Alaric Darkwarden Backstory
My name is Alaric Darkwarden, I've been asked to start these memoirs for the lorekeepers. I was the second born child of Ciaran and Catrìona Darkwarden, younger brother to Mòrag. As I got older, both my parents would regale me with the stories of my clans, the Darkwardens and the Mithrilwrights. The Mithrilwrights being known for their skill at crafting mithril, most notably the blackened mithril armor worn by the Black Shield. M'ma didn't even know what forged mithril looked like until her brother joined the Black Shield. The Darkwardens are one of the founding clans of the Black Shield, though none of da's branch of the clan have joined in nearly a thousand years. When they fought, both my parents liked to drag out those facts against each other, but they never stayed angry for long. With the tales of how great our clan was I wondered why we were only miners and eventually I found out when I was running a crate of ore up to the foundries where one of my m'ma's cousins, an actual smith, was working. Both my parents are such distant and lowly cousins in their respective clans that using either of them in an arranged marriage would be a political slap in the face, and as such were allowed to marry who they chose.
Mòrag and my m'ma are much alike. Very proud and driven, and both slow to budge once they've made up their mind. This often caused many, many fights between the two, especially as Mòrag approached adulthood. She hated the thought of working in the mines, she felt she was destined for greater things and m'ma was just holding her back. They pulled her, and later me, from school once we had learned our letters, numbers, and history. There was no need for either of us to do any of that advanced learning and vocational testing, we were miners. Not quite ready for work in the mine yet though, they had her mostly keeping house or working with the kitchens, helping to feed the miners on their meal breaks. The night they told me I wasn't going back to school Mòrag knew they were going to try and make her go into the mines with them and wield a pick. She lost it. Never had I seen her so angry, she screamed and threw curses I had only heard out of back alleys. My m'ma, no slouch in the anger department herself met her head on. The cacophony of their shouting and screaming reached a level that the entire neighborhood could hear it and some began peering in our windows, and the vile language spilling from their mouths was such that I feared they would soon be spitting acid at each other.
Then it happened.
Mòrag's eyes suddenly began to light up, fire flickering in her irises. Her hair took on the hues of embers and began waving about like errand flames. Her clothing started smoldering and catching fire. She pointed an indignant finger at m'ma and her voice had echoes of the forge fires, "YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ME INTO THOSE MINES!", and a bolt of fire leapt from her finger and raced towards m'ma. Da pulled m'ma aside right bore the bolt would have hit her, and it smashed against the far wall. The house fell silent, the neighbors at the windows disappeared. Everyone was stunned, staring at Mòrag as the fire within her continued to grow. Her eyes now full of shock and wonder, quickly turning to panic as she couldn't control the flames. Suddenly with a soft implosion of air, the fires around her snuffed out, and a pair of Runethanes appeared in our home. One of them muttering something while holding a runestone out towards Mòrag, the other said in a gentle, but firm voice, "If you would please come with us child, we have things to discuss with you." And they escorted her out of our home and to the lifts. She never did come back home, although she writes on occasion. Apparently she was right, she was destined for something greater than being a simple miner.
Life returned to normal after that, except now I was working in the mine. Running messages, bringing water buckets around, steering carts from the depths, running crates to the smiths. No one mentioned Mòrag, the blast mark on the wall had disappeared overnight, although you would still see where the rock had melted. One day I was working with a group in one of the deeper shafts, they had found traces of mithril earlier in the week and were wanting to find the vein. They had three of us youngsters with them, for fetching food and water and running messages. I was coming back with a small cask of water, a few joints of meat, and a couple loaves of bread, about ten minutes away from the worksite still, when I passed the young girl who was the message runner, "They broke into a cavern! I'm off to get the overseer and the Black Shield!". No one really knew why we were to fetch the Black Shield if we broke into caverns or tunnels, but it was a tradition no one ignored. I was excited, and started running back. As I drew closer I heard shouts of terror and other sounds I could not place. I ran faster, my heart racing, they were in danger! By the time I got to the worksite it was almost empty, I could see none of the miners, and only the large black break in the wall where they had broken through. Suddenly the other youngster popped out from his hiding place in an ore crate. "It was awful! They suddenly burst through the breach and grabbed up the miners. I hid before they could see me, but their stench almost made to gag. I don't know how many there were but they grabbed up everyone!" He was babbling by this point, so I gave him one of the meat joints I was carrying and told him to stay here, and tell the Black Shield what had happen. And to get himself together. I knew from Uncle Thakal's stories that the miners had most likely been taken by troglodytes, but I didn't really know much about them, only that they ate everything they could. Not knowing if it would help or not, I washed the smell of meat off of me, grabbed a flint and steel, one of the loaves of bread, and a pickaxe. I soaked the bread in lamp oil, then steeling myself against the darkness, I entered the breach.
Once through the breach I tore off the first hunk of oil soaked bread, dropping it on the ground with a soft splat, hoping the lamp oil would keep any scavengers from eating the bread before I could find my way back, or the Black Shields could come find our fates. In the darkness I tried to focus on any sounds or smells that I could use to navigate. I heard a faint echo of claws on stone and an awful stench directed me towards where I hoped the troglodytes had taken the miners. I started alternating squeezing a bit of oil out of the bread, then dropping it shot distance later. Hoping that at least one of the signs I was leaving would help. Moving quietly as I was able I crept along the tunnels, pausing occasionally to get my bearings. It wasn't difficult, really, the troglodytes weren't trying to hide, who would be foolish enough to try and follow them. After a while I came upon their camp, where the ones who had taken the miners were excitedly chattering at the others, pointing back in the direction of the cavern. I could not understand their awful speech, but their intent was clear. There was a way to get more dwarves to feast upon. I spotted the miners tossed to the side of the camp, secured with rope bindings of some sort, a lone guard nearby. Not really paying attention. Scattered around the perimeter of the camp, the troglodytes had strewn shattered bones from their previous meals, and after some quiet, quick searching, I found one I hoped was sharp enough to cut the bonds on the miners. Moving slowly and with as much stealth as possible, I crept towards the captured miners, signaling to the ones that were conscious to remain quiet, and started cutting their ropes with my makeshift knife. Several nerve wracking minutes later, I was able to free the last miner. I quietly told them which direction to head, and to look for the bread and oil marks, while I would create a distraction for them to get away.
Without waiting for a response, I began moving towards the far side of the camp, looking for anything I could use to help me. They had a few huts, if you could call them that, made of fire beetle shells and more of that ropelike plant, and other various castoffs from their meals. Finding the largest of these huts, I began squeezing the last of the lamp oil out of the bread onto the bindings of the hut, hoping it would be enough to do what I needed it to do. I quietly pulled out the flint and steel and tried to make a spark, the clack and scrape ringing in my ears. I froze, glancing to the center of the camp where the tribe was still chattering excitedly. Fortune had smiled upon me, and they had heard nothing. I quickly returned my attention to the sparks that had flow off the steel, most of them had died. I blew on them frantically, encouraging them to live and grow. The ancestors were smiling upon me that day, and the bindings began to smolder. I encouraged the burgeoning ember until it caught flame. I tore off a piece of my shirt, with the bone shard, cursing myself for not thinking to make a torch earlier, and hurriedly transferred the flame to the cloth, then moved over to the next set of bindings. They caught faster than the first, having an actual flame to feed them this time. It was then my luck took a turn, the one guarding the miners had noticed me at last. He called out to the others, and started running at me. The rest of the troglodytes saw me them and I knew it was time to flee. With their cries at my heels I took off further into the dark passages, pausing only long enough to watch the miners begin creeping away.
I don't know how long I ran for, my sense of direction was all but gone. I remember running, and hiding, a river, another cavern, strange glowing eyes in the distance, an underground lake. The troglodytes had long given up the chase, but I was lost in the Underdark. I quickly learned which mushrooms were edible and which ones made me ill, which streams of water were safe enough to drink. I crept along in the Underdark, trying to find my way home. After what felt like weeks to me, I was eventually found by a Black Shield scouting party. They asked my name, and when I told them who I was they informed me that they had been sent to find me. They led me back towards home, silently moving through the tunnels, I noticed a few of them were paying close attention to me all the while.The majority of the trek was made in silence, words were only spoken in need, and even then barely whispered. After some time, we made camp at least twice during the trip, we came upon what was left of the troglodyte village. There were signs of battle, and a pile of burnt corpses that appeared to be all that was left of the beasts. One of them noticed my gaze and told me, "This tribe will not bother our people anymore." I just nodded, my face set in a grim countenance. "It is safe enough to speak now", the leader of the scouts announced once we cleared the ruined camp. "You saved those folk and all of them made it out alive. Many of them are calling you a hero. We don't know if we would have found them in time to rescue them all, to be honest. The first Black Shield weren't prepared to mount a rescue and had to call in reinforcements. Fortunately by the time we had a unit ready to enter the cavern, the miners had gotten away from the camp. They didn't make it too far, since the trail you left was not easy to spot or follow, but they got far enough away to hide until we found them. They wouldn't have even had that chance had you not lured the tribe away." As we drew closer to the cavern he spoke again, "I will warn you, you've been down here for almost a week. You senses have become accustom to the dark and silence. Things are going to seem bright and loud for a couple days. You might feel overwhelmed. If it were me, I would hole up in my room for a day at least. That's just me though." and with that we re-entered the breach.
Upon clearing the breach I we entered the mine shaft where I had begun my journey. There was another unit of Black Shield camped in the tunnel, guarding the breach, yet not as serious as the group I was with, although they all seemed to relax once we had joined the new group. The tunnel was not as brightly lit as when I left it a week ago, but the light was still searing to my eyes. "We found him." was all that was said, and the others nodded smiling. Offering quiet congratulations and welcoming me back. They knew what it was like to be in the dark for so long, and were restraining their obvious joy. One of their number stood up, her black chain robes marking her as a Runethane, and she said gently, "Please stand aside." As we parted to let her past, she started softly chanting something and by the time she reached the breach she had finished. She placed her hands on either side of the breach and pulled them together, bringing the stone with her, sealing the breach. When she was done, the tunnel wall was smooth but seamless, "We will need to check this tunnel from time to time, but the entrance has been sealed. We can leave now, time to take you Alaric home."
The trip back to my home was fairly uneventful. The Black Shield who had found me formed up around me, so no one could see me clearly. Everyone knew though, and the cheering rang out loudly and was almost too painful to hear. The Runethane slipped up behind me and pushed some softened wax into my ears, startling me for a moment, but the relief was immediately felt. The rest of the journey I heard muffled cheering and saw people pointing and saying something to each other, when I could see through my squinting eyes. Had the Black Shield not been there I would have run and hid in the abandoned mine tunnels to avoid the sensory overload I was experiencing. At long last we reached my home, and my escorts mostly left. My parents were overwhelmed with joy at seeing me back and alive. My mom held on to me tightly for a while, before my father eventually got her to let me go. The scouting leader had remained, along with one of the camp guards, and he motioned for me to remove the wax plugs. He quietly addressed me, "You should go get some rest, I will explain to your parents what happened since we found you and what we have been able to discover about your deeds. Pàdair will stay with your family for the evening to keep folks at bay." I nodded to him and as I retreated into the solace of my room I heard him say, "I am Iomhar Silverbeard, First-scout of the Black Shield. My companion is Pàdair Bronzemask, of the Black Shield rangers. We found Alaric deep within…" Whatever else he had to say was cut off as I closed my door. Stipping off my days old clothes I fell onto my bed and was fast asleep.
The next day I was woken by Pàdair rather than either of my parents, "You have a visitor. You might want to put something on." he chuckled and winked at my sudden embarrassment. He looked as if he was going to say something else, but instead just smiled and slipped out of my room. After throwing on a clean-ish pair of workpants and jerkin, I headed out to our main room, where I was startled to discover Iomhar had returned and he wasn't alone. Noting my presence, Iomhar motioned for me to take a seat at the table across from him, "This is Caomhainn Brightmantle, he is here to record our conversation. Now, start from the beginning, and tell me everything you can remember from the last week." I began to speak, haltingly at first, telling him about crossing paths with the messenger, hearing the yelling. As I spoke, memories surfaced and the words began spilling out of me. I started telling him things I did not remember two days ago but they were there now. At some point Pàdair placed some food and drink in front of me, and I ate careful not to spit food at Caomhainn or Iomhar. Once in a while Iomhar would ask a question, but for the most part he just watched me. I kept relating the events, even past the point where Iomhar and his unit had found me. Caomhainn glanced briefly at him, a questioning eyebrow raised, but Iomhar gestured for him to continue. When I reached the point about re-entering the breach my voice started to quaver a bit, and I felt a hand gently grasp my shoulder. "That's enough, we know the rest.", Pàdair said. "Well?" I looked up to see him looking at Iomhar.
Caomhainn was the one who nodded in return, "It looks as though his ancestors have made their choice." He looked at me, a solemn expression on his face. "I have not been altogether forthright with you, I am not just here to record your story, but to make a decision. If it was just your side of events that was required, then Pàdair could have gotten it from you. Or Iomhar for that matter. My true purpose here today was to verify what the scouts reports have said about you, and decide for myself. As you noted in your report, they were watching you as they brought you home, they noticed certain qualities and traits in you that we all keep an eye out for. You have the natural skill and talent of one of our number. Am I correct, that your parents pulled you from public school before you could begin apprenticeships?" His gaze locking onto mine, waiting for my response. I nodded in agreement. "You are 42, correct?", again I nodded. He paused for a moment, "The name I gave you is my true name, but my vocation is not a lorekeeper, I am actually the person in charge of new apprentices for the Black Shield. Think of me as a headmaster if you will. I would like to offer you an apprenticeship then, formally, as a ranger of the Black Shield. Now, there is no need to accept right now, take your time and discuss it with your parents. They are aware that you and I are speaking." With that, he stood up and motioned to Iomhar that he was ready to leave. Iomhar also stood and finally spoke to me, "Pàdair will stay with you and your family for another day, and he can answer any questions you may have before you decide." Then the two departed, my mind in a spin. Me? A Black Shield ranger? Pàdair interrupted my chaotic thoughts with an amused chuckle, "It's a bit much to take in, I know. How about in the mean time, we see about getting some baths. Playing with troglodytes has made you kind of stink."
For the rest of the day, until my parents arrived home from work, Pàdair kept me company and cooked our lunch. Turned out he was a pretty good cook. He had dinner fixed as well, when my parents came home. My parents didn't really ask much about what had happened, apparently Iomhar had filled them in enough that they didn't want to know more. After everyone had eaten, before clearing the dishes, Pàdair changed to topic of conversation, "So, I think it's time we talk about Alaric's future." My parents were both proud that I was asked to join the Black Shield, my m'ma claiming it was her blood showing through, my da claiming it was the ancestors finally looking fondly on us again. During the evening uncle Thakal showed up, much to the surprise of my m'ma. He had heard from Iomhar that I had been offered a position in the Black Shield and wanted to stop by before any decision was made. "It's not an easy life, but is an honorable one and it has it's own rewards." he told me, looking at me seriously for the first time since I had known him. "Well, I can't stay long, I need to head out on patrol soon. I just wanted to congratulate you." he turned to Pàdair "Take care of this one, for me." who nodded with another one of those winks of his. With that he took his leave and headed out. The rest of the evening was spent asking questions of Pàdair, the decision all but made. When I finally went to bed that evening, my dreams were filled with scenes of me fighting off unknown horrors in the dark with my companions, defending the dwarves from unknown horrors. A familiar winking face always present.
I accepted the apprenticeship offer and begun my training as a member of the Black Shield, eventually becoming a ranger, a specialist in tracking, hunting and fighting in the deep roads.
The rangers weren't a unit of their own, but we trained together, and spent a lot of our downtime together, trading information, new beasts we had found, new areas to be careful in. As a result, I saw Pàdair a lot of each other. At first he started out being friendly, giving advice, checking up on me. "Your uncle asked me to." he would quip, with that ever present wink. Over time it turned into a genuine friendship, we would seek each other out between patrols and stay up into the night trading information and drinking, telling stories of lands far away that we knew nothing about. It was during this time I finally realized why Pàdair always featured prominently in my dreams. Somewhere along the line I had fallen in love with him. As he was really my only friend, I didn't have anyone else to turn to that I could talk about it with. He was the one I bounced ideas off, that I vented to, that I complained about my m'ma's nagging to, that I shared dreams with. So I remained silent, just happy with our times together. On my 67th birthday he came running up to me excitedly, "Tell me you have the next few days free! I have something I've been wanting to show you!" I went to check with my current unit commander, who agreed to give me a week of leave to enjoy my birthday. "Great! Pack like you're going on a long scouting mission, then meet me at the main entrance of the Halls of War." Pàdair said as he dashed out of sight. After packing a small pack with gear and provisions, I headed up to the Halls of War, and made my way to the main gates. I had only been through them a handful of times, most of those since becoming a member of the Black Shield, today would be the first time I had crossed that threshold on my own business. Pàdair was there, like he said he would be, a devilish grin on his face. We hired a couple horses and began our mysterious journey.
We journeyed south an east for a couple days, taking the main roads, until we reached Thörgrinnir. "Now the fun begins", exclaimed Pàdair and we headed east. Into the Grinnirwood. I had heard stories of the Grinnirwood. That the Grinnir hated the clan dwarves and held an ancient grudge against our people. That it was a terrifying forest, that even skilled hunters would sometimes enter and never return. That was to be our destination, apparently. Suddenly I wasn't so sure about this little adventure, but Pàdair didn't seem fazed at all and was still excited, so I followed along. We spent the night at the edge of the wood, under the canopy of trees yet close enough to the edge we could still see small signs of civilization. That night during my sleep, I felt it. The Grinnir was calling to me. In my dreams I felt it's presence, there was work that needed doing, and I was to help in that work. I awoke with a start, and Pàdair was staring at me. A wolfish smile on his face, almost feral, part of me was frightened. Another part, deeper and more primal was excited. "You felt it, didn't you. The call. That's why I brought you here. It wants to meet you. Test you." He stood, gathering his pack. He held out a hand to me, "Come, it is time." and he hauled me to my feet. I quickly gathered my pack and we set out. I know now that we traveled along the secret paths, reserved for those who work with or for the Grinnir, at the time it felt as if we were jumping from shadow to shadow, the world sliding past us faster than our feet carried us. After a time we reached a dark glade, the stars and moon blotted out by the tall trees. "We are here", sighed Pàdair. I felt the presence from my dream again, but this time it was all around me, and suddenly I knew what I had been called for, the task suddenly in my mind. Pàdair and I stalked into the deep woods, following the hidden paths, tracking our prey. We were like a pair of wolves, hunting our prey, a predator itself, never suspecting it would become the prey. Somehow a juvenile bulette had found it's way into the vale, and into the Grinnirwood. It was destroying the old wood in it's wanton destruction, and the Grinnir wanted it delt with. I only remember vague details of the fight, something primal took over, I only know that we succeeded in taking it down. I felt the Grinnir give it's approval before we slipped off the sleep. In the morning we were surrounded by small bushes of deep red berries, Pàdair indicated that I should eat the ones nearest me. Surprisingly the berries healed me, and I felt as if I'd eaten a full meal. I knew that I would always hear the call of the Grinnir. As we traveled more slowly out of the forest, we found a secluded spring and decided we should probably wash off the stains of last nights battle.
It was the first time since that first night over 20 years ago, that I was fully undressed around Pàdair. The thought didn't cross my mind until I was already slipping into the water of the spring and I turned to see him, stripped of all his armor and clothing. I turned so red and hot that I was sure the water was going to start boiling. Of course he saw everything and let out that chuckle that was uniquely his, "Aha! So that is the way of it, is it?" Again that wink, that infuriating wink. The one that made me forget all slights. He jumped into the spring, splashing me in the process and I lost sight of him. I didn't know that he could swim until I heard him break the surface behind me as he wrapped his arms around me. "Your uncle did tell me to take care of you", he chuckled in my ear. I vividly remember the rest of that morning and afternoon, but that is a memory I believe I will keep to myself.
We returned back to Hammer Peak, and life continued on as normal. My uncle died in the Underdark at some point, leaving an orphan child he had taken in. I learned much later that my m'ma had wanted to adopt the poor sod, but he had run away from the orphanage before anyone was the wiser. Pàdraig and I became off and on lovers, it wasn't all that uncommon apparently. When you face the dangers we face day in and day out, you either find lovers who understand that our lives are dangerous and fleeting, or you find spouses who do not know the dangers in the dark and who you can pass a legacy on to. We are still the closest of friends but he's not one to be tied down though. About six months ago he had a close call and almost didn't survive, in his delirious state he had the healers send for me. He said he just wanted me to be there and told me I was the closest thing to family he had left. He's still recovering, but it's slow, it really was a near thing. Something about nearly dying has changed something in him. He's made allusion to becoming more than lovers, but if confronted about it he avoids my gaze and mumbles something about the painkillers. I found out that he had been investigating a path in the Underdark that was recent tunnel work. No one knew where it was though, but I knew. He had mentioned it to me before he had left. I found the tunnel, surprised the traitors who were digging it as well. Fools had thrown their lot in with the Slumbering Inferno. I made them suffer for what they had done to Pàdair, their deaths were slow and agonizing. I brought their heads and proof back to the Black Shield leaders, implicating a couple other traitors in Hammer Peak. I know I've made new enemies, but they hurt one of the only people in the world I care about.
