Eythil Dreyer's page

Despite their precautions, year by year they were driven ever further into the depths of the wilds until they were eventually discovered by one of the many Orcish hunting parties sent to wipe out any vestiges of civilized society. Eythil was only 11 when it occurred. Initially the Druids were able to get away, using distraction and false trails to waylay their pursuers. The forest itself holding many dangers for all, but the druids had become adept at navigating away from the worst of the dangers. But eventually the Orcish scouts had managed to pin down their location and frustrated by their inability to catch the band of Humans, alerted a nearby war party that had begun trying to burn down the forest. Soon the Druids were hunted from all sides and forced to fight. The clan was able to use the burning terrain to their advantage, call forth allies from the woods and transform into mighty beasts or forms of flame themselves. But the Orcs they fought were far more numerous, stronger, bred for war, and were led by a cunning commander. While the majority of the tribe of druids had a natural affinity for fire, the Orcs had prepared for it as well. Thus what was normally a great aid for the Druids was largely endured by their enemy.

The battle raged for several weeks, between Orcish war blades, Druidic might, vast numbers of animals, all the while both sides were constantly besieged by more and more of the forests natural denizens. Both sides took severe losses. Unfortunately it was the Orcs who could far more easily afford to lose theirs. As the battle began to swing into the Orcs favor, in a gambit of desperation, several of the more powerful remaining Druids abandoned the fight and became Elementals of flame themselves. Running through the trees they began to purge the forest through fire.

Eythil had been one of those unable to do much during the fighting. He remembered following his older sister Samantha away from the fighting. She'd used her blossoming Druidic magic to ensure they'd found a safe hiding spot for most of the days during the first several weeks. During that time, she taught him more about what it was to be a Druid and even began teaching him the language. He hadn't been old enough to receive the proper initiation training, but she drilled it into him so that he wouldn't have time to think about what was happening elsewhere. That was... until the flames came. His sister tried to cast spells to shield them from the flames but it failed. She realized then that she had broken one of their most sacred and hidden rites. By teaching her brother the languages of the Druids before he was initiated, natures power had abandoned her.

Then they ran again. Only this time, there was nowhere safe, the fire was everywhere, and it seemed the entire forest was ablaze. The heat of the flames clawed at his skin, he was not protected from the smoke. It stung his eyes, and obscured his vision. Ash floated aimlessly through the air and landed in his hair and he nearly choked twice from inhaling as he ran. His movements were slow and clumsy compared to his sisters and he could not keep up. Samantha had to stop more than once to come back for him as she seamlessly ran through the forest.

Then it happened, a large burning limb fell from a tree, crackling as it crashed down on top of Eythil. Barely conscious he tried pushing the limb off of him but felt nothing but searing hot pain. Samantha screamed for him and ran over to him. Grabbing onto the branch, he could tell it hurt her too, she tried to move it but it was too heavy. She backed away and begged the forest to let her have the magic to save her brother. But nothing changed. Eythils skin burned as the fire continued to consume all, but Samantha did not come back to help him. Despite the pain he followed her suddenly terrified gaze and looked over to see a hulking figure make its way through the smoke toward them.

It was an Orc, one of the hunters by its markings. It noticed the two of them and made a guttural noise in its own language. It drew a thick ax and began to jog toward the two of them. "I... I'm so sorry, Eythil." were the last words he heard her speak as she turned to start running. The pain growing more intense by the second as the flames continued to eat away at the log on top of him, he half screamed, half choked, for her not to abandon him. The Orc slowed and came to stop near him. It didn't seem all that interested in immediately following his sister. Instead it looked down at him, a cold, amused expression played across its face. It put one hand on the thick branch, it didn't seem to mind the flames licking up its arm. It then lifted the axe and proceeded to swing the blade down into the branch hard, 3 times. Each time a jarring sensation shot throughout Eythil's body until the branch on top of him broke and his ribs audibly cracked and he weakly coughed out blood. He wanted to lapse into unconsciousness, he wanted to die, but pain kept him awake. Then the Orc looked down at him and with an amused spoke in its own language. "You live? Heh, good. Now burn in forsaken trees with rest of clan." With that it turned and ran off into the woods.

He lay there for some time. The log that had lain atop his body had mostly burned away, somehow, he still lived. Eythil stood and made his way through the burning forest in a haze of near constant pain. He slowly healed as spent the days traveling alone, barely surviving in a world that mimicked how he felt. The forest burned, and so did he. Eythil avoided the Orcish patrols by wandering closer to the burning sections, always heading east, until he eventually made his way out toward river. He followed the river southward, heading away from the land he had always known.

Eythil did not die, the pain of the forest, the hatred of the Orcs and the sister who abandoned him, the sorrow he felt at losing his entire clan, refused to let him die. He had changed, not just in body but in spirit too. He would live.

The years went by with Eythil making his way into the world. The power from the burned forest served to let him survive in the harsh world. He learned to fight at first learning to use the burning hatred he felt to burn those he would kill, but this power was limited. He opted to fortify himself with more conventional means over time. He practiced with a variety of weapons until he decided that pole-arms gave him the best ability to fight. Then when enemies closed in, he would switch to a flail to overcome their defenses. In time he learned to fight with multiple weapons together. He now controls the battlefield obscuring sight when he can to confuse the enemy.