Reynard Underwold

Reynard was born on the 18^th of Ilvin in 697 in the Royal Palace in Golotha. His father was Medrik Underwold, the Palace Rat Catcher, and his mother was Feya, a palace servant. He was apprenticed to his father from a very early age and took to rat catching like a duck to water. He still holds the record for the most number of rats caught in a 24 hour period [and gained a free rank of the Professional Skill Pest Exterminator].

As a palace servant he was made dress in conservative palace servant clothes, and to have short hair. This dress code had the effect of levelling all the servant�s children so it was not immediately obvious he was a lowly rat catcher�s son. This brought him into contact with Jenna Lindhoe, the daughter of Serilia, a maid servant, and they became childhood sweethearts. Serilia did her best to discourage them as she thought her daughter could do better for herself,

Reynard has one sister, Helma, two years younger than him. When she was a teenager she became a devoted Morgath worshiper and tried to convert him, however Reynard preferred the worship of Ilvir. This earned him Helma�s implacable hatred. She also tried to convert their parents, who were not happy with her conversion to Morgath and of her developing hatred of Reynard. In a fit of pique on the 13^th Azura 717 she denounced them as secret Larani worshipers, which as life long followers of Ilvir they were certainly not. As a result of this Medrik and Feya were imprisoned, and they currently remain so.

Now the Temple of Morgath is the most powerful Temple in Golotha due to its political influence rather than the number of its followers. One of the ways it achieves this power is by having spies in important places. The position of palace rat catcher would be an ideal one for them. The official rat catcher can go around the royal palace without question in his quest to remove vermin. Unsurprisingly they had a candidate lined up to replace Medrik when he was imprisoned. However they had completely over looked Reynard and simply didn�t realise was that there was never any question that the job wouldn�t go to him as he had proved to be so good at it. The Temple of Morgath was furious at this and this earned Reynard their enmity, much to his bewilderment.

Now that Reynard was no longer an apprentice and actaully had an official job he and Jenna decided to get married. The day was fixed for the 16^th Ilvin 717. All was going well until the night before the wedding when Jenna was murdered with a sickle. Reynard still has this sickle, rusty looking with her blood, and has sworn to kill her murderer with it. Serilia always thought that her daughter was too good for him and her death has aggravated matters. When ever they met she demonstrated her intense dislike of Reynard by throwing things at him, and constantly berating him.

Reynard decided that leaving Golotha at this time would be a very good idea. On the 18^th of Nuzyael 718 he left Golotha and, after a short while of wandering, ended up in a small hamlet in Rethem. This coastal farming community was called Avonel. Here he got a badly paid job with the local lord as rat catcher and pest manager. Here he was also taken under the wing of Jerid Wintertree, who is in charge of the local forests. Reynard has a room in his cottage and was taught the arts of the Ranger by him.

Eventually in late Agrazhar 719 Helma turned up in Avonel. She was now quite mad and also a cripple, due to a badly broken her leg which had not been set properly. She was barely able to look after herself so Reynard tried to look after her, leaving outs bits of food and any spare clothing for her just to keep her alive. Jerid found her a room in a cottage of the amnesiac old herb growing hermit, and sees she wont stave when Reynard is not around. In her madness she some times gives an indication of knowing who killed Jenna, however she has become schizophrenic and sometimes she things she is Jenna!