Olik Family/Elerik Taim
Background
Little is known to the family about Elerik Taim. His father, Asau, is a third cousin to Trostian Olik, possibly through marriage, and Elerik Taim is also thought to have been born somewhere in Atamara - not Rustton or Abington at all, however. His claim, if any, on the Olik Manor would be surely unrecognized by the Abington Oliks.
At a very early age he is thought to have left his place of birth, beginning a years-long journey by ship, horse, donkey and foot, eventually landing in Arcachon in the Far East at the age of 25.
He is now described by others as large, standing well over six feet, broad-shouldered, with hard-chiseled but nonetheless noble facial and personality features. He can be seen wearing a well-worn black travelling cloak, leather leggings and ordinary tunic. On colder days he wears a tall fur hat. He carries with him an ironwood staff, a ceremonial kris. Somewhere in his residence in Ecsetuah he has his armor cuirass, steel skullcap and claymore.
Somewhere in his mysterious journeying he acquired eighteen followers; fighters as well as commoners, swordsmen and peasant alike, whom he has referred to as The Seekers up until he found the Adagharhinist faith through the old woman, Lechis.
These soldiers fought and died on the mainland, and only a handful remain, still under the command of Varnalo, as militia in Soniel.
Career
Elerik as a soldier fought in the three-part Battle of Soniel, during which forces from Ethiala and Lasanar landed on the island in staggered waves in a futile attempt to assault the walls. Earlier, he was part of a raiding expedition on the mainland. The rest of his combat history preceeding his arrival at Arcachon is unknown, but thought to be relatively extensive.
He was made an Initiate of the Adgharhin Priesthood, and was titled Count of Ecsetuah (a title he later lost upon his Sartanian imprisonments). Later, after the takeover and rebellion of Unotosa, he was made Hand of the Blade, and later, a High Priest.
At age 34 he sponsored and created the Army of Adaghar's Boot, based in Ecsetuah, and set General Madras as its new Marshal. The army at one point had ten knights.
Faith
Soon after participating in campaigns against Arcaea on the mainland, he was promoted to Marshal of the Army of Enlod - and was soon captured by enemy forces after an unsuccessful campaign. In the dungeons, he had time to reflect on his ways and decided to dedicate himself solely to the spread of the Adgharhin Way, which became known simply as Adgharhinism.
His newfound faith seemed to be just what he was seeking, and he became a Priest, travelling from region to region, lauding the central deity, Adaghar.
His spiritual viewpoint is one of devotion specifically to Adaghar, almost to the point of monotheism. He views most other religions in a poor light, being unable to reconcile worship by "nonbelievers" as satisfactory to his gods. He played an important role in the search for the Five Relics, and through his faith was able to persuade the official viewpoint that the Chaos Requiem was indeed an evil religion.
In Ozrat, he was wounded five times, twice very seriously, by angry mobs of Communionism followers as he tried to preach. After half the population had taken to the Faith, he left, still recovering from being beaten half to death, for the north to pursue the legendary Books and Relics.
By age 37 he'd fulfilled the Larmebsi Prophecy along with a handful of other faithful, beneath the Monastary Temple. But no book was found there and the quest seemed to be at a standstill. Searching for clarity and purpose, he began to preach in Obtal, where the Sartanians had outlawed Adgharhinism. He was seriously wounded by an angry mob there after persuading 350 peasants to re-join the faith. Inexplicably, after he recovered, he went to preach some more, and was again attacked by members of the Church of Sartan and seriously wounded.
After this, his efforts frequently lead to both imprisonment (at the hands of Sartanians) and many injuries (at the hands of Sartanian followers). Already convinced that the Church of Sartan was the embodiment of evil (he termed Sartan a "bloodthirsty war-demon" and the church a "war-demon-cult"), his rage at Arcachon's apathy brought him to conflict with Brom the Storyteller, the Judge of Arcachon. When Brom fined Elerik for crossing into Sartania, Elerik cast Brom out of the Adgharhin Way entirely.
Although chronologically less than the age of his cousin Gauihu, his many wounds gained since becoming a priest have accelerated the attrition of his body, giving him the appearance of a man in his late fifties. His health is generally poor; usually he is either recovering from a recent wound, or simply limping and decrepit from the rugged and squalid life of a penniless preacher wandering the continent.
Family
Elerik was approached by Banad, a servant of his third-cousin Maltheo, in (Oct 31 '06). It was then that Elerik began to learn of what his relative in the south had done with his life, and how he died, and more about the faith of Communionism. (Neither his knowledge nor his family connection protected him from the wayward Communionists themselves, however.)
Accomplishments
- Nonbelievers Converted so far: Well over 7,000
- Temples Constructed: 2, one in Ecsetuah, another in Tuhpos.
- Shrines Built: 14: