Fantasy [Characters] The Calling-Wood Forest

[UnhappyUnion]

The Calling-Wood calls all manner of people far and wide to enter it, exploring, and pilfering dangerous mystical artifacts. All while evading danger that comes in all forms from monstrous beasts only thought to be legend and fables to the general public, to ones own memories and guilt. Most are summoned by the Calling-Woods, but a few misguided lot come willingly to enter, explore, and learn.

Character Creation Guidelines:

1.) Initially, I will only be accepting two characters that are sorcerers. The limitation on number is for a few reasons. In the world of Calling-Wood, sorcery is rare, and horribly hard to even begin to learn. It also gives one a massive edge over one without sorcery. Thus, I will be very picky if you want to be one of the lucky pair with sorcerous powers. I'll be looking for detail, interesting well-rounded abilities, and the ability to contribute to other's fun rather than solely your own.

2.) I am slowly working through making several nations with their own cultures and styles. But that is to not say you cannot make your own! However, I will be asking a bit more of you if you do make culture that your character is from. First of all, if you do make a culture and I accept the sheet I will add it to the lore, perhaps with some additions, so others might join at a later date and use your culture to make the world feel more lived in. I am not looking for a massive write up, but I would like the nation/culture's religion, gender roles, traditions defined. These things are very important to making characters that will interact with one another in interesting and unexpected ways.

3.) Do not feel obligated to make your character a combatant or warrior if you do not want to. Sure, these skills are useful. But the Calling Wood summons -all- types of people regardless of martial ability.

4.) Do not press beyond what would be reasonable to exist in a world that is somewhat renaissance-era in technologies with some exceptions pressing a bit past that into the colonial era. Use my own lore as reference for an idea, or just ask questions!

5.) No real-life face claims! Realistic anime art, or realistic traditional art only.

Keep this in mind when determining the location of original nation/culture as a guideline for theme:

Northlands: Native European/East European resembling

Midlands: Diverse range from European, Mediterranean, African, and Arabic in inspiration.

Eastlands: Chinese, Mongolian influences with isolated pockets more akin to Indigenous culture.

Feel free to delete irrelevant bits from the character sheet that you don't need. If you want to use your own format, please do, but be sure to meet the requirements of this bare-bones template.

Spoiler: Calling Wood Character Sheet

Name:

Sex:

Appearance (face-claim, written description, or both):

Nation of Origin (include description of nation if original):

Summoned or came willingly:

Personality, likes, dislikes:

Talents and skills:

Weapons, equipment, armor:

Abilities and powers if sorcerer:

Backstory (Aim for 3 solid paragraphs):

 

[Owl Knight]

Name: Sir Astor Bethrain


Age: 32


Sex: Male, heterosexual


Appearance:

Despite his religious zeal, Astor’s dark hair and complexion speaks to his coastlander heritage. Standing 6’ 2” and broad of shoulder and limb, Astor cuts an imposing presence on the battlefield, particularly when armed with his blessed broadsword. Beneath his armor he is marked with the scars of many battles and duels.


Nation of Origin: Astor is a coastlander from the Theocracy of Truth


Faction: Knight Evangelist of The Church of Eternal Light. While associated bureaucratically with the theocratic military, the Knight Evangelists are an order of special agents retained by the church to seek out wells of corruption and sin throughout the theocracy and stamp them out. A Knight Evangelist need not be of noble birth, but are selected by merit of their zeal and often selected because of seemingly miraculous happenstance.


Summoned or came willingly: Astor has come to the Calling Wood walking a road of absolution, as a way to redeem his sin and return to the favor of the light.


Personality, likes, dislikes: Astor is forthright almost to a fault, and his religious upbringing and vocation make it difficult for him to look at situations in shades of gray. He spent much of his life believing firmly in light and darkness, righteousness and wickedness. He has little patience for rouges, knaves, and those who make their living pilfering and plundering from plain decent folk. His ideals are strong, but he harbors growing doubts about his myopic view of the world due to the experiences that have placed him on his road of absolution.


Talents and skills: Astor is a skilled warrior, adept at the use of the broadsword and crossbow. His time as a soldier in the theocratic military, previous to his knighthood, developed his ability to live off of the land and travel long distances either horseback or afoot with light supplies.


Weapons, equipment, armor: Astor carries an evangelist’s broadsword blessed by the Grand One and marked upon the crossguard with the sigil of eternal light. In truth, though these swords have a mythic quality, they are merely broadswords of good quality, reliable and balanced. He commonly wears a chain coat. Over this he wears a tabard bearing sigils of the church. Steel pauldrons and leg armors protect his legs and thick leather gauntlets and boots keep him comfortable on the road. He wears a crimson cape, a symbol of his Evangelistic office. Because the knight evangelists must travel frequently, his belt has many pouches and pockets for coin, medicine, and holy relics and talismans. Though it is unlikely his holy totems have any real power, they instill a sense of wonder in the small folk of the theocracy.


Backstory (Aim for 3 solid paragraphs):

Astor was born to a family of coastland fishermen. His parents, in particular his mother, were extremely devout and raised him in reverence of the church. They were simple folk and they practiced a simple and unadulterated faith. When sickness came to their village and took his mother to her deathbed, Astor swore to her that he would live to serve the church, in honor of her dying wish. Growing up, Astor was often mocked by his peers, who teased his religious dogmatism and called him a lost outlander. When he was of age he enlisted as soon as possible in the theocratic military and never turned back.


While he served in the military without any real distinction, his unit commander did make note of his piety and devotion to the traditions of the faith. Even within the military Astor was often the butt of jokes. One brilliant member of his unit took to calling him the “little great one” behind his back.


One summer, Astor and his unit were charged with escorting a church official who was on his way to handle a dispute between a village on the border with the Warring Kingdoms and a band of raiders who had been troubling villages on both sides of the border. While the church anticipated a show of strength would resolve the issue, they found themselves walking into a trap. The people of the village had been slain and replaced by members of the much more numerous raiding band, who unexpectedly attacked the small unit of soldiers and attempted to capture the church official.


Astor, along with two other members of his unit, were able to fight their way out of the massacre and get the official to the safety of the woods. One of the other men was shot in the back with an arrow and succumbed to his wounds after a day and a night hiding in the forest. Astor and the remaining member of his unit took turns carrying their wounded comrade on their backs until he died.


As they escorted the official north towards safety, they were overtaken by a search party that had been tracking them. Astor and the official alone escaped from this second assault. After five long nights in the forest and thickets, they were clear of the border and found passage back to the capital.


For his outstanding courage and dedication to the church, Astor was anointed as a knight evangelist in the service of the very official he had saved from the raiders.


Astor found his calling within the knight evangelists, traveling across the theocracy zealously pursuing the furtherance of the will of Light. He saw it as the fulfillment of the promise he made to his mother and he believed he was making the lives of people in small villages and towns like his own childhood home, better.


In the year that he would come to the Calling-Wood, Astor was sent to a town beset by a growing faction of cultists working to undermine the church's influence in the region. He was there for three months, and during that time he fell into the company of the daughter of the local innkeeper, at whose inn he had made his lodging. Despite his vows of virtue, celibacy, and total devotion to the church, he gave in to his baser feeling and laid with the girl. He was still in the village uprooting the cult when the girl was found to be with child, and the innkeeper demanded the church deal with the situation. The coinage guild paid off the innkeeper and Astor was brought before a holy tribunal to answer for his sin.


The tribunal decreed that his punishment would be to walk a path of absolution, and make his way out of the theocracy until he could return bearing some symbol of the favor of the light. So he has wandered since, seeking guidance from the light in his path to seek favor from God.


Though his faith remains, he cannot help thinking about the in keeper's daughter, and the child that she bore. He wonders what became of them. He wonders if he will ever chance to see them again. Deep within, a sliver of doubt has hooked a finger around a thread of his faith. He ponders why it would be the will of the light to separate a child from its father in this way, and if the church is wrong about that, what else might it be wrong about?

 

[AI10100]

You can never be truly prepared for the Forest. You can only pray to whatever deity you believe in that it can give you a peaceful end. Arin Tolezky

​

• Basic
• Personality
• Combat
• History

• Name: Arin Tolezky
  
  Sex: Female
  
  Appearance: Arin stands at a decent height of 5'8. Rather rugged and muscular due to the amount of training she had gone through as the daughter of a guard and a merchant. She typically dresses in a more masculine fashion— though most people in the town prefer comfortable clothing that they can run in rather than the extravagant dresses that would hinder you when a sudden attack comes. Due to her line of work, Arin has a multitude of scars marring her skin. She has one that runs along the bottom of her neck all the way to her navel.
  
  Nation of Origin: Town of Rolling Stone, Northlands
  
  Summoned or came willingly: Summoned
  
• Personality: Arin is a seemingly cold and distant person most of the time— as if she is trying to keep herself from making attachments with other people. For the most part, it is easily revealed that she is a relatively friendly person when one starts an interaction with her. She offers her services to anybody as long as the pay is good. Most of her clients have claimed that she is decent company and is willing to exchange conversation or stay quiet depending on what the client wants. She isn't a nosy person. She doesn't ask about anyone's business— once the contract has been signed, it is a no-questions asked kind of thing. However, she won't necessarily do anything that goes above and beyond the contract signed.
  
  Arin holds a certain kind of awe and contempt towards the Calling Wood Forest. She grew up extremely close to the outskirts of the Forest and she grew up seeing the reality of the stories others simply hear. There are many she saw go towards the Forest and never come back, and those who have are almost never the same. To her, The Call is a death sentence— whether it be physical or emotional.
  
  Likes: Sparring, Alcohol, Money, Sewing, Woodcrafting
  
  Dislikes: Criminals, Trouble, Calling-Wood Forest, Bandits, Rabid Animals, Helplessness
  
• Talents and skills:
  
  • Combat - Arin is proficient in using a spear, sword, and shield— typical weaponry for the guards stationed at the Town of Rolling Stone.
  • Survival - Sellswords were trained in moderate survival in the woods, whether or not it is the Forest or just the general area. Mosty regarding cooking, foraging, and emergency first aid.
  • Woodcrafting - Arin had started carving on wood when she was younger, making mini statues, but she had upgraded to more complicated and larger objects as she grew older. If she has the supplies, she could craft rudimentary items with wood.
  • Financial logging - Arin mostly helped her mother with the logistical side of the business as she didn't inherit the silver tongue her mother had.
  Weapons, equipment, armor:
  
  • Spear - Her first choice of weapon. A finely made spear with its shaft handcrafted by her own with an intricate design to call it hers.
  • Sword - A steel curved sword of good quality of Midlandian origin
  • Shield - A well-made shield that her father had chosen for her when she had started out as a sellsword
  • Studded leather armor - She prefers lighter armor but wears an iron pauldron.
  • Carving Knife - She brings it along on a principle.
  • Knapsack - Filled with basic essentials to at least last a week outside the town
  • Whetstone - For maintaining the quality of her weaponry
• Backstory: Arin was born and raised within the community of the Town of Rolling Stone. While many have only heard of stories of the Calling Wood Forest, Arin had grown up seeing it from the watchtower. The entrance felt like a cavernous maw that swallowed everything that came inside— and rarely let anyone out. Those who came out were rarely the same. Perhaps the artifact they had found had fundamentally changed them or the taste of the Forest had become addicting to them. Arin had watched poor souls who had been summoned and risk-takers enter but no one has ever been able to resist the allure of the Forest.
  
  Arin's father was a sellsword and her mother a merchant. It was not rare to see this kind of typing in the Town of Rolling Stone. Her father, Klaus, hailed from Northland as a sellsword and settled in the town earlier— working with the guild as a guard. Her mother, Amani, hailed from the Midlands and she had traveled all the way to the Rolling Stone to start her business. Amani was partnered with her brother, Samir, who was their blacksmith. For the most part, Arin was more attuned to Klaus's line of work but never neglected to help her mother when she can. Still, training as a sellsword at a young age has given her a lot of knowledge. Training to become a sellsword in the Town of Rolling Stone gives a lot of experience.
  
  When she was of age to actually be of help, Arin had joined her father in the business of being a sellsword. For the most part, most sellswords were paid by Luck n' Coin for protection— other sources of income came from other merchants paying for extra protection when they need an escort through the more dangerous parts of the lands or scholars who want to travel in the area around the Forest or... well, there are certain sellswords who enter the Calling Wood with those who were summoned. But those never last long. Arin often went with Klaus during escort missions until she was experienced enough to strike it out on her own. She had dealt with cultists, bandits, and rabid animals— with enough manpower and a plan, fighting them became easier.
  
  But it doesn't always work out. When she had been in a sellsword group traveling with a traveling merchant, the group had been ambushed by bandits. There were too many bandits and too few sellswords. Arin and her group had fought as hard as they could, somehow lasting long enough for the merchant to be able to get his cart working again. Arin wasn't sure if she had been the first one to be struck down, or if she was just lucky, or whatnot but she had not been awake to see the actual end of the fight. Instead, she woke up in complete agony, bleeding on the dirt road. She was certainly bleeding out from a deep wound. She could barely move. The air smelled like iron. The sound of buzzing surrounds her. She craned her neck and saw the bodies of her friends lying on the ground, unmoving. Arin tried, desperately, to do something. Patch herself up. See to the others. Maybe they had survived. But her body screamed in protest. Helplessness. Giving up. It only took a few minutes for the pain to overwhelm her and she blacked out again.
  
  Coming to terms with death was difficult but a necessary part of life, especially so in Rolling Stone. Arin had come to terms with death the day she woke up back in town, having been found and rescued by another group passing by. It had taken a while for her to get back on her feet but her parents and friends were sympathetic. It was the first group death she had personally seen. It would not be the last. Bandit attacks the town. Cultist kidnappings. A bear suddenly attacking a group. So on. So forth. Death. Truly, a part of life. You do what you can. She does her job and she does it well.
  
  Another part of life, unfortunately, is someone responding to the Call. A seer stone appearing among the people of Rolling Stone was expected. Arin had seen multiple people answer the Call. Some of her friends had even entered as part of a contract. However, fate seemed to have a cruel twist when it comes to Arin's life. Never quite taking her life but taking plenty away from her. It had been her uncle Samir at first who crafted her sword. He entered the Forest and was never seen again. Next was her father. Klaus attempted to resist the Call for his family. He hadn't succeeded. He escaped into the night with one of the summoned groups. He came back, marred and almost lost. He was never the same as he held onto the artifact like it was his lifeline. It took him a week before he entered the Calling Wood and never came back. Last was her mother, broken from the loss of her brother and her husband. When she had obtained the seek-stone, she had not gone into the Forest. She opted to take her own life to be found by her daughter.
  
  A year later, almost as if fate had decided to cash in on Arin's luck, she woke up to a seek-stone on her bedside drawer. The Call can never be ignored. So she packs up and waits for the rest of the group to come.
  

 

[Mayali]

Name: Shaya Ezzel

Sex: Female

Appearance: She is a petite young woman, barely reaching 5 foot-4. However, most won't see much of that stature because she'll keep her thick cloak pulled around her. The red hair, hazel brown eyes, and light bronze skin on her exposed face are difficult to miss. She has that hair in a short braid draped over her left shoulder.

Nation of Origin: Midlands, from the town of Kalberg

Summoned or came willingly: Willingly

Personality: As an attentive, curious individual, Shaya is eager to learn about whatever shows up in front of her. To the point where she may well turn out to be the cat that curiosity kills. Honestly, she'll look upon the world with extreme wonder for a long time. Being straightforward and having always said what she meant makes her somewhat lacking in tact.

Likes: Plants, herbalism, learning, writing down what she learned, honesty.
Dislikes: Indecision, evasiveness, silence, letting fear rule someone, political intrigue.

Talents and skills: Herbal knowledge, good with spices, steady-handed, archery, fletchery, writing.

Weapons: Yew Shortbow, Quiver and Arrows
Equipment: Herbalism Tools (such as knife, mortar and pestle, a jar of oil solvent, extra containers, foraging bag), Parchment, Jar of Ink, Quill, Cloak
Armor: Leather Cuirass, Leather Archery Gloves, Leather Boots

Backstory:
Cassidi Ezzel was around plants before she was old enough to remember anything. Her dad (Jonner) was a farmer living and tending various crops outside Kalberg. A small, remote town that rarely got any visitors, perfect for him because the man liked their privacy. Getting vocally vulgar if someone visited without prior notice. The fact that he'd try toning it down when his firstborn, Cassidi, was born came from him not knowing much about children. But there were some moments where he'd slip up, including one point about when she was a month old.

She was an aloof child, unresponsive to verbal sounds, though she made displeasure known verbally. At least until when her dad burst in, almost swearing. "That shi...I...uh..." trailing off as he realized she was mere feet away, being carried by her mom (Sofia). That made her giggle for some reason. As it was her first-time reacting to what they said, her parents did what any new parent would have done. Let out a slew of small words to try to get another response. Nothing came from that until they started trying to replicate what sound her dad made. Shaya.

Shaya Ezzel would become her name because, once she was old enough to understand, her parents no longer viewed her as Cassidi. That she picked out her name became their first story to tell about her, well within her earshot. Each time, she asked about what name they originally planned on, only to have them insist it didn't matter.

This unknown stirred her curiosity, and one gap left her hyper-aware of others when they appeared. She became full of questions, with no qualms about asking them either. One such came when her mom took her into Kalberg, overhearing someone mention how their niece now had a seer-stone. With her mom busy haggling with this shoemaker, Shaya would turn to another fellow awaiting his turn to ask her questions. He was Totin Quinnon, the town's herbalist. While their discussion began about seer-stones and Calling-Wood Forest, it would end up on herbalism before her mom finished. Wherein seeding ideas which would stick around over the years.

Plants could do so many amazing things beyond mere food sources that she couldn't forget said fact. At her age, though, she was too young to be going off to pursue that path. Her dad had only begun to let her help protect their crops, even helping her learn to use a bow. Her younger brother (Josen) was several years behind her but joined in that task before she'd get out on her own. Kalberg being remote meant they dealt more with wild animals and the occasional thief looking for free food. Nothing more than that. Her increasing independence, though, let her go seek out herbalist training from Totin. And there was a lot to see. Different herbs, various injuries, and illnesses, yet she soaked it all in eagerly because she wanted to learn.

All was going well for the fearless Shaya. A young man (Ivin Corriad) had even started coming in every day for, maybe, herbs. Except he'd go to Shaya for them rather than the more experienced Totin. Even soon made his intentions apparent because he brought flowers along each time for her. The two began to meet outside the herbalist's home more, so Shaya was too distracted to notice Totin's demeanor changing. Not until Totin locked himself inside his home did she realize she must've missed something important. Asking around, she discovered that his younger brother (Oscar) had gotten a seer-stone several months before. When he got it, his newborn daughter was a mere few weeks old. That he might never see his wife or daughter again would drive him to stay until the inevitable end. Rather than face something unknown.

The thought of someone choosing that over an unknown fate struck her hard. She didn't like that her mentor was upset, didn't like that it could be, in part, attributed to something unknown. Of course, it perked her urge to learn about the Calling-Wood Forest. The choice was between staying near her family, mentor, and Ivin...or following her curiosity north.

Curiosity won.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

━━━━━━━❦━━━━━━━

"Trust? Do you want to know what trust gets you in this world? A knife in your back and a shallow grave if they liked you."​

━━━━━━━❦━━━━━━━

Name: Taiga Ashari

Age: 28

Sex: Male

Appearance: Taiga comes in at a humble 5'6" and weighing in around 160lbs. His body is a balance of compact muscles, allowing for both power and flexibility, a result of an active lifestyle. His usual apparel consists of cloth pants, a tunic worn over a long-sleeved cloth shirt, a short cloak around the shoulders and finally his mask. For his armor he wears a pair of heavy boots, a leather jerkin and a set of iron bracers. Underneath his mask lies a scarred face that may have once been called handsome. With brown hair, blue eyes and a clean-shaven face, a section of his upper lip has been cut away giving him a permanent frown. Multiple scars and burn marks create a mishmash of raised and burnt flesh all along his body, the only part that was sparred from such treatment were his hands and feet.

Nation of Origin: Neheb, Northlands

Summoned or came willingly: Summoned

Personality:
Taiga has always considered himself an in the moment kind of person. If he was tired he would take a nap, if he was hungry he would grab something to eat, and if he was pissed at a mark that fought back he would beat them until they were bloody. So long as you understood that about him it would become increasingly easy to get along with him. He is quick to voice his displeasure when something annoys him, and in the same vein he will compliment something that he likes. Disagreements can quickly escalate to full on shouting matches, but his anger is quick to pass and soon it would be as if the conversation never happened.

Ever since his betrayal at the hands of Tristan, Taiga finds it extremely difficult to trust others. While he puts on an air of openness, he is constantly measuring the words and actions of those he interacts with. That also includes never keeping his belongings further than an arms reach at all times. Although he finds it hard to trust an individual, he finds that he can at least have trust in a person. While it may sound strange Taiga believes that he can trust a person to do what's in their best interest. He wouldn't trust a stranger he met anywhere near his belongings, the chance that they would grab and run being too high, but if they were fighting off a horrific beast he would trust them to act in a way that doesn't get them both killed.

Likes: Coin, Music, Easy-marks, Warm Weather, Naps

Dislikes: Pacifists, Religious individuals, Heavily Armored Enemies, Traitors, Suckups

Talents and skills:

• Scouting - Taiga was often the one the group sent ahead to scout out potential marks and the best locations to hit them. He's learned to blend in with his surroundings, how to keep attention away from oneself, and how to get back to the group without being tailed.
• Dirty Fighting - Taiga may not be the largest or strongest fighter, but he's always leveled the playing field by not fighting fair. Gouging eyes, blows to the groin, even spitting in his foe's eyes in order to get an edge.
• Tracking - Adept in both following tracks and keeping his own hidden, Taiga is well versed in tailing both man and beast through a variety of terrain.
• Keeping Hidden - Extending to both himself and a group, Taiga knows how to keep a low profile. From knowing how to disguise a camp entrance, how to keep supplies hidden from pests and animals, and how to throw off a pursuing party and draw them away from camp.
  

Weapons:

Bo-staff - A versatile weapon, the bo staff is a length of sturdy wood that measured around 3ft. The ends of the weapon have been reinforced with metal studs in order to increase it's destructive power.

Machete - A large single-edged blade that is equally adept at hacking at vines and limbs alike.

Short bow - A shortbow made of wood and hemp rope, serviceable at short ranges.

Armor:

Reinforced Boots - While not traditionally thought of as armor, few would think otherwise when it prevents your entire foot from being pierced by an arrow.

Leather Jerkin - Light and breathable while still providing a modicum of protection against abrasions, this armor allows for maximum movement while imposing minimum weight

Iron Bracers - A set of iron bracers, primarily used in order to protect the arms from incoming blows. The user may also attempt to use them to alter oncoming blows, although they are at risk of damaging the bone if the strike is heavy enough.

Equipment:

Blanket and Bedroll - A heavy wool blanket and what can generously be called a bedroll, it having been patched up using at least three separate blankets.

Knapsack - A simple bag worn around the shoulders, it contains a multitude of daily necessities such as soap, a bowl and wooden spoon, a soothing balm for his scars, and a piece of flint.

Waterskin - A waterskin made out of sheepskin, it can hold around 2 gallons of water before needing to be refilled.

Food Pouches - A multitude of pouches containing foodstuffs such as dried jerky, nuts, berries and grains.

Backstory:
Taiga Ashari was born of a traveling minstrel and a tavern maiden. His father left soon after he was born, leaving his mother to try and raise him by herself. His mother was a strong woman, but eventually the stress became too much for her to bear on her own. She turned to the drink, eventually falling ill and passing away from a fever sustained when she passed out outside during a rainstorm. Orphaned and without a way to support himself, the townsfolk aided for a while but eventually that dried up as he turned twelve. Without a home or a way to feed himself, Taiga had few options. It wasn't until a group passed through the town, with held tight and leading a cart of supplies. With no other options he asked the group to let him come with them, promising to do whatever they asked of him. He didn't know what they saw in him, other than a mouth to feed, but they agreed to take him with them.

It wasn't until a month later that Taiga learned that the group were bandits that were fleeing from a city further to the south. In hindsight it was obvious, but to at twelve years old he wasn't exactly the most observant. The reason they agreed to take him in? He was to be bait to get travelers to stop, and then thrown away afterwards. They never expected to see him again, he was just a tool, a means to an end. What they didn't count on was that he would find his way back to camp, nor that he would carry with him a spare coin purse to boot. He was brought into the group soon after, and would begin to be taught their ways.

He spent the next eleven years of his life as a bandit, being taught the tools of the trade by the group's leader Trent. He learned how to tail a mark, how to fight back against a superior opponent, and how to keep just one step away from being caught. In time he saw Trent as the father figure he never had, and was willing to lay his life down for him. His efforts were not overlooked and soon he was trusted with more and more important jobs. One of which was to scout out potential marks for shakedowns and bring back the information for the group. He thought that he was pretty good at it, until one day he would make the biggest mistake of his life. He had picked out a group of travelers, mostly woman and children, an all seemingly unarmed. It seemed too good to be true, and with a rush of excitement he returned to camp and told the group of the score. A raiding party was sent out to follow him as they went to confront the group.

It was a trap. Maybe he was getting sloppy, or maybe they were already on to him and his group, but instead of an easy group of travelers they were instead met with a group of heavily armed soldiers. It was a massacre, the raiding party was no match for the heavily armored and highly trained soldiers. Taiga barely got away with his own life, lungs burning as he booked it back to the groups camp. They moved quickly after that, each member grabbing whatever they could before the soldiers arrived. They would all go their separate ways for the time being, scattering in every direction to make it harder to track them. They would wait for three months before regrouping at a new location far away from their own camp, those that got caught would keep their mouths shut while the surviving members would lay low.

At least, that was supposed to be the plan. But a week after the group scattered he found himself being abruptly awoken at spear-point and drug out of his safe-house by a group of mercenaries. Taiga was shocked, the only ones who should have known about the refuge were Trent and himself, how did they know where to find him? His answer came with a hint of steel as the captain of the mercenaries delivered a savage kick that tore the skin of his face. Trent had sold him, and every other member of their gang, out for enough coin to leave the continent. Shock, anger, despair, all of these emotions warred within him as he was bound and stripped of his belongings. The journey back to the city took three days. Three days of enduring the mercenaries constant abuse, being unable to even lift a finger to defend himself as they passed the time by seeing how much they could get away with. They needed him alive in order to collect the bounty on his head, but alive didn't mean without a few new scars dotting his face.

He spent the next five years of his life in a dungeon, his only food was moldy bread and water that was just as likely to make him sick than anything else. During this time he was thoroughly interrogated by his captors, their constant interrogations escalating to outright torture as they tried to get him to admit to crimes that he never committed. Even when the hot irons burned his flesh, even when their daggers cut flesh after flesh from his face, he held his tongue. Eventually they stopped bothering, content to let him rot away for the rest of his pitiful life in a cell. Five years of waiting, five years of hushed whispers and preparation. Taiga wouldn't let his life end here, not in a cell where his bloated body would end up feeding the vermin that infested it. He would escape from this place, or die trying. On a dark moonless night, where even the light of the torches on the wall seemed to dim, he sprung his plan.

He managed to escape, through the blood and sacrifices of his fellow prisoners he was able to slip past the walls with a few other prisoners. They went their separate ways soon after without any words, easier to slip away on their own without any knowledge of where the others went to. Taiga had very little options, he couldn't stay in the area, not with the risk of someone recognizing him. He swiped a mask from a traveling acting troop, a simple thing but one that would hide both his face and his scars. He wouldn't go back, he would sooner kill himself before he would let himself be caught. He needed somewhere they wouldn't follow him, somewhere where people disappear and no one would give it a second thought. Taiga wasn't sure if there was a god, or if this wasn't just the devil himself giving him a middle finger, but he awoke from his hiding place with a seek-stone resting on the ground near his feet.

Trading one hell for another was hardly what he wanted, but he heard enough stories to know that trying to escape was futile. At the very least he had a chance of coming out of this alive. It was a hell of a lot more than he had before.

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⛧ c o d e d _ b y _ s p o o k i e ⛧

Code credit: @spookie