Varak Elgrum

Varak Elgrum is a paladin of Pharasma who died approximately 200 years before the events of "In the Shadow of Entropy" campaign. He died fighting a lich who as he was defeated cursed Varak, to become what he hated most, a grave knight.

Early Life
Varak was born to a pious family, in Absolam, his mother a cleric and his father a paladin of Pharasma with The Voices of the Spire. His father died in glorious combat on a campaign into Geb when Varak was young. Varak followed his fathers footsteps and trained in martial combat and stratagem. He surpassed expectations, his natural talent, size, and stoic demeanor led him to the top ranks of the paladin order.

Career
Varak claimed many victories on the field of battle, his hatred of the undead was unmatched and he became the go to man for jobs deemed extremely dangerous. Whether it was clearing out vampire dens or protecting small villages from hordes of zombies, he always got the job done. He became known as a brutal and yet inspiring leader, well known for not fearing death.

His first real loss was in a village on the fringe of the Bandu Hills. The small mining community was holed up in a mine, Varak and his fellow paladins their only defense. A horde of wights that had been accidentally unearthed by the miners had cornered them. With only 4 men to stand by his side, he ordered for the 40 villagers to be killed, to spare them the horror of undeath, for if even a single wight made it past them he could turn them all into undead. With a heavy heart he executed every last person. unfortunately the wights had approached faster than expected, and he watched in horror as down the hall wights poured in, the 4 paladins among their ranks, transformed into monstrosities. He fought in a blind rage and emerged the next day the only thing standing.

Varak continued to rise through the ranks and began leading crusades into Geb. He became a legend as tales of his heroics and feats spread through the clergy. He became known as The living Psychopomp, psychopomps being the otherworldly servants of Pharasma. He was bestowed a great warhammer by the head of his order, forged for him solely it was dubbed the Fist of Pharasma. He used the hammer to slay 5 liches and smashing their phylacteries putting them down for good, giving him the moniker of Lichbane.

Death
Varak had caught wind of an ancient lich who was prophesied to awaken soon. He was told by his superiors to drop the legend and continue with more mundane duties. But he came upon the location and tracked it down.

He found the lich's lair and as he went to smash the unguarded phylactery the lich resurrected before him. This was unlike any enemy he had faced before, the battle that ensued was fierce. Varak was losing but refused to give up, despite mortal wounds. Before the lich struck him down, Varak saw the phylactery within reach, vitality rushed to him. The lich admired his undying attitude stating they were not so different, for Varak refused to die just and he. Spurred on even further by this heinous (yet true) observation, Varak rolled his body over swinging his hammer and smashing the phylactery. The lich doubled over, weakened and looked to Varak as he rose up with a smile, choking out the word " And so i die for the last of many times, yet you shall die for the first of many" before grabbing Varak's throat piercing it with his claws and draining his vitality. Once again Varaks fury was unquenchable and he threw the lich from him and brought his hammer down on its head. Varak collapsed in a heap, to weak to make his last prayers, he noticed the holy symbols of Pharasma were marred on his armor. He always preached to take death stoically, for it was just the beginning. But as he shut his eyes the only thing e felt was anger, unnatural, unquenchable anger, a thirst for more that over took his longing for a good death.

Grave-knight
Varak died and looked at the horrors as he floated down the stream of souls toward the boneyard, he had long waited for the day he would gaze upon the realm of Pharasma the destination of all souls. But as he floated towards the gate he was yanked back, and awoke in the lich's lair. He was changed, he recognized what he was immediately, clearly the lich had cursed him, he was now bound to his armor as a grave-knight. These undead are the warrior equivalent of liches their lust for battle so great they defy death and rise up, their armor the phylactery. He had gone toe to toe with a grave-knight before and knew how dangerous they are. He had become that which he hated most, forsaken by Pharasma, he further dedicated himself to the destruction of the undead. He felt that if he could do enough great deeds he would be sparred this curse and die a good death, and stay dead welcomed into the boneyard by Pharasma a hero.

Varak no longer went by his name nor associated with the church, he avoided all followers for they would recognize him. He carried now holy symbols for it was an insult to Pharasma. He spent the next 200 years fighting the most dangerous fights he could find, dying many times, each time flowing towards the boneyard sure this was the last time, only to be forced back to the plane of the living. Over time his mental state has degraded and his anger replacing it. He has considered burying himself where he cannot resurrect or tossing himself in a volcano in an attempt to destroy the armor but is clinging to the thought of divine intervention and a good death redeeming him and welcoming him to his destiny. And so he has drifted place to place a hero trapped in the visage of the most vile villains.