Stoian Dragomir Dodrescu

 Stoian Dragomir Dodrescu is an expatriate of the Myrian province of Dara. He is the third son of Gavril Dodrescu, and grandson of Lord Todor Hristov Dodrescu, Count of Dara.

Stoian is a cleric to the goddess Snaedis, an accomplished physician and battle medic, and a merchant and mercenary of The Company of the Red Sash.

The Company of the Red Sash
Stoian is the first Lord Chancellor of The Company of the Red Sash, the second leader of The Order of Rings.

He joined the company (Known as "The Order of the Red Sash" at that time) in early Indrid of year 208 of the fourth age, following fellow Myrian expatriate Premislas Durnovo, one of the founding brothers of the organization. Originally functioning primarily as a battle medic in support of the group's mercenary actions and military engagements, Stoian eventually became more involved in trading and expanding the organization's mercantile network.

Upon proving his skills and after aiding in the recruitment of prominent members, Stoian was promoted to a Senior Officer within the company. After both founding brothers Premislas Dornovo and Roland Arete stepped down from their positions, Stoian joined Ivar the Black and Hywin Vasnetsov as a Core Brother of the company. As a core brother, Stoian oversaw the reorganization of the company's operations and resources, and the formalization of the three orders within the company, The Order of Pikes, The Order of Rings, and The Order of Spires.

Stoian was chosen to be the leader of The Order of Rings, the division responsible for the overseeing of all business matters, merchant contracts, financial management, and information for the company.

Early Life
Stoian was born in Dara, Myria, as the grandson of the region's count. As a member of a Myrian noble family, Stoian was expected to take an active role in the military in his kingdom. His elder brothers, both accomplished military leaders by the time Stoian was of the age where his training would begin, were constantly away. Stoian, not eager for military glory like his brothers, opted to train as a surgeon, in order to serve his kingdom in an equally significant way.

Not long into his training, Dara was called upon for military support, and Stoian's brothers and teacher were mobilized. Stoian decided to follow his teacher and learn his role by becoming immersed in it. He finished his training while at war, and worked alongside his teacher as a surgeon. Only months later, Stoian's teacher was killed in an ambush while the Myrian forces moved through dense forest.

After losing his teacher, Stoian found himself the only qualified surgeon for his medical unit, and as the war took a turn for the worse, he treated more wounded in a day than he had during his entire training. The war continued at this pace for nearly two more years, a constant stream of wounded soldiers, and for weeks at a time.

The pace and horrors of war wore away Stoian's remaining innocence, and four years and three months after he left his home as a boy apprentice surgeon, he returned a veteran and a man. He continued work as a surgeon, traveling often to handle difficult cases all over Myria, and furthered his studies of history and war in his free time.

Descent
The darkness that settled in Stoian during his time at war did not lift when he returned home. He sought a better understanding of politics, war, and history, in order to try to understand the meaning behind all of the death he saw firsthand; all of the lives he watched slip away while he stood helpless.

The house of Dodrescu were devout followers of Snaedis, as is common in Myria and the surrounding region. Eventually, after studying in the family library, he discovered that his grandmother, Lady Iskra Dragmoir Dodrescu was not raised a follower of Snaedis by her widower father, Valko Dragomir. Valko, a prominent military leader in western Myria, was a follower of Dunmharu, believing that the only true power in the world is the power to "remove another's power", to take another's life.

Having found no comfort in the teachings of Snaedis, Stoian began to research the house of Dragomir and the teachings of Dunmharu. Knowing that his family would not approve, Iskra advised Stoian to keep his interest in Dunmharu secret, and offered him her family heirloom texts and holy symbols from before her marriage and subsequent conversion.

Despite Iskra's warnings, Stoian's study of the teachings of Dunmharu were discovered. Even if motivated by an earnest attempt to understand the horrors he experienced in a time of war, Stoian's parents saw his actions as a betrayal of the family's devotion to Snaedis. Stoian was forced to leave his family and kingdom so that he could not mar his house's reputation, and reduce their standing in the peerage.

Rather than staying near his family, Stoian decided that the only way for him to find peace and a place for himself in the world is to travel as far as possible from where he grew up.

Linerra
Stoian traveled the world until he found himself in Egoras, Linerra, sharing the company of a fellow Myrian expatriate, Premislas Dornovo. Finding comfort in their shared homeland, religious interests, and exile, Stoian found himself drawn to the group Premislas called his "new family", The Order of the Red Sash.

Stoian quickly found himself a place within the organization, as a skilled and hardened healer, and thrived in the camaraderie he shared with the group.

Redemption
After years of calling upon Dunmharu to aid him in the execution of his mercenary and military duties, Stoian grew weary of the persecution he faced for his faith. Though for many years he did not see the wrong in worshiping a deity of murder in a world where murder is a necessary act, he eventually found that he valued life's natural cycle more than he valued the power to disrupt that cycle.

Stoian took his leave from The Company of the Red Sash and spent the large part of a year studying in Lorhaven on matters of faith, business, and magic. He attended sermons to every deity he was able, and tried desperately to find a place for himself and his beliefs in each of these faiths, but found it difficult to connect with the teachings of any. Eventually, though jaded by his family's intolerance, Stoian attended a sermon to Snaedis. He found, strangely, that all of the teachings which he had found silly and useless as a child, and that offered him no comfort after returning from war, now made a great deal more sense to him. His new perspective on the world fit very well with that of his family's traditional faith, even if he was not eager to admit it.

Stoian continued to attend sermons to Snaedis, and eventually approached the preistess. He explained his past, his family, and his former faith, and the priestess welcomed him and reassured him that many have made such transitions before.

Stoian spent several more months in study and prayer, and eventually pledged his faith to Snaedis, and returned to The Company of the Red Sash to resume his duties.

Shortly after returning to Belmont, Egoras, Stoian was publicly granted a divine gift. A dark cloud could be seen over Stoian as he sat outside The Grey Shield Tavern, and onlookers watched as an blackened greatsword fell from the cloud and pierced Stoian, digging deeply into the ground. A booming voice could be heard, and shortly thereafter, Stoian awoke unharmed, with the sword in hand.

Upon identification, the sword was found to be a gift from Snaedis, an ancient blade that seeks out penitent former worshippers of dark deities and aids them in their penance. The sword was found to be spirit locked, and thus could not be discarded, and much heavier when sheathed. Additionally, the identification revealed that the bearer of the sword must speak only truth.

Stoian accepted this gift graciously and bears the sword to this day.

Family
Stoian is the third son of Gavril Dodrescu, heir to the house and title of Count, and his wife, Ivana Petrovich Dodrescu. He is the grandson of Lord Todor Dodrescu, Комит of Dara, and Lady Iskra Dragomir Dodrescu. He is the great-grandson of Lord Valko Dragomir, a western Myrian warlord, and Lady Adeline Gigorescu Dragomir.