For convenience, and in case the original recruitment thread disappeared, here's Saxon again:
Saxon Nusmaar
Male Half-elf Druid 1
Neutral Good
[sblock=Stats]
Str 10 -- (2 pts)
Dex 12 -- (4 pts)
Con 12 -- (4 pts)
Int 14 -- (6 pts)
Wis 15 -- (8 pts)
Cha 12 -- (4 pts)
Hit Points 9 (1d8 + 1)
AC 15, Touch 11 Flat 14 (+2 armor, +2 shield, +1 Dex)
Init +1 (+1 Dex)
BAB +0, Grap +0 (+0 bab, +0 Str)
Speed 20' (base 30, load 51/66 - medium encumberence, light armour)
Fort +3 (+2.5 class, +1 Con), Ref +1 (+0.3 class, +1 Dex), Will +4 (+2.5 class, +2 Wis)
+0 Melee, scimitar, 1d6, 18-20/x2
Medium, 5'6", 136 lbs., 33 yrs old
dull brown hair, tired blue-grey eyes, slight tan
Speaks (and writes) common, elven, druidic, sylvan, terran
+5 Concentration (4 ranks + 1 con)
+5 Diplomacy (2 ranks + 2 racial + 1 cha)
+3 Gather Information (0 ranks + 2 racial + 1 cha)
+3 Handle Animal (2 ranks + 1 cha)
+6 Heal (4 ranks + 2 wis)
+8 Knowledge (nature) (4 ranks + 2 class + 2 int)
+3 Listen (0 ranks + 1 racial + 2 wis)
+6 Spellcraft (4 ranks + 2 int)
+3 Search (0 ranks + 1 racial + 2 int)
+3 Spot (0 ranks + 1 racial + 2 wis)
+8 Survival (4 ranks + 2 class + 2 wis)
Feats
-track
Half-elf Traits
- Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
- +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
- Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf.
Classname Abilities
Animal Companion - refer below
Nature Sense - A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Wild Empathy - d20 + druid level + charisma bonus, functions as per diplomacy to affect the attitude of animals. (+2)
Spells per day
0th- 3
1st- 1 (+1 wis)
Spells Prepared (CL 1, dispel +1, spell pen +1, +0 melee touch, +1 ranged touch)
0th- detect magic, light, read magic
1st- cure lgt wounds, magic fang
Animal Companion
[sblock=Mzarem]
Male Wolf (riding dog) animal
N
Str 15
Dex 15
Con 15
Int 2
Wis 12
Cha 6
Hit Points 14 (2d8 + 4)
AC 16, Touch 12 Flat 14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural)
Init + (+2 Dex)
BAB +1, Grap +3
Speed 40 (base 40, load 0/100)
Fort +5 (+3 class, +2 Con), Ref +5 (+3 class, +2 Dex), Will +1 (+0.6 class, +1 Wis)
+3 Melee, bite, 1d6+3, 20/x2
Medium
dirty white fur, red eyes
+10 Jump (acp, 0 ranks + 4 racial + 4 speed + 2 str)
+5 Listen (2 ranks + 2 feat + 1 wis)
+5 Spot (2 ranks + 2 feat + 1 wis)
+3 Swim (acp, 1 rank + 2 str)
+1 Survival (0 ranks + 1 wis)
Feats
- alertness
- track
Racename Traits
- Low-light vision
- Scent
- Can trip as a wolf can (A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf.).
- +4 racial bonus to Jump checks.
- +4 to Survival checks when tracking by scent. [/sblock]
Equipment:
leather armour (worn, 15lb) 10gp
explorer's outfit (worn, 8lb) 10gp
scimitar (belt left, 4lb) 15gp
component pouch (belt, right) 1gp
backpack (center back, 2lb) 2gp
bedroll (below backpack, 5lb) 1sp
large wooden shield (left shoulder, 10lb) 7gp
waterskin- water (backpack, 4lb) 1gp
3 days' rations (backpack, 3lb) 1gp 5sp
flint & steel (pocket) 1gp
coins- 2gp, 4sp, 0cp (pocket)
holly & mistletoe (pocket)
spell components (pockets & pouch)[/sblock]
[sblock=Background (Pandora's sblock, large word count, open at your own peril. You have been warned.)]
Saxon's story begins with his parents' story, Julian Nusmaar and Joscelyn Ittrik. The Ittriks were a family of elves, in good regard in the Free City as impeccable scholars and wizards. The Nusmaars were human, boasting a long line of paladins in the service of Heironeous and the protection of the Free City. The two families carried strong ties from the many favours each had done the other, overcoming the racial barrier that may have divided them. When Taurreyl Nusmaar and his wife, Samantha, had their first child Julian they had very little time to devote to him, much to their dismay. It was a time of unrest in the Free City during much of Julian's childhood, and both Taurreyl and Samantha held positions of great responsibility within enforcing the peace, made even more time consuming while dealing with current threats.
Fortunately the Ittriks did their friends another good turn and offered for their youngest daughter, Joscelyn, to baby-sit little Julian. It was no trouble for Joscelyn, she had plenty of time as her weak constitution prevented her from taking on regular employment, and Julian was a surprisingly well-behaved and good natured child. In fact, she enjoyed looking after little Julian, and Julian was delighted to spend time with her. The bond provided another strong link between the families. By the time the unrest within the city came to pass, having Joscelyn mind Julian became a regular occurrence when Taurreyl and Samantha had to attend their duties.
Joscelyn was surprised at how quickly humans grow up. Before she knew it Julian was too old by human standards to need a babysitter anymore, and he had begun training to become a paladin. Despite no longer needing a sitter, the two spent a lot of time together as friends. But as Julian became a handsome young man Joscelyn started looking at him in a somewhat different light than before, and it seemed Julian saw her differently too. They were both young adults in terms of age, and a desire for a romantic relationship became evident. There was a catch however; neither families would have disagreed with an inter-racial marriage, in fact it would have been smiled upon as a strengthening of ties, but Joscelyn was already promised to an elven gentleman who had been courting her for a decade and was on the verge of asking her to marry him.
Joscelyn struggled with the decision for a time, until Julian made the decision for her and whisked her away from the Free City and the dramas within. They traveled from place to place to avoid being tracked down, but relied too much on the coin they had brought with them. After a time they were in need of money, but to their good fortune they were reminded of the prosperity of the Diamond Lake mines. Many people would be drawn to the possibility of generous wages for simple labour, but Julian and Joscelyn were somewhat smarter, expecting the mines to be run by greed. Joscelyn had tended a garden of her own back in the Free City, she had a deep love for nature and was very well read on it. Julian came from a line of warriors, and though labour didn't come easily to him he was certainly built to withstand it. With their strengths in mind they bought a well-positioned farm for cheap off a man desperate to sell, and their combined efforts resulted in them creating a successful farm a short distance from Diamond Lake. Any attempts to buy the farm off them by greedy merchants within the city were met by gruff and intimidating refusals from the statuesque Julian.
When Joscelyn became pregnant she and Julian were overjoyed. Julian had to do a little more around the house but it was a negligible burden considering the circumstances. Joscelyn's poor constitution placed her and the child in jeopardy however, and Julian had to remember what little medical training he was given to help her through. There were complications during the birth, but Joscelyn clung to life ferociously, and both her and their firstborn survived. Joscelyn's life was threatened once more while she was weak and recovering from childbirth, but this too she overcame with sheer willpower rather than her meager vitality. They named their son Saxon, after Julian's great uncle, and tried to raise him as best they could with what little money they had.
Saxon's childhood was an enjoyable one, and after a few more years they were blessed with another addition to the family. Saxon had a little sister, named Aya after Joscelyn's mother. Though the children’s lives lacked the luxuries their parents had once upon a time, it was rich in the wealth of their parents' knowledge and wisdom which they eagerly shared with their young ones. The bond between the siblings was strong, and while they both had qualities inherited from either parent it seemed Saxon was more from Joscelyn's side and Aya from Julius'.
Unsurprisingly their interests also went in those directions. Saxon developed a thirst for knowledge, anything would suffice but he was fascinated primarily by magic, of which Joscelyn had much knowledge and even some meager ability. It was always easy to lift his spirits with some dancing lights or another simple arcane trick. Aya on the other hand was stricken with the urge to "beat up all the mean people, because they won't learn to be nice any other way", and consistently nagged Julius to take his sword out of storage and show her how to use it. Joscelyn taught the children to read, write and speak multiple languages. In her many talents, compensating for her poor health, she was also a gifted linguist.
On occasion the children would go with their father into Diamond Lake when he was going to sell produce to the local merchants. It was on one of these trips that Julian bought a birthday present for Aya that he and Joscelyn had been saving for. It was a small knife of appreciable quality, good for utility purposes and wilderness survival. Aya was ecstatic, instantly putting the knife to use in trying to whittle some simple shapes and hone her skills. Throughout the day while Julius was dealing with various grocers, Aya and Saxon were outside putting her knife to the test on discarded pieces of wood. Lucky for Aya she found a particularly easy to carve chunk of wood and became engrossed in carving it into a desired shape.
What she failed to notice while standing in front of the store was a cart bearing down on her, with a driver whose attention was on an attractive pedestrian rather than the road. Saxon was quick to act, being instinctively protective of his little sister, and tackled her out of the cart's path at the last moment. There was a crunching noise as the cart ran over Aya's partially hacked at piece of wood, which jolted the driver back to reality, he failed to notice anything else out of the ordinary however and kept on towards his destination slightly disgruntled. Saxon sat himself up to make sure Aya was okay, but was alarmed to see blood on her clothes. He panicked, looking for her injury, but realized her attention was focused on him. He paused for a moment, clicking to the fact that something wasn't right with himself, and looked quizzically down at Aya's knife. It was embedded deeply in his shoulder. As the situation in its entirety suddenly made itself clear to Aya she started screaming, and Saxon passed out from blood loss.
Saxon's recovery was tedious, and he was restless and agitated while unable to do anything. Aya was at odds with herself trying to show her gratitude and make amends for what had happened, and despite Saxon's constant assurances that he was just happy she was alright she was insistent on making it up to him. The knife had left a nasty scar, and Saxon’s left shoulder was never quite the same after the incident. Aya had made some progress in her whittling, and decided she would carve a gift for him. When Saxon was up and about again, but still a way off from using his left arm again, Aya presented him with small wooden owl on a leather string. Saxon was impressed by the effort and accepted it, but was curious as to the origin of the small, dark stains that marked it in places. It didn't take long for him to notice they were blood stains from the multitude of cuts and lacerations on his little sister's hands which she had inflicted upon herself accidentally while making the gift. He treasured it all the more after that.
Joscelyn’s love of nature was reflected in Saxon, and as he reached his teenage years he would wander the wilderness around the farm on a regular basis, venturing further and longer each time. He found interacting with animals to be second nature, and befriended many creatures in the surrounding area. Aya regularly accompanied him on his wanderings, and was amazed by the way most animals reacted to him. One particularly notable achievement was Saxon’s befriending of a female wolf. She was trying to support her young pups but her mate was recently killed during squabbles over pack leadership, leaving her to fend for the children herself. Saxon helped as best he could, in a way becoming a male role model for the young wolves and trying to imprint upon them the behaviours they would later need for survival.
During this period of time Saxon made a new friend; the runt of the litter, an albino whom Saxon had made an extra effort to ensure the survival of. Saxon called him Mzarem, after one of the heroes in the stories Julius told him. With a little support the runt in fact grew to be more imposing than any of his siblings, although all the time Mzarem spent around Saxon caused him to miss out on a few skills he should have picked up from his mother.
As Saxon got into the habit of appearing at home with a growing wolf pup in tow Joscelyn started to get an idea. Julius would not have been terribly enthused by the idea but Joscelyn thought that Saxon would feel right at home among the priesthood of Obad-Hai. The humble study of nature and magic would be a satisfying lifestyle for him. This thought was put aside when Joscelyn found she was with child again. Saxon’s future was still a little while away, so she could discuss her thoughts with him then.
Soon word spread of the Red Death, and Julius thought it in the family’s best interests to not go into Diamond Lake for a while after he sold one last cart of produce and picked up some supplies to last until the epidemic was over. He was hesitant to bring the children but he had made a promise to take them into the city recently and this was his last chance to keep his word. He decided to steer clear of the more populace parts of town just to be sure. While in town Aya discovered an old drunkard being pushed around by a rowdy bunch of young thugs. With Saxon and Mzarem’s help (mostly Mzarem’s) she succeeded in scaring them off, but unwittingly caught the Red Death from the old man she sought to help. She didn’t start feeling well until she got back home, and thinking the bumpy cart ride may have made her a little unwell she went to bed early. By morning the situation was clear, and matters had gotten worse as Saxon and Joscelyn had caught the dread illness overnight. Julius was as hardy as people come, and despite the presence of three infected people he never seemed to be affected. He couldn’t help but wonder whether it was a residual effect from his more pious times.
He did what little he could with his mundane healing methods, but was sorely aware of how much the blessings of a paladin would help his family had he actually stuck to his training. Saxon started to show signs of recovery not long after being infected, while Aya’s condition was stable. She wasn’t getting worse, but she wasn’t getting any better. Joscelyn’s condition worsened rapidly and she became delirious as the Red Death easily defeated her feeble immune systems and started affecting her mind. Recovering through willpower simply wasn’t an option anymore, and Julius was really starting to panic as all his attempts to help her and the unborn child were failing. The thing she treasured most, her mind, was under attack and Julius felt powerless to save her. He started hating himself for running from the path of the paladin. Had he been more patient and finished his training he could have used Heironeous’ blessings to easily save his family.
Joscelyn and the child died soon after the Red Death started affecting Joscelyn’s thoughts. This was a savage blow to the family’s morale, and while Saxon’s recovery came to a screeching halt Aya’s condition worsened dramatically. Saxon tried hard to keep his spirits up and recover, so as to provide inspiration for the little sister who was wasting away not far from him. Aya was too far gone though, and despite Saxon managing to finally become free of the Red Death she died not long after. In a couple of weeks the Red Death had taken what was most valuable to Julius and Saxon. Julius, despite not being the holy warrior he once was, still carried a sense of chivalry about him and thusly felt duty-bound to protect women. This he had instilled in Saxon somewhat, and for them to have to watch powerlessly as the women of their family died hurt on more than one level. They had a great feeling of loss, losing half of such a closely knit family, and a great feeling of weakness, being unable to help Joscelyn and Aya as they felt they should have.
For a time a listlessness descended upon the Nusmaar home, as Saxon and Julius tried to cope with the shame and loss. Mzarem returned having sensed the stench of death disappear from Saxon’s home, and the three of them (even Mzarem) seemed to become trapped in a state of numb mourning. It had remained like that for another couple of weeks before something happened. A human druid who had been wandering the wilderness around Diamond Lake arrived at their farm. Her name was Silnir. She had been investigating the effect of the Red Death on the local wildlife and had been asking the (notably few) local farmers of their observations. Naturally she was directed to the Nusmaar’s property, the only decently successful farm in the area. When she encountered Julius and Saxon she realized they wouldn’t be much help for her investigation, but felt compelled to get them out of their rut and back on their feet. When she wasn’t conducting her investigation she was spending time helping Julius and Saxon.
After some time she was able to rouse them from their stupor. Saxon had found her to be inspiring and Julius was humbled by her willingness to help strangers. They both saw some of Joscelyn in Silnir: a keen intellect, a deep intimacy with nature and a warm, unconditional kindness. Saxon found it comforting and inspiring, as Silnir was in touch with the world around her in a way that Saxon wanted to be, and he strove to be like her. Julius on the other hand struggled against being attracted to Silnir, who was so much like Joscelyn that she could fill the gap his wife left behind.
There was one curious element to Silnir that puzzled Julius, but Saxon was confident in his own little theory. She was a slight shade of green. Saxon’s hypothesis was that she was so in tune with nature that she had perhaps taken on a couple of plant-like qualities. The truth of the matter was much more mundane. There was a small amount of orc blood in her family from a few generations back, and it had manifested itself in her through a small difference in pigmentation. Saxon was slightly disappointed that he was wrong, but he still thought Silnir was very much in tune with nature.
When Silnir accepted Saxon as her apprentice her brother made his first appearance. Horlaen was a rather gruff ranger with some strong views on farmers and how they tore up the earth and sapped it nutrients to grow plants which may not even be native to the area in the first place. Silnir however reassured Julius and Saxon that Horlaen wasn’t a bad person, just a little zealous. Horlaen vented at his older sister about being worried about where she was, and spending so much time looking for her when he got tired of all the waiting and worrying. After his spiel he gave Julius and Saxon a piece of his mind and disappeared again.
Horlaen visited occasionally while Silnir taught Saxon about the druidic ways. During this time Julius started thinking. Saxon was just about all grown up, and he was certainly capable of looking after himself, especially with Silnir to look out for him. Julius himself felt he needed to get away for a while, clear his head. He was confused as to how he felt about Silnir, he was attracted to her but was under the impression he only wanted her to fill the space Joscelyn left behind. He took his sword and armour out of retirement and got Silnir to convince her brother to help him get back the sword skills he had lost during the many peaceful years spent farming. Julius had decided that if he was going to travel he might as well do some good deeds and try to find some treasure while he’s at it. If he was lucky he’d be able to return home with something to show for the time he was going to spend away.
And so Julius left. He wasn’t specific as to where he was going, only that he sought some adventure. He likely didn’t know himself where he was going, not being quite sure where sword arms were in demand as of late. He never returned though, much to Saxon’s dismay, who has been hoping for his father’s return right up until the present. Silnir also seemed saddened by Julius’ departure, and Saxon noticed in hindsight all the little clues that Silnir was attracted to Julius. He wondered if Julius noticed them as well now that he had gotten away from Diamond Lake.
Saxon’s training was completed quickly. Much to her pleasure Silnir found the druidic ways came to Saxon exceptionally easily, and she couldn’t have been happier with her pupil. As a kind of informal graduation the local druids and rangers gathered at the menhirs near town to induct their new colleague. The most elder of the druids at the time, and therefore the most influential in most matters, was a halfling of indeterminate age (like all powerful druids). He was a highly skilled tattoo artist and offered to commemorate the occasion by giving Saxon a tattoo or two. Naturally such an offer wasn’t turned away but Saxon got far more than he bargained for. The elder was eager break out the inks once more and three large tattoos were done within a very short span of time. The process was obviously very painful given the short period, but Saxon gritted his teeth did his utmost to minimise complaints.
Aside from the occasional meeting at the menhirs called to address important events, Saxon found Silnir and himself to be quite distant from the others. Silnir wasn’t always so detached from the pack as it were, only becoming so after she had begun associating with Julius and Saxon. It turned out to be just another irritation for her brother to rant about. After Saxon’s becoming a druid a series of events took place that tore a clear rift down the centre of what was thought to be a casual association of local rangers and druids. Saxon was surprised by it but didn’t seem overly concerned since he associated with them very little. Horlaen though, with his tendency to have strong opinions, was quick to choose a side and throw in.
Silnir found herself struggling against being drawn in after not too long. Her brother had started pressuring her to join his side, likely out of concern that she favoured the other. She found that the issue being argued over was how the rangers and druids should react to the farmers who insisted on trying to succeed despite the poor soil. It’s not as though the farmers’ consistent failures helped either the population of Diamond Lake or the land that was being ploughed up for vegetables and grain that never grew anyway. When Saxon, a son of one of the very few families to get by through farming, became a druid the issue was brought to the forefront of his colleagues’ minds. This caused a rift in opinion and unrest within the nature dwellers that would continue for some years without a decisive incident.
One random day a distinguished old man showed up on Saxon’s doorstep. The man appeared disappointed when he didn’t recognise either Saxon or Silnir, and enquired as to whether a human and elf couple used to live there. Saxon explained that he was their son, to which the old man responded he was therefore Saxon’s grandfather (from the human side of course). Taurreyl was heartbroken to learn of the fate of his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and wished he could have met Aya while she was alive. He was glad to hear Julius was alive, despite the fact it would be incredibly hard to find him. Taurreyl came across as an even more concentrated dose of Julian, which was understandable as the man had been a paladin all his life and still was.
Taurreyl spent some time with Silnir and Saxon, and made regular trips into Diamond Lake to preach the good will of Heironeous at the populace. There were ways in which Saxon and Taurreyl grated against each other, but there were other ways in which they got along very well. Spending time with Taurreyl gave Saxon an insight into why his father was how he was. Taurreyl eventually explained that after Julius left he and his wife wanted to look for him but their commitments prevented them doing so. When Julius’ mother died in a horse riding accident Taurreyl put aside finding his son for the time being, and continued to put it off until not long ago. He was never able to remarry. He determined that he was going to compare every woman who had potential to his former wife, and that inevitably whoever he would marry would feel as though they had to compete with Taurreyl’s memories of Samantha if they wanted his love. He could never do that to a woman, and decided to remain a widower. He went in search of his son and daughter-in-law, hoping to spend his retirement years in their company. Finding his grandson, he decided to wait there until his son returned from his adventuring.
It was not long later that a travelling band of gypsies were taking nest on the edge of Diamond Lake. When one moved in circles with rangers and druids this kind of news didn’t take long to find ears. The gypsies were not unwelcome, as far as Saxon’s people were concerned anyway. There was an understanding between the gypsies and nature dwellers, and they coexisted well while the gypsies made their homes nearby. It was when Saxon went into town to collect his grandfather, who was doing his usual routine of helping those in need and preaching at them at the same time, that he met one of the gypsies. She was a half-elf like him, with long dark hair, deep brown eyes and an olive complexion. She hurried by him, urgently going somewhere, but flashed him a mischievous grin as she went. Saxon found himself smiling for the rest of the day.
Oddly enough fate had them cross paths increasingly often, and when finally Saxon had the courage to ask he decided he had to know her name. She introduced herself as Mirella. She was initially cautious of Saxon but her disposition improved somewhat when it came to her attention that he was a druid and therefore more likely to be accepting of her than most locals. The two got along well, and started spending a lot of time together. Silnir gained a knowing smile whenever the pair was nearby. Taurreyl on the other hand wore a worried frown. Taurreyl, as a paladin and keeper of law and order, had never been on good terms with any gypsies he encountered, likely because of his initial disposition towards them. That couldn’t have been helped however after the many years of training and opinions worked into him. As an old man he wasn’t about to change, but he knew better than to challenge his grandson who he realised was a different person from himself and resolute in his own beliefs.
The previous season had been a good one for the farmers of Diamond Lake, and crops did surprisingly well for just about anyone with a farm. So well in fact, that some miners wanted to try their hand at farming seeing as farms were starting to look as though they could become successful. They wouldn’t, they never were and never would be. Anyone with a connection to the land around Diamond Lake knew that, including Saxon and Silnir as they witnessed the minor and inevitably temporary shift to farming. This would bring the tension within the nature dwellers to boiling point, and it wouldn’t be long before a spark hit the try tinder. Saxon hoped the miners would realise the futility of their attempts before the anti-farming nature dwellers decided to take action.
In other matters, it was drawing close to the time when the gypsies would move on to their next destination. Saxon wracked his brain for a way to convince Mirella to stay, but nothing came to mind. His attempts thus far had all resulted in failure, so he was close to the decision of simply waiting till the gypsies returned. He didn’t need to though as Mirella was accused of theft by one of Belabar Smenk’s sons. It was a serious accusation, and Belabar’s son claimed Mirella had taken something of great value, she on the other hand claimed to have never done such a thing, explaining to Saxon that she had turn down the son’s proposition and he had been offended by it. Saxon had faith in Mirella, and tried to help her, but he couldn’t do much against Smenk while the nature dwellers were divided and snarling at one another.
Mirella was caught before she could leave with the rest of the gypsies, and handed over to the Smenk estate when Belabar suggested she worked off her debt to the family as an indentured servant rather than locking her up. This may have sounded like a merciful alternative but it put Mirella at the mercy of Belabar Jr’s whims and fancies. Silnir, Taurreyl and Saxon all put their minds to determining a way out for Mirella. In the time he had spent in Diamond Lake Taurreyl had made some useful contacts through his charity work so he went into town to see if they had any ideas, likewise Silnir went to see if any of the nature dwellers she felt sympathetic towards in the farmer debate could lend her any advice or assistance.
Oddly enough, neither returned when they said they would, which puzzled Saxon to no end, so he had to do some legwork himself as much as he was loathe to interact much with people. He learned a few things, most notably what Mirella owed the Smenks. It was a lot, more than what the farm was worth even, or was it? Using the recent boom in farming Saxon could inflate the property’s value unrealistically and possibly convince the Smenks that it was worth what they wanted. Saxon’s plan worked, Belabar’s knowledge was primarily in mining meaning he had little idea of the truth behind the brief farming boom and gladly traded the farm for Mirella. Without Saxon or Silnir minding the small farm’s soil it would be no different from the other infertile patches of dirt within a year, but Smenk didn’t know that and Mirella was free. Mirella didn’t ask how, she just kissed Saxon and left Diamond Lake. With all the effort he had placed into helping her he had forgotten he still hadn’t convinced her to stay, so she had left in pursuit of her family and friends. Saxon was crushed, and returned to the farm to inform Taurreyl and Silnir they all had to find somewhere else to stay.
Much to Saxon’s surprise, neither Taurreyl nor Silnir had returned yet. He was beginning to worry, they had been gone far too long. Saxon sought out Silnir’s brother, as he seemed to keep a close eye on his sister’s whereabouts. He didn’t get what he bargained for however when he sought out Horlaen. He was standing in front of an unmarked grave, apparently made very recently. Saxon asked what happened and Horlaen explained he got into a heated argument with his pro-farmer sister. Horlaen had drawn his weapons in rage when Silnir refused to side with him in his childish argument. The next thing he knew, Silnir was dead. Saxon’s eyes were suddenly empty, and he can’t remember ever punching anyone as hard as he punched Horlaen at that moment. Horlaen was knocked onto his ass by the blow, but didn’t retaliate, likely feeling as though he deserved worse.
Saxon hurried into Diamond Lake, fearing the worst after his encounter with Horlaen. It took Saxon half a day but he located his grandfather. Again he was too late. Taurreyl had been knifed in the back and stripped of everything of value before being stuffed into a back alley and left to rot. Saxon didn’t have any clue as to who would have done this. It didn’t seem personal, it appeared a lucky thug had caught an old man with some nice things off-guard. Fate had delivered Saxon a swift, sharp kick to the nether regions. A reminder that no good deed goes unpunished. At the end of the day Saxon had nothing and noone left except for Mzarem and the meagre possessions he made use of as a druid. Silnir and Taurreyl died trying to help him rescue a woman who in the end wasn’t compelled to stay with him anyway. Saxon had had enough of Diamond Lake, and he was ready to leave. Looking for his father sounded like a good idea, he was going to do that, right after he felt as though his business in Diamond Lake was complete.[/sblock]
[sblock=Personality]
Saxon is easiest described as a kind pessimist. Various experiences from living in and around Diamond Lake have left him with an understandably sour view of most things, especially Diamond Lake, which he is anxious to get away from but is always finding more things to do before he leaves. Nonetheless, those whom he knew have imprinted upon him a desire to do good no matter how bleak the world around him may feel, and he consistently does so albeit grudgingly.
Oddly enough, despite his pessimism, he's a likable and even slightly attractive bloke. It would seem he inherited a small portion of his father's charisma in addition to a fair portion of his mother's intellect. Saxon has no trouble quietly conversing with animals, but is usually more reserved around people. When he is coaxed into speaking at length with people however, a little of his father's and grandfather's diplomatic skills shine through.
He may not look it with his slightly unkempt appearance (which despite efforts can't seem to go away) but he is actually a fairly organized person, a trait which he picked up off his grandfather. He makes a habit of categorizing his spell components and storing them in specific pockets on the inside of his coat to make them easier to access when he needs them.[/sblock]
[sblock=Appearance]
Saxon's hair is long, thick and dull brown. He usually keeps it tied behind his head though a small multitude of strands usually escape and fall across his stubbled face. His eyes are a greyish blue and carry a tired look from his experiences. His elven heritage is most prominent in his ears and height, with little influence aside from that. His leather armour is light grey in colour and fairly nondescript, over the top of it is worn a thick, woolen, ankle-length coat which is loose so as not to hinder mobility. The coat has a number of buttoned pockets on the inside, which he keeps money, components and various things in. Spell components are categorically distributed among the pockets and the component pouch on his belt. His scimitar is worn on his belt with a few other miscellaneous items which he uses in everyday functions, and he keeps his shield slung over his left shoulder. Around his neck is a curious little item; a wooden owl of basic craftsmanship on a thin leather cord. A sentimental item which coaxes him on when he needs it. Though Saxon tries to maintain a good level of personal hygiene, he always seems to carry a feint scent of pine trees and constantly appears as though he just emerged from the wilderness.
Between Saxon's collar bone and shoulder joint is a scar about three inches long, but its generally kept out of sight. He also carries a few tattoos, one which takes up most of his back and one on each arm, halfway between the elbow and the shoulder. The one on his back depicts a tangle of vines, growing from the base of his back up, these vines are dark green, extremely thorny and savage looking at the base but become lighter and less threatening in appearance as they progress eventually ending in red rose buds, except for one blue rosebud on the back of his neck. The tattoos on his arms are intricate Celtic-like patterns which coil around his arm for a number of inches; they resemble a complex arrangement of thorns.
Mzarem is a male albino wolf, a dirty white in colour, and fairly sizable among his species. He is missing a couple of small patches of fur here and there, and carries a lot of scars, but otherwise he's very friendly with Saxon. Mzarem has a certain gleam in his eye, like that of a seasoned warrior, and is known to unnerve people he's with by looking at them as though he were sizing them up for a fight. His impressive size, red eyes and white coat often have people mistaking him for a winter wolf. While those who have actually seen a winter wolf before wouldn't make the mistake, he's close enough for those with an ear for stories and a tendency for alarm. Despite the trouble this brings Saxon he finds Mzarem's company to be worth the trouble.
A picture of Saxon and Mzarem during happier times:
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