Caeles Strari

Caeles Strari was a member of the Chimera party. Growing up in the cult known as the Solism, he escaped it alongside Lucine Lunaa. He was devoted to Sol for a long time, until her eventual betrayal. He used to be a human, but he was 'reborn' as an Aasimar in an unholy ritual when he killed himself on Sol's orders and was revived by Viera.

After the inconclusive ending of the Tale of the Sunless Dunes campaign, he is implied to have continued the fight against Surya Glawar and Sol. As per his new contract with Krros, he is eventually destined for the hells. He is the creator and owner of the Blade of Vaitarnus.

Biography

Early Life

A sort of graduation ritual of the Solism is a ceremony known as the 'The Blinding'. New members and children who reach a certain age are brought deep under the church, to a cave with a natural window looking out towards the open horizon. Through magic incantations near sunset, the sun itself is blackened- everyone staring into it.

Those rejected by Sol are blinded, while some accept Sol as their master and are given powers. Almost no one comes out of the ritual unscathed, even the best case scenario involves minor burns. Those blinded during the ritual are promptly sacrificed to the sun.

Lucine and Caeles were orphans found and raised by the church. Surya Glawar was like a terrible father to them. Growing up together, they were treated fairly differently by the higher ups. Lucine had almost no powers to speak of, but was a Fire Genasi- their inherent flames seen as a good omen due to the likeness to Queen Sol. Caeles was relatively normal, but showed martial prowess and was trained likewise.

On the day of the Blinding, both of them had a fairly different reaction to the ritual. Caeles felt the presence of Sol, and had a choice between blinding and death, or his ambition. Choosing to accept her offer, he made a pact with Sol, gaining her favor. Lucine made contact with Sol, but as the Queen tried to awaken any sort of innate powers Lucine might have, what actually awakened was the direct opposite- powers that stem from the moons above. Utterly rejected, Lucine came out the ritual neither blinded nor accepted.

As part of the pact and the ritual, Caeles proceeded to kill all the other orphans and would-be members that were blinded and rejected by Sol, manifesting a weapon in his hand blessed by the Queen's might. He was to also kill Lucine, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he helped her escape the Church, and the two ran off together.

Tale of the Sunless Dunes

Check the main campaign page for the detailed plot summary.

wip
sol stuff
lucine
sunblade in ruins
ball
ritual at dibayad
dealing w. moghroth and dieterich
killing himself
feywild sol resurrection
theratis' test
glawar
krros
jamre sneaking

After the Campaign

Caeles abandoned nearly everything, going on a journey to roam around clearing up all the messes that Sol and the Church had created. Caeles took in some children that he rescued from the cult, giving them the tools to survive the way he and his friends did and entrusting the children to the care of House Vokiro. He decided to wait for Sol in hell if that day would ever come, living out the rest of his life as a vagabond.

Timeline

3E445 - Caeles is born in the Kav’orra Desert, and later given to the Church of the Black Sun.
3E467 - Caeles and Lucine escape the Church after an awakening, heading to Ammba and starting off the events of Tale of the Sunless Dunes. Sol later betrays him in the Feywild, after she makes him kill Lucine.
3E468 - After the party returns from the Feywild, they realize a year has passed on the material plane, leading to the final chapter of the campaign.