Name: Colm
Class: Thaumaturgist (Former Cloistered Cleric / Initiate of Mystra) [ECL 14]
Race: Lesser Aasimar (45 year old male)
Special Traits: Astral Deva cohort.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Colm cast the Spell "Planar Ally", and summoned an Outsider to perform a service. In addition to a material payment -- and as part of the bargain -- Colm agreed to answer the call of the church of Bane, and join the group forming to retrieve an object from the "Bonegarden".
The caveat in the bargain is that Colm need not give the item to the church, if doing so constitutes an "evil" act. Colm attached this proviso seeing how it
is the church of Bane. Colm is not concerned; he knows from experience that Mystra will let him know before he "crosses the line".
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{Similar to the story of Kwai Chang Caine...} Young Colm was an orphan of mixed parentage who gained admittance to one of the hidden academies where Initiates of Mystra instruct those aspiring to become her Arcane Devotees. All the tests conducted by the Initiates indicated that Colm had the potential to become a powerful Sorcerer. Colm, however, proved unable to tap this potential -- no matter how hard he tried. Colm asked his advisor if there were any special exercises Colm could perform that would help. The Initiate's answer was, "PRAY!"
Colm's prayers led him along a path that took him from Seeker to Aspirant to Accolyte (1st level Cleric). When Colm made the vow -- and was awarded the holy symbol -- that marked him an Accolyte of Mystra, his prayer was finally answered and his sorcerous abilities were unleashed. Colm stayed true to his vows, and continued along the divine path from Accolyte to Adept, Priest, Curate, and finally Prefect. Colm's sorcerous abilites advanced as well, and his dual casting ability naturally led him to become one of Mystra's Dweomorkeepers.
Back when young Colm was a Seeker, the inside joke at the academy was that Colm only knew one prayer: "goddess, help me!" There is more than a grain of truth in that. "goddess, help me!" became the core words that would summon celestial outsiders to his aid. As Colm advanced in the church, the goddess sent ever more powerful creatures in answer to his simple prayer, until one day he received a planar cohort. At that time, he became recognized not only as a Dweomerkeeper but also as a Master Thaumaturgist.
As with all inside jokes, you never know who is going to get the last laugh. The final irony is that the boy who could not cast a sorcerous cantrip without praying grew up to become -- 25 years later -- an Initiate of Mystra teaching aspiring Arcane Devotees how to Summon.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
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As for his present predicament: While Mystra and Bane are sworn enemies, Colm is one of the minority of Mystra's Initiates that believe that Good and Evil will eventually reconcile. Colm believes that reconciliation can only come about by putting aside blind hatred. He believes that "only love can conquer hate"; therefore, love is the weapon that will allow good to overpower evil.