Insight
Adventurer
Q'ynn Daelrith - Challenge IV
Q'ynn Daelrith, bloodied, beaten, bruised, exited the field of battle, the arena that had now become his prison. It was only a trick of fate that Daelrith had survived this latest match. Of course, Q'ynn would claim that, in the former nobleman's victory, Kord, his deity and the god of competition, had shown that Daelrith was the better combatant. Still, it was close, something that reminded Daelrith of his own mortality and that, one of these days, even Kord's grace would not be enough to save him.
Daelrith, the former noble, now a slave, had always known death. It stalked him, in dreams, in waking life, in happiness and in sorrow. Everywhere could death's hand be seen. Some might assert that Daelrith was lucky to have escaped the scourge, but, in truth, Daelrith would tell you of a time when he didn't feel quite so lucky to have been confronted with the end of all things...
In his youth, in Bael Surth, Q'ynn and his family spent their summers in the pristine luxury of a small riverside fishing village, Lecarm. It was a village in population, but actually, the settlement was rich in that many wealthy and noble families from Bael Surth and elsewhere would summer there. In fact, many, including the Daelriths, owned second homes in the Lecarm area.
It was during the summer of Q'ynn's 13th year. He and his extended family went down to the river's edge, as they were wont to do on bright summer days. The locals had built several large pavilions for the visitors to use; some said they built the pavilions to keep the rich snobs from interfering in the village's fishing business. In any event, Q'ynn and his family were at the river's edge, in the pavilion area, along with many other families.
During his summers, Q'ynn and his cousins would play with other children of the wealthy and noble. One of these kids, Jorn Taal, was something of a ringleader and would often lead the other children on adventures in the woods and coves in the surrounding area. One day, Taal led the kids down to the coves, small caves situated along the riverbanks and to the north. The area was dotted with possibly hundreds of these coves. Some were great fishing spots and, most days, you could find fishermen there, or even local kids there, learning their future trade.
There were often 30 kids in Taal's entourage, and this day was no different. He led the kids into many coves that the boy claimed were haunted by the spirits of ancient mariners and river pirates. As the day went along, and the kids had been traveling from cove to cove and from one haunted forest grove to another, the group started to separate. This wasn't intentional, but Taal didn't much care for some of the other kids, including the Daelriths, and allowed them to fall behind. There were coves and areas Taal avoided and for good reason -- some of them actually were haunted or otherwise really dangerous. Of course, Taal didn't bother sharing this information with the other children.
Lost, Q'ynn and his cousins were trying to find their way back to the Daelrith pavilion. They were in the middle of the woods, but Q'ynn thought that perhaps a certain trail looked familiar. He led the cousins, who really didn't know any better, along this trail that led them down to the rivers's edge. The trail went to a set of natural stairs, made from the granite found throughout the Lecarm area. The kids descended the stairs, thinking they would lead to the river, but instead, the rocks led down to a cove none of them had seen. Inside, the kids heard chanting and smelled incense, though at that age, none of them knew what this could mean. Instead of turning tail and running, the kids entered the cove, heedless of what was about to befall them.
What the kids found was something that shattered their young minds: a scene of unrepentent debauchery, a sick, evil ritual to some dark god unknown to youngster's lips. The priest, a half-orc in tattered, red robes, stood before a black, stone altar whereupon a bound, naked female half-elf was laid prostrate, strange sigils painted on her body, while the priest held a jagged dagger above her. The chanting continued, and the boys, transfixed in the presence of such a scene, could only watch, frozen in place. The chanting continued and the priest, unaware of his new audience, yelled out something to his dark god and drove the dagger into the female half-elf's chest, spraying blood and gore in the name of this nameless god.
The feeling Q'ynn experienced at that time, the first brush with death, the first touch of evil, was something he still carries with him to this day. It haunts the seemingly stoic and sometimes, even brave, former nobleman who now survives on dealing death to others. Daelrith thinks back to that scene of pure evil and wonders what he might do to stop it. Sometimes, when he dwells too much on his own current failures or near-death experiences, Q'ynn wishes he could go back to that moment, do something to stay that half-orc priest's hand, and maybe, just maybe, things would turn out differently.
Q'ynn Daelrith, bloodied, beaten, bruised, exited the field of battle, the arena that had now become his prison. It was only a trick of fate that Daelrith had survived this latest match. Of course, Q'ynn would claim that, in the former nobleman's victory, Kord, his deity and the god of competition, had shown that Daelrith was the better combatant. Still, it was close, something that reminded Daelrith of his own mortality and that, one of these days, even Kord's grace would not be enough to save him.
Daelrith, the former noble, now a slave, had always known death. It stalked him, in dreams, in waking life, in happiness and in sorrow. Everywhere could death's hand be seen. Some might assert that Daelrith was lucky to have escaped the scourge, but, in truth, Daelrith would tell you of a time when he didn't feel quite so lucky to have been confronted with the end of all things...
In his youth, in Bael Surth, Q'ynn and his family spent their summers in the pristine luxury of a small riverside fishing village, Lecarm. It was a village in population, but actually, the settlement was rich in that many wealthy and noble families from Bael Surth and elsewhere would summer there. In fact, many, including the Daelriths, owned second homes in the Lecarm area.
It was during the summer of Q'ynn's 13th year. He and his extended family went down to the river's edge, as they were wont to do on bright summer days. The locals had built several large pavilions for the visitors to use; some said they built the pavilions to keep the rich snobs from interfering in the village's fishing business. In any event, Q'ynn and his family were at the river's edge, in the pavilion area, along with many other families.
During his summers, Q'ynn and his cousins would play with other children of the wealthy and noble. One of these kids, Jorn Taal, was something of a ringleader and would often lead the other children on adventures in the woods and coves in the surrounding area. One day, Taal led the kids down to the coves, small caves situated along the riverbanks and to the north. The area was dotted with possibly hundreds of these coves. Some were great fishing spots and, most days, you could find fishermen there, or even local kids there, learning their future trade.
There were often 30 kids in Taal's entourage, and this day was no different. He led the kids into many coves that the boy claimed were haunted by the spirits of ancient mariners and river pirates. As the day went along, and the kids had been traveling from cove to cove and from one haunted forest grove to another, the group started to separate. This wasn't intentional, but Taal didn't much care for some of the other kids, including the Daelriths, and allowed them to fall behind. There were coves and areas Taal avoided and for good reason -- some of them actually were haunted or otherwise really dangerous. Of course, Taal didn't bother sharing this information with the other children.
Lost, Q'ynn and his cousins were trying to find their way back to the Daelrith pavilion. They were in the middle of the woods, but Q'ynn thought that perhaps a certain trail looked familiar. He led the cousins, who really didn't know any better, along this trail that led them down to the rivers's edge. The trail went to a set of natural stairs, made from the granite found throughout the Lecarm area. The kids descended the stairs, thinking they would lead to the river, but instead, the rocks led down to a cove none of them had seen. Inside, the kids heard chanting and smelled incense, though at that age, none of them knew what this could mean. Instead of turning tail and running, the kids entered the cove, heedless of what was about to befall them.
What the kids found was something that shattered their young minds: a scene of unrepentent debauchery, a sick, evil ritual to some dark god unknown to youngster's lips. The priest, a half-orc in tattered, red robes, stood before a black, stone altar whereupon a bound, naked female half-elf was laid prostrate, strange sigils painted on her body, while the priest held a jagged dagger above her. The chanting continued, and the boys, transfixed in the presence of such a scene, could only watch, frozen in place. The chanting continued and the priest, unaware of his new audience, yelled out something to his dark god and drove the dagger into the female half-elf's chest, spraying blood and gore in the name of this nameless god.
The feeling Q'ynn experienced at that time, the first brush with death, the first touch of evil, was something he still carries with him to this day. It haunts the seemingly stoic and sometimes, even brave, former nobleman who now survives on dealing death to others. Daelrith thinks back to that scene of pure evil and wonders what he might do to stop it. Sometimes, when he dwells too much on his own current failures or near-death experiences, Q'ynn wishes he could go back to that moment, do something to stay that half-orc priest's hand, and maybe, just maybe, things would turn out differently.
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