Ba'wo was a 9th generation
Bonuwat fisherman from Ijo working the shoals and deep waters surrounding the Eye of Abendego. A skilled sailor, Ba'wo hunted game fish across the region from Mediogorti to the Sodden Lands down to the Shackles and Sargava.
On one such trip near Mediogorti, Ba'wo found a squalling infant wrapped in seaweed, abandoned on a beach... being stalked by (or preparing to ambush) some hungry gulls. To his surprise it was a baby goblin. How the toothy child got there, Ba'wo couldn't say. Possibly it was all that remained of a goblin tribe hunted down by the Mediogortians in the constant warfare between the two races, or possibly it was left to die by its own people. In any case, pity moved the fisherman and he took the baby with him, unsure exactly what he would do with the strange little creature.
To his surprise the babe was well-behaved on his fishing boat, comfortable with the rocking of the ocean, the salt spray, and the roar of the waves. It took Ba'wo weeks to make his way home to Ijo on Desperation Bay. In that time, Ba'wo decided to keep the child and raise it as his own. Ba'wo's wife, Mi'asa wasn't easily convinced but, as she hadn't provided the fisherman with a child. she eventually relented and accepted this unconventional addition to their family.
The goblin proved a relatively good child with a knack for boating and sea-faring (Trait: Besmara's Blessing, Trait: Born to the Water [Ijo]), pleasing his adopted parents greatly. Knowing the hurdles a goblin would likely face in the human world, Ba'wo, Mi'asa, and their village spent a great deal of time raising the goblin to understand and be comfortable around humans. They raised him to worship Shimye-Magalla as all the villagers did and even gave him a Taldane name - Elias - to help him fit in. To increase his son's knowledge of the world and chances for success therein - and curb his sometimes quick goblin temper - Ba'wo tithed a local monastery to ensure the brothers would educate Elias and provide moral and martial instruction.
Their efforts were far more successful than they could have ever imagined. Eli sees the world through mostly human eyes. Admittedly, he sees himself as a short, shark-toothed, red-eyed human with a monstrous appetite... but close enough. Admittedly, there are some holes in his education, in part due to the naivete of his village about the world at large and the limitations of his monastic instruction... but Eli is feeling his way through these minor issues.
Ba'wo wasn't rich but he was a successful fisherman, so when Eli announced his desire to see the world and have all sorts of adventures, Ba'wo smiled and funded his son's desires. The old fisherman equipped the youth well - providing him with a sturdy bow, suitable clothing, strong rope, a water-proof kit bag, a rakish bandolier, and a boarding axe. Upon arriving at Port Peril, Eli - still a bit naive himself - bought himself a leather tricorn 'pirate' hat for a gold piece. The man who sold it to him assured him that the hat was specially-magicked to ensure smooth sailing and grand adventures... well worth a mere piece of gold!
