Zagatrill's page

Zagatrills community had long lived simple lives near the south eastern border of Yamasa. Numbering in the low hundreds they existed as a farming community for several decades developing friendly relationships with the rustic human communities nearby and even adopting the worship of Erastil from their neighbors. The communities’ proximity to the Mwangi expanse afforded them a rare opportunity for nearly unlimited novel experiences and resultantly the village itself was a far more placid and family oriented place than would be found in most Gnome communities. To fend off the bleaching traditions arose of annual pilgrimages into the jungles to the east. Every year a small number of adults from the community would go with a few experienced leaders into the jungle in search of fresh experience and adventure. While occasionally one of the villagers would not return, having succumbed to the dangers of the jungle, the rest would return after a month or two with their color and curiosity refreshed.
This way of life might have continued for decades more had it not been for the coming of the Eye of Abendego. While the first day or two of the new storm was exhilarating and really quite fascinating, in a surprisingly short time the storm lost its appeal. The community tried to stay in their increasingly swampy home for a time but the continued deluge and the increasingly dangerous nature of the few remaining humans eventually drove them from Yamasa into the jungles.

It was about forty years after this migration to the Jungles that Zagatrill was born. At this time the gnomes had adopted a tribal life. Living off the jungle and moving constantly the gnomes actually managed to flourish. Their frequent trips to the jungle over the preceding decades had taught them the skills they would need to survive and their eldest priest had learned the skills of the local druids.

For the first two decades of Zagatrills life he happily lived as any gnome child might have. He explored the jungle around his village, caught multiple horribly virulent tropical diseases, was poisoned by an adder, nearly eviscerated by a monitor lizard, poisoned again (by a spider this time), broke both his legs falling out of a tree, got caught twice in quicksand… and in general had a wonderful time. However as he entered his adolescence the jungle began to change.

The demonic apes from the northwest had always been a threat and the gnomes had quickly learned to avoid their occasional raiding band. As he got older though, the apes seemed to become increasingly active throughout the jungle and the threat of being devoured by carnivorous demonic monkeys grew more and more prevalent. Perhaps the apes could have been avoided, but simultaneously, Zagatrills band of gnomes was discovered by the twisted Eloko. Unknown to them, the Eloko had been watching the tribe for some time.

The attack came in the early hours of the morning. A strong band of Eloko streamed out of the jungle screaming and brandishing their nets and clubs. The gnomes of Zagatrills band were no strangers to combat, you don’t survive the jungle if you cant protect yourselves, but unprepared for the attack they were hard pressed to fend off the Eloko aggressors. The tribe leader, the druid Kibblegask Bentfiddle finally beat them back by calling up a storm of fire to engulf the surrounding jungle but he himself was unable to escape from the torrent of flame as the foliage caught. Zagatrill attempted to rescue Kibblegask but the heat of the flame drove him back, burning him badly and leaving a scar over his left forehead that he still has today.

While the tribe escaped with few of their number lost, this new threat and the loss of their leader and protector left them to vulnerable to remain where they were in the Jungle.

Zagatrills tribe began to move away from the Jungles. Heading slowly south they sought a new land that would be as gloriously interesting as the Jungles but where they would be safer (safer from External threats anyway). In the aftermath of the Eloko attack, Zagatrill emerged as strength in the community. His general lack of sense of self-preservation and willingness to face injury made him a fervent defender of the tribe, confronting threats that even most of the other gnomes shied away from without hesitation. They moved south out of the Kaava lands and into Sargava where the nearby semblance of civilization kept the worst of the threats at bay.

While in Sargava, Zagatrill engaged in frequent dialogue and exchange with the assorted human tribes as well as the colonial forces. From these groups he received true training in combat. From the tribes he learned savagery and became an expert fighting from the back of both horse and the giant trained lizards used as mounts. From the colonials he learned social polish and how to fight with modern arms and armor. He was tempted to enlist in the colonial military where he would daily be able to mingle with the humans and explore their world thoroughly but in the end he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his family and community. During this time Zagatrill awakened to a young female gnome in his tribe – Laya Ardaflower

In all likelihood Zagatrill would have eventually started a farm and family of his own and lived quite contentedly until one day he was killed in a tragic accident on a pilgrimage in the Jungle, as was proper, but everything changed when Ydersius began to re-emerge.

With the serpentfolk slowly absorbing more and more of the southern Jungles into their empire, there quickly became no choice for the gnomes but to flee if they were going to survive. Once again the community was driven out, forced to a life somewhere between that of vagabonds and Jungle savages. At a loss for a safe haven where they could reside, the tribe of gnomes headed slowly to the north east. Rumors of a safe haven in the Screaming Jungle called to them and they headed to the north of that great expanse.

The gnomes tried for several years to find the legendary city and in it a safehaven but this whole time the Serpentfolk expanded their empire ever nearer. As time went by without being able to find a safe place to go a sense of despair began to take root in the community. The bleaching grew more and more prevalent among its members with each day that passed.

Eventually small groups of gnomes began breaking off from the tribe. A couple families at a time the gnomes began to head north for passes through the shattered range and into Nex where rumor had it a large community of gnomes lived in alongside the men of that realm. As the community dwindled and familes moved away, Zagatrill refused to leave the rest of the tribe behind. His duty to the community, his need to protect those who still remained was too strong to allow him to move on as others did.

Zagatrill continued to do his best to tend to his diminished tribe. He began to study with Bilispus Evergreen, one of the tribes many druids who was too old and stubborn to leave his beloved Jungle for a safer area. The combination of his burgeoning nature lore and modest spell craft combined with his martial prowess and dauntless (perhaps fool hardy) personality served his people well.

For five more long years Zagatrill defended those who had been left behind. He fought off the Eloko, apes, and serpents alike, moving his tribe when a foe too great to fight came near. All the while he watched as the jungle he had loved turned darker by the day. Slowly those with Zagatrill succumbed, either to the dangers of the jungle or the constant threat of the bleaching. Finally after over 5 years of fighting, Zagatrill was left with only three other companions.

Unable to deny the inevitability of defeat any longer Zagatrill and his companions made plans to leave the Jungle and seek safety on the coast.

Zagatrill and Laya Ardaflower were left with one other older Gnomish couple – Pilimin and Millioya WaterWander. The foursome travelled east planning to make their way to the Korir river. There they constructed what rafts they could and began the dangerous trip down to desperation bay.

The gnomes were nearly to the border of Sargava and the relative safety it promised when a band of lizardfolk attacked them. Zagatrill was able to fend off most the lizardfolk but their leader, a powerful sorcerer named Grekchat Firewalker, was able to use his magic to wall Zagatrill and the WaterWanders off from Laya. When the wall vanished and Zagatrill was able to cross the river no sign of Laya remained.

In a rage he nearly went after the Lizardfolk but in the end his sense of duty compelled him to turn, and leaving his vengeance behind, take his remaining charges out of the Jungles and into safety.

Zagatrill and the Waterwanders eventually made it to the coast and were able to catch passage on a merchant vessel to Bloodcove. There the Waterwanders took the small remnants of the former tribes fortunes and opened a small but prosperous inn the “Jungles Respite”. They invited Zagatrill to join them but he was no longer truly at home amidst such a populace.

Zagatrill returned to the wilds around Bloodcove making occasional expeditions into the Jungles heart to search for members of his tribe or for Lizardfolk on which to seek vengeance for Laya. He knows the odds of finding any tribal members in the Jungle after all this time are incredibly remote but he continues to hope, even if he wont truly admit it to himself, that Laya might yet be alive somewhere out there. Barring that he holds out hope that one day when he is more prepared he will yet again come face to face with Grekchat and have a chance to make up for his failure on the Korir river.
From time to time Zagatrill stumbles into the Jungles Respite. More often than not he is sickened, malnourished, covered in bruises and blood, and yet he is also vivid, his skin hair and eyes glow with an intensity of color rarely found in gnomes more than a decade old. While trekking through the jungle alone had nearly killed him it had also provided a wealth of experiences and sensations that would be hard to surpass.

In Bloodcove, Zagatrill has heard of an expedition heading into the heart of the Jungle. The deep jungles hold the promise of a thousand thousand new things to see and try and just maybe within them he would find the remnants of his tribe, Laya, and, perhaps, a way to return his jungle to the naturally horribly dangerous paradise that it had been in his childhood.

A ready smile and an infectious tinkling laugh are among the most common expressions from Zagatrill. He genuinely enjoys most things and he is constantly possessed of a sort of rambunctious energy that causes him to run from place to place like a child. He gets along with most everyone, offering quick praise and ready support to all those around him. He has a particular affection for children and can frequently be found playing with them or teaching them about the wild or the sword. He has a tendency to leap before he looks but his intentions are always good. Underlying all of this easy going nature however is a driving need to protect his community and his beloved homeland. He hopes desperately to find a way to restore the Jungle and reunite his tribe and in order to do so he constantly strives to better himself in all things. While every gnome is driven by a sense of curiosity, Zagatrill has a certain desperation to the way that he looks into every opportunity and opens every door hoping for something that will give him the means to solve his problems.

Zagatrill is about average in size for a gnome. He is 3 foot 4 inches tall and just slightly heavier than most gnomes at a robust 46 pounds. His skin is light with a definite greenish hue to it while his shaggy hair and extremely large eyes are a striking purple. Zagatrill’s left eyebrow is gone as a result of a burn when he was younger and in its place he has tattoos of a series of vines surrounding a small bow of Erastil. The scar from that burn continues up his left forehead but Zagatrill typically wears his hair at a longer shaggy length that covers the burn as he doesn’t want to alarm anyone with the scar. His clothes are serviceable if just a smidge on the side of old and worn but his gear is always in immaculate condition and his armor and weaponry shine in the sunlight.

I enjoy homebrew campaigns that can be a bit more attached to the characters and their reactions. I also really love the Mwangi expanse and ever since I first made this character I have been dying to play him. I think he has some really appealing weirdness about him and I am excited to explore his combination of dour determination, child like curiosity and zeal, and reckless courage in the face of the Jungles many dangers.