Enter Rhys...
Days seem to shift by endlessly. They are a constant, wake, pray, train at arms, pray. It is the nights that make life a bitter eternity. In the darkness, in the silence of the monastery, there is nothing to do but think; think and dream. It always starts the same way. The day is bright and cheerful, the laughter of servants resounds through the halls. Emjad and I play our games, games of war and bravery, of knights and quests. But soon darkness falls, clouds unseen rise from the east and blot out the noonday sun. It is unnatural. As my brother and I relax in our apartments, cries of laughter turn to cries of pain and wails of despair. The people of our house beg for their lives without hope for mercy. It is a slaughter. Our uncle comes to us and takes our game one step further. This time it means our lives. Emjad has always been stronger, faster, more nimble. He flanks my uncle as I trail behind. He is young and brash, but a leader since old enough to walk. I would follow him anywhere. My skills have always been as counselor and I have often been the thought and reason to his fervor and excitement. We complement each other, complete one anther. As twins, he the older, we have always been inseparable. Our flight takes us through the gardens to the forest beyond our manor. As we disappear into the depths of the forest, our last remembrance of our childhood home is the cry of our father as he is slaughtered. I awaken in a cold sweat, it is always the same and the dream has plagued me these last ten years Ten years since my uncle left me at the monastery of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, goddess of revenge. My talents for learning have allowed me to become an initiate of the goddess. My desire for revenge has made me a favorite. The price has been family. Ten years since I last saw my brother. We shall be reunited soon.
I wash, and dress in the simple black robes that mark our order. Black that lets us approach enemies unseen. Black that decries the simpleness of our beliefs - the goddess gives us strength of purpose, a single-mindedness that allows the attainment of our individual goals. Belief in Artemis allows us to transcend the limitations of the corporeal body, to loose the hindrance of this mortal flesh, so that we may drive ourselves to feats unimaginable by simple men.
My time of meditation, prayer, learning, and training in the arts of war, religion, and statecraft are complete. The Lady has granted me her powers. I am a Priest of Artemis.
Nothing remains for me here. As I saddle my belongings, I close my eyes. East. I can feel the bonds of brotherhood as if they are tangible. My brother, our revenge, and our destiny lie to the East.