Born in an average Heartlander residency in the Kingdom of Balian, all Khrynos Wolfbane II [named after his father, Khrynos Wolfbane I] knew was gathering and playing outside with his friends. Never knowing what happened to his mother, his father always mentioned that he "waiting until he was old enough to understand". A noble soldier in the army, Wolfbane II had to leave for an extended period of time one night after promising to make young Wolfbane a warm bowl of porridge. "You see, if I work hard and dedicate my life to my job, I may be promoted to a higher rank. I haven't got the time to be changing your nappies and teaching you to fight. That being said, you needn't worry. I'll send money every few months; I never had any parents and it did me just fine. Now, don't dawdle tomorrow morning. I swear, if I hear you were late I won't send you a penny! And you'll have to eat gruel for a month. Now, salute your father, son. I'm off to find my horse. One day I will be back in full regalia. That day will be the day you understand why I had to do this. Stand up straight, don't slouch. Your dinner is in the kitchen."
The last words his father spoke to him were 7 year-old Khrynos Wolfbane II's first introductions to the concept of irony. A man of grandiose words and no action, his father would spend the rest of his life promising more than he could be bothered to deliver. Never progressing further than a mid-level infantryman, he would die alone years later with his promises unfulfilled. Nonetheless, the words had a profound effect upon little Wolfbane, who would later that night learn how to find shelter in the thickest of woods. Abandoning his small family home with nothing but a small rucksack, Wolfbane made the best decision of his newly formed life.
It was in these forests that Wolfbane discovered his first makeshift hut, hastily put together and left in a state of disrepair. Inside, nothing but twigs, rocks, and lint. Regardless of the circumstances, the youngster quickly immersed himself in the ways of nature. Learning to forage for berries, fish, cook mutton over a makeshift fire, and build impressive shelters out of next to nothing took him no more than a few years. His former life was long forgotten. You may have assumed that like most who choose to live in the woods, Khrynos was a hermit. That, however, is far from the truth. A very sociable young man, he would often interact with other humans, travelers, and highwaymen who stumbled across his path.
Troubles came the first time he met raiders, he raised a sharpened stick in defiance. Laughing, they rapidly swarmed in his direction and raided everything in his possession. Years and years of hard work, gone in mere seconds. Although occurring on several occasions, these situations did not disable Khrynos from exploring the lands for safety and growing up.
One afternoon, Khrynos sees something shine in the distance. The property of shine was something quite foreign to Khrynos, so he instantly runs over to inspect his observations. A shiny coin. This sparked his love for discovering trinkets, odds & ends, and all sorts of rare knick-knacks that the world may offer. With his impressive cart built from his own hands, his lack of social awareness meant that every interaction he had would involve boasting about his collection. A downfall which later would come to haunt him, as robberies kept occurring. Switched-on Khrynos would then learn to be wise in his approach, however this young man is eager to explore the world and expand his collection to become a walking museum.
