UKLAK

The two had ridden for a hard day when they stopped to rest to set up their tents for the night. They knew not to venture too far off the road so the four men settled down for the night, setting up camp, and one of them would do guard to watch the horses and the camp in case of an intrusion. The sound of battle woke the three men and surprised Dumfries, for it was so very close.

The surprised party became even more alarmed as a band of twenty Gnolls came rushing out of the woods. Dumfries with his might bastard sword felled one of the Gnolls, but to the parties surprise the Gnolls kept moving. Karik, no fool, realized that whatever had driven the group of Gnolls out of the forest must be ferocious indeed. A party of twenty Gnolls would have made quick work of the four travelers. The travelers rushed to the wagon, realizing as they leapt in and began to spur the horses forward that it was a Grey Render tearing though the forest, it�s hunger even more fearsome than that of the Gnolls.

A Gnoll mother was hanging out of it�s mouth when it appeared from the forest, clutched in her panicked arms was her baby. In an act of desperation the female Gnoll tossed the baby from the clutches of the monster and into the wagon. Dingle the Halfling was worried and decided to kill it by throwing it out to the monster as bait. To the surprise of all Karik grabbed the child and warned the Halfling that he was not to touch the hair on the child�s head. Child? Cried out the shocked Dingle but Karik wanted to hear nothing of it.

The issue was not a purely humanitarian interest per say, but a matter of science. Some time earlier Karik and Sal-Batan had argued over the nature of humanoids. The debate was as much scholarly secular scientific dialog as it was a religious topic. Karik, a worshipper of Wee Jas argued that every humanoid had the potential to be �good� and Lawful, a devoted citizen, by obeying the laws and by establishing order one is more likely to achieve the favor from Wee Jas in the afterlife. While Sal-Batan, a worshiper of the more elusive Bocobo, felt that Wee Jas�s role was more of a prosecutor than a defender. It didn�t matter what you did in life as long as you followed your nature. A monstrous humanoid, even if given citizen could never be more than a monster. Karik, felt that this was preposterous, it is the society that makes the man, it is the influence and anyone, once they understand the value of a orderly society can become orderly, while one who only knows chaos will, be chaotic.

So now with a Gnoll child in their lap, maybe no more than 5 years old, the potential to determine the fate of this creature as a new citizen in this new Republic would be judged first hand. Of course, a sizeable wager was made between the two wizards and both agreed that until he was 20 neither would interfere with the education or training of the boy. This of course being how to exclude him from either of their external influences. As the two men rode towards Barfgos and Dumfries and Dingle spent a good deal of time getting bitten and growled at by the ferocious little gnoll child while Sal-Batan and Karik were thinking of where to take the child. It was finally concluded that he would be taken to the secret monastery of Wee Jas, the training grounds for he acolytes her consecrated harriers. Where else, rigid disciplined monastery of one of the more rigid orders would the boy be able to be thrown into a structure so completely different than the world he knew. Wee Jas was really the 3rd choice, though neither wizard informed the monks of this upon their arrival as Heronius and St. Cuthburt looked at the two wizards as if they were utterly mad. Karik even had to try to save the boy from a paladin who was totally appalled by the whole discussion, until Karik pointed out to him. �You know, he is now a citizen too.� The old wily wizard stopped the Paladin in his tracks.

Before they released the boy to the Monastery they met with Karik�s old Dwarven friend (Lefurt? What is the name of the Dwarf with the party) The Dwarf a colonel of the Eastern Watch who has just returned to Barthgos thought the two men were mad, but he agreed. He wasn�t very happy of having all the damn goblins as citizens and like Sal-Batan assumed that the whole thing would be a debacle. He laughed in a sense, now there would be a �scientific�, as these wizards liked to call it, answer to the debate that these two men had raised in the council hall when the Republic voted to grant �All Humanoids who are born inside the Republics frontiers with citizenship and the right to hold property.� This gnoll would be a failure and become a stereotype of the gnolls. The crazy monks were going to be lucky if they got out without losing a hand to this beast. He had already bitten the Halfling numerous times. The Dwarf also agreed to look out for the boy and deliver him messages etc. from Karik and Sal-Batan as they wanted. Both felt that if the Dwarf served as their intermediary then they couldn�t be able to influence the behavior of the Gnoll, so the only influence would be that of a good Dwarven hero and the lawful neutral order of Wee Jas, her monks and her priests. Karik would win the bet if the Gnoll boy could be raised to become a Lawful neutral champion of order. A direct contrast to his race�s proclivities

That night after dinner the Dwarf laughed at the way the Gnoll threw himself into the raw meats. He was like a little puppy, of course with a the ability to crunch through solid bone eating and munching through meat on the half hog they gave him. No one was particularly familiar with gnolls but in the two days they realized that for the 4 foot tall little Gnoll boy he was all muscle and weighed almost 150 lbs. and like Hyenas he could eat 1/3 of his body weight in meat.

The Monks worked and trained with the boy, knowing that failure would mean his certain death, for once one entered into the reclusive monastic order of Wee Jas for traning one did not leave. Even if one was to stop being a monk of Wee Jas, one would always be connected to the Church. This was because most did not stop their monk training unless they were to become Clerics or Consecrated Harriers of the faith. The Church did not allow it�s arts to be taught on the outside and those Monks who feel from grace and dared to teach the sacred martial arts were soon dealt with either by the Church or by the law of the Republic.

The Gnoll, through his training overcame his Gnollish background. Where there was instability, there became stability, where there was chaos order was imposed, where there was darkness his soul became enlightened. Rage was replaced with penitence, patience and focus. Through more regular meals his hunger was controlled, but the monks did give up on trying to have him eat at the table. They couldn�t break him of eat raw meat and bone and when they tried he became ill. Though he seemed to like the cooked ham, but still the use of utensils was only used when he was threatened with a beating. Otherwise the whole roasted pig was torn to ribbons and shoved into his maul. They did also wean him from draining the blood from the sheep and having him drink the blood raw, taught him how to make a herbal blood wine, which satisfied the monks sensibilities.

During these years of training the Dwarf was pleased to see the progress of the boy. He has learned the ways of the monk and though, as he grew older, was becoming more fearsome to behold had learned the ways of courtier and gentleman. Skilled at writing poems and monastic ballads the youth soon earned the right to leave the monastery for a few days with his adopted guardian. All but Uklak knew the real reason the 15 year old was being taken from the Monastery. It was a test. Dressed in his monk robes the youth was taken to a fine meal, which he endured, an Opera which he adored and a night on the town. His poetry was praised by all, but the fear and concern of the young ladies in the pub was a blow to the poor youth. His monastic peers, the monks, the dwarf, these were his world they never rejected him, but now in the public. Their stares and criticisms, though he said nothing shattered him. His Dwarven friend was worried as the youth sat at the table with him.

�I have someone for you to meet. I think you would appreciate it.� Said the Dwarf walking off over to where Kerik and Sal-Batan sat in the cornor.

�Well, the boy has done well. I think, even to my disbelief he has proven his right to citizenship.�

Sal-Batan was annoyed. �The monks did a better job than I imagined, but we shall see. I will concede to you today Kerik, but I know evil lurks somewhere beneath the jowls of that tooth maul. He is a gnoll.�

Kerik looked at the old wizard as he mumbled his comment. �Maybe so, but he is our monk, we paid for him to be trained for the past ten years. The dwarf is right, we owe him to show him who we are, who is mentors are his guardians.�

�You won your bet, that is where it stops for the items you wanted are yours. He passed over a bag to Kerik. The money will be transferred into an account for you.�

�Transfer the money to the boy, that was always what I wanted done. He earned his gold. I will watch over his funds and someday grant that to him�

�$15,000 gold, for being civilized. I wish I had been a barbarian as a child, then I too could have profited from a mentor such as you. I suppose you want me to give him the other items too?�

�If you survived the Grey Render, on the other items, leave them with me. I will give them to him when he is ready.�

The Dwarf laughed, Karik sneered and in a huff Sal-Batan disappeared.

�You designed those items for him didn�t you?�

�Of course, I realized from the letters I had exchanged with Uklak during the years that he was a bright boy, for a gnoll and was very wise. I think that he will do well. The items are of no use to me, but will serve him well in time I hope, and be a nice gift from the only family he has. Me and you.�

The Dwarf was surprised by the comment, but the analogy was right. The boy never knew anyone other than the monks, the Dwarf and the letters from Karik and the few from Sal-Batan, though in the past few years, when the boy showed his stability those had stopped.

The Dwarf walked up to Uklak, who was watching intently the bard on the stage with several other local musicians.

�Ulak, this is Karik.�

The face on the youth was enlivend as he saw the old white haired wizard looking at him.

�Hello my boy!� he exclaimed reaching out to shake Uklaks hand. The firm grasp surprisd him a little. � Easy on the grasp, boy you are growing up!� Then after they took their seats. � guess you can say I am that mysterious guardian who sent you the letters.�

The conversation flowed for a few hours, until Uklak informed them that he needed to go back. The monks had done their part they had made a fine monk indeed. Uklak�s training would continue, but now he would be cisited by both the Dwarf and the Mage.

Several months later the monks of Wee Jas, several of the Bishops were meeting with their counterparts from the Republic and the Church of St. Cuthburt. The discussion centered around some of the local incidents that were going on and a growing concern on the part of the Churches. The concerns were a result of a secret agreement between the three organizations on how to police the state. Though there was a skeleton army and non-police force there needed to be an organization to be able to deal with potential problems. That was where the two lawful neutral organizations came in. On the surface the Church of Wee Jas ad St. Cuthburt were minor actors. Wee Jas having a limited following and people only interested at the time of death. But the two organizations had a key, that key was their sacred monastic teachings of martial arts and their focus ot defend law and order. Through these instruments the Monks and Clerics of these two Churchs had been deputized to enforce the law for the republic and bring criminals to justice. This of course was a system that worked on referral, so the Churches waited to hear from the Republic before they acted. The meeting was related to several new agents, crimes were on the increase and there was a need for more than monks.

During this time, the Monk Uklak was sent on several challenges. Some of these were mundane tasks, but others he was required to go with more senior monks as a backup in order to ensure that the target was arrested. These assignments went well and through this the Monks gave Uklak the four gifts that had been set aside for him by Karik, A Chameleon Robe, Goggles of Fear, Prayer Beads of Healing, A Magical Flaming Skull of Wee Jas, of Mithrel Silver with rubies inlaid to the item in order to give the holy symbol the red tint. Finally he was given the Morningstar of Disruption from the Church.

�But Master I do not use such weapons as this.�

�Yes, we know, but you are now no longer a monk. You have been trained in the ways of Wee Jas as a Cleric. The Order has determined that there is more important things for you than just to be a monk. The High priest has seen you as a champion of law, a champion of order, a champion and defender of the arcane arts and a guide for others to the land of the dead. This my son is the reason we have been teaching you these new unfamiliar ways, but as we always knew you would, you succeeded.�

�Thank you Master, I will follow as I have been trained and follow as I am instructed.�

�Good, we are pleased. You are to go to the town of (where the last adventure happened) and destroy a necromancer who had broken his way with Wee Jas. She has not granted him the power to make undead and he is using them against the interests of Law and of the Greater Good for Magic. In these times his acts are troubling. You must seek him out, destroy the undead, and bring him back to me for justice.�

It took Uklak several weeks to find the remote place of the Necormancer, but the site was clear as soon as he came upon it. There were bones hanging from the trees and a ancient graveyard that he gad defiled. This was a sick perverted mage, not a mage of Wee Jas. It took Uklak another week or two to seek out and destroy all of the undead in the catacombs and to subdue the Wizard. Uklak was an agent of the law, not the law himself, so he would not kill the made and his skills allowed him to do this. Once he blessed the site he withdrew and returned to Barthgos with the prisoner in tow.

Upon reaching Barthgos Uklak barely had time to recover and testify in the Secret Court Council of Wee Jas before he was sent to pursue a murder and a thief. The rumors were like wildfire in the city of a mag or a druid who had killed in a kinder in cold blood and then tried to steal a prize artifact. He and his companion had escaped through deception. Uklak was informed that he was to bring this man in. He raced for several days pursuing him, changing his guise as need be. Gathering information talking to people using his connections in order to determine what happened and where he was. However the Elf/Druid names Vall was always ahead of him. He was too late in Hillsdeep and then for a time the trail seemed to stop.

Until a strange message came to him through the monks about his old friend Sal-Batan. Sal-Batan was dead. Uklak rushed south to Raylon to find that indeed Vall was here and now Vall was turning a new leaf. Even worse was that he discovered a foul plot about the Governor and the Tower. Going back to his guardians home he stayed for a few days with Karik. During that time he was only able to provide information to the magistrates to have Malick the rouge thief arrested, but Vall was nowhere to be found. When he left town a few days and came back he was informed by Karik that he had indeed been visited by the notorious criminal Vall, but did not think he was coming back. At that very moment when he thought he would be able to capture the criminal he was called away on the Malick case.

The Secret Council was disappointed, but told Uklak that he needed to go to (little town north of the Dark Forest) where the Cleric at the temple had been stricken ill. Uklak needed to go there for a few weeks to help him and his parish. When Uklak returned from his restful time as a cleric of a local parish he returned to Barthgos for further instructions. Upon entering Barthgos he saw chaos. The Hall of Justice had been attacked by a band of criminals and a rabid leopard. As chaos reigned throughout the city Uklak and several of the other monks assisted the local magistrate with preventing looting and panic. Then he found out the worst news of all. When the bodies had been counted, it was discovered that one of the older venerable clerics of Wee Jas had been burned to death administering last rights to a prisoner who had been taken by plague. This old cleric was close to Uklak and Uklak went to the Secret Council for instructions. They told him to go at once to Rylan and bring in Vall Woodshadow all other orders were not to be superseded by this. Racing south he returned to Rylan to discover the worst. Upon entering the home of his guardian he saw a shattered quarterstaff. Then going to the temple of Nedra he was informed of how he assaulted the Wizard Ostler and destroyed his magic book in a paranoid fit but had been gone for a few days.

When in Rylan he discovered that his old Dwarven friend and father figure was accused of the crime and was accused of traveling with Vall and a man named Fletcher. Something was very wrong and Uklak would find out what was going on. After racing back to Rylan he was told that they went north to the next town�..