An introduction.. (Backstory to meet new folk)
You're not sure if you saw it... Under the hood, were his eyes glowing?... Did he have Claws, horns and fangs?... But when the he comes in to heal your wounds, and calm your fever or sooth your pain... and when he removes his hood all you see is a kind old face..... you hear a deep slow voice... and you don't believe the rumors.... he couldn't really be.... how could he be some kind of Demon!
So the village always welcomes the old cleric from the mountain... none know where he goes when he returns to the woods...
As the tall cloaked figure walks into the thick wooded foot of the mountain... a long slender tail unfurls from under the cloak... the hood is pulled back and the thick curled horns are revealed... he continues back to his home..... in what looks to be cave.... but inside exists a warm glowing hearth, carved tables and armchairs.... shelves lined with leather bound books and scrolls... He long wanted to leave the village to the ruin they created.... but Mother's words stayed with him all these many years... "Love without expectation. It is your love that will heal them" She was the one that found him, taught him , loved him.... and who stopped the village from burning him as a child..... they never completely trusted him.... but they respected her.... she was their Shaman... she was the one who healed, calmed and soothed.....
He was a mischievous child... and loved to find fun wherever he could... often at the expense or frustration of some of the villagers.
When Brüz was in his late teens he returned from the woods to find the whole village had gathered in by the Market and when he got close enough he heard them talking and then saw the pitchforks and torches... They told him it was his fault...The house he grew up in was destroyed.... and all that he knew gone with it.... including Mother... he was chased into the woods and would not be seen again for many years by anyone from the village (except Tarkus the goat who he would find wandering the woods eating Mushrooms)... Until one day he heard a great wailing, that drew him closer to the village... he saw many sick and in pain... and his mother's voice urged him to help... So with a long practiced spell he disguised himself as an old but tall man... and returned to his village to help... he healed the sick and injured after the Orc Raid that had almost destroyed the village.... he could not stay here but he wouldn't leave them to die... He became known as The old Cleric..or The man of the woods....
For years he watched over the village wandering in from season to season.. collect supplies and tending to those who needed it... but he actually longed to see more of the world.... the tomes and scrolls that he read in his cave spoke of so many amazing and unbelievable things but he never saw any of them.... and he wanted to go where were these things were.... but didn't really know where exactly that was.
Over the decades after he saved the village, Brüz wandered to every corner of the woods.... he enjoyed finding the biggest trees and the smallest flowers... and secrect things in hidden places... Occasionally his wanderings would bring him to the village... but it was different... the people changed the buildings moved but he would still go in for supplies, trading the curiosities he found for things he needed... always taking on a different disguise, he began to hear stories of far distant places... every story of adventure and intrigue.... but he had to look after the village... and would always find his way back to his cave....
Then on one occation as he wandered back towards his cave he found a new clearing he'd never seen before.... the short grass seemed trimmed... like someone tended this place... but yet there was no sign of any footprints person or animal... in the very middle of this clearing was a pile of stones.... but unlike a ordinary pile... these stones were stacked.. largest at the top.... smallest at the bottom.... balanced without any other support... But strangest of all was the fist sized orb that floated just above the pile... he walked over and got closer.... he looked at the sphere that seemed to shift in colour as he moved around it.. Brüz wanted to reach out and touch it when a voice from behind him said "To hold that orb is to know maddness and power..." but when he turned to see who spoke, there was no one there...
He turned back to look at the orb again and peered in closely.... it sparkled for a brief moment and he was filled with a warmth that he had missed since Mother passed.... he decided that he would leave the orb.... but every so often he would return to make sure that it and the clearing were ok....
Over many seasons he would wander through to this clearing and stay with the orb for a while... he spoke to it at times... like it understood him... but he never touched it... he found peace and tranquility in this place...
Until one day he was wandering down a dusty path when he came across a familiar hooded figure... it had been some years since he last saw them... last time he was as small as a gnome... but this time he was more 'normal' sized... but he knew that it was him...
The figure held it's head low... and then slowly spoke as the hood lifted up again.
"You're not making proper use of my gifts... you waste away wandering around in the woods... you have greater tasks ahead and new friends to play with...."
Brüz turned away and began to say "But the Village... " and when he turned back he was on the edge of the clearing and the figure vanished.. but this time the grass seemed overgrown.... and the colour was almost grey.... as he waded through the now waist high grass he got closer to the middle and the pile of stones had toppled and the orb... Gone.
And for the first time in many many years he felt an anger.... how long had he been gone from this place... how could it be missing?
He began to search amoung the fallen stones.... nothing.... the grass around the stones.... Nothing...
And then he began to forget what it looked like.... he knew he had to find it but didn't know where to start... when on the far side of the clearing he saw something disappear into the woods.... he gave chase and after a few moments he reached the far side of the clearing... and pushed on towards the last spot he saw movement.... and at each occation that he thought he'd caught up he would see again on the edge of his vision, another disappearing creature.... until he saw nothing but the trees...
As darkness began to fall he decided that he should head back to his cave... when he realized that he didnt recognize the woods he just walked out of... this was a new place.... he'd never been here before... and nothing looked familiar...
These were not 'his' woods.
And when he tried to find his woods... it was like he was walking in a different part of the world... He was in a new place and now he wanted to know what was around him... so as he came across another village. He wandered towards a ruined building and heard someone cry out... so following the sound, he began to search for the source...
He did not know where he was or how to get back.... but for now he would just have to see what happens... and hope that whomever he found, would at least be polite.
