Memoirs Of A Half Giant...

It was the dream that began everything.  It was the same dream I have had ever since I was a small child.  This dream is the only direction I have ever been given in my life...

Waves of fire danced on the rooftops of the many huts formed in a semicircle.  I felt myself standing on a plateau overlooking the carnage--unable to move, barely able to draw breath.  The night air only served to fuel the scattered pockets of flame, licking apart the thatch huts greedily.  The screams of scrambling men, women and children could be heard echoing thru the small village.  Suddenly, a tremendous form detached itself from the nightsky revealing a winged reptilian creature swooping gracefully towards the settlement...

A dragon.

The immense red-scaled monster streaked towards the village and loosed a long, deadly gout of flame incinerating all the shadowy forms still left moving in the settlement.  The powerful dragon fluttered its long wings, coming to a hover.  It slowly lowered its height and settling itself in the center of the village.  Crushing anything under it, its emerald eyes turned directly towards me.  In a voice not entirely of this world, it boomed inside my head, "Serve me, Mothkar.  It is your fate.  There is no other path for you..."

I have had this same dream over and over, for as long as I can remember.

It was not easy growing up in King's Landing within the borders of Rilara.  I suppose my mother did the best she could to put food on the table for us, selling her body to any who would have it.  They would often chide her on the "ugly, freakish child" that she was rearing.  That, of course, was me.  Although I often asked about my father, my mother was quick to avoid the subject.  It was not until I was just over nine winters that I pressed the matter so hard that she finally answered me--she was forced into intercourse by the giant and never saw him again after the violation.  She only described the large humanoid as having grayish skin and the strength of twenty men. From what I could tell of giantkin, it was either a giant of the fog or of the clouds.

Living off the streets of King's Landing forced me to learn how to defend myself and fight with anything available to me.  I was the object of attention for most boys my age as the one to pick on, but as I started getting bigger?  The tables turned.  In time, I was avoided by those same boys and my childhood indeed became a lonely one...

More To Come...

In many ways, I am glad I grew up in King's Landing.  What better place in all Layonara to prepare a youth for the difficulties and brutality of life.  But the most important lesson I was taught in King's Landing was easily the lesson of "illusion".  Not any sort of magic or mirage, but simply making others see something that is not really there.  You see, being a half-giant has been both a blessing and a curse.  I have been gifted with exceptional strength and resilience, but cursed with a monstrous visage and a less capable intellect...or so they believe.  That is my biggest illusion that I have conveyed: I am a big, dumb half-giant who can barely piece together a coherent sentence.  The illusion is easily believable.  Why wouldn't it be?  Most others of my kind possess the intelligence of a domesticated dog, if that.  But I have always been different--always.

I tend to believe that my capacity for understanding is a blessing from Pyrtechon.  How else could it be explained?  For that very reason alone, I have dedicated my life to the spread of Pyrtechon's influence.  But I am no fool and do not possess the haste of my giantkin.  I realize that time and patience are my allies--success requires small steps before taking larger ones...

After twelve winters, I stumbled upon a secret shrine to Pyrtechon.  For long hours, I prayed to The Destroyer with the hope that I would be given direction with my seemingly directionless life.  As if in reply, I was approached by a human that wore the trappings of a Pyrtechon priest.  After a short discussion, this priest called Al'vain Firetongue decided to take me in as an Acolyte.  For the next four years, I learned the ways of Pyrtechon and his church.  At the end of those four years, I parted ways with Al'vain to carve my fate.  By the end of my learning period with the human, I realized that I had a solid Domain connection to the arts of War and the ways of Evil.  Such were the blessings that my god bestowed on me.

I find myself now in the small hamlet of Hlint.  I have now treaded Layonara for twenty winters and have learned much in my wandering.  It is here that I will begin my quests and carve my fate.  So much to do and such little time.

More to come...

I have surrounded myself with unlikely travelling companions during my brief tenure in Hlint: a goblin vagrant, a drow warlock and an orc tribesman.  Though I realize we all have our own goals and agendas, we all at least agree on one thing: achieving power and wealth to better ourselves.  With this in mind, our disputes are minimal.  To others, we are an unlikely band that would probably be lynched in most Layonaran municipalities merely for walking the streets.  Perhaps that is what makes the four of us decent allies: we are all outcasts in some form or another--not to mention the deities that we hold dear are all allied...

I am content to let Daralith, the drow, believe that he is "leading" us, like we are his mindless lackeys--as long as his goals do not hinder mine.  The moment they do, we will have to "redefine" our relationship.  If that means my slicing him in half, so be it.  Ideally, we can all achieve our goals without hindering each other, at least for a time.

Speaking of goals, I have set out on a few specific quests of my own.  These objectives I have are by no stretch obtainable soon, but perhaps in time:

- Giant Tribes - There are many giant tribes in Layonara, with some of them not answering the call of Grannoch.  These are the tribes I feel I can have an influence on.  I wish to sway their worship to that of Pyrtechon.  Just last eve, I was combating them with great reluctance--they are just as much my kin as humans.  Perhaps in time I can unite those tribes under one banner: The Destroyer's...

- Chromatic Dragons - My studies of the Children of Pyrtechon have left me with little information about the current status of the Chromatic Dragons.  I do know they have hidden themselves away since the Blood Purge.  This purpose became quite clear last night as I stood before one of the Blue Dragons last eve who was in peril from Blood.  Just as Pyrtechon has protected me, I feel it is my duty to protect his children here on Layonara...

- The Fall of Blood - This human has hunted and slain more of the Children of Pyrtechon than any other creature in Layonara.  For this reason alone, I will use whatever means is at my disposal to make this man fall--once and for all.

- Churches of Pyrtechon - Since the Children of Pyrtechon have been forced into hiding, the teachings of Pyretchon seem to have grown stagnant and obscure.  When I amass the necessary wealth, I shall erect Temples to Pyrtechon in all places that will have them.  For those places that will not, I will be sure to erect hidden shrines for those that seek to worship The Raging One in solace.

- Pay Homage to the Central Temple - Rumored to be the most beautiful structure in all of Layonara, I wish to pay my respects to this sacred place as well as visit the Chambers of Learning and the Hall of Petitions.  Also, I will not truly feel a part of Pyrtechon's Chosen until I wear a necklace of basalt, chipped away from his image.  In time, I will indeed make the trip.

- Assess the High Cleric - It is my theory that one of the reasons that the worship of Pyrtechon has dwindled is because of the church's leadership.  If our High Priest is weak, then he should be replaced.  During my visit to the Central Temple, I will see how strong this man is and see if he is a "stumbling block" to the greater glory of The Destroyer.

- Claim A Home To Pyrtechon's Faithful - I feel it is only appropriate that one of the many Dragon Islands belongs to the faithful of Pyrtechon.  Perhaps strike a deal with the Children of Pyrtechon that reside there for mutual protection.  It is here that I wish to make a stronghold for Pyrtechon's Chosen and his Children.  A home to behold for certain...

- Final Cleansing - Unknown to anyone I asssociate with, this is my ultimate goal: Final Cleansing.  My God Pyrtechon wishes to cleanse Layomara.  The only way this can be done is to utterly destroy all life.  At times, I find myself questioning this ultimate goal of The Destroyer, but such questions are not for me to ask--only to obey.  There are magics in Layonara that can make this happen and I intend to do what it takes to bring them to bear...

Time spent travelling has brought me to the conclusion that my grasp on a benevolent morality is slipping.

My lack of concern for people who cannot fend for themselves grows quickly.  When I aided in freeing Saudiria from the cloaked creatures and the lizardmen, I felt little feeling of satisfaction or pride in the accomplishment.  I looked at it as simply another step in my immediate goals: maintain my facade and continue to amass coin.

Recently, carelessness led to my succumbing to death from a dangerous foe.  I was thrown into oblivion before I even realized it.  My soul was infused back into my soul by a dwarven cleric of some light god.  I never want to be in such a position of vulnerability ever again.  Caution will be my ally from this moment forward...

My dealings with the Dregar people plagued by strange rats started with slight concern for the land but then shifted rapidly to curiousity of the mystery.  Once we were forced to visit the Citadel of Rofirein, it became clear to me--I hate these people and all that they stand for.  

Also, it seems that the status of the Pyrtechon church is as bad as I suspected.  I am solidified in my belief that our clergy is weak in both mind and body.  I met another Cleric of Pyrtechon and how easily she stood next to a Cleric of Rofirein.  She displays our god's insignia proudly on her shield while doing nothing to further his goals.  Frankly, I am surprised at the other "benevolent" individuals in her company--why did they not slay her where she stood?  Do they not understand what our beliefs are or what god it is we pray to? What baffled me even more was the ease at which she strode into the Citadel of Rofirein, our immortal foe.  Something to keep in mind for the future.  But back to the rat mystery...

I realized that my motivation stemmed not from a sense of duty, but from an insatiable curiousity in the Rift.  The Rift seems to be an unnatural force of entropy and corruption just waiting to be tapped.  If this is the case, then this could indeed be a way to Final Cleansing...

My questing has taken me to all corners of Layonara it would seem, sailing across the seas undertaking the next task for coin.  At times, it is extremely hard to remain an ignorant being in the company of more "intelligent" souls.  How I wish I could throttle them all for their sheer stupidity, but my hand rests by my side as it should.  My illusion must be complete.

Fezrekthania, the Broken...
Yzyartkadtrania, the Long Storm...
Dre'zlunkazhn, the Black Plague...

How many more of the Children of Pyretechon must die from the hands of "heroes"?  A dying race, hunted down and destroyed by these "benevolent souls".  It is a travesty.  Destruction will find them one day--of that I am certain.

In the meantime, I cannot sit by idly and hear the "brave" tales of these "heroes" destroying yet another Child of Pyrtechon.  It is a shame that the leadership among the Clergy of Pyrtechon has done nothing to rectify this.  I have yet to see another Chosen of Pyretechon even raise a finger to protect them.  Worthless...all of them.

I know what I must do and it will not be easy.  In fact, many would say it is foolhardy, but as a Chosen of Pyretechon, my path is clear...

...I must warn the Chromatic Dragons that remain--I absolutely must.

I was given my first opportunity to strike out against the forces of Blood.  More than anything, I wanted to understand this enemy and his minions.  I hate the ocean, but it was a necessary inconvenience...  

The combat came in the form a huged pitched sea battle with many ships involved.  Those aboard the Solace were a bunch of sellswords and adventurers such as myself.  The combats were thick and brutal--much blood spilled in the ocean that day.

Blood seems to command vast magics, possess large fleets and lord over powerful servants.  Many "dark" creatures seem to flock to his banner when they should be fighting under The Destroyer's.  Alas, I now know that the work to be done in order to meet and destroy Blood is immense.  At this time, all I can do is research all I can about this foe and aid in battles against his forces.  Although I know this is going to take a long time, my sense of urgency still remains strong.  This Blood continues to try and wipe out the Children of Pyrtechon.  This coupled with the "heroes' hunts" have made it a dire time indeed for the Chromatics...