A Chance Meeting

     The forest around Kevin grew darker, colder. It seemed almost unforgiving. He had spent the last 6 months alone, only his prayers and the calm nods from passers by to keep him on the path. Everything felt so different. He pulled himself closer to the fire, being very wary of all the was around him. Had he really done the right thing this time? Or was he simply following the lost delusions of a mad man?

     A crack rang out from the dark. Kevin instantly stood up, spear in hand, ready to face whatever may be coming for him. The sound of heavy footsteps began to grow louder, slowly coming closer. A large bear began to form from the blackness, and worked it's way toward the fire. It simply looked over to Kevin, then walked closer to the fire and sat, but not like a bear. More... like a human. Legs sprawled out in front like a child would sit. The bear simply sat there, staring at Kevin. It almost looked as lonely as he was. He slowly moved forward and pulled his pack over to the opposite side of the fire, keeping a close eye on the bear. Unable to relax, Kevin sat, perplexed at what this strange animal was up to.

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     Aelar sat by the fire, or atleast as close as he could. The short halfling sitting opposite, he wondered what was going through his mind. Aelar knew what he looked like, knew what he was, and he had a good guess at what this small humanoid must be thinking. Yet still he sat. He tried to relax, show he was no threat, but it seemed so hard. After so long alone in the forest, he had all but forgotten how to interact with others. 

     He had spotted this halfling resting a few nights ago, simply laying by his fire. Something compelled Aelar to follow him, night after night. He wasn't sure what it was,  but it must have been the same force that told him to present himself. All seemed to be going well so far, so really what more could go wrong. As long as he stayed here, everything would be safe. Or at least that was how it seemed. Only time could really tell if that was true. So he sat, and waited. He longed for a conversation, but knew that was long out of the equation.

     Eventually he fell asleep, succumbing to the rest he so greatly needed. Never before had he been so tired, but a full nights sleep was such a rare occurrence, especially when you constantly felt hunted.

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Just a quick writers note. Hello all! Thanks for reading thus far. I am kinda having to extend this intro a little longer than I would have liked, as sadly I have had little time to do writing this past couple weeks. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will be able to get more done, and then we can get into the actual game story. By all means, leave any constructive criticisms either here, or wherever you may have been linked from (Facebook, Reddit, anywhere else this happens to show up). Thanks so much for continuing to read, and if all goes well then tomorrow will be the last of the Kevin and Aelar backstory.

Also, terribly sorry for the bad writing. I am also currently writing a bass line for a remix and starting writing the beat for another contest, so a lot of my creativity is being used up.

TUNE IN NEXT TIME 

Cursed Forever

     Aelar was a taller elf, spending most of his time studying the wilds and their inhabitants. While the rest of his classmates saw animals simply as another food source, Aelar saw them as the key to life itself. He was no vegetarian. He understood the need for sustenance from meat. But he also understood the many other roles that animals could play in the lives of not only the elves, but all humanoids. He saw that they could help all races reach the pinnacle. It was this fascination that led Aelar to Druidism. He had long been taken in by the mystical workings of magic, but struggled to find it's place within the natural world. Where had it come from? What created it? Then he realized. It came from nature itself. It came from the life force of all the plants and animals around him. It came to him, as a gift from mother nature, so he could help to protect her.

     Aelar was 68 when he first shifted. He didn't do it on purpose. He was simply meditating in the forest, simply trying to commune with nature. That was when he heard the loud crack of an axe hitting bark. Normally it wouldn't bother him, but he could swear that he heard that tree scream in a pain. In an instant Aelar was on top of the would be murderer, but he felt different. The look on his fellow elf's face wasn't that of familiarity. It was one of fear. Like he was being mauled by a beast. That's when Aelar looked down and saw what should have been his hands. They were replaced, unbeknownst to him, with the claws of a bear. He sat back on his hind legs and continued to look himself over. It would have appeared that Aelar had gained the greatest gift of all. The gift of shifting. He had finally earned natures true blessing.

    He never did learn what had become of the lumberjack. He had simply become to infatuated with his new found powers. He quickly taught himself to control the shift, and could now do so at will. He truly was given the greatest gift of all. The elves of his town did not seem to appreciate his gift as much as he did though. They began to look down on him, to avoid him, and eventually shunned him from almost all social events. Aelar realized that they did not see him as an elf anymore. He was something else, and to them it was an abomination. Soon Aelar gathered himself a small satchel of necessities and left the village behind. His whole life was gone now. They didn't want him, so he no longer wanted them.

     So that was it. For 50 years he wandered the forests alone, trying to avoid settlements unless he had no other choice. Then, one night, while he was passing through a small village he overheard rumors of a clan of shifters nearby. Shifters! They would take him in for sure! He quickly learned as much as he could, then set off to their last known location. It was a 3 days hike away, but Aelar was determined. On the third day he made it their, and was quickly met with the ferocious eyes of natures true chosen people. He had never seen a shifter before, and knew of them only through myth and legend.

     Aelar quickly learned how much dislike the shifters had for other races, and when he showed them that he was a shifter like they were, they became disgusted. Why had he been simply given this gift? He was not a true shifter, he was simply a magician using tricks. He began to persist, but the leader cut him off.

Never will I ever allow one of YOUR kind to live among us

The truly chosen of the forest

We are nature incarnate. We are the first.

None shall known of this abomination you have become!

For you shall never again be allowed to shift!

     The head of the clan pulled a wand from his coat and pointed it towards Aelar. A huge burst of green energy shot from the tip and hit Aelar directly in the forehead. He felt himself changing, transforming into something else. The pain was immense and gradually became too much for Aelar to control, forcing him to black out.

     When he came to, Aelar found himself laying beside a tree in the midst of the woods. He looked down at his hands, but something was off. He was in bear form. He had shifted? But... the shifters had removed his abilities, had they not? He quickly tried to change back into an elf. Nothing. He tried again, and still nothing. Then it dawned on him. He had been forced to remain in his wild shape for the rest of his days. He let out a loud scream, but all that came out was the roar of a bear. Aelar was no more. Now he was simply a bear. Another wild being, destined to roam the forest and fend for himself. 

The Gods Disease

      As a child of the small town of Hemnfell, Kevin was always finding luck on his side. Whether it be in simple childhood games, or finding a few small pieces of copper here and there, he always appeared the lucky one. Kevin never really saw it that way. He always felt as if he was being watched by some higher power. Someone, somehow, was directing him on a path, and he would be a fool to not see what it had in store for him.

     When he was older, Kevin began researching into the lore of the gods. This research soon began to consume his life. He learned how they came to be, who they once were, legends of who they would come to be, and how they would come to fall. The Gods Disease, though a long lost myth, was something that had infatuated Kevin from the moment he first learned of it. The Gods Disease, though rare, had the potency to kill any humanoid, no matter the race. No matter their status. Anyone who contracted it would die soon after.

     Though everyone seemed to show the same signs of illness, it seemed to affect everyone differently. Some reports say a small Halfling had contracted the disease, causing steam to pour from his ears for 3 days and 4 nights until, it seemed, a pressure inside him built to far to much and the poor mans body could not handle it. He exploded in the night, leaving nothing but a small smoking pile of ash in his bed.

     Another says that a Human king contracted the disease early on in his reign. Though some stories say he was so righteous and good that the gods cured the disease for him, many knew the truth. Their are some reports of people claiming to have seen a body being moved from within the castle walls in the night, but most of them were quickly snuffed out by those near to the king himself. Rumor says that the kings guard went into the forest and found a powerful shifter, then paid them to change themselves to resemble the king. Though the shifter could not hold the phase for long, it was always long enough to get through any public appearance the king may have had.

     But none of these stories show what the Gods Disease could truly accomplish. You see, if one could find a powerful wizard and give them the right ingredients, they could theoretically create a small vile containing the disease. Then, through a series of complex summoning rituals, one could theoretically summon a god to the mortal plain and infect them. To a mortal man this would accomplish nothing, as what does a mortal man need with a dead god? But that does not mean that no one would benefit. If this were to be done, and someone powerful enough were to find a way to ascend, they could take their own place among the gods, earning immortality.

     Kevin had become consumed in his research, trying desperately to find the recipe, but it was nowhere to be found. But now he knew. He knew that the death of a god could mean total chaos, and he knew what he had to do. So, soon after he turned 18, Kevin left the town of Hemnfell and began a quest for righteousness. A quest to follow the true god, Avandra, and to do only as she could see fit. She had guided him to this path.

     Kevin spent 5 years studying further into Avandras past, and her true form. He began to grow disdainful of his fellow acolytes, who spent all day praying and studying, doing nothing to further the cause of Avandra. If she truly favored those who acted, then she did not favor these lowly monks. Soon he grew tired of the same daily rituals, so he began to sneak off in the night. He went to the nearest town and searched for someone to teach him the basics of fighting. He came across a stout Dwarf named Barend, whose personality was as strong as his mead. Though friendly at the bar, in training he was a nightmare. Relentless and unforgiving, he would quickly punish every mistake and gave little reward for each accomplishment. Slowly Kevin learned to wield a spear with great efficiency, and the day he bested the Dwarf, he was met with a harsh pat on the back and a quick trip to the local tavern for a tankard.

     It was not long after his training was complete that Kevin left. He never really said goodbye to anyone at the monastery, for he had no friends there. He did, however, leave a small pouch on Barends door. In this pouch were 15 gold coins and a small note:

     I leave you this 15 gold. I have left the monastery to find myself a greater purpose.

I feel that Avandra has more planned for me then I have learned thus far,

so I must be bold. I must take this into my own hands. I thank you dearly for all that

you have done for me, and I pray that you find your own way. 

Stay Forever Strong

Kevin

And with that, he was gone. He never did bother to learn the name of village he stayed at, and chose to keep it that way. The fewer ties he had to place, the fewer would break when he never did return.