Nasar's History

Nasar

You were born to Tharilos o Thora Maica Quarilo Tano of New Ballims Rise, on the Tarikan plains near the border with Ehlberahta. You are the eldest of 7. Your father is a merchant who represents several communities at a bi-annual market in the elf lands. Your mother is a former handmaid of Lady Govdani, the direct liege of the local communities. She vividly recounted the tale of a visit to the court of Lord Enialil, ruler of all Tarik, Lady Govdani’s liege. The tale culminated with her meeting and marrying your father, there to petition Lady Govdani for trade rights. Both of your parents (and many in your hometown) are half-elven. You were taken on many of your fathers’ merchant tours and displayed wanderlust from at early age, but no talent for merchanting. You showed an aptitude for hunting at an early age (around 12) but your magical talent was subtle and escaped even your notice until you were much older. It wasn't until 18 that my magic manifested itself in allowing me to see glowing magical bits and pieces, and I became adept at levitating pinecones, apples and other light fruit for the amusement of my younger siblings. The different maturation rates kept you from forming close friendships with humans or elves, positioned uncomfortably in the middle. But I was lucky enough to have the friendship of another half-elf youth, Erek, only a few years older than I. This, combined with your travelling in elf lands and the surrounding area, gave you early experience with interpreting cultures for others and general diplomacy. New Ballim’s Rise is a farming town set on a trade route and surrounded by ranch land. You heard stories of the borderlands from a friend’s brother who had been sent to The Keep as part of the region’s yearly quota of recruits for petty crimes. You still remember when you were 17 and the Lady Govdani herself, a stern yet gorgeous half-elf dressed in an exquisite riding cloak and leading a company of warriors, stopped to re-supply on her way to deal with marauding hobgoblins. She was surprised to see your mother, but spoke with her cheerfully, albeit briefly, and was introduced to you and several of your siblings before she left. When you were old enough (about 20) you were allowed to join the local militia where your talents as a ranger were nurtured. Then, just over a year ago, a few stragglers from the broken hobgoblin tribe stirred up trouble using a previously hidden enclave of goblins. You helped curb their attacks until Lady Govdani’s troops could be called in to stamp them out.

WEEK OF THE GOBLIN

It all started when some local herdsmen noticed that a few of their herd were missing. At first it was just thought to be some wolves, as they occasionally made their way into our part of the plains, and so a trio of local hunters were dispatched to deal with them. But I didn't find out about events as I'd been out of town with my father, as he'd promised me a special gift for my 20th birthday, and he'd taken me to visit Tanar a friendly bowmaker, whose bows I'd been eying at the last market. He had him make a beautiful composite longbow for me, and I was overjoyed. Dad had some more business to do, so I rode home, not knowing what awaited me there.

It turned out that my close friend Erek had been part of the group that headed out and hadn't returned. I arrived home, stopping by Ereks place to show off my new bow, only to find out that he'd been missing for a few days and that his horse had been found dead, saddleless with large wounds after apparently escaping from some fight before succumbing to the damage. His mother was in tears, fearing for the worst, and could only squeeze out the story from Yuva, Erek's sister. He had to be alive, he just had to! I headed off to catch up with the militia, and stopped quickly by home to get my gear and check on the family. Thankfully everyone was okay! When I got to the meeting I found out that goblins were about, and that two herdsmen were missing. At that point we realized that we were likely out of our depth and so sent a messenger off to get more help.

That day we sent out scouting parties to find out what was up and during the course of our search Talins horse got stuck in a trap that the goblins had set. That was when we found out that they had huge wolves with them as one decided to come and investigate the trap. We barely got away with our lives, and only by riding like the wind. That thing was fast! Unfortunately Talins horse was lost, but she wasn't, with thankfully only an arrow wound to recover from.

When we reported back to town and got Talin to Edred, we sent out a larger party with some of the better bowmen to the same locale. Mom insisted that I wear an old set of my fathers leather armor from his time in service, and I didn't fight here too much, remembering that huge wolf and Talins wound. We managed to pick up their trail and followed it for a while to a copse of trees where we managed to corner and kill 5 goblins. I managed to get two of them with my new bow! Thankfully the huge wolf wasn't there.

From the look of it, they had seemed to be heading towards "BreakNeck Canyon", but we took our wounded and headed back to town escorting some of the outlying farm families in with us. We were all puzzled as everyone knew that there was no way down into the canyon, except by a very long rope, or falling, hence it's name. The next day we sent out more scouting parties and confirmed that they seemed to be in the woods next to the canyon as we ended up converging there following various trails. While trying to figure out what to do next we found unselves fired upon by a number of goblins and had to take cover. Then we heard the howl, and saw that damn huge wolf charging towards us. I started firing and scored a hit, but then it started running straight towards me, then Jarik got a hit, and I another one, but it was almost upon me. So I drew my sword just before it plowed into me. I managed to get to my feet just in time to dodge the snap of it's jaws and barely keep it at bay with my sword while Jarik and the others tried to hit it with arrows. I was glad of my fathers armor as I had two arrows bounce off me. Jarik finally managed to put one through it's thoat then we headed out as quickly as we could away from the goblins. Unfortunately we lost Laree, and Vesh was hurt pretty bad.

It took a few more days for Lady Govdani's troops to arrive, and we spent most of them hunkered down in the town with the occasional sortie to dissuade a few raiding parties that came by to test our mettle. We sure were glad when the troops finally rolled into town. At this point I was really worried about Erek, and asked to be part of the party to go with them as I knew the area. We headed out the morning of the next day towards the canyon. The troops dealt with a mess of traps and goblins in the woods, when we discovered a previously hidden path down into the canyon. It took a while for some of the specialists in the troops to disarm the boobytraps in the path, but we finally made it down into the canyon where several cave mouths were evident near a large deep pool.

As we entered the goblin nest, I came across a grisly site, three heads, each on a spear. With horror I recognized the center one as that of my best friend Erek, and from that moment on I knew I was going to make them pay! Something changed within me, and I became like an avenging demon. Most of the goblins took one look at my face and ran in terror, those that didn't felt my wrath and my sword. I don't know how many I killed, but it wasn't enough. Then I turned the corner and there was something bigger, but still recognizeably goblin, part of my mind said hob-goblin, but it didn't matter, it was going to die for killing Erek. It raised it's sword and roared at me, then I felt something reach from me as I yelled back "Die!" at it, and then it fumbled, looked funny, dropping it's sword arm allowing me to plunge my sword straight through it's heart. I took joy as it gasped it's last stinking breath, and the light dimmed in it's nasty yellow eyes, then pulled my families sword out of its foul body and looked around. Another hobgoblin spotted me and charged, bellowing something in it's accursed language that I did not understand. I yelled my hatred back at it, "Murderer!", and something tore from within me and light flared in front of my enemy startling it. I fell, unable to control my body, time slowing as my perception altered and sound echoed strangely. I saw arrows swoop like geese towards my enemy, which became like a pincushion and fell ever so slowly to the ground. Next thing I remember, troops were charging through and exterminating the rest of them as I weakly got to my feet, not quite certain what had happened. Slowly I realized that this must be some new kind of magic, bigger than I'd ever known before, like Edred the healer had thought I might have. Much more than floating pinecones and apples for my sisters and brothers. Or for Erek... and the loss really descended as the recognition that he was dead hit me again. I vowed to learn everything about these foul goblins and their kin so I could wipe them from the earth. A sergeant stopped by to check on me, to see if I was hurt. When I told him no, he seemed surprised but thanked me anyways, then headed off, suggesting that maybe I should check with the cleric anyways. I headed for the cleric, and almost passed out, and a soldier helped me get there. When the cleric finally got to me, and found no physical wounds, I told him what had happened. He then told me about "breakthrough sickness", when magic gets pushed before it's ready, and gave me some herbs that helped me feel better. Turns out the two herdsmen were being kept as slaves, and although beaten, were alive. All of us who had helped get rid of the accursed goblins were toasted and cheered as heros for the next month or so, but I couldn't forget the loss of my friend, or my vow and so I started studying before I recovered from the breakthrough illness. A few of Govdani's troops were left and I pestered them for every detail I could get about goblins and how to kill them. Kalien, Ereks mother, had been like a second mother to me, but now she couldn't see me without being reminded of his death, and so I learned to stay away, even though it hurt. I'd lost a lot that summer, my best friend, and my second mother, so when the chance to leave came, I took it, wanting to put some distance between me and the loss. My parents didn't like it, but understood what I was going through.

You learned more in that week than you had in all the years before, including an appreciation for the thrill of being where ‘things are happening’. That autumn, when Lady Govdani’s recruiter came through town looking for volunteers for a year at the Keep you packed up your gear and followed them out. Your parents were concerned, but your success during the ‘Week of Goblins’ kept them from trying to convince you otherwise. Your companions on this journey were mostly poor criminals or those hoping to establish their competence for future careers as soldiers or constables. There were a few adventurers, like yourself, and some who chose the Keep over possible winter starvation. Life in the Keep was exhilarating at first, but didn’t live up to the tales you had been told. You used the time to round out your ranger training and focus your sorcerous abilities. You got along with Millain almost immediately and slipped into the roll of cultural interpreter for her with practiced ease. You took longer to grow close to Tarven, but sharing your ranger training helped. You briefly met Tarven’s friend Janos but didn’t get much more than a superficial impression (direct but rash). You got to know Valalalia, an elf weaponsmith at the Keep, rather well. She grew up in the elf city that held the bi-annual market your father often took you to and you even had a brief affair with her that ended with mutual good will. You promised to keep in touch when you left.