Varden inhaled deeply and smiled at the delicious smells coming from various food stands on the busy street. Vendors representing nearly every ethnic background served heaping plates of food to their waiting customers. Trendy clothing and exotic jewelry were displayed on racks and tables as merchants promoted their handiwork. It had been several years since Varden has passed through Nexus and he couldn’t help feeling that it had been far too long. Nexus was one of Varden’s favorite cities. He loved the busy streets, unusual shops and the wild nightlife, but most of all he enjoyed the diverse, unique people of the nexus. His family had been in the entertainment business and the crowds of people in the Nexus had never failed to provide their show’s largest profits of the year.

All of Varden’s childhood and teenage life had been spent performing as a gymnast in his family’s traveling circus show. As he had entered his teenage years, his acrobatic stunts had made him a favorite with the crowds and a feature part of the act. The circus had done a booming business until the Unconquered Sun had exalted Varden at nearly 20 years of age. The exaltation occurred following a performance where his brother had nearly been killed when a trapeze had broken. It had taken everything Varden had to catch his brother’s shirt and slow his falling momentum. Both brothers had fallen to the ground, but neither had been critically injured. Entering the changing room Varden had become aware of a burning feeling on his forehead that he had attributed to a cut or wound. Upon removing his bandana, however he had discovered the burning mark of the Unconquered Sun.

Varden’s family had chosen to accept him as he was and helped hide the exaltation. The circus continued to do well for several weeks until the child of a dragon blood crept into the dressing tent looking for a chance to to meet the performers and discovered Varden’s true nature. A small wild hunt followed with Varden’s family and the family’s few employees joining him on the run. Varden separated from his family in order to draw attention away from them, but the dragon bloods caught and killed every member of the little traveling circus. Upon returning, Varden had been horrified at the scene. He spent the next few hours hunting down and killing every dragon blood and imperial that he could link to the massacre.

After a significant period of grief, Varden had come to realize that his family would not have abandoned him even if they had known what the outcome of their choice would be. He learned to take comfort in knowing that his family had died with pride and honor. For the next 20 years Varden had traveled around from city to city sometimes joining other traveling circuses for a short time. Over the years Varden had learned to use the gifts of the Sun to his advantage, making him a great performer and a formidable fighter. He had also managed to kill just about all of those who had been involved in chasing him quite quickly, so there were few if any who even knew of his existence as a solar exalted.

Running his hand through his short brown hair, he decided to give in to his stomach and buy a fried cornmeal cake when his eyes were drawn to a black haired young man walking with a heavier set red haired bearded man in his thirties. Varden was sure that he knew the black haired man from somewhere but was having trouble placing the face. The two were engrossed in conversation and each carried a book that was wrapped as though it had just been purchased. The book carried by the black haired man appeared to be incredibly old. They stopped in front of a nearby food stand and began to order something to eat. Varden was too far away to hear much of their conversation but he could make out the black haired man’s southern accent. Suddenly Varden remembered where he knew this man. He was a martial artist from Luskin. Varden had paid particular attention to him back in Luskin years before because he had shown incredible grace and speed for such a large young man. All Varden’s family, including himself had been of small, lean, compact builds. He had thought it a bit unnatural that the Luskin boy had been able to move as he did. Upon having met the young man, he had been surprised to find out that he was a 15 year old who was competing against people several years older than he was. The two had done some sparring and had a few drinks over the next few weeks before Varden had left the city.

Something still seemed out of place and Varden couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He watched the two collect their food and sit at a small table even closer to where Varden was standing. The black haired man began to laugh at something his friend had said. His amused voice carried back to Varden’s ears “Well, what else would you expect from Gutts”. Feeling more certain that there was something strange about the man he leaned forward and squinted. At that point, the man turned toward Varden’s direction and Varden realized what was wrong. It had been at least five years since he’d last been to Luskin and this young man was still just 15 years old!

Varden acquired his armor with the aid of a twilight solar whom he helped to escape from dragon blood pursuers. He had seen the dragon bloods and known that they were on someone’s trail. As it turned out, they were pursuing a small pale man of about 30 years of age through the city streets. Varden couldn’t resist his curiosity and followed them along the rooftops. The pale man’s caste marke was glowing brightly and he was not fighting overly well. Worst of all the man was outnumbered three to one. Varden recognized the man’s castemark as that of a solar. Partly out of a sense of comradeship for his fellow solar and partly out of a simple desire to even the odds, Varden jumped into the fight and together they took down the dragon bloods. The other solar introduced himself as Octavior and expressed his gratitude to Varden. As it turned out, the dragon bloods had been pursuing Octavior for months. They had managed to kill another solar named Darnel several weeks back, who had been traveling with Octavior. Varden and Octavior managed to sneak into the rooms where the dragon bloods had been staying. They split most of the loot that they had found there. The dragon bloods had taken Darnel’s armor and Octavior offered it to Varden as thanks for his help. Octavior remains as Varden’s strongest contact and has proven himself to be loyal and trustworthy over the years. He is quite adept at slipping in and out slipping of cities and knows a great deal about history and lore. He is not physically strong and his medical skills are not overly impressive. He is a sorcerer and he has always stressed his gratitude and friendship to Varden for saving his life. Still, years of knowing the sorcerer have increasingly left Varden wondering how much help Octavior really had needed against the dragon bloods. While the sorcerer has always carried himself with an unassuming and slightly weak demeanor, Varden is certain that Octavior is a much more powerful ally than he pretends to be.

Varden also spent some time training in martial arts under an immaculate monk named Triestan. Triestan was heading a temple in small village in the south called Melvor. Melvor was so tiny that it often seemed to be overlooked or forgotten by the dragon bloods. It was rare that they came to visit the temple or to oversee any of the comings and goings in the village. Triestan had been assigned there years ago and as far as he was concerned the order had all but abandoned him. He had gladly taken Varden on as a pupil, just to alleviate some of the daily boredom he endured. The two had developed a friendship and Varden spent several years under Triestan’s tutorage. Varden left Melvor after that for fear that Triestan would take notice of his lack of aging and suspect him for what he was. The two met again by chance nearly 10 years later, but Triestan didn’t question anything. In truth he was glad to see his former student and was not about to turn the man into his superiors who had all but forgotten that he existed. He was not sure what he believed in any more, but blind faith in the dragon blood was lost to him long ago. The fact that no dragon bloods pursued Varden after the meeting made Varden realize that Triestan wasn’t going to turn him in. Triestan has proved to be someone that Varden can visit and turn to from time to time, though Varden fears drawing the man into his troubles.

Over the years, Varden has also on occasion received a cryptic warning against possible trouble or aid in a quest. The information often came as a note or symbol left on a table or in his room. Once it was a map brought by a messenger, though it had been too dark for the messenger to get a good look at the person who had hired him. Varden has been unsuccessful in finding out the identity of the person who obviously doesn’t want to be known. There is a period of years where he doesn’t hear from the informant and then suddenly he will receive unexpected aid again. In truth Varden is as interested to know why this person needs to be so secretive as he is in finding out who they are.