Forsburn

“	"I may have served the Emperor as an assassin, but I was still a Firelander, Claiyen. The wicked never saw me coming, but still met my righteous flame. Sneaking in the shadow isn't who I am."	„
	~ Forsburn prior to vowing loyalty towards the Smoke Clan.

Forsburn, also known by his title of The Exiled Flame, is one of the playable characters in Rivals of Aether. He was a devoted member of the Fire Empire before being framed for murder and subsequently exiled, vowing allegiance to the Smoke Clan.

He was released on September 22nd, 2015.

Official Bio[]

"Forsburn is the disgraced, eldest son of the Firelands' ruling family. While his brother Zetterburn served the kingdom through leadership on the battlefield, Forsburn was the Firelands' chief diplomat. Forsburn was the right hand of the Fire King, and he could be relied upon both to broker treaties and to quietly take care of threats to the kingdom.

However, after years of unquestioning service, Forsburn began to smell corruption simmering beneath the surface of the Fire Council. Before Forsburn could expose the conspiracy, his father was discovered slain with Forsburn's own dagger protruding from his heart. Assumed to be the assassin, Forsburn was condemned by his brother and barely escaped the Capital with his life. Left wounded and nationless, he wandered for months before meeting a groups of rebels on the outskirts of the Firelands. These outsiders of the kingdom had rejected flame and mastered the way of smoke, a philosophy of truthful deception. Forsburn joined the smoke tribe, soon becoming their leader. He plots to reclaim the Fire Capital from the Fire Council and their unsuspecting pawn, Zetterburn."

Biography[]

The illegitimate son of Emperor Renburn, Forsburn was a dedicated diplomat and spy of the Firelands, one who could be relied to make treaties and quietly take care of threats. While Forsburn was loyal, after many years, he began to suspect the Fire Council, believing them to be corrupted. After returning from a diplomatic mission his suspicions were confirmed, as he found his father dead, slain by the Fire Council with a knife identical to one of Forsburn's own.

Now suspected of murdering his father, Forsburn flees and hides in the aqueducts underneath the Fire Capital; he hopes to warn his brother, Zetterburn, of the Fire Council's corruption and ploys. However, Zetterburn, loyal to the point of blindness, doubts his brother's claims, instead flying into a rage and attacking Forsburn, the latter barely escaping with his life.

Forsburn escapes to the outskirts of the Fire Empire where he wandered for many months, until one night, he's awoken by sentries of the Smoke Clan, who seize Forsburn and take him to their settlement. Once there, the clan's chief, Claiyen, learns of Forsburn's betrayal and skill in espionage, leading to her offering him a new home with the clan in exchange for his allegiance; Forsburn agrees.

However, Forsburn eventually hears how Zetterburn has disappeared from the Fire Capital. Despite his new loyalty to the Smoke Clan, Forsburn is unable to abandon his brother, leaving to seek him out. Forsburn returns to the Fire Capital, only to find a strange purple version of his brother, who attacks him, however using his new smoke abilities, Forsburn defeats the imposter.

As the shadow disappears, Forsburn notices a blaze in the distance: the Fire Army attacked the Smoke Clan's hideout while he was fighting. Forsburn instantly heads back to help his allies, without finding his real brother or confronting the Fire Council.

Forsburn returns to the clan's hideout, coming across Maypul as he does so, believing her to be one of the attackers, while Maypul herself believes him to be involved with the purple shadows that infected her forest, both attack each other. However, when Maypul demands to know what Forsburn's role with the purple shadows is, he's taken aback. The two stop fighting as Forsburn explains his own encounter with the purple shadows and the disappearance of his brother. The two conclude this danger to Aether lies to the West, leading to them setting off together.

The two arrive at a vast crater, where they encounter Zetterburn, who averts his eyes from Forsburn as the group is soon joined by Kragg, Orcane, and Wrastor. Before the group can begin fighting over past issues, the ground shakes as the sea pulses purple and a vast stone platform rises from the depths of the sea. The platform also seems to double as a gateway, inside of which the group witnesses a vast abyss that plunges deep below the surface. Believing this to be the source of the purple shadows, the group puts aside their differences and battle the creatures.

The group emerges victorious, with their rivalries a thing of the past, Forsburn and Zetterburn reconcile, and with their reunion, the Firelands would no doubt return to its former glory.

However, the two never returned to the capital. The brothers fading from memory, alongside the Firelands' connection to the flame.

Other Appearances[]

Lovers of Aether[]

Forsburn is the stereotypical "edgy kid" in Lovers, dressing in dark torn clothing, chains, bands, skull face paint, and numerous earrings. Forsburn spends most of the game sulking to himself as he writes incredibly edgy poems, becoming aggressive if he's interrupted. Fitting with the stereotype, Forsburn also constantly believes everyone hates him and is out to make fun of him, with no one understanding him. On top of that, if the player chooses to partner with him during computer class, Forsburn will go on a huge rant about how much he hates school and having to live in a "society".

Creatures of Aether[]

Forsburn appears as a playable card in this game.

Personality[]

Forsburn can be defined by his fierce loyalty to his allies, rather similarly to his brother, Zetterburn. If someone he cares about is in trouble, Forsburn will drop everything to ensure their safety, even Zetterburn, who viciously attacked and nearly killed him after refusing to believe Forsburn's innocence, as well as this being after Forsburn swore his loyalty to the Smoke Clan.

While Forsburn is far more calm and rational than his brother, he can be a bit impulsive, such as instantly believing Maypul to be one of the assailants on the Smoke Clan and attacking her.

Powers and Abilities[]

Forsburn is a skilled spy who could be relied on to take care of threats quietly, which when coupled with his control of fire and subsequent mastery of smoke, makes him a deadly assassin in both direct and indirect combat.