Life Story
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"You've a gift bestowed upon you by the gods themselves." So said the dwarves, smiling down on him. Such was Aldric's oldest memory.
He had been born with a most un-dwarf-like agility. That talent was one of a kind, even amongst the many dwarves who lived in close fellowship in the mines deep below.
He was not shunned for his peculiar talent. Dwarves of the mines bring their children up all together as a community. Every one of them is connected to every other by bonds of blood or obligation. And so, everyone rejoiced in his talent as if it were their own.
But a life spent in the mines provided little opportunity to put that agility to use. It wasn't until he had come of age that a major turning point came.
An explorer, long gone on a journey, had come home. The explorer, impressed by Aldric's talent, invited him to join him on a journey to explore a labyrinth. Encouraged by the blessings of those around him, Aldric had a realization. THe time had come for him to put his talent, bestowed by the gods, to use.
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Aldric became apprentice to the explorer and so set out from his homeland. The world beyond was vast, alluring, and fraught with danger. With his master's teachings, his talent grew, and he became a steadfast aid to his allies.
During his adventures, he had a marvelous encounter. Rescuing a wounded crow, stranded and unable to move from its perch high in a tree, the creature took to him and refused to leave his side. Aldric named the crow Grimm and welcomed it as a new ally.
Soaring through the skies, Grimm was quick to spot peril and cry a warning. As Aldric found himself called upon more and more, he and Grimm became irreplaceable partners, living in support of each other.
Aldric learned well from his master, going on to clear dungeon after dungeon. He made it a point to exchange information with any dwarves he met on his travels. The nimble dwarf who traveled with a crow grew steadily more famous, and his adventures continued on, even when his beard had gone completely white.
In time, his master grew old and passed away quietly. Aldric bore his remains back to their homeland. It was then that another turning point came.
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His master passed, leaving behind the words, "If only my eyes beheld the stone of home one last time." But when he returned to the mine, bearing the body of his master, he found not the warmth of home, but a gate locked tight. Adorned with symbols that roused a primal loathing, the gate stood fast against Aldric's pounding, refusing to let him in.
Grimm circled high above, tracking every movement and cawing a warning at the first sign of danger. Aldric withdrew for the time being, gathering information through the connections and renown he had earned on his travels.
It is said the tragedy of Aldric's homeland began when they delved too deep within the mine, unearthing a dark god slumbering within. Unable to seal the dark god back away in time, its cultists converged. They assailed the mines, poisoned the wells, and spread their maledictions.
The weakened dwarves could offer no resistance and were overwhelmed. The dark god, fueled by their cultist's faith, feasted on the dwarves. Aldric's brothers, his nephews, his cousins, and even their children, his benefactors, and his friends--all had been devoured, leaving not even ash behind.
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When something is given, it must be paid in kind. Giving and helping one another with trusted allies--that was the way Aldric learned to live across his lifetime.
And so--those cultists who had destroyed his homeland would be destroyed in kind. As they had killed every last one of his people, so every last one of them would be killed. Aldric swore an oath to the dwarves who had died.
He alone survived among the dwarves of the mine. He resolved to carry out his vow on his own. He expressed his gratitude to the neighboring dwarves who had sought to stop him, and taking on ly the crow that clung to him like an extension of his body, the long battle of vengeance began.
Aldric proceeded to exact his retribution on the cultists. First, he swiftly took down those who ventured outside the gate. Taking his time, he assessed the foes and looked for a way to get inside the gate. And Grimm soared above, gleaning secrets from the skies, aiding him in his many tactics.
One by one, steadily, Aldric killed them off.
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His innate agility, the skills and knowledge he had gained through his adventures, and his crow partner--using everything he had gained in his life, Aldric slew the cultists to the last.
The gate that had once shut him out of his homeland now stood wide open. Beyond it, the disciples who had once worshipped their dark god were nowhere to be seen. Those who tried to flee, too, were hunted down and killed, however many years it took.
Aldric buried his master in his homeland, now shrouded in silence. At long last, fulfilling his master's wish to see their homeland again, he let out a sign of relief for the first time in a long while.
Time had laid its heavy hand upon Aldric. And in his vengeance, the maledictions hurled over and over by his enemies were eating him alive. The time had come to end his long, long adventure.
In what time he had left to him, he spent his days quietly in his homeland, as if to watch over the rest of those who had passed on before him. It is said that, until the very end, a single crow stayed by his side.