Life on the streets of Bard’s Gate is hard. Especially when you’re an underfed, undersized orphan named “Mouse”. Life is a never-ending search for the next bite of food while trying to avoid getting his tiny arse kicked by a rival urchin-gang. Mouse’s gang…lol, no not his of course. No way the tiniest weakest orphan is going to be the leader. Not that mouse wanted that title anyway. Life is safer when you keep your mouth shut and remain unseen. “Quiet as a mouse”, words to live by, if you can call it living. Mouse did excel in one area. He was small and cute and consistently out earned every other street urchin within the section of the city the “Black Paws” (overly Grandiose name for 10 underfed beggars, panhandlers and pickpockets) called home.
Being known as the top panhandler came with a huge downside, envy from rival, less cute, less successful beggars. Mouse lost the title of cutest beggar as a result of the sharp dirty blade wielded jealous rival. Outnumbered and being the smallest by far, Mouse had no chance and was extremely lucky to have survived the encounter severely bruised and battered with only one long, deep knife cut from his forehead to his right cheek. Things would have been MUCH worse had this huge older boy not come out of nowhere knocking Mouse’s attackers all about sending them fleeing away.
The huge older boy took the Mouse to the nearest temple which happened to be CHURCH OF THE DIVINE RIGHT - (Muir, Thyr). Mouse never saw Jalros again, but has never forgotten the huge boy’s bravery or kindness.
While Mouse recovered in the church, the Arch-Cleric had a vision of the past, of the Army of Light (lost long ago in foul Tsar). The vision, hard to interpret as visions commonly are, focused one of the great Paladin Generals from that long ago age and then the vision clouded and refocused on Mouse’s sleeping form. Father Thiebold intrigued, took a drop of Mouse’s blood and cast his most powerful divinations. And was shocked to find that within the veins of this undersized malnourished street urchin flowed the Blood of (insert ancient Paladin’s name here ________).
Determined that the blood of ancient heroes would not languish in the gutters of Bards Gate, Father Thiebold sent word to a retired knight that he has found a child of the Old-Blood and that he wanted him raised and trained outside of the city where agents of the Foul God would never hear tale of him.
Elgrin, formerly known as Mouse thrived under the elderly Paladin’s tutelage and now for the first time in his life gaining access to proper amounts of food and nutrition went through a tremendous growth spurt growing to over 6ft tall and more than 200lbs. No one from his past would recognize him if not for his distinctive scar running from his forehead to right cheek.
Sir Gerald was not a large man. He was a lithe, quick, deadly warrior skilled in Art of Rondelero, the Way of the Falcata and Buckler. Typically this style is taught to quick, lightly armored Bravos, not the large strong man that Elgrin has grown into. It’s a difficult style to master but Elgrin has trained for years under Sir Gerald’s watchful eye and has adapted the Rondelero style to take advantage of his physical assets which include great strength enabling him to wear heavy armor while fighting Rondelero style, something almost unheard of within Rondelero circles.
Sir Gerald died peacefully in his sleep one tenday ago and Elgrin paid to have a Gentle Repose spell cast upon Sir Gerald’s body to preserve it for the long caravan ride back to Bard’s Gate where he can deservingly be put to rest within the Church that he dedicated his life to.
The caravan is within one day's ride of Bard’s Gate’s wall. So many thoughts and emotions swirl throughout Elgrin’s mind and heart.
What to do with his life now.?
These last few years had been devoted to taking care of Sir Gerald, repaying the Knight’s kindness for taking him in and indeed Sir Gerald is the only family he’s ever known other than the “Black Paws”, of whom he doubted many would have survived the tough life of the streets. Urchin gangs come and go. It’s very rare for one to be strong enough to last many years on the streets. And even if some of his old gang had survived he wasn’t looking forward to meeting them. Life on the streets is tough and eats away at your soul. He doubted that he’d like what he found if he did run into his former Black Paws family.
Just one more reason to be thankful for the life Sir Gerald provided for him. Without him, Elgrin would have never found his faith and would have remained a lost ignorant soul without the guiding principles of Thyr and Mitra.
