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Surtr was born from two powerful mages, his father a great potions master who left not soon after conceiving Surtr to resume his travels discovering new herbs and potions. Surtr's mother was a frightfully powerful pyromancer, a flame that brightened the world. The day of his birth Surtrs mother like most pyromancers lost control. She ended up igniting the entire building causing the midwives and wet nurses to flee. As the inferno rages and howled a boy was born silent and eyes wide filled with wonder. Surtrs mother held her son tight and with her final ounces of strength casted a spell to protect her son from the hell she had brought forth. That night Surtr lost his home and mother, swallowed up by the flames that had ushered him into this world. The next morning from the ashes they found him. They named him Surtr for the destruction he brought as he came into existence.

Surtr was taken in by a nearby brothel. One of the workers there assuming him as her own unable to cast aside a child no matter how "cursed" he was. The was just a human a normal human working in the brothel. She raised Surtr and against all odds she instilled in him proper morals that would set a foundation of beliefs unshakable by any upcoming obstacle he would encounter. A woman who was seen doing a disgusting profession raised Surtr with love, nurturing his curiosity and helping to turn a boy wishing to explore into a man who could do anything. This isn't to say Surtr didn't have his hardships in childhood. It wasn't easy having a mother (even if adopted) who was a prostitute. He was made fun of constantly by patrons and fellow children. Everyone saw him as dirt, though his "mother" was able to show him that words could only harm if someone let them. Surtr soon became immune to these taunts and his sharp wit often allowed him to fend off and defeat those who would make fun of him.

Surtr from around the age of 6 displayed his first discipline in magic being what man considered a prodigy something he was rather proud of and would often experiment with. Surtr was gifted with potions a very rare discipline to have first as it took a very calculative and creative mind to truly tap the potential of potions a combination most mages lacked. Surtr by the age of 14 was brewing potions that even the mage college themselves hard trouble following and he was hailed as a master at the discipline. Surtrs "Mother" always encouraged him to listen to his heart though and follow it wherever it would take him. This ideal (despite its whimsical nature) triumphed over the mage college imploring Surtr to enroll.

By the age of 17 Surtr had decided he would see the world, but not before setting the woman who raised him right. He brewed two potions that night, he drank the first and spent the whole night gambling. He raked in enough money to buy a house with a few workers to tend to the land for his mother. The other he gave to a patron claiming it was the luck potion he had consumed at the beginning of the night. This patron was particularly rough to Surtrs mother and often times left her bruised and beaten requiring Surtr to brew something up to heal her. This potion he gave the man burnt the lining in his stomach causing the mans own stomach acid to chew through his other organs killing him from the inside out. That night after he died Surtr kissed his "mother" gently on the forehead thanking her for all she had done and giving her all his winnings.

The woman cried and embraced Surtr knowing it would be the last time she would see her "son" she took the money and thanked him profusely before allowing him to set out and to see the world.

Surtr immediately began to explore the world. He wandered aimlessly having no current goal save the idea of seeing all he could see. He would follow whispers often brewing potions for people in order to gain money to continue his travels. During this time he would enjoy the company of woman sometimes even paying for a night just to sleep in the bed with them not actually sleeping with the caller he had paid for. He was a gentle hearted man with pure eyes and a heart to match. Though this innocence was soon corrupted.

One night in a tavern, in a far away country Surtr met another mage. A beautiful woman who seemed to weave magic with her words. She had Surtr wrapped around her finger by the end of the night. The next morning Surtr set off with her deciding it would be wonderful to join her on her journey. The two traveled to a far away island and together with the help of Surtrs mastery of potions were able to defeat and crazed monster that was destroying an island. Once the mages defeated the beast the two slept together, enveloped in lust and clouded by his own ignorance Surtr believe he loved this woman. She spent years pulling on this facade drawing him in closer so she would have more control over his heart. She did this for decades and even managed to manipulate Surtr to the point that she convinced him not to return home to see his "mother" before she died, something Surtr would regret for the rest of his life.

After about 100 years of this Surtr had begun to show apt for pyromancy a rather archaic art and one that his lover specialized in. This only increased the love Surtr felt for her making it so that she was both his teacher and the one he gave his heart to. By two hundred years old Surtr was convinced he would remain with Morgana on this island for eternity the two reveling in the bliss they felt. Though in truth Morgana was only using Surtr. She came to him not long after saying she needed him and without his help she would die. She convinced Surtr to brew a very powerful potion that would keep her alive for a short time no matter what. He then watched her perform a disgusting ritual of ripping out he own heart infusing it with magic before thrusting it back into her own chest. This act gave Morgana incredible power but it morphed her into a demon. In this form Morgana changed, she became cruel and abusive and for the next 1000 years she did just that.

She was an expert in pyromancy and healing magic. The tortured Surtr, using him as her play thing to endlessly cause him pain. She would show him just enough affection and "love" to keep his heart hers but she spent that millennium showing him just how cruel woman could be. She tried to break that spirit of his to remove the man that stood there and get a dog in return. Though no matter how much she tortured him his spirit would not break. She did everything imaginable using the hundreds of years he had loved her to her advantage she had manipulated him because of it managed to keep him caged up for so long.

During this time Surtr came close to breaking, many times his mind was on the brink. Though he used one piece of information to keep him going one thing to allow him to maintain his wit. The fact that because of Morgana he never got to say goodbye to his mother. He began to learn to lie to conceal his desire and how to properly shield what he wanted from the world around him. Morgana intended on breaking him but Surtr ensured he would no succumb. He learned from her in this time he mastered pyromancy from an incredible mage and also endured more than any could fathom. Morgana healed the wounds the caused being sure to not even leave a scar so that when she used him physically his body would remain immaculate.

At the end of this millennium Surtr had awakened two disciplines at once two unnatural disciplines at that. Space and Mind, mind in particular served him well. It only bolstered his resolve furthering the futility of Morganas actions. The second served as the gateway for his escape. He would be able to leave he knew it. He just had to master what he could. So he began to plot his move.

He continued to endure whatever she did, the torture both physical and mental. Using him like a piece of meat, all of it was endured while in secret he honed those two disciplines so he could make his escape. A barrier had been placed on the cave wall one that ensured nothing could penetrate it. Though Surtr surmised she didn't count on magic that could manipulate space.

Morgana kept Surtr outside her room like a dog he was forced to wait for her return in the morning. Once he figured it out this was when he made his escape. He left in the dead of night being able to use space magic just enough to phase his body through the barrier and leave the cave. He ran as fast as he could, and managed to bargain with a griffin on the island. Surtr fled and by morning he was on land and he went to the only place he figured he'd be safe....

Surtr went back to Karst, Morgana had spoken of how she was wanted by that wretched kingdom and that it was the only place she couldn't go, so natural Surtr went there. Becoming a trapped bird again but gaining a much bigger cage. He was around 1200 years old now and no one paid much mind to the man he killed so long ago. He entered the college and when they saw how many disciplines he could use they were astounded. They quickly gave him a necklace to allow him to roll back time and enrolled him into as many classes as they offered on his discipline. This allowed Surtr to turn one day into four. Despite being trapped here, them offering him refuge so long as he stayed Surtr enjoyed his time at the college. The scholars here showed him that despite how grand the world was the knowledge within those was rivaled it.

Despite being enrolled in the college Surtr needed a home. As he looked at the kingdom seeing what changed he found himself in the only place that hadn't. The brothel in which he was raised. Surtr found himself drawn to it and explained to the owner his past. After convincing the man he was raised here the two struck a deal. Surtr would pay for the entire place to be renovated if he could build a sealed impenetrable building deep beneath the brothel. The man agreed and within a year it was complete. There was no way in or out of what laid below the brothel and so the owner was content with the deal believing he had swindled Surtr. Though it was all as Surtr intended. Utilizing his space magic Surtr would be able to travel down into way lay beneath giving him an impregnable home beneath where he was raised.

He poured into books and found himself lost in the knowledge. For another millennium he had become slave to something, though this time it was of his own volition. He excelled at a rate others found impossible. He taught teachers and continued to push the bounds of what was believed possible by the college. By the end of that thousand years Surtr had actually spent four thousand at the college and had mastered all it had to offer. They tried everything to get him to stay, offering him a job even offering to let him keep the precious necklace that turned back time. It was an artifact lost to the ages. Surtr accepted the necklace before destroying it. He told the college that in the wrong hangs this necklace could topple the world. Such a consequence was not worth its reward. After spending a few weeks rationalizing his logic the college agreed with him and decided he was free to leave.

Upon leaving the college the kingdom offered Surtr many different position. Royal advisor, potions master, pyromancy leader, and even general of their army. Surtr declined all of them and shocked everyone by requesting to be a guard. So shocked by this turn of events they made him a royal guard knowing with his skill he could protect anyone they sent. This was exactly what Surtr hoped and the thing he wanted most. With this he could travel freely and that's what he did. He was by far the strongest guard their kingdom had to offer and yet as the years went by he had a reputation for being one of the most dangerous to bring with.

Surtr was exploring the world again and using this duty to do so. He would often leave the one he was charged with to explore a nearby cavern or crypt unearthing its secrets before returning to his duty. Surtr never allowed any harm to come to those he was protecting but there were certainly some close calls. A few of the more adventuresome royals took a shining to Surtr and began "traveling" just to follow Surtr and allow him to poke around as he pleased. Surtr did this for two thousand years, and it only helped his vast knowledge grow. He made a few friends along the way, in particular a gruff elf name Androk he became very close too.

During a particularly dangerous assignment Surtr gained his alias "The Ashen Crow". The cloak he wore was made of raven feathers and against an army of undead Surtr raised his arms and caught fire, he rose up his arms engulfed in flaming wings as he then crashed into the army obliterating them all in one go. He rose from the ashes in that cloak standing amongst the slain foe while dusting himself off. The lord he was to protect gave him that name and had a rather illustrious tattoo put on Surtrs back to clearly mark him so that all who would see would know who they faced.

By the time this period came to an end Surtr had explored more of the world than any other single person. His nomadic ways allowed him to constantly stay on the move while maintaining his role with the kingdom and repaying the debt to the college. During his time one other guard he had a penchant for and is even credited with corrupting the boy when he was younger. Xavier was the mages name and the two would often go to the local brothel together when they were in the kingdom at the same time enjoying the stories they could swap. Xavier became the closest thing Surtr ever had to a brother and their relationship flourished during this time.

In addition during his travels Surtr collected some very old and rare magic sharing it with those he felt worthy and sometimes keeping it to himself. Surtr was very judicious about who to teach what he found to, after being subjected to Morgana he saw how power could corrupt and darken a heart and intended to keep such temptations hidden. One piece of magic he found that served him well was a spell that allowed him to create anchor points with symbols and teleport to them. He used this to only bolster the strength of his home changing the barrier so that nothing could pass through it. This made it so that the only one who could enter Surtrs home was him as he placed one of those symbols on the inside of his home.

In the later years of being a Guard Surtr became so respected he was allowed to cut back on his guard shifts and explore almost exclusively. This allowed him to spend the final 500 years of his time as a guard roaming the world and continuing his journey to explore all it could.

One day in the brothel, spending time with Xavier he was put as a crossroad. His "brother" had told him that he intended to overthrow the kingdom and that Surtr wasn't to be there knowing his softer heart would only impede the transition of power. He asked Surtr to leave and while the current leaders were corrupt Surtr was hesitant. Though something called to him, on his last couple of trips he had heard whisper of a great demon that terrorized the east. A woman, Surtr now strong enough was determined to destroy the creature that had stolen his heart. Knowing he couldn't do it alone he recruited Androk his good friend and scary elf to join him. Together the two ventured to the island and found Morgana.

There a great battle ensued that almost cost Surtr his life, he managed to scrape by only further strengthening the bond he held with the elf. Though some awkward moments arose they managed to leave the island successfully. While there Surtr found the spell Morgana had used to give her such power. He took it with him being sure no one would fall to such temptation again. Once he had taken it he destroyed her cave needing the resolution to put the pain he had experienced truly behind him.

Upon his return Surtr found the coup was successful but what came next was unexpected. Xavier insisted Surtr become the Archmage the one in charge of magic, saying a guard was beneath him. With little to argue against and knowing Xaviers unwillingness to back down Surtr accepted thus dawning a new title. The tipping point was the promise that Surtr could come and go as he pleased with nothing to hinder his travels now. Such a proposition was too tempting and something Surtr had to accept.

Upon becoming Archmage Surtr was left to his own devices, a freedom he had yet to experience something that he grew to love. Though something nagged as him, a piece of parchment that constantly taunted him. It was the spell he had taken from Morgana, the thing that had turned her into the demon that for a thousand years kept him chained in hell. He had never read the spell or look at its contents and Surtr couldn't bring himself to destroy knowledge without a means of it being passed down. So after quelling the strife within himself he opened it. He read its contents and his eyes seemed to widen. The spells side effects turned the person using them into their true form.

It brought great grief to Surtr to read such news, that the only woman he had loved wasn't corrupted by power but was at her core corrupt already. Surtr found himself weeping for the first time in over four thousand years. After he collected himself he knew what he must do. The great test of his life would be to see what he truly was. He went through with the ritual, cutting out his own heart. Though as he was about to place it within himself again he was compelled to do something else. He ignited it watching it catch fire and within moments he saw life appear. His own heart had brought life, a small being sentient and eyes wide like his own looked back at him. Despite the void in his chest Surtr felt whole for the first time in a long time.

He did not put the heart back into his chest he knew his test would come eventually but for now he would enjoy the life he created and resume his life living the way it was always meant to be lived.