Chance Aldym

Chance Aldym is the current mayor of Zaradene. Nominally Chance is outranked by nobles in Haven -- he is not a noble himself and therefore he cannot formally be granted governance -- but an experiment in democracy by the Abanasinian government means that in practice Chance is the town's top decision-maker. He has held his post since his installment by Seth Mase after Lord Hristol, the previous mayor, was exiled by force for conspiring to sell out the town to ogres. Since then Chance has relied on Seth as his right hand for solving any problem that benefits from the application of arcane fire.

Chance is a native of Zaradene, but a fairly well traveled one. As a young man he made his name as a merchant plying the trade routes of Abanasinia, with occasional forays into points beyond. Among his customers, Chance became known for being an honest salesman and a cutthroat gambler; his success at both endeavors enabled his early retirement, while his reputation led him to the position of head alderman of Zaradene in Hristol's time.

Chance is often playful - he has even been known to allocate rewards to Seth's party based on simple games of strategy - but his attitude towards his town is fiercely protective, and has only grown more so over the years since his installment. On the night of the Puncture he barked orders to his citizens as they scrambled to defend Zaradene against the extraplanar invaders. Unfortunately, he was taken captive by the angels of Sargonnas. After a prison stay of some days, Chance was freed by Seth Mase and helped orchestrate the founding of Adastra, in whose nebulous leadership structure he plays a vital part.