Big Brother Avon
Edit: I changed a few things and added alot of stuff in this entry, because with the help of my players, I better remembered the sequence of events.
The next game Avon appeared in was actually run by me. He was higher level than all the player's characters were, so the role I had him play was kind of big brother-ish. Playing a character as part of the adventuring party while your running the game is generally referred to as having a pet NPC. I never really thought of Avon as a Non-Player-Character though, because I knew that I would play him as a PC again after his role was finished in my game. Anyway, back to the story.
When we last left Avon, he had woken up in a field again. He got up, bewildered. Taking a look around, he saw the wall of a city off in the distance, near a coast. Upon approaching the gates he asked where he was and was told he arrived at the port-city of Telflamm.
Having never heard of this place, in Edinia or Krynn, Avon searched for an Inn to rest at and contemplate why he was here. During the night, he dreamed of a radiant blue-white dragon, who told him that his purpose was served in the Kingdom of Edinia, and that his former companions were now safe, thanks to him. The dragon also told him that he had a new mission, to find a certain elf, specifically one who lost her way.
In the morning, Avon awoke with clear memories of the dream. He gathered his things and decided to start his search. Not having a sliver of a lead to follow, Avon searched around town. The town was predominately human, though Avon noticed that there were several ethnicities in the city, including one so exotic looking, he almost confused them for a subrace.
After a day of searching the large city, Avon came upon a walled off section of town. He saw several people coming and going, the guards posted at the entrance making no move to stop them. Avon decided to search inside the area, but when he approached, the two guards, big men in black spiked armor, with bald tatooed heads, glanced at each other and approached him.
"The Red Wizards of Thay do not appreciate the business of your kind."
Finding this highly suspect, Avon peered into their hearts and sensed their evil. "Others come and go, but you see fit to bar me?"
"We have read your surface thoughts, and know you are a servant of a god. Divinely influenced people, especially those of your bent, are not welcome."
Narrowing his eyes, Avon set his jaw. "I am in search of-"
"We do not care what your purpose here is. You are to leave now or we will remove you."
Just as Avon was about to react to their threat, a man wearing white and red robes approached, a battleaxe hanging by his hip. "What's the problem here?"
Avon recognized the outfit as clerical robes, but did not recognize the symbol hanging on a chain around the man's neck. "These men will not let me inside."
The two guards just looked at Avon and the cleric. The preist had long black hair and when he crossed his arms over his chest, his sleaves fell back to reveal powerfully muscled forearms. "Well that's their call isn't it?"
Avon sighed. "I need to look for someone, and this is the only place I havn't checked."
The man put a hand on Avon's shoulder and looked up at him. "I wouldn't mess with the Thayans my friend. Let's go get a drink. Besides, whoever your looking for will leave the enclave eventually."
Avon and the cleric walked to the nearest alehouse. Avon learned his name was Tanith Brightaxe, and he was a cleric of the War-God Tempus. Avon was a bit concered about this "war-god", but Tanith assured him that Tempus did not play favorites, and taught that there is no better battle than a fair one.
While discussing matters of faith and dogma over a mug of ale, Avon looked over just in time to see an elven woman enter the alehouse, looking rather bewildered. Astonished, Avon recognized the tatoos on the woman as those marking a Kangonesti Elf, a race of wild elves indiginous to Krynn. Avon approached her and asked her if she was lost. At first, she was hesitant to say, but eventually admitted to being from a forest that Avon knew was located in Krynn. Avon assured her that he completely understood how she felt, and confessed being a native of Krynn, and a servant of Paladine to boot. Getting her hopes up at the mention of being a god's servant, she asked if Avon was sent to take her home. Avon shook his head and said that all he knew was that he had to find her. Avon wasn't even sure if this Telflamm city was on a different world or just the other side of Krynn. Eventually Avon learned her name was Lily.
The three of them, Avon, Tanith, and Lily, stayed at the same inn and met up in the morning, Avon requesting Tanith to join them in their travels to look for home. During breakfast, a merchant bardged into the common room and looking generally distraught and nervous. Upon calming the man, the group found out that he was expecting a caravan from the Golden Road to arrive a short time ago, and that they were usually exactly on time. Wanting to help the man, and also figuring he can get information about this Golden Road with apparently lead to a far off land, Avon offered to travel out and meet up with the caravan.
The three road off and after about a half a day's travel came across a battered looking caravan being chased by bandits. While coming to their aid, Avon that there was only one caravan guard left, who was wearing what looked to be heavily modified robes and wielding a large gently curving blade. He seemed to resemble the human ethnicity Avon nearly confused for a subrace, but something was distinctly different about this one, even from that exotic stock.
After a grueling battle, as Tanith went and healed the wounded, the exotic guard, who named himself as Akai, explained that he signed on to the caravan when it left his homeland, and that bandits had been hounding them ever since they got within a week's travel of Telflamm. If it wasn't for Avon, Lily, and Tanith arriving when they did, the caravan might not have made it to the city. But they did, and safetly.
To celebrate, Avon and the rest spent the rest of the day and night getting to know each other. Akai and Tanith got along famously and Avon joined in their discussions. Apparently Akai was a warrior from the far east, born into a warrior caste known as samurai. He followed a strict code of honor that Avon could respect, and was so far away from home on a quest to avenge the murder of his mother, who was actually native to this part of the world.
When things got to wrapping up, Tanith got a flash of insight, and suggested Avon and Lily go speak to Elminster, the most powerful mage in Faerun, which was apparently the name of this continent.
More on Avon's adventures in Faerun later.
The next game Avon appeared in was actually run by me. He was higher level than all the player's characters were, so the role I had him play was kind of big brother-ish. Playing a character as part of the adventuring party while your running the game is generally referred to as having a pet NPC. I never really thought of Avon as a Non-Player-Character though, because I knew that I would play him as a PC again after his role was finished in my game. Anyway, back to the story.
When we last left Avon, he had woken up in a field again. He got up, bewildered. Taking a look around, he saw the wall of a city off in the distance, near a coast. Upon approaching the gates he asked where he was and was told he arrived at the port-city of Telflamm.
Having never heard of this place, in Edinia or Krynn, Avon searched for an Inn to rest at and contemplate why he was here. During the night, he dreamed of a radiant blue-white dragon, who told him that his purpose was served in the Kingdom of Edinia, and that his former companions were now safe, thanks to him. The dragon also told him that he had a new mission, to find a certain elf, specifically one who lost her way.
In the morning, Avon awoke with clear memories of the dream. He gathered his things and decided to start his search. Not having a sliver of a lead to follow, Avon searched around town. The town was predominately human, though Avon noticed that there were several ethnicities in the city, including one so exotic looking, he almost confused them for a subrace.
After a day of searching the large city, Avon came upon a walled off section of town. He saw several people coming and going, the guards posted at the entrance making no move to stop them. Avon decided to search inside the area, but when he approached, the two guards, big men in black spiked armor, with bald tatooed heads, glanced at each other and approached him.
"The Red Wizards of Thay do not appreciate the business of your kind."
Finding this highly suspect, Avon peered into their hearts and sensed their evil. "Others come and go, but you see fit to bar me?"
"We have read your surface thoughts, and know you are a servant of a god. Divinely influenced people, especially those of your bent, are not welcome."
Narrowing his eyes, Avon set his jaw. "I am in search of-"
"We do not care what your purpose here is. You are to leave now or we will remove you."
Just as Avon was about to react to their threat, a man wearing white and red robes approached, a battleaxe hanging by his hip. "What's the problem here?"
Avon recognized the outfit as clerical robes, but did not recognize the symbol hanging on a chain around the man's neck. "These men will not let me inside."
The two guards just looked at Avon and the cleric. The preist had long black hair and when he crossed his arms over his chest, his sleaves fell back to reveal powerfully muscled forearms. "Well that's their call isn't it?"
Avon sighed. "I need to look for someone, and this is the only place I havn't checked."
The man put a hand on Avon's shoulder and looked up at him. "I wouldn't mess with the Thayans my friend. Let's go get a drink. Besides, whoever your looking for will leave the enclave eventually."
Avon and the cleric walked to the nearest alehouse. Avon learned his name was Tanith Brightaxe, and he was a cleric of the War-God Tempus. Avon was a bit concered about this "war-god", but Tanith assured him that Tempus did not play favorites, and taught that there is no better battle than a fair one.
While discussing matters of faith and dogma over a mug of ale, Avon looked over just in time to see an elven woman enter the alehouse, looking rather bewildered. Astonished, Avon recognized the tatoos on the woman as those marking a Kangonesti Elf, a race of wild elves indiginous to Krynn. Avon approached her and asked her if she was lost. At first, she was hesitant to say, but eventually admitted to being from a forest that Avon knew was located in Krynn. Avon assured her that he completely understood how she felt, and confessed being a native of Krynn, and a servant of Paladine to boot. Getting her hopes up at the mention of being a god's servant, she asked if Avon was sent to take her home. Avon shook his head and said that all he knew was that he had to find her. Avon wasn't even sure if this Telflamm city was on a different world or just the other side of Krynn. Eventually Avon learned her name was Lily.
The three of them, Avon, Tanith, and Lily, stayed at the same inn and met up in the morning, Avon requesting Tanith to join them in their travels to look for home. During breakfast, a merchant bardged into the common room and looking generally distraught and nervous. Upon calming the man, the group found out that he was expecting a caravan from the Golden Road to arrive a short time ago, and that they were usually exactly on time. Wanting to help the man, and also figuring he can get information about this Golden Road with apparently lead to a far off land, Avon offered to travel out and meet up with the caravan.
The three road off and after about a half a day's travel came across a battered looking caravan being chased by bandits. While coming to their aid, Avon that there was only one caravan guard left, who was wearing what looked to be heavily modified robes and wielding a large gently curving blade. He seemed to resemble the human ethnicity Avon nearly confused for a subrace, but something was distinctly different about this one, even from that exotic stock.
After a grueling battle, as Tanith went and healed the wounded, the exotic guard, who named himself as Akai, explained that he signed on to the caravan when it left his homeland, and that bandits had been hounding them ever since they got within a week's travel of Telflamm. If it wasn't for Avon, Lily, and Tanith arriving when they did, the caravan might not have made it to the city. But they did, and safetly.
To celebrate, Avon and the rest spent the rest of the day and night getting to know each other. Akai and Tanith got along famously and Avon joined in their discussions. Apparently Akai was a warrior from the far east, born into a warrior caste known as samurai. He followed a strict code of honor that Avon could respect, and was so far away from home on a quest to avenge the murder of his mother, who was actually native to this part of the world.
When things got to wrapping up, Tanith got a flash of insight, and suggested Avon and Lily go speak to Elminster, the most powerful mage in Faerun, which was apparently the name of this continent.
More on Avon's adventures in Faerun later.