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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GMVictory" data-source="post: 1258556" data-attributes="member: 10877">#6  LegendThe Tale of the Bad SeedIt is the custom of halflings to give their children "child names," such as "Skipper," "Berry," and "Tiny" for example.  Sometimes these names change while still a youngster.  Upon coming of age, the parents then give the child his/her adult name.  Many halflings keep their child name as well and use it throughout their life.  But when meeting other halflings for the first time, they will introduce themselves with their adult name and will mention which they prefer.  It is considered rude to ask an adult their child name if they have not already mentioned it.However, there is a child name that will never be used.  That of the one who is now called the Bad Seed.  Sprout.Sprout was a young halfling who was quick of mind and deft of hand.  He loved his family, but yearned to leave, to travel to the city to explore and engage in the excitement to be had there.  He worked hard to help the family farm prosper, yet his heart was never there.  It was away in the city where his mind dreamed of fortune and adventure.The family could take care of itself but hard work was needed to maintain the farm.  Though no one went hungry, his family was not wealthy.  After hearing another merchant's tale of the city, he could stand it no more.  Gathering his few personal belongings, he left.Though the fall harvest was due, his father struck out to retrieve him.  He was gone for only a week.  He never spoke of what he encountered while there.  He grimly set to work, trying to bring in a harvest with one pair of hands short and a late start.  He failed.The other families helped as much as they could and the family did not starve that winter, but it was a blow that they were never able to recover from.  Stories of the runaway floated back to the village and family that he was now a common thief.  Some stories told of cold-blooded murder.  Each story that came back seemed to strike the family with more ill-fortune.The family and farm continued to decline.  After crop failures, sickness, and accident, the father was the last one left.  He wrote a last letter to his son, lay down, and died, assuredly of a broken heart and in misery.  The village priest of Yondalla took the letter to safeguard.  It contained the adult name of his son.Many years later, the runaway returned for his family.  He was tired of the ridicule his people heaped on him for not having an adult name and came back to claim it.  He returned to find his family gone and the farm overtaken by weeds and ruin of time.  None in the village would speak to him and the only one who did, told him to seek out the priest.Upon meeting the priest, he was told the sorry tale of his family and the unfortunate end they came.  The priest could see that he was unmoved and refused to give over the letter.  He told him that being burdened with his child name could be a reminder of his abandonment of his family.Smarting from the words of the priest, he left to brood at his family's farm throughout the night.  He plotted to steal the letter and, if unable, to kill the priest to get it.  That morning, he left for the village, his mind set on gaining the letter, one way or another.When he arrived at the outskirts of the village, he found it under attack from bandits.  A thief himself, he recognized the leader of the bandits whom he had some association in the past few years.  Calling upon the leader to talk with him, he revealed that this was his home village.  The leader offered to end the attack since he did not want to encroach upon another's territory.The runaway's answer damned him as the Bad Seed, "Kill the priest for me and you shall do as you wish here, for I am done with this place."  Through Yondalla's blessings, the bandits paid a price in dead men before finally laying the priest low.  The Bad Seed took the letter from the dying priest and read it.  Discarding the letter, he began his adult life as "Callas," leaving the village to the enraged bandit leader to pillage, burn, and put those he could capture to the sword.Parents will never give their children the name of "Sprout."  Children who are bad are sometimes threatened with being given the adult name of "Callas."  Thus the legend of the Bad Seed is told.  A tale of betrayal of family, of home, of our people, and of our goddess.</blockquote>

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