New Post: Dabbledop backstory

_posts/2020-10-23-gnome-cleric-wizard.md

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+---
+     tabtitle: "Character Write-up: Dabbledop Humblebumple"
+     title: "Character Write-up: Dabbledop Humblebumple"
+     topics: [gaming, writing]
+     pub: "2020-10-23"
+     short_desc: "The backstory of a Gnome cleric/wizard I played for a single
+     session!"
+---
+
+Gnomes are interesting. I can't help but play them as small frantic stressballs.
+Like hobbits from _Lord of the Rings_, dialed up to 11, minus the extra
+breakfasts, and plus ceaseless banter. Gnomes are fun. This write up was for a
+character for the same campaign as [Halvar], when he had to step away for a bit.
+
+## Backstory
+
+Nothing is more tiresome than midweek afternoon service. All the candles, and
+the verses, and the never-ending procession. Odin’s great and all, but I don’t
+think he cares about this. Of course, I mention that one time to the head priest
+and it’s latrine duty for the week! I guess now it doesn’t matter. All these
+acolyte duties were from many years ago. It was pure fate, the day my current
+teacher Maell’ezharon wandered into our village. He needed certain gemstones,
+which my family was renowned for, and which I was responsible for that day. I
+just happened to bring exactly the number he needed with me to the church that
+day. That’s a habit I have. The priests say I’m “blessed by foresight.”
+
+Anyway, Maell’ezharon wanders in, and finds me, and I tell him I know he’s
+looking for these gemstones, and he’s a bit surprised, but mentions that he
+hadn’t had his serious anti-divination protections up, since he figured no one
+would care. I told him I didn’t know what that meant. The priest chimed in that
+I was blessed by foresight. Maell’ezharon said that was shit. I was blown away.
+The priest huffed and wandered off, and I just stared at this elf who seemed
+completely unphased by an ability the priests couldn’t stop fawning over me for.
+So I push him a bit on it, and he says that divination is mighty common, and
+that if I wanted to learn more he could teach me, and he’d be willing to give me
+a discount on his services if I gave him a discount on the gems!
+
+And man temples are booooring! So yeah, I just packed up some stuff and told the
+priests I had to go because “foresight told me I had to!” and caught up with
+Maell’ezharon and off we went! I brought some extra gems, and a few extra
+sandwiches (which he seemed off-put by, which I account to his dainty elf ways,
+which meant more for me!).
+
+For the most part, it was kind of boring - but not as boring as the temple!
+Nothing is as boring as that. Trust me. Just routine travel along “safe and
+well-known roads” (says Maell’ezharon) to “respectable and trustworthy
+merchants” (says Maell’ezharon) for “law-abiding and fair trade deals.” (says
+Maell’ezharon). I was a bit surprised to find myself still saying a prayer here
+and there but old habits die hard. The more we travelled, the more Maell’ezharon
+would teach me. First he helped me refine my portent abilities, and got me a
+spellbook, and let me copy some of his spells into it. Then, in each town we
+went to, we would combine our powers to get the best deals possible. I would
+call upon my divine powers to aid him, and he would wheel-and-deal his way
+through trade deals and contracts. He insisted, time and again, that we do
+things “legally and fair” (his words) which was fine by me.
+
+Then, the event happened. And magic suddenly left, and Maell’ezharon… did not
+take that well. I should say, this was probably 5 or so years into his
+mentorship. He had taught me many things, and I was developing into “quite the
+capable wizard, if I do say so myself” (Maell’ezharon said that). We had
+travelled all over the place, and eventually Maell’ezharon decided he’d like to
+“invest in real estate since it’s like free money” so he bought a tower and did
+the whole typical wizard thing: magic plants, and a few animated objects as
+guards, and what not. I helped with that too, which was really fun. Anyway when
+the event happened, we were trading and suddenly I just felt this… emptiness.
+Like, a part of my body was suddenly missing. I looked at Maell’ezharon and he
+was pale as bone. He just stared at his hands, then looked at the merchant and
+told him he had to go, and he just left. He didn’t even get his things, he just
+stumbled out of the shop. I grabbed anything that was ours, and walked outside
+and saw him just standing there, waving his arms and trying to say the words,
+and his eyes were a bit crazy-like, and he was sweating. After about 20 minutes,
+he just sat down and stared. It took me almost 4 hours to finally get him up and
+to an inn. The next day we went back to the tower, and it was really quite a sad
+sight. The plants had all died (and not because I forgot to water them I always
+watered them I am responsible), the guards were piles of rubble. I helped him
+in, to his room, to his favorite chair, where he just slumped down and stared
+into the empty, cold fireplace. For a few weeks I tended to him, making sure he
+at least ate. And I kept up the place, cleaning as best I could. But after a
+while, I started worrying about my family, and so I hired a local farm boy to
+take care of Maell’ezharon while I was gone (feed him twice a day, make sure he
+uses the loo, and don’t let him hurt himself).