Ray "Demon Caller" Remiar's page

Loyalty across Lifetimes: Your eidolon treats its Constitution score as if it were 2 points higher for the purposes of determining when its negative hit point total sends it back to its home plane. In addition, your eidolon gains a +1 trait bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

Birthmark: You were born with a strange birthmark that looks very similar to the holy symbol of the god you chose to worship later in life. This birthmark can serve you as a divine focus for casting spells, and as a physical manifestation of your faith, and it increases your devotion to your god. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.

Backpack, Bedroll, Belt Pouch, 4 Days of Trail Rations, Wooden Holy Symbol(Erastil on one side, Desna on the other), Artisan's Outfit, Cold-Weather Outfit, Medium Tent, Spell Component Pouch, Explorer's Outfit, Potion of Cure Light Wounds

31 gold
01 silver

Chapter 1: Prayers and Demons

“Ah! The day's work is done!” Ray said as he plopped down into a chair. He was in his parent's house and he was exhausted. Being a farmer was hard work, but he enjoyed it and he was good with the animals. “We did a lot today.”

“It won't be long before the entire harvest is brought in.” His father said. “Erastil blessed the fields this year.”

“I'm sure Desna helped.” His mother said as she placed bowls of hot stew and cups of tea on the table. “Gozreh and Sarenrae too. With four gods and Ray here blessed by Desna, we were bound to have a bountiful year.”

“Mom, do you have to bring up my arm each time we talk about gods?” Ray asked as he looked at his left arm. Pure white lines created several Desnian symbols all along it, and they stood out quite clearly against his tanned skin.

“No.” She replied. “But I'm going to anyway. It will be a great help to you one day.”

“You keep saying that but-” Ray was cut off by the frightened screams of farm animals coming from outside. Ray ran for the door and threw it open, staring out into the night. He could see dark shapes darting back and forth, trying to get the sheep to split up. “Wolves!” He yelled, hoping the rest of the small community would hear him if they hadn't already heard the animals. He grabbed the staff he'd been carving and ran out to fight off the wolves. He managed to smack one on the head just as it was about to snatch up a yew.

“Back!” He yelled, waving the staff back and forth. They were too many wolves though, even when the other farmers came out to help. Ray watched helplessly as a ram was torn apart and dragged off. Anger burned deep within as he growled a prayer for help.. the marks on his arm glowed with silver light and from the shadows leapt an evil looking hound, eyes aflame as it bit the throat out of the largest wolf. It growled ferociously, blood dripping from it's fangs, as it turned to the other wolves. Unnerved by this new threat, most of them run off into the night, while the others were quickly killed by the combined efforts of the men. Once everyone calmed down, they looked at the mysterious hound, who was now wagging its tail happily.

“Look at it's eyes.. they glow like fire!”
“It's a four-legged fiend! We must kill it before it takes our souls!”

With clubs and pitchforks, they set upon the dog with a cold determination. After the first blow it starting fighting back, but even as it bit flesh and scraped bone, Ray could tell it was out-matched. As a pitchfork was driven through its ribs it disappeared in a puff of vile smelling smoke.

“You know..” A man named Den said. “Right before that thing showed up, I saw Ray muttering something just before those marks of his glowed.”

All eyes were on Ray and the marks that still seemed to shine in the moonlight. He took a step back as he father stepped toward him.

“Son... you called a demon dog?”

“No, Dad, I swear on Erastil's Bow I didn't!”

“I saw him!” Den told the crowd, being a bit louder than necessary. “He muttered the spell and the marks glowed with a fell power! That boy called a demon into our midst and now denies it! Either we run him from the farms or we tie him up and send for a priest!” He started walking toward Ray, club raise above his head. “I gotta knock ya out, boy. Can't have ya calling anymore demons.”

“I didn't do it..” Ray said weakly as he continued to back away. Despite his father's shouting that everyone calm down, the crowd was agreeing with Den and advancing on the terrified Ray. The look some of them had in their eyes sent chills down Ray's spine..

“Dad.. tell Mom I didn't do it.” He said before he turned and ran, hoping he could get to the forest before he was caught and hoping the wolves were long gone by now. He ran through the herd of cows and stopped once they were between him and the other farmers. “Desna, please let this work.” He prayed as he turned and tried to imitate a baying wolf. It got enough cows awake(and now running away from him and toward the crowd/mob) that there was no way he'd be followed easily through their panic. He took off running for the forest again, this time making it without looking back. He kept running until a branch that wasn’t there a second ago decided to make friends with his forehead.

“Unh... damn branch..” He muttered as he got up. Hearing the crowd behind him getting closer, he got an idea. He started climbing the tree quickly, blessing the branch for being so low now. From up in the tree, hopefully hidden from view from anyone on the ground, he could that the crowd had torches now and had split up. He closed his eyes tightly and began to pray to Desna for luck. If he could just stay hidden long enough for them to give up the search...

There was a rustling sound above his head after a minute or two of hurried praying and Ray looked up out of reflex. What he saw nearly made him fall out of the tree. Above him, looking down at him like a monstrous squirrel was a dark gray wolf with a tail that was far too long.

“Don't move.”

Ray looked down at the ground thinking he'd been caught, but then he realized the words had come from above. The wolf... the wolf talked! He started to climb down, almost falling out of the tree in his haste, but the wolf gripped his shirt with his teeth and growled softly.

“Don't move.” It muttered through a mouth full of shirt. “No-torch coming.”

Having frozen when the dark creature bit his shirt, Ray wasn't going anywhere. A moment later he heard a branch on the ground snap and he glanced down. Saren, a half-elf, was under the tree and looking around. With his eyes and this moonlight, a torch would only serve to give him away to his prey: Ray. Then Saren looked up, straight at Ray up in the tree, and time seemed to stop. There was no sound, the wind stopped blowing, and the world seemed very clear to both of them.

“I see you still like to climb trees.” Saren said, bringing time back to a still world. “Seems your dog climbs too.”

The thing started to growl but Ray glared at him.

“Saren..” Ray whispered. “Please don't..”

“I'm not here to take you back.” Saren assured him. “I'm here to get you to the other side of the forest. You can't see like I can, and the cut on your head proves it.”

“Why are you doing this?” The wolf had let go of Ray's shirt by now.

“Because I've known you since you were born. You're not a threat to anyone.” She smiled. To Ray that smile seemed very sad. “I'm more dangerous than you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means get out of the tree so we can get you out of here before I make you get out of the tree.”

“You should listen. Have to run.” The creature growled in Ray's ear. Ray jumped. He'd completely forgotten it was there! It jumped down from the tree and landed haphazardly next to Saren, who edged away from it. “He is saying truth.”

After a about a minute more of uncertainty, Ray climbed down from the tree and began to follow Saren. But as they walked, Ray couldn't help but steal glances at the wolf-like thing that stayed at his side.

“Not evil.” It growled after the fifth such glance.

“What?”

“Not a demon. Not devil. Just am.” It said as it turned it's head. As big as it was its shoulder only came up to Ray's waist. “You called me.. Lobo Gris.”

“I've never met you before.”

“Have. In dreams as boy-pup.”

Ray was about to ask what he meant by that when Saren spoke.

“We're being followed. Stop to rest.” He took one more step and disappeared completely.

“Where did he..?”

“Well looky here! Ray and his newest demon-dog!” Came the confident call of a familiar voice.

“He's not mine, Den. I don't know what's going on.” Ray said, not turning around.

“Am yours.”

“You're not helping Lobo.”

“You've named him? Keep on digging your gra-” There was a loud thud and Den fell to the ground. Saren kicked dirt over his torch before she kneeled down and placed a hand on his head and began chanting. After a moment she stood up and began chanting again. A horse, complete with riding gear, slowly came into view next to her.

“He won't remember catching up to you now. The horse is good for a few hours before it disappears. He's going to wake up and think he tripped and hit his head. Then he's going find me in the clearing up ahead burning what I'm going to say is your remains. Wolves got you. I'll tell your parents you're still alive. Now go.”

“But...”

“Go NOW!” She said sternly. “I don't know why but I've got the feeling that you need to live. That is not going to happen here without a fight. Since you can't even get away without a lot of help from a retired sell-song, you need to get on that horse now.” He eyes gleamed strangely in the light and her voice had a strange undertone to it. “Get on the horse and leave, Ray Remiar.”

Against his will Ray got up in the saddle and gave the command for it to gallop. He couldn't even look back and say goodbye. He couldn't even thank Saren for his help as he rode off into the night. When he saw the mountains ahead, he wished could look back just one last time..