Grimwold

Grimwold was a Mousefolk Ranger, and among one of the first to explore Eskarya.

Background
Grimwold was born nameless, as every Mousefolk, to his father Finn and mother Veira just seven years ago. By Mousefolk standards, Grim is just like his peers; he's brave, agile, and wise beyond his years. In his first few years, he followed in his fathers paw-prints. Finn was a hunter for his village, a settlement of Meadowgard Mousefolk. Grimwold attended his father on these hunts, opting to stay back and watch, only joining once his father was comfortable with his skills. To this day, Grim's favorite memory was taking down his first snake after a long-winded and vicious fight.

Soon, he was taken under the paw of Elder Boris. Elder Boris was Grimwold's guide through the archives of their clan, teaching him the lore and histories of the Mousefolk and their settlement in particular. The village of Gamigill was founded three generations ago, over one-hundred years ago. Gamigill was erected after a migration from their lands further inland following an invasion of large, hairy creatures nearly three or four times their size. It began as single settlement of Meadowgards, separated from their clans, forced to start over. Now, Gamigill is the largest village, protecting an even larger network of Meadowfolk settlements.

Grimwold was fascinated by this story, but even more captivated by the tales of their enemies. After several years of study, he was finally given the privledge of choosing his name.

He chose Grimwold, after the founder of Gamigill. The Grimwold of old was the head of their clan, and founded Gamigill after leading a half dozen nests of Mousefolk to where the village stands now. With his name finally chosen, Grimwold was considered an adult. It took only a few months of building a desire for adventure for Grim to request leave from Gamigill. Elder Boris happily obliged. Off Grim went to travel world with journal, pen, and sword in hand. The world was his to explore, his to discover, and his to journal.

Grimwold carries an intense desire to learn more of the world, primarily to learn of the large, furry people who tore his ancestors asunder. After journeying only a few months, he heard of a new land begging to be explored. Without a second though, Grim took off to this new land.

Hammer 1496 DR (3/21/2020)
Grimwold, after being introduced to Lord Aldwin and Professor Bravenheim, set out on an adventure with Dungarth, Ezekiel T'nepress, Jamaal al'Hesan, and Erixitl. With Jamaal leading the party, as he had the experience, they set out north into the Tornka Forest. Light snow fell upon them as they entered the forests, aiding their next experience greatly.

They had only made it a few hundred meters into the forest before a few of them noticed the unnerving silence, sounds from the nearby wildlife had suddenly stopped. They pushed on but within seconds Grim and Jamaal again stopped as they saw three giant claw marks appear slowly upon the tree in front of them. Everyone searched the surrounding forest, but saw no signs of whatever it was that had made those marks. Then from in front of them, the sounds of heavy footsteps accompanied by a sinister laugh. Everyone but Jammal started to head in the opposite direction.

Suddenly from nowhere there stood a twelve-foot blue hooded Giant, fifteen feet from Jamaal. His arm outstretched, he hurled a cone of ice in his direction. Jamaal dodged but still found himself taking some damage from the attack. The party turned and started to flee, we could tell we were outmatched. Everyone turned and started to run, everyone but Ezekiel. He looked directly at the giant and calmly suggested that he leave us alone. To everyone's surprise, the giant hulking mass of death before them agreed, sneered, turned around and vanished into thin air.

They continued deeper into the forest, away from where they’d met what they suspected to be was Rairaku. Jamaal and Ezekiel explained that it was responsible for a few deaths here in Eskarya. Eventually, the light began to fade and so camp was made for the night.

A few hours into his sound sleep, Grimwold was awoken by three swift stabbings to his chest. He quickly fell back into unconsciousness as he was stabbed thrice by a Quickling. He was brought back to consciousness, but not before the party managed to down a Quickling or two. Slowly the party fought to get the upper hand on their assailants and one by one they dropped. With the small blue menace dispatched the party returned to their nights rest. The next morning, while everyone slept, Grimwold caught movement in the corner of his eye. He shot up quickly, reading his shortbow, arrow drawn and nocked. Grim quickly came to the realization that it was, in fact, a little Blink Dog pup. The pup galloped up to him happily, and nuzzled under Grim's elbow. They quickly bonded, and as everyone awoke, he introduced them to Finn, his Blink Dog pup.

Fully rested the party decided to head on further into the forest. As they headed deeper and deeper in, they found somewhat of a clearing.

As they passed through, the vegetation to the left suddenly rose up into a giant heaving mass. Giant bulbous flowers atop it with the remains of undead humanoids entangled within it. The plant lashed out at Jamaal, injuring him in the process, then spraying a noxious gas into the air. Jamaal and Dungarthed dropped to the floor, the others who’d fought off the effects attacked straight back. Grimwold ensnared the creature within magical vines shot from his arrow. Ezekiel who was immune to it’s poison advised everyone else to back away from it. Jamaal eventually recovered himself but Dungarth instead took a hefty blow and found himself at death's door. Again the party hacked away, damaging it further.

A flower upon the plant bloomed, opened. From it fell an undead corpse that rose and started to attack Ezeikiel. The party continued its attacks, the plant released another zombie into the fight and Erixitl healed Dungarth. Eventually the plant collapsed from the party's attacks, from it rose a horde of undead which the party decided to run from rather than fight.

Later that day a new discovery was made, the adventurers had stumbled across an old and weathered moss-covered shack, the inside lit by candlelight. The party thought it over and decided to return to Eskarya to report this finding, wishing to not push their luck.

Downtime
During the time spent in the fort, Grimwold found solace in fighting in the pits. After watching one of his fellow adventurers take part, he was fascinated and felt he could do just as well, if not better. Well, he did not do better, but he did do well, earning himself a fine 150 gold.