Keletrin Greycastle was born and raised in Rel Mord, where his father was stationed as part of the Nyrond army. Looking back, he remembers little of his mother. Not due to her absence, but more from the imposing, overpowering role his father played in his life. His father kindled an interest in military affairs in Keletrin at a young age. However, it was the routine and ruthless beatings that his father subjected him to that truly set his path. To this day, Keletrin did not know what he had done that had angered his father so greatly. The beatings were not done under the influence of alcohol or enchantment, which would have possibly softened the psychological, if not the physical, blow. His father took every opportunity to ridicule the young man growing up, no matter how successful he was in school or his training. If the ridicule did not seem to have the desired impact on Keletrin, then his father followed it up with his fists.

Already well schooled by the time he joined the Military Academy in Rel Mord, he rose to the top of his class and graduated with honors at the age of sixteen. Keletrin was seen by his superiors as a fast riser and was quickly selected for advanced training, which included survival, stealth, interrogation, and most important to him, hand-to-hand combat. Not necessarily the strongest in his class, he used his quickness to his advantage, regularly besting his trainers in combat. He also seemed to have a sixth-sense that intuitively guided him. But his trainers could also see a sharp edge to him, even a cruel streak, which emerged mostly during the unarmed combat sessions. Still, he was the finest soldier and future operative they had seen in years and as long as he was part of the team, these things could be overlooked. At the conclusion of his training, an elderly man introduced himself to Keletrin as Gren Darkwater, the viscount of Shantadern. Gren stated he had followed Kel’s training and was interested to see how the lad performed in the future.

Keletrin spent the next several years serving as a Special Forces operative for the Nyrond government and military. He became a team leader, deployed for years at a time as his government attempted to stabilize the regions around Almor, as well as into Ahlissa and the North Kingdom, and to ensure Nyrondy interests. In addition to his combat skills, he demonstrated exceptional success at interrogating captured prisoners, combining physical torture with an uncanny ability to assess facial expressions or read the truth within pleas for mercy or fictitious stories. Despite his increasing age, he was still a capable operative and was regularly dispatched on missions, though he was mostly utilized as an interrogations officer.

However, after almost three decades, this activity began to take a psychological toll on Keletrin and after questioning the tactics being used, he requested a transfer back to Nyrond. He was stationed in Almor at the time, serving with a forward protection unit that was assisting a group of settlers establish a small farming village. He refuses to talk about what specific incident led to his questions and the government has classified the matter. Rumors abound of relentless beatings of young children for information regarding an attack by a displaced local on one of the leaders of the settler group, but nothing has even been proven or confirmed. Keletrin, who had previously voiced dissent to a commanding officer only on tactical matters, was torn between his duty to obey and his own consicence.

During the decades outside of Nyrond, he had remained in contact with Gren. Keletrin had quickly realized the viscount’s capabilities and occasionally consulted with him regarding foreign events, especially regarding possible political or strategic ramifications. It was Gren who was also able to assist with securing a transfer for him following the events in Almor. Keletrin became part of the House Guard for Gren’s son, who was the Nyrond Ambassador to the Pale. During his two years in the Pale, he also became a convert to St. Cuthbert and found comfort in the Stern One’s teachings, which appealed to his desire for order and stability. He became particularly close with one of the Votaries, a Paladin named Talfryn Ironlegion, who understood his morality concerns, but also reiterated the need for order and discipline. Justice, he would contend, may be tempered by mercy at times, but must always be paramount.

Following his time in the Pale, Keletrin continued to move around to new posts, but he knew that his career was essentially over, due to his actions in Almor. Again, with the assistance of Gren, Keletrin secured a post as a special operations trainer at the Academy and has been there for the past six years. He completes rare missions when his specific skills are in need. But for the most part, the government bureaucrats seem content to forget about him and let him pass his knowledge along to the next generation of soldiers. At least twice a year, he receives an invitation from Gren to visit him in Shantadern. These meetings between the two aged veterans are virtually the only social time Keletrin takes. The two usually spend evenings discussing current events in Nyrond and the surrounding regions. Keletrin is also intrigued by the viscount’s teen grandson, who is living with Gren. However, his role at the Academy seems increasingly futile and frustrating. Keletrin, still fiercely loyal to Nyrond, is questioning his current role and wondering if he could perhaps do more good elsewhere. He has been quietly reaching out to past contacts to see what might be possible.