Hargrave

This one name is all I have. I know nothing of my Father and only a vague description of my Mother and the circumstances of how I ended up alone in Trinsic while still but a boy. What I do know is a private matter and would not be for discussing in a public way.

For practical purposes, my family was any stray dog I happened to befriend on that day. I'd have starved but for the kindness of the fishermen who left a few fish behind on the shore after a day's work. Trinsic in those days was a cesspool of the worst sort. Murderers, gang violence, con men, and all sorts of thieves and highwaymen ruled every quarter of the city and the areas around it. This was the place of my learning. As an innocent in those days, the challenge was to survive through any given day.

I remember the days when the boldest of adventurers would actually guide dragons back to town, virtually tame, using only a hooked stick! I was so impressed! One particular day two dragons were loitering around the bank at the same time, one on the right and one on the left. I realized the dragons were very interested in the enticing music that I was playing. And while the owners went to shop in town I will admit to luring the left dragon to the right side and the right one to the left side.

When the owners returned and the dragons were unwilling to accept food the handlers looked concerned. I would have told them but they were so mean and spoke in such harsh terms that I hid nearby in fear that someone else would now reveal my deed. Well soon the dragons started wandering and a crowd gathered and frantic handlers realized too late what was going on and dragons started attacking people and guards started killing dragons. I stayed out of sight for a while after that.

I, like many others, eventually turned to the forest around Trinsic for my survival. I was safe in the deep woods. I could rely on my pets to hunt for me and provide protection from the orcs or savage grizzly bears that roamed in those days. I learned to harvest wood and carve bows and arrows. Many times, I was ambushed on the way to town. I heard the murderous battle cries and felt the fireballs knock the wind from me. I heard mocking laughter as they stood over my prone form. When I awoke in the healers bed, I was angered but not beaten. I eventually learned to avoid the ambushes and found some measure of success in the trade I had chosen. As soon as I realized this, I realized one other fact... I would leave Trinsic the first real chance I got.

I had seen a mysterious man named Cepalarium several times in front of the shop that sold herbs and reagents. He seemed an experienced, worldly sort. He spoke of magic, and for a fee he would ink magical scrolls for those who sought the knowldege he had. I had never met his sort before. He actually tried to make it easier for those who followed his calling than it was for himself in his own journey. I paid the man's fee and purchased what he sold. During my long trips to the forest I would often look for chances to practice this new secret talent I was developing for magic. I felt the strength of the magic in my blood and knew that the changes in my world had only just begun.

As the magical influence slowly grew in my life, I still kept the life of a woodsman. One day, as I was cutting near town, I was approached by a Lady Huntress. This woman held at the ready the finest crossbow I had ever seen. She stepped straight up and proposed giving me feathers in hopes that I could make bolts for the crossbow. Any bowyer worth his hatchet could do this task, and I assured her I could.

She explained that the finest crossbow in the world won't keep you safe without bolts, which makes alot of sense, if you think about it. She went on to explain that she would quickly shoot these bolts I had made and that what she really needed was a bowyer to travel with her to make bolts as the journey went on. Having been conned by the worst sort of people the world of Britannia has to offer, I was reluctant to trust. I heard a voice say that I would be glad to go with her and was stunned to realize it was me that had spoken. With the Lady Huntress leading the way, I was about to leave the Trinsic.

We headed East, which surprised me. Knowing that the front gate is to the west and the back gate to the south I was about to mention something witty about the female sense of direction (which would have been a big mistake) when we stepped to the docks and she pointed to her ship and invited me aboard! What happened next was the most amazing whirlwind tour of the seas and coasts of Sosaria. I saw things that I'd never seen before and had the time of my life. The Lady Huntress and I adventured together for some time. One day, we became separated on the Ice Isle in the caves that I later learned went by the sinister name of Deciet. A horde of undead overhwelmed us and I feared her dead as I almost fell myself. I have never seen her since.

I returned to Trinsic, alone, using the magic that was becoming a larger part of my life each day. I gathered funds, went straight to the shipwright and purhcased the fine ship TradeWind. I sailed east in a trance. When the ship struck ground on the Isle of Ocllo I followed the coast till I found a nice natural harbour. I dropped anchor and set about exploring this new place. I found fellow Tradesmen wandering in the woods pursueing many different paths through life. Many have become large influences in my life. People like Fionn O'Brien, Colin Mac Manus and Greenfoot Ames; people who would be my teachers and friends. We banded together to stave off the growing threat of murderers in the world and the menace they posed to honest tradesmen. I stayed in Ocllo, built my home there on the north shore and was fortunate enough to make the aquaintance of some people of quality who ran by the name of New OutRiders. These people had the admirable and rare trait of equally trying to help others, as absurd as that seems by Britannian standards. I enjoyed the company of these great people for years.... Some of the most amazing events of my life occurred during these times. I remember getting into a naked knife fight with a melee tournament champion (truth be told I WAS wearing pants - I had a theory about weapon speeds and wieght ratios that I had to test out.). I remember an insane rescue mission to save my most honored Queen Shieba and the cold place required a cold plan to pull off the rescue. I learned a lot about myself that day. Years of sailing and hunting the seas leaves a person with some unique experiences and stories. Not all of them are suitable for the public so, I will leave it to your imagination. If you've been there, I need say no more. If not, I'd not be able to explain it well enough anyway.

Times were good for us in the Tradesmen and for our friends and fellows of the New OutRiders. But, at the same time, the world was growing ever darker. Friends were driven from the land. Being alone, the sway of magic that I had concealed for so long took hold of me fully. At night, I would wake from visions with spells, the actual words, hovering in the air in front of my eyes. I would purge the images by tracing the images with my quill. A rhyme came to me... " Thoughts are slippery silver fish and you must stab them with your pen.... or they might swim away and never be thought again.

This curious behavior became an obsession... taking over my existence. The magic, the visions seemed so fragile, so important, I had to secure them somehow. Make "it" understandable... for myself and, curiously enough, I found that it could aid others as well. The magic changed me. I see that now. Years slipped away while I toiled in my efforts. Few people knew that I was still alive at this time and those that did were not able to intervene. I will express gratitude for their persistence or certainly the darker forces could have taken hold and I would not be telling the rest of the tale in the same way.

A young man came to me one day. He looked familiar yet, I knew that I had never seen him before. He introduced himself and stood strong. He had obviously travelled far and seemed to be a man with purpose. I inquired to his purpose and he simply handed me a crossbow bolt with a note. The details being private and not for public discussion. I will simply say the note introduced me to my own son.

Blade, my son, brought me back to the living world. Without him, I'd still be held in the grips of magic vision. I would be helpless, without some purpose or focus, to see anything else. I use the visions now. I use the magic to teach others. I travel to large cities and I look out amongst the many unknown faces and see some faces that were known to me long ago. With the dark world splintering off and a new world with new opportunities opening before us, I closed the Ocllo shop, reopened our new building "Tradesmen" near the Compassion shrine and, having found my Queen Shieba again after all these years, I have pledged to faithfully serve in her Mage Corps.

I have been called many things but, I have one name.

Hargrave