Augustin val Oberstein

= Augustin val Oberstein =

Augustin val Oberstein, officially Augustin Kessel val Oberstein was a young Viodoxan noble who worked as the leading brewer in the capital city of Viodoxa. He was formerly married to Lyra McSpiegel,  the disowned daughter of Hazel McSpiegel, the former Eternal Archon of Viodoxa, and King Nyles Caicuria-Reris of the Duchy of Anoshphey.

Early Life
Augustin was born into a wealthy family of nobles, his father being Heinrich val Oberstein and his mother being Linn. His early teenage years were the happiest of his life. He used to throw many parties and was very disrespectful to the people around him. He wouldn't listen to his Father's advice and used his Father's money to buy alcohol and throw out loud parties. Although he didn't respect his father much, he was incredibly terrified of his Mother and wouldn't dare talk back to her. Linn would often be asked to discipline her son when he used to cause trouble to the town's people.

Early Career
Although Augustin was reckless and spoiled, he deeply loved his nation and would do anything to protect it. He rose through the ranks of the military quite quickly and was considered one of the best fighters in the army thanks to his Mother's training. He soon moved into the special forces of Viodoxa, who used to be dispatched to raid cities or towns that might become a threat to Viodoxa. Augustin would also get orders directly from Hazel herself. Unfortunately, the special forces got disbanded soon after he joined, and he had to find another job. He soon got offered the position of lead mage of Viodoxa City, where he had been tasked with making potions for the military. He was also offered a position at the council of the city.

Beginning of Augustin's suffering
Augustin stayed in Viodoxa for many years and served the Archonate as best as he could. But as time passed, he felt alone and unwelcomed in Viodoxa. He spent so much money and time helping Viodoxa but felt as if his efforts were ignored. His fellow council members got promoted and received much respect and admiration from the citizens, but for some reason, his efforts had gone unnoticed. He spent more than 100k worth of gunpowder and blaze rods making potions for the nation, and he never received anything back in return. So, Augustin made up his mind. He would leave Viodoxa and join his father in another land. Unfortunately, on his way to his Father's new nation of the Ascuas Autarky, Heinrich had passed away before Augustin could reach him. He soon learned that his Father's will before he died was that Augustin would inherit the family estate and inherit everything residing there. Augustin, saddened and filled with guilt at his Father's death, moved to the estate and remained there for some time.

Siege of Viodoxa City
Augustin fell into a depression and Isolated himself from the rest of his family. He would spend his days training in combat and reflecting on what to do next with his life. He would barely talk to his family members and would become a distant husband to Lyra McSpiegel. Augustin would spend all of his days in Isolation. Until one day, he heard about Loic dem Spheniscidae coming back to Viodoxa to take over the country. Augustin was conflicted on which side to take, he was very loyal to Hazel, but he was also close to Loic. Augustin loved his nation and wanted his voice to be heard in the government and his efforts recognized. He was sure that Loic would never stop attacking Viodoxa until he took over the country and that Hazel would inevitably lose her power. If he helped Loic win the war, Loic would give him respect and some authority. Augustin could use his power to help make Viodoxa more stable and stop its history of civil wars. Perhaps he may find a way to stop Loic's regime from the inside. So Augustin made his choice. He infiltrated Hazel's military and destroyed their defenses and weapons before the war started.

The Exile
Hazel, with anger and distrust, banished Augustin from the settlement, never to return. During this time, Augustin tried visiting his wife, but she was unfortunately dead when he arrived with arrows in her back. Augustin was overwhelmed by guilt and sadness, he tried going back to his Father 's estate to gather his belongings, but it was also gone. The estate he promised his Father he would protect turned to dust. Augustin, with no home, no wife, and no Father, was exiled from the nation he loved dearly. Because his belongings got stolen and the estate was pillaged, Augustin had neither a map nor a compass to guide him through Rathnir. Worst of all, he had no food or water to survive his journey. Augustin went through many biomes, from cold and icy tundra's to hot deserts. He would melt the Ice to make water and would hunt rabbits or eat wild berries to survive. Augustin was thankful the army and his parents taught him how to endure in these environments, or he would be dead by now. Augustin looked up at the sky and muttered, forgive me, I have failed my task.

Augustin wakes up to the chittering of birds in the distance. He barely slept while keeping wild animals away and keeping his campfire burning. Augustin began sobbing while muttering the words. I lost everything, and no one cares enough to help. Augustin, still weeping, continued walking, hoping he would find a settlement he could call home. Augustin did feel guilt at what he had done, he burned the armory, and he will live with that guilt for the rest of his life. But he did what he thought was right. Augustin lost hope in Hazel's leadership. He was sure Loic wouldn't stop the bloodshed, so he tried to end the war as soon as possible. To at least keep the peace temporarily. How could Hazel understand? She only saw him as the one who burned down the armory, a traitor, a liar. Augustin thought back to his childhood. Augustin was a noble and a very immature one at that, but those were simpler times. Those were the times when he could relax and be a kid. The young man pondered what he could have done differently to prevent these unfortunate events, but he couldn't think of anything. His wife and father would have still died, and Loic would continue attacking Viodoxa even if he didn' t burn down the armory. There was nothing he could have done to prevent any of this from happening. Maybe he was destined for failure and pain. Perhaps he was destined to roam Rathnir forever, never truly belonging, Augustin thought. Still weeping and thinking back to his past, Augustin collapsed out of exhaustion and hunger.

A Gift From The Heavens
Augustin awoke in the middle of a field. "Strange, I recall setting up camp in a frigid woodland. What's going on here? " The young man thought to himself. Augustin rose, perplexed and befuddled. The wheat field was deserted, with no civilians or animals in sight. He wandered the area, attempting in vain to find his way back to his encampment. He then became aware of a dark object in the distance. Augustin waved at it, assuming it was someone else, but it began approaching him. It soon became clear that it was nothing more than a crow soaring towards Augustin. It sat on his shoulder, clutching a small nut in its beak. Augustin looked at the bird with interest, wondering why it was the only living creature in an otherwise dead world. Unexpectedly, a creature brighter than the sun approached him and commanded him to wake up with a voice as violent as the most terrible earthquakes that shook Augustin. The decaying soul awoke on hot sand in the middle of a desert, his crow beside him.

Augustin was naturally disoriented. He woke up in the middle of a desert with the same crow he had seen in his dream by his side after spending the night in a mud hut in a harsh wooded area. He was so hungry that he considered killing the bird, but the idea made him tremble. A memory of his father then came to him. For his tenth birthday, his father got him a falcon and supported him in teaching it to hunt for food. Will he be able to train his crow to hunt wild rabbits? Given his lack of past crow training experience, it seemed implausible. The bird suddenly approached Augustin. The bird then shattered the rabbit's neck and informed Augustin, "I'll feed you as long as you don't neglect me since I have been plainly given as a favor to you." "How can I grasp the language of a flying creature such as yourself?" The young man wondered, perplexed by what he had experienced. "My master has enormous mercy for you and has sent me to be your company on this trying voyage," the crow answers. "Who exactly is this master of yours?" Commented Augustin, "You'll remember him once more in due time, son of Heinrich Val Oberstein," the crow said.

Still unsure of what was going on, Augustin used the dead bushes and rocks to construct a fire and cook the rabbit. Augustin questioned, "Why does your lord seem so interested in aiding me? "My lord made you Augustin and gave you everything you have; he is also your master: he witnessed you depart Viodoxa with tears in your eyes and barely any meat on your bones due to malnutrition. He sent me as a thank-you for your endurance. '' The bird responded. '' My master? The idea is absurd. I no longer serve a master. He would have kept my father alive and protected me from the battle if he truly felt thus sorry for me. He took everything away from me, and now he dares to speak about mercy? '' The young man fired back. The bird observed Augustin in shock at his disdain and haughtiness. The optimal course of action has been determined by your master. You would have continued to be a brat who didn't care about anyone around him and would have become one of the corrupted if he hadn't taken everything away from you. The bird responded. Without saying a word in response to the bird's advice, Augustin ate his fried rabbit.