Malin Salazarian
Contents
Baron Sir Malin Salazarian, Knight of Amtgard, of Gryphon's Perch Rising Winds.
And if ever we shall meet again by land or by sea, I will always remember your kindness to me.
Biography
Perhaps one of the kindest men I ever knew, Sal was truly a great Amtgarder and a decent human being.
Sal was born and raised in Florida. He rode horses and hunted alligators. He fell in love and joined the army. He moved to Germany and spent several years there, riding the train to work and eating warm salami and provolone sandwiches for breakfast. The only German he remembered was “Ein kline Fry, bitta.”
Sal moved to Indy sometime after he left the army. He met and joined fellow gamers at a club call The Dragons Claw. There he ran Star Wars, discovered Magic the CCG, played Myth, and met many of the people he came to call friends. When the Claw closed, he worked hard to stay in contact with his friends, never letting us forget he was there, or that he thought of us.
Sal discovered Amtgard before we did, and drug the lot of us in. We being Tugen, Jolin, Darvious, Anavrin and myself. He had already established himself with the Windmoorian Guard before joining the Golden Band. I was nervous taking him from such a well known fighting company, but he completed us, and we needed him. I will never forget the day we all stood in a circle and welcomed him to our ranks. Sal was often our voice of reason, and we looked to him for rational, steady advice.
When we decided to take linage colors, Sal chose purple. I think it was something in him showing itself on the outside that he would chose to place royal purple beside our own black and gold. His noble nature and sense of fairness were embodied in that color, and I will never be able to look at it with out thinking of him.
We were all pet projects to Sal, he worried over all of us and always listened to us. There are so many nights I can remember sitting in his living room, surrounded by his army of cats, telling him all my problems and woes. He never turned me away, and I’m sure he did the same for others.
Sal hit a rough spot some time after GB disbanded. His life changed drastically and he moved away to Michigan to try and find what he was missing. He never gave up on The Dream. He drove miles to play the game and still kept in contact with his friends in Gryphon's Perch.
When he came back he jumped in with both feet again, stepping up as Sheriff and helping to guide the noobs. He formed a new fighting company with long time friend Hobbit called Gryphon's Pryde. He rejoined the army as a reservist and began serving his country again.
Sal died late on night in November of 2006 from cardiac arrest. It took us all by surprise. I honestly didn’t believe it when I received the call. I’ll never forget that day either.
Sal’s Knighting was the saddest and proudest moment of my Amtgard life. The glow of the fire made it all the more exceptional as a circle of weeping Knights presented his mother with his sword, chains, and spurs and the title of Knight of Amtgard.
Sal’s white belt has no other color besides white, because he belongs to all of Amtgard, not just one piece. Still in my mind, when I see him dressed in his regalia, I can’t help but see that purple he once wore, woven along side the white.
--Corranna
Sal's Biography
Taken from the Vol 1 issue three Quill and Scroll. [1]
I was born in the Northern Wilds. My father was an elven scout, my mother a human mage. When I was 18 my father sent me out with a party of well trained and renowned adventurers and for several months I traveled with this group. On the third moon of the winter season in the year of the Falcon, the group was destroyed. It happened as so:
Fleeing a blustery winter storm the company sought shelter in a small cave in the Blood Mountains. They were tired, cold, hungry, and not as attentive as usual. Soon a roaring fire was blazing and the group filled themselves with warm food. Sleep quickly began to overcome them. I was the youngest, like all youths filled with exuberant energy which seems bubble forth like a stream, and was left on guard duty. During my watch I searched the cave in which the group had sought shelter. To my immense surprise I found a small hidden door. Having seen many traps in my time with the company I was wary of the door, but after having determined that there were no traps present I quickly opened it. Hidden behind a layer of dust and dirt was the most beautiful gem I had ever seen. Without conscious thought I took the gem from it’s resting place. Of course I had no idea that this gem was a prison or that the touch of a mortal would release it’s prisoner.
With a flash of light and mighty roar, a great demon sprang from the gem. His hollow laughter echoed in the small confines of the cave. This of course awoke my companions, who upon seeing the great creature of evil standing before them, quickly and without hesitation attacked. The battle that ensued was one of the greatest I had ever seen. And much to my own humiliation, I was paralyzed with fear. As I stood there and watched the battle in a trance like daze, I saw my trusted companions each fall to the power of this great evil. Soon only Daris Sparhawk, Paladin of the Realm stood against the creature of the Abyss. Singing his death song he smiled faintly as a shimmer of light surrounded him and his blade. And with that smile on his face he charged the beast, driving his sword deep into the breast of that abomination of nature. As he held fast to the blade and twisted it deep into the heart of that evil beast, the beast set about him with mighty blows. The sound of the impacts shook the walls and deafened my ears. Then in a flare of light they were gone, both Sir Sparhawk and the great evil that I had released. The bright flash of light broke me out of my trance, but it was too late. My faithful companions and loyal friends lay broken and torn in the cave.
It was then that my inaction came crashing down upon me; the horror of what I had done through my curiosity and greed. As I looked at the vacant eyes of my companions, I could see their contempt reflected back at me. No longer able to stand their stares I fled the cave, into the cold storm which raged around me. For how long I fled I don’t remember. When I came to my senses, I had no idea where I was or how I got there. I have never gone home. I just cannot face the pity that my father might show. Or worse, what if the contempt that I saw in my companions eyes shown back from my own blood.? No, I cannot return home. And so with the gem I had grasped still in my hand and what little money I had, I’ve set out to attempt to pay for my sins. Through out the wilderness I have roamed and many battles have I fought. I joined with several different companies and served in many lands. But always has my heart ached to travel, and so I would leave my new friends and companions, and move on.
I grow weary of this however, and I have heard of a kingdom, new and young, that might welcome a new protector. Soon, I shall travel there to see if this kingdom is worth fighting for, and perhaps this time I will find the home that I have sought for so long. And maybe this time my tortured soul will find peace amongst new friends and companions.
Affiliated Groups
- Former member of the Windmoorian Guard
- Former member of the Golden Band (disbanded)
- Member Gryphon's Pryde (Captain General)
Belted Family
- Squired to Duke Sir Hobbit Bloodstone
- Knighted posthumously at his wake in November as a Knight of Amtgard - Given by Emperor Sir Owl Bonesteel, November 2006
Notable Accomplishments
- Master Scout - Given by Hobbit - Duke of the RW, June 2001
- Lord - Given by Hobbit - Duke of the RW, March 2002
- Baron - Given by Dekland - King of the RW, June 2003
- Regent of the Rising Winds, September 2003 - March 2004
- Sheriff of Gryphon's Perch, November 2005 - March 2006
