Cole is the second born child and son of Frank and Marie Parish. Frank, a devout follower of Orkist, worked in the local Parish as a cook while Ellen worked as a seamstress. It was always his dream to have one of his boys become a priest in the service of Orkist. However, neither boy had such aspirations.
Dane (Cole’s brother) enjoyed swordplay and strategic mission planning. It was his dream to join the military and climb the ranks to the top. In an effort to escape the expectations of his father, Dane ran away and joined the military at the age of 14. The family has heard very little of him since his departure almost 7 years ago.
Cole abruptly became an only child at the age of 12 due to his brother’s early departure. Although he had absolutely no desire to join the military ranks as did his brother, he also had no intention of fulfilling his father’s wishes in becoming a priest.
Then it happened! During a particularly “heated” argument between Cole and his father, a small burst of flame erupted from his hand. At first his father was delighted because he thought it was a sign from Orkist that his son was indeed destined to become a priest. Cole was rushed down to the parish to meet with Abbot Gregor. But to his father’s dissatisfaction they were informed that Cole’s talents were not of the divinity of Orkist.
Cole, intrigued by his newfound talents, now had a purpose in life. This gave him the sense of direction he so desperately needed. He went to his parents and begged them to allow him to study magic and to help him find a teacher. His mother was open to the idea but his father refused. Unwilling to accept the truth, he was still set on Cole’s becoming a priest.
A few years passed and Cole was able to pick up a few things here and there. But reality was quickly setting in that he would never be able to develop into a capable wizard without the assistance of a qualified teacher. He pressured his parents time and time again but his father always won out.
Word quickly began to spread about a new city that was built overnight. A great magician built the city for the sole purpose of the advancement of magic. This was exactly the opportunity that Cole had been longing for. He quickly packed up his things and headed for Phoenix.
Cole was one of the first who arrived in Phoenix. At first things were quite disorganized. People were coming and going just to see what all the fuss was about. There were magical seminars being taught and the library was amazing. But there was really no sense of direction. Confusion began to set in. The founders of the city had seemingly deserted and left behind only their delegates, who were less than capable. It appeared as if the city would implode.
Then, the three Lords of Phoenix rose to power. After several months things started coming together. Organization began to take over and structure prevailed. The School of the Nine was founded and the city began to function as it was intended.
After some basic instruction, Cole designated the fire college as his main field of study. He felt that maybe it would be easier for his father to come to terms with things if he dealt mainly with fire, the sacred element of Orkist.
Cole’s mentor, Meredith Gordon, taught him virtually everything he knows about magic. Meredith, a Suul woman, came to Phoenix seeking refuge from the Creator’s Hand. Clearly one of the most talented fire mages in Phoenix, she quickly secured a position at the School of the Nine. Having lost her only son to a drowning incident, Meredith took it upon herself to look over the younger students including Cole.
During his time away from school, Cole worked in a local pub cooking food to earn extra money. After his shift he would often take to gambling where he lost and won many a paycheck.
Then the war began. Bullfeif roamed the streets of Phoenix, recruiting anyone who would join his ranks. An army of undead was raised and the conflict between Silothreni and Phoenix was in full force. Celen soon joined the fight but the defeat of the undead army was ultimately achieved by Sujo, the world’s most powerful wizard, original founder and creator of the city of Phoenix.
After the war, Phoenix quickly became a home to the undead as well. Several people left the city because of this “atrocity”. The rest came to terms with the idea and the city quickly began functioning like normal.
About 3 years passed and Cole’s training in the fire college was finished. Missing his family, he headed back to Tristan. Cole arrived in Tristan only to find that his parents had just recently died in a tragic attack on the city. He was told that a giant fiery demon was unleashed on the city. A group known as Griswold’s Irregulars defeated the creature, but not before several lives were lost.
After a time of grieving, Cole left Tristan in search for Griswold’s Irregulars to thank them for their service and to join their ranks in order to assist them in preventing future tragedies such as these.
Goals and Aspirations:
- Protect innocent people
- Promote the study of magic
- Rid the world of demons
- Participate in the demise of the Creator’s Hand
Dane :
Unbeknownst to his family, Dane is achieving his goals, climbing through the military ranks of Celen. Dane saw his first real combat in the war against the Suul about 6 months after enlisting. He was sent directly to the front lines and would have been killed were it not for his being dragged out by another soldier by the name of Eddie Giffin. Eddie was a couple years older than Dane and had a similar background. Neither of the boys’ families wanted him to become a soldier and they both ran away to join the military. The two quickly became friends and although they are currently in separate regiments they still stay in contact with one another.
Dane has become a very skilled swordsman and an even better tactician.
Dane is currently a Captain in the army and is expecting to be promoted soon. His current mission is one of extreme importance to the government. He has been hand-picked to lead a small group of special forces to investigate the disappearance of one Cassie Knight, daughter of the Prince of Ghan. The search and rescue of Cassie should secure Dane’s promotion.
Meredith Gordon:
Meredith was a mother first and a mage second. Her son was her pride and joy. When she lost him to a drowning accident she almost took her own life. Somehow she managed to find the strength to go on living and began devoting all of her time to the study of magic. Her love for magic began to grow more and more because it was something that she had control over.
Meredith rejected the Creator’s Hand’s ways of thinking and outwardly protested their efforts to banish magic. She was captured and held prisoner for some time before a group led by Sujo the Magician freed her and several others.
Upon hearing that Sujo himself had created a city specifically for mages, she took refuge in the walls of Phoenix and began to share her gift with other young talents.