Pilfer's Past

It's storytime!

*all the children gather around and even the adults lend an ear trying not to look interested* I wasn't the luckiest kid in my hometown of Greten, a now non-existent town far off the causeway. I didn't have rich parents or nice clothes, and despite their love for me I did not share their contentment. I longed to be rich, a stealthy fighter, and respected for my abilities not my nobleness. I cared for nothing in my hometown except for my parents and my teacher, whom I knew only by that name. To him I owed all my training, and I learned everything from him he would teach me.

One night when I came to learn my lesson for that day he told me a story. It was a story of a guild that resided in a far off land. This was a guild that taught the combat skills and skills of a thief, the skills that would make me rich. I listened intently as I dreamed of a day a guild like that would be more than a mere fairytale. A day when I would belong to such a guild and I would be wise and experienced enough to teach others with my same desires. As I walked home from my lesson under the dark peaceful skies of a clear night, I dreamed that of day. Returning home I went to my room, hopped into my bed and quickly faded off into a sound slumber of happy thoughts.

The next day as I wandered the brick laden streets of my hometown, dark menacing clouds began to cover the sky blocking out the rays of the golden sun. It began to sprinkle. Then, it picked up to a light rain getting heavier by the second, until it was an all out thunderstorm. But it did not stop there. It then turned to hail the size of a newt's eye, and I watched as people scattered seeking shelter from the growling winds and damaging hail. Then as if it was just an illusion the clouds faded back, the ground became dry and the sun returned to the previous place in the sky. The day continued to be plagued by strange events such as the sun turning to a dull gray and then back again to it original color. Beasts such as birds, horses, oxen, mules, and so on would fall seemingly dead with no cause. Then, not too long later would get up and resume their actions as if nothing had happened. It was as if a cosmic war was taking place over the small, insignificant town that I reluctantly called home.

Not knowing what to do and fearing my life and safety I fled from the town. I climbed a tree in the woods in which I found myself and watched as a wall that looked like heat coming off a street surrounded the small town. The modest houses turned a blood red and disappear one by one. Before I even knew what had happened the place where the town once was stood had become a clearing in the woods.

I turned away. Making my soul, now wrenched with grief for my parents and my teacher, come to grips with what had happened.

"But what had happened?" I asked myself. A question to which I have not even today found an answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wearily traveled on my way eating berries I had picked along the way and drinking water out of puddles to sustain myself. Then one day I stumbled onto a path, and I noticed a nicely kept sign by the road with two arrows. The one pointing what I thought must have been south read, "Moorgate" and the other pointing what I though must have been east read "Darkwell Wood".

With renewed strength I headed south with cheerful thoughts of finding a place to reside running through my head. As I got closer I could barely make out a busy, prosperous town full of what I would call "opportunity".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is how I came to Moorgate, and since then I have found a family in the Rogue's guild which, I was delighted to find, was not a fairytale after all. And, with every pocket I pick and every monster I kill, my dream of becoming rich is starting to be a reality.

*stands up, slips into the shadows, and wanders off looking to satisfy his greed*

Poisonous Pilfer
Snake of Shadows