Prologue
Jackson found himself deep in the woods crouched down moving slowly as he tried his best to keep up with and mimic his father’s footsteps. No matter how hard he tried it seemed like everywhere he stepped he could hear a snap of a twig or rustle of leaves. Unlike his father who stalked the woods like a ghost every footfall silent and the trees almost moved out of his way to not snag his clothing or face.
Today was his eleventh birthday and instead of staying home and opening presents while daydreaming about fantastic adventures where he finds buried treasure. His father had taken him on his first real adventure hunting game and herbs in a dangerous part of the wood’s places filled with all sorts of monsters. It was the greatest present of all, and to top it all off his father even taught him a new ability and skill in preparation for today.
Congratulations you have learned the skill Woodcraft.
You’re at home in the woods, the very trees
acknowledge your presence and the rivers shout
about your skills. All abilities used in the
woods are 1% stronger.
Congratulations you have learned ability Sneak.
Not as useful as stealth but this ability will greatly increase
your chances of not being found.
5% increased chance to not be seen or heard.
He his father had just taken down a large buck and they were slowly tracking where the creature had run off too. It took all his attention to keep up with his Woodsmen of a Father who easily outstripped his son while tracked the creature through the thick foliage and rocky terrain. His father new Jackson was falling behind but he wanted to make it hard on him so he would progress further. After a few hundred more yards his father stopped, he wasn’t waiting for his son, he found his quarry.
Jackson forgot all about trying to be sneaky and started running to his father. Edwin looked at his son who could no longer contain his excitement and beamed with pride. But true to his father’s character he used this moment to teach his son something he thought was monumentally important. He slowly put his large hand on his sons’ shoulder and silently shushed him.
“Jackson you need understand that as exciting as this is, this beast had to sacrifice everything, for us to live and feed out family. We need to respect nature and all she gives us. As carrying and loving Gia is the goddess can also be harsh and cruel.”
As Edwin explained this to his son, he could see the excitement in Jackson start to waiver and watched as the smile slowly fell from his face. He never wanted to dim his son’s spirit, but these were important lessons he needed to learn.
As Jackson hung his head, he starred at the forest floor, the hand on his shoulder squeezed reassuringly and he looked up to see that his father was now kneeling in front of him and had a huge smile on his dad’s face.
“Its still exciting though right!”
Jackson nodded franticly causing his father to burst out laughing. His blusterous laughter was infectious, and Jackson could not help but join along. It was a great day. They thanked the beast for his sacrifice and prayed to Gia the Goddess of Nature thanking her for her blessing and started the long trek back home.
“So, what do you think about having squirrel for diner?” Edwin asked his son jokingly as he adjusted the animal over his large shoulders.
“Mom said that I get to have steak for diner!” Jackson exasperated.
“But she didn’t say what kind of steak did she.” Edwin said with the barest hint of a smile.
Jackson was about to say no when he heard a blood curdling scream! They were about a quarter mile from there house and Jackson could see the look of fear come across his father’s face.
“Jackson, I need you to hide” he said his eyes searching out in the distance. A loud bellow roared out shortly after, his father dropped the deer and started to move forward
“But”
“No buts!” screamed his father as he spun to his son now kneeling leaning in towards his son grabbing his shoulders “I need you to find a safe spot to hide quickly.”
Jackson could see how this in the short time he spoke his dads face seemed to flow from fear to pure terror as another scream rang out. The shock of seeing his father acting this way took his breath away, so he just nodded.
“Good boy, when I come back to find you, I will do our whistle, do you remember it?” Edwin was referencing the three toned notes he had taught to Jackson years ago. A barely audible whisper is all Jackson could come with in response.
“Yes”
“If you hear anything else stay where you are and don’t move.” And with that, Edwin spun and took off tearing through the trees.
While watching his father sprint through the woods, Jackson was bombarded with a whirlwind of emotions. He stood stone still as fear, trepidation, confusion, and an overwhelming feeling of being alone all cascaded inside of him.
All these emotions and more battled for a spot inside of the little boy. One emotion that arose above the rest was curiosity, what could cause his father to snap at him what was he so afraid of? Why hadn’t he been able to go and help why leave him all alone to fend for himself. These actions were so unlike anything he had come to know from his father.
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Torn on what to do, a few minutes pasts until his fear waned and he decided what to do. Should he listening to his father or let his curious nature take hold, but in the end the latter won. It was in his nature to crave adventure and today was no different. He crouched down drawing his other birthday present, a hunting knife his mother had given him. Quietly as he could, he made his way towards his home.
Congratulations by your continuous practice of the
skill you have earned +1 skill to Sneak.
5% increase to skill proficiency.
Seeing his new upgraded skill made Jackson feel much better about what he was about to do. He knew that he should have found a safe hiding spot and stayed hidden, but he felt an uncontrollable urge to follow his father, so he chose the latter. Crouched down like his father showed him he slowly crept towards the edge of the clearing where their house stood in the middle, and before he reached it, the sound crackling of wood and the smell of a large fire filled his senses.
Fear struck him as he noticed the simple dwelling, he called home with its log walls thatched roof was set ablaze and heard a woman whimpering, but it was what he saw next really made his legs shake. Standing thirty feet from his shattered front door with his back to him, stood a giant of a man.
He had to be close to seven feet tall. He had on a black chainmail vest and his shoulders were covered by a large pelt. The man had a large bastard sword carried in a baldric over his shoulder, but what stuck out the most of all was the color of his skin. His olive-colored skin seemed to stretch over taut bulging muscles.
“He’s an ORC!!!” he almost said out loud in his state of shock, although he had never seen one before, he heard all kinds of stories about the wild barbaric people. Even from this distance he could see the numerous scars marred this man’s arms and legs. It was only after another one shouted did he notice that there were more than one.
“Burly, grab that wench and let’s get moving, Blue only gave us 20 minutes to scavenge this place and get back to the raid. They are pushing on to the Scarred Canyon and the Chief is waiting.” Said an orc with a darker green complexion. He similarly geared but with two axes slung across his back instead of a sword.
Orcs had a combative nature and are trained to be fighters from a young age. They often warred with other tribes as much as other races. Their propensity to kill each other it’s likely the only reason they haven’t overrun the other kingdoms. Jackson had met soldiers and guards alike and they all had some sort of battle scars but the lack of visible scarring on this orc made him seem even more deadly. While burly’s scars showed his experience, Ragnok’s scars…. or his lack thereof showed his skill.
Jackson could now hear rustling inside the house and new there were at least three of them. Fear gripped his heart as he stood knuckles white as he gripped his knife. It took a moment to notice that his mother was kneeling on the ground behind this monsters’ feet. She was covered in dirt and even from here he could see a large red welt that was formed on her cheek and she was hunched over to protect the small bundle in her arms that was his baby sister. The first orc looked back at the one shouting orders and gave him a sneer.
“Oh, shut your face Ragnok, Blabberwort is still inside raiding the place. I am gonna enjoy this and you won’t be telling blue, or you’ll regret it.” Ragnok’s gravely voice reverberated as he turned back to the small human at his feet. At the same time, a smaller orc with two daggers on his hips came out of the house with his arms ladened with their belongings.
“Ragnok, help me with this stuff or do you… ack” at that precise moment an arrow sprouted from the mans eye socket and he crumpled to the ground and the other orcs froze.
A moment later he heard another thud and Burly screamed out in a savage roar. The giant green man spun around to face the woods an arrow shaft clearly visible half buried into his back.
The orc had released his mother when he spun to face an unseen attacker, and barely a second after another arrow struck his shoulder. A look of pure hatred flashed across his face and his eyes seemed to glow red. His snarling face pulled at a long scar that stretched along the side of his cheek making his ugly mug grow even more grotesque.
It was at that moment that Mary chose to try and save her little baby, she picked up little Amber up in her arms and took off running for the opposite tree line. Unfortunately for them both, her attacker took notice and even though a third arrow had just burrowed into his thigh even that didn’t seem to slow him down.
Jackson frozen at the edge of that clearing watching as his whole life fell apart. Ragnok grabbed his axes from his back and made a tactical decision. He quickly turned back to face the pathetic human in her feeble attempts at running away. He couldn’t let her get away and, call for help so he tore off after her. In four long strides he had caught up to her, releasing a loud bellow, he slashed his axes across her back.
It was as if the fear spell had finally broken as the tears streamed down his face. Unable to watch any longer, Jackson turned to run deeper into the woods. He continued to run well after his lung burned and legs turned to jelly. When all the fear and anger was driven out of him, he finally collapsed. Night had fallen, and his body could no longer be driven by pure adrenaline and raw emotion, his mind was utterly empty as he passed out on the cold forest floor.
When Jackson awoke it was to an oppressive heat and a loud banging, he was lying in a large bed with heavy woolen blankets. After his confusion left him, he remembered what happened to his family and wept. A short while later a huge man entered the room and sat down beside him, flinging an arm around his shoulders, and holding him tight. A calm reassuring him that he was safe, and everything would be alright. When Jackson finally had no tears left to shed and felt utterly empty, he looked up to see large brown eyes and short brown hair, it was a familiar face.
Carn, the local blacksmith and the only person his family could have called a neighbor living this far out from the village. Both Carn and his father chose to live away from the village for a more peaceful life. Carn chose it for his profession tended to make his neighbors come to resent him.
Jackson had ran for over eight miles before collapsing. Carn found him in the morning not one hundred yards from Carn’s back door. The Blacksmith had found him face down on the ground and brought him inside. After seeing the state of the boy, Carn had rallied the town militia and they went to look for Jackson’s family, but they only found carnage.
His entire family was butchered, and his house was completely burnt to the ground. When his father was found it was said he had met with a particularly nasty end. He was found strangled by his bow and impaled on a pine bough after what could only be described as vicious round of torture.
When Carn had first told him the news that the strongest man he knew, his father, stood no chance against that behemoth it had broken him. With the promise that he would look after him and he could stay here indefinitely Carn stood up and left the room, leaving him to deal with his thoughts.
Jackson fell into a deep depression, he stayed in bed for weeks, barely eating or sleeping due to the nightmares that filled his subconscious mind. He sat stewing in his own version of hell, berating himself for not having the strength to help his family, which was incredibly unreasonable since he was only eleven. He emerged from his depression by making a solemn vow and doing so he earned his first quality and his first nemesis.
You have earned a Nemesis!
The Orc Warrior Ragnok is your Nemesis although
he doesn’t know it he earned ire for life. You won’t rest
until he meets his demise. You gain 10% damage against this target
but are blinded by your hatred for him.
You Are Resolute!
Through your personal hardship and loss, you grow
determined with one goal in mind. Once you set your eyes
on a goal nothing can deter you. +3 to Constitution