Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Menexenus" data-source="post: 3305789" data-attributes="member: 8951">Tarric's backstoryOne night, right after a night on patrol with the Greyhawk Militia, Tarric was feeling particularly depressed and lonely.  He really missed his parents.  So, without even taking off his armor, he immediately headed to the Diamond Lake boneyard after his shift was over.  When the green-robed acolytes of Wee-Jas saw that he was there to pay respects, they let him in, even though visitors aren't usually allowed after dark.  Tarric spent an hour or so standing over his parents' graves, mourning and talking to them.  As he left the cemetery, he felt a strong need to live a better life, a life that would have made them proud.    As Tarric passed through the center of town, heading back to the garrison, he heard some woman sobbing and screaming nearby.  Without even thinking twice, he ran towards the screams.  When he found the blind alley that the screams were coming from, he discovered four street toughs guarding its entrance.  When they saw Tarric's intention to enter the alley and investigate the cries for help, they put up their hands and one of them said, "You don't want to go back there, Hero.  Nothing to see.  Best be on your way."Tarric was in no state of mind to do the smart thing and take the easy way out of the situation.  He may have hesitated for a tenth of a second before bull-rushing past them.  At the end of the alley, he saw a middle-aged fat man with his pants around his ankles smothering a thin teenage girl whose shirt had been ripped.  With no fear and no thoughts of the likely consequences, Tarric drew his longsword and commanded, "Let the girl go."    The fat man turned around to face Tarric.  Now Tarric could clearly see that he was Balabar Smenk, the most powerful and corrupt man in town.  Tarric was relieved to see that he was in time - the girl had not yet been violated.  Despite having his pants around his ankles, Smenk was nonplussed by Tarric's commanding tone and implicit threat of force.  In fact, if anything Smenk looked shocked to be spoken to in such a manner.  He said, "What's your name, soldier?"    With the pride of a righteous man who has accepted his fate, he did not hesitate to answer, "Tarric of the Greyhawk Militia."    Smenk replied, "You realize, don't you, Tarric-of-the-Greyhawk-Militia, that you have no authority to enforce laws here in town and that your brandishing a sword at me is an act of assault?"  Without giving the strapping young man an opportunity to answer his rhetorical question, he asked another.  "Do you know who I am, son?  I am Balabar Smenk.  I could buy and sell your pathetic life in a heartbeat without thinking twice about it.  I can make your life a living hell, boy."  With one hand clasped tightly around the girl's arm and one hand pulling up on the belt of his loosened britches, he began moving toward Tarric's swordpoint menacingly.  Under any other circumstances, the sight would have been laughable, but Tarric felt no urge to laugh.  Glowering, he continued in an unconvincingly avuncular tone, "Now, I can be a forgiving man.  Maybe you walked down the wrong alley by mistake.  Maybe you wish to leave right now and forget everything you saw here.  I think that would be in your best interests, young Tarric."  After a pregnant pause, he concluded with heavy emphasis, "What do you think, Tarric of the Greyhawk Militia?"    Unshaken by his not-so-veiled threats, Tarric replied, "Take your hands off the girl, sir."  Instantly, he could see the rage boiling inside the fat man.  But after three long seconds, Smenk released the girl's arm without taking his eyes off Tarric.  Without a word, the girl ran out of the alley and into the night.  In a quiet tone that belied his angry reddened face, Smenk said, "You've made a terrible mistake here tonight, son.  One that you will regret for whatever is left of your pathetic life."    Tarric sheathed his sword, tipped his cap, and said, "Have a good evening, sir."  Then he turned his back on the man who had just threatened his life and walked out of the alley.  As he left, he happened to notice one of the guards at the entrance of the alleyway who had tried to stop him just a moment ago.  She mouthed the words "Thank you" to Tarric as he walked by.  Tarric thought it best not to reply.    The very next day, at the beginning of Tarric's shift, he was immediately called in to Captain Trask's office.  When the captain told him to shut the door behind him, Tarric knew it was going to be bad.  Trask wasn't the kind of soldier who went for much small talk.  He began, "This morning, I had the Governor-Mayor standing right where you are now tearing me a new one, reading me the riot act about jurisdiction.  Now, Tarric, you're a good soldier, but I've warned you men over and over again about not getting involved in the <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />hole Down the Hill."  (Tarric had heard Trask use this expression before.  It was his not-so-affectionate name for Diamond Lake.)  "How many times have I told you that our mission is to defend the town, not police it?"  Trask paused to give the young man a chance to respond, but Tarric was smart enough to know a rhetorical question when he heard one.  Trask continued, "The Governor-Mayor tells me that you brandished your sword at one of the mine managers.  Is that true?"    "Yessir," Tarric replied crisply, standing at attention and staring straight ahead.  Tarric knew what was coming next, but he was determined to take it like a man - like a soldier.    "Well, then, I've got no choice.  Neff has got a lot of pull in Greyhawk.  He says it's either you or me, and unfortunately he's not just blowing smoke.  He can have my a$s if he wants it bad enough.  To the Directors, I'm just an employee.  Neff is a nobleman.  I'm dirt to both of them, and I will not ruin my career in a futile attempt to salvage yours!" His voice had been rising over the course of the last few sentences so that the last word was almost a full shout.    He paused for a moment to compose himself, and then began again more quietly. "Tarric, you're a good man.  Your father was a good man.  I have no doubt that you were acting honorably in town.  But sadly, in this town, acting honorably is about the same thing as acting stupidly."  Trask paused again, but Tarric had no response to give.  The Captain continued wearily, "As much as it pains me to do so, I've got no choice but to relieve you of your rank and your duties.  You are hereby discharged from service to the Greyhawk Militia.  You need to clean out your gear by the end of the day.  Dismissed."    Without emotion Tarric replied, "Yessir" and then turned smartly on his heals to leave Trask's office.    As Tarric reached for the doorknob, the captain stopped him by saying in a much more friendly tone of voice, "Tarric, if there's ever anything I can do for you, just ask.  I owe your father at least that much.  You were a good soldier, Tarric.  Take care of yourself.  And watch out for that Smenk bastard.  From what I've heard, that fat S.O.B. thinks of revenge as a hobby and is capable of just about anything."    "I will, sir.  Thank you, sir" Tarric replied as he opened the door and stepped out of his former Captain's office for the last time.    News of Tarric's discharge gets around fast.  Tarric has always been popular among his fellow soldiers, and they insist on getting him drunk at the local militia bar called the Spinning Giant.  The gravity of what has just happened to him starts to hit, so he's not in much of a mood to refuse the offer.  After much consoling, Tarric notices a tough-looking new guy walk into the bar.  Although the bar's patrons are usually not that welcoming to civilians, this guy is clearly no civilian.  He's built like a god, wearing armor, a sword, and a large, gaudy red and blue ceremonial belt with a gold medallion in the shape of a lady's face in the front.  He walks right up next to where Tarric is sitting at the bar and orders a drink.  He downs it in one gulp, has a seat, and introduces himself.  He calls himself Auric.  The two of begin talking about the lousy days they are having.  After Tarric tells his story, Auric agrees that his day was worse.  He says he's spent the day swatting away bloodsuckers while staring at the back of a rogue who's searching for secret doors.  Tarric asks where, and then the large newcomer suddenly gets a little quieter.  Sheepishly, he responds that he probably shouldn't tell.    Auric makes himself quite a star at the Spinning Giant that evening.  He offers 10 gp to anyone who can beat him arm wrestling.  Many men try, but none win.  Later on, after he has had many more drinks, he is challenged to a game of darts which he loses decisively.  It is clear to everyone that he has had way too much to drink.  Defeated at darts, he returns to his barstool next to Tarric's.  Tarric asks him where he got the belt.  Proudly, he answers that he won this championship belt at last year's Champions Games in the Greyhawk Arena.  When Tarric seems unfamiliar, Auric explains that every year during Richfest, the Greyhawk Arena hosts a single-elimination tournament in which groups of adventurers fight each other to claim the prize.  Auric boasts that he is the leader of the group that won the contest and is currently one of the reigning Champions.  That's what gives him the right to wear the belt.  Auric explains that some groups fight for the honor, others are mercenaries fighting for greater name recognition among potential customers, and still others fight for the cash prize of 20,000 gp.  He says he fought for all three reasons.  He points out that Richfest is coming up again in about a month and a half.  He tells Tarric that he plans to go back and win the championship again this year.  Getting a little glory will be welcome after the humiliation of checking out the stupid cairn.  Then he shrugs and says, "Paying customers...  What are you gonna do?"  Tarric decides that now's the time to pump him for more information.  This time Auric has enough liquor in him that he answers every question without hesitation.  He tells his new buddy Tarric that he's here with a rogue named Tirra and a wizard named Khellek.  They are in town investigating the Stirgenest Cairn south of Diamond Lake.  Tarric informs him that the Stirgenest Cairn was cleared out a decades ago.    Slurring his speech, Auric replies, "Yeah, that's what everyone thinks.  But Khellek has heard that some adventurers recently discovered secret burial chambers full of treasure in other cairns that were thought to be previously cleaned out.  Khellek did some research, and he thinks there should be another cairn here around Diamond Lake that should also have a similar secret chamber.  And since the only cairn around these parts is the Stirgenest Cairn, we've spent the last week or so searching every inch of that place for undiscovered rooms.  So far, though, no luck.  I'm beginning to think that Khellek is just barking up the wrong tree on this one.  But, he's been right before, and I've learned that it pays to listen to him."     Soon thereafter Tarric makes his excuses and departs the Spinning Giant.  As he leaves, his former coworkers insist that he is welcome back any time, and Auric assures him that they are now lifelong friends.  However, Tarric can't help but wonder if Auric will remember him - or, more importantly, what Auric said to him - at all in the morning.    Tarric lies awake all night thinking about what Auric said.  Maybe they are searching the wrong cairn.  Maybe the Whispering Cave north of town where he and his friends used to play around is the cairn they are looking for.  At first, Tarric considers selling Auric the information (since he is clearly a wealthy man), but then he thinks that maybe he and his friends in town could explore it.  After all, those childhood friends of his were all grown up now.  They can all take care of themselves in a fight.  Why should Auric and his group get all the wealth?  Besides, Tarric's savings isn't going to last very long if he doesn't find paying work soon.    The next day Tarric goes around paying visits to all his childhood friends, discussing the opportunity with them.  Killick, who has become quite an outdoorsman says he's willing to join in.  Alexander, the apprentice of Allustan, the local sage and wizard, is also an easy sell.  Killian, the acolyte at the church of St. Cutbert, seems a bit more reluctant.  He says he'll need to ask permission of Father Jierian.  The next day, Killian returns and excitedly says he'll join the expedition, too.  But Tarric realizes that his growing party of adventurers really needs someone like Tirra in Auric's party - someone who's good at finding traps and secret doors and such.  After all, all the legends of the Cairns that Tarric has ever heard tell of fantastic deadly traps to which many an explorer has fallen prey.    The following day, Tarric is in the town square getting a bite to eat at the farmer's market when he spots one of Smenk's bodyguards.  At first Tarric worries that maybe she's following him on Smenk's orders, but after a few minutes he realizes that she hasn't even noticed him.  As he watches her, he remembers that she is the one who mouthed the words "Thank you" after he rescued the girl in the alleyway.Tarric walks up to her and starts a conversation.  She seems genuinely glad to see him.  She introduces herself as Alees and thanks him again for saving the girl in the alley.  She expresses shame that she was unable to do more herself.  She says that she now wishes she would have stood up to that depraved lout since Smenk ended up firing her anyway.  Tarric shares that he has recently been fired, too.  Tarric pauses for a moment weighing whether he should trust this young woman, but then he tells her that he has a job offer to discuss with her.  She says she's open to anything right now.  Tarric describes the conversation he had with Auric at the Spinning Giant a few nights ago as well as his suspicion that Auric and his group are exploring the wrong cairn.  Tarric confides that he has already recruited three other skilled adventurers, but they are looking for one more person with specific skill sets to join in with them.  Tarric asks if she's interested.  Alees momentarily tries to play it coy, but she quickly breaks down and seems genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity to get rich quick.  She also seems happy to have found an excuse to get out of town quickly.  She officially agrees to join the party for a full share of the treasure.  You tell her that the group is planning to begin exploring the cairn the next day. She says that's fine with her, and she'll meet you at the same spot tomorrow at dawn.    Thus, an adventure was born...</blockquote>

Verification