Name: Tobias Wren

Birth Name: Oisín Callaghan

Race: Human

 

Character reference:

Green: Relevant to current events or location.

Red: Now deceased.

Black: Maybe alive, but not relavant to present events or upcoming location.

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Tobias Wren: My PC. A freelance adventurer who now lives under an alias to cover up a life of banditry that he was born into. Now being trained as a chronicler of events across the kingdom for a news letter called the “Curious Crow Courier.” Was trained as a Warden, though focused more on the martial abilities than archery or nature magic. (Thus is mechanically considered a cavalier.) As he is still technically an outlaw, even if he is considered a cold case by now since the last legal siting of him was back when he was 16, Tobias has reluctance to join certain institutions. He is sworn to the “Grave Robber Oaths” and occasionally wears a mask called a Dead Man’s Face when he needs to operate in morally gray territory. But for the most part, Tobias and the other “Dead Men” have been trying to escape that lifestyle for some time now. Confident, yet observant, Tobias prefers to look before he leaps. Considering as many possibilities as possible before committing to an action. He has a certain childhood trauma relating to fairies, but this has been mostly repressed. Still, if he sees a person moving towards him as though their limbs were being controlled by strings, it will trigger his fight or flight response. One of his eyes is a very realistic glass eye that he doesn’t remember ever receiving. He woke up blind in that eye one day, though when he dreams, he could see through the real one. It lies in a jar somewhere, peering into Madam Duval’s cottage.

 

Sean Callaghan: (Shawn Cal-ah-han) Tobias’s Father. A man who made a pact with a fairy named Madam Duval, and failed to complete it. Became a rather famous bandit and outlaw in his time. 

(Referenced in chapters 1-5.)

 

Oisin Callaghan: (Oh-sheen Cal-ah-han) Tobias’s birth name. The most likely identity people will be looking for if they are looking for Sean Callaghan’s son. 

(Referenced in chapters 3-8.)

 

Paige: Tobias’s mother. Disappeared shortly after giving birth. She may still be out there.

(Referenced in Chapter 3b.)

 

Madam Duval: A fairy that holds Tobias’s eye. Made a deal with his father, and has subtly groomed Tobias to bring it to completion, despite him not knowing that. Madam Duval occasionally has proxies watching him. They move like they were dolls with their limbs attached to strings, since she cannot manifest directly within the earthly world outside of foggy mornings or foggy evenings.

(Referenced in chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.)

 

Finston Galloway: The original leader of the Galloway Boys. A second born noble son to lord Baldwin Galloway who supplemented the family income through banditry on neighboring fiefs. Now deceased.

 

Rumpelanius Clinkencrow: A gnome who owns a private printing press called the “Curious Crow Courier”. Always introduces himself with a full name, followed by his preferred shortened surname. “I am Rumpelanius Clinkencrow! Crow for short…”. Crow has a fixation for spreading news to the remote corners of the world. After a run in with the Galloway Bandits back in their old days, Crow claims to have become indebted to Tobias’s Father, and a few of his men. Thus after gang split, Crow tracked a few of them down and offered them jobs as couriers.

(Referenced in chapters 3b and 10b.)

 

Aita (AKA Scarlet): Tobias’s mentor. A warden and wanderer of the Dragoste Clan. Raised him as a godfather of sorts, and mentored him as a warden, although his talents sort of took him in a different direction. (Mechanically, Tobias is a Cavalier, not a Warden)

(Referenced in chapters 3c, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8d, 9, 10a)

 

The Galloway Boys: A bandit faction that Tobias was born into. Once a group of honorable scoundrels, now a group of common thugs who fell in with a larger faction in the wilds around outpost 2319. Their namesake alone is derived from a noble family which Sean Callaghan made a bargain with Madam Duval to destroy.

(Referenced in chapters 2-8, and 10c)

 

The “Dead Men”: Former bandits who defected from the Galloway Boys, and swore to the “Grave Robber Oaths”. They now take up new identities as freelance adventurers to hide from those on both sides of the law. Tobias is one among them.

(Referenced in chapters 8 and 10b)

 

Targen Silverstep: A hero of the people, although Tobias learned of his true sadistic nature. He doesn’t know Tobias even exists, but Tobias already knows far more about him than he would ever want others to know.

(Referenced in chapters 7)

 

Red Jack: My brother’s PC. A halfling rogue with a strange connection to the fae, a craving for blood, and a collection of eyes looted from his fallen enemies. Saved Tobias once, though was robbed by the Galloway Boys of his crown soon after. Has found Tobias again just outside of Marshfield, and is trying to get him to help him with the Galloway Boys, or at least fairies. As my brother has died IRL, this character is reguarded as dead. The reason he told me to give before passing was that he drank from a cursed lake.

(Referenced in chapter 10c, and in game recap 11: Marshfield.)

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Location Reference:

Ouring Castle: A castle upon a hill with a small township. First home of the bandit gang, the "Galloway Boys".

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Backstory:

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Sean Callaghan’s backstory -

 

1: Madam Duval’s Bargain

Like most families that have garnered the fascination of the fae, luck for the Callaghans has always swayed dramatically. Where once they were fishermen, they became lords. And if you were to find one today, he would be shoveling manure in a run down stable somewhere. No one really knows for sure, but this was most likely where Sean Callaghan was in life at some point. And as with any men who believed themselves to be brighter than those around him, Sean had what you may call ideas above his station. Where the rest of the Callaghans wanted nothing to do with the fairies, bringing up their children with superstitious cautionary tales of them, Sean had always felt that bargaining with the fae would be his ticket to a life of grandeur, like that the Callaghans once had. And unlike his ancestors, he was determined to keep it.

 

Eventually, this eagerness to reach out to the fairies garnered the attention of one ‘Madam Duval’, lady of the misty valleys. And one foggy morning, as a half asleep Sean roused and began his morning chores just as the first rays of the sun began to pierce into the fog, he saw her carriage halt by the road of the village. A white gloved hand then extended from the window and beckoned him to join her for a ride. And before he knew it, Sean was in the carriage. Facing down a white haired, porcelain skinned nobel lady. Though half asleep, Sean was fully aware of what was happening. And he capitalized on the opportunity. Careful not to offend her, but aggressive in his negotiations. Cautious of making disadvantageous deals, Sean’s whit did much to impress Madam Duval. Eventually, a bargain had been sealed between them. Madam Duval’s request was simple. He simply had to aid her in destroying and erasing a noble family from existence. All he needed to do was “Remove” a man named Finston. And in doing so, he would receive a noble title. If for some reason he turned his back on this, and the noble name survived to the time his first born son was born, then the first born’s shadow will be held by Madam Duval. Until either Sean, or his son could complete the task. Sean was returned to the mortal realm once more. And as he gazed up, he had realized that he was nowhere near home. For now, he set his eyes upon a village with a stout castle that overlooked the village from a hill. A few years had passed, yet it was still a misty morning, just like the one he awoke to on that day. And Sean hadn’t aged a minute.

 

 

2: The Rake of Ouring Castle

After arriving a stranger in a new place, Sean kept his head low while he took in information about his new surroundings. It didn’t take him long to learn about the lord of the castle, Sir Baldwin Galloway. A rather cruel man, though just fair enough to be cut short of a tyrant. He had two sons. An older heir named Owyn, and a second born who was not set to inherit any titles, Finston. And it was the latter who was not only his way into the family, but also whom Lady Duval needed Sean to remove so that their fate could fall into place. From what Sean could observe, armed men would enter the castle late in the evening, then ride out after sunset. They would return sometime in the middle of the night, then leave shortly before sunrise. It didn’t take much more context from the villagers to piece together what was going on. Finston Galloway was reputed to be somewhat of a rake. And from what he could gather from travelers, the neighboring fiefs were often hit by bandits in the dead of night, who would disappear by day. The band of armed men were referred to quietly as “The Galloway Boys”. When the clues were assembled, it was rather clear to Sean that Finston was running a bandit syndicate from the safety of his castle in order to supplement the family coffers in times of peace or when taxes were lowered to relent on the villagers in times of economic stagnancy through out the year.

 

By luck, Sean had finally managed to meet Finston Galloway during an autumn solstice festival as men from the village contested one another in tests of strength. After beating several of his own men in stone throwing, races, and perhaps a wrestling match or two, he managed to earn an impression with the second born son. And soon, Sean found himself riding with the dark horses in the dead of night. Sean was somewhat impressed with the manner in which the bandits conducted themselves. Many of them were men of former military service or even knighthood. So they weren’t quite like the ruthless outlaws that he had always known. Least when he wasn’t on the other end of the sword tip. These were men who claimed to themselves that they were righting the wrongs of the gentry. Although this was just an attempt at justifying robbery, they clearly had a code of some sort.

 

A few sample “Rules of the Galloway Boys”:

1: No blood stained coins - They weren’t out to kill, they were out for coin. And if one were to return home with a bloodied sword or arrows, then it would be seen as a failure to the entire gang.

2: Bury them, and never forget their faces - Those who did decide to be a hero and met with an unfortunate fate would be given the courtesy of burial on consecrated land, and given a few words of respect for their bravery. Half of whatever that man or woman had with them would be given anonymously to any surviving family members, or a church if none could be tracked down.

3: Clear the way for those who can’t pay - Those who are financially down on their luck are bad for business. It could perhaps be more profitable to figure out what is blocking them from earning coin first. Perhaps the tanner’s supplier was caught for poaching, or the fisherman’s river spots were overrun with undead. The sooner obstacles were cleared, the sooner “compensation” could land in their pockets.

4: Millers are our kinds of people - Those who ran mills in their part of the country were often rumored to be up to no good. They had their hands in all sorts of illegal operations. Operations that the Galloway Boys found they could assist in. Thus, despite being of lesser status, millers were treated as honorary members of the gang.

 

As Sean road out with the Galloway Boys each night, he found himself embraced in a sort of brotherhood camaraderie among the men. He had earned respect, and even friendship among Finston and his men. And for a while, Sean even forgot that he was supposed to kill him. It is unfortunate, or perhaps fortunate depending on how you look at it, that Sean would fulfill this bargain by complete accident, merely by encouraging the young second born to a drunken dare, which unfortunately led to him drowning in the river in front of everyone’s eyes. His body was found in the morning, smashed up against some rocks at the base of a waterfall. And in the months to follow, just as Madam Duval claimed it would, the threads of fate began to unravel as one by one, the noble family began to meet with one ill fated misfortune after another. Soon, the castle was empty. But it would not be a Callaghan who would occupy it once more. For the name of the “Galloway Boys” still stuck with the bandits, who were now without a castle to mask their operations in. And the new lord of Ouring Castle was not about to overlook bandits in his domain.

 

 

3a: The legend of Sean Callaghan and the Galloway Boys:

Sean and the rest of the Galloway Boys were no longer protected in the realm. And soon, their faces and names were plastered on posters all across the fiefs they operated in. They were now wolf’s heads. Leaderless and on the run with high profile bounties on their heads, things seemed to be turning on them. Many split from the gang, many were captured, and a few even betrayed their brothers. Soon after, Sean found himself the de facto leader of the Galloway Boys. And around this time, when it seemed that things would be their bleakest, he received another visit from Madam Duval in his dream. She warned him to cut ties with them, lest he would never receive a kingdom of his own. But Sean was not about to turn his back on the brothers and sisters he had found himself struggling to hold together. Instead, he looked her in the eyes and told her “I already have a kingdom and a noble name. If I recall, it is my unborn heir’s job to ruin the kingdom I build, not yours.”

 

Madam Duval’s eyes lit up with what could only be described as a creator’s inspiration. “So it is. Fear not, for you shall soon have one! And I will groom him for the task” And just like that, Sean awoke to the stress of outlaw life once more, he began to notice something different. It was as though fate had relented on the Galloway Boys. Finally, the decisions they made didn’t seem to end in disaster at every turn. They were allowed a chance to breath, rest, and rekindle their numbers. And a new woman found her way into their camp. An archer by the name of Paige. Not fighting fate, Sean allowed her into his tent. And roughly 40 weeks later, Oisin was born. Interestingly enough, on that same day elsewhere in the world, a halfling named Red Jack was born. ((We’re twins in real life, it can’t be helped.))

 

3b: Clinkencrow:

Oisin didn’t ever have the chance to meet his mother after he drew his first breaths in the world. Whether she died on child birth, or simply disappeared soon after, only his father Sean knows. Regardless, Sean now had a son to father, as the Galloway Boys picked up and left the region for more remote lands. Along the way, they encountered a young gnome, who’s wagon was in the custody of a group of pooka. The scene was chaotic, but the bandits soon managed to free the gnome and his contraptions from the floppy eared menace. They learned the Gnome, Rumpelanius Clinkencrow (Crow for short), was on his way to Candrea Bay to start a private printing press in order to spread the knowledge of current events to faraway, remote locations. And as thanks for their timely rescue of his life, and more importantly, his inventions and deed to the business, he was forever indebted to them. He would go on to write a few papers of the heroic bandits, and their individual members adventurous exploits for a few years to come. For back then, they still lived by the code.

 

3c: An eye for a fairy:

The press certainly helped draw new members there way. And among those men and women was a Wanderer of the Dragoste clan. A warden who had known Oisin’s mother. He kept his true name to himself, but allowed those around him to call him scarlet, based on his scarf. Scarlet didn’t claim to be a member per say, but rather asserted himself as a godfather over Oisin, due to his friendship with Paige. That said, this assertion was welcome by Sean, and he took the opportunity to learn anything the wanderer would tell him of his mysterious love. How she lived a strange life, being drawn from place to place as though tied to an ever pulling string. Sean and Scarlet eventually became friends in their own strange way. He was Oisin’s tutor and caretaker in his absence after all.

 

There were some things about Sean and Paige’s son that left the scarlet warden a little unsettled. At about the age of seven, the boy mysteriously picked up the ability to read and write without anyone in particular teaching him this ability. And after his literacy increased, along with various other bits of knowledge that Scarlet didn’t remember teaching him, one night the boy awoke screaming. When they investigated, they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. From that day on, Tobias appeared to be blind in one of his eyes. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that one of the boy’s eyes had been replaced with an incredibly life-like glass replica. According to Scarlet, he once told him that when he closes his eyes at night and dreams, he could see through the old eye. Though what he sees is a glass Jar around him. And through it, he could make out an otherworldly cottage.

 

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4: Schism:

The Galloway Boys had found themselves in what would later be the general area of Outpost 2319. And finally, they had found a place to build their kingdom. This drew attention their way of course. And some of their new members showed less interest in following the code than they would have preferred. This somewhat created a tension between the bandits, though as need for money to build his kingdom grew, so did his tolerance level towards the actions of his men. Even as they started picking fights with a few of the barbarian tribes, and a few other bandit factions. The old members however were starting to notice a shift in the wind. Slowly and surely, they found themselves with less influence over Sean than they used to have, as new faces began to surround him and worked their way close to him. Things went from bad to worse when he then allied himself with a larger faction of gangs, and soon pitched the Galloway Boys into their affairs. These were uglier affairs than many of the old members were used to. They were no means ever good men, but the Galloway Boys had always found it easier to sleep at night when they at least pretended to be the heroic scoundrels they had built their reputation on. Now, even that was starting to disappear before their very eyes. And Sean? The greater bandit faction had everything he could use to build a kingdom with. Money, resources, political connections. All just laying there for a scoundrel as bright minded as him to usurp with the right cunning and maneuvering through the ranks. However, just as the final pieces seemed to be in place, those of the Galloway Boys who had differences, including his sixteen year old son and his new friend Scarlet decided to take what they felt was their rightful share, and get out.

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5: Callaghan’s Wrath:

The Galloway Defectors had managed to outmaneuver many of the bandits who combed the area for them. Although eventually, they found themselves at a bridge, held and occupied by the rest of the Galloway Boys. With Sean overlooking them. Seething with anger, he called out to them. The rest of his men eager to have their long awaited chance to shed their blood. The defectors attempted negotiations, trying to reach out to Sean as the rest of the bandits began to close in from the hills behind them, trapping them in. And for a while, the negotiations seemed to go nowhere. Finally, Sean’s closest friend stepped forward. And rather than air his grievances like Sean expected he would, he harkened back to the days when Finston died and the rest of the Galloways struggled to survive. How he fought against all odds and held together a group of men and women who had been forsaken by fate. The conversation brought Sean back to that day. The day he had made his decision to stay with these men. And then, an arrow whistled out and caught his dearest friend in the neck. One of the newer members who had wormed his way in close to him had gotten sick of hearing it, and took matters into his own hands. That alone was enough to get Sean to turn his back on his ambitions. After cutting down two of his men without so much of a warning, he screamed to the old members to make their charge and break through. The skirmish was brief, and the Galloway Boys had to make a withdrawal to keep their heads, but the rest of the bandits were now hot on their heels.

 

Sean laughed bitterly as he grabbed the biggest spiked club he could find and stood firm on the bridge. “Get on past me, you old scalawags. And keep m’boy safe! You’ve cheated death once, and now you shall do it again! And now old Callaghan has a kingdom to butcher!” He shouted, allowing them to pass. He caught one final glimpse at his son’s healthy, agile, and strong body with a proud smirk. He couldn’t tell who he could see more of in that moment. Himself, his mother, his friends, the wanderer, or the lady of the misty valley. And as that thought passed, he brained the son of a bitch who took a swipe at his son. The bridge was said to have caught on fire after that. And the laughter of Sean Callaghan cackled behind them.

 

 

Tobias’s Backstory:

 

6: Encounter with Madom Duval (Under Construction):

-Elaborations on the nature of Oisín (Tobias) and Madom Duval’s relationship, and his trauma, yet fascination towards fairies. Will also detail some bits of Tobias’s upbringing that add more context to his personality. This section will be added at a later date. For now, let's continue with where we left off, closing the chapter on his father.

 

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7: What “Heroes do when they think nobody can see them.”

The defectors were now on the run, still being pursued by the men who had managed to escape Callaghan’s wrath. Oisin remembers barely escaping death once or twice before his mentor’s arrows hit home. Others were not so lucky, cut down just mere steps behind him. But they were cut off by a third group. And before Oisin could react, he was gripped and pulled into a bush. His mentor held him tightly with a hand over his mouth to keep him from uttering a sound. Oisin watched as the bandits and a few of the defectors who couldn’t get out of view in time came to a stop with several crossbows pointed in their direction. But it wasn’t the bounty hunters who had been tracking the Galloway Boys since the time they had escaped hanging at Ouring Castle. Rather a regional hero. Targen Silverstep. The sort of man who made his living helping others and making the world a better place. The sort of man Tobias always kinda hoped he would become after hearing stories of. Although he couldn’t figure out why his mentor still kept him in hiding.  Though after exchanging dialogue with the bandits, he decided he didn’t care enough to hear the situation. And moments later, the most dangerous looking men in the group were brought down by the hero’s crossbow men. The rest were rounded up, bound, and laid out before him. After witnessing the inhumane mock trials this man conducted in the secrecy of the forest where no man could see, he heard Scarlet whisper quietly. “One should never idolize heroes until they have seen what heroes do when they think nobody can see them.” Much of what he had witnessed had been repressed in the young teen’s mind. But he could recall never being so disappointed in anyone in his entire life. Heroes, villains, they were no different. 

 

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8a: The Grave-Robber Oaths.

After escaping, the surviving defectors convened at an old forgotten graveyard. They gathered their breaths, their thoughts, and what little of the gold they had left. They counted who remained among the living, and who was unaccounted for. But the former Galloway Boys soon found that with both the bandits of the wilds, and the law after them, they needed to figure out how they could go anywhere and remain anonymous. One then turned to a tombstone, attempting to decipher the name on it in the moonlight. He remarked how close they all were to the grave. And that they could have just as easily ended up like that man. About how part of him wishes they could change places. Surely that man didn’t have any such stressful memories, as he had allegedly died from sickness. They started to let their minds escape their reality as they explored the graveyard, reading out the grave stones to one another. With the more literate peoples being asked to help the less literate when they couldn’t read a word. They started to make up stories, putting together the context clues left on their epitaphs. And finally, one made a joke that caused the shaken men to laugh… Only for the crushing silence to ring back in. Finally, they decided a new code. And then they swore upon them to one another. They were no longer bandits, they were no longer breakaways, they were no longer even themselves. Instead, they took upon themselves brand new identities. Oisin for example was now named Tobias Wren. Their old selves were now “Dead Men.”

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8b: 

The following can be found written on a note or a page somewhere among the “dead men”.

It is a reciting of all they had sworn to on that night:

 

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The grave robber oaths:

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"As we steal the names on these tombstones, we will all swear to these oaths. We must write these oaths, that we may remind ourselves of them. 

 

1: The dead do not have memories.

2: It is bad luck to speak of the dead.

3: The dead may only do the wrong thing for the right reason.

4: The dead will conceal themselves among the living.

5: The dead do not allow a price on their secrets. Silence is not for sale.

6: The dead defend their own.

7: Oath-breakers will always return to the grave.

 

Know this, if you are not one of our circle who has sworn to the tombstones on the night of our deaths, we desire no trouble, and beg to be left alone. We are merely a group of bad men trying to be better. If you use this knowledge against us, you are our enemy. If however, you choose silence, we will keep you safe as one of our own. Do not blackmail us. Silence is not for sale.”

 

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8c: The Oaths explained:

1: The dead do not have memories:

This oath means that you are now a stranger to your past. You have traded your identity and the life you lived for a new name and a new life. Likewise, if you find anything out about the name on the tomb stone, do not use that knowledge to insert yourself into that person’s affairs. That was his/her life. Respect that, and live out your own, for you are neither you, nor him, but a new person with an old name.

 

2: It is bad luck to speak of the dead:

This oath means that those who have sworn to the oath may not reveal the names, locations, or actions of other oath keepers to those who have not sworn to the grave robber oaths.

 

3: The dead may only do the wrong thing for the right reason:

This oath is made for both practical and moral reasons. Being that the original oath takers were former bandits, they are by no means good men. But they sure as hell have seen what bad men do, and they do not want to be that. The practical reasoning behind this has to do with the fact that crimes tend to draw too much attention. And being outlaws, that’s something that they don’t need. Therefore, if there is a temptation or a need to commit any sort of crime or misdeed, a ‘Dead Man’ must make sure they have carefully considered that their action will make someone or somewhere better than where they found it. And they must do so while wearing a dead man’s face, that they may never receive credit for the deed.

 

4: The dead will conceal themselves among the living.

This oath ties into basically all of the above, in that it’s basically saying “Don’t get too famous.” A common mantra they tell themselves is “I’m an adventurer, not a hero.”

 

5: To the dead, silence is not for sale.

This basically means that if anyone tries to use your past to blackmail you, don’t let them. In more extreme cases, this may mean the oath taker would need to don the dead man’s face, and treat the person the same as if they were one of their own oath breakers (And putting them in the grave), but there are less extreme ways. Sometimes the best way to ensure someone can’t blackmail you is to strip them of their power to do so. Knowledge is only power if they perceive a secret has weight with you. If however, you can shed that weight, you can turn things onto them rather easily.

 

6: The dead defend their own.

This oath just means that the dead men will watch out for each other. If they know a fellow deadman, or someone who knows of the oath and has kept silent about it, is in trouble, they are expected to make an attempt to get them out of it.

 

7: Oath Breakers will always return to the grave.

Simply put, oath breakers will be put in the ground. That said, the meaning of this is flexible. An oath breaker with a good reason, who may have been tricked, or under the effects of a mind altering spell and break the oaths unwillingly need only trade his identity for a new one by visiting any grave yard, finding a stone that contains a name lost to memory, and trading it for their current one. Thus metaphorically dying again. There is a limit, however. If you break the oaths and need to do this more than three times in two years, then you might be treated as a liability. It's up to the other dead men to decide this.

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8d: When Dead Men meet.

Dead Men don't change their identities frequently, but when they do, it may cause some problems if another Dead Man doesn't know that. To avoid any awkward situations like that, the Dead Men have devised a little code to determine whether they in fact 'still know each other' or have 'just met'. And of course they follow up with a gesture that explains what their situation is.

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So let's say Tobias is sitting there in the tavern, when he is approached by a man.

Man: "You're a real dead ringer for someone I used to know."

Tobias: "Was his face as pretty as a donkey?"

Man: "Nah, it was more like a snallygaster."

The two men exchange a laugh.

Tobias: "My name is Tobias Wren, nice to meet you."

Man: "They call me Anzel round these parts."

Anzel then holds out his left hand, palm facing upwards. Tobias gives him a low five, then turns to scan the room. He makes brief eye contact with a man staring daggers into Anzel.

Tobias: "Alright, catch you later, stranger." The two bid fairwells, as Tobias casually leaves the tavern, careful not to draw any more suspicion upon himself.

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What was just said here? Well, Tobias established that he had 'never met' the familiar man, and that his new friend Anzel was being watched by a suspicious individual likely outside of the law. The Dead Man gave his fellow Dead Man a warning, so as to keep his anonymity. Let's break down their conversation step by step.

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1: A Dead Man will always approach another Dead Man with the comment:

"You're a real dead ringer for someone I used to know."

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2: Now that it has been established that they are talking to a dead man, the two must determine if they retain their identities, or if one or both have swapped out for a new one. They have two words for each, and each will attempt to add the word that fits into their response as naturally as possible.

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The 2 words are:

Donkey: I have retained my identity since our last encounter.

Snallygaster: I have had to change my identity since my last encounter.

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So if person 2 responds to the opening statement with;

"Was his face as pretty as a donkey?"

 

Person 2 has just established that his identity remains the same as their last encounter. Now it's person 1's turn.

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"Nah, it was more like a Snallygaster."

Person 1 has just responded that he has had a name change.

 

3: Unless both have answered Donkey, they will continue to treat each other like strangers, and the Dead Men will introduce themselves in whatever identity they currently possess.

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4: Now that they have determined whether their identities have shifted, the two will exchange some sort of five. This is actually a way of conveying their current situation to the other. Depending on where his hand is placed, or which hand he's using, it could mean several different things.

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The Hand Code:

Right hand generally means "This concerns the law."

Left hand generally means "This concerns outlaws."

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The exceptions being if they use a fist bump or a wave instead of a five. 

Wave with either hand | "Nothing is wrong, let's just catch up for a bit."

Right hand fist bump | "I need someone I could trust for something. Talk to me."

Left hand fist bump | "We need to talk... As Dead Men. Follow me out quietly." 

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A low five with palm facing upward | "I am being watched. Be careful what you say."

A side five with palm facing sideways | "You are being watched. Be careful what you do or say."

A mid five with palm facing forward | "You have trouble, let's get out of here."

A high five with palm facing forward | "I am in danger, and I need someone to help me escape/fight."

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8e:

The Dead men then decided to become freelance adventurers. For it was the best occupation for fighting men such as themselves to blend back into society. Tobias left with the Scarlet Warden who then chose to reveal his true name, Aita. And Aita then began to mentor him in the ways of a warden.

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9: Where are we going from here? (Warden Apprenticeship):

 -Tobias has a bit of trouble learning bows, and somewhat lacks the ability for nature magic due to his anxieties towards fae, but excels with the use of bladed weapons, stealth, and plant lore.

-Tobias is now a young man, and strikes out on his own as an adventurer. Insert a few misadventures here.

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As Aita trained Tobias in the Warden’s path, a few things became apparent over time. Tobias’s missing eye made it difficult to master the bow, and due to a strange childhood trauma surrounding fairies which he harbored since the night his eye was taken, he was never really able to connect with Nature’s Essence and learn nature magic. A decision had to be made early on in his training to favor martial prowess over ranged combat. And in place of the bow, Tobias was trained in blades instead, and allowed to carry on his bastard sword training. As such, Tobias may resemble a Cavalier more than a warden. Within his training, he has gone on a few adventures. Several of which will be added here upon future updates to the backstory, but as right now, none are quite needed yet. This chapter does have an end, however, as Aita eventually succumbed to old age. Leaving Tobias to figure out the rest of his training himself.

 

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10a: After Aita’s passing.

After burying Aita, Tobias decided to stop traveling for a while. Life with Aita was an endless life of walking. And in his depression, Tobias had grown too tired of the aimless walking. He just wanted to find a place to hang his head at the end of the day. His life up to that point wasn’t a normal one, and he could just tell that by trying to interact with those his own age. There was even a distance between him and other adventurers, as many of them didn’t grow up on his side of the law. Still, he was finally afforded a chance to grow somewhat complacent, now that the bounties on many of the dead men were now treated as a cold case. So he stayed put in a campsite near Aita’s grave, and he lived out a solitary life. One season at a time. 

 

10b: Return of Rumpelanius Clinkencrow:

But the young ranger wasn’t quite given the chance to grow old just yet. After all, some one was able to track him down in spite of all the odds. A letter cane to him one day from a name he was simply too young to remember. One Rumpelanius Clinkencrow. (Crow for short.) The letter was addressed to Tobias under his old name, however, which raised eyebrows. It greeted him as the surviving son of Sean, a dear friend to this eccentric writer. And along with a long paragraph expressing condolences toward the bandit’s passing, it went off on a tangent to explain the nature of how they met, before digressing to the point. The gnome was finally in the final stages of making his dream a reality, and spreading the knowledge of current events to the farthest frontiers of civilization. But there was one problem. His couriers kept dying on him! But when trying to come up with solutions as to how to fix this, he ended up encountering one of those brave heroic bandits that saved his life in the past. And thus the gnome continued to write about his perplexity in why that man insisted that he had mistaken him for a dead man. After some time, Crow was able to discern the nature of the Grave Robber Oaths, and after swearing to them himself, he learned of their story. And he decided that the “Dead Men” were perfect to hire on as couriers. Men who lived a dangerous life and managed to survive both sides of the law to this very day? How could he possibly find couriers with a higher survival rate than that to unleash into the most dangerous wildernesses on the fringes of civilization?

 

Well, Tobias wasn’t sure what to make of the offer, so he assembled his gear and traveled to Candrea Bay, where he set up for a few days across the street from the establishment and watched. But surely enough, some familiar faces seemed to arrive, enter, and after a few hours at a time, leave with a stack of papers, which they soon mounted and rode out with. It appeared to be legitimate. After all, he couldn’t imagine any of the dead men surviving this long if they fell easily into a trap. So, cautiously, Tobias approached the door. And it swiftly opened up as a yellow skinned figure dragged him by his scarf into an office, shouting with glee as he had finally gotten his mitts on his savior’s son. In the end, not all the “Dead Men” responded to his call. But he had a little more than half of them now working for him, and that was enough to get business up and running. And so Tobias was equipped with a new job as a courier. But after learning of the young man’s writing ability, the gnome soon decided to start grooming him to be a chronicler of current events. After all, a gnome sometimes needs eyes and ears in places if he is going to write about them. Although in order to start his training, first Tobias needed some real world experience in the world of news and information. Using his connections, Crow managed to hook Tobias with a few interns, selling his chronicler in training as a man who could both write AND fight!

 

10C: Red Jack the Maniac:

Before his internship began however, Tobias did have a bit of an accidental encounter. A group of men from the surviving Galloway Boys managed to come across him while out on a job. Recognizing them from the past, they assaulted him, beating and robbing Tobias who was left in a pool of his own blood by the road side. But he managed to survive, if just barely. When he came to, Tobias found a halfling with a crude crown collecting his blood. The halfling then apologized, started talking to him, then gave him some of his own clothing and a weapon to defend himself before trailing off toward the Galloway bandit camp naked. Crown still affixed to his head. It was the last Tobias ever saw of this strange halfling. But thanks to him, Tobias made it home alright.

 

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In Game Story Recap: (Everything past here happened in or between games)

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11: Marshfield North | September 6th-8th

Pre-Marshfield Events

Tobias was on his way to Marshfield to look into leads of a job with the Marshfield News Paper. Somewhere near there, he heard word of a lizard man invasion of the northern district, and he met with Red Jack again at a mill somewhere near the city. Jack was under the correct assumption that Tobias knew the bandits, and tried to convince him to go to the outpost and help him find the bandits and get his wooden crown back.

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Durring Game:

Much of what could be said about his visit to Marshfield can be summed up in his recent chronicle, though a few other important things were omitted from his report.

1: Tobias had heard claims of a witch in a shack nearby town. Upon investigating, he learned that the witches name was in fact, Madam Duval. Jack, who wanted to find fairies, urged him to track down this rumor. Though the shack was empty and abandoned when they finally arrived.

2: Tobias has agreed to help the Audun and Runvar track Tyr.

3: Tobias has agreed to assist the Sir Francis and company find the orc.

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12: Outpost 2319 | Oct 18th-20th

Pre-Outpost Events:

Tobias has survived the ordeal at Marshfield, and has started to grow a little more confident in his ability. Though he isn't all that comfortable returning to the area, even after it's been 15 years. But Jack wants Tobias to help him track the bandits who stole his crown, and Runvar, Audun, and the other surviving Vulans want to return to the area to find more of their tribesmen who escaped, or Tyr himself. Tobias may be able to help with that, as he figures that any group that dabbles in slave trading likely has their hands in banditry somewhere. Add to that, his employer, Clinkencrow figures that the outpost out on the frontiers is the perfect place to start pushing the Curious Crow Courier.

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Post Outpost Events:

After biting off more than he could chew as an adventurer, Tobias had to take a break from adventuring. Getting burned alive and thrown into various dimensional battles by the thinning of the veil will do that to you. Returning to the outpost yielded him none of the answers he sought, but a huge list of reasons why he should avoid the region in the future. Unfortunately, he feels like he is just getting started with the region, and will likely be passing through again when the next batch of problems plague the region.

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13: Year 2020 (Time Gap between events canceled by covid)

As all the events this year were canceled due to covid, and we are still making experience for the canceled events​, I'm just going to write what my character was up to using my brother's idea as a starting point.

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Over the last year, Tobias and Mad Jack were traveling together, though Jack drank from a cursed lake, and was left in an addled state while the halfling’s body withered slowly. Tobias had put his duties as a courier and chronicler on hold in order to research a way to break it. This endeavor was obstructed due to plague preventing him from entering larger urban centers, so he searched more obscure corners of the world.

 

He couldn’t learn much more on curses, though he had heard of a mad man in the forest who may know more. To his surprise, the man, also a halfling appeared to know of Jack. Parsing at a glance what had happened to him. This turned Tobias down a more superstitious path of knowledge, as he quested for a few weird odds and ends in order to loosen the curse. The further Jack seeped into madness, however, the more his madness seemed to manifest into the world. While in his presence, the healer and Tobias could hear the echoing laughter of children, or see faces in the gnarled trunks of nearby trees.

 

The corners of pages curled, Milk spoiled, and shadows danced whenever one would get too close to the addled rogue who shouted obscenities and challenges to those who would dare mock a crownless king.

 

The healer told Tobias that he didn’t think these wyrd transpirings were caused by the curse. And that the spirits may be thwarting any attempt to lift it. In order to save Jack, Tobias would need his crown. He told Tobias to travel down to the glade, and follow the wisp of dawn to find it.

 

The orange wisp lead him on a hike, though it seemed only to lead him into trap after ambush. It was nightfall when he finally happened upon the bandits. Tobias bided his time, patiently encroaching on their watchmen before slipping into the camp. He searched three different tents before finding the crude crown of twigs and sticks. But as soon as he grabbed it, a sentry from the other side of the camp shouted before yelping with a thud. The bandits within started to stir. Some rousing awake, others rushing to grab their weapons. Orcs descended into the camp, crashing into the bandit’s hastily assembled defenses.

 

Tobias used the chaos to slip out, though he had to wade his way through orc and bandit alike before finally punching through the woodland. He ran right into an outlying group of orcs who waited on the outskirts for humans just like him, and they gave chase. It took two days to successfully evade them and make it back to the healer’s hut. But when he finally arrived, neither were there. After some searching, Tobias finally managed to find a trail that he had never seen by the hut. He readied the crown in his hand as he came to a druid glade where the Healer prepared Jack’s lifeless body on an alter. As soon as Tobias gave into alarm, something unseen ran past him and snatched the crown from hand with a rush of leaves.

 

The healer bowed to Tobias and thanked him. Before turning to a winding entrance path through a hedgerow maze that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Tobias could hear echoing laughter just as before. Though this time it was only one voice. Mad Jack the Maniac. The crown was lifted from the body’s head and adorned by an invisible entity. The glamour faded on the crude crown to reveal gold, jewels, and precious cut gyms adorned in nearly unfathomable craftsmanship. Allowing the body on the alter to crumble into leaves and twine.

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14: 2021 - Outpost 2319 | August 20-22

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Pre Outpost Event:

Following the death of Jack, Tobias has returned to his life as a chronicler.

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Post Outpost Event:

Pending

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