Ariese: Created page with "A dastardly rogue with a plan of his own. His true nature, however, shone through at the end and saved his friends. FORCETOC == Backstory == My name, such as it is, is Dor..."

2016-06-16T22:29:08Z

Created page with "A dastardly rogue with a plan of his own. His true nature, however, shone through at the end and saved his friends. __FORCETOC__ == Backstory == My name, such as it is, is Dor..."

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A dastardly rogue with a plan of his own. His true nature, however, shone through at the end and saved his friends.
__FORCETOC__
== Backstory ==
My name, such as it is, is Doriel Illica. My occupation, such as it is, is a thief. I prefer the term “liberator.” You see, when I was a child, my parents made me study various superfluous modes of thinking, commonly referred to as “philosophy.” One of these philosophies, such as it was, claimed that people were really unhappy because they owned too many possessions, that owning things tied one’s essential self down. I don’t know anything about one’s “essential self,” but I’m a nice guy, so I enjoy liberating others by taking their stuff.

Believe it or not, I’m actually from House Jyarg. Yes, the noble house. You couldn’t tell that by looking at me, though. Can you see me as a noble? Grease covered, with charcoal smears on my face, my blonde hair plastered to my head in sweaty locks, and a worn, hole-filled suit of leather armor, I doubt that I have a very noble look about me at the moment. The answer is simple: I’m on a job. You see, people know me. They know what I can do, and what I will do. I’m a thief, a very good one. This time, a very cordial Dravon nobleman has hired me to steal something very important from a competitor of his. So here I am, hiding in the kitchen, waiting for the right moment to steal the offending person’s greatest possession: his life. You see, when you steal a simple item from someone, they can just get it back, or get another one. When you steal someone’s life, there’s not much they can do. It’s more, how you say, permanent. At any rate, I’m supposed to take his life and bring his desiccated corpse back to my employer, for a very handsome fee.

You might wonder how I got to where I am right now. The answer is easy; I bribed a servant to let me in when the garbage man went out. As for why I do what I do, that’s a harder question to answer. I will begin where one typically begins: at the beginning. I was born Doriel Illica, noble son of Janith and Nicolae Illica. I was a smart kid, and my parents paid for the very best education they could get me. I learned a great deal from those tutors, but I think I learned more on my own. At night, after all my lessons, I would sneak out of the house and go into the city. On the streets, I learned how to disguise myself, how to steal someone’s cash, and how to make sure one doesn’t get caught. During the day, I learned arithmetic and writing. From my father, I learned swordplay; on the streets I learned to fight. My father trained me to run; the streets taught me to dodge. Looking back, I’m quite sure my father knew about the whole thing. Somehow, I think he approved.

At any rate, I wound up relying on these skills far more than I thought I ever would. It was on the day I learned an important lesson about government. The government, for what it’s worth, doesn’t care. It doesn’t care if one nobleman hires a private army, infiltrates another nobleman’s house, and slaughters his entire family in the night, just so long as the new occupants of that land continue to pay taxes. I was in the Old Hickory, liberating a particularly nice ring, when I heard. There wasn’t much I could do; the soldiers had already taken everything of value, including my family. At least, parts of them. I found my brother’s severed hand on his bed, and I don’t even want to discuss what they did to Mother.

The swine who did this, the Marquis of Issail, I would like nothing more than to run my rapier straight through his heart; then burn his body to cinders and scatter those to the four corners of the world, saving only enough ashes to sprinkle on the graves of my family; to show them that I had avenged their murder.

Unfortunately, the Marquis is, as they say on the street, “protected.” Very powerful people, for some reason, want him alive and very much intact. And that is why I am here. If I work my way up the chain, killing as I go, I will find my family’s killer.

…It’s getting late. I don’t think my victim is going to return tonight, I’ll have to come back tomorrow. You know what they say; the only two constants of our universe are death and taxes. Speaking of taxes, I think I’ll take that purse before I leave….

----

It's been a few months since it happened. A few short months since my parents died. So much has happened since then, events have conspired to carry my quest for vengeance far from my home shores, to the city of [[Saipore]], in the land of [[Valdion]]. How did I get so far from home? Well, that's a story in and of itself. It happened one clear summer day, I was following a mark back to his house, when I saw something I thought I'd never see again. There was a man at the fair, an elf, actually, with the look of a knight about him, wearing my father's signet ring. I...I couldn't have failed to recognize it; the pattern is very distinctive. Inlaid silver, with the family Chimera's head insignia. It was a one-of-a-kind ring, and the only person who wore it was my father.

I would've killed the gurram right there, but then, amidst the tide of memories seeing that ring returned, I remembered: My father wasn't wearing it before he died. From what I recall, he gave it to one of his vassals, as he was ought to do, in order to run some highly important errands for him. So, the question remains: how did this elf get my father's precious ring? Did he steal it, or was it freely given? And what of the charge my father laid upon that servant, what was it? Did he complete his task?

So, naturally, I followed him. I dropped everything I had to pursue this link to my past, I even booked passage on a ship to Valdion, upon "learning" that the elf was bound there as well. When we finally got off the ship, I figured out what I was going to do: This knight obviously has an agenda of some kind, I'll offer my services to him, tell him that I'm some sort of mercenary, willing to work for fame and treasure. In doing so, I might be able to get closer to him, and hopefully answer my questions.If this means I'll have to torture, lie, cheat, steal, or even kill to get what I need, then good. If it means I might have to do the latter to innocents – mothers, children, fellow adventurers – then so be it. I will do what I must. I will regain my family's honor, even at the cost of my own.

----

== Hit List ==
Name: [[Adlus]] Firestorm 
Race: Elf 
Class: Knight 
Status: alive 
Location: with us, unfortunately 
Notes: Adlus is an elven knight with rather annoying tendencies toward chivalry and such. He acts like a blithering idiot most of the time, but I get the feeling he's smarter than he looks, which, admittedly, doesn't mean much. He has quite the temper, and has attempted to wound me already. Hopefully, my "lesson" was instructive. Whatever his faults, he's clearly survived a great deal, so he must have something going for him. Adlus, as of late, has become the ruler of the former Halfling nation, after slaughtering the entirety of the dravic fleet. He's unpredictable, brash, and overwhelmingly impulsive, but he IS strong. He must be watched.

Name: [[Colm]] Lexing 
Race: Half-Elf 
Class: Bard 
Status: alive 
Location: in the party 
Notes: Aside from his horrendous lack of accuracy with a bow, Colm is actually an interesting individual. He, as a bard, has a certain amount of street smarts about him that the others are clearly lacking. I get the feeling he doesn't trust me. Recently, Colm has acquired a replica of Miya's shortbow, a powerful magical artifact that he's used to great effect. Following the defeat of my father, Colm left to go "find himself," and apparently now is the father of a new race, the Eladrin. Lord Urien is extremely interested in these Eladrin, since we Dravon aren't actual decendants of him. Colm and I are both long-lived individuals, so I'm sure we'll meet again.

Name: [[Aulis]] 
Race: Human 
Class: Cleric 
Status: alive 
Location: in the party 
Notes: Aulis is a rather generous individual who is completely lacking in deceitfulness or treachery of any sort. In short, he's pretty easy to fool, but as of yet, there's no real reason to do so: he's a pretty useful person to have around-he's revived me several times already. Aulis is one member that I probably should've killed early on. He's helped drive the dravon off [[Sprettain]], and if that wasn't enough, he founded a secret group of elven warriors whose sole remaining job, it seems, is to give me headaches.

Name: Nicolae Illica 
Race: Dravon 
Class: Wizard 
Status: Dead 
Location: place between worlds 
Notes: My father, presumed dead at the hands of the Marquis of Issail, and now apparently alive. Head of the "turn dravon into vampires" project. He also, at the end of his life, told me he wanted me dead, so I returned the favor and helped my friends kill him. Good riddance.

Name: Janith Illica 
Race: Dravon 
Class: Ranger 
Status: unknown (presumed dead) 
Location: ??? 
Notes: My mother was presumed dead, but if my father survived, hopefully she lives on as well.

Name: Marquis of Issail 
Race: Dravon 
Class: ??? 
Status: alive <targeted for execution> 
Location: ??? 
Notes: The man who attempted to kill my father; the man who certainly destroyed my family's house, and all our possessions. I want this man's head on a pike.

Name: Urien 
Race: Dravon 
Class: Wizard? 
Status: alive (immortal) 
Location: ??? 
Notes: This godyr gave me my position as head of the Rectors, after I managed to seal Dara away for him.

Aelon 
Race: Dravon 
Class: Wizard (assumed) 
Status: alive 
Location: Near Saipore 
Notes: Dravon we rescued from a halfling prison, who was also apparently in charge of the freakish ghoul project we found in the dungeon. One of the remaining Rectors.

Commodore Niall 
Race: Elf 
Class: ??? 
Status: dead 
Location: Elven warship Sunfury 
Notes: The commander of the Elven fleet attacking Saipore. After assisting the Commodore by killing Baron Prolaine, we (the party) have apparently entered upon his good graces, perhaps enabling us to acquire some nice military equipment, perhaps even a "privateer commission" of sorts. He died in the first engagement with the Dravic fleet.

Baron Prolaine 
Race: Halfling 
Class: Noble 
Status: dead (executed) 
Location: sunfury morgue 
Notes: Killed in his mountain keep after refusing to divulge sensitive information, the former Baron left behind a wife and son, both of whom remain in Saipore.

<Dead Dravon cleric> 
Race: Dravon 
Class: Cleric? 
Status: very dead 
Location: graveyard 
Notes: This cleric was killed in our sight by a random human, and then tasked the four of us with "not tampering with the demons he keeps in the basement."

<Dravon cleric's killer> 
Race: human 
Class: ??? 
Status: alive 
Location: ??? 
Notes: This individual slaughtered an "innocent" cleric, and seemed quite upset to learn that villains attempted to tamper with the church's demon door thing (it was really us...even an idiot could've figured that one out.) Later on, after encountering him in the Baron's basement-esque region, he identified me by name, and by my relation to my father. Apparently, he and my father are on opposing sides of a Dravon civil war. Fun.

Miya and Ximena 
Race: Human 
Class: unknown (definitely bow-users) 
Status: ??? 
Location: ??? 
Notes: Encountered in the random plane that a rechtor projected us to. They were discussing the plans of "the master" and his being "too ambitious." They disappeared upon seeing the rechtor.

Jyina le' Ariese 
Race: Dravon 
Class: ??? 
Status: alive 
Location: Saipore 
Notes: Crazy old woman that's helped us (mainly me) out several times. I get the feeling she's less crazy than she seems...

----

== Ending ==
''Notes from Grand Master Doriel Illica, from the Library of the Order''

Today I spoke with a Godyr again. Urien came to me in my refuge, and…apologized for my father’s actions. He asked me to be the leader of his Rectors…an honor I could not refuse. He took me here, to [[Isgrimmarr]], the forgotten keep, and told me that I was in charge now. He gave me this place, a sizable amount of gold, and told me that he would be “Requiring my services soon.”

Let it never be said that Doriel Illica is a fool, however. There’ve been rumors that Urien had a long-lost son who has recently been found, and is now siring heirs for the Ariese line. Of course, having known this long-lost son, I’m more inclined to believe these rumors. You see, I believe Lord Urien no longer looks with favor upon the Dravon, and maintains his Rectors only because we are, frankly speaking, some of the most powerful individuals (excluding the other Godyr, of course) around. In short, I feel the Dravon may soon be without a patron and protector. After the war against the elves, we are badly in need of one, to be sure. Lord Urien wants me to be his Assassin and guard, and has given me numerous resources so that I might be able to do so.

So, I declare my intention to begin, here in this keep, an Order dedicated to the protection of the Dravic people, through collection of knowledge and elimination of those who would to seek to obstruct our path in this world. They will be called the [[Erkynguard]]. They will be brought from the most knowledgeable and capable of our race, and introduced to our mandate of service to the Dravon race. Already, Aelon, my fellow Rector, has agreed to serve… to help guide our people.

Soon, we will begin to seek out Dravon who are qualified to help guide our race… wizards and rogues, to be sure, but also people of other callings. Rangers and Scouts, Fighters and Barbarians, there is a call for all of these. Of course, only the best of them will ever set foot in here. Nobody, outside of myself, Urien, and Aelon knows where this keep is, and I intend to keep that secret. I have collected a number of volumes that formerly belonged to my father, and I intend to keep them here, to help form our own library…our own center of knowledge. Already, I have enlisted the aid of Terek de Saber, a druid and scholar known to my former adventuring friends. He has agreed to submit copies of his (considerable) work on various subjects, as soon as he can write it out. Of course, he doesn’t know much about me, or why I want this information. He only knows that I’m providing resources to help his precious Dragonborn allies-under the table of course.

Well, time is running short, and I really must be visiting Colm. I have a number of things to discuss with him, not the least if which is the fact that I really didn’t want to banish his mother. For the record…if I had known, I can’t say that I would’ve done the deed.

----

''Doriel Illica retired to his keep, Isgrimmur, the shadowy lair of the secretive Erkynguard. Over the years, Doriel recruited a large number of Dravon to the order, the names of which are recorded by the Komtur of Isgrimmar in the Ordo Erkynbraught, one of the treasures of the keep. These individuals acquired a reputation for being knowledgeable, secretive, and powerful. It said that Dravon mothers tell their children that the Erkynguard keep the childhood monsters and boogeymen away. They are well respected, even revered among their people. Among outsiders, their reputation is less charitable. They are known as murderers and thieves, people who kill on a whim, and only seek more power for the Dravon and themselves. Their leader, Doriel Illica, is said to have slain over a thousand on his own.''

''However, one must look at the previous chapters and note that Doriel’s behavior in these latter years, as I see it, are an act of atonement for what he sees as his failure. In Doriel’s mind, he failed to live up to his father’s expectations, who failed to live up to Urien’s, and helped damn the entire Dravon race. This is the burden that drives Doriel’s actions. I should know…Other than Colm and his liege Urien, I think I’ve talked to him more than most. Doriel is a brutal, intelligent, and driven man, who now desires to protect his people, at any cost.''

-Exerpt from Terek de Saber’s History of Modernity: Doriel Illica and the Erkynguard

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Dara's Revenge]]
[[Category:Kirk]]

Doriel - Revision history

Ariese: Created page with "A dastardly rogue with a plan of his own. His true nature, however, shone through at the end and saved his friends. __FORCETOC__ == Backstory == My name, such as it is, is Dor..."

Ariese: Created page with "A dastardly rogue with a plan of his own. His true nature, however, shone through at the end and saved his friends. FORCETOC == Backstory == My name, such as it is, is Dor..."