HEMMEL BARANTHOR THE VIII
GRAND THEOGONIST OF RITES
ASHLAN CRUSADER
Early Life:
Hemmel Baranthor the VIII was born on the world of Chandaar to a wealthy merchant family. Named after his father, Hemmel Baranthor the VII who was a very successful merchant running a company called Baranthor Textiles. Although not the most noblest of men considering his wealthy status as a merchant. His father would begin teaching him at the very young age of 5 how to manage the warehouse and how make fair trade deals with the other merchant guilds on the planet. Hemmel learned that the key to success was scamming people out of their hard earned income by raising the prices on goods to force the demand down until the guilds could have time to restock, and once they had done so would lower the prices down again. Although the people could have gone somewhere else the need for their products out weighted the need for fairness.
His father would push him in the direction of becoming a merchant, by sending him to a gathering of merchant sons to exchange greetings. Hemmel despised the meetings due to only being 9 years old at the time and not understanding all of the technical bumbo-jumbo required to successfully become a businessman. The other merchant kids had made fun of him due to his overall round figure and it made him feel outcasted by them, having no friends within his early days.
Knowing his father would likely be disappointed with his failure at becoming the heir to the textile monopoly, Hemmel ran away from home at the age of 10 under the cover of darkness. Becoming a street urchin who begged for food on the sidewalk and pickpocketed where needed. Alone and afraid of becoming a burden to people drove him out of becoming simply another street orphan. Volunteering at the local church to make himself worthy in the eyes of people, climbing up the ranks within the church boys to position himself as the bully of the church.
Hemmel stayed within the church until he was exactly 15 years old, having been knocked down a peg by a revolt within the church boys and banished from the church walls. Angry and afraid once again that he had failed everyone due to his nature, Hemmel discovered his force sensitivity in a bout of anger as he broke apart the walls of the church with nary an effort due to their overall poor construction as the planet had been bled dry by the power of corporatism.
Wondering the streets, he eventually returned back to his family who had given up on looking for him. Welcoming him back home as his father embraced him. However his father had greater ambitions than normally would allow. He had wanted to become the Merchant Prince of Chandaar, overthrowing the weak king and establishing the guilds as the most powerful force on the planet. Hemmel's mind cleared from his anger of banishment from the church, seeing the corruption of his father within his very soul. He would descend into madness and doubt as the power would go to his head and eventually become a tyrant. His family supported the idea and hungered for the power of corporatism. Hemmel had to put a stop to this and on the night of the reunion, picked up a rusty blade and butchered his entire family as their heads and blood splattered the walls of his house. There was no ounce of guilt within his soul, for he had done the right thing and prevented more corruption on the planet. However as he looked down upon the murder scene, the horror of what he had done became clearer.
He himself was straying too far from the path of right and wrong, becoming the executor without a fair judgement or trail. Hemmel had to hide the evidence from ever coming into the light, and thus burned down his house to make it look like a fireplace had been the cause. Standing outside the burning house and watching as the crews arrived to put it out. But nothing they could do would quell the flame until the only thing left of his home was burnt ash. He decided to flee from his home town to seek employment somewhere else.
Traveling on board one of the many star liners he would settle upon many planets and ashamed at what he had done to his family, would begin to practice the faith of the Light Side to cleanse himself of the sin that he had knowingly carried out in its name. Hemmel Baranthor would never tell anyone of what he had done, carrying on the excuse that they were killed by mercenaries and their bodies put to the flame.
At the age of 20, Hemmel would begin to establish himself as simply a wandering holy man. Performing funeral rites for various species and living without material wealth. For his faith would provide for him in his darkest hours.
