Meiltan Sommerbach

Skills:Concentration +4, Hide +2, Knowledge (History) +2, Knowledge (Arcane) +2, Mobe Silently +2, Scry +4, Spellcraft +4, Wilderness Lore +2

Feats: Iron Will, Scribe Scroll, Track

Languages: Balok, Darkonese, Kartakan, Draconic, Dementlieur

Prohibited School: Transmutation

Spells: Cause Fear, Chill Touch, Color Spray, Detect Undead, Grease, Obscuring Mists, Ray of Enfeeblement

Download the D&D Character Generator (cg3) file : meiltansommerbach.zip

Meiltan is a frail-looking young man, with light grey skin, pale green eyes and untidy brown hair. Gathered just above his forehead is a lock of white hair, a remant of the Shadow's attack. His back is stooped and he wears plain, brown robes for travelling.

Meiltan Sommerbach was born in the farming town of Potter's Field, Mordent in the year 739 BC. His parents were simple folks that made their money from the livestock they farmed. Meiltan had an older brother, Timothy, and a younger sister, Katharin.
Ever since his birth Meiltan was a small weed of a child - constantly ill and prone to a bloody nose. Timothy on the other hand was a robust young boy, three years Meiltan's senior, who would one day take on the family business. Due to his poor health Meiltan spent his formative years inside, helping his mother to look after young Katharin. When she was old enough to go outside by herself, Meiltan fell into boredom.
Eventually fed up with their sulky son, the Sommerbachs followed a neighbour's advice and bought him a book for his twelth birthday. The book was a second hand copy, a simple collection of children's tales. Meiltan fell in love with it instantly. With some help Meiltan learnt to read the book and before too long he had devoured all of its contents. It was this love of reading that would help Meiltan in later life.

Tragedy came to Potter's Field when Meiltan was fourteen years old.
Night had fallen and all but Timothy Sommerbach had returned home. Meiltan's father, worried for the welfare of his favourite son, went out with some farm hands to search for the seventeen year old. During all of this time Meiltan remained in his bedroom, reading his book.
Suddenly a shadow passed across the moonlight drifting through his window. Meiltan looked up with a start and caught a glimpse of a dark figure. Something about this shadowy form chilled Meiltan.
The Dark Shadow as Meiltan would later call it melted back into the night. Moments later the sounds of struggling and screaming came from outside Meiltan's bedroom. Bu due to the sight of the Dark Shadow Meiltan was helpless, shivering on the floor screaming mutely. Eventually the horrible cacophony ceased and Meiltan, dredging up what little courage he had, crawled from his room. What he saw next carved deep furrows through his mind.
There on the wooden floor of the kitchen, almost floating in their own blood, were the dessicated forms of his mother and sister. Standing before them, his own clothes bloodied and tattered was Timothy Sommerbach. Bile rose in Meiltan's throat and he fell to his knees. At the sound of retching, Timothy shifted his empty stare to rest on his brother. Fear tore at Meiltan's mind, urging him to run, but he could do nothing but stare back into the abyss that was once his brother.
It was then that two events occurred almost simultaneously. For an instant Meiltan saw the image of the Dark Shadow flicker over his brother, just as his father and the farm hands returned. With a fluid motion Timothy/the Dark Shadow lunged at the men. Forgetting everything, Meiltan bolted for his room. Grabbing his book he hurled himself through the open window and ran with all his might.

Unfortunately for Meiltan the Dark Shadow was determined to hunt him down. After running from his farmhouse, Meiltan collapsed from exhaustion in a nearby copse of trees. With the dawn light Meiltan continued his aimless journey, travelling as far as he could from Potter's Field.
Two days passed before the Dark Shadow finally tracked him down. Meiltan had sought shelter from the rain in a ruined cottage near a large forest. His nightmare-tainted sleep was disturbed suddenly by a harsh whispering. Opening his eyes, Meiltan came face to rotting face with his brother's corpse. Meiltan knew that the Dark Shadow hid somewhere behind his brother's sunken eyes. Muttering something about "tying up loose ends", the Dark Shadow struck Meiltan a vicious blow with his claws. Cold fire pulsed from the wound through Meiltan's veins, seeping the strength from his limbs as it passed. Bones screeched in agony and flesh dried. Finally the cold fire flowed into Meiltan's head and he fell into nothingness.

When Meiltan awoke he was still in the ruined cottage, except it was now day. He felt different somehow, weaker and slightly stronger at the same time. His chest still bore a deep cut, already putrefying at the edges.
Meiltan was just gathering his thoughts when a man in his middle years entered the cottage. This new comer was very tall and had mangy blonde hair. He was of wiry build and was clothed in simple brown travelling robes. Wordlessly he gave Meiltan some food before introducing himself as Mikael Fallowthorn, a scholar and mage. Mikael was using the cottage as a hiding spot from local authorities and was returning from a nightly stroll when he happened upon the Dark Shadow, just about to kill Meiltan.
Sensing the evil oozing from the Shadow, Mikael had summoned arcane forces to destroy the creature. Unfortunately it was quite powerful and managed to escape with its "life". Mikael went on to tell Meiltan that the Shadow's attack had magically aged him about ten years. Somehow it seemed to make sense to Meiltan as he looked over his new body. Meiltan, now a young man of twenty four, thanked Mikael for saving his life and, remembering a story from his book, pledged his life in service to the mage. Lughing at Meiltan's offer, Mikael accepted and in return offered to tutor Meiltan.

Two years passed as Mikael taught his young pupil. The pair travelled from place to place, always making sure never to stay in a town too long. Although Mikael never told Meiltan the reason for this, the boy assumed that it was because people feared the mage's powers. Apart from learning magic, Meiltan also pressed Mikael for knowledge on the darkness that infested this land.
Mikael at first told him little, but after realising how deep the boy's fascination with it ran, he began to pass on more and more detailed information. Eventually Meiltan knew as much as the old mage wanted to teach.

One morning Meiltan awoke to find Mikael absent from their camp. Searching around for his master, Meiltan came across a note. The dry ink on the page was in Mikael's unique style and its words struck at Meiltan far worse than the Shadow's claws. In his letter Mikael told Meiltan that their time together was at an end, for there was much in the world for Meiltan to see and learn without his master.
Asking for forgiveness, Mikael finished the letter without an explanation - only an address in Vallaki, Barovia. Meiltan still hurt from the contents of the letter, but trusting in his master's words he journeyed to Vallaki. Here he found at the address a small, abandoned house. Inside he discovered yet another note from Mikael.
This one told Meiltan that the house was his to use as a home as well as a place to study. Since that time Meiltan has dwelled in the house in Vallaki, using it as a base of operations while he goes out to "forage" for information.

Due to his transformation, Meiltan is a 16-year old trapped in a 26-year old's body. He suffers from immature mood swings that range from quiet sulks to childish tantrums.
However there is a dark and mature undercurrent to Meiltan's psyche. He is obsessed with all things dark and evil, even going to the point of risking himself and others in order to obtain information on them. Meiltan also goes through life wanting to live up to Mikael's image, trying to become the wise, old mage. Although he is yet to return to a life on the run, Meiltan would do anything if he was sure it was something Mikael would do. Overall Meiltan is an uncomfortable person to be around with. He acts very paranoid around shadows and is constantly placing knowledge above the welfare of people.
However those who have befriended Meiltan have discovered a child-like man who is desperate for companionship and a version of the family he lost.

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