Kynnstitia Arch-Warden - Beginnings.

[Wolfrin Fenris]

Kynnstitia Arch-Warden is the eldest, and only, child of Frein Arch-Warden, Hero General of the Durst Campaign, Commander of the Silver Shield order of Heironeous, and right hand to the king.

Frein is the exemplar of his order. A hero who's served, and commanded, in countless campaigns in Heironeous' name. Risen from the ranks of commoners to become not only the Commander of his order, but also to earning titles of nobility and becoming indispensable to the king as an advisor and military leader.

When Kynnstitia was born Frein was away, in the middle of a five year campaign. When he returned he doted on his daughter as any father would. Kynnstitia recalls this time, though dimly, with fondness, for her relationship with her father would soon change. As the years passed and Frein fathered no sons, he came to the realization that Kynn would be his only heir. Some fathers would become bitter at the lack of a male heir to carry on they're legacy, or perhaps begin finding ways to strengthen his own position by arranging the marriage of his daughter. These thoughts never crossed Frein's mind. If he could father no male heir, than his daughter must be trained to continue his legacy when he was gone.

And so,  from a very young age Kynn began receiving the instruction and training a male heir would. As Kynn grew older and her studies progressed, her relationship with her father changed from that of a familial bond to a very strict military structure. Her father had decades of experience at soldiering and commanding, and more often than not he treated her as any raw recruit. Worse, because his expectations of her were much higher then of any common initiate in his order. To Kynn's credit, she was a fine soldier. She excelled in her studies, particularly history and strategy, and as her body developed so too did her skill with arms. Though she did not possess the physical strength of the men, she won almost every contest with her speed and skill at arms. It was not the life she chose, but it was not a bad life.

However it seemed she could never live up to her fathers expectations. It started with her choice of weapon. Like any other soldier she was trained with a variety of weapons, armor, and shields. She could not wear the heavier plate mail most of the men wore, but her Scale mail left her lighter, more limber, better able to dodge out of reach and dart in to land a strike.  A shield in her hand felt as natural as air in her lungs, and from the very beginning she seemed extraordinarily skilled at expertly deflecting strikes, sending her opponents off balance and opening opportunities for attack. No, her failings were shown in the form of the longsword, the favored weapon of Heironeous. All men of faith gain some increased measure of skill with the favored weapon of their deity, a divine gift most believe. But try as she might, the most Kynn could ever claim is that she wouldn't her own foot off; she was always drawn to shorter weapons such as axes and picks. Her father could never understand her lack of skill with the longsword, but he knew not all warriors followed the same path. He was disappointed, but understanding.

That changed when she began her clerical studies, learning the dogma of Heironeous. Her father had always been a righteous man, very comfortable in his faith and more than willing to espouse it at length to any and all that would listen. She had been raised thinking she was a follower of Heironeous, told she was, and in some part of her mind perhaps she really believed she was. However it wasn't long after her clerical training began when she began to question her own ideas of faith. From the beginning she attacked her studies as she had always, methodically. She studied scripture as she did history, learning names and dates and important events, but always missing that uplifting feeling that she observed in others. She just could not get as excited about her faith as others.

She viewed Heironeous as a great god, benevolent and wise, willing to defend his faithful, just and good. She told herself over and over that she truly loved him, that she believed in him and wanted to serve the same ideals he espoused. However as first one, then multiple years passed in her studies with her unable to have even the most basic prayers for light fulfilled, she began to realize the truth. She believed in the right of the law, in treating others with respect and dignity, helping protect the innocent and feed the hungry, heal the sick and bring to justice all those who would prey on the weak. All this she believed in, all this Heironeous commanded of his faithful, and yet she could not bring herself to worship him. Sadly, it was all to apparent to her father as well.

His entire life had been in service to Heironeous, all his accomplishments attributed to his faith and devotion. He could not view his daughter as anything but a failure if she was not one of the faithful. He became even more distant, avoiding her altogether. For her part she redoubled her efforts at arms, becoming the most skilled warrior not yet raised to knighthood. For years she worked and worked, and she found great success in her efforts, but nothing she did could compensate for her her failures in her fathers eyes.

Finally, knowing she could learn no more in the order, and that she could never advance farther without Heironeous' acceptance, she left home. She told herself she would travel far and wide, becoming stronger, doing good and protecting people, forging her own heroic stories. She wouldn't return home until her father could be proud of her once more.