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Story Hour
Sniktch's Story Hour Prelude - From the Beginning (UPDATED 04/22)
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<blockquote data-quote="Sniktch" data-source="post: 415166" data-attributes="member: 7704"><p><strong>Ichen Gar</strong></p><p></p><p>Filthy Ike began life in the orc village of Kershan Falls in the Eastern Crown Mountains. Born to a human slave, he was raised by one of the scouts of his family and given the name Ichen Gar. Growing up amongst the chaotic and warlike orcs, Ichen knew he was different. And if he ever came close to forgetting, there were several members of the tribe who were more than willing to give him constant reminders. Finally, when Ichen “came of age” on his 10th birthday and would normally be inducted into an Orc Warband, he questioned why he had to become a fighter when he didn’t see a good reason to raid the nearby human and dwarven settlements. He thought the tribe could exist, and maybe even flourish, by hunting and mining for themselves rather than taking from the others. No male had ever done such a thing before, and the elders couldn’t fathom why Ichen would, and wouldn’t forgive him his transgression. He was immediately banished from the village, with the orcs stoning him all the way out.</p><p></p><p>Ichen, after wandering the wilderness for several weeks, finally came to Newburg, a large town, almost a city. Slipping in at night to avoid the surly looking guards and the interrogation that would surely come, he found shelter in an abandoned warehouse. The warehouse became his home, as he vainly searched for work in town. Of course, the humans wanted nothing to do with him and shunned him, some silently, some in more violent ways. It was during one such encounter that Ichen became an outlaw in the human world like he was in the orc world. A mean-spirited farmer, seeing Ichen venture onto his property, attacked with a woodaxe without waiting for an explanation. Defending himself, Ichen grappled with the farmer. In the struggle, the farmer fell on his axe, suffering a mortal wound. Naturally, the townsfolk wouldn’t listen to Ichen’s explanation, thinking him a barbaric murderer. Once again, Ichen was forced to flee. Taking some supplies from an outlying farm (Ichen’s first foray into thievery), he took to the trails again.</p><p></p><p>Disenchanted by his experiences with both orcs and humans, Ichen turned his back on the world, concentrating solely on protecting and providing for himself. He became a highwayman, robbing human merchants travelling to and from the few towns in the Maarten foothills, west of the mountains where Ichen grew up. Ichen did make a few acquaintances in this time, human and dwarven men who, outcasts like himself, took to robbery to survive, but never trusted anyone enough to call them a true friend. Finally, after a particularly close encounter with a merchant who’s guard was better trained and armed than usual, Ichen decided it was time to move on from this part of the world. Ironically enough, Ichen managed to get hired on as a travelling guard for a large caravan headed to the city of Ravensdale to the west.</p><p></p><p>Ravensdale was a wonder to Ichen, who had never seen a settlement of more than a few hundred people. Fully 5000 people called Ravensdale home. Humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and even a small gnomish community all existed together in this bustling metropolis. Surely here Ichen could find acceptance, if anywhere, he thought. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. As tolerant as most were to the other, fairer races, everyone still held orcs in low regard and wanted little to do with them. Shunned again, Ichen was forced to return to thievery to survive.</p><p></p><p>In a city of this size, Ichen found it a little easier to disappear from the normal perceptions of the everyday populace. Living in the shadows, Ichen was able to survive, and even thrive a little, by stealing from the market, picking pockets of drunken revelers at large celebrations, and occasionally mugging a deserving fellow. Ichen still didn’t believe in violence for the sake of violence, but if he noticed a particularly rude, and wealthy looking, patron of the market or inns mistreating any of the less fortunate, like Ichen used to be, he would have no qualms about knocking him over the head and relieving him of all of his valuables. Then, after pulling off a surprisingly difficult pickpocket, Ichen’s life changed forever.</p><p></p><p>The purse Ichen had lifted didn’t belong to any ordinary person, Ichen soon discovered. It belonged to Jordan Steele, an undercaptain in the Ravensdale Thieves Guild. Now, Ichen had always avoided the guild, as he felt they wouldn’t accept him. But, upon discovering who's property he owned, he knew he couldn’t keep out of their way any longer. Rather than wait for someone to find him, he went in search of the guild leaders. Using a combination of daring, skill, and blind luck, Ichen managed to break into one of the suites owned by Phillippe LaCroix, the second in command of the entire guild. There, Ichen waited for Phillipe to come home, where Ichen promptly returned Jordan’s purse. Claiming he did it on purpose to prove his worth, Ichen asked for entrance into the guild, knowing it was the only way he could continue to survive in Ravensdale. Phillipe, rather than be outraged at the intrusion, was intrigued by the young half-orc. Promising him immunity for his actions to this point, but admonishing him to never try it again, Phillipe sponsored Ichen into the guild.</p><p></p><p>Life improved seemingly overnight for Ichen. He had contacts, he had a permanent residence, although he never gave up his boltholes throughout the city, he had resources. He even had people he thought he might learn to call friend. The other thieves even gave him a nickname after a particularly rough, but successful, job that required a trip through the sewers of Ravensdale, Filthy Ike. Ike, as he preferred to be called now when among humans, started to settle down. He thought he would stay in Ravensdale, and the guild, for the rest of his life. He might have, too, if the Crusaders hadn’t come to town.</p><p></p><p>The Crusaders are a band of holy warriors from the capital of Umbria. Intent on wiping out evil in all its forms wherever they found it, they quickly latched onto the Thieves Guild as their focus in Ravensdale. The Crusaders are vigilant, relentless, zealous, and completely unforgiving of those they deem in the wrong. They quickly made life difficult for the guild members, forcing them into hiding to avoid the public executions that occurred whenever one of them were caught. Finally, the guild leaders, in a secret meeting, decided the only to ensure their survival was to temporarily disband the guild and scatter the members. All guild members were advised to immediately leave Ravensdale, taking with them all knowledge of the guild and its operations, and not return for at least 2 years.</p><p></p><p>So, in the fall of his 16th year, Ichen Gar, better known to the world at large as Filthy Ike, found himself on the trails again, wandering the land without a home.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sniktch, post: 415166, member: 7704"] [b]Ichen Gar[/b] Filthy Ike began life in the orc village of Kershan Falls in the Eastern Crown Mountains. Born to a human slave, he was raised by one of the scouts of his family and given the name Ichen Gar. Growing up amongst the chaotic and warlike orcs, Ichen knew he was different. And if he ever came close to forgetting, there were several members of the tribe who were more than willing to give him constant reminders. Finally, when Ichen “came of age” on his 10th birthday and would normally be inducted into an Orc Warband, he questioned why he had to become a fighter when he didn’t see a good reason to raid the nearby human and dwarven settlements. He thought the tribe could exist, and maybe even flourish, by hunting and mining for themselves rather than taking from the others. No male had ever done such a thing before, and the elders couldn’t fathom why Ichen would, and wouldn’t forgive him his transgression. He was immediately banished from the village, with the orcs stoning him all the way out. Ichen, after wandering the wilderness for several weeks, finally came to Newburg, a large town, almost a city. Slipping in at night to avoid the surly looking guards and the interrogation that would surely come, he found shelter in an abandoned warehouse. The warehouse became his home, as he vainly searched for work in town. Of course, the humans wanted nothing to do with him and shunned him, some silently, some in more violent ways. It was during one such encounter that Ichen became an outlaw in the human world like he was in the orc world. A mean-spirited farmer, seeing Ichen venture onto his property, attacked with a woodaxe without waiting for an explanation. Defending himself, Ichen grappled with the farmer. In the struggle, the farmer fell on his axe, suffering a mortal wound. Naturally, the townsfolk wouldn’t listen to Ichen’s explanation, thinking him a barbaric murderer. Once again, Ichen was forced to flee. Taking some supplies from an outlying farm (Ichen’s first foray into thievery), he took to the trails again. Disenchanted by his experiences with both orcs and humans, Ichen turned his back on the world, concentrating solely on protecting and providing for himself. He became a highwayman, robbing human merchants travelling to and from the few towns in the Maarten foothills, west of the mountains where Ichen grew up. Ichen did make a few acquaintances in this time, human and dwarven men who, outcasts like himself, took to robbery to survive, but never trusted anyone enough to call them a true friend. Finally, after a particularly close encounter with a merchant who’s guard was better trained and armed than usual, Ichen decided it was time to move on from this part of the world. Ironically enough, Ichen managed to get hired on as a travelling guard for a large caravan headed to the city of Ravensdale to the west. Ravensdale was a wonder to Ichen, who had never seen a settlement of more than a few hundred people. Fully 5000 people called Ravensdale home. Humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and even a small gnomish community all existed together in this bustling metropolis. Surely here Ichen could find acceptance, if anywhere, he thought. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. As tolerant as most were to the other, fairer races, everyone still held orcs in low regard and wanted little to do with them. Shunned again, Ichen was forced to return to thievery to survive. In a city of this size, Ichen found it a little easier to disappear from the normal perceptions of the everyday populace. Living in the shadows, Ichen was able to survive, and even thrive a little, by stealing from the market, picking pockets of drunken revelers at large celebrations, and occasionally mugging a deserving fellow. Ichen still didn’t believe in violence for the sake of violence, but if he noticed a particularly rude, and wealthy looking, patron of the market or inns mistreating any of the less fortunate, like Ichen used to be, he would have no qualms about knocking him over the head and relieving him of all of his valuables. Then, after pulling off a surprisingly difficult pickpocket, Ichen’s life changed forever. The purse Ichen had lifted didn’t belong to any ordinary person, Ichen soon discovered. It belonged to Jordan Steele, an undercaptain in the Ravensdale Thieves Guild. Now, Ichen had always avoided the guild, as he felt they wouldn’t accept him. But, upon discovering who's property he owned, he knew he couldn’t keep out of their way any longer. Rather than wait for someone to find him, he went in search of the guild leaders. Using a combination of daring, skill, and blind luck, Ichen managed to break into one of the suites owned by Phillippe LaCroix, the second in command of the entire guild. There, Ichen waited for Phillipe to come home, where Ichen promptly returned Jordan’s purse. Claiming he did it on purpose to prove his worth, Ichen asked for entrance into the guild, knowing it was the only way he could continue to survive in Ravensdale. Phillipe, rather than be outraged at the intrusion, was intrigued by the young half-orc. Promising him immunity for his actions to this point, but admonishing him to never try it again, Phillipe sponsored Ichen into the guild. Life improved seemingly overnight for Ichen. He had contacts, he had a permanent residence, although he never gave up his boltholes throughout the city, he had resources. He even had people he thought he might learn to call friend. The other thieves even gave him a nickname after a particularly rough, but successful, job that required a trip through the sewers of Ravensdale, Filthy Ike. Ike, as he preferred to be called now when among humans, started to settle down. He thought he would stay in Ravensdale, and the guild, for the rest of his life. He might have, too, if the Crusaders hadn’t come to town. The Crusaders are a band of holy warriors from the capital of Umbria. Intent on wiping out evil in all its forms wherever they found it, they quickly latched onto the Thieves Guild as their focus in Ravensdale. The Crusaders are vigilant, relentless, zealous, and completely unforgiving of those they deem in the wrong. They quickly made life difficult for the guild members, forcing them into hiding to avoid the public executions that occurred whenever one of them were caught. Finally, the guild leaders, in a secret meeting, decided the only to ensure their survival was to temporarily disband the guild and scatter the members. All guild members were advised to immediately leave Ravensdale, taking with them all knowledge of the guild and its operations, and not return for at least 2 years. So, in the fall of his 16th year, Ichen Gar, better known to the world at large as Filthy Ike, found himself on the trails again, wandering the land without a home. [/QUOTE]
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Sniktch's Story Hour Prelude - From the Beginning (UPDATED 04/22)
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