Aris' Hand Character

Character Appearance

He is fairly rough looking man. He has fairly long, curly, brown hair. His eyes are a striking, dark blue. He has nasty scar on his chin. He is very robust and sturdy. He usually wears a gray tunic over his armor and huge leather boots. He always wears a ring on his right hand. It has a small ruby on it and a small figure of a pine tree is carved on it. He is very arrogant. He is also rather gluttonous, and loves meat. However, he avoids alcohol at any cost. He wears his ancestral warhammer on a loop at his hip and a huge shield is strapped to his back.

Character Background

He was born in the land of Chantuu. He was the third son of a chief of a small clan. He always seemed to be forgotten and he spent most of his childhood playing by himself in the woods. He loved to hear the stories of the great horselords mostof all. However, he was unsatisfied by his life. When he was fourteen, a wanderer entered the camp. He told tales of distant lands and great cities. Young Kerith was enthralled. After the traveler left, he soon felt stifled by the strict laws and traditions of his father and decided to go to the cities the man had talked about. He eventually rebelled against his father and left the clan. Before he left, his mother gave him the ring he wears to remind him of his ancestry. He soon found himself in a bustling city in Tienna Mar. He barely got by, working odd jobs and earning money any legal and ethical way he could. He has traveled for a few years now, looking for work and ways to help the common people. Then, one day, he met a noble paladin. The paladin, Eerinkrest, realized the potential Kerith had and asked Kerith if he would like to accompany him on his travels. Kerith agreed eagerly. For the first few months, Kerith was more of Eerinkrest's servant than anything else. That was until they ran into a Dak hunting party while traveling near the Droutian Forest. They were preparing to attack a settlement just outside the edge of the forest. Even though they were outnumbered, Kerith wanted to fight. With the help of Kerith and his warhammer, Eerinkrest was able to force the hunting party to flee. Eerinkrest then understood power that Kerith could have. He trained Kerith for three years as they traveled from place to place. Kerith learned much and became quite skilled at not only fighting, but diplomacy as well. When the elder paladin felt that Kerith was ready, he released him from his service and Eerinkrest retired to an estate he owned in the Valahir mountain range. Kerith continued to travel abroad, alone. He is always trying to accomplish good in the world. He has never returned to his homeland though and never plans to return.

Story

Kerith sighed. How many incompetent guards can one town employ? None of the last three guards he had spoken to knew where to find the Black Cauldron. The last guard he asked just looked at him blankly. There could not be that many inns in this small town. The guard blinked, "Oh, yeah. I get it. You must mean the Glittering Star. The inn you want got a new owner a month ago and changed its name. Said it was too dark and, uh... what did he call it? Oh yeah, foreboding. I like the name a lot better now. Though it still looks the same. I think it is doing a lot better business now, but then again he is offering better service now..."

"Get to the point! Where is it?" Kerith blurted out forcefully and rolled his blue eyes. He did not have much patience for pointless babbling. Plus, he was angry with the beggar who had told him about the inn. He should keep current on these types of things.

"Well, let me see. I think it is on the other side of town. Right next to the blacksmith, I think. It is the largest building on the road. Can't miss it." The guard grinned idiotically.

Kerith turned quickly and strode down the narrow street. He really did not want to be here, but this was where he could get information and he needed information. There were crowds of people everywhere, but the large warhammer strapped at his side and his rough demeanor seemed to blaze a trail through the throngs of peasants. He finally found himself in front of a relatively tall building. He entered, and found the common area almost devoid of people. If this is what is considered successful, he was a rich man. The innkeeper was easy to spot, his bald head was like a beacon and his apron supported his guess. Kerith walked up casually, and asked, "Do you know where to find the man they call the Surgeon? I need to ask him some questions."

The rotund innkeeper turned to him and raised his shaggy eyebrows "We get to the point quickly, don't we?" he chuckled, "But what makes us think that Sturgeon was to talk to us. Sturgeon is very busy person and does not have MUCH time for people like us."

"I'll let him decide that. Just tell me where to find him," Kerith growled. "Is everyone in this rotting town born to annoy me?"

The innkeeper's eyes widened, "Let us calm down. The Surgeon is just in that corner. We should watch our temper."

Kerith turned and grumbled beneath is breath, "Blasted fool." He strode to the cloaked figure the innkeeper had indicated. The dark figure looked up, expectantly, when he approached. The hidden eyes took in his broad form and misshapen hair. "Can I do something for you?" The voice that emerged from the hood was strongly feminine.

He muttered the strange code; "I was wondering where I could find some yarn. My mother needs it." He thought he heard a giggle from a passing barmaid, but ignored it. Yarn!?

 "Of course, but I do not have any yarn right now. You will have to come to my shop tomorrow. I have a lot of yarn there. It is just down the road. Good day." She raised her hand, dismissively. He turned and walked off a bit awkwardly. That did not go the way he had planned. He sat at a table in the opposite corner. He really did not want to stay the night in this crummy town. Oh well, he thought, might as well make the best out of it. He was starving from the trip. He called the closest barmaid, who also seemed to be the only one in the whole inn, and ordered their largest ham.

 The next morning Kerith quickly set out to find the "yarn-seller." The sign with a needle on it easily identified the store as the one for which he was looking. He slipped inside the door into a small room full of yarn. An ancient woman sat behind the counter. The old crone did not even look up from her knitting. "They're is in the backroom." Kerith shook his head. "Women are crazy," he mumbled under his breath.

 He slipped into the backroom. An elven lady dressed in bright silks sat at the front of the table. A huge bald man sat to the left of her, across from her sat a thin, gray-haired man with a hawknose, and next to her sat a cowled figure. No one said anything, so he took a seat to her right. She smiled and said, "I am glad you could make it. We have been waiting for someone like you. We have been buying and then freeing as many slaves as we can, but it seems the slavers always get more and we cannot free them all. But my informer told me that you have fought against slavers before and that you were the one who disrupted that slave ring in the mountains."

Kerith grimaced. He never really liked fame, and people always see to overexagerate. "So you contacted me to get rid of the slavers for you? You are a noblewoman, so why can't you just inform the guard and have them do it. They would trust you."

"But they would also trust the leader of the slaving ring. He is a very rich merchant and he is even in the running for mayor. No, we need this to be done discreetly, not blatantly. We need you for that."

Kerith nodded in understanding. Slavery is evil and unlawful, he thought, "And if no one else has the courage to get rid of it then he would have to do it himself. "Are they coming with me? I don't need them, unless one of them know some skills that I am deficient in."

 The elven virago clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Thorq is going with you. He is necessary to the plan."

 Kerith chuckled, "Plan? We don't have time for a plan. Just tell me where the slavers are, and me and Thorq will go smash some heads and free some slaves."

The elfish woman's eyes narrowed as if she were to say something, but when she took a look at Kerith's face, she stopped. Instead, the middle-aged man spoke up, "I believe I know the best way into the slavery, I think. I have been through many times, I have. I have entered through the cellar many a time, so I could buy the slave so I could free them. You and you will enter through there. The slaves should be close, I hope. The lady and I will be waiting outside for the slaves. I seem to remember there is a guard by the entrance, but I cannot remember for sure."

Thorq stood up, and grinned a toothless smile. "Let's go, holy man. I need to smash skulls. I hate slavers. Poor children captured, I am angry."

The elven lady stood up elegantly, "I truly hope that you will return unharmed, noble paladin. It would pain me greatly to find that you have been slain. Farewell, for now,"

The knight and the brute left the room. Kerith sputtered, "Why would she care whether I live or die? She doesn't care a whit about what happens to me. I don't even know her name. He Borq, what is that elf's name?"

The large man grunted, "My name is Thorq, dumbo. And if the lady wanted to give her name to you, she would have."

Kerith ground his teeth in irritation as they made their way to the cellar that entered the slaver's compound. Why do I always get stuck with idiots and fools? He wondered. The giant kept silent the whole way to the entrance. When they reached it, he said, " You go first, you have better armor." The paladin conceded and entered into the dark tunnel. The bald mammoth carried the torch and Kerith had his hammer and shield ready.

 They stumbled down the dark tunnel for while, the only sound was of the boots and the flickering of the torch. Soon, they reached the end of the musty tunnel. He slid open the trap door and climbed up the ladder, slowly. He was not ready for the knife that slashed towards his face. He jerked back, but the blade connected deeply into his chin. He roared in anguish, but was able to pull himself up into the room.

His warhammer lashed out in retribution, but narrowly missed his assailants shoulder. The enemy's dagger struck again, but this time it was unable to pierce his think armor. However, he did feel a crossbow bolt thud into his shoulder blade. Grimacing in pain, he bashed the man with the knife in the chest; he heard the satisfying crack of bones breaking.

 The assailant tried to strike back, but the knife did not even come close to hit him. The bolt that was fired from behind missed also, and he heard it strike closer to his enemy than to him. His next blow was a mighty one indeed. The attacker's head was not as big as it was before his weapon hit. Sounds of boots running away told Kerith that the crossbowman had retreated.

The big man finally crawled out of the cellar, blood oozing from a wound on his head. It was a trap, the brute explained for all those whom hadnt deciphered that yet. A quick look around showed him that they were in a back room to some bar or liquor store. There were racks of alcohol everywhere.

Even though the wound on his face was throbbing, Kerith chanted some word of healing on the bruiser to heal his nasty head wound. Besides, if Kerith every needed some quick healing, he could always give himself a quick blessing. He did not know what to expect in the next room, but he was ready for a large ambush. Some people may call him reckless, others brave, but he just thought he was doing his duty.

He slipped open the door, and quickly jerked back as a bolt flew toward where his head had been. He swung the door open and rushed into the room, only to stop dead in his tracks. A child stood in the center of the room and a tall, ugly man stood behind the little girl. "You might as well back down, Paladin. Its no use risking your neck anymore than you have." The man that stood behind the child called out. He raised his hand, and motioned forward. Three men stepped forward, each holding a young child in their arms and had knives positioned on the children's necks. A knobby yellow finger appeared at the poor girls neck and began to stroke it. I would hate to slit this pretty throat. I could get a good price for it. He chuckled maniacally.

Kerith grimaced as his fingers limped around his warhammer. He would not risk the childrens lives. He heard Thorq growl angrily behind him and the sound of an axe hitting the ground. Kerith tossed his own weapon towards the slaver; the weapon landing in front of the child. "Do what you want with me, but do NOT hurt the children or you WILL pay."

 The man licked his lips greedily. "Don't worry. Spoiled children are not worth near as much as fresh ones." He began to laugh again, but stopped when he began to hear chanting. He turned as a wave of magic swept the area. The slaver and two of his lackeys tumbled asleep instantly. The other jerked as a knife was buried into his back. The cowled figure emerged from the shadows and the elven enchantress appeared from nowhere. The children screamed and fell to the ground. Kerith moved quickly and swept up his warhammer and raised it over the head of the sleeping slaver. However, before he could lay a coup de grace, a small hand grasped his arm. The little girl that had been captured was holding his arm, her eyes full of tears. "Please don't kill him. I dont want to see anymore people dying. Have mercy." She looked at him, sadly. Kerith lowered his arm, and slipped his weapon back into its loop.

The girl looked up gratefully, then she looked down at the sleeping man. Her voice was quaky when she looked up, but her eyes made her seem confident. "I hope he never gets out of prison." She began to shake, and embraced Kerith. The paladin looked around a bit bashfully as the girl wept in relief.