Vio Valencia (Abandoned)
The Valencia Twins: A Back Story
The mother crooned a firelight lullaby, a ward against the terrors stalking through the nearby Deep Wood. The little ones at her breast were old enough now to sense her unease, and fell quiet and still as danger loomed in the growing darkness. The fire was small and gave off little warmth, but a slight chill was far better than attracting the many evil things that roamed through the forest at night. Luckily the moon was full and bright, bathing the impenetrable tree line in a bright silvery glow.
The mother would not be on the very edge of the open plains if there was any other way. Her elfin lover, dead three days now, was murdered defending her new family, and her babes would surely have joined him if she remained long among her own kind. Half human, half elf, her twins were shunned as impure abominations. Van and Vio were their names, the boy sharing the human look of his mother, and the girl, her father’s flowing white hair and sharp tipped ears. To the mother they were both lovely beyond compare, but their beauty did not keep her family and friends from turning against her in fear and superstition. Without thought or care they’d driven her violently from her home and village. Bereft, she’d traveled across half of Elgea to seek out their father’s people, only to be scorned and sent out into the wild once more. Desperate now, she had only one last hope…Shrapnel and his band of merry followers, a lone safe haven, a candle glowing in the blackest part of the night. She must find them if the twins were to live. They were said to have a Stronghold on the far side of the Deep Wood, a perilous journey indeed, but then was not all life a perilous journey?
Hoping they were safe for just a while, the mother’s heart fell when she heard the clink and clank of approaching armored warriors. Soon the sounds of guttural speech and laughter confirmed that it was a group of goblins heading her way. She was not surprised by their appearance. She always expected some ill fortune to find her on the road, that it had taken so long to find her was the intensely cruel part…but fate always had a cruel streak. What did surprise her, however, was that instead of emerging from the dark woods, she heard the oncoming grunts and howls from across the open plains. They were still some distance away, but after a few moments of hard listening she could tell they were coming right for her, drawn by her small fire no doubt. She’d taken pains to hide it from the woods, building it behind a slight rise, but that only made it more visible to dangers approaching from the opposite direction.
“Hush, my loves,” the mother whispered in a panic and gathered her small babes to her breast. She moved quickly to the edge of the Deep Wood, knowing that she had to hide her children away and then draw off the goblin threat. Baby flesh was like meat candy to such as they, crispy bacon on the tongue, and the goblins would stop at nothing if they caught the scent of her young ones. Treading as quietly as possible, the mother gently laid her babes among the thick and gnarled tree roots of great old oak, hiding them deep within the moonlight shadows.
“Quiet now,” she whispered to the dark, only the cat-like glow of Vio’s wide eyes penetrating the gloom.
The mother hesitated for a moment; reluctant to leave the two, but a loud clank and a host of raucous laughter spurred her to action. She spun and hustled back to the fire, there she pulled Silver Starfire, her lover’s elfin sword, from its sheath, the bright, sharp edges of the blade glinting in the moonlight. Heart pounding, she squatted by the fire. Her back was to the forest, and the sword was resting on her knees as she waited. It was a very short wait.
The goblins, drawn to the fire, howled with joy when they spotted only a lone human woman…easy pickings as far as they were concerned. The mother stood anxiously as they rushed out of the darkened plains. Instinctively she moved to the balls of her feet and readied herself for the coming fight. It was a fight she had to win…for the sake of the twins. Despite the goblin’s confidence, she was no stranger to battle or the sword, anyone growing up on the plains of Kal Tirikan could have told them so. The hungry and lustful goblins however, would not have stopped to listen. They wanted human flesh…and they wanted it cooked lightly over the mother’s own fire.
Luckily they didn’t consider her much of a threat, so their attack was disjointed and uncoordinated. The first was only five strides away when the mother calmly moved forward and kicked the makings of the small fire at her attacker. The small burning branches and embers flew up, and while they did not hit the goblin, they managed to draw his attention away from Silver Starfire. It was a fatal mistake and the mother quickly skewered him. The wounded goblin shrieked loudly and made to stab and then bite the impudent human. The mother avoided both easily, but struggled to pull the sword away as the dying brute sagged against her.
The two remaining goblins wailed in anger and separated. The nearest of the two raised his heavy war axe as he shuffled forward, intent on splitting the woman’s head open like a bright blue robin’s egg. The mother however, saw the mighty swing coming and pushed the wounded goblin into its path and then wrenched the sword from his gut. The goblin’s cry of pain was cut short as they axe inadvertently crashed down on his exposed left shoulder, cleaving most of his upper torso in two with a wet sickening crunch.
The mother staggered back and turned to face the last attacker. She just had time to raise Starfire and deflect the goblin’s rusty, iron sword. And though the blood stained weapon was no match for the beauty and elegance of the elfin sword in her hands, the mother knew one scratch from its foul edge would mean her doom, since the wound would surely fester and rot. The mother managed to turn aside two more swings from the iron sword before the axe bearer re-entered the fray behind her. The mother spun and jumped, flitting from place to place like a puppy at play, always managing to remain just out of reach. After a time she was fortunate and skilled enough to finally pierce the axe bearer in the upper arm, causing the goblin to screech and drop the axe into the tall grass. The mother had no time to celebrate however, and had to stumble away from a wicked slash, taking a grazing strike across her midsection before she was able to move clear. Luckily her bodice was thick and held together with strong leather ties, so that the edge of the blade did not pierce her skin.
The force of the blow, however, pulled the goblin around and off balance, and before he could right himself the mother sliced Starfire completely through his right arm. The beast man wailed and fell away, writhing in the dirt. Triumphant the mother spun, but the former axe bearer was already upon her, plunging his long bone dagger deep into her upper chest before she could react.
The mother staggered back and stared in shock at the hilt of the knife protruding from her body. There was little pain and it hardly seemed real until her strength began to leave her and she dropped unwillingly to her knees. Still gripping Starfire tightly, her gaze slowly returned to the gleeful face of the victorious goblin hovering above her. Foolishly he moved forward, believing the fight was over. He was eager for a feast of human flesh, a feast he would no longer have to share thanks to fortune and the woman’s skill with a blade. The mother, nearly overcome with anger and frustration growled low in her throat and with the last of her strength she screamed out in defiance and rammed Starfire upward and into the heart of her assailant. The last of the goblins stared at her for a moment in shock and then died without a sound. The mother pushed him aside thoughts now only for her children. She was desperate to see them, desperate to hold them. She somehow staggered to her feet and made it nearly a dozen steps before her knees finally gave out and she collapsed in the long grass.
Just over an hour later three riders happened by the tragic scene, drawn to the lonely spot first by the small wildfire burning in the surrounding grass, and then by the wails of the hidden children.
The dwarf Jikeltine steered his small pony toward the trees. His sharp eyes spied the tiny movements at the base of the old oak, but he did not dismount when he caught sight of the young ones. Baltek and Ogham however, jumped from their horses and rushed to the human woman lying in the grass. They ignored the scattered goblins, for they were clearly dead.
“Brave woman,” commented Ogham as the human Baltek knelt and gently turned her over. He expected her to be dead as well, but surprisingly she still lived.
“Help me,” the woman pleaded weakly, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth.
“Be still,” Baltek advised, but Ogham could tell there was little they could do for her. The blade had pierced her lungs.
“Who are you good woman?” he asked, still standing behind his kneeling friend. The woman’s eyes wavered slightly before finding, and finally focusing on his face. She tried to smile, for Ogham was an elf and looked so like her own lost love, but it came out a grimace of pain. She coughed and spat blood for several long moments before fallen silent once more.
When she finally managed to regain control her eyes were clear and filled with a dreadful urgency.
“My name is Var…Vara Valencia,” she whispered. “Please, help my children…help Vio,” she implored the elf, “and help Van,” she added, turning her attention to Baltek.
“No harm will come to them,” Baltek promised, “rest and…” he added but stopped suddenly, for the woman was already dead.
“Brave woman,” Ogham repeated as Baltek gently laid her down in the sweet grass.
“Yes,” he agreed and they both moved over to the edge of the Deep Wood. They reached the trees together and stared down at the two helpless babes.
“T’would be a mercy to smash their little heads in and be done with it,” Jikeltine commented, still mounted on his pony.
Baltek frowned, but Ogham’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’s not possible,” he said gazing down with mild disgust at the pair, one clearly human…the other elfin kind. “Humans and elves cannot conceive.”
“No…” Baltek started, as he slowly bent and picked up the female babe, “that is certainly the conventional wisdom…incorrect wisdom it would seem,” he added.
“This is Vio,” he introduced and handed the child to his friend. Ogham took the bundle reluctantly and held her stiff-armed away from his body. He studied her from a distance as one would a slug…or a worm, or any other slimy creature that inhabited the land. Vio, who was no longer crying, stared back wide-eyed and trusting at her new found savior.
“And this if Van,” Baltek said with a smile, lifting the wailing boy for the others to see.
“Still say t’would be a mercy to let me brain them with my hammer,” Jikeltine insisted.
“We’re not braining them,” Baltek replied. “I promised to look after them.”
“Yes, you did,” Ogham scolded. “Why would you do such a thing? This pair will not have an easy path through life…they will be shunned and reviled as unnatural, unclean abominations. Perhaps the dwarf is correct, I could snap her neck with no pain,” Ogham suggested.
Baltek frowned again. He considered his friend’s harsh words as he bounced and calmed the crying child. “No…I promised, but you’re correct, together they will be treated as freaks and outcasts.”
The three strange friends stood silently for a moment, each gazing down at the now dozing little ones while they mulled over the problem.
“We must split them apart,” Baltek finally said. “We’ll take the human male…Van, to the Counselor White Night. There, with his guidance, we’ll watch over him together. Vio,” he added, nodding to the limp bundle in Ogham’s arms, “will go to The Lady. I’m sure she will be happy to see to her upbringing.”
Ogham nodded, satisfied, but Jikeltine just frowned. He’d never smashed in a baby’s head before and felt a twinge of disappointment at the loss.
“Perhaps separated,” Ogham grudgingly admitted, “they will be accepted, and be able to live out their lives in peace.”
“Perhaps,” Baltek added with hope, and smiled down at the child in his arms.
“What fool would want peace?” Jikeltine spat, as his friends headed back to the small camp with the now sleeping babes.
“She would,” Baltek replied and nodded toward the dead mother in the tall grass. “She would want peace,” he added softly, and after a moment even Jikeltine nodded.
They would stay the night, bury the unfortunate woman, and head out early on the morrow. They still had a long way to go to reach the safety of home, and the Deep Wood stood silently, menacingly in their path.
Hail weary travelers! All are welcome here. Please wipe your boots, remove your damp cloak and take apart all your nightmares and leave them by the door. You will not need them here in the Santuary of Light. Rest, relax and partake our many pleasures. You have only friends here.
Cross me however, and I nail your ears to my door!
| NPC Encounter Group Sizes | |||
| Size | Min | Max | |
| A Few | 1 | 3 | |
| A Handful | 4 | 8 | |
| Several | 9 | 21 | |
| A Pack | 22 | 81 | |
| Many | 82 | 128 | |
| A Gathering | 129 | 227 | |
| A Horde | 228 | 462 | |
| A Throng | 463 | 815 | |
| A Host | 816 | 2,500 | |
| A Legion | 2,501 | 9,999 | |
| A Myriad | 10,000 | 24,999 | |
| A Sea | 25,000 | 49,999 | |
| A Cornucopia | 50,000+ |
|
|
| Population requirements for New Settlements | ||
| 2nd | 1 | 450 |
| 3rd | 2 | 2,000 |
| 4th | 3 | 5,000 |
| 5th | 4 | 10,000 |
| 6th | 5 | 20,000 |
| 7th | 6 | 40,000 |
| 8th | 7 | 75,000 |
| 9th | 8 | 130,000 |
| 10th | 9 | 233,550 |
| 11th | 10 | 263,550 |
| 12th | 11 | 294,550 |
| 13th | 12 | 326,550 |
| 14th | 13 | 359,550 |
| 15th | 14 | 393,550 |
| 16th | 15 | 428,550 |
| 17th | 16 | 464,550 |
| 18th | 17 | 501,550 |
| 19th | 18 | 539,550 |
| 20th | 19 | 578,550 |
| 21st | 20 | 618,550 |
| 22nd | 21 | 659,550 |
| 23rd | 22 | 701,550 |
| 24th | 23 | 744,550 |
| 25th | 24 | 788,550 |
| 26th | 25 | 833,550 |
| 27th | 26 | 879,550 |
| 28th | 27 | 926,550 |
| 29th | 28 | 974,550 |
| 30th | 29 | 1,023,550 |
| 31st | 30 | 1,073,550 |
| 32nd | 31 | 1,124,550 |
| 33rd | 32 | 1,176,550 |
| 34th | 33 | 1,229,550 |
| 35th | 34 | 1,283,550 |
| 36th | 35 | 1,338,550 |
| 37th | 36 | 1,394,550 |
| 38th | 37 | 1,451,550 |
| 39th | 38 | 1,509,550 |
| 40th | 39 | 1,568,550 |
| 41st | 40 | 1,628,550 |
| 42nd | 41 | 1,689,550 |
