Smoth, Early History:

Smoth was the youngest son of Derrick and Isabella Harkshire, a noble family in the town of Arness. His older brother, Cedric, was always the favored son, being much more athletic, and inclined towards warrior ways like his father. Smoth wasn’t really a bookish child, but was much more inquisitive and curious.

While Smoth was still a young child, around the age of 10, his brother Cedric died a tragic death, at the age of 16. His parent’s boundless pride in Cedric was deflated, and his parents went into a deep despondent depression. Smoth was not enough in their eyes to fully carry on the Harkshire name, and so from this point was pretty much ignored and left to his own devices. The family estate was ignored, and gradually fell into disrepair.

When Smoth reached the age of 16, he had had enough. He was tired of watching his family fall into despair, losing their sway in the city, the family treasury slowly depleting. He resolved to set out on his own, to gain his own fortune and revitalize the family, but also to gain the respect of his father, which had grown in importance to him over the past few years. He had grown indignant that the loss of his brother meant the end of the family. While his brother was alive, he was content to go his own way and let Cedric shoulder the responsibility. Now that he was gone, he felt the responsibility fell to him, but was being denied by his father.

One morning smoth saw a posting requesting help from the Duke of Arness (name?) in clearing out a nearby mine. He gathered up some money, put on some stolen plain clothes, and set out to learn the ways of the world.

Start of campaign:

Smoth went with the group formed by the Duke to clear out the mines north of the city of the kobold infestation. Upon returning to the city for their reward, he returned home to find that his father had vanished. He went to speak to his mother, and found that his father had received some sort of message. Upon reading it, Derrick had drawn his sword, and sworn that he would not sheathe it again until he had slain his enemies (? exact quote). He then rode off. This was the last straw for Isabella who fell completely into despair . Smoth took his father’s journal, and his sheath (which he had left behind). And set out to follow him in order to find out what happened.

Future summary:
– travel to nent
– kill gradak and orcs
– find lily dagger
– meet/apprentice to Ashaurok
– meet Qianto
– fight undead invasion, strange vision
– enter water temple, find familiar for Ashaurok
– travel to mensington
– assignment: kill familiar
– find info about baron edward’s secret army?
– sneak into library of Boccob; ish
– travel northward for some reason(?)
– try to help unicorns, instead piss them off
– help sick town, find giant spiral staircase to drow
– travel to capitol city at some point
– travel back to arness at some point; family name has been destroyed by Duke Harcourt
– small city with cleric Brownstone, find ghostly castle with hints about father.
– travel northwest to find other kingly candidate, see

Finding a familiar:

From people in town, you are given directions to a small thicket of woods a few
miles outside of town. It takes a few hours to get there, but as you get
closer and closer, you feel as though you know the way, and your pace quickens.

Inside the woods, you are pulled deeper and deeper, until you find a small
glade where a little bit of sun shines in on a large rock. Using the rock as a
place to burn your incense, you begin the incantations. Before you realize,
the sun has gone down and it is very dark in the the woods. The faint glow
from the incense is the only light you can see.

All of the sudden, you see a glint opposite incense. The faint glow is
reflecting off of the eyes of a small animal that approaches the glade. At
once, you realize that you already knew he was there; you could already feel
it. You are momentarily thrown off balance as a wave of unfamiliar sensations
rush through your mind. They quickly settle into a simple feeling of
curiosity, although it is not your own.

The small ferret comes up to you and begins sniffing around you, completely
unafraid. In your mind, the curiosity quickly disappears and is replaced by a
sense of mild contentment. Without warning, he scampers up your arm onto your
shoulder and settles into a nice, comfortable position on your shoulder.

By this time, you’ve become somewhat accustomed to the extra set of sensations
in your head. Strangely enough, those extra sensations seem to fit exactly in
your mind where the previous longing feeling was.

Congratulations! You now have a familiar.

Talking to Duke Harcourt about Derrick Harkshire:

THIRD: Duke Harcourt talks about Derrik Harkshire
Since Smoth has done him another favor (killing the evil Orc chief),
Harcourt will talk a little more about what he remebers about Derrik
Harkshire (Smoth’s father).

“I remember the story now. I had to re-read some of the old stories, but it
has all come back to me now.

Many years ago, before you were born, your father was a young up-and-coming
officer in the Red Lions. He, like many young lords, knew that the way to
power and glory was on the battlefield. At the time, I didn’t know him
personally, but I had heard of him.

During one of the periods of civil unrest that have racked our country, your
father led an expedition to the city of Wessen, in Angloria. Baron Edwards,
as he always has done, was stirring up trouble. Although it could never be
proven, it was widely believed that he was encouraging the lesser nobles to
rebel against the king. The king was forced to send many regiments to quell
these small insurrections, and many a rebellious nobleman lost his head to
the headsman’s axe.

Your father led the expedition to Wessen, where a young count named Cadras
was stirring up some trouble. A few weeks later your father returned alone
with Cadras’s head in a bag. He refused to speak about what had transpired,
but his apparent victory in the mission was enough to satisfy the king. The
king rewarded him with gifts and praise, and his actions gained him quite a
reputation among the rest of the soldiers. For a while, he was probably the
most famous soldier in the kingdom. However, while before, people had
described him as young and vibrant, they now talked of him as grim and cold.
We all wondered what happened to him, but a soldier knows not to dig too
deep into the memories of another fighting man. Eventually, the tale of his
lone survival faded from memory and was replaced by other fantastic
stories."

Research from the Temple of Boccob library in Mensington

Smoth’s Research
Smoth’s Father
The library is quite large, and it is difficult to find much about any one
person, especially someone who is not a major player. However, you are able
to find one special mention of Derrik

a.. When he was young, Derrik led an expedition to quell a small rebellion
led by Count Cadras of Wessen. A few weeks later, Derrik returned with
Cadras’s head in a bag. Derrik refused to speak of what happened, but
Cadras’s head proved his victory. For his bravery in battle, the king
awarded him with a Sheath of Vengeance.

a.. When he was young, Derrik led an expedition to quell a small rebellion
led by Count Cadras of Wessen. A few weeks later, Derrik returned with
Cadras’s head in a bag. Derrik refused to speak of what happened, but
Cadras’s head proved his victory. For his bravery in battle, the king
awarded him with a Sheath of Vengeance.The Body of Death
Throughout the library, there are innumerable references to TheBody of
Death, the skull-clad soldiers that you see in Mensington. There are many
conflicting reports on who they are and how they came to be, and quickly you
realize that they have reached somewhat of a mythical status. You are able
to find a few bits of solid info, however, you are unsure of the validity.

a.. The BoD reports directly and only to Baron Edwards. They swear
loyalty to him, and some reports state that they give their souls to him.

To join the BoD requires a very formal ritual in which prospects take
the road to Baron Edwards’s castle, bang on the gate, and request to die for
Baron Edwards. They are then brought into the castle. How this ritual
began, no one knows.

c.. For every 5 that join, 4 do not complete the training. Legend claims
that their bodies are forfeit and become undead. Other reports claim that
recruits are forced to kill and eat each other. Still other reports claim
that washouts are simply so ashamed that they leave the country, never to be
heard from again.

d.. When heading into battle, the BoD always carries the standard of Baron
Edwards, a gryphon with 3 stars around it.

e.. No one is allowed to watch the BoD train, as all training takes place
behind the closed gate of Castle Edwards.

f.. The leadership of the BoD is composed of the elite-of-the-elite.
Powerful warriors and spellcasters given gruesome names like “Hand of Death”
, “Eyes of Death”, “Heart of Death”, etc.

g.. The leaders of the BoD are some of the select few who have ever seen
Baron Edwards. He himself is never seen in public and rules through the
Pentavirate at home and his generals while campaigning.

g.. The leaders of the BoD are some of the select few who have ever seen
Baron Edwards. He himself is never seen in public and rules through the
Pentavirate at home and his generals while campaigning.Fuegis
You were asked to kill Flammon, the familiar of Fuegis. In the library, you
don’t find too much info on him, but you do find a few tidbits in books
listing the “who’s who of local celebrities”

a.. He is very hot tempered and easy to anger, and he is powerful enough
to back his anger up with force

As a member of the Pentavirate, he has tireless pursued for more
freedoms for Arcanists. He publicly states his views that mundanes are
nothing more than slaves and chattel who must constantly be put in their
place

c.. He has often come to the defense of Baron Edwards both in political
and military engagements. This has gained him a large amount of favor with
the Baron.

d.. He is a wealthy patron of the Temple of Boccob and lavishes them with
money in exchange for access to their research resources.

d.. He is a wealthy patron of the Temple of Boccob and lavishes them with
money in exchange for access to their research resources.