Aduros-Magus Beginings

[Morzak]

Ch1 Beginnings

The hustle and bustle of Ten Towns outside my bedroom window forces me to open my eyes and greet the new day. Traders with their goods just arriving from the south mix their sale pitches with the sounds of children’s laughter and dogs barking. People can be heard selling fish from the lakes along side furs and meats. Summer in the Northern Wastes was brief and cherished. The smell of food from the kitchen is what finally convinced me to leave my snug and warm bed and venture forth.
Pulling on my shirt and trousers I made my way towards that smell. The irresistible appetite of a seventeen year old holding sway over my mind. When I reach the table breakfast is laid out and waiting, my foster father sits at the head of the table with a glum look about him. ‘What bothers you this fine day father?’ I call him father for he is the only father I have ever known.
A deep sigh and a look towards Odys, who stands in the kitchen, is his response. So I sit myself down at the table and begin to gather food onto my plate. ‘Lad we need to have a talk with ya.’
Upon saying this, Odys turns from the kitchen and sits down at the table to join us. ‘What is it you wish to speak of?’ The misdeeds of the past few days runs through my mind as I try and figure out what kind of trouble I am in.
‘You know that though we are not your true parents, we’ve always treated you as though you were our own son.’
‘You two are the only parents I’ve ever known, and I love you as though you are my parents.’
A warm smile from Odys and a pat on my hand comforts me. ‘Just say what ya have to say Bavuk, he needs to know.’
With a deep sigh Bavuk begins to speak, ‘When we found you lad we where coming back from the tribes visitin’ Odys’s father who lay upon his deathbed. He was the shaman of the Bearclaw tribe; many a vision of his guided the tribe and its members along the right path in life. The last thing he said before parting this world was that we would find something of great importance along our path. It must be guarded well and cared for.’ He takes a long drink from his flagon before continuing, ‘We were a few miles from Ten Towns when we came upon the wreckage of a caravan. Everyone was dead. What bothered me the most was that none of the goods had been takin. It was as though slaughter was the whole intent. That was when we heard you cry out. We knew then what was asked of us and we took up the responsibility that was ours.’
‘My dreams…’
‘Aye lad, your dreams, that is what convinced me to tell this to you now, we had decided long ago that on the eighteenth year from when we had found you we would tell you this and give you what we found there, but the dreams… ah the dreams.’ Bavuk’s brow furrows as if in deep thought, ‘There be a meaning to them more than just a vision of what happened that day.’
Saying this Bavuk stands up and walks over to a chest near the fireplace. He picks it up in his large arms and carries it over and sets it on the table, ‘This is the belongings that we found there. We believed them to be your fathers and mothers for the rest of them there were traders or guards.’
With a feeling of trepidation and longing I reach over and open the chest to see what might be revealed. A pile of black clothe with a strange shimmer to it rests at the top of the chest. I gingerly grab a hold of it and pull it out to see what else there is. The pile of cloth turns out to be a hooded robe of some sort. Underneath of this robe many strange things lay. Some rings, a bracelet, two pairs of boots, and a piece of parchment. Forgetting all else in the moment I grab hold of the parchment and begin to read:

Dear Dalimar and Alinia,
This letter has been dispatched upon the fastest rider that I could find. The gravest of dangers is upon you. Gather what you need and return to Waterdeep immediately. The orb that you have found MUST be brought into my care before he finds it and you, you know of whom I speak. Take all care and precautions and may your journey be swift and safe.
Your eternal friend,
Kelben Blackstaff
P.S. Congratulations on the birth of your son, Selar.

It is as though Id been punched in the stomache. A sick feeling permeates me being as I struggle to grasp what this information means about who I am, who my parents are, and where I am from. Looking up from the letter I see the concern on the faces of these people who have raised me and been my parents for my whole life.
‘Who is this Kelben that the letter speaks of?’
‘ Kelben is a man of power in the great port city of Waterdeep far to the south. He is a powerfull mage of great importance.’ The deep rumbling voice of Bavuk somewhat returns me to the feeling of normalacy.
‘I must go there. You know that don’t you? I have to find out who I am, and what this all means.’
‘Aye lad we had thought as much.’ Another heavy sigh from Bavuk causes me to look at him and then over towards Odys, whos red eyes can no longer hold back the tears. ‘Tomorrow morn a caravan leaves for the south. It be heading to Luskan, an if you cross the ferry there, just follow the High Road wich will lead you south to Waterdeep.’ Bavuk look over towards Odys, ‘We will help you in any way that we can, we have enough money to get you to Waterdeep and to keep you supplied for the journey.’
A great feeling of sadness begins to over come me as I think upon everything Bavuk and Odys have done for me in my life, and upon the fact that I may never see them again. ‘I will never forget you. Not as long as I may live, no matter what may happen, I will never forget.’
Odys stands up and coming around the table gives me a hug, the tears flowing freely down her face. Bavuk follows suit with a hand around my shoulder. ‘Nor shall we lad.’
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The remainder of the day passes in a blur of goodbyes, supplies, packing, and well wishing. When finally sleep arrives the sun had been long departed and the hours till dawn few. For the first time in weeks, no dreams haunt my sleep.
I awake feeling more refreshed then I have in a long time. The predawn light flows through my window, allowing me to dress and find my bag. After a momentary pause, I choose to wear the robe of my true father and place his boots upon my feet. I step out of my room and listen for a moment to the snores of Bavuk. Enough goodbyes had been said yesterday, so I open the door to our home and step out into the morning grey to meet my fate.
A short while later I reach the caravan on the southern edge of town. A flurry of activities surrounds it, wagons being loaded, last minute deals being struck, and the last few words being passed between those who had found love in there stay in Ten Towns. A short skinny man sitting at a desk besides the lead wagon writing furiously is whom I choose to approach, ‘Good morn sir. My name is Selar, I am supposed to be traveling with you south to Luskan.’
The man looks up and looks me over, ‘Do you have the money?’ His voice is a bit shrill and his tone curt.
‘Yes sir its right here.’ I pull out my coin purse and hand over the coins Bavuk had gave me to pay him.
A smile touches the mans face with the sound of the coins clinking against his desk. ‘All right then young man, now that you are officially a paying customer, my name is Narim, I am the head trader for this caravan. You will be riding on the third wagon. The trip should take us about 8 days to make barring any incidence, and please do not be the cause of any such incidence. Do you understand and do you have any questions of me?’
‘Yes sir I understand and no sir I have no questions.’
‘Very well then, if you will take your place at the third wagon we will be leaving momentarily.’ Turning from me he begins to shout in a surprisingly loud voice for such a small man, ‘Malin, MALin, MALIN, get over here, bring along some help and load this desk. We must get moving or we will lose our schedule.’
I turn and start walking towards the third wagon in line. Weaving my way through people running about in mad final preparations I reach my goal. In this wagon sits three of the most unusual individuals I have ever laid eyes upon. Two of the dwarven people, one dressed for battle and the other not quite as heavily armed with a pendant of a hammer striking a forge upon his breast, and a wizened old man wearing a red robe and a head of gray hair that shoots out in every direction, watch me approach them.
‘Greetings, I am Selar. I shall be your riding companion for this trip.’ I put forth a smile.
With a wide grin the dwarven warrior elbows his fellow dwarf, ‘Look Ulnd, a human lad shall be joining us. Looks as though Ah’ll have to be trying twice as hard to corrupt him to keep ye from turnin him into to much of a prayin man on this trip.’ Ulnd simply rolls his eyes. ‘Grettins lad, Ah be Mitharx Goldhammer at yer service. An this be Ulnd Goldhammer me brother. Welcome to the Mitharx ale wagon, have ye had breakfast yet? Would ye care for a pint o me finest to wake ye up?’ With that Mitharx takes a long draught from the flagon in his hand and lets out a deep loud belch. ‘Ah, there be nothing finer than seconds on a drink o good ale.’
‘Greetings young man, I am the great and renowned wizard Amorius. My name is spoken with fear and awe the realm over.’ Amorius looks me over, ‘A fellow follower of the weave I see, by chance have you heard the name Amorius before?’ He looks at me expectantly, almost hopefully.
‘No sir, I can’t say that I have. Also, I am not a wizard, these robes I wear are the robes of my father…’
‘Nonsense young man, the blood flows through you and the power is in you, it is plain for me to see. Do you know nothing of wizardry and magic?’
‘ I can honestly say that I do not’
A wide smile spreads across the face of Amorius, ‘Then perhaps I can show you a thing or two during our time together, if you would care to learn that is.’
A mage? Me, a mage? Though the thought is almost inconceivable I quickly decide that it would be worth the effort, ‘ I would very much like that sir.’
‘A pleasure young Selar, and one more thing no more of this sir nonsense you may call me Amorius.’
‘What be this? Ye gonna be practicin magics in the same wagon as me?’ Mitharx cries out in disbelief, ‘Now yell have to be extra nice to me to be getting any o me ale, ye done it now lad. Speaking o ale.’ With that Mitharx takes another long draught of ale from his flagon. Once again Ulnd simply rolls his eyes.
I step up into the wagon and take a seat just as Narim calls out for our journey to begin. As the wagons lurch and shudder and start to roll forward I think back upon my life in Ten Towns and upon what lies ahead. I look up to watch Ten Towns disappear on the horizon and I now know that a new life awaits me down this road. The adventure of my life has begun.


Morzak Goldhamer/Selar Aduros-Magus