Faramond was an orphan picked up by the Crimson Cadre during one of their many raids in the countrysides of Luna Ashe.
He was kept by the Cadre as an errand boy, initially trusted for nothing but the most menial of tasks. Faramond strongly felt against having to interact with these horrors if he could, and avoid he did, which didn't help at all with his ranking within what could be called the Cadre society. Though he was appreciated for doing his errands properly without any audible complaint, his avoidant behavior earned him the contempt of the Cadre around him. Abuse and mindless labor soon became Faramond's daily life.
To escape from the pain, Faramond relied on his imagination, thinking himself in different situations, different worlds, different lives. At first, these worlds and lives were simple, wishful thoughts, but soon, the imagined worlds grew more and more complex, more and more colorful, and more and more realistic.
Some worlds grew to be favored over the others. And his adventures in those worlds becoming more and more involved and lifelike. As he couldn't understand being involved in any grouping of people, these favored worlds tended to have him as a vagrant, a wanderer, a stranger. He was free to explore those worlds, so long as he took care of the threats: strange creatures and even stranger people, but he tended to stay in the fringes of society.
Soon, these worlds started to get a life of its own, beyond Faramond's own conscious control. He didn't mind, instead, he enjoyed the further convenience the lost of control over his imagination gave him. He no longer had to conjure images, the images conjure themselves. All he has to do now is to interact with the worlds that unfolded before him. Little did he know that it is only the first of a handful of signs that would have told him that he is becoming one of the infected. But again, Faramond is only too happy to have worlds being conjured in his imagination, without much effort.
In one of those worlds, he was a student, who upon meeting an accident, lost his memory and found himself in a forest. There he met a curious creature who after some series of funny events, came to be his friend.1
In another of those worlds, he was in a technologically advanced society, complete with electricity, electronics and the internet. With a computer and and internet connection, he writes about a world that is inhabited by different people, his contribution being a student, who upon meeting an accident, lost his memory and found himself in a forest. There, his character met a curious creature who after some series of funny events, came to be his friend. By some freak accident, however, he found himself transferred from that technologically advanced world, to the world he was writing about. He then set about on a journey to find his now former character meeting other characters along the way. In a series of funny, and somehow ridiculous events, he found his way to this character. After some other series of funny events, followed by a series of more serious, if not set-up, events, Faramond saw this other character being killed before accomplishing what he searched his former character for. Faramond blamed the plot for it, and swore to never let the plot get to him.2
It was that latter world that Faramond felt really strong emotions for. It felt so real to him that he began thinking that it was in fact real. And that, in fact, he got into this world, the world where he is a slave to the Cadre, through an accident where he fell into a chasm during a fight with some creatures, got swallowed into a void, and eventually appearing into this world.3
Slowly, those "memories" started overshadowing his real ones and within him, swelled the desire to return to the "real world", a term he used to describe the world of technological advances he had interacted with once in his imagination.
This desire grew too great, that Faramond soon began plotting his escape from the Crimson Cadre's grasp.
Escaping from their camp was easy enough, as by this time, he was trusted enough to be a messenger among his other, more menial duties. Fully escaping from the Crimson Cadre's grasp is another matter. He ended up wandering from one place to another, constantly on the lookout for the Cadre, or just about anyone he feared would harm him.
To survive, Faramond kept away from any settlements, keeping to the outskirts of the Moonwing settlements if he really must do something that involves other people. He also only ate or drank when he really feel the need to. In this, he was helped greatly by another symptom of the growing taint in him. His growing taint gave him the ability to ignore his surroundings, or any details of it, and simply go on as if he were not affected by them. If he really must eat, he hunted small prey, or gathered wild fruits and berries in the wilderness between the settlements.
Travelling this way, Faramond made his way to the capital of Luna Ashe, where he hoped he might be able to blend in and live unnoticed. He was almost too late. News of a Cadre invasion was spreading throughout the capital when he arrived. People were fleeing, cramming themselves into that one ship that will take them to a place far far away.
Faramond didn't think twice of stowing himself into the ship. If the Cadre invades the city, there's a chance that he'd be recognized, and who knows what his punishment might be.
That ship ended up crashing outside the city walls of Iwaku City.
Knowing nothing of Faramond's past, the citizens of Iwaku City didn't think anything of him, trusting him enough to let him live alongside them. This new life, away from the Cadre and its horrible memories, has given Faramond a breath of fresh air, and gave him a more affable and pleasing personality.
He soon was given work as an assistant to a swordsmith named Brandt. It was a hard job, involving lots of physical labor, but it gave him a sense of purpose. Faramond proved himself hardworking and enthusiastic enough that Brandt considered him to be his apprentice, and a son.
It was the first time in a very long while, probably the first time ever, outside of Faramond's imagination, that he felt he was treated as an actual person, that he felt needed, that he felt he belonged.
Faramond was happy, too happy, with his situation. He's happy enough that he began considering settling in Iwaku, taking up Brandt's trade someday, marry a nice girl, give up going back to his "real world".
At first, he reasoned with himself, thinking that no, he'll have to leave someday. He told Brandt about this, and Brandt, while understanding why Faramond felt he has to go back, told him that it wouldn't be bad if he'd stay. Increasingly, Faramond felt conflicted, torn between the good life he has right there, and the promise of returning to his "real world".
The longer he stayed, the stronger the feelings of conflict became in Faramond's heart, and he despaired at his indecision. He thought he should be completely content in staying with Brandt, who has been a father to him, but the thought of never being able to return to his "real world" gave him a sense of unease.
This sense of frustration and unease grew and grew, until one day, while helping Brandt forge a sword in the workshop, Faramond was overwhelmed by a sense of despair. He started glowing a bright shade of crimson, which quickly turned into an eerie dark aura. It was his "Unlimited Despair Works" power, manifesting itself for the first time. He completely blacked out, and when he came to, he found Brandt lying in a pool of his own blood, and planted into Brandt's chest Faramond found the sword they're working on.
Panicking, Faramond took the sword and ran away from the workshop, and found refuge in the sewers underneath Iwaku city. He thought about the events that happened to him over and over, scoured his memories, fake or no, and came to the conclusion that he still wasn't safe from the plot. He had let his guard down, became too complacent, and Brandt, the one he looked up to, paid the price for it.
Faramond, at that point, resolved that he will do everything in his power to return to the "real world", where he'd be safe from both the Crimson Cadre, as well as the plot, for good.
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Notes:
- This is a reference to megane-kun in a previous Iwaku World incarnation.
- This is a reference to Faramond in that same Iwaku World incarnation as (1). Faramond's initial quest was to talk to megane-kun about something, but never got to do it.
- This was an extrapolation of the events involving Faramond underneath Castle Iwaku.