Faen Naïlo (Nightbreeze), was born and raised in the town of Obleris. His elven childhood was much different than that of most elves you might encounter whilst traveling Faerûn. In fact, Faen’s early existence was not of the Material Plane at all. Obleris is a town in the Shadow Realm also known as Shadowfell, in which some elves from that plane live.

     Shadowfell exists as sort of a counterpart to the Feywild, in the sense that it was a reflection, or “echo”, of the Prime Material Plane. Unlike the Feywild, it was a bleak, desolate place full of decay and death.

     Faen Naïlo lost both of his parents and many other family members at the young age of fifty during one of the brutal battles at the Fortress of Memories. The intense fighting damaged huge sections of the fortress and left thousands dead. However, the Demon Lord Orcus failed in his attempt to seize control of the Fortress of Memories from the Raven Queen. She would continue to rule as the goddess of death, fate, and winter of Shadowfell. And she would continue to be worshiped by the Shadar-Kai.

     Faen, now orphaned, left the town of Obleris and wandered Shadowfell. On two separate occasions Faen was enslaved for a period of five and then nine years. His last captivity ended with him almost being offered as sacrifice to the Raven Queen. She possibly favored more of his memories of torment. Many years had passed which left his mind in a vulnerable state. Then one day everything changed.

     While wandering Shadowfell, Faen came across a magnificent structure. The Obsidian Ziggurat was a haunted pyramid in the Shadowfell. Shadows appeared to dance in a light despite not being cast by anything. These shadows sometimes took the form of humanoids or snakes, and seemed to move as if to a drumbeat. If anyone stopped to watch their dance, the shadows attacked their minds, compelling them to climb the pyramid and join in the dance. Once ensnared in this way, a creature was unable to break free of the shadows’ compulsion unless physically restrained or forced to stop dancing. Otherwise, after dancing for a full minute, they were transported out of the Shadowfell and to the corresponding pyramid in the Material Plane at the ruins of Sar’Rukoth.

     Sar’Rukoth, known to outsiders as the Ruins of the Serpent Kings, was the capital of Okoth. A pyramid occupied by wereserpent and human cultists was notable for its dark twin in the Shadowfell. The secrecy of the city was maintained by a magical field that filled intruders with dread, causing all but the bravest to leave in fear.

     So the now ninety year old shadow elf child resided on the Material Plane. Two human cultists were nearest to the altar as Faen appeared before them. Startled but not alarmed, they spoke to Faen in elvish tongue. Their questions were almost entirely focused on the Shadow Realm and not of how he was transported. The inhabitants of Sar’Rukoth were respectful and somewhat knowledgeable of elvish ways. They would allow him to stay as long as he wished.

     Around the age of one hundred an elf can claim adulthood and as customary choose their name. Faen decided he was going to stay in this new realm and further explore the lands. And with no elf to give him guidance he chose his new adult name, “Xaren Onyxia“. Then he set off for the nearest town of Buldamar.

     The town of Buldamar began as a collection of camps setup by adventurers exploring the nearby Okothian ruins called the Vaults of Record. The prosperity of the inhabitants who stayed in Buldamar rose and fell over the centuries depending on the number of explorers drawn to the region.

     Xaren Onyxia did not stay long in the town of Buldamar as it was in decline. The town was situated next to Azulduth or The Lake of Salt. Azulduth, was a shallow body of water that was fed by the River of Swords which ran north of the lake. Xaren followed the river until he met the Alamber Sea. He then made his way east to the port city of Gheldaneth.

     Gheldaneth was largely made up of urban sprawl and hosted a large port facility. The city was home to many humans (Mulan) who were a human ethnic group non-native to Toril, typically found in east Faerûn. The city also housed many Tieflings, descendants of slaves who made pacts with dark forces. Xaren took up refuge with a group of Tieflings housed near the Arcanum of Magic, a university and temple dedicated to Thoth. He was allowed to attend the university as all inhabitants of Gheldaneth were required. There he learned in the local languages how to count, read, write, and answer simple questions about both the Mulhorandi pantheon and Mulhorand’s history.

     It wasn’t long before the Tieflings had some work for Xaren the shadow elf. However, this work was not of the common professions such as an innkeeper, brewer, cook, or merchant. His work entailed the art of disappearances, tragedy, and untimeliness. A delicate dance of darkness and deception, where shadows are the canvas, and death is the creation. The customers of this kind of work were shrouded figures, veiled in secrecy with hidden motives. Their desires whispered, only to a select few.

     As time went on Xaren Onyxia became known as Nightbreeze to most individuals he would encounter.