During his travels, he encountered the adventurers of Fallow's Cross, whom he joined, mainly to gain access to places and people that he would be unable to encounter safely if unassisted. During one of his early adventures, his familiar was killed by a lich casting a finger of death spell. Later he made a pact with the newly deified Cyric to supply him with a new, more durable familiar, in exchange for the carrying of a magical dagger into Baba Yaga's hut. He received an imp. About six months later, he developed an interest in the teachings of Mystra.

During Maldanek's siege of Silverymoon, whilst visiting the town to recover a suit of armour that had been commissioned for Djerrold, he encountered a large number of residents of the town held in a slave pen, and beseeched the goddess of magic to grant him the means to aid them. This she agreed to, but at a cost, he had to agree to sacrifice his familiar, and to sever his ties to the Abyss and to Curinthrapa. It was at this time that he acquired the holy mark on his forehead, the brand of the goddess herself.

Mystra must have been pleased with her new acquisition, since she chose to use him as a vessel during the siege of Waterdeep, and occupied his body to wield the sword crafted for Maldanek's destruction. Styrel took the hint, and began to study as a priest of Mystra, in addition to continuing his magical studies.