Valen Shadowbreath was a tiefling fighter and weapon master. Valen had a rough upbringing in Sigil, being born into poverty and becoming a street urchin at a young age, before becoming a slave-warrior in the Blood War and ultimately aiding the rebel drow of Lith My'athar in the Underdark and the adventurer known as Drogan Droganson's pupil.[1]
History[]
Early Life[]
Valen was raised in Sigil, the City of Doors—specifically, the Hive Ward, the poorest and most dangerous of its districts. He was born to a human woman; though Valen was reluctant to talk of it, it was likely she was a prostitute at a brothel in the Hive and thus his father a demonic customer. When his mother fell ill and under-performed, the demoness who owned the brothel violently killed her. Immediately afterward, Valen was thrown out into the streets, despite still being a young child.[1]
Valen would remark that his childhood misfortune was not a unique story in Sigil, a city bountiful in orphaned waifs. Rather, he claimed to be unique in that he survived his childhood to become one of the top five pickpockets in the city, despite being a popular target for kidnapping into the Blood Wars because of his demonic ancestry.[1]
The Blood Wars[]
Eventually, however, as a young man, Valen was snatched off the streets of Sigil to fight in the Blood Wars as a slave of the demon Grimash't. Being forced to fight in the Blood Wars as a slave stirred Valen's demonic blood and this began to drown out his humanity.[1]
Valen and Grimash't were called to Toril by a drow priestess during the course of drow attack against the Seer and her forces. Encountering the Seer on the battlefield, she "looked into his soul" and Valen recalled his humanity. After being sent back to the Abyss, Valen's self-awareness remained awakened and he began to struggle internally. Grimash't sensed Valen's increasing rebelliousness against slavery and the demonic taint and tortured him to suppress it. In order to break Valen, Grimash't ultimately violently murdered a slave-woman Valen deeply loved, while forcing him to watch.[1]
Almost defeated by this loss, Valen was nearly resigned to his fate when the cage in which he was kept was damaged during a raid by a rival faction of demons, allowing him to escape. Grimash't pursued Valen, finding and eventually cornering him, only to be defeated by him. Valen was single-minded in attempting to reach the Seer who had awakened his humanity and he escaped the Abyss. He may have had to exchange sexual favors with a succubus in order to access a portal through which he escaped into the Underdark, something he was shy and reluctant to admit to.[1]
The Seer[]
When Valen reached the Seer in Lith My'athar, she taught him that he was not controlled by his blood and helped him fully restore his humanity. In exchange, Valen pledged to defend the Seer and her cause and was fiercely loyal to that end. Valen acted as a bodyguard for the Seer and eventually became the general of her army.[1]
At Lith My'athar, in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, he may have joined an adventurer in their quest.[1]
Cania[]
When the adventurer's question took them into Cania in the Nine Hells, Valen struggled increasingly with his demonic blood and would even suggest they abandon him the deeper they went because of his lack of "control". Exposure to demons and devils would slowly begin to overcome Valen's humanity, demonstrating itself in increasingly aggressive displays, such as attacking mobs of demons and ignoring commands. Only Valen's bond with his companion (particularly if a romantic one) would allow him to resist the call of his demonic taint.[1][note 1]
Personality[]
As a tiefling, he was often tormented by the violent nature of his infernal blood and his dark past.[1]
Although distrustful of others, Valen would make his services available to them.[1]
Despite not being a follower of Eilistraee, he was nonetheless passionately committed to their cause.[1]
Relationships[]
Valen entertained a tenuous friendship with only a few characters, primarily the drow Nathyrra and Drogan Droganson's pupil. He could initially be quite hostile, including calling them rivil ("surface dweller") until they proved themself to be a boon to the Seer, to be trustworthy and not a threat. In exchange, Valen would reveal his past to them. He could even develop a close friendship with the adventurer, even romance if female.[1]
He was almost blindly loyal to the Seer. He respected her in an almost reverential manner.[1]
Valen tolerated Deekin Scalesinger. He was less than fond of the kobold's nickname for him: "Goat Man". He would however occasionally sing with Deekin, though his opinion of the kobold's voice was about the same as Deekin's opinion of his. He would joke with Deekin during marches through the Underdark with the adventurer if Deekin was also a companion—while not so subtly threatening to throw him down the Underdark's deepest pit.[1]
Curiosities[]
Valen was a weapons master specializing in the use of a heavy flail. He was particularly attached to his weapon Devil's Bane.[1]
Valen sang a number of limericks during long marches through the Underdark, such as "The Lass of Sigil" and one about his deadly heavy flail.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ If the player learns Valen's true name from the Knower of Names, he can be freed from the demonic taint permanently at the player's command before returning to Toril to face Mephistopheles in Waterdeep.
References[]
External links[]
Valen Shadowbreath article at the NWNWiki, a wiki for the Neverwinter Nights games.
Connections[]
Deekin Scalesinger • Dorna Trapspringer • Xanos Messarmos
During the Valsharess' War
Aribeth de Tylmarande • Daelan Red Tiger • Deekin Scalesinger • Linu La'neral • Nathyrra • Sharwyn • Tomi Undergallows • Valen Shadowbreath