Kerov Altec

Kerov is an angelic swordsman in the employ of the Doma. His love of holy magic and justice is well known, and he is a paladin of his patron deity, Mithra.

Early History

Kerov was born as Masqueetas Altec, as an elf in U'harea, though he shortened his name to Squintz. From an early age, he took a liking to paladins, after hearing stories of them from his father. When he reached the age of maturity, he traveled to the big city, Doma, looking for adventure and a chance to prove his holiness. This led him to declaring great vows to destroy all evil he met, including an illithid, Xzar'il. Though he joined the Doman Guard and was a competant swordsman, he never really caught anyone's notice. However, when Malachias returned to Gaera, he led a group that invaded his tower. There, he decided to sacrifice himself in order to let the rest escape. Squintz died when the tower was destroyed, leaving behind nothing but the flask that Captain Pervy of the guard gave him before he set out.

Rise of Kerov

When the group set out again to destroy Malachias, a new, strange angel tried to halt their progress. His name was Kerov, and he was concerned that the group would be unable to hurt Malachias, and tried to divert them from their goal, up to and including fighting them in open combat. In the end, he failed at stopping them from pursuing their goal, and was revealed to be Squintz. After the incident, he decided not to rejoin society, abandoning his old life. Instead, he declared himself the protector of Ara du Mithril on her travels.

Ara was responsible for eventually causing him to rejoin society at large, although he kept the name Kerov, stating that Squintz was dead, and anyways, he liked the name Kerov better. Unfortunately, soon after, the Malachian Wars began.

Kerov in the Malachian Wars

Since one of Malachias' first moves was to kill Ara and the others that tried to destroy him last time he was on Gaera, Kerov spent much of the opening of the war partially insane. Having said to be the protector of Ara, and yet failing entirely to protect her from death, he went crazy with guilt and became a hermit in one of the cave systems west of Doma. When it was later revealed to them that the group was alive, Kerov regained his sanity, and began working closely with the other Paladins of Mithra. Arkot, the Eye, Kerov, the Fist, (name forgotten), the Shield, and Goel, the Sword. They began working behind the scenes to defeat Malachias' agents.

After the wars

After the wars, Kerov helped rebuild Doma city with the rest of the paladins. Deciding that he wasn't going to live with regret, he soon after married Ara, and had a child, Arza, with her. He joined the Doma Knights, and worked on improving his sword skills and focused less on holy magics, deciding for a purity of form. He's settled down, becoming more mellow and willing to crack a joke as the years go by.

Goel

Kerov's sword, Goel, is a strange entity. The only inanimate object that is a paladin of Mithra, it began as an enchanted sword named Redeemer that Squintz used. When Squintz returned as Kerov, the sword was also renamed to Goel and was further enchanted, allowing it to think, talk, and float on its own accord. Goel is a very sarcastic weapon, though fiercely loyal to Kerov's protection.

Recent Years

As of late, though, Kerov went on a journey with his family. Where he went, nobody knows, and what he's been doing, nobody knows.

Kerov and Others

Kerov has met many people among the years, and here's how he feels about some of them.

Hakaril Silvar - Kerov cannot dispute the archmages' power and ability, and he considers Hak a friend. However, deep down in his heart, he does sometimes get put off by the young mage's arrogance and penchant for titles. Goel, on the other hand, gets a real kick out of him.

Dia Rai - Few things unnerve Kerov. Dia is one of them. He wouldn't cross her, though she has never done anything significantly wrong. In addition, she runs his favorite inn, so he can't dislike her. Goel, on the other hand, is completely frightened of her. It's quite possible he would refuse to fight her.

Drow - Kerov dislikes drow. His old nemesis, Dhargun, may have been killed, but it doesn't excuse the drow society that created him. However, Kerov jokes that he's seen "more redeemed drow in one block of doma than humans," so he tends to wait and see when it comes to the dark elves. If one is proven to be less than stellar, it is cause for instant disdain, and possibly attack.

Celestials - Celestials bug Kerov. Luckily for him, he is not a true celestial, as much as he is a ressurected being that's being given life by Mithra. Thus, he is not bound by the codes that other celestials are bound by, and tries to set a good example. He believes celstials are naturally arrogant, and while Kerov thinks highly of himself, he tries not to be superior to everyone.

Malachias - Hatred is not a strong enough word to describe Kerov's relationship with the Pit Lord. Malachias was his "Ultimate Foe," and Kerov's sole purpose in being brought back to Gaera was to see his death. However, Malachias' demise left Kerov somewhat empty, as now he has no great foe to contend with. Most of his wanderings nowadays is to find a foe to rival that could contend with Mally. Though this thought has never left his head, he still wishes Malachias was alive...if only to do battle with him once more...

Borrowed Time

Kerov is bound by the Paladin's Code. Normally, if a paladin disobeys the code, they lose their holy powers. In Kerov's case, it is much more dire. Breaking the code in his case causes the following:

1) Loss of all holy powers. Kerov is a master swordsman, so while he would be weakened, he would still be a threat.

2) Loss of Goel. Goel is a holy weapon, also a Paladin, and sanctified by Mithra himself. If Kerov breaks the Code, Goel would not be allowed to associate with the fallen paladin.

3) Death. Kerov is living only because Mithra wills it. And while Kerov remains in Mithra's good graces, he is fine. However, breaking the Code would risk Mithra's wrath, and the bond holding Kerov's life force to Gaera would sever, causing a slow and painful death for Kerov.

As such, Kerov is awfully careful to never violate the code. Small infractions, however, occur, and he can usually attone himself quickly for them.

Accent

Kerov never fully mastered Common, having spoken Elvish through his entire adult life until he reached Doma. As such, he has trouble with some of the aspects of Common, such as contractions (Elvish having none), and speaks with a somewhat noticable Elvish accent (RL Note: Yiddish Accent). Sometimes, his grammar will slip, and he'll utter something like, "You want I should get you a drink?" This is an endless source of amusement for Goel, and sometimes others. Kerov can also be seen sometimes dipping back into Elvish, especially when drunk or distressed. He has been known to say "Oy vey" when things have gone completely wrong. This, of course, cracks up Goel.