It was not long before he found himself off Faerun all together, on the quite unusual continent of Returned Abeir.

Themesong: Rise and Fall by The Offspring

''This time you’re really dead, Once followed, but always led, You thought you’d rise above it all. ''It’s all inside your head, All ripping it up in shreds, I know someday you’re gonna fall. ''And I don’t wanna say I told you so, But I told you so, Now you’ve lost control. ''And I don’t wanna be the rise and fall, So gimme more or nothing at all. ''You’re in an awful way, Sucked in by what you crave, They just can’t wait to see you crawl. ''And you can only laugh, Give in to the other half, They’re only tearing down your walls. ''They’ve come to see you rise and fall, They’re only tearing down your walls, ''They’ve come to see you rise and fall ''And I don’t wanna say you’ve lost control

Description
Neutrino is a typical Deva: a body that is near perfection, and tall, slim, and athletic. His skin is dominated by a shade of violet, with smaller patches of gray. This gray is also the color of his hair, but Neutrino has shaved his head for quite some time. Neutrino's hands hold particularly intricate patterns of gray - he takes these as signs from previous lives.

Personality
Through most of this life, the Deva now know as Neutrino was typical for his race. He was born with a strong personality and an overwhelming urge to do good. Neutrino, or Tavar at the time, was dedicated, calm, thoughtful, and tolerant. He had clear goals in Aglarond, and went about his life with a purpose and zeal. Striving for perfection, Tavar sought the knowledge of the great Simbul of Aglarond, and became a Simbarch.

Yet it was this strive for perfection that first started to taint his heart. Whispers from his pasts lives, and the influence of his evil master Nazeron, have convinced him that the side of good is not worth fighting for. Although Neutrino still has the strong personality and zeal for life he once had, he is on a fast and downward spiral to darkness. Today, Neutrino is cunning and devious, and will do evil just as much as he will do good. He views those who do good just for good's sake (as he views most of his kin as doing) with contempt. Though his angelic heritage tugs him back toward the side of right, he sees the side of evil more and more appealing. He is on the cusp of a fall from grace - one that will doom him to reincarnation as a Rakshasa. Though he may be aware subconsciously that he is not a lost cause, the old boldness is gone and a mild fear of death has taken its place.

Neutrino lives through his art of Wizardry. He found he had a gift for the arcane at an early age, and took to wizardry right away. He soon found an affinity for force, and has molded his craft and personality to fit this specialty.

Family and Relationships
As devas are not born in the traditional sense, Neutrino has no family. He has had many assorted affairs with the "mortals" but none have meant anything or lasted long. His closest companion was the person who taught him the way of the Simbul - and that turned him down the path of darkness - Nazeron.

Since coming across the Trackless Sea, Neutrino has had little time to bond with anyone, nor did he wish to pursue it anyway.

Rebirth
...the Black Dragon's acid breath came at him, the acid melting his skin, and taking his last breath... ...the sharp teeth of the hydra sank into his exposed flesh. The blood pooled at his feet, and consciousness slipped away... ...the Orc chieftain's axe cut into her already damaged arm, and as she fell to the ground, the axe came around for the second attack... ...her spell had missed, but the necromancer had not. Necrotic energy surged through her body, boiling her insides, until finally she fell to the ground... ''...the assassin wanted the king, and he would get around him. Both daggers were now stuck in his side. His limbs went numb, and as he lay on his stomach, he saw the king fall... ''...the thing held him under the water. His spell had worn out, and he could feel his lungs scream for air. His wand fell, and he opened his mouth... ''...the legion of demons attacked. Arrows flew through the air. A dozen impaled him, and he didn't live to see his body hit the ground... ''...no matter how hard he tried, he could not untie the rope. The clerics of Bane lit the pyre. The smell of burned flesh filled the air. He could not hold his scream anymore... ''...her companion suddenly smiled. The empty cup dropped from her suddenly paralyzed hand. The traitor subtly drew a longsword, and brought it to her neck...''

It awoke in a forest glen. The fog lasted for a few more minutes, like it always did. The memories of past lives waned, leaked from it's memory like a sieve. It shook its head, and opened it eyes. The glen was... beautiful, yes that was the word... but then again, it was always beautiful when it started, wasn't it?

It realized it was a he this time, and tried a few times to stand up. It was definitely a forest, and a thick one. Something moved in the treetops, and soon a flock of birds landed near his feet. They carried clothes and dropped food next to him. He suddenly realized he was very hungry. He got dressed and started walking. A small mote of light seemed to lead him through the thick woods. He knew eyes were watching him - more than once he saw the pointed ears of those... elves, yes that was it.

The mote of light led him to the edge of the forest. There was a small town, which he would later find to be Furthinghome. Tavar, he thought. That would be a good name. With a sigh, he walked to the city.

Early Life
It wasn't long before Tavar learned of his new home - the nation known as Aglarond. He quickly took in its history, and the stories of the great Simbul and her near solitary defense of the nation from the evil that was Thay. To a Deva, there was no higher cause. With the arcane already flowing in his blood, Tavar immediately took an apprenticeship in the capital of Veltalar, and learned the ways of the wizard.

Over the first 10 years of his life, he worked to better himself at the arcane arts and fight for what was good. He worked tirelessly against the Stone Bears thieves guild in the city. Convinced that the guild had insider help, he left the city and volunteered to go to Citadel Dantalien. This fortress was across from the city of Undumor, a former Aglarondian city taken over by the undead and run by a necromancer. For 5 years Tavar fought against the undead threat in and around the citadel and city. He witnessed more death in those 5 years than he cared to remember. Morale was not high, as the necromancer's monsters and undead legions seemed never-ending. Still, Tavar's conviction and focus refused to waver, and he fought his way up the command structure. His skill with the magic of force became famous in the keep, and his name became rather well known for his bravery.

Knowing that he needed to be stronger to really make a difference, Tavar made an important decision: he must learn the ways of the Simbul and protect his home like only she could. He left the citadel in 1461 for the capital. It was then that he started his journey to becoming a Simbarch of Aglarond. His application took time, but eventually the Simbarch council gave him an apprenticeship.

Becoming a Simbarch
Months into his training, his original mentor went missing. Two weeks went by with no sign of him. During this time, Tavar was plagued with nightmares. Visions of his mentor's death, mixed with echoes of what he could only assume were distant memories of his past lives hammered his brain day and night. Crime in Old Veltalar was rampant those weeks as well, and reports of the atrocities committed in the run down old city were not good. Three weeks to the day he went missing, Tavar's master was found, or at least his head was. Tavar never found out any more, other than the details were not for the faint of heart.

It was then that Tavar was visited by someone special: an elven member of the Simbarch Council, Seriadne. Seriadne told the deva that he was to be assigned another mentor, one that she herself had trained and one that she had chosen especially for Tavar. Feeling grateful, yet if a bit unnerved, Tavar thanked Seriadne and went to meet his new mentor.

Seriadne smiled when she was alone again, letting out a bit of an evil laugh very unbecoming of a good elf.

Nazeron and the Turning
It was the eyes that first unnerved Tavar. That, and the voice. Never had Tavar seen human eyes so old, so intense. It took months for Tavar to not reflexively look down when Nazaron spoke. Nazeron was easily the most powerful wizard Tavar had ever seen in person, and the first few months consisted of intense and painful training. You did not disobey Nazeron's words, nor his look. He looked at people as if he could see their soul. When he looked at Tavar, the deva truly thought he could see through him, to his past lives. Tavar was deathly afraid of the man, yet envied his skill with the arcane.

It was clear from the beginning that Nazeron was not the ordinary Simbarch. The Simbarchs were a cautious bunch, wary of the enemies that surrounded their land. They were about identity, patience, and morality above most things. Nazeron made it quite clear that he did not agree with that philosophy. He believed those that sat and followed protocol only got soft. The only real way to become powerful was to defeat those more powerful that you. It was not about who you were, only want you wanted. If you want power, you must seek it, and take it from those who did not deserve it. Other simbarchs did not talk to Nazeron, and when brought up in public, most others pitied Tavar for having such a mentor. Tavar himself did not see the harm in Nazeron's views: as long as you work for the side of good, taking away power from evil is an important thing one could do.

Months of intense training ensued, and the time in between implement duels were filled with intellectual discussion and rituals. Nazeron would often quiz Tavar with an intellectual riddle, yet Tavar would rarely fail. Eventually, however, morality crept in these riddles, and soon discussions of morality dominated their talk. Nazeron was a cunning debater. Would you kill innocents to save your family? Would you protect the masses and let the strong die? Little by little, Nazeron's preaching got deeper and deeper into the deva's mind. The weak, he said, are not yours to protect, but to control. The good of the few can outweigh the good of the many, if the few are important enough. Sometimes the innocent must die for the greater good, and sometimes deceit is necessary to survive. Rules are malleable, and can be changed if it serves you.

Tavar believed his ideals were not changing, but he was agreeing more and more with this outlook. Eventually, Tavar became a full Simbarch, and joined the group in the capital. Though he was no longer his apprentice, Tavar sought Nazeron for council on many events over the next year.

It was not long before this brewing morality came to a stark point. One night Nazeron came to Tavar for help. The council had learned that a doppelganger had infiltrated the Simbarch interior, and vital defensive information was probably going to be leaked. The council believed that they could do nothing at this point, but Nazeron told Tavar that he had information which the council rejected. The doppelganger had not left the city, and was hiding out in Old Veltalar. Seriadne herself had told him this.

After hours of tracking the supposed doppelganger down, a chase occurred, and the doppelganger retreated to a crowded bar, changing into someone else. Nazeron did not hesitate. He cast a spell which closed the doors and windows. He turned to Tavar: the innocent must die to protect the nation. You must help me destroy this bar - the only way we know it dies is to know everyone dies. Nazeron lifted his wand, and waited for Tavar's orb to join him...

...''Tavar did not understand. This was not right. There must be another way. He must protect life, not destroy it. Yes, protect life. How many times had he died protecting life? How many times had he taken the moral path and died because of it? Was this really evil, or just an unfortunate truth? There are always two sides to a conflict. Who decides which is the right and moral one? He somehow doubted he was ever around to help make that decision''...

... the force from his orb slammed into the building, as fire erupted from Nazeron's wand. He could hear the screams. Others had seen what they had done. Tavar watched as Nazeron's wand took care of one, and barely understood how a magic missile erupted from his own orb to kill the other witness.

Escape Across the Sea
Not many people noticed the death in the old city. Tavar did not sleep well. Yet, his relationship with Nazeron was growing. Seriadne gave them their own orders, and it was soon clear that they were in charge of the dirtier aspects of the Council.

Three weeks after the bar incident, Nazeron and Tavar had captured a local merchant who the Council was sure was acting to usurp their authority. The "interrogation" was not kind. They had learned little when a group of Simbarchs came through the door, wands up. Yelling ensued, and Tavar got very confused. Nazeron, however, seemed to know exactly what was going on. He blasted one of the wizards, and a fight ensued.

The Simbarchs were clearly focused on the more powerful Nazeron, and paid little heed to Tavar. One by one they fell, Nazeron taking more spells than a human should have been able to. The final Simbarch - the group leader - finally took Nazeron out. Once he had fallen, the Simbarch turned to Tavar, and held his wand at him with his clearly damaged arm. Tavar's orb moved, and the battled damaged Simbarch stood little chance.

By the time Tavar looked for Nazeron, the place where his body fell was empty.

Tavar panicked, and his instincts told him to lay low. The next day he caught word that he was wanted for crimes against the Simbarchs. More investigating found that he had been labeled as a traitor, and was solely responsible for many crimes, including the burning of the bar weeks earlier. There was no mention of Nazeron's name, nor his involvement.

Tavar used contacts to leave Aglarond the next day. It was then that he changed his name to Neutrino, after the name of the bar that he helped destroy. Over the next 10 years he traveled across western Faerun, mostly practicing his art but overall keeping a low profile. Gone were his notions of do good above all else. Now survival was his life, and whatever or whoever got in the way was of no concern. During this ten years, his once high moral standards were chipped away.

It was in Waterdeep in 1478 that Neutrino thought he met his end. Alone in a bar, half drunk, a man walked in and sat at his table. It was Nazeron. Not quite knowing what to do or say, Neutrino just sat there as Nazeron just smiled.

"You have stolen. Murdered.  Broken countless laws.  You have done countless evil acts." Neutrino just sat there, wanting nothing more than to scream at his former master. Nazeron laughed. "I have done all I can, but I think I have let you see that your kind is wrong. Evil is the might of this world.  Evil will let you live.  Evil is stronger and bolder.  Your kind is doomed."

For a second, and just for a second, Nazeron dropped his illusion. Neutrino looked into the face of his former master, and saw it turn feline; he saw his hands turn backwards. He saw Nazeron's true form of a Rakshasa. "Tell me Tavar, who do you see? Because you look a lot like me."

The bar exploded as the two dueled. Countless innocents died that got in the way. Nazeron was too powerful, and they both knew it. But they also knew that Neutrino's fate was not yet sealed. Nazeron fled, with a promise of future meetings - perhaps as kin in future lives.

Neutrino fled the city, escaping arrest, and barely made it to Baldur's Gate. It was there he boarded a merchant ship that had just delivered salt from the continent of Returned Abeir. Knowing little of the new land, he boarded anyway knowing at least one thing: Nazeron might not follow him there.

Enslavement
A week later, the ship landed at a port called Marrauk. Though happy to be across the sea, the combination of the long and arduous journey and the bleak and bland port only served to depress Neutrino. Marrauk was most possibly the most depressing city Neutrino had ever seen. The lack of vegetation and the constant blowing of the sand ate at Neutrino's nerves. Neutrino first worked at learning the lay of the city, and the new continent as a whole. He quickly learned that all the towns in the area were under the ultimate control of a green dragon.

Not wanting to stick around for long, Neutrino decided to leave for the Eastern Coast and a group of towns called the Sword Lands. Unfortunately for him, his ship was attacked on the way across the Dragon Sea. Bound, gagged, and blindfolded, he awoke days later in what he would later find to be Skelkor. He was quickly informed that he was now property of the Dragon Empress, and a slave in service of the Empress and her nation.

Seeing little chance of escape, Neutrino was a model slave for months, all the while contemplating this new fate.

Current Whereabouts/Activities
Neutrino is currently in Skelkor, serving as a slave for the nation. Though his race made him a curiosity at first, he has since proven himself enough to be assigned as a member of a "peaceful" delegation to the bordering nations. Neutrino has full confidence he could escape during this endeavor, but with no home to go to, he is keeping his options open and trying to figure out the safest and most profitable place to be on this new continent.