Cor'Nal's Heart

As the Hours turn into days and days into weeks it was becoming clear that Kutenai didn’t bestow these great gifts upon me for my own needs but rather to assist in the greater good. We had warned the chieftain of the dangers that were to befall his proud tribe but against all warning he was convinced to continue on the path that had already been started convinced that it was the way things should be. Even after the warning that was given I still can’t help but think that I should have struck out at the Orcs before they could have brought their plan full circle. How many lives did I commit to death with my reluctance to use my gift, the same gift that is forsaken by these barbarians just might have been able to save some of their lives if not all of their lives but would they have wanted it that way. If I had stepped in and circumvented the threat would they have shunned me for in a way damning them by not allowing them to act in the way of their beliefs? I feel that the question will haunt me for many years to come.

So I make this promise to myself: I will no longer stand idly by while an innocent or ignorant person sets themself up for an inevitable death. I will use my gifts to protect the goodly folk of this world from those that wish them harm and to start this promise I began by eliminating the Orc’s that slaughtered the barbarians with such power that I myself didn’t even know I had. From the first sight of the orc camp to the death of Tonguescum himself I felt more empowered and inspired by what I was doing than I had in a long time. The last time I felt so driven was while assisting Dorian Haysted in his time of need and it was a feeling that was very long overdue.

As we left the orc encampment behind us in ruins I knew that there was more that I could do for the remaining barbarians. There were women and children remaining that were going to need a settlement rebuilt and even though they forsake my gifts I was not going to allow that to stop me from using them to help them in their time of need. So for days to follow we spent countless hours building a main building that would show strength to their people and unite them and hopefully allow them continue to rebuild and thrive once more.

As we left the barbarians I felt as if a weight had been lifted as if some of the guilt that I felt for not stepping in was redeemed but I still wish that I could do more for them. In time I plan to return to them and if needed assist them once more whether it be something as small as delivering a package for them or as large as protecting their settlement I will not walk away when I return. So our new destination is Henutsen, a city south east of Whitewall camp nestled into the mountains. The city is said to be a ruthless place where criminals are more prevalent and the greater good may not, so I feel that I may not have to look far to find someone that could use a little help. I have also noticed that Ademar seems to be a bit more eager to travel to Henutsen which in a way makes me feel good that my dear friend finally feels passionate about where we are going but also strikes me with a little fear. I have known for some time now that he is searching for something or someone but I can’t help but feel that what ever he is looking for is going to be more than what he can handle on his own and hope that one day he will reveal what he is in search of and perhaps together we can find what it is that has him searching.

Our new traveling companion has me worried however. Luethar stepped in when he was needed but we have no clue as to why he was with the barbarians and what his agenda was could he have been part of the cause set in with them to gather information or was he just an innocent person swept up with the masses. I have watched him closely since he assisted us and have only seen that he seems to hold on to anything that he touches which I am used to after traveling so long with Ademar but he is also very secretive about things even more so than Ademar which has me worried and always on my toes, but before I jump to any conclusions about him as I did with Patch and allow him in he will have to earn my trust and this time its not going to be easy to earn.

The past to Cor'Nal Utharo

Cor'Nal was born August 2nd in the heart of Kemmermere during one of the worst rain storms the area had seen in centuries. He was the only child born to Legawyn and Nydia Utharo. His family lived in a small hovel outside of the towns. His father worked as a messenger, traveling between the larger cities of the great forest they called home, while his mother worked at their home doing the daily chores and raising a garden to support the family and earn a little extra coin.

As the years passed and Cor'Nal grew older his father started to take him on some of the shorter messenger runs and his mother opened a small store for herself in one of the great forests small cities. While out in the forest Legawyn taught Cor’Nal to live off what was available to him and not to waste anything. While on their messenger runs Legawyn noticed something strange happening. He noticed that there were more numerous animals nearer to where they would travel and make camp and unlike usual they weren't hostile, they seemed curious. As time went on he noticed that these events only happened when Cor’Nal was with him. He noticed that Cor'Nal could calm a horse with just a touch or tame a wild dog with but a few words and with that Legawyn and Nydia knew that they had no normal child but a child with great gifts that had been bestowed by Kutenai himself.

At the age of 70 Cor'Nal was trained by his father and mother not only in the ways of the wild but also in the art of sword play and the ways of their god. By the age of 75 Cor'Nal had exceeded his parents and was sent out for further teachings in the great city of Sanctuary where he was further trained by a man known as Lythalruil (Ly=wolf, thal=healer, ruil=noble) a close friend to his father and a man known as a fine blades man but a wild man. Over the next ten years Cor'Nal trained hard under Lythalruil learning that his gift was more than just to attract animals but he could calm them and call them to his aid. He also learned that like a Cleric he could heal small wounds and like a mage he could cause small amounts of harm if needed but he still couldn't control his powers.

On one late fall morning Lythalruil and Cor'Nal were surprised to see Legawyn standing before them bearing a message. The high Council was calling for Lythalruil to aid the great forest. So at the age of 85 Cor'Nal returned with his father as a skilled swordsman and man of the wild. It was a joyous event for Legawyn and Nydia to have there son back once more but they knew that it wouldn't last long. It was only a few months after his return that his parents noticed that Cor'Nal was restless and that being stuck in one place not using what he learned was taking its toll on him. So late one evening over their supper Cor’Nal's parents bid him to go out into the world and use the gifts Kutenai had given him to explore and to make a name for himself. So, with there blessing that is what he did that very next morning.

In the next 10 years that followed Cor'Nal hadn't made a name for himself or his family yet but he had been traveling and had traveled all the way east to the Vesbeeg forest. Once there he planned to travel north but stopped in the Twin Towns first, where there was a struggling farmer that he knew could use some help. For the next 4 seasons he stayed until Dorian Haysted the owner of the farm fell ill with a fever and passed away. Once again Cor'Nal was alone and back on the road heading north as he had planned.

Cor'Nal made it as far as the forest of Little Wood in the Halfling republic of Murgar in the next 6 years. While there he started to hear that the real adventures were up in the frozen north and that’s when he knew where he needed to be. Once again he headed out but this time he felt like he had purpose and a place to be. He abandoned the easy, slow, pace that he had been going at for so long and began moving more swiftly than ever before.

Cor'Nal also found that his powers were becoming more controlled and easier to focus upon; he even picked up an eagle he named Kordre (Kor=black, dre=charm) as a traveling companion for some time. In just a little over 2 years time Cor'Nal made it all the way back to the Dwarven kingdom of Thorak which was nestled in the same mountains that bordered the Great Forest of Kemmermere. It was from there that he headed north until reaching the Town of Goodale in just a years time which was a slower pace than he had wanted to go. His pace slowed greatly with home so close by, he was often tempted to return to his friends and family after 22 long years on the road. While in the town of Goodale Cor'Nal was still hearing the stories of the adventure to be had in the north and the stories of the people who said that they had been there and were planning to return there once the winter was over just as Cor'Nal was planning to do. The following spring Cor'Nal headed out alone once more only to get to the nearby forest before befriending a young timber wolf he named Besali (Bes=Oath, ali=shadow) and over the next couple of months taught it a few tricks like how to carry a pack and how to hunt as a pair rather than a pack as well as how to stay or move at Cor’Nal’s call.

After about 6 months, and while he was finishing up training with the wolf Cor’Nal Spotted something out of place in the forest he had been in for so many months. He and his new companion started toward what looked to be a sleeping elf, a strange sight this far north and all alone. Cor'Nal was paying more attention to the weird sight than to where he was walking and stepped onto an old dried branch that snapped and in that instant; the lone elf awoke and sprung up swinging around long sword in hand. In the same instant Cor'Nal had his scimitar in hand facing the unknown elf. After what seemed like a few minutes Cor'Nal and the lone elf seemed to recognize one another. It was Cor'Nal that spoke first asking if the elf was from the Great Forest of Kemmermere and with a couple of other similar questions found that this elf was an old acquaintance of his by the name of Ademar Helyanwë. After eating breakfast together and chatting it seemed as if Ademar was hiding something or searching for something that he didn't want anyone to know about. If it hadn't have been for Ademar saying that his last name was Nightwalker rather than Helyanwë Cor’Nal would have never questioned anything. It didn't matter much to Cor'Nal that Ademar didn't want to give him the truth about what he was doing so far north it was just good to have another companion of the same race again.

As the season got longer the pair decided to wait out yet another winter in the safety of the town of Goodale which meant another year passed without Cor'Nal beginning to make a name for his family. The very next summer the pair continued on traveling north when they stumbled upon a confused half-Orc, lost in the forest. After much debate, they approached the beast, attempting to discern his motivation. Although dim-witted, the half-Orc, Vrock, was extremely gifted physically and offered no resistance to the Elven pair in their questioning. Vrock only wanted out of the woods and the elves saw an opportunity to add a measure of protection to their small party. Now a trio, the group pressed out of the deep forests and onto well traveled roads moving more easily on their journey north.

Finally on his way north the feeling Cor'Nal had just a few years ago for adventure are returned anew and with new companions by his side he is more confident than ever that he's going to be able to make a name for his family.

A Short History of Ademar Nightwalker

Ademar began his life as any young elf, with care-free days in the deep and secluded wood of his ancestors. While not engaging in merriment, he would study reading, writing, and art tutored by his parents Yhelestia and Celebrimbor Helyanwë. As he grew older, his studies shifted into the skills needed to survive outside the protection of the forest. He learned of the arcane and divine arts as well as sword play and archery, the latter of which he took enthusiastically to. Although his family was of no small means, he became fascinated by objects of gold and gemstone, hunting tirelessly in old tomes for clues to lost riches. Increasingly obsessed by the lure of things which were not his began to wear on those around him, creating tension and unrest within his family.

Sensing that their son was becoming an unwanted distraction to the community, his father Celebrimbor, arranged for him to become an apprentice to a jeweler, hoping that such proximity to gems and precious metals would satisfy his son's appetite. Deedra Garnet, an industrious, human woman in the twilight of her life, ran a prosperous boutique in a larger city far beyond the shadows of Ademar’s home forest. She was a trusted friend of the Helyanwë family and gladly took in their son. For many years Deedra taught the young Ademar not only the trade of cutting precious stones and working fine metals, but also of the wider world beyond the elven forests. For a while this new learning experience satisfied the young elf's hunger for treasures but it would not last.

Ademar began wandering the streets, exploring and experiencing the city around him. It was not long before he was befriended by Kendrick Cwik, a silver-tongued rogue who had been watching Deedra's apprentice for quite some time, waiting for the right oppertunity. Over several months, it became customary for Kendrick to meet Ademar in the evenings for a few drinks at the tavern followed by various stories of Kendrick's wild adventures past. Before too long, the naive Ademar was running beside Kendrick in the night, along the rooftops and down dark alleys. The young elf was ensnared by the freedom of the night and the rush of adventure. Kendrick always assured Ademar that the goods they procured were stolen by thieves, and they were on missions to retrieve them for return to the rightful owners.

One fateful night the target became Deedra Garnet's shop. The brash Kendrick believed Ademar to be fully in his sway, brought them right inside the back door of the boutique. When Ademar refused to continue Kendrick attempted to complete his theft despite the elf’s interference. A struggle quickly broke out between the two which roused Deedra. She rushed into the fray in an attempt to halt the assault on her charge, but it was not to be. Kendrick Cwik, disengaged from Ademar and bull rushed the old woman knocking her and her oil filled lantern to the floor, and ran fast for the door. Ademar rushed in pursuit but soon lost the rogue in the winding city streets. Upon his return to Deedra's shop he found the building ablaze. He rushed inside, but could not make it to the fallen woman. Engulfed by the flames himself, he staggered back into the street and fell into a nearby trough to extinguish himself. He tried several times to reach the old woman but was repeatedly beaten back by the flames. When others arrived to put water on the blaze, Ademar retreated into the dark streets, afraid that he would be blamed for the tragedy.

Anger, shame and fear drove the young elf away from the city with a blood oath on his lips. Kendrick Cwik became a marked man that night. Bearing burn scars on his arms and face, Ademar ran through the night, hiding and resting during the day only to continue running at night. For several weeks he continued like this, relying on his rogue skills (the same skills that had brought this disaster upon him) to continue his journey. Venturing near civilization only out of necessity, he continued on a path north and east, away from the city, and far away from his people. With the weight of Deedra's death heavy on his shoulders he could not return to his family. Not wanting to tarnish the Helyanwë name, he began using Nightwalker as his surname with any who would ask.

One morning in an unknown forest Ademar was roused by a druid, who turned out to be Cor’Nal, a distant acquaintance from his homeland. Unwilling to give truthful information as to his trek, Ademar fabricated a story about wanting to "see the world" to explain being so far from home. Seemingly satisfied with that tale, Cor’Nal offered to travel with him.

The pair continued on traveling north when they stumbled upon a confused half-orc, lost in the forest. After much debate, they approached the beast, attempting to discern his motivation. Although dim-witted, the half-orc Vrock, was extremely gifted physically and offered no resistance to the elven pair in their questioning. Vrock only wanted out of the woods and the elves saw an opportunity to add a measure of protection to their small party. Now a trio, the group pressed out of the deep forests and onto well traveled roads moving more easily on their journey north.

Now, with traveling companions at his side occupying his thoughts, Ademars' drive for riches and comfort have slowly returned. Although usually distracted by day to day travel and events, he refuses to let his inner rage toward Kendrick Cwik burn out. Ademar fully intends to return to the city and have his revenge. Blood oaths are not made lightly.


-Written by Erich Schudlich

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Physical Description: Very thin and standing only 5' tall, Ademar is not an imposing physical individual. He dresses in rugged, well traveled clothes which are often dusty and mud splattered from long days on the road. A long black cloak covers his dark leather armor and conceals his long sword and daggers. He is often seen with a bow slung over his shoulder, his most used weapon. Deep beneath his cowl hides a face scarred by fire which rarely sees the sunlight. Piercing green eyes peer out from the shadows of his cowl, watching everything around him. Although never seen, Ademars' copper hair is long but kept tied and out of the way. Few people approach the secretive elf and fewer still would trust him. His scarred face and hands often cause those who see it to turn away in disgust. Because of this, he tends to keep to himself and attempts to blend into the background.

Companions: Vrock, son of Grock, Killer of giant snakes, Bane of frobolds, Terror of white bear, Rescuer of princess. (Now deceased), the elven druid Cor’Nal Utharo and newly acquainted Patch, Dwarven Barbarian fighter-rogue