Campaign of the Month: July 2018
Morwindl | Rising Tide
Kirkwell Thorne
A 100 year old Wood Elf Monk that frequents the lands near Udkig
Description:
Kirkwell has just reached adulthood by Elf standards. He is a not-so-tall Wood Elf with copper skin, black hair and piercing viridian green eyes. He travels light, for an adventurer; carrying only his pack (with its various contents), a coin purse, a short sword with very little evidence of use, and a few darts. Whilst traveling he is almost always playing his pan flute.
He is dressed simply, as Monks often are. He wears a hooded vest (which makes various tattoos visible), shorts, blood-stained hand wraps, and he wears Geta on his feet.
Kirkwell is quite fond of games of chance and he rarely loses. If there is an opportunity for money to be earned, he’ll no doubt be up for the task, but easy money is always the best.
Bio:
Kirkwell comes from the forest village of Llantry. Like most Elven cities, it is a hard place to find… Unless of course, you’re an Elf. Kirkwell (not his real name) has 4 brothers (Edyrm, Xhalh, Ailuin and Cailu) and 3 sisters (Elanalue, Thaola and Yathlanae). His mother, Sarya, still lives in Llantry and Kirkwell likes to visit often. His siblings are sometimes around but they have their own lives and families; Kirkwell being so young, has no interest in leading such a life as theirs at the moment. Kirkwell’s father…well, Kirk has never actually met him. Supposedly he lives but even his siblings hardly ever see him. Usually he shows up and 9 months later there’s a new kid. Then he vanishes.
Kirkwell joined the Monastery of Aerdrie Faenya at his mother’s wish when he was 80. She always said that life was what you make of it and the goal of it was to live with purpose. Kirk never knew his purpose and, in an effort to find meaning for her son, Sarya suggested he look to the Monastery.
It was here that he met his master Connak. Connak always stressed that the goddess Aerdrie embodied freedom and that a life of freedom meant enjoying life’s pleasures but not to excess. A lesson that has never quite sunk in for Kirk. But Connak has never lost hope in his pupil and sees some of himself in the lad.
Kirkwell enjoys his mentor a great deal because of his forgiving nature, especially when it comes to Kirkwell’s vices. Which he feels are the very essence of freedom regardless of consequence.
Journal
Entry 1
Today was quite a day! I woke up this morning in my cot at the temple and still had a heady tingle from the last night. I had a dream though. And it was ominous to say the least. Here I am, 87 as of a couple days ago and I’m having fever dreams. I had a premonition of an evil sorcerer coming into power and attempting to bring darkness into the world. It felt so real that I wept as I woke. But in my dream there was soldier…a Paladin. I had to tell him what was going to happen. Upon waking I went to the nearest camp of soldiers and spoke to the exact person I saw in the vision. His name was Warden Edward Kalanthis. He offered me drink and I told him of my dream. Whether he believed me or not, I do not know. But he put my mind at ease and I feel that I did as was intended and I’m calm once more. I sure hope that was just some dream though…
Enrty 2
For the last 10 years I’ve been deep in study. Connak has kept me busy but I don’t mind. He’s a lighthearted fellow and he puts up with my nonsense. Anyway, today was my first day in Udkig and I must say I rather like it. There are many people to talk to and many with expendable income to lose. I don’t mind lightening the load for them and entertaining them with a game of chance. But the odds were definitely in my favor.
At least no one called me a thief. Which would definitely insult me since there’s some kind of guild of thieves here. I have no problem with stealing from people that can afford to lose but this group, I hear they steal from anyone…they even KILL! I’m certain I saw some dwarf cunt pick pocket a homeless in broad daylight. I’m not sure if he’s with the guild but there is no excuse for such an act. Disgusting.
Entry 3
Get this! I was in Udkig for a week or so and I was winning PILES of money at this one establishment, playing cards. But then, luck turned on me. I got so far in the hole but I finally figured out how to beat this ringer. I just needed some money to turn my luck around. The only people willing to give it to me was that cursed guild of cunt thieves. So I asked and they delivered. I continued gambling and won all I had lost and more so I could pay off my debts to the guild. But when I went to them, they denied leveling the scales. They wouldn’t take the gold. I’m scared what they’ll ask of me in remuneration, but at least the Temple in Llantry can get some repairs made.
Entry 4
I’m staying at an inn here in Udkig tonight. Today was so strange. I was called on by those guild bitches and they tell me to kill. Not just kill: Kill an elderly pauper. Some man named Charlie Joe. And on top of it all, they partnered me up with some dwarf named Rorik who was to ensure I did the deed. Now, I immediately recognized Rorik from about 2 years ago- my first day in Udkig. He was the guild cunt I saw pick pocket some poor urchin on the street.
Well, what could I do? I went to find this man whilst this lapdog of the guild followed me. When we found our target I took some gold pieces and gave them to Charlie Jo, whilst looking Rorik in the face, and told him to leave and never return to Udkig. Lo and behold, Rorik actually is an honorable man. He also gave Charlie Jo money and asked him to leave for his own safety. We sent him off to Wende and we corroborated our shared story of a gruesome assassination of the “Degenerate.”
Now, maybe my eyes deceived me those 2 years ago and this dwarf didn’t steal from that downtrodden soul. Because I find myself liking this dwarf more with each passing minute. And, being that he is such a Battle Cruiser, is alright by me.
Entry 5
It’s been a year since I was last at the citadel. I decided to make a trip today as a sort of celebration for entering adulthood after 100 years on this earth.
On the rode I saw a Dragonborn! And a female one at that! She was terrifying to behold but I had to know if something so fearsome was actually as terrible as rumors make them out to be.
She was quite a pleasure to talk to. But, she was even better to play with. We played dead eye dice for only a couple hours. She was nice enough to let me use my dice. She took losing well, until she had to part with her dagger. Some kind of family heirloom or something. But, a deal is a deal, even with a dirty dealer. And besides, she had plenty of other wares to protect herself.
Entry 6
Spent the night at the Silvered Raven and this morning, breakfast was interesting to say the least. Rorik met me for breakfast to celebrate my birthday, as was the plan. And I had to tell him about a strange dream I had. He had the same one. But to make things stranger: I saw the Paladin from 13 years ago in the room…AND THE DRAGONBORN FROM YESTERDAY! They too had the same dream, or I should say vision at this point. Even some half-elf and Gnome that were there claimed to have the same vision. This is frightening to say the least.
In this dream there was a courier, delivering scrolls. It was as if I was at the door of some place after he arrived. But the face twisted in a horrific manner and it turned to that same sorcerer from my dream 13 years ago…the one called Ulrich. He appeared powerful and menacing. He reached into his haversack of scrolls and I looked upon them as he reached. There were 5 scrolls intended for 5 different people. Their names were on the outside of the scrolls. They were the names of those that had slain him. Ford, Aran, Verity, Amalia and Morwen.
But we have had our introductions and gotten to know one another as much as one can in a short discussion of an eerie nature. I’m pleased to say that they, like me, aren’t completely on board with this Verity person and her declaration of Apotheosis. Especially after what she did to all those people. It’s refreshing to see that not everyone locally is a sheep.
Entry 7, 6th of Planting
So get this, after we took out the hobgoblins following us, and imprisoning their shaman, we came across a cave. Inside dwelt an ogre and a ‘uge fuckin’ rat, roight? Rik attempts to draw the ogre out but fails. So we all run in after it and put the damned thing down. It apparently wanted to eat the hobgoblin we had tied up to the tree.
Edward makes certain the ogre is dead, much to the chagrin of Rik. And to furver the insult, Aurora puts down the Hobgoblin shaman, exclaiming it was attempting an escape. So, Rik’s hope for a larger gang seems to go to bollocks.
Sparklegem notices the amulet on the dead goblinoid and it raises a couple questions about its origin. The evening turns to night and the party rests for the morrow will bring about who knows.
The road to Thundertree turns to an overgrown curse. We had ignored the signs about plant monsters and zombies but, was that a mistake?! The town was deserted and only a few of us dare to leave the road.
Rik and Edward were headstrong and left to examine some shit ’ovel and in the process, were attacked by plants or some such. Sparklegem used some fire tricks to no avail, and Misha, well…Misha tried to poison the plants but it seemed to help the plants, if anything. Sensing some impending failure, I ran and snatched the little one, ran her out of town near Aurora, who had the sense to stay outta the fray.
Though, Rik and Edward succeeded somehow, so we went to see what was left of the Inn. The Brown ’orse or some such.
Well, inside there were these people. I thought they were dead but they was movin’! I didn’t manage to hit a single one but all my friends did. Which was AWFUL!!
The damn things exploded ash from their injuries and filled my lungs. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bloody sick! Luckily tho, I got my bearings and became me old self again. Edward had a hand in that, since the fine fellow found some Nose n’ chin. Gave me a bottle. Good man roight there.
So, there’s this one place across the square, roight? Looks totally intact and barred, and fortified. So what do we do? Rik just goes right up and fuckin’ knocks. It’s fuckin’ batty but the tom gets an answer. So’s theres this Julius Caesar inside. Some tree lover, he’s all about balance or some such. Says he will escort us to Cragmaw castle (where we’re trying to get to), But: HE COMES AT US WIFF THIS WHOLE “YOU GOTTA SLAY A DRAGON” NONSENSE!!
Bollocks! That ain’t a fair deal. But, he changes ‘is tune, and so do I when I hear there’s some shiny inside the dragon’s spot. Now, to be fair, I don’t fink such a fing is real. I mean, I’ve never seen one, and talk is fuckin’ cheap.
So now, alls we has to do is get the dragon to be not there, make it stay not there, and we get the shiny and this cunt walks hand in hand to cragmaw. I’m still not sure what to do, but at the very least, we can hold up in this fortified house, with my bottle of gin. Maybe after some planning and drinking, I can get Oliver, feel roight as rain, and we can figure the score.