Sterksain Family/Grimbaldus

Grimbaldus Sterksain

The youngest of the family, always looked up to his brother Aethelmaer, and absolutely hated Trystrem. His parents were fond of him, although Aethelmaer was the one that was favored the most. He was liked more than Trystrem, so that kept him happy.

The Younger Days

Grimbaldus wasn't much of anything when he was young. He never really liked the fact that Aethelmaer always wanted to get out. He would follow sometimes, but only when it wouldn't get him in trouble, like just to go search the house for things, or for when they were trying to watch Trystrem get into trouble, or something to that effect. Often times would run away, where Aethelmaer wouldn't and never got into any trouble.

Growing up

Grimbaldus was always quiet, his parents were thankful for that. With their hands full with Trystrem, and Aethelmaer all the time, Grim was a welcome relief. There was the occasional time when Grim would do something to attract his parents attention. Kept them from thinking he wasn't gonna be anything when he grew up. One day, when Grim was seven, he was in his pen playing with Aethelmaer. They had been play wrestling over a stuffed animal, when Grim had pinned down Aethelmaer and won. Grim took his prize and he took a nap in one corner of the pen. When he awoke, the pen was open, and Aethelmaer was gone. Instead of normally finding his parent to deal with what happened, he took it into his own hands, and began looking for Aethelmaer. He knew Aeth would have tried to get out if he could, and not surprisingly the front door was wide open. He walked out, and down the street started calling out his name, he began to walk through the woods, and kept calling his name. The sun began to set, and Grim knew it was too late to do anything now. Giving up, he went back home, and then told his parents about what had happened. This shocked them, and after his long day, he went to bed.

For the next couple of years, Grimbaldus was sent to school. These years flew by, although he felt like they were going slowly. Over these years, he watched Aethelmaer being taught the ways of the ranger, and helped him with his training as much as he could.

The Accident

Aethelmaer had been training in the woods, his father had work to do and left Aethelmaer and Grimbaldus alone at home. Aethelmaer did what he did best, and did what he wasn't supposed to do. This time he went out to train alone like he always did, and Grim of course went to help. This time, he couldn't help feeling something terrible was going to happen. Deeper and deeper they went into the woods, when Aeth had finally found the clearing he normally goes to. Grimbaldus was told by Aeth to climb up the trees and pick apples, while Aethelmaer hammered planks to the trees to hold the apples. Grim returned with pockets full of apples, and set them upon the shelves. Aethelmaer took a position where the apples were all at varying distances, and fired his first arrow. It found its mark in the closest apple. The next apple was pierced. Then the next. And again, he pierced the fourth. The last, he took careful aim then just before he let go, his foot came out from under him by some unknown force, and the arrow flew off into the air. Grim was just running around a tree just behind Aethelmaer, and oblivious to what had happened continued. Aethelmaer hit the ground watching the arrow, and then saw Grim, waltzing around the tree. It seemed as if it was in slow motion, he went to scream for Grim, but it was too late. The arrow came down and Aethelmaer couldn't watch. Grim suddenly felt a sharp pain, as an arrow lodged itself into his stomach, and fell over writhing in pain. Aethelmaer chose not to watch, but could hear the violent screams of his brother, piercing his ears. Grim tried to remove the arrow, but his strength had left him, and only caused more pain, so he lied there wondering what was to become of him. The pain being to much for him, he finally passed out. Aethelmaer opened his eyes, when the screams were gone, and bolted for the house. All he could do was hope his parents were home.

Grim awoke with a huge pain in his stomach, he tried to sit up, but he didn't have any strength in his stomach muscles. He also felt queazy and managed to turn to the side before he vomited. He felt as if he was being suffocated from the inside, having trouble breathing. After a few struggling painful coughs, his mother finally walked in. She insisted that Grim stay laying down, and resting as that would only complicate the matter. After getting down some water, Grim fell into an uneasy sleep. This sleep brought dreams of death and destruction. He felt he his skin was burning and that he was being ripped apart by unknown forces. He also dreamt that his parents were both killed in a raid by bandits, and that he was alone to face the world. He awoke again the next day, still with the pain in his stomach, but this time a doctor was hunched over him. The doctor gave him strange liquids that made him feel numb inside. At least he was able to sleep without the pain. With some more water, and this time a little bit of food, he was able to sleep a good nights rest.

Becoming of Age

Grimbaldus never really had any special skills as he grew up. The only thing that kept him going was his eagerness to learn. School had brought him everything he had wanted, and that was an infinite amount of knowledge. With this knowledge he became a pretty smart young man. When Aethelmaer went out on hunts, he took along Grim, often for his knowledge, and for his brilliant strategies.

A Strange Door

Grim, one day, was extremely bored with his studies, and with it being summer, he also felt the worthlessness of studying if he wasn't to be tested on the new materials. Since school ended, Grim had been figuring out what he should do. He decided one day to help Aethelmaer with his training of the sword and bow, practically because Aethelmaer had begged him to come, but didn't give him a reason. The two set out into the woods, and Grim found out he was tricked into coming on a little journey after they had passed by where Aethelmaer normally trains. Aethelmaer had finally told him of a stone door he had found, but couldn't open due to a riddle of a strange language that he couldn't read. Grim was tempted to just turn around and go back home, but some strange force told him something was to come of this little journey. Finally, when they had reached the door, Grim studied the passage and learned it was of the language he was studying: Latin. It read as a riddle:

I lie in secret
Back in town
Hidden in store
Where metal hangs
Abound under stone
Lies the way
To the path
Inside this door

Grim had no idea what it was trying to say except for the fact that the something was hidden in town that would bring them to the path leading them inside this strange door. After a few minutes of thinking, Aethelmaer guessed that it was hidden in the Blacksmith's shop. So, they traveled to the blacksmith's shop and as they were standing inside the shop, Grim found out he floor was made of stone. Whatever it was they were searching for was to be found under it. So Grim and Aethelmaer got down on hands and knees, knocking at the floor until finally, one of the stone blocks sounded different than the rest. Grim took Aethelmaer's sword and pried open the small cover to a small hole in the floor, where lay a small glass bottle with a scroll inside. The two anxiously took it, set back the cover and ran outside. Grim smashed the bottle on the ground, unrolled the scroll, and it read:

The path continues:
Royal chambers for royal people
Very elegant yet very earthy
Home of many but no one speaks
Where is it the path continues?

He who makes it, doesn't need it
He who buys it, doesn't use it
He who uses it, doesn't know it
Where does the next step lie?

Traps, Spectres and Voices

This next clue had the two baffled, so they decided to go off home since it was getting rather dark. Grim fell asleep rather quickly and found himself dreaming of what lay next. His dreams took him to a far off land, full of death and barren lands. With many an undead army marching across the hills. During his dream he was just sitting on top of a hill resting when a massive army of skeletons ascended the hill, and ripped him to shreds. Of course, he awoke before it actually happened, but with that he gathered that the clue would lead them to a graveyard, and further yet into a mausoleum. The only mausoleum around was of the only royal family around, the Riwaldo family. The next morning, Grim told Aethelmaer of his dream and of what he thought the riddle meant. They both set out towards the graveyard, taking a look at the scroll again, and remembered the second part. This part baffled them for awhile, so they decided to figure that one out later. The graveyard came, and they entered it with caution as it had the stench of death and bones within its boundaries. They quickly saught out the mausoleum, exactly where it had been for the last 200 years. They decended into the dark, gloomy and dusty crypt where many generations of Riwaldo folk have been buried. On their way through, they encountered traps and other means of keeping out grave robbers, while also seeing people who have tried and failed at these traps. They were easily dodged and undisturbed with Grim's knowledge of such things. He finally also remembered that inside the Riwaldo mausoleum was a lone tomb for Alexander Riwaldo the Great. Inside this tomb was an intricate coffin, and in thinking of this, he figured out the answer to the riddle as a coffin. Deep inside now, the two seemed to get just a little bit careless, and Aethelmaer tripped over a small string, hardly visible in the darkness. At first nothing had happened, probably due to the age of the whole crypt in general. Then with a shuddering crash, the door behind and in front of them both shut. The walls had started to close in on them, with a grinding slowness. Quickly, they both looked around at what might be able to shut off the trap. With no luck, they both slumbed their shoulders in the center of the room, looking at the walls where other unfortunates fates were decided by these very same walls. Then, as Grim was looking up, he had seen a part of the ceiling has shifted revealing a new corridor. The only problem was getting up there. The two quickly looked around for anything to be used for a boost, yet nothing could be found. Aethelmaer said they should wait until the wall came close enough to jump off of it and grab ahold of the hole. Aethelmaer tried first, and with ease jumped, put his foot on the wall, and pushed upwards, springing himself upwards into the hole and pulling himself clear of the room. Grim tried and slipped the first time, but with the second he jumped up and luckily caught on to Aethelmaer's hanging hands and was pulled up, barely making it before the wall swallowed up the hole in the ceiling. Now inside a small cramped corridor, they crawled their way until firelight shown through to where they would drop down. This led them to where the actual tomb was. This made them extatic, feeling like they just beat the world, and they had, since no one ever bested the crypts traps. On top of the tomb, was an epitaph:

To the ones who survived the depths of hell: my ancient treasure awaits.

Suddenly a spectre appeared above the tomb, and had pointed in the direction due north, probably to where the cave was in the forest. Then pointed down towards the tomb. The spectre disappeared into the tomb, and finally a voice thundered inside the chamber.

"Good job young ones! Inside the tomb your journey will end, as the treasure awaits for you!"

The two overjoyed, pushed off the lid of the tomb, and opened up the coffin and expected a skeleton from the royal family, but the only thing inside was that of a key. They took it, and the wall to the north slid up, revealing a staircase leading outside.

Treasure!

Finally reaching the cave in the woods, the two were too excited to wait any longer to reveal what they were about to discover. Right under the first inscription was a small triangular hole, most likely to fit the triangular key in. Grim inserted it, and turned it clockwise about three quarters around, until it clicked. The giant door, with a loud pop, came loose from the rest of the wall, and with a shift, disappeared from view. The two looked in, and instantly smelled that of rotting corpses. With nothing they could do about it, they walked in. It was very dark, but after a few steps, two torches lit on either side of them. They walked in farther, until they finally saw something shining up ahead. The two sprinted towards the shining objects and came into a massive chamber. Lying all around the cavern, were dead bats, and other cave creatures, obviously dead from starvation. In the middle were two chests. Grimbaldus called the one on the left, and as he opened it, light shone through the crack. When it was fully opened the light had dissappeared, and in its spot was a smaller chest. This strange chest was slightly heavy, carved with intricate designs, and the crest of the Riwaldo family engraved on it. Just looking at the box, and Grim could tell he couldn't open it. He turned to Aethelmaer who had only found a bag full of gold coins, and showed him the box. Aethelmaer looked at it, and then said that he had a box about the same size and shape, that was also unopenable. The two stood their baffled, until Grim threw up because of the stench. Aethelmaer took a quick look around, and finding nothing, left the cave and returned home.

The Family Falls Apart

One night, Grimbaldus had awakened to some noises in the middle of the night. THUMP! THUMP! He watched out the window, and hoped who ever it was would soon leave. After a few minutes, Aethelmaer exited the house, Grimbaldus wanted to yell out, or go and run after him... but each would wake up his parents, and he was sure that Aethelmaer wanted to leave quietly. Aethelmaer was about 50 paces away, when he turned and in that moment their eyes caught each others, and Grim knew that they would see each other again sooner or later.

About a week later, Grimbaldus started getting bored around with his parents, him being the only one left after Trystrem and Aethelmaer had left. He decided that he was going to off too. He knew that Aethelmaer was going to stay on Atamara, but Trystrem wanted to go as far away as possible. He knew the South East Islands were the farthest away from Atamara, so he decided to start on the East Continent. He didn't yet know which realm he would join, but would soon join one when he got there.

Career So Far

He arrived at the East Continent, in a small realm under the banner of Caligus. There he gained a basic knowledge of warfare, but encountering many problems, he decided to move off once again. One day, in a bar in Domus, he overheard some peasants talking about another far off continent. Some of the friends of the family also sent him letters of realms on this continent as some of the richest around too. So he said his goodbyes to his friends in Caligus, and he set sail for the continent of Beluaterra, with his eyes set on the realm of Fronen. He arrived and in the next week wasn't greeted by anyone except for one of his family's friends. For now he still resides in Fronen on the brink of war, or will he choose to leave again to the South East Island for a chance to be a fighter.

Moving

Grimbaldus wasn't having to much fun in Caligus. Every time a battle with Yssaria ensued it seemed like they lost, and had to sit and wait to refit for another week. After getting really sick of waiting, he finally decided to pack up and move. He decided he would try his luck on Beluaterra, under the banner of Fronen.

The Box and Aethelmaer

Grimbaldus awoke with a fright, only to realize he was in an inn in Vur Hagin. All Grim could remember were memories of his brother when they were mere children. He remembered all the times he trained with him, or helped him. The small quest that they partook on, even the time when he had saved him from Trystrem's brutal attempt at trying to kill him. Now that he was gone, Grim only had one small thing to remember him by. It was a small box. Intricately built, it was very elegant with designs. The only mystery was how to open it. He had not found a way in 15 years, and he was pretty sure that Aethelmaer, and Trystrem had found out the same as their boxes were the same as his. He decided to send the box to Aethelmaer's grave. He picked out a quick runner as a messenger, gave him the package, and sent him on his way to Fronepu atop the fastest horse in hopes that his package will arrive in time for the next ship leaving port. Grim still couldn't believe that Aethelmaer was gone and hoped that he would help him in the future.

Generalship

Grimbaldus has become the Minister of Defense of Fronen.

Qyrvaggism

Grimbaldus has become slightly older, and much wiser than he was in his younger years. He decided to join the Church of Qyrvagg. Here he stated the Prophetic Creed, and became a full member, a Sworn Acolyte.

Later, he was promoted to the rank of Champion, as a representative of the Church of Qyrvagg in Fronen. Now, stating the Unity Creed, the duties that come with being a Champion of Qyrvagg have been accepted, and will now Protect the beliefs of Qyrvagg, Protect the Temples and Priests of Qyrvagg, and to Retain his own beliefs in Qyrvagg.

Rebellion

As Grim's career became more and more wrought with dissatisfaction with the current Senate, he decided to give an all out attempt to remove them from power to save Fronen from greed and corruption. Along with Krider Hawkestone, and a few other honorable nobles, they began a rebellion that would soon succeed with the stepping down of the current Prime Minister Enzeru Bakos. Grimbaldus became the Prime Minister of Fronen.

After that, the members of Fronen being enraged at the sudden change in government, they gathered together, and started a counter rebellion to take back that which they lost. In the ensuing chaos, Grimbaldus was targeted by an infiltrator and was severely wounded causing him loss of his new found position. Elections were on their way, as well as the inevitable ending of Grimbaldus' career in Fronen, as well as everyone else who followed him.

Grimbaldus is currently sitting in a healers tent awaiting recovery.