Holbar was born to a tribe of desert nomads in the Southwest of Creation. Always large and strong, Holbar quickly became a valuable member of his tribe. At the age of seventeen, he was the most renowned hunter in his tribe and growing near to being admitted to the inner council of the chieftains.
The tribe had set up their camp near a spring amongst the foothills when they were beset by a slathering group of beastmen, with three young Lunars at their head. Many of his tribe were slain outright, and those who survived were corralled to the center, tied, and prepared to be taken away as slaves. To ensure the cooperation of the other tribespeople, the chieftains and others beloved to the tribe -- including Holbar's mentor -- were lined up before the other tribespeople. The foremost Lunar -- a scarred, ugly black dog -- walked down the line, slaying each in turn. After three had fallen, Holbar shouted for them to stop, but the Lunar laughed and refused. As he struck Holbar's mentor down, Holbar screamed, snapped the ropes that held him, and charged headlong at his tormentor. Then... nothing. He was backhanded and left for dead; though he recovered, his chest still bears the vicious claw scars.
At the beginning of the game, Holbar has been wandering through the south of Creation for several years. At one point, he wandered into a sandstorm, and was driven into a trackless desert, where he wandered without food or water for three days. As he came near death, he saw an unlikely sight -- from the white sand sprung up a vast black tree, whose bare branches dripped with golden water. As he ran towards it to slake his thirst, a bolt of lightning struck downwards from the clear sky and shattered the tree, sending pieces flying in every direction; and from the heart of the tree, a silver blade flew, landing upon the Earth and pointing to the west. Holbar followed the line of the weapon and it led him out from the desert, and onto an overgrown, abandoned road that led him to the gates of Estoc.
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