Vyreth Qithuen--that's the name given to me by my new family. According to tales told to me by my new father (and captain of a fishing vessel), Vjoro, he'd discovered me floating in a makeshift raft some miles off the coast of Hanover's Run--an island along the SW shores of Erenon--during a routine fishing trip. There was no form of identification, nor any hint as to my past whatsoever, on my person me aside from strange tattoos covering my torso and a jeweled ring dangling from a chain around my neck. Out of kindness and admiration of the strange alignment of paths that had occurred on that fated day, Vjoro took me back to the village and adopted me as his own child. His wife, Vera, tended to my cold and malnourished form and their biological son, Voltek, kindly accepted me as his new younger brother. My new family was good to me and taught me how to hunt and fish, and my skills in these areas grew to a point where I won several local competitive events. Vera was the mother you read about in story books--kind and gentle, empathetic and sympathetic yet firm and disciplined.
Since coming of age, I continue to have dreams about my original parents... my beautiful mother and her long, blonde, curly hair standing next to my stalwart father. In my dreams, my father always wears the ring that I now carry around my neck, a symbol and reminder of my own inner-strength in the face of being shunned by most of the others in my village. I was an outcast regardless of how much I tried to fit in. The only person who was willing to see me for who I was was a girl named Varishna, the daughter of the town steward who soon forbade her to see me. But his rule didn't stop us. Our affections grew into love, and when I turned 16 she confessed that she wanted us to marry and run away together. I finally felt alive and my soul came alive.
Then, one day a strange man paid a visit to our village cloaked in black and riding a massive black steed. He was clearly searching for something or someone, come to find out that someone was me. The man came to my father's home in the night, and I spied on their conversation from a back room. I couldn't make out their conversation, but my father shot me a glance that told me to run. I hid in a closet until the strange man left, and when I emerged he told me that Voltek and I would be heading out to sea the following morning to fish. I was growing sick and tired of fish... The smell, the taste, it was everywhere.
We headed out to sea the following morning, as planned, but I knew something was amiss. As we made the return voyage home, we saw our village being razed in the twilight. After docking at the harbor, I ran back home only to find my mother laying murdered on the floor and the village in ruin. I frantically searched the burning homes for Varishna to no avail. One badly injured villager told me, in his dying breath, that the women had all been rounded up and taken away in a menacing and dilapidated ship. Our family dog, Vulkan, luckily made it through unscathed, tied to a post out back and barking out of sheer panic. Vulkan and I returned to my father's fishing boat, and with Voltek at the helm set sail for the Erenon coast to begin our search for the wicked hands behind the slaughter and for Varishna, my one true love.
Once we came ashore on the edge of the Fairn Forest, Voltek and I agreed to split up--he travelling East toward Trey La and myself North, to the town of Lehren. Hopefully, one of us would discover clues or at least bring us closure. We made a pact to return to the fishing boat in 3 months time to share our findings and decide what to do next.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Episode 5, "Ruin of Lehren"
Fhasys and Talos (wisely) decided to high-tail it out of the swath of blighted forest surrounding the cavern entrance. In the frantic dash, leaping over rotted logs and plowing through the underbrush, Talos lost his footing and got tangled in the spider webs. Fhasys, deciding that this would be an opportune time to lecture Talos on the finer points of honesty and character, found herself staring into the face of a giant spider. Combat ensued, Talos broke free of his trappings, and the two managed to make the 1/4 mile dash mostly unscathed. The duo stumbled upon the entrance to the Embershard mine, found their ponies waiting anxiously, and rode out of the godforsaken forest. They made camp a couple hours into the countryside and Fhasys had some very disturbing nightmares, courtesy of the curse of Quar Jezz't.
Meanwhile, a lone dwarf clad in chain mail and playing uplifting music on his pan-flute, discovered an old abandoned farmstead and decided to turn in for the night. After a chilling and inspiring dream involving Peter and Apollo, the paladin awoke to the sounds of muffled speech and cabinets banging shut. An encounter with some bandits lead to Doc attempting to push his case for a sane, blood-free end. After grappling the first bandit who discovered him, Doc explained that he'd be happy to leave and let them get back to looting... The bandit leader agreed and Doc made a hasty retreat through the bedroom window. Taking in the early morning scenery of the countryside, Doc noticed some billowing smoke in the distance--not unlike what he saw in his dreams. Realizing this was too great of a coincidence to pass-up, he once again took to his pan-flute and started walking.
After a couple hours of travel, the rogue and the wizard crossed paths with the paladin. Pleasantries were exchanged, Doc got a taste of the duo's icy dynamic, and they agreed to help each other out further down the road. As they compared notes, Dugan came running toward them in werewolf form bringing dire news from Lehren. The town was under siege by a maddened ogre and a mob of bandits; buildings lay in ruin, and the townsfolk cower wherever they can find shelter from the chaos.
Upon arriving to Lehren, Dugan left the adventurers to route the ogre while he dispatched the bandits. Doc summoned his magical prowess to "taunt" the ogre while Talos (through the power of suggestion) convinced it that bandits taste simply fabulous. The ogre immediately set off for the gravy-filled looters and the heroes enjoyed the show while it lasted. Cornered in a small home, several bandits quaked in fear as they watched their compatriots get eaten, and Talos used this distraction as an opportunity to attack. Jumping through a side window, he squared off with the bandit leader in a brutal fight.
Outside of the home, the ogre finished off the last visible bandit and turned his attention toward the heroes. Fhasys had already got in some solid shots with her bow and Doc moved in for the kill. Then, something strange happened... The ogre fell to its knees, revealing large patches of blackened, diseased skin, and began to vomit ichor. A foul stench began to permeate the air and, soon after the ogre collapsed, ghasts arose out of the foul black pool.
Talos polished off the bandit leader with a scorching ray and joined his friends outside for an epic struggle against the undead. The fight was vicious, resulting in momentary paralysis for both Doc and Fhasys, and a nasty bite sent Doc over the edge... unconscious. Stiff as a board from the paralysis, he fell onto the ground motionless. Fhasys, in a surprisingly heroic surge of constitution, managed to free herself from the paralysis in the nick of time and landed a critical blow on the last remaining ghast--once again, saving the day.
Dugan arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, asked for the run-down on all the black ooze, helped Talos carry the stiffened body of Doc into the house, and walked with Fhasys down to the remains of the curio shoppe in search of healing potions. To their surprise, Matilda was still alive and cowering behind what was left of her counter! She hugged Dugan and thanked Fhasys profusely for the party's help in dispatching the ogre, and gave her a healing salve and poisoner's kit as thanks.
After a bit of healing, Doc awoke in a bed surrounded by friends and was filled-in as to what all he missed during his unconsciousness. Dugan informed the heroes that the townsfolk had all been gathered in what's left of the Golden Coin for food and drink, and he'd appreciate any effort they could muster in lifting their spirits. The heroes huddled and discussed their various talents.
Standing around a crude bonfire with a mob of disheveled, shell-shocked adults and children, the heroes put on a show... Doc set the stage with his pan-flute, but unfortunately he was still too weak to muster a steady breath. Talos stood up before the crowd, waved his blonde ponytail in the wind and assured them that everything will be okay. As the onlookers looked at each other with increasing confusion and wariness, Fhasys stepped it up with some acrobatics. All in all, the combination of hilariously bad entertainment and ale calmed their nerves and provided a welcome night's rest... for all but Fhasys.
In the middle of the night, Fhasys snapped out of a dream to find herself standing--weapons drawn--in front of one of the townsfolk who looked quite concerned. Apparently she'd been sleep walking with no recollection of what she was doing or why. Sheathing her rapier, the kind lady escorted Fhasys back to bed.
The town of Lehren smoldered throughout the night with nary a sound from beast or man, but for now things appear safe.
Meanwhile, a lone dwarf clad in chain mail and playing uplifting music on his pan-flute, discovered an old abandoned farmstead and decided to turn in for the night. After a chilling and inspiring dream involving Peter and Apollo, the paladin awoke to the sounds of muffled speech and cabinets banging shut. An encounter with some bandits lead to Doc attempting to push his case for a sane, blood-free end. After grappling the first bandit who discovered him, Doc explained that he'd be happy to leave and let them get back to looting... The bandit leader agreed and Doc made a hasty retreat through the bedroom window. Taking in the early morning scenery of the countryside, Doc noticed some billowing smoke in the distance--not unlike what he saw in his dreams. Realizing this was too great of a coincidence to pass-up, he once again took to his pan-flute and started walking.
After a couple hours of travel, the rogue and the wizard crossed paths with the paladin. Pleasantries were exchanged, Doc got a taste of the duo's icy dynamic, and they agreed to help each other out further down the road. As they compared notes, Dugan came running toward them in werewolf form bringing dire news from Lehren. The town was under siege by a maddened ogre and a mob of bandits; buildings lay in ruin, and the townsfolk cower wherever they can find shelter from the chaos.
Upon arriving to Lehren, Dugan left the adventurers to route the ogre while he dispatched the bandits. Doc summoned his magical prowess to "taunt" the ogre while Talos (through the power of suggestion) convinced it that bandits taste simply fabulous. The ogre immediately set off for the gravy-filled looters and the heroes enjoyed the show while it lasted. Cornered in a small home, several bandits quaked in fear as they watched their compatriots get eaten, and Talos used this distraction as an opportunity to attack. Jumping through a side window, he squared off with the bandit leader in a brutal fight.
Outside of the home, the ogre finished off the last visible bandit and turned his attention toward the heroes. Fhasys had already got in some solid shots with her bow and Doc moved in for the kill. Then, something strange happened... The ogre fell to its knees, revealing large patches of blackened, diseased skin, and began to vomit ichor. A foul stench began to permeate the air and, soon after the ogre collapsed, ghasts arose out of the foul black pool.
Talos polished off the bandit leader with a scorching ray and joined his friends outside for an epic struggle against the undead. The fight was vicious, resulting in momentary paralysis for both Doc and Fhasys, and a nasty bite sent Doc over the edge... unconscious. Stiff as a board from the paralysis, he fell onto the ground motionless. Fhasys, in a surprisingly heroic surge of constitution, managed to free herself from the paralysis in the nick of time and landed a critical blow on the last remaining ghast--once again, saving the day.
Dugan arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, asked for the run-down on all the black ooze, helped Talos carry the stiffened body of Doc into the house, and walked with Fhasys down to the remains of the curio shoppe in search of healing potions. To their surprise, Matilda was still alive and cowering behind what was left of her counter! She hugged Dugan and thanked Fhasys profusely for the party's help in dispatching the ogre, and gave her a healing salve and poisoner's kit as thanks.
After a bit of healing, Doc awoke in a bed surrounded by friends and was filled-in as to what all he missed during his unconsciousness. Dugan informed the heroes that the townsfolk had all been gathered in what's left of the Golden Coin for food and drink, and he'd appreciate any effort they could muster in lifting their spirits. The heroes huddled and discussed their various talents.
Standing around a crude bonfire with a mob of disheveled, shell-shocked adults and children, the heroes put on a show... Doc set the stage with his pan-flute, but unfortunately he was still too weak to muster a steady breath. Talos stood up before the crowd, waved his blonde ponytail in the wind and assured them that everything will be okay. As the onlookers looked at each other with increasing confusion and wariness, Fhasys stepped it up with some acrobatics. All in all, the combination of hilariously bad entertainment and ale calmed their nerves and provided a welcome night's rest... for all but Fhasys.
In the middle of the night, Fhasys snapped out of a dream to find herself standing--weapons drawn--in front of one of the townsfolk who looked quite concerned. Apparently she'd been sleep walking with no recollection of what she was doing or why. Sheathing her rapier, the kind lady escorted Fhasys back to bed.
The town of Lehren smoldered throughout the night with nary a sound from beast or man, but for now things appear safe.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
The Story Of Demetrius
Demetrius Ramses "Doc" Livingstone was born... somewhere. Nobody knows where, exactly, or if they do they aren't saying. Doc appeared in a basket on the doorstep of a seedy Quanlo orphanage some 50-odd years ago, and as he grew older his dwarven lineage became quickly apparent. Sadly, nobody wanted to adopt a dwarf and Doc spent his entire childhood at the mercy of the orphanage's cruel proprietor, Draven. The man was negligent at best, and downright abusive at worst. He barely fed the children and what little food they did get often consisted of cold gruel or week-old bread, hard as a rock. Consequently, Doc spent most of his formative years roaming the streets and alleys of Quanlo scrapping with other youths, picking pockets, and begging for coin & food to make life less miserable for his fellow orphans and himself.
By virtue of his dwarven strength, Doc quickly ascended the ranks of the street scrappers and established himself as a defacto leader amongst the street kids and orphans. Even though Doc wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he soon realized that his position as alpha dog was tenuous, especially as he grew older and started catching the attention of the local criminal underground. He realized he needed someone to watch his back, so he decided to ally himself with a fellow orphan who was also a long-time resident in his orphanage. This person, Peter, was a handsome young (human) boy who had suffered a rather pronounced facial disfigurement at the hands of some unknown fiend as an infant. The entire left side of his face was scarred and his left eye was a dead, unseeing, milky-white orb. Despite the circumstances of his upbringing and gruesome countenance, Peter was easily the happiest, most positive person Doc had in his life. Nothing could wipe the smile off his face, and he was always ready with a jest and a hearty laugh. Peter and Doc were around the same age, had been at the orphanage approximately the same amount of time, and thought of each other as brothers.
Peter was a devout follower of Apollo, and his unflappably positive attitude was infectious. He soon convinced Doc to abandon his scrapping, begging, and petty thievery in favor of earning his coppers through busking. Peter had managed to whittle himself a crude set of Pan pipes, which he would play while Doc told stories and sang poems for passers by. Several years went by and and the brothers did pretty well for themselves. They became fairly well-known and even talked of becoming bards and taking their show on the road. Draven, however, had other plans. Unbeknownst to Doc, Draven maintained several connections to Quanlo's criminal underworld and had been keeping a watchful eye on the young dwarf's development. One day, Peter was suddenly nowhere to be found. Doc looked everywhere in Quanlo that he knew his brother liked to go, but to no avail. Upon his return to the orphanage, Draven pulled Doc aside and informed him that he would now work for him, and that Peter would be held captive in some secret oubliette to ensure Doc's cooperation. Doc was furious, but had little choice in the matter as Draven made it abundantly clear that any insubordination would result in severe punishment... for Peter.
And so, Doc became Draven's unwilling thug, performing collections and torturing people as directed. Several times he balked at Draven's orders, but he kept his brother's crude Pan pipes as a constant reminder of his motivation and always did as he was told. One night on his way back from a particularly gruesome "collection", he overheard Draven speaking to someone through an open window. Doc stopped to listen and quickly realized they were talking about him, marveling at how effective he was as Draven's enforcer. The strange voice asked how Draven had managed to command such unquestioning loyalty from the dwarf, especially in light of the unsavory acts he was made to perform. Draven replied, "Simple. I took his brother 'hostage' and told him to comply or else his brother would pay the price. Luckily, he has no idea that I just killed the little bastard and dumped his body in the woods for the wolves!" Both voices laughed heartily as Doc's blood boiled. He thought of everything he done in the name of Peter's safety and flew into a rage. He kicked in the door to Draven's office and before anybody could react, he grabbed a letter opener from Draven's desk and flung it into the stranger's left eye before grabbing Draven and choking him so violently that he felt his neck snap under his grip.
Doc packed his meager possessions and fled Quanlo that very night, having recognized the stranger as the son of the local magistrate. He decided to spend his life as a living tribute to Peter and so became a paladin for his brother's god, Apollo. He vowed to live his life in opposition to those who would do evil and bring darkness, and to spread the goodness and light that was so abundant in Peter. Doc would live out his days honoring his fallen brother in all things.
By virtue of his dwarven strength, Doc quickly ascended the ranks of the street scrappers and established himself as a defacto leader amongst the street kids and orphans. Even though Doc wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he soon realized that his position as alpha dog was tenuous, especially as he grew older and started catching the attention of the local criminal underground. He realized he needed someone to watch his back, so he decided to ally himself with a fellow orphan who was also a long-time resident in his orphanage. This person, Peter, was a handsome young (human) boy who had suffered a rather pronounced facial disfigurement at the hands of some unknown fiend as an infant. The entire left side of his face was scarred and his left eye was a dead, unseeing, milky-white orb. Despite the circumstances of his upbringing and gruesome countenance, Peter was easily the happiest, most positive person Doc had in his life. Nothing could wipe the smile off his face, and he was always ready with a jest and a hearty laugh. Peter and Doc were around the same age, had been at the orphanage approximately the same amount of time, and thought of each other as brothers.
Peter was a devout follower of Apollo, and his unflappably positive attitude was infectious. He soon convinced Doc to abandon his scrapping, begging, and petty thievery in favor of earning his coppers through busking. Peter had managed to whittle himself a crude set of Pan pipes, which he would play while Doc told stories and sang poems for passers by. Several years went by and and the brothers did pretty well for themselves. They became fairly well-known and even talked of becoming bards and taking their show on the road. Draven, however, had other plans. Unbeknownst to Doc, Draven maintained several connections to Quanlo's criminal underworld and had been keeping a watchful eye on the young dwarf's development. One day, Peter was suddenly nowhere to be found. Doc looked everywhere in Quanlo that he knew his brother liked to go, but to no avail. Upon his return to the orphanage, Draven pulled Doc aside and informed him that he would now work for him, and that Peter would be held captive in some secret oubliette to ensure Doc's cooperation. Doc was furious, but had little choice in the matter as Draven made it abundantly clear that any insubordination would result in severe punishment... for Peter.
And so, Doc became Draven's unwilling thug, performing collections and torturing people as directed. Several times he balked at Draven's orders, but he kept his brother's crude Pan pipes as a constant reminder of his motivation and always did as he was told. One night on his way back from a particularly gruesome "collection", he overheard Draven speaking to someone through an open window. Doc stopped to listen and quickly realized they were talking about him, marveling at how effective he was as Draven's enforcer. The strange voice asked how Draven had managed to command such unquestioning loyalty from the dwarf, especially in light of the unsavory acts he was made to perform. Draven replied, "Simple. I took his brother 'hostage' and told him to comply or else his brother would pay the price. Luckily, he has no idea that I just killed the little bastard and dumped his body in the woods for the wolves!" Both voices laughed heartily as Doc's blood boiled. He thought of everything he done in the name of Peter's safety and flew into a rage. He kicked in the door to Draven's office and before anybody could react, he grabbed a letter opener from Draven's desk and flung it into the stranger's left eye before grabbing Draven and choking him so violently that he felt his neck snap under his grip.
Doc packed his meager possessions and fled Quanlo that very night, having recognized the stranger as the son of the local magistrate. He decided to spend his life as a living tribute to Peter and so became a paladin for his brother's god, Apollo. He vowed to live his life in opposition to those who would do evil and bring darkness, and to spread the goodness and light that was so abundant in Peter. Doc would live out his days honoring his fallen brother in all things.
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