Bernard's age throughout this backstory: 11-33 Bernard looked at his father, Jeremiah, as he was smashing his hammer against the molten metal, the smoldering ash crackling against the ever-setting sun. He heard the loud clang of hammer against the molten copper, and smelled smoke. Bernard understood it was a dangerous job, as his father had always said he could look, but never to come within 5 arm-lengths. With every clang, Bernard thought about the god Ignarus, and how magnificent fire could be. He had wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, and become a Blacksmith, one so renowned that even kings would come to him for weaponry. Unfortunately, with Jeremiah, he would never learn how to smith. Instead, his father wanted him to follow the path of a swordsman, to fight against those that threatened him, or his family. Eventually, Jeremiah would teach Bernard how to smith, but only once Bernard turned 13. Bernard stared down at his plate, poking at his food. Bernard's mother, Lynnora asked him, "What's wrong? You've barely touched your food!" Bernard looked his mother in the eye, and asked to be excused from the table. Lynnora reluctantly agreed, allowing her to be alone with Jeremiah. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jeremiah asked Lynnora, "Why doesn't my own son look like me? Is there something you aren't explaining to me?" Lynnora looked at Jeremiah, and answered without faltering, "He looks like my grandfather. That's why he doesn't look like you, do you honestly think that I would have someone else sire him?" Jeremiah glared at her, but he had no evidence that he wasn't the father. Jeremiah handed Bernard a short-sword, telling him to hold it properly. As Bernard grasped the cool leather of the copper blade, he would look at his father, holding a copper broadsword. He understood that as he was a young boy, he would be unable to properly hold the broadsword, as he was far too young. Bernard learned everything he taught his own son later in life, from his father. He eventually was able to beat his father, as he had left his stance open for far too long. Bernard saw the flames growing higher over his home. He knew something was wrong, even before he saw the flames as he had smelt the smoke from a mile away. Bernard ran the rest of the way, his steel short-sword in it's sheath. He saw several men standing there, with a women's corpse lying in the grass. As Bernard came closer, he saw his father standing over the corpse, smiling with a cold look in his eye. As Bernard was within speaking distance, he asked, "What have you done Father?" Jeremiah would turn around slowly, glaring as what he thought was his only son turned out to be the result of an affair with a different man. "I killed her Bernard, what does it look like?" Bernard stared as the man he thought was his father spoke, so cruelly about his mother and his former best friend, speaking about how they betrayed him, and how Bernard meant nothing to him. How he only stayed to help raise what he thought was his own kin. Bernard looked at him, partly in fear, and partly in shock at how cruel he truly was. "How did you learn of mother's affair, Father?" Jeremiah just looked at him, and laughed coldly, "I walked in on them Bernard. It's not like Richard would've told me he had an affair with my wife. I pulled out your mother, and proceeded to barricade him inside the house. That's when I knocked over the candle, the fateful candle that burnt the house down." Bernard just stared, afraid of what he would do to him. "So what are you going to do with me? Kill me too, just like you killed Mother?" Jeremiah laughed at that, smiling. "I plan on slowly taking your life, really drawing out the murder. You deserve nothing better, you mistake. You should've never been born." Bernard looked at Jeremiah, as Jeremiah proceeded to unsheathe his broadsword, made from a sturdier material then Bernard's copper short sword. Bernard unsheathed his blade as well, ready to meet the man who had raised him's strike. As they began to duel, Bernard felt the cold blade slice at his exposed shoulder, wincing in pain as the blade cut through him. He realized Jeremiah would strike him dead given the chance, so he sped up the speed at which he struck, knowing Jeremiah would lose his stamina and strength quicker then Bernard. As their duel continued on, Bernard managed to strike Jeremiah at the knee, making him lose his balance and fall to one knee, with his sword stabbed into the dirt. He looked up at Bernard, and asked him, "So, what are you gonna do, kill me? I deserve death, and it makes sense you'd be the one to deliver it. We have no blood connection, I don't deserve to live." Bernard looked at the man who had fathered him his entire life, and spoke to him. "I can't kill you. As much as you deserve to die, I refuse to kill. You can go, but don't ever expect forgiveness from me. This is your chance to start over, just be glad I gave you one." As Bernard walked away from Jeremiah, he began to hear Jeremiah's sword pulled from the dirt, and he heard footsteps coming closer. As Jeremiah went to slash at Bernard, he turned around and slashed at Jeremiah, landing a fatal blow. As Jeremiah fell to the dirt, he dropped his sword, blood leaking from the blow Bernard had landed. Bernard sat with Jeremiah, as he began to bleed to death, and asked him, "Why did you do it? Why did you attempt to kill me?" Jeremiah looked up at Bernard, and responded with malice "You don't deserve to live. You shouldn't even exist, if it weren't for Lynnora having an affair. I hope you die." The life left Jeremiah's eyes with those final words, finally dying. Bernard felt pain, not only from his shoulder, but also at having his whole life pulled out from underneath him. He felt as though he was drowning, not only in pain from his father turning out to not be his father, then his father attempting to kill him, only for Bernard to have to kill him. He was extremely angry at his mother for lying his entire life, and not caring about the possible consequences later in her life. She didn't care about her family, and she was just as bad as Jeremiah. He knew he had to find shelter before the wolves came for him, so he began the long walk into the nearest village. As he walked into the village, he began to feel weak, and his head felt dizzy. He stumbled his way to a building, and collapsed at the door, his body going limp and thudding at the door. A young farm lady proceeded to open the door and frantically called for help from her father.
Bernard awoke from his slumber, looking at the young woman who helped him inside, as she just watched over him. He attempted to speak, but his throat was so dry, he couldn't say anything. After sitting their for a minute in silence, the young woman finally spoke, "Hi. I'm Eleanor, and you look like you could use a drink. I'll be right back." Bernard just watched as she left, not wanting to speak, as to conserve his voice. Eleanor walked down to the river, with a cup in hand, as to make sure she could bring the young man some water. She had spent the last week, making sure he had all the necessities to not catch infection, or die from dehydration. She had taken the role as his caretaker to help the stranger, noticing he had cuts on his shoulder. As she walked back to the cabin, she could see him standing up, only to wince in pain when he attempted to stretch, as the cuts ran relatively deep. She finally walked back inside, only to tell him to sit down, and that he wasn't going anywhere until he was healthy again. Bernard looked at Eleanor, taking the cup from her hand, and taking a long gulp from the glass. When he finally felt as though he could, he spoke to her, "Thank you Eleanor. I really appreciate you taking me in and helping me heal. My name is Bernard." Eleanor looked as though she had a lot of questions. She asked him, "Why are you cut up?" Bernard looked at her, and responded, "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" She nodded her head, wanting to hear why he was in the state he was. Bernard went on about his experience with what happened for two hours. She just listened, and was surprised at the entire recap of the story. Years passed, and it was finally February 17th, 2386s. Eleanor and Bernard had gotten married, and built their house together. When the time finally came, Eleanor gave birth to a healthy boy, Josiah von Berstulten. After Bernard's experience with Jeremiah and Lynnora Cane, he decided to take Eleanor's last name, von Berstulten. Neither Jeremiah, Richard or Lynnora mattered to Bernard, as he had his own family, and his own bloodline to continue. Bernard had no doubt that Josiah was his son, as he had his nose, and his eye color. He would be the example of a father most children would want. He was strict, but he had good reason to be. His punishments weren't cruel, though they were tough, and he had finally taken up being a blacksmith like he had wanted to as a young boy. When Josiah turned seven, that's when Bernard decided it would be a smart idea to teach his son how to be a swordsman. While Bernard had been trained using a copper blade right away, he would teach Josiah with a wooden sword until he was older. After Josiah turned 8, he upgraded his blade from wood to copper. He knew his son would be brilliant when he got older, he just needed the experience. At first, Eleanor had thought training Josiah to be a swordsman when he was 7 was a bad idea, but soon he proved to be a wonderful fighter, and Bernard was a wonderful teacher. Bernard was gentle towards his wife. He would smith weapons, sell them for a fair price, while she would farm for sustenance. It led to them having quite a savings. They weren't rich, but they certainly weren't poor, and it showed. They rarely had to struggle for surviving, although winter months were a bit tough. They made sure that Josiah was well fed, and that he wouldn't see his parents arguing. He grew into a fine young man, and was open with his parents. Then the fateful day came along when Josiah left them for Elpida. When they awoke the morning after Josiah left, they found his note. Bernard and Eleanor felt pain, regret and guilt. What did they do wrong, how could they not notice Josiah's longing for a new life? He wouldn't give them the time to follow, and they wouldn't be able to find him since he left. After Josiah left, they began to realize he wasn't coming home. They decided it was time to raise another child, as that was what made them happiest. They tried for a new son/daughter, and finally it became apparent that Eleanor was pregnant. They decided they would raise the kid like they raised Josiah, as he was a fine young man. They wouldn't speak of Josiah, at least not until their new child was older. All they wanted was for Josiah to be happy, and if he wasn't happy in the Mainland, he should be allowed the freedom to go to Elpida. They would miss him, of course, but they understood that he would be happier in Elpida.
