Reaching out through the dark twisted causeways which connect all things in the universe, a phrase, a shibboleth of a distant people reached Golarion, and on it formed a man. The Aasimar man known to his friends as Liet, and to his enemies as Mahdi-Lahab (“guided by flame”) leads a life of irony, and is the very embodiment of the adage, “out of chaos comes order”.

Born in 4697 AR to a mother who died at childbirth and a father who died soon after during a spice trade excursion, Liet was sent to live with his grandmother in the Chelish city of Westcrown. It was there that he learned the necessities of life from the kind old woman who raised him as her own. Though the two were only of moderate means, they grew happy in each other’s company, though Liet’s matriarch would often look at him quizzically as if she could see something invisible, or perhaps too worldly, to Liet. Over time, the struggles of Westcrown became more severe and harsh, and seemingly in response Liet’s grandmother increasingly became more secluded, taking Liet with her into isolation. On one particular day during the height of conflict in Westcrown, Liet sat playing with his puzzles, as was often the case given Liet’s grandmother-induced lack of social interaction. As Liet finished his mental exercise, content with the finale of the months-long ordeal, he felt a presence, not with any known sense but rather with what can only be described as hearing a voiceless whisper, as though a thought had been planted directly into his consciousness by some external power. At that moment Liet looked up from his game to see a short figure, unknown in origin to him, standing mere feet away. In the figure’s hand laid a rapier, noticeably covered in blood, the source of which Liet had a fair guess, given his grandmother’s tendency to relax on the porch from which the figure must have entered. Liet had only enough time to complete his assessment before the figure moved with unnatural speed, bringing the hilt of the rapier down upon Liet’s head, and with a soft thump the boy lost all sense of the world.

The story of Liet, however, was far from over. Perhaps by chance, or divine intervention, a Qadiran priest of Sarenrae who was seeking temporary refuge from the strife in Westcrown was nearby Liet’s home when the mysterious figure attacked. It was this priest who pulled Liet from the burning husk of his house, the boy seemingly protected from the raging flames by Sarenrae herself. It was during this harrowing encounter that the priest took notice of a peculiarity in Liet’s appearance, most noticeably when in the midst of the flames, and nearly invisible when safe from their harm. The unconscious boy appeared to have a faint halo seated several inches above his head, however it disappeared quickly after the priest removed the boy from the burning building. It was at this time that the priest became the first person other than Liet’s now deceased grandmother to discover the boy’s Aasimar heritage. By the time the boy came back to consciousness, he was already on the road away from Westcrown, in the company only of the mysterious priest who had, unknown to Liet, just saved his life. Over the course of the next several weeks, the priest explained how he came upon Liet, the sad truth about his grandmother, and how he would take Liet back to his homeland of Qadira where he would be safe. Unknown to Liet, Qadira was also his home as well. Before their untimely deaths which resulted in Liet being sent to live with his grandmother, the boy’s parents were merchants and scholars of some repute. Liet’s mother, Chani, was a priestess of Sarenrae who spread her goddess’ message of justice and redemption through knowledge, becoming a teacher of the people in her town. His father, Pardot, was a somewhat well-known geologist and spice trader, employing his knowledge of the Qadiran dunes in service to the high nobles of the land and using his spice business to keep his family well fed and housed.

Upon their arrival back in Qadira, the duo traveled to grand Katheer, the prized jewel and capital of the Satrapy. It was here that Liet’s savior helped to establish the young Aasimar as a student in both the priesthood of Sarenrae and in various schools found in the vast city. Over the course of the following 14 years, Liet grew in knowledge and power, learning everything he could of healing practices, the intricacies of language, the power of speech, and of course the teachings of Sarenrae. During this time, Liet set himself apart from many of his classmates, showing a unique connection to the sun goddess, and particularly an affinity for fire. In addition to the subtly azure halo above his head, which on occasion revealed his Aasimar ethnicity, Liet produced similarly blue flames when calling upon the power of his patron, further setting him apart from his human comrades in cleric-hood. It was because of these qualities that in the year 4721 AR, the now adult Liet was requested for employment by a traveling professor, recently arrived from a far away land in search of knowledge regarding the riches of Liet’s home. Though their time together was short, Liet proved a capable fighter and healer, as well as useful for his knowledge of Qadira’s vitally important spice trade. So great was the impression that the well-bred cleric made on the professor, two years after their fateful meeting, Liet received a notice of the professor’s untimely demise, and a request for the Aasimar’s presence at the funeral, a request made personally by the late professor. So it was that Liet was once again thrust out into the world, with little sense of the adventure upon which he would soon embark, but full of zeal and faith in the powers bestowed upon him by his birth, and by the will of his goddess.