Xaral Kalafov

The Story of Xaral Kalafov and his Family

Xaral Kalafov was born to Xolyat and Melwa on 4/23/1371. By chance this was the date of Random's Games for that year. Xaral also has a younger brother named Xavar. Xolyat and Melwa were a poor family of farmers on Keelbos who were barely able to support their two children. Xaral quickly realized that this was not how he wanted to live his life.

Clan Kalafov is a fairly new clan. It was started three generations ago by a younger son of a poor merchant who left home so that his family could try to improve their lot. Xedrik, the founder of the clan, bought a small plot of land and became a farmer. To honor his decision, Xedrik started the custom of having all of the males in the clan named with a name starting with the letter X. Over the years the clan has been able to slowly improve their farm.

Early in his life Xaral realized that he had to set out into the world to make his fortune. After setting out at the age of fifteen, leaving his brother and parents, he found that it was not easy to work for a living. Shortly after his seventeenth birthday he had a fortunate day while gambling in the local gaming house.  This particular house was run by a cleric to Random. This cleric saw in young Xaral something more than just luck and set about to train him in the ways of Random.

After several years of training, during which Xaral proved many times why he was considered lucky, Xaral started to travel the world. His usual method of choosing a destination is to blindly throw a dart at a map of the world. As a result of this he has been to many places, including the City of Thieves, Gruud, Skull House, the Lake of Sleep, and Sheshk the trading city of the fpihtet. All of this traveling has given Xaral contact various temples, Random and others, where he has established good connections for finding holy items when he needs them (+15% to chance of finding clerical equipment).

While not wealthy, Xaral has never had a shortage of money. His luck with games of chance always brings him just the money that he needs for whatever purpose. He does not tolerate any form of dishonest game and has been known to teach people running such games, with the help of Random, a lesson in the true meaning of luck. This lesson frequently causes these people to become very poor very quickly. Any winnings in Xaral has while teaching these lessons are either given to the local temple or used to aid the poor in the town. Frequently he will give some of his winnings to those who were truly duped by the crooked game.

Xaral has also tried to send at least some of his winnings, only those gained in fair games, back home to his parents and brother.  They have used these moneys to get out of debt and to set up some savings to insure their survival through lean years. While it has not made them anywhere near wealthy, it has enabled them to improve the farm so that when they sold it they had enough money to move to Salzarov and buy a small house of their own. Xaral sees this help of his family as one of the duties of a proper giant.

On one fortunate day in Celior, Xaral decided it was time to move on he took out his dart and map. Throwing the dart over his shoulder at the map, it landed on the town of Salzarov near to his own home. After the long trek to reach Salzarov his boots were getting worn. Xaral then went to the village cordwainer to have a couple of pairs made. Here he met a young giantess named Halora.

Inquiring of Halora if there were any who enjoyed games of chance in town he discovered that both Halora and her master much enjoyed such games. They spent many nights playing all forms of gaming and slowly fell in love. After several months they decided that they wanted to marry. Xaral being very proper, went to Pyetro and Molla and asked if he could have the hand of Halora in marriage.  Pyetro and Molla after asking a few questions of both Xaral and Halora agreed. As an honor to his own birth and the method of their finding each other, Xaral and Halora decided that they would be wed on the next Random's Games. Halora and Xaral agreed that Molla would perform the ceremony on that day.

Before the date of their wedding came, Xaral was traveling on a caravan with Llamariv and Tarvik. This caravan was attacked by bandits and Xaral and Tarvik were kidnapped by the bandits. Since this time there have only been rumors as to the location of Xaral and Tarvik. Halora has sworn an oath that she will try to rescue both Tarvik and Xaral from the bandits, no matter where they might be found.

On the one occasion of mental contact with Xaral, he reported that he was staying with Tarvik to aid him in this ordeal. Xaral seemed to be unharmed but said that he and Tarvik were being used for manual labor. The labor is of various types and in various locations. The bandits have stolen his holy symbol so he has very little power as a cleric.

In the years since the kidnapping, Xaral's family has sold their land and moved to Salzarov to be closer to clan Mardzova when news of Xaral comes to them. The two families have temporarily joined during this crisis. After the wedding of Halora and Xaral this joining will probably become permanent. Xaral's mother Melwa is in training as a cleric to Ynar while his father has become a gardener. His brother Xavar is taking training in the bow and swords in order to help rescue Xaral when he is found. It is hoped that this event will not be too far in the future.

Since his kidnapping it is not known what has been happening to Xaral. It is only known that both he and Tarvik are still alive. Halora has discovered that his body has been taken over by someoen on the island of the Triad Brotherhood.

Halora Mardzova
Other Citizens of Argilla
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© 1996 by Eric Rosenberg