Who would have guessed the Aerrian Order’s greatest champion would have emerged — almost literally — from the ashes of their worst enemies? Brian Tolstoy Altic, the son of estranged Aerrian knight Xavier Altic, had little more than his orphanage’s caretakers to look to for guidance, and as a result, became strongly attracted to such notions as anarchy and purposeful mischief. With fellow orphan Selleck Naedus at his side, the two delinquents grew up to become a fairly renowned criminal duo, resorting to hiding out in the woods of Jimen after being chased out of their home in industrial North Sary. It was in the dense jungle, cold, hungry, and facing few options for survival, that the mysterious Chief Matamaros came to them with an offer of shelter, sustenance, and companionship — on the one condition that they vow servitude to his tribal sect. As members of Matamaros’ savage community, Brian and Selleck helped wage war against the Aerrian Order’s self-righteous crusade to annex and indoctrinate the tribes hiding in the vast forests of their heavily wooded country. Fate would have it that, after a failed raid on one of the Order’s resource caravans, Selleck was captured and taken to a fort on the edge of the Jimen woods. With no time to lose, Brian rashly led a pair of fellow tribesmen to rescue Selleck, only to retrieve his friend in a fatal condition and lose both his comrades in the ensuing battle. In another stroke of terrible luck, Brian dragged Selleck back to the village they had come to call home in time to watch it burn to the ground and witness their patriarchal leader die at the hands of the Order’s notorious paladin Michael Vonae. With Selleck in dire need of medical treatment, Brian swallowed his pride and rode to the cathedral in South Sary, pledging his and Selleck’s repentance in exchange for the church’s sanctuary and compassion.
No sooner had both wayward sons of Aerrio begun to establish themselves as devout soldier of the Order did their troubling pasts catch up with them, since their identities had finally been discovered by none other than Michael, who was in the process of staging a coup of the Aerrian Czardom in parallel with his flushing out of clerical personnel with any ties to the lingering tribal menace. In true disregard for the nature of redemption, Michael forged orders for Brian to perform reconnaissance in West City just as the Thardian War began, and personally led a group of soldiers in an attempt to execute Selleck and rival paladin Aaron Vaktrus, who was the boys’ close friend and mentor. Aaron and Selleck escaped, but not before watching Brian sail away to what very well may have been his doom…
Once ashore the continent of Westoond, Brian rode to West City and encountered Xellian scouts right off the bat. Having been kept in the dark about most details concerning the developing war, Brian let himself believe anyone with a weapon would be hostile to him, a man of neither nationality of both countries involved. Once inside the city, a pair of unlikely allies came to his aid after being ambushed by Xellian soldiers. The Trosian squire, Rados, and the surviving West City guard, Borgo, introduced themselves as having no quarrel with the out-of-place cleric, and with no better option, he trusted them and joined their effort to escape the city. In the city’s barracks, Brian discovered a wounded Xellian soldier whom they believed might help them one way or another, and they took to tending her injury. With the barracks finally having been breached by pursuing soldiers, Brian helped the girl to safety and escaped into the city’s sewers through a hidden door in the barracks prison.
With plenty of time to get to know each other, Brian learned her name was Alexis, and that she had been betrayed and left for dead in the barracks by her own comrades, logically forcing her to rethink where her loyalties lie. Agreeing to help Brian until some task more worthwhile became available, she accompanied him through the giant-crocodile infested underground, saving his life by making quick friends with the wayward spirit Icarus, who occasionally lent her his supernatural marksmanship powers. Both of them managed to make it out of the sewers and onto the grasslands just outside West City, where Rados and Borgo could be seen fighting what appeared to be an armored giant. While Brian finished up his duel with the relentless scaled beast Dundie, Alexis contributed to the defeat of the enormous knight. All four survivors together again, they decided to travel together toward Tros to petition action from Andross’ Vanguard in hopes they could help end the war.
Though separated many times during their journey, the West City survivors trekked across the deadly Aura woods and Ghetty mountains, eventually reaching Ghetty city, where the bulk of Westoond’s hidden army lay in wait for their opportunity to strike back against Xellaus. After a tumultuous voyage by sea into the Trosian channel, Brian reunited with Aaron and Selleck, whose armada had fallen back on emergency orders to rendezvous with the Westoond fleet in the event of either nation being attacked. Their combined might sailed undetected, straight into the heart of Xellaus capital, where the final battle of the Thardian War was fought. Brian rode alongside the Aerrian cavalry from the Kokkaru forest, regrouping with Rados and Borgo to assail castle Ghorre and force the king’s surrender.
During the course of the war, Brian acquired an infatuation with Alexis, and the two remained romantically involved long after their journey together. Once reparations from the Thardian War had concluded, Brian married Alexis, moved to Xellaus, and continued working for the Aerrian Order as a spy, reporting on suspicious activity in his new homeland and enforcing justice where and when it was needed.
Twelve years following the destructive Thardian War, New Xellaus — ruled by the tyrannical Emperor Hadron — began its conquest of Venteran, starting with Westoond, prompting Brian to come out of retirement and don his red clerical armor once more. Seeking an explanation for the Xellian prince’s mysterious and drastic change in character, Brian scoured the Trosian archives in Ximen, only to be confronted by a warrior referring to himself only as the “White Knight of Tros”. Easily detecting his old friend Rados’ facade, he accepted Rados’ assurance that no record owned by the Republic would be able to help, and he headed for the Aura woods, where it was agreed a detachment of Aerrian soldiers would meet him to determine their next plan of action. Promoted to paladin by a representative of the Order and given a horse, Brian’s new orders entailed making sure Tros’ president, Lord Ventaros, made it safely into Aerrio. Riding as quick as the wind, he picked up a young Westoond soldier named Oliver Kone, who per Brian’s urging snuck past enemy lines and into the war-torn Trosian capital, where he made contact with Lord Ventaros and aided in their escape. Having done all he could given his circumstances, Brian made a dash for the wastelands north of Ximen, hoping to spread word of the president’s flight and create a diversion. With support from Rados, Andross’ Vanguard mobilized along the express route to the harbor where Lord Ventaros and his entourage were headed, and a sizable force including Rados and Brian entered the rocky plains to head off New Xellaus’ march around the Allorrean range. It was in one such outcrop that Brian became trapped between New Xellian garrisons, prompting Rados to lead his soldiers down into a valley where they created an opportunity for Brian to escape, although ultimately resulting in their deaths.
Not wanting to waste his opportunity, Brian made haste north into Aerrio straight to the capital, where he informed Czar Vaktrus of the war’s progression, pleading for the Order to come to Tros’ aid. With the arrival of Lord Ventaros, Aaron finally agreed to take up arms against New Xellaus, and a reforged Trosian Alliance launched a valiant offensive out from Thor city, effectively pushing back the invading armies and taking back Tros’ capital.
With the death of Aaron as a result of the possessed Grann Sileus, Brian temporarily asserted himself as czar, as no other candidates came forward. Under his direction, the Trosian Alliance eradicated the forces of New Xellaus and began mending the parts of the world ravaged by the ruthless foe’s brutality. His and Alexis’ children were among the first to depart Venteran in fear of the prophesied fiery armageddon said to follow the Alraune War.
Brian, the Savage: As a Matamaros tribesman, Brian’s name of honor was Coyote, as he was fierce and stealthy like the wild canines which often roamed the wooded countryside.
Brian, the Cleric: Under the paladin Aaron’s tutelage, Brian learned the teachings of Ahmerrozh and much of the lore surrounding the other Supreme Beings, as well such virtues as redemption, forgiveness, temperance, charity, and mercy — many of which he struggled to exercise in his time working alongside priests and devout members of the deeply religious Aerrian Order.
Brian, the Fighter: Returning to his more brutish roots following the siege of West City, Brian shed much of his clerical armor and adopted a large axe as his primary weapon of choice through the arduous journey across Westoond. Something of a “jack-of-all-trades”, Brian also displays notable skill in swordsmanship, marksmanship, tracking, and geography, as well as significant knowledge in political history, scripture, and identifying creatures of mythologic origin.
Brian, the Phoenix: After merging with the burning demon Aressio, Brian exhibits many fire-like qualities, including the ability to create and manipulate fire from the elements around him. Although these powers faded shortly after the Thardian War, as he was one of the last West City survivors to fuse with a mystic guardian, his supernatural prowess remained evident even during the final battle on Hades plains, where his flames climbed high among the three warring armies.
Brian, the Paladin: Finally achieving the highest honor the Order could bestow on one of their followers, Brian proved the worth of his entitlement by keeping the New Xellaus armies on a wild goose chase throughout the Trosian Republic.
Brian, the Black Knight: Though only adopting the mantle briefly during the push against New Xellaus’ invading force at Thor city, Brian set the standard for true brutality on the field of battle, serving countless enemy soldiers their own rears and earning the fearful respect of his comrades.
