Throne of Bhaal finishes with short stories about what happened to the various NPCs after the defeat of Melissan. In Keldorn's case, there are three possible alternatives.
Romance is active, Charname has chosen to become a God.
After his lover Charname ascended, Keldorn wandered aimlessly for a short while, searching for a meaning to his life. He generally avoided centres of population, since, as a fallen paladin, he was viewed with suspicion and distrust wherever he went, not to mention outright fear. Occasionally, he would perform a task for a village or town- maybe clearing out an infestation of orcs, or slaying a terrible dragon, but only if he was paid well. Legends grew, over this short time, of his great skill in battle, the frenzied single-minded fury with which he would kill his opponents. Those who met him spoke of his distant manner, and the long hours he spent simply staring at the sky.
The Order of the Radiant Heart, meanwhile, were silent on the matter of his killing of the Prelate and many high ranking knights. There was a price on Keldorn’s head, but after the first party who went hunting for him were found, skewered on tree branches and left for the ravens to pick over, no other knights came forward to take the quest.
It was a mere three months before the future Keldorn has foreseen in his dream came upon him. He was setting up camp one night in an isolated region of the Tethyr forest, when the Gauntlet of Torm appeared in the sky above him, outlined against the sunset. It formed into a fist, and came down to claim its errant knight. In terror, Keldorn called out to the one immortal he knew he could rely on, praying to be saved. Before the gauntlet reached Keldorn, it stopped. There was a blinding flash of light, a cry of rage that was heard for leagues around, and Keldorn vanished.
This was not the end of his tale, however. A year later, Keldorn reappeared, telling all who would listen the news of a new God coming into power. For many years more he travelled Faerun, preaching and spreading belief of the new God, although he never revisited Athkatla. At the end of his unnaturally long life, he was remembered, not as a fallen paladin, but as the powerful and devout High Priest of the newly risen God, Charname.
Romance is active, Charname has chosen to become fully mortal.
Never had the Faerun seen such loyalty as existed between Charname and the fallen paladin, Keldorn. Even though their relationship had been tempestuous, to say the least, love had, in the end, won through. The pair continued to travel, and Keldorn was greatly surprised to find how little prejudice he and Charname faced as a result of their love. It seemed that many people in the world were more accepting than the Athkatlan nobility, or the Order of the Radiant Heart. Keldorn was never entirely trusted by those they met, though, since news of his bloodlust and fervour in battle had also spread far and wide.
The Order of the Radiant Heart, meanwhile, were silent on the matter of his killing of the Prelate and many high ranking knights. There was a price on Keldorn’s head, but after the first party who went hunting for him were found, skewered on tree branches and left for the ravens to pick over, no other knights came forward to take the quest.
It was a mere three months before the future Keldorn has foreseen in his dream came upon him. They was setting up camp one night in an isolated region of the Tethyr forest, when the Gauntlet of Torm appeared in the sky above him, outlined against the sunset. It swept down upon them both, threatening not just to bring Keldorn to justice, but his lover, too, as an accomplice in Keldorn’s fall. With a snarl of rage, Keldorn stood before the God and bellowed defiance, swearing that he would do anything in his power to protect Charname, vowing to serve any God or Goddess that would help them for life. A deity did, indeed, answer their call. As darkness fell, another unnatural purple-edged blackness came upon the camp, and surrounded Torm’s fist. Keldorn and Charname could only cower while the two deities fought above their camp. Neither God was powerful enough to overcome the other, and eventually, an uneasy truce was called, and Torm withdrew. Keldorn, however, was then called upon by the deity that had saved him to be a cleric in her name. So it was, that Keldorn became one of the most powerful priests of Shar, Goddess of night and loss, that the world had ever seen.
With the twin threats of Torm and Bhaal gone from their lives, Keldorn and Charname were at last free to live without a shadow looming over them. Many are the tales that can be told of the priest and the Bhaalspawn, but the only important fact was that they stayed together for the rest of Keldorn’s unnaturally long, Goddess-sustained, life.
Romance has finished, but Keldorn still Fell.
After Charname ascended, Keldorn wandered aimlessly for a short while, having lost any sense of purpose or meaning to his life. He generally avoided centres of population, since, as a fallen paladin, he was viewed with suspicion and distrust wherever he went, not to mention outright fear. Occasionally, he would perform a task for a village or town- maybe clear out an infestation of orcs, or slaying a terrible dragon, but only if he was paid well. Legends grew, over this short time, of his great skill in battle, the frenzied single-minded fury with which he would kill his opponents. Those who met him spoke of his distant manner, and the long hours he spent simply staring at the sky.
The Order of the Radiant Heart, meanwhile, were silent on the matter of his killing of the Prelate and many high ranking knights. There was a price on Keldorn’s head, but after the first party who went hunting for him were found, skewered on tree branches and left for the ravens to pick over, no other knights came forward to take the quest.
It was a mere three months before the future Keldorn has foreseen in his dream came upon him. He was setting up camp one night in an isolated region of the Tethyr forest, when the Gauntlet of Torm appeared in the sky above him, outlined against the sunset. It formed into a fist, and came down to claim its errant knight. Keldorn did not resist; he felt he had no reason to avoid this final act of justice from the God of Obedience. He had little to live for in his shattered life. He looked upon the God he had once worshipped with eyes wide and fearless. The Gauntlet came down upon him, and crushed him utterly.
Was that the end of Keldorn? In one way, it was. However, Sir Keldorn, the death knight, was heard singing his haunting song of murder and love every full moon in the depths of the Forest of Tethyr for centuries to come.
