Ulian Bowband is a legendary human adventurer that has led multiple expeditions around Hazeron in order to seek knowledge. His name is often featured in epic tales told by bards across the world, generally touting his bravery, genius, and good looks. While Ulian himself is not quite so larger-than-life, he is still an accomplished adventurer that has managed to survive a number of deadly and hopeless situations, including visiting every island in the Isles of Wrath while attempting to discover its secrets.
Description
Ulian is a scruffy-looking human, well-weathered by the horrors of the world. He is relatively handsome, but is beginning to show some signs of aging.
Ulian has a somewhat upbeat personality, but is forgetful and blunt.
Skills and Abilities
Ulian is a practiced and accomplished fighter, but most of his ability lies in his cunning and artifice, choosing his battles wisely and shifting balances to his favor. He is a likeable and charismatic man, able to charm many over to his side by his straightforward attitude and unrelenting drive.
Ulian is also a skill user of magical items, with legends stating his can simultaneously use more than ten at a time; while this may be an exaggeration, such stories usually have some root in the truth.
History
The legends proclaim Ulian Bowband was born atop a mighty peak to an eagle and a lion. In actuality, Ulian was born to his very human mother and father in the kingdom of Astrilane, in a small town on the coast known as Hemmenhafen. Ulian spent his childhood growing up in the small fishing town, trained by his father in the fishing arts. Early on, Ulian earned a knack for fighting from his sailor's training, but eventually gained a greater interest in researching history. Ulian's teenage years were spent earning money on his father's ship to buy historical tomes off the traders heading south from Jaergden Karkast. Eventually, Ulian's lust for knowledge became too great, and he ventured off into the greater world in the hopes of joining a college to continue his education.
Wandering for a time across Atavar, Ulian visited a number of colleges, but each time found himself unimpressed by their methods and regulations. Ulian found himself stifled at each juncture, and over time, grew to enjoy the road more so than the destination. Ulian began exploring abandoned sites, ruins and crypts in search of lost and forgotten knowledge, which he would present to a college at the end of each journey, detailing to their scribes his adventures and discoveries.
Before long, Ulian's adventures, many of which included great battles, slim brushes with death, fantastical relics and ancient magic, began attracting more attention. Colleges began to anticipate his arrivals and would host his stories in massive lecture halls that drew interest from even those outside the academic circles, including bards.
Ulian spent much of his life adventuring and pursuing the forgotten knowledges of the world. At one point, he became interested in the mysteries of the Isles of Wrath and the forgotten kingdom of Hassant.
While making his way north to the island kingdom of Necreziel, Ulian was caught by cultists of Vortek on the Isle of Twisting, Gnashing Things and tied to an altar in the Tomb of Vortek to be sacrificed. He was freed by the Peas as the tomb crumbled into ruin following Vortek's revival. He fought his way out of the island with the Peas, cutting through cultists and writhers alike. Ulian took a boat north from the island, leaving a parting warning for the Peas about the dangers of the sea around the isles.