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Jaared Carthalion
My earliest memories are from when I was but a child, of about 8 years. I woke up in the town commons of River's Rest with a woman leaning over me healing me, then I passed out again. I woke up again a few days later, and was unable to remember anything about myself. I was told when I was older that a few of the children playing in the commons when I suddenly stumbled out of some shadows and collapsed bleeding badly at their feet. Over the next year I recovered at the care of the Hand family who decided to adopt me after all attempts of finding my true parents failed. Throughout that year I was extremely weak and ill quite often, but during that time I did grow stronger and when I was about 9, I was able to lead a somewhat normal life, although I was often sick still.
Over time I began to help my mother with her work around the town,
mostly healing in the sanctuary, I would often run home and get the
herbs she needed and line up the patients she had needing her care. I
paid attention and quickly learned of herbs and how to use them for
healing needs, and began one day while she was too busy to administer
the herbs as needed to those with lesser wounds, when she found out I
was scolded for doing so, until she realized I was applying almost as
much skill and care to them as she would have herself
Shortly after I learned the herbs my aunts Tokenther and Trokenther
returned to town with their husbands for a visit. Ah I remember them so
well,
One night I began to head out and attempt in secret to be like them and
swing a practice sword at invisible foes.
Over the next few months Troken and Goliath moved on to travel more and
things settled down as Token and Mat lived in town and I slowly learned
how to fight with a sword, as well as the basics to brawling. My
strength grew quickly with all the exercise although my health didn't
improve by much. I wasn't openly sick but I still got ill quickly if
there was a sickness about.
Years passed and Token and Mat settled down, I spent much time with
them, learning fighting in secret from Tokenther, and many small skills
from Mat, such as acting, singing, and storytelling. Mother taught me
how to play the flute, harp, and lute, and they all helped me learn to
sing a bit. Mat also taught me a few secrets of disguise which were
quite fun. He taught me how to gamble after I promised not to tell
anyone, and he showed me how else he made his coin picking pockets,
when I caught him in mine by surprise.
When I was 11, I watched a magic user put on a show, and quickly became
attached to the subject. A few days later I "borrowed" a book from my
fathers private library dealing with magic and began to read, and
practice the art. I read the books and practiced attempting to use such
simple spells as elemental defense 1, sleep, minor shock, and even light
blues, all to no avail. Months later I found a black tome and decided
to give magic one last try and began to read it, attempting to cast
spells such as bloodburst and mana disrupt at a rolton outside town,
and then attempting a spell known as phase when I found I locked myself
out.
Another year passed, my skill with the blade was decent but only half
that of a true warrior, as well as having a severe dislike to the
confinement of heavy armors and lack of ability with more than one type
of weapon I decided against that path as well. Over the next four years
I did nothing much other than have fun using some of Mat's tricks to
provide enjoyment for myself and others. Helping mother in the
sanctuary with her healing, and helping father in the lab mix potions
and other brews, training enough in my weapons secretly to keep in shape
and attending the classes that were oft held to teach us in town. I
strongly considered taking a bardic path but felt that it wasn't right
for me entirely.
One day while I was 16 there was a party at Tokenther's house which I
attended. I left the party early finding it too crowded, nearly the
entire town was there at the promise of Tokenther giving away 5,000
silvers to each of the winners of the various contest she was holding
there.
While I was heading back home I headed down through the alley by the
gemshop to save me some time, I tended to avoid this location because
some of the local bullies tended to hang around there, but I figured
they were at the party. I walked into a small abandoned courtyard that
I never noticed before and walked into three of my classmates I had been
being picked on by for talking to a girl I admired from school. As soon
as they saw me I turned to get help, and found my path blocked by two of
their friends. I turned around to fight getting a laughing response
from them as one of them backhanded the girl, causing her to fall
heavily against a rock and stop moving, When we all suddenly realized
he had killed her they knew they were in trouble if someone could prove
it was them, and they decided to remove the only witness. Before I
could blink they had each drew weapons, a dagger, boat hooks, and the
three falchions that were stolen from the general store last week when
the raven was last in port.
I am unsure what happened exactly but something inside me snapped,
tired of the beatings, the name callings and abuse, and angered at the
death of one I could loosely call a friend, I lashed out, pointing at
the nearest with a falchion I muttered a word and drew my fingers across
my throat in a slashing motion, suddenly his neck burst open spraying
blood everywhere, and he fell to his knees grasping at his throat in
shock, as soon as we all recovered from the shock of the moment the
remaining four rushed me, a silvery glow surrounded me causing the
falchion swing to miss as I spun ducking the blow standing back up
sending my fist flying into his chin, my left hand grabbing his right
shoulder my right arm holding the blade back from swinging again I said
another word causing him to scream in pain as his arm was severed and he
fell back
I grabbed up the falchion and dodged a dagger throw, watching as the
thug as he ran off into the alley back towards town, the other two
quickly pulled back realizing out of some miracle I was a threat, that
and they had to get away, they charged quickly surprising me as the one
with the boat hook made it past and down the alley I began to parry and
fight with the finial one, stabbing him in the left shoulder asking him
to surrender he kept on with his attack I attempted to cast again but
his sword foiled both attempts cutting me slightly in the process, as
the duel continued I stabbed him again once in each leg and was hit
badly in the side myself before he dropped at my feet unconscious, as
he fell the fathers of the five rushed in quickly and seeing their sons
bleeding and badly wounded at my feet and the dead girl as well they
quickly rushed me sticks and pitchforks in hand screaming for my blood,
I ran quickly ducking between alleyways I never realized were there
before until I ran into a very large courtyard and found no way out,
except through a very large mob that had apparently gathered, I leaned
back against the wall muttering and suddenly I fell through, landing
painfully on my rear. I got up quickly and glanced out the small
window seeing the mob approaching and hearing cries of kill the dark
one, I grew very afraid and did not know what to do
Suddenly the entire courtyard grew black as night, the sun blotted out
entirely causing the crowd to gasp, then a cone of lighting flashed up
from the ground into the sky shining brightly against the inky
blackness, as the crowd as one spun around, ready to attack as they
began to march forward the ground quaked a large crack splitting the
street causing everyone to fall and I saw my parents standing at the
other end of the courtyard as well as three of my aunts and uncles at
their side, but unlike I had ever seen them before, My father was
dressed in enruned leathers with a long blue and white cape hanging from
his shoulders, a staff with a glowing crystal was in one hand his other
empty to cast more spells, my mother at his side in royal blue leather
armor, a very nasty looking mace in one hand, shield in another and whip
at her side with a mist flowing around the both of them gently,
Tokenther fully armed and ready for battle guarding one flank with mat
daggers in hand slightly behind her, Goliath and Trokenther standing
above them all in the back guarding against rear attack with Riptor
armed in black leathers scimitar in each hand and his wife jade dressed
in black and green carrying a stiletto in one hand longsword in the
other all ready to fight if need be.
The crowed quickly quieted down at my fathers demand, and he bellowed
out demanding to know what was going on, one man shouted that hellspawn
you call a child killed my son and two of his friends as well as the
herbalist granddaughter, my father quickly demanded all witnesses to
the crime to step forward, which resulted in five men, and two of the
five thugs to step forward, and demanded the rest of the crowd to go,
that this matter would be settled honorably and justly instead of by a
lynch mob, he punctuated that point by hurling another cone of lighting
into the air and screaming NOW, causing most to run in fear.
The fleet captain stepped forward and held court quickly demanding the
facts of what each knew, as my mother, Trokenther, Tokenther, and jade
quickly ran off, the two thugs both said that they all came across me
beating the girl up and tried to stop me, causing me to shove her down
and apparently kill her, before fighting them, reveling to all that I
knew magic as well. the fathers admitted they only came in and saw me
covered in their sons blood with a bloody bade in hand.
the shopkeeper came back and said two of the falchions stolen from me
last week were by the corpses, then I stepped out and yelled here is
the third, then said what I had seen. The fact that everyone knew I was
ill while the raven was in port helped prove that I didn't steal them
and try selling them as one of the boys quickly claimed I did, my lack
of silver supported it more, suddenly to our shock the girl herself came
in, alive being carried by Trokenther, Tokenther helped my obviously
exhausted mother walk as well.
My mother stated she had been saving a scroll with a spell able to raise
the dead for years and that usage of that spell would b e the only way to
get to the real truth, she also said she was thankful that the fleet
captain was able to life keep the corpses while they ran to deal with
the situation. I later learned they all had quite an interesting
history
The elvish girl quickly began to explain what happened and stated that
the last thing she remembered was me going to fight to defend her, the
two boys were quickly thrown into the brig, and the rest of the town was
informed exactly what happened by the girl, and myself, as well as the
two boys who admitted the truth under penalty of death, I never was
entirely forgiven by the townsfolk though due to the evil nature of the
magic I used.
Over the next few months my life changed drastically and I was being
trained in high gear in anything that interested me, for the spells I
cast were a rare type a blend of spiritual and elemental. I learned
quickly from mother how to create a light blue glow to defend against
magical attacks, a wall of swirling air to guard against physical and
physical magic attacks but hindering mine at the same time, and a
powerful look that seemed to help me defend myself. my father taught me
quickly as well teaching me how to sense those around me even hidden and
invisible, and how to cast a method to help locksmiths in their trade
and how to aim spells he uses as I used them from wands. Token, Troken,
Goliath all began teaching me quickly the methods of fighting, and
honor, as well as some climbing skills. Riptor taught me the ways of the
woods and nature helping me learn where to find some herbs, and to tell
what game was around expanding my climbing and swimming knowledge. Jade
taught me quite a bit various poisons for differing reasons, and how to
blend in the city's shadows or right under the public eye. Mat helped as
well in teaching me how to blend in or stick out depending on the
situation as well as his tricks about illusion and appearing to be what
I'm not. I am very glad I learned how to do so many things, I'm an
expert in nothing but quite skilled in many ways
Over the next four years I learned quickly many differing things of
battle and how to fight, as well as codes of honor and conduct, secrets
of the shadows and other paths beyond that which I chose, all that which
I was training in continued, and my powers grew greatly, Eventually I
turned 21, and headed out to make my own mark on the world, after each
of them said they could train me no more.
That my friend, was the start of my life, and only part of my story,
Perhaps we shall chat again, and I shall tell ye more
Sorshalyn's Section
Friends and Family Section
