Ulrich Warrick

Ulrich Warrick

Ulrich hails from a land far from the shores of Kyranthia, a place he really doesn’t like to talk about. A place where magic and monsters were mostly legends and wives' tales. His family ran a farm that supported the local priory, and his family had developed close ties with the monks. Enough so that he and his siblings that were still too young to work the farm often helped around the place, performing small tasks and such in exchange for tales and teaching. He grew up listening to the old prior preach about knights and their many deeds—dragon slaying, upholding honor, and so on. And slowly grew a deep desire to become such a knight himself.

One blazing summer afternoon in his 12th year would answer his wishes in more ways than he could have ever imagined, for good and bad. The king of his realm, Leofrick, had arrived on campaign; he and his forces had stopped to take rest from the dreaded summer heat. Ulrich, playing with his sister, Kara, stopped in awe as a knight of the realm trod by, sweat gleaming upon his brow, nearly as bright as the sun on his armor. His magnificent helm, loosely strapped to the side of his horse, slipped free and rolled its way to the feet of the young Ulrich. Beside himself, Ulrich felt something urge him to pick up the helm; maybe it was the weavers of fate? Who knows, but the boy grabbed the helm and ran it to the mounted knight, who thanked him. Before Ulrich turned to leave, the knight stopped him, with a look of curiosity in his eyes. Maybe guided by the same unforeseen force? He offered the boy to be his squire.

The Old Prior had heard the man's offer and quickly scurried the child off home; the man yelled to him before he left, “Look for me at the temple, boy! The name's Malark!” With those words still fresh in his mind, Ulrich ran home to tell his parents. His excited yelling drew in his brothers, Dorn and Randal, from raking the field. The news did not go over well.

His father, Darvin Warwick, was in favor of the idea: “a chance for the boy to experience something greater than their squalid little farm, to explore the world and grow!” His mother, Miri, however, was livid that somebody would dare to try and take her youngest child. The family, after hours of arguing to and fro, finally came to a decision during dinner: the boy was to take on the apprenticeship and make a man of honor out of himself. When morning came, all but Darvin saw him off at the farm, and his father left with him to the priory, where they located Malark Evenwood, his new master. Darvin made the man swear to protect his son and treat him like his own, or else he’d hunt him down to the seven hells if he had to. Before leaving with the knight, Darvin gifted Ulrich an old family heirloom, a nearly faded coat of arms. “One day, boy, I’ll tell you about your roots.”

From there, Malark and Ulrich left, starting many hard years of training and teaching. Before he was allowed to lift a sword, Ulrich was first taught how to read and write, along with the basics of the code of chivalry. By the time he was 16, he was finally able to lift a blade. In the cold autumn, he and Malark had stopped at a local tavern to celebrate the truce between Leofrick and his cousin Ederbald, with whom he had been at war for 4 years now. Here they met a rather short fellow named Sindri Tasar (a dwarf) who was enjoying a drink while gathering materials from the local silver mine. The patrons were giving him quite a hard time for his stature, and so the dwarves' temper had finally boiled over. Ulrich and Malark, having listened to all this for a good while, helped the dwarf in his barroom blitz.

After the fight, they were thrown out by the patron of the tavern, and together they hit the road for a while, parting when the dwarf had gathered his materials and needed to head home. Life was good for a while; peace lasted in the kingdom, but upon his 18th birthday, word had reached them that Ederbald and Leofrick were once again at one another’s throat. Ulrich was excited, and finally he could have the true taste of battle. His master, however, had a very grim look about him. Malark deemed it time to let him know a secret he and the other knights had been hiding for quite a while. Leofrick, contrary to popular belief, was not the kind and just king he liked to flaunt himself as. He was cruel and swift to anger, not afraid to kill anyone who refused his orders.

Inevitably, come winter, deep behind enemy lines, the king and his lords called Malark, with his squire to come to the front lines and act as his guardian. They spent weeks fighting along the front lines together, saving the king many times, but he always seemed less than thankful. Then the fateful day that changed the course of Ulrich's life came. The king once again called for Malark and Ulrich to accompany him, taking them to a small farm house not unlike the one he had grown up in.

In the front yard, surrounded by the king's 12 lords, was a small family of six, a father and mother clutching their four bairns close. Covered in mud and soot, the king approached Ulrich, saying, "You wish to be a knight, don’t you, boy? If so, slay these fools. For they refuse to offer up their stores to feed their new protectors.” Malark, with a grim look, looked away as if ashamed. Ulrich, sword in hand, walked over to the family. The mother and father, attempting to comfort their children, closed their eyes with a look of acceptance. He raised the sword over the father’s head, closed his eyes, and took one long, deep breath. Images of his family ran through his mind—his father kneeling before him, offering up the ancient coat of arms; his mother looking on with a tear rolling down her cheek as he left the farm for the last time.

Slowly, he lowered the blade and refused to follow this king’s orders. The king, in anger, commanded Malark to kill the boy for his insolence. Malark bowed and grabbed Ulrich by the brim of his shirt, carrying him into the house. The sound of the children’s screams pierced the cold air as Malark quickly carried Ulrich to the other side of the house, where he told him to sneak away and meet him back at the military camp under the cover of night. Malark thrashed about making the sound of a fight before coming back out and informing the king that the boy had been dealt with. The king commanded him to drag the corpses of the family into the house and burn them to the ground.

Ulrich hid in the woods, watching the house burn till the king and his men, along with Malark, rode off back to camp. From there, he circled around the edge and followed the road by moonlight until he had reached the camp. Using his cloak, he snuck his way around camp, heading for Malark’s tent, where his mentor waited inside. Their meeting was brief; Malark had packed him supplies and money enough for him to be able to flee and start a new life. Ulrich tried to argue for Malark to come with him and that it was suicide to stay and serve such a wicked man, but he refused, stating it was too late for him. With heavy hearts they parted, and just as Ulrich left the tent and began walking towards the wood, someone ran into him, throwing him off his feet. Quickly he tried to cover his face as he looked up into the eyes of one of the twelve lords from before, and the lord called out screaming, “The boy lives! Guards!”

Ulrich was chased for three days before his hunters gave up. Cold and starving, he began the many mile trek back to the only home he ever knew. With the many skills he was taught, Ulrich survived the multi-week travel through the winter landscape back to his family farm, where he was greeted by his now-aged parents. He told them of his plight and asked them if they would help him hide. They agreed, of course, and so he stayed hidden for almost a year and a half. The war had ended with the death of Ederbald, and an uneasy peace had returned to the lands, which unfortunately gave the king spare time to send men out and hunt for Ulrich. The now very old Prior had snuck to the family farm, warning them to tell Ulrich that a headhunter sent to collect his bounty had arrived at the temple for rest and blessings.

Terrified of the consequences that would befall his family If they ever found him there, he gathered his things and fled, but before he could step out the door, he was stopped by the ancient prior. In his hand was a burlap sack with a sword handle poking out of the top. He informed Ulrich that they had arrived the day before by courier marked for his father, but recognizing the insignia on the blade, he knew it was for him from Sir Malark. Ulrich took to the countryside and made camp on a small, forested hill. Building a small shelter, Ulrich, by firelight, opened the sack, finding a letter marked "from Malark." Inside, it referenced that if located, he had passed and wished to give his sword and coat of arms to his apprentice. And that his apprentice should carry on his life’s dream, never forget his training, and continue to travel all over the world and help those in need wherever he can.

The dampened spark had been reignited in his breast, and so he left the hill at midnight, heading off with a second wind to the nearest port city to take him on the next step of his journey. Over the weeks of travel, his money had run short, and he found himself without enough fare for the ship. So knowing it was a great risk, he spent some time in the local tavern using a thread and needle to sew his master's coat of arms onto his best tunic. After washing up, he got in line for the ship, which headed off to a land called Keathwen. And when it came time for him to pay, he sternly pointed to the coat of arms, saying “King's business” with the best arrogant sneer he could muster. The ship captain, wincing, let him on board without issue. And so he left for a new country.

He landed at Port Hayward on the western shores of Keathwen and spent the night in the city’s tavern by the docks, where he met a monster hunter by the name of Crowden, asking around for information about a local boy who had been stricken by a mysterious sickness. After a few drinks together, Crowden revealed that the boy was in fact under the possession of some entity. And somehow, probably influenced by the liquor, Ulrich was pulled into helping him. Together they were able to free the child from the grips of a creature known as a Zmora (a demon of nightmares), and from then on, they became lifelong friends. On occasion, they would meet up and share the adventures they had been on. But one day he was met by Crowden, who had requested that he meet him in Hayward for some important questions. 

Crowden met him on the docks, just as the sun was setting on the crystal-like waters of the calm sea. After a few drinks, he told Ulrich that he was leaving these shores for a place called Kyranthia with a guild known as Realms Embassy, and knowing that he desired to do good in the world, he offered to have him join him on this new venture, and so upon agreeing, Ulrich now prepares for the spring venture.