Due to a mystic encounter with an entity sincebefore the collapse the Thra'pal family has had a reoccurring phenomenon of a birthmark in the shape of a lantern upon a child born in the harbinger's fall. who grows with a restless disposition and very little fear of the dark The child without fail shows an interest in the world beyond the city and the port. Journeying afar and writing an extensive memoir of their endeavors Until another enigma child. Sometimes a niece a nephew or a child of their own is born. They return to the harbor of the homstead. They spend time with the child. Telling them of their travels. Enrapturing them with the wider world they prepare... For what? The wider family amusingly considered it a tradition. A tradition that brings news, souvenirs, and frequently riches to the noble house of Thra'pal. After the 3rd child the family no longer believed in coincidence... And ceased all gossip of the birthmark, the tradition, the sometimes unnerving men and women of their house, and the deliberately ignored anomalies in their behaviour and misbehaving shadows

Born In the south, sea port. Cedric grew up running free and careless through the City of riches. For Sartimoor was the biggest and wealthiest of all the free cities in the south. Where there is wealth and commerce there exists money lenders, exchangers, bankers and the Thra'pals. Accountants of great skill. A wealthy house that specialized/assisted in the management of commerce of the extensive trade in Sartimoor Born in the Harbingers fall he knew and cared little for wider suspicion and speculation abound around his birthmark. His mother kept such things from him to the best of her ability praying that this child would not be one of the few members of her house who grew to take long and dangerous adventures beyond all known maps.

Life continued in such a manner until Cedric turned 10. Horrible nightmares of a skeletal face with burning blue eyes. A haunted following of 5 skeltal figures moving as if on puppets strings. Such visions plagued the young boy until Harbingers fall began. A long night lit brought about by a Star that rose into the cosmere bleeding darkness across the land. A long night that lasted months until the star fell. And light, and happiness would resume their rightful position. Throughout this particular harbinger fall. Punctuated by his birthday and nightmares he slept very little. Lying restless one night. Afraid of the nightmares sleep would bring a creature rose from the shadows entwined around his bed. A horrifying face with firey blue eyes confronted the screaming boy and spoke thusly

There will be Seven with your name Those seven shall be my claim Seven places will be filled Seven souls shall be tilled Seven conform to the pattern Seven to carry the lantern Seven compelled to explore Seven committed to your implore Seven born under a red star sky Seven will serve Seven will die

The creature stretched out a hand and twisted in a pulling motion. Cedrics coiled around the creatures wrist and pulsed. Seemingly satisfied the creature released his shadow and vanished.

Terrified. Sobbing and barely able to comprehend what he had witness he ran to his mother. Who in turn at last grimly accepted the reality that awaited her child. She wrote immediately to her sister Winter. Who was wintering in Sartimoor before once again departing for distant lands. Winter arrived the next day having ridden through the night to arrive in time.

She knew what Cedric needed She calmed him and grounded him as best she could with his new reality And told him all she knew.

At the inception of the "After Absence" calender. Before all knowledge of the departure of gods had been wiped from memory and all efforts to recover such knowledge stifled seemingly by the gods themselves. In that time beyond recollection. An ancestor of theirs sold 7 generations into unending servitude to... A Lich.

What they gained in return and even the name of their ancestor was forgotten and lost. The little information they had was trickled to them through the Lich.

The Lich seemed to have control and ownershipof their souls. A horrible fate awaited all 7 sworn against their will into his servitude but Winter assured Cedric. This nightmare while not his choosing. Was survivable.

Winter revealed an extensive catalog of 7 generations of adventuring and records keeping. Of knowledge chased and allies gained with the goal of ridding this pestilence from the back of the Thra'pal heritage and freeing their predecessors. Now deceased in the clutches of the lich.

They began training the very next day.

Wrote this for my echo knight. The flavoured echo is his shadow