Dainn Giantbane comes from a long line of cavaliers - with his father (Strum (a.k.a. Stumpy) - who disappeared under mysterious circumstances shortly after he was born) being one of the most renown of all time. All that is known about Stumpy’s disappearance (but this information is not known to the general populace - so that people would not fear some greater power that can not be detected by the gods) is that the free lord was sending him on a quest alone to the Lower Planes to try to defeat a particular demon and a particular devil. Stumpy had gone to purchase some equipment, and was never seen again. The search for Stumpy drained the family coffers to practically nothing (and Stumpy was not ever found (all means - magical and divine were used), but the family name and honor was still intact.
Before Dainn was born, Stumpy had adventured with other heroes and defeated an immensely powerful psionicist (Alsmyr the Psych). Upon Alsmyr’s destruction, a massive amount of psionic energy permeated the heroes - apparently doing no harm. However, this psionic energy subtly changed Stumpy’s genetic make up so that psionic powers were more likely in his offspring, and this is where Dainn’s powers came from.
More interested in books and other mental activities, Dainn all but neglected the cavalier training his trainers was trying to teach him and his brothers. Finally convincing his mother to let him study psionics, Dainn leaves his family lands and studies under the master psionicist (Avis Redmarch) of the court. Taking pity on the young man (as Avis and Stumpy had been friends), Avis took Dainn in and helped him learn how to harness and control his mental energies.
For several years, Dainn studied under Avis, and the day finally came for Dainn to leave to learn things for himself. Dainn takes his leave of his hometown to learn what he can of himself and the world.
As Dainn was traveling back to the Free City of Greyhawk after visiting his family he was assaulted by a psychotic psionicist. After an intense battle of the minds, Dainn was finally able to win by using all of the energy stored in the gem, but before his mind was totally fried, the psychotic made a final physical lunge at Dainn. Dainn was caught unaware and fell to the ground - the diamond gift striking a stone in such a way that it chipped rendering it useless in storing mental energy ever again. Dishearted at the loss, Dainn continues on to meet with the Free Lord.
Dainn has two brothers - Humus and Storm. Storm that is a Paladin to the god Rao. Humus is the eldest brother, and is a cavalier serving the realm. Dainn is the youngest in the family, and was born shortly after his father disappeared.
Stumpy wielded a weapon called a magical duo-blade that hasted him.
[Essentially a duo-blade (one that is not magical) was two bastard swords joined end-to-end. It gave +1 to AC and allowed 2 attacks per round (each attack doing normal 2-handed damage).
However on a roll of a 1 to hit - you hit yourself (like a critical
fumble). It was possible to break the blade into two bastard swords,
but then you would not ever be able to join them together ever again.
With the haste part of the blade, Stumpy, they tended to blur and had extra attacks per round as a haste spell - but without the magical aging.
Shortly after Stumpy disappeared, the various kingdoms agreed to ban the weapon. Too many inexperienced people were slaughtering themselves as they were trying to learn how to use the strange weapon.
The Giantbane family insignia is a griffin in flight carrying a duo-blade.
Humus is currently off on a quest to stop the arch-devil Asmodeus. Dainn has had little contact with Humus - other than the rare times he uses psionics for a family chat.
Storm is off trying to rescue a little girl from a daemon, and is also trying to retrieve from it an ancient holy blade.
With all the Giantbane's efforts to stop those from the Lower Planes, they have in turn become marked targets by demons, devils, and daemons.
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