Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Exclusive Contest! WAYNE REYNOLDS draws OR PAINTS your character! No more entries!
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 1949230" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p><strong>Thanks Kai! Here's my namesake character...</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"> <span style="color: Green"><strong> Quickleaf</strong> </span> </span></p><p><strong>Also known as Eolis, Son of Soratair and "The Ghost of Amn"</strong></p><p></p><p><em>A whisper of pine needles. The shadow of a bird in two places at once. A penetrating sense of being watched. These are the only signs a traveler on the woodland trail to Amn receives of Quickleaf’s presence. Occasionally, a child reports seeing a wild ghost with hair burning like autumn leaves and hypnotic eyes the color of the sky. The rumors would be discounted were it not for the similarity in the childrens’ descriptions: A savage snarl on the ghost’s face, a hint of fallen nobility in his bearing, a red-winged hawk perched on his arm. When the ghost moves, they say only wind can be heard. Contrary to popular belief, “the ghost of Amn” is an elf of flesh and blood.</em></p><p></p><p><strong>Concept: </strong> Quickleaf was once a noble high elven knight in service to Queen Amearthiel as a scout of the high elven lands. However, years spent as an oathbound slave of the sylvan elves and war prisoner of the orcs have left their mark on him. He is savage, even by sylvan elf standards, and is but a shadow of who he once was. His one true love, Loriel, was married to the son of the very sylvan elf King who enslaved him - as an insurance of peace between the two elven communities. The name “Quickleaf” comes from a conversation he had with Loriel. She compared his life to a twirling leaf falling from a tree, one side of the leaf revealing shadow and the other light.</p><p></p><p><strong>Killer Gaming Moment:</strong> Quickleaf and his party were captured by the corrupted high elven guards, and taken before the puppet queen who sentenced them to die. As they walked out to the bonfire where they would be burned as traitors, white roses were thrown down on the path before them. Quickleaf only regreted that he had never revealed to his true love Loriel his feelings toward her. All the knights of Queen Amearthiel placed their very own swords upon the bonfire, and kneeled before Quickleaf, with the rest of the townsfolk following suit. The finale was when the noble Loriel herself lay upon the bonfire and revealed she was the Queen’s daughter! When the wicked puppet queen ordered the fire to be set anyhow, it became clear to everyone who she truly was – a shadowborn enchantress sent to sow strife amongst the elves. She was quickly deposed and the Queen restored, all without raising a single weapon. It’s good to have a reputation!!</p><p></p><p><strong> Appearance: </strong> Quickleaf's most memorable feature are his haunting eyes, into which one can see twin wells of endless grief. Yet his eyes have a sharp light in them, the kind of light born from a savage hope, the kind of hope of a man armed with a stick has against a pack of wolves. A hope born from surviving. Even his lips bear a constant savage expression bordering on a snarl. He wears a faded tunic that splits above the waist and hangs about his sides. His wrists and forearms are wrapped in the manner of an archer. While he wears a curved sword slung across his back, he rarely needs to use it. A fur-lined cloak is thrown over one shoulder. Several scars can be made out along his neck, disappearing beneath the tunic. Quickleaf has rust red hair. His skin is very dark for an elf, and his frame is lean and wiry. A red-winged hawk with a curling crest perches nearby him.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Background:</span></strong> </p><p></p><p><strong> <u>All For Love... </u> </strong></p><p> Quickleaf was raised by his father Soratair to become one of the ranger knights of Queen Amearthiel. Even in his youth, Quickleaf was consumed with love for Loriel, an ambassador to the sylvan elves. He competed intensely with his cousin Arechas for her favor. Learning of the magical jewel of the Khejai said to reflect true beauty in its every facet, both Quickleaf and Arechas set off on a journey to find the hag guardian of the stone who dwelt in the mountains and convince her to give it to him as a gift for his lady. When at last they found the hag, the two rival suitors were shocked that she had been taken captive by an orcish warlord and his underlings were ransacking the mountain tombs in search of the jewel. Quickleaf pretended to be the disturbed “ghost of Amn” while Arechas stole the jewel from underneath the orc’s noses. Fleeing, the pair escaped into the woods, congratulating themselves. Though it pained him to admit it, Quickleaf acquiesced that it was Arechas who had taken the jewel and should be the one to seek Loriel’s hand in marriage. </p><p></p><p> However, upon returning to their home city, they learned that Loriel had been captured during her first negotiations with the sylvan elves. Quickleaf and Arechas were assigned to scout duty, and cautioned not to let their personal feeling get in the way of their duty to their Queen Amearthiel. Quickleaf grudgingly obeyed, but Arechas set off on his own. As Quickleaf became aware of the corruption that was spreading like poison in the Queen’s cabinet, he received word that his cousin had been slain. When the body was recovered, Quickleaf found two sylvan elf arrows in Arechas’ back; scouts reported he had been ambushed in sylvan elf lands. Cursing himself for not going with his cousin, Quickleaf wrapped the two arrows in silk, kissed his cousin on the forehead and swore to rescue his love. </p><p></p><p> Penetrating sylvan elf lands, Quickleaf made it all the way to the military headquarters where Loriel was held before being taken captive. Incredulous that a high elf could have made it so far alone, the sylvan elf King Hertheam demanded he reveal the locations of his allies. Quickleaf, claiming to be a noble suitor of great importance, made a counter offer: Not only would he reveal the location of his allies, but he himself would take Loriel’s place. The sylvan elf King agreed, and Loriel was returned to her people. Quickleaf then showed the king the shadows on the forest floor, the rustling of leaves, and the many hiding spots in the forest – these were his allies. Impressed, the king revealed to Quickleaf that Loriel had gone to meet an elvish suitor, and that a scrap of Quickleaf’s clothing was given to the scouts to take back to the high elven kingdom. He would be assumed dead, and forever doomed to serve the sylvan elves as a slave.</p><p></p><p><strong> <u>A Wild Heart </u> </strong></p><p></p><p>The first months were the hardest, but soon Quickleaf had befriended the Vait Asheras, one of the noble nature-seers of the sylvan elves. However, King Hertheam's son, prince Itholaras, watched Quickleaf grow into the community with scorn - he swore the enemy of his people would pay for his arrogance. While Quickleaf helped the Vait carry water to her home, she saw the far away looked and asked if he had lost one dear to him. "If she has lost me, I have not lost her." This was always his reply. When not serving the Vait or enduring abuses from the King's sons, Quickleaf taught himself to use the difficult bows of the sylvan elves. He even watched their masterful swordsmen perform the "deres met henethun", a sacred warrior's dance performed only by the sylvan elves. One day Quickleaf was caught practicing the dance by prince Itholaras, who demanded Quickleaf give up his sword. It was an outrage to see such a foreigner attempting this sacred rite! Quickleaf stared into Itholaras' eyes and refused. A fight ensued, and quickly ended with Quickleaf on the ground. Rising slowly, he picked up the sword again. This time Itholaras picked up a stick to teach the whelp. Again, Quickleaf stood up and held on to his blade. Those elves who watched said Quickleaf rose nine times, bruised and bloody, until Itholaras drew his sword and plunged it through Quickleaf's shoulder. The sword fell from his hands.</p><p></p><p>Though the Vait was a skilled healer, Quickleaf's wound kept him in a fever for days. During this time he learned that his father had been slain defending the Queen from an orcish ambush. Realizing how much he had lost, Quickleaf turned to the bottle to drink away his misery. After a month in bed, Quickleaf emerged healed, but addicted to the bottle His wound never healed completely, and to this day Quickleaf tires quickly when fighting with his off-hand due to the shoulder wound; it would always be a reminder to him of his moment of weakness, what he called "the dark night of my soul." He grew to become the laughing stock of the sylvan elves over the year, and when his manners became to coarse, the Vait was forced to refuse him housing.</p><p></p><p>Turning to the forest for nourishment, Quickleaf began to dream of escape. And he tried many tacts - hiding among outbound caravans, disguising himself as a scout, jumping into raging rapids. But everytime the King's magic lured him back, sometimes gently, sometimes by force, to fulfill his eternal oath to the sylvan elves. When the wood elven horns sounded the oncoming orcish raiders, Quickleaf was clutching a bottle muttering to himself outside the tannery. Soon word spread that several of the scouts had been captured, among them the King's own son Itholaras. The orcs wished to negotiate, and invited the King to come unarmed to an open field to barter for his son's life. Clearly it was a trap. Quickleaf, no longer watched by his guards, crept out to the clearing without a weapon, and undid the bonds of the captives before leading them in an escape. The fight was bloody, but they succeeded in reaching the King's entourage. </p><p></p><p><strong> <u> The Warrior's Warrior </u> </strong></p><p></p><p>With the orcs repelled, King Hertheam was perplexed at this captive who had saved his son for no apparent reason other than to garner favor with the king. When he demanded an explanation from Quickleaf, he said: "A scout is my brother, even if he serves a poor master. Your scouts took my fair cousin from me, and for that they deserve a swift death. But that is for no elf, no man, no orc to decide." Though impressed by Quickleaf's answer, the King was concerned his views against the sylvan elf throne would spread, and so he offered Quickleaf a chance to hunt the orcs. Quickleaf accepted, thinking his death was near.</p><p></p><p>Quickleaf, haggard and drunk, appeared the next morning at the forward camp where plans for a daring counteraid were being drawn up. It requires a small group of elves to track the orcs back into their territory in the crags and assassinate their commanders. The other elves were loathe to accept Quickleaf into their ranks, and he had nothing but contempt for them. That some planned to "accidentally" hit him with friendly fire in the upcoming conflict was no secret. Traveling into orc lands, the group of elves was ambushed. Black barbed arrows rained down upon them and the unit was broken. Quickleaf managed to scale the cliff walls, a knife he had taken from a slain "comrade" in between his teeth. An unnatural wind poured down the cliffs, speeding the orcish arrows to deliver swift death upon their enemies.</p><p>Quickleaf managed to get within 10 paces of Kathguara, the orcish commander, before he was spotted. Two, three, four guards fell under his knife, before Quickleaf was tackled and beaten into submission. He would be taken captive again, this time by the orcs.</p><p></p><p>The elves had been massacred. Quickleaf was chained to a rock awaiting death. And not a drop of wine in sight. Surely his world was ending. Days passed, with only a small pool of water serving to keep him alive. After two weeks of wasting away, Quickleaf looked up to see Kathguara standing above him. Would he be killed quickly, or would he be interrogated first? Kathguara presented Quickleaf with an elven bow. It was the most stunning bow Quickleaf had ever seen. "Fell me a bird for dinner, and I shall spare your life." Sweat forming on his brow, Quickleaf took the bow in his weak hands. Aiming at a hawk in the nearby tree, he squinted and let the arrow fly. But Kathguara had kicked his leg, knocking Quickleaf to the ground sobbing. The arrow flew over the cliffside into the forest. "You shall die tonight, elf, but my own hand."</p><p></p><p><strong> <u> Free as a Hawk </u> </strong></p><p></p><p>That night, Quickleaf was thrown into a pit with Kathguara, who held three snarling dogs by a leash in one hand and a ball-and-chain in the other. The orcs cheered on their leader, who paraded around. Quickleaf could barely stand, looking desperately for a weapon. Drawing near the crowd, Kathguara listened to one of his captains whisper in his ear, and picked up the arrow the captain offered. It was without a doubt the one Quickleaf had fired. Kathguara gave his dogs and weapon over to his captain, bringing the arrow over to Quickleaf, "Your arrow slew a great beast that will provide food for us till the next winter. I will most likely kill you in the morning."</p><p></p><p>And Quickleaf lived. Though life in the orcish village was hard, and he had to constantly protect himself even to get a scrap of food, Quickleaf thrived on their barbarism. The pain in his animal soul called for being free of the shackles of civilization. After a time, even Kathguara was impressed at his morning ritual of combat training, and slowly he began to take Quickleaf under his wing. The other orcs watched with displeasure as Kathguara taught Quickleaf the secrets of orcish fighting and Quickleaf shared the secrets of the elven bow. The orcish general hoped to learn a weapon that he could use against the elves, and Quickleaf hoped to learn the general's weakness and exploit it. Theirs was a strange relationship, and orcish assassins plotted both their deaths.</p><p></p><p>When the army of the high elves arrived outside the orcish realm calling for a battle, Kathguara rode out with Quickleaf. The terms of the fight were thus: 100 of the greatest warriors of either side were to fight. The victor would gain dominion over the other's territory. Kathguara had choosen Quickleaf as one of his 100 warriors. Dressed in orcish war paints, with a quiver of black barbed arrows, Quickleaf watched the elves readying for battle. To his horror, the frontlines were his countrymen and distant relatives.</p><p></p><p><strong> <u> The Witch-Queen </u> </strong></p><p></p><p>The terrible battle ended with elven victory, and the orcs were forced to flee. Quickleaf had done battle with and slain over a dozen of his former elven allies before he was bested and left for dead on the battlefield. However, one of the surviving elves recognized him and declared his body should be bought back to be buried in the elven tradition. When they reached the high elven halls, the party found Quickleaf was alive! Again, he was nursed back to health. He spoke with several of his old friends, who were shocked at the barbarism of their old ally. Slowly, Quickleaf returned to civilization, but as he did so, he learned that he faced charges of treason against the Queen. He also learned that the Queen was not herself recently, and there were many who feared she had become a puppet of the orcs. Gathering a band of rebels, Quickleaf fled into the forest to wage a guerilla war against the Queen's evil ways. He would become widely known as the "ghost of Amn", disappearing into the woods after each attack. Tales of his daring brought hope and courage to the high elven people that they would escape the thrall of their witch-queen. </p><p></p><p><strong>D&D Terms:</strong> High Elf (feral) Ranger 4, Amearthiel's Knight 3, Barbarian 2, Druid 3</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 1949230, member: 20323"] [b]Thanks Kai! Here's my namesake character...[/b] [SIZE=3] [COLOR=Green][B] Quickleaf[/B] [/COLOR] [/SIZE] [B]Also known as Eolis, Son of Soratair and "The Ghost of Amn"[/B] [I]A whisper of pine needles. The shadow of a bird in two places at once. A penetrating sense of being watched. These are the only signs a traveler on the woodland trail to Amn receives of Quickleaf’s presence. Occasionally, a child reports seeing a wild ghost with hair burning like autumn leaves and hypnotic eyes the color of the sky. The rumors would be discounted were it not for the similarity in the childrens’ descriptions: A savage snarl on the ghost’s face, a hint of fallen nobility in his bearing, a red-winged hawk perched on his arm. When the ghost moves, they say only wind can be heard. Contrary to popular belief, “the ghost of Amn” is an elf of flesh and blood.[/I] [B]Concept: [/B] Quickleaf was once a noble high elven knight in service to Queen Amearthiel as a scout of the high elven lands. However, years spent as an oathbound slave of the sylvan elves and war prisoner of the orcs have left their mark on him. He is savage, even by sylvan elf standards, and is but a shadow of who he once was. His one true love, Loriel, was married to the son of the very sylvan elf King who enslaved him - as an insurance of peace between the two elven communities. The name “Quickleaf” comes from a conversation he had with Loriel. She compared his life to a twirling leaf falling from a tree, one side of the leaf revealing shadow and the other light. [B]Killer Gaming Moment:[/B] Quickleaf and his party were captured by the corrupted high elven guards, and taken before the puppet queen who sentenced them to die. As they walked out to the bonfire where they would be burned as traitors, white roses were thrown down on the path before them. Quickleaf only regreted that he had never revealed to his true love Loriel his feelings toward her. All the knights of Queen Amearthiel placed their very own swords upon the bonfire, and kneeled before Quickleaf, with the rest of the townsfolk following suit. The finale was when the noble Loriel herself lay upon the bonfire and revealed she was the Queen’s daughter! When the wicked puppet queen ordered the fire to be set anyhow, it became clear to everyone who she truly was – a shadowborn enchantress sent to sow strife amongst the elves. She was quickly deposed and the Queen restored, all without raising a single weapon. It’s good to have a reputation!! [B] Appearance: [/B] Quickleaf's most memorable feature are his haunting eyes, into which one can see twin wells of endless grief. Yet his eyes have a sharp light in them, the kind of light born from a savage hope, the kind of hope of a man armed with a stick has against a pack of wolves. A hope born from surviving. Even his lips bear a constant savage expression bordering on a snarl. He wears a faded tunic that splits above the waist and hangs about his sides. His wrists and forearms are wrapped in the manner of an archer. While he wears a curved sword slung across his back, he rarely needs to use it. A fur-lined cloak is thrown over one shoulder. Several scars can be made out along his neck, disappearing beneath the tunic. Quickleaf has rust red hair. His skin is very dark for an elf, and his frame is lean and wiry. A red-winged hawk with a curling crest perches nearby him. [B][SIZE=3]Background:[/SIZE][/B] [B] [U]All For Love... [/U] [/B] Quickleaf was raised by his father Soratair to become one of the ranger knights of Queen Amearthiel. Even in his youth, Quickleaf was consumed with love for Loriel, an ambassador to the sylvan elves. He competed intensely with his cousin Arechas for her favor. Learning of the magical jewel of the Khejai said to reflect true beauty in its every facet, both Quickleaf and Arechas set off on a journey to find the hag guardian of the stone who dwelt in the mountains and convince her to give it to him as a gift for his lady. When at last they found the hag, the two rival suitors were shocked that she had been taken captive by an orcish warlord and his underlings were ransacking the mountain tombs in search of the jewel. Quickleaf pretended to be the disturbed “ghost of Amn” while Arechas stole the jewel from underneath the orc’s noses. Fleeing, the pair escaped into the woods, congratulating themselves. Though it pained him to admit it, Quickleaf acquiesced that it was Arechas who had taken the jewel and should be the one to seek Loriel’s hand in marriage. However, upon returning to their home city, they learned that Loriel had been captured during her first negotiations with the sylvan elves. Quickleaf and Arechas were assigned to scout duty, and cautioned not to let their personal feeling get in the way of their duty to their Queen Amearthiel. Quickleaf grudgingly obeyed, but Arechas set off on his own. As Quickleaf became aware of the corruption that was spreading like poison in the Queen’s cabinet, he received word that his cousin had been slain. When the body was recovered, Quickleaf found two sylvan elf arrows in Arechas’ back; scouts reported he had been ambushed in sylvan elf lands. Cursing himself for not going with his cousin, Quickleaf wrapped the two arrows in silk, kissed his cousin on the forehead and swore to rescue his love. Penetrating sylvan elf lands, Quickleaf made it all the way to the military headquarters where Loriel was held before being taken captive. Incredulous that a high elf could have made it so far alone, the sylvan elf King Hertheam demanded he reveal the locations of his allies. Quickleaf, claiming to be a noble suitor of great importance, made a counter offer: Not only would he reveal the location of his allies, but he himself would take Loriel’s place. The sylvan elf King agreed, and Loriel was returned to her people. Quickleaf then showed the king the shadows on the forest floor, the rustling of leaves, and the many hiding spots in the forest – these were his allies. Impressed, the king revealed to Quickleaf that Loriel had gone to meet an elvish suitor, and that a scrap of Quickleaf’s clothing was given to the scouts to take back to the high elven kingdom. He would be assumed dead, and forever doomed to serve the sylvan elves as a slave. [B] [U]A Wild Heart [/U] [/B] The first months were the hardest, but soon Quickleaf had befriended the Vait Asheras, one of the noble nature-seers of the sylvan elves. However, King Hertheam's son, prince Itholaras, watched Quickleaf grow into the community with scorn - he swore the enemy of his people would pay for his arrogance. While Quickleaf helped the Vait carry water to her home, she saw the far away looked and asked if he had lost one dear to him. "If she has lost me, I have not lost her." This was always his reply. When not serving the Vait or enduring abuses from the King's sons, Quickleaf taught himself to use the difficult bows of the sylvan elves. He even watched their masterful swordsmen perform the "deres met henethun", a sacred warrior's dance performed only by the sylvan elves. One day Quickleaf was caught practicing the dance by prince Itholaras, who demanded Quickleaf give up his sword. It was an outrage to see such a foreigner attempting this sacred rite! Quickleaf stared into Itholaras' eyes and refused. A fight ensued, and quickly ended with Quickleaf on the ground. Rising slowly, he picked up the sword again. This time Itholaras picked up a stick to teach the whelp. Again, Quickleaf stood up and held on to his blade. Those elves who watched said Quickleaf rose nine times, bruised and bloody, until Itholaras drew his sword and plunged it through Quickleaf's shoulder. The sword fell from his hands. Though the Vait was a skilled healer, Quickleaf's wound kept him in a fever for days. During this time he learned that his father had been slain defending the Queen from an orcish ambush. Realizing how much he had lost, Quickleaf turned to the bottle to drink away his misery. After a month in bed, Quickleaf emerged healed, but addicted to the bottle His wound never healed completely, and to this day Quickleaf tires quickly when fighting with his off-hand due to the shoulder wound; it would always be a reminder to him of his moment of weakness, what he called "the dark night of my soul." He grew to become the laughing stock of the sylvan elves over the year, and when his manners became to coarse, the Vait was forced to refuse him housing. Turning to the forest for nourishment, Quickleaf began to dream of escape. And he tried many tacts - hiding among outbound caravans, disguising himself as a scout, jumping into raging rapids. But everytime the King's magic lured him back, sometimes gently, sometimes by force, to fulfill his eternal oath to the sylvan elves. When the wood elven horns sounded the oncoming orcish raiders, Quickleaf was clutching a bottle muttering to himself outside the tannery. Soon word spread that several of the scouts had been captured, among them the King's own son Itholaras. The orcs wished to negotiate, and invited the King to come unarmed to an open field to barter for his son's life. Clearly it was a trap. Quickleaf, no longer watched by his guards, crept out to the clearing without a weapon, and undid the bonds of the captives before leading them in an escape. The fight was bloody, but they succeeded in reaching the King's entourage. [B] [U] The Warrior's Warrior [/U] [/B] With the orcs repelled, King Hertheam was perplexed at this captive who had saved his son for no apparent reason other than to garner favor with the king. When he demanded an explanation from Quickleaf, he said: "A scout is my brother, even if he serves a poor master. Your scouts took my fair cousin from me, and for that they deserve a swift death. But that is for no elf, no man, no orc to decide." Though impressed by Quickleaf's answer, the King was concerned his views against the sylvan elf throne would spread, and so he offered Quickleaf a chance to hunt the orcs. Quickleaf accepted, thinking his death was near. Quickleaf, haggard and drunk, appeared the next morning at the forward camp where plans for a daring counteraid were being drawn up. It requires a small group of elves to track the orcs back into their territory in the crags and assassinate their commanders. The other elves were loathe to accept Quickleaf into their ranks, and he had nothing but contempt for them. That some planned to "accidentally" hit him with friendly fire in the upcoming conflict was no secret. Traveling into orc lands, the group of elves was ambushed. Black barbed arrows rained down upon them and the unit was broken. Quickleaf managed to scale the cliff walls, a knife he had taken from a slain "comrade" in between his teeth. An unnatural wind poured down the cliffs, speeding the orcish arrows to deliver swift death upon their enemies. Quickleaf managed to get within 10 paces of Kathguara, the orcish commander, before he was spotted. Two, three, four guards fell under his knife, before Quickleaf was tackled and beaten into submission. He would be taken captive again, this time by the orcs. The elves had been massacred. Quickleaf was chained to a rock awaiting death. And not a drop of wine in sight. Surely his world was ending. Days passed, with only a small pool of water serving to keep him alive. After two weeks of wasting away, Quickleaf looked up to see Kathguara standing above him. Would he be killed quickly, or would he be interrogated first? Kathguara presented Quickleaf with an elven bow. It was the most stunning bow Quickleaf had ever seen. "Fell me a bird for dinner, and I shall spare your life." Sweat forming on his brow, Quickleaf took the bow in his weak hands. Aiming at a hawk in the nearby tree, he squinted and let the arrow fly. But Kathguara had kicked his leg, knocking Quickleaf to the ground sobbing. The arrow flew over the cliffside into the forest. "You shall die tonight, elf, but my own hand." [B] [U] Free as a Hawk [/U] [/B] That night, Quickleaf was thrown into a pit with Kathguara, who held three snarling dogs by a leash in one hand and a ball-and-chain in the other. The orcs cheered on their leader, who paraded around. Quickleaf could barely stand, looking desperately for a weapon. Drawing near the crowd, Kathguara listened to one of his captains whisper in his ear, and picked up the arrow the captain offered. It was without a doubt the one Quickleaf had fired. Kathguara gave his dogs and weapon over to his captain, bringing the arrow over to Quickleaf, "Your arrow slew a great beast that will provide food for us till the next winter. I will most likely kill you in the morning." And Quickleaf lived. Though life in the orcish village was hard, and he had to constantly protect himself even to get a scrap of food, Quickleaf thrived on their barbarism. The pain in his animal soul called for being free of the shackles of civilization. After a time, even Kathguara was impressed at his morning ritual of combat training, and slowly he began to take Quickleaf under his wing. The other orcs watched with displeasure as Kathguara taught Quickleaf the secrets of orcish fighting and Quickleaf shared the secrets of the elven bow. The orcish general hoped to learn a weapon that he could use against the elves, and Quickleaf hoped to learn the general's weakness and exploit it. Theirs was a strange relationship, and orcish assassins plotted both their deaths. When the army of the high elves arrived outside the orcish realm calling for a battle, Kathguara rode out with Quickleaf. The terms of the fight were thus: 100 of the greatest warriors of either side were to fight. The victor would gain dominion over the other's territory. Kathguara had choosen Quickleaf as one of his 100 warriors. Dressed in orcish war paints, with a quiver of black barbed arrows, Quickleaf watched the elves readying for battle. To his horror, the frontlines were his countrymen and distant relatives. [B] [U] The Witch-Queen [/U] [/B] The terrible battle ended with elven victory, and the orcs were forced to flee. Quickleaf had done battle with and slain over a dozen of his former elven allies before he was bested and left for dead on the battlefield. However, one of the surviving elves recognized him and declared his body should be bought back to be buried in the elven tradition. When they reached the high elven halls, the party found Quickleaf was alive! Again, he was nursed back to health. He spoke with several of his old friends, who were shocked at the barbarism of their old ally. Slowly, Quickleaf returned to civilization, but as he did so, he learned that he faced charges of treason against the Queen. He also learned that the Queen was not herself recently, and there were many who feared she had become a puppet of the orcs. Gathering a band of rebels, Quickleaf fled into the forest to wage a guerilla war against the Queen's evil ways. He would become widely known as the "ghost of Amn", disappearing into the woods after each attack. Tales of his daring brought hope and courage to the high elven people that they would escape the thrall of their witch-queen. [B]D&D Terms:[/B] High Elf (feral) Ranger 4, Amearthiel's Knight 3, Barbarian 2, Druid 3 [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Exclusive Contest! WAYNE REYNOLDS draws OR PAINTS your character! No more entries!
Top