Neill Family/Cid

Cid; son of Kvasir

Cid in full armor and inspecting his spear Alluran's Reach.

Current Age: 40
Class: Priest
Weapon of Choice: Cid now keeps only his Gladius handy now that he follows the path of a Priest. However, he still keeps his long spear named "Alluran's Reach" tucked away.
Current Title: Head Priest of the Temple of the Trinity in Cutnipaniel
Titles Held: Baron of Irdalni, Haruspex Maximus of Alowca, Senator, Grand Justicar of Soliferum, Deputy Prime Minister to Prime Minister Conan (Soliferum), Count of Cutnipaniel

Cid, son of Kvasir, was always an outcast in the Clan. Terrible when it came to hunting and smaller than the other children he was often ridiculed. As he grew he kept mostly to himself finding happiness in the Odes of the Clan when they were told. When this knowledge alone wasn't enough he began to sneak out of the forest to a small cottage owned by a scholar on the outskirts of Makar. There he was trained in the arts of History, Writing, Painting, and Language. He studied under the scholar (who is believed to have hailed from a land much older than Atamara) until the age of 15 when his father found out what he was doing. Furious he forced the boy to return home and stay there under the constant watch of his Grandfather Jarl. Jarl wasn't fond of the boy and quickly grew tired of watching him sit in the corner of the room staring out the window. It was then Cid began receiving basic combat lessons (much to his dismay). Though he was slow to learn he soon became very skilled and even began to defeat the other stronger boys of the clan.

When he came of age he decided quickly they he tired of his barbaric family and fled home one day when his Grandfather fell asleep watching him (an act that, unbeknownst to him, would lead to his exile from the Clan. While a seemingly small act, he had been treading on thin ice for sometime with his father). He made his way to the docks and purchased his own boat using gold he had taken from the family vault. For years he travelled the lands learning all he could and honing his combat skills. He began to develop ideals never taught to him by the Clan: Honor and Nobility. He had come far from the weak little viking outcast of his youth and became a strong-willed noble.

One day a great storm overcame his ship and all hands were lost to the fury of the sea. He washed up on shore in the Colonies where he was taken in by monks of the Trinity. There he found his faith in the Alowcan Trinity and a new home in the Theocracy of Alowca. He also met his scribe Tel, who would serve him all his life, in Alowca when he first came to the land. He served there for some time, fighting enemies, and later serving as the Baron of Irdalni. This honor came to him however at a trying time where barbarians began invading Alowca. He fought tirelessly and was awarded the position of Haruspex Maximus. Soon a vision came to his leader Always from the Goddess Denarial that they should leave Alowca to find a new land for their religion. Cid dreamt one night of the Gods and Goddess of the Trinity beckoning him to a new land and he decided to leave with him.

They landed in the Far East and he joined the Republic of Soliferum. After a time his comrades vanished and he was left only with his comrade NLaw. He assumed a leadership role in the smaller circle of Alowcans and began talking with leaders about establishing a New Alowca. Eventually Always returned to Alowca and Cid decided to stay in Soliferum working towards a New Alowca and serving the Republic. He was been granted the honor of the title of Senator and then won the election for Judge.

Soon after, however, he served time in a Nighthelm prison and was stripped of this title. This came almost within a day of his release from a Grand Lodge prison where he was held as a Prisoner of War.

He has always tried to deny his heritage in an effort to distance himself from "those barbarians". However he was always known to get quite worked up in some situations, had a tendency to overdrink, and had a disliking for horses or any other mounts; qualities often found in O'Neils.

As time passed however he distanced himself even more from his ancestory by taking a mount. The horse served him well during his mission to contact Alowcans living in Taith Aenil (A quest he failed multiple times due to being captured by enemy patrols in lands he had to pass through) and he later purchased the mare and built a stable for her next to his his small home in Osaliel, Soliferum.

He spent most of his days when not in battle tending to the affairs of his office (or when not in any official position tending to affairs of his estate), spending time studying his faith, and training.

At one point in his life, after purging monsters from Todpitz in a bid to gain the sympathy of the people there, he came under a mysterious illness contracted from the blood of one of the beasts he had slain. Recognizing the evil force that was draining him of life, he immediatly fled into the wilderness to begin a ritual of purification. After nearly a week he returned to Osaliel clean, but haunted.

One day when walking around the docks to talk to a merchant whom had sold his scribe palm trees for his home that supposedly came from Irdalni in Alowca he discovered that Alowca was doing fairly well. It had changed from what he knew it as, but it lived still. This, paired with the fact that it seemed that he and Brother NLaw (his Alowcan comrade in Soliferum) were alone in their ambitions to found a New Alowca angered and frustrated him. Immediately he began planning, trying desperately to find a way to fulfill his duties and bring The Trinity to the Far East.

If Alowca was going to change and abandon him, he thought, than surely they werent to be trusted. It was then that the thoughts of many sleepless nights fortified themselves in his mind. He cast away the philosophies of Denarial's Way and embraced fully what he considered 'The Complete Trinity." Cid decided that if one did not embrace fully all of the deities of the Trinity than they skirted too close to heresy.

In his quest to found a temple dedicated to his Order of the Complete Trinity, Cid was granted the title of Count of Cutnipaniel, and moved his offices into the region. As one of his first acts he contacted the local masons and asked for an estimate on the construction of a temple. He was stunned by the incredible cost and knew that it would take time to gather as much gold as was required. It would take time, but it was something that had to be done.

After a great deal of time saving the gold needed for the construction of the temple Cid finally received words from the Bank of Osaliel that he had achieved the needed sum. Eager to begin he immediately sent word to the builders in Cutnipaniel and made his way back home. Once he arrived he oversaw the final details of the construction and the Temple of the Trinity was complete. Packing away his spear (but keeping his gladius handy in case it was ever needed) he prepared to begin a life dedicated to spreading and preserving his fate. Tel, his loyal scribe and friend that was with him through it all joined him in the temple hoping to continue his duties.

While he spends a great deal of him time in the Cutnipaniel temple when not traveling, he still maintains his home in Osaliel which is built in a Alowcan style and is decorated with tropical plants imported from the region of Irdalni. Over the years it would become a sort of hideaway where he could go to study or meditate away from the world.

While taking a very straightforward method of preaching and unafraid of the violence against him, Cid found himself wounded many times when confronted by followers of the Lunarian faith. Refusing to back down he would preach until beaten unconscious or would even pull his blade on them and fight the 'heretics' while screaming words of faith. Needless to say, so many visits to the healer's tent left him with many wounds, the worst being a permanent limp and twisted right leg that required him to use a crutch or cane the rest of his life.

"I have placed my life in the open arms of Denarial, blinded myself so that I may see what Alluran will show me, and I have let my hands go slack so that Khagister may create with them." - Cid on his faith in the Trinity.

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'Cid's Birds'

Many years ago, when Cid still resided in the Colonies, he was captured by barbarians and thrown into a prison with a solid door and only a small hole in the wall to look out upon the fields. Eager to get a message back to Alowca he used what little food he was granted to attract a small bird. He took the bird in when it arrived and attached a small message to its leg. Then, he set it free and prayed it would find its way.

A day later he awoke to the sound of chirping in his cell. When he opened his eyes the bird had returned and had a small piece of parchment tied to his leg. Upon removal he discovered that it was a response! For the duration of his stay the small bird stayed with him and kept him company. Small enough to fit inside both his hands and with feathers of black (save for a line of yellow leading down from its head to the back), it was released with him.

Over the years before his move to the Far East he collected more of the strange species of bird. Their intelligence and reliability shocked Cid and he figured they had to be of the divine. When he finally moved to the Far East he took the birds with him. Now, whenever he travels about at least one bird stays with him while the others remain behind at his home. Quicker than a human messenger they are his method of choice for sending brief communications.

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'Cid's Vision'

When imprisoned by the Lunarians by for being in the region of Todpitz during a time of war Cid dedicated his time to meditating and prayer. While in the dark cell he had the following vision. It is written word for word by his scribe as he described it to High Cleric NLaw. It is believed to pertain the the current war between Soliferum and the Grand Lodge and the problems it could cause.

"When it happened, I do not know. Day, night, there was neither down in the prison. As I prayed I suddenly felt a gust of wind overcome me from behind. I opened my eyes and stood finding myself standing in a field of dark green grass. Above me was a black starless sky where a full moon and a blazing sun sat opposite one another.

"The cool wind blew again and I saw a pinprick of light descending from the darkness. As it grew closer I noticed that it was a golden chariot, being pulled by white horses. It landed beside me and the driver was a headless man wearing great golden armor. Moments later I found myself standing before three thrones. Each was greater than any palace, than any mountain in the world, and those that sat upon them were clad in such light that to look upon that would blind me.

"Yet, though I could not look upon their majesty I knew who they were. Khagister, Alluran, Denarial. The forms lifted themselves from their thrones and became one. I felt their embrace and I was carried into the heavens where the sun and the moon sat opposite one another on a grand scale with thousands of stars in sitting in between.

"The Trinity held my head in their hands and guided my head to watch as flames shot from the sun and burned the moon. It struck again and again, the force so great that the heavens themselves were rocking back and forth. And then, the moon cracked in two and bled, its piercing screams killing stars and giving birth to new ones all at once. Then I watched as the flames of the sun retreated back to its globe, but as it did it carried with it a piece of the moon. All that remained.

"As it did I felt a great sense of dread and I wanted to cry out, but The Trinity placed a hand over my mouth. The flames retreated into the globe and the piece of the moon went with it. The sun then burned brighter than it ever did before but suddenly it too cried out. Black spots began to appear all over its surface and spread with great speed until finally the sun exploded into dust and...a great beast that was truly terrible to behold emerged. The Trinity then took me away as the beast ravaged the heavens, making its way towards me at a fast pace. I found myself once more in the dungeons and the figures separated and left until only Denarial remained. And she took her hand and held it aloft allowing a small flame to grow in her palm. As it did I saw in the darkness terrible creatures, horned and fanged. Demons on all sides. Then she left and there was only darkness once again and I pray harder than I have before in my life."