Elidath
Gather round all who would hear of the proudly humble heritage of mine. Above is a picture of my brother Daclaud and myself from only a few months past. My name is Elidath Heinmighty, a giantman warrior of the house Argent Aspis. Now where shall I begin? There is so much to tell. I know! Lets start with my name. Elidath is an elven name, and directly translates into common as "Shadow Star". My last name I took for myself as a joke in the face of my more humble beginnings. You see, I never knew my father, and never had a sire name, till I took it upon myself to begin adventurin' in Wehnimer's Landin. Now I'm gonna jump back to where it all started and bore you to tears with me childhood stories. I was born some 41 years ago, to a bar wench named Elsa, who did what she could to survive. Now I'm not going to elaborate on that too much, I'll just let you get the picture on your own. I grew up in a small tavern in a farming village near the Landing, but at the age of 8, being the giant that I am, I was quickly sold by my mother to the village smith to be his apprentice. Unfortunately, I had picked up many bad habits in my eight years in the tavern, many of which I still possess today. Lets just say that I didn't get along with the smithy too well, my foul mouth earning me many a beatings from him. Surely enough, before my tenth birthday, he passed me off to one of the local farmers to be a farmhand. Thus began my illustrious life as a turnip farmer. Now I farmed turnips for more years than was entirely healthy for one to do so, in fact, more than I can count on two hands. I'm not sure quite how old I was when I left the turnip farm, but I was definitely passes the age of twenty. Now I'm sure you're wonderin' why a farm raised boy such as myself, who had never known much more than the farm would up and leave for the big city one day. Well, I'll tell you this: It had something to do with the honor of the farmer's eldest daughter. Need I say more? Anyways, I suddenly found myself without job, food, shelter, friend, or useful trade. So what did I do? Like the genius that I have always been, I joined the military. I signed on with the local Count's militia and began the lengthy training to become a warrior. Now, once again my bad habits learned in my early days came back to haunt me, after only two short weeks of training, I was discharged from the militia for drunkenness. This time though, I had the benefit of a week's pay and a set of leather armor to see me to better fortunes. Thus I journeyed for a few days and found myself lost in the immensity of Wehnimer;'s Landing. My first reaction to the big city was "Wow! look at all those heroes strutting around town! What magnificent Lords and Ladies! I want to be like them!" And then, not knowing any better, began my magnificent career as a warrior. Like all newbies fresh from the turnip farms, I plagued the town for a few weeks with infernal and bothersome questions that few if any would stop for five seconds to answer. Little kindness did I find in this huge city of great wonders. Soon, once I had found my way around town without the aid of maps, and had begun to get a grasp on the concepts by which the town works, I found employment for myself dispatching overgrown rats and smelly kobolds. This I was good at and worked with extreme relish, and it wasn't long till I had graduated to Hobgoblins and Thyrils. Soon, I was foolish enough to make excursions into Upper Troll Fang Forest and learned the painful lessons that the Hill Trolls taught at the end of their spears and swords. It was about this time when I heard about a distant town, far in the arctic with opportunities for everyone, and hunting grounds galore. So, quickly, I packed up my meager belongings(a broadsword and mithril shield, and maybe about 2000 coins) and moved to the lovely town of Icemule Trace. I quickly found a home there, and made some very good friends in the many bars of the mule. My two greatest and most trusted friends of that time were one Kirpaci, and on Ashren. The three of us were as a plague to the local population of Hobgoblins, Orcs, and Thyrils. Much did we do together, and much fun did we have. It is a bitter sorrow that we are no longer as close as we were then. I spent quite a bit of time in Icemule, learning to be a better warrior all the while. Though on occasion, I did make excursions back to the Landing to shop as well as to gallivant. It was on one of these such trips that I came upon religion. Now I'm sure you've all heard about the great order of Voln, but until this point, I hadn't. Quickly and eagerly did I join the order, and for a time did I passionately pursue its cause. Regretfully that did not last, for the passion burned bright, then diminished. True, I am still dedicated to the order, but it is not my only purpose in life. I returned to Icemule, and unto the life that I had there. I dwelt as I had for a time, then one day, when I was around nine times trained as a warrior, I happened upon a group of kindly people from the house of Argent Aspis holding a helping secession for young warriors such as myself. Now at that time I fancied myself a great warrior, a hero from the legends, and planned to go help them teach the ignorant whelps who needed enlightenment. Once I met the people though, these including the esteemed Lady Thia and the Legendary Lord Arvegil, I quickly realized how insignificant I really was. They showed me the most kindness I had ever seen, and a patience that I had not known existed. Immediately was born in my heart a high hope of joining such a great house, and a desire to help all those of the lands who needed kindness and patience, guidance and understanding. So I straightway applied for admission into the house, and moved back to Wehnimer's Landing and eagerly waited their decision. A month after I had applied, I received a message by courier that I had been accepted into the house. Greatly I was thrilled, but alas that such pleasure was overshadowed by great grief: I had returned home to my mother's village, for she had taken sick. There I found for myself many a brother I had never known. These I embraced wholly, cherishing their company as we watched our mother waste away. It was three months latter that we had the funeral, and that I returned to the Landing to join the house Argent Aspis. Bitter was the loss of my mother, and the separation from my newfound fraternity. But in Aspis, I found all the family I could ever need, or could ever want. Quickly was I accepted and made at home, and soon my grief was buried beneath mountains of caring and friendship, and soon I was no longer afraid to hide my true-self from all the world. I became an eager participant in all house events, as I immersed myself in that which I had always craved: Caring. I spent many a night in the catacombs of the city instructing young ones in the arts of hunting and etiquette as well as showing them around the town. Oddly enough, it was about this time that one of my foulest habits, my sharp tongue, began to gain renown. I am now recognized by a multitude of people to be a master at the art of insulting. Anyways, I approach the present with the story, and would like to mention the names of all my close friends that I have accumulated in Aspis: Thia, Bloodsnake, Striict, Jadrek, Krezgy, Howlinbear, Kalakh, Rhad, Allyria, Dremerie, Freesha, Tarlina, Tierna, Kaelael, Annarosa, Tanri, Wendol, Cendar, and many more that I beg eternal forgiveness for my short-sightedness and poor memory that has caused me not to mention you. Today, I have many brothers who have made the journey to the landing to follow me and begin adventuring: Korhne, Daclaud, Jered, Owain, Dashil, and Elohir. This is my family, of aspis, and of blood, I love them all. Today, I am a warrior of little renown, self sufficient and not poor. I am a drunk, and I am a fool, but what better to be? I am a member of the guild of warriors, tall and proud. For those of you that are curious as to how I look, I am a Giantman, I am 41 years old. My hair is sandy blonde, almost light-brown, long, and often braided in a warrior's braids. My eyes are hazel, and my skin is tanned from many a hunt in the wilds. I wear leather armor, a gold trimmed helm, and gauntlets and greaves of Imflass. My cloak is tattered and torn, and my kilt is dark tartan. I bear a shield with the crest of house Aspis, and a baldric across my back. I wear a tattoo of a golden dragon on my arm, and a medallion of one about my neck. A passion brighter than the sun burns fiercely in my breast. A wit keener than the sharpest blade dwells within my brow. A tongue more piercing than the crackle of thunder resides in my mouth. An honor truer than life, and more restraining than chains guides me in my travels. A sorrow more profound and dark than a moon-less night burdens my soul. I live life everyday for the moment that is at hand, for there is no tomorrow, there is only today, right now. Let it never be said that Elidath Heinmighty did not live his life, for I will never pass quietly into the night.