First encountered by our heroes in the Inn of the Welcome Wench on the night of their arrival, Valden Oyd proved notable mostly for his good looks. He spoke little, choosing to instead sit, listen, and drink. Only when discussion turned to the old Temple of Elemental Evil did he show any great reaction, growing visibly pale, afraid, and angry. Like his friends Sef the Elder and Jakk, Valden is a stalwart worshipper of Saint Cuthbert, though he does not feel the need to praise the Cudgeller so much as they. The master cartwright seems fond of ale, for while they spoke he drank two jacks for every one of his fellows save Captain Elmo.

The other members of the council seem to like Valden, though unlike Sef, Gister, and Tarim they did not see fit to consult him regarding any special knowledge of the surrounding lands or any other matter concerning bandit lords or moathouses. When it was clear from his fidgeting that he desired to absent himself, Elmo and the others excused him with a laugh and a joke.

As he made a hasty exit, Elmo turned to the Silver Spears and said, “if my wife was the best looking woman in town, I’d be in a hurry to get home too!”

At length, the heroes discovered that many years before, Valden’s wife Paida had been accosted by agents of the Second Temple, who attacked her caravan on her way home from visiting family up north. Believing her dead for many months, Valden entered a deep, hopeless melancholy characterised by excessive drunkenness and neglect of their daughter. It was not until adventurers rescued Paida and returned her to Hommlet that he came back to himself and, guilty of his weakness and despair, he has spent all the years since trying to be a model husband and father.

Apparently, he also frets that the Cult of Elemental Evil will return once more and carry off his lovely wife again, for salacious gossip she was forced to become the concubine of someone “big in the old temple.” Such a ruthless person might seek revenge for the intelligence on the workings of the temple leadership that she imparted when rescued, and Valden prays nightly that the high priest who forced her into bondage died along with the rest of the Second Temple leadership.

According to his friends, Valden is still fond of ale, but only indulges in it “properly” when Paida “let’s him off the leash.” Indeed, apparently he is a demon to beat on the rare occasion when he joins in on their drinking contests…