To sing a Song of Mischief and finally of Shadows

[Joachim]

The Bard levered his head up underneath himself - pressing his forehead against the cold hard Earth to shield his eyes from the smoke and ash clogging the air around the City of Loudwater.
"What good are you Jant? Just die... You cant keep a ring from those that seek to take it and you cant even defend yourself against a disgusting Halbreed mistake of nature..."
His vision swam as the last bout of drowsiness overcame him and the feeling slowly disipated from the waist down.

-----------------
The Dales - A score of years before a Farmer's son leaves home.
Praying quietly over a small cache of stolen gold, a handsome youth directs his worship and praise to Mask. Retrieving a small horde of stolen items he takes up his pack and sets off for "Greater" things...


Daggerdale - A decade before the Cyricists, Banites and finally the horde decend on Loudwater.
A brightly colored Bard dressed in what he believes to be the "latest" of the Sembian styles shares a campfire outside the city of Daggerfalls with a mute Dwarf and an ever talkative Elf.
Kio, Borian and Myrillis.
A group of new adventurers to the region enjoying a drink in the open and one of Kio's *many* ribald tales.
A second Elf - Golden hair cascading over the shoulders of her splendid green gown - followed by a surly man dressed in hunters Black, a longbow slung over his shoulder and a Large sword at his hip. Arien and Arakiel Killthorne greet the three and join them for a lengthy bout of storytelling drinking and singing throughout the night...

The group meet with a handfull of Hins and other likely adventurers to become a paid organisation udner the Freedom Riders. Together they face Half Drow, Tieflings, Gray Dwarves and many more in their forrays as the black ops for the Millitant force in the area...


Three years pass by and The Bard comes to meet and aged man in the Red Rock late at night.
Abbadon Eldegart regails the young Bard with stories and tales of a grand design. The young man's enthusiasm stirrs the wizened figure into a skirmish to teach the Bard the finer points of fighting and in holding the ground against the fear of an enemy.
He leaves Kio with a greeting to the Killthornes and the knowledge that a Cold Dawn should rise again, thanks to The Bard...

Blissfully ignorant the Bard recalls the evenings excursions and tales with the Killthornes and sends along the well wishes...
Kio has his first - but not last - experience of being on the point of an enraged man's blade point.
Arakiel Killthorne informs The Younger Bard's mistake in affiliating himself with Banites... Taking the warning to heart the Maskarran inside him instead sees this as an oportunity to finally have the notice of the God that has neglected him for so long.

Meetings with the Banite continue and Kio earns himself Gold and precious Magic by informing the Aged Banite all that goes on within the Dagger Council.


A Green Huntress - An Orcslayer - A Wayfarer... Eliana Nereth, the Half-Elf wanders through the Dales and finds herself among a group drinking and singing the night away - led by a Bard in the peak of his abilities.
The Younger man is a novelty to Her and she leads him through the Dales to Shadowdale. Although new sights intrigue him, they dont stay for long. Eliana's feet never rest and they are carried a far way from the Dales...




Northern Cormyr and the city of Arabel stun the Dale born-and-bred Bard.
The society... The clothes... The people... The sights! The City! The size of it all plants a small seed of wonder inside the Bard that soon nags away at his upbringing... The Dales - so far away - seem such a small thing than they did before...
Eliana promises to take him through Baldur's Gate and to visit Waterdeep one day - Her final destination, the place she calls home, The Long Road.
The mischief the Bard thinks of... Surely he can have the notice from his God he has craved for so long in such places? Surely his prayers would be answered...


Eliana parts ways with Kio for a night and she dies far away from aid to a tribe of Orcs. Their victory is bitter as her death comes sour with the slain heavy on her hands and at her feet.
Kio stays a month but leaves on the fifth week, the boat takes him as close to Dales as possible for the gold paid. His curiosity piqued but not satiated...


Arakiel Killthorne dies, Borian moves on and Myrillis is branded a criminal. Everything in the Dales seems so painfully dull to the Bard now... Friends disapeer one by one to be replaced by new faces...
He takes up residence in Shadowdale.

Throughout his stay his prayers are gone unanswered and his mischief gone unoticed...

A chance happening with Arien leads him into meeting with the Sage himself.
The moment reveals itself as time to leave for the Bard as the Gray Paladin and the Green Gnome apear in The Old Skull.

Harvo Foulfoot leads Kio up and down the Swordcoast, his own private Bard and minstrel.
They drink merrily at the fabled Friendly Arm Inn and pass into the Gate itself. The first boat is theirs and they set off for Waterdeep herself...
The city of splendors treats the Bard exceptionally well but a member of the Wayfarers, Harvo, presses on, taking his wide-eyed Minstrel with him.


North they walk and eventually grace the Long Road, passing Goldenfields and Triboar - The time of Dorn and Eliana long gone, Kio falls in with the now corrupt Wayfarers... Ruled by Arim and trailing along the likes of Fajera and Pokk - but strangely one such as Katerina De Rossi happens across the Bard.
For a time the two are unseperable but seperate they do...
Kio witnesses the death of a Demon spawned into the body of a boy, Vampire attacks and theft of the Wayfarers at the Halfling Muggles' hands but undead surges following the uprising of Banites in the North finally urge the Not-So-Young Bard to leave the Road and return to the City herself.


In Waterdeep Kio becomes widely known among the circles of the Courts, Adventurers and Commoners. His songs sung nightly in the Hanged man attract larger and larger crowds until the Singing Siren personally takes an interest in seeking him out.
A member of the guild, he is given a chance at auditions for a part in the Cormanthor Troupe's upcomming play, "Tooting in the Trees" written by Regor himself.
The play is a soaring success and over night - and three more performances with a planned tour around the Coast - Kio is know by more and more!
Unable to walk in the streets opnely for screaming fans and leches seeking to make money from the Name "Kio" he is glad to meet a friendly face from the past.
Katerina De rossi...


A year before the horde lays siege to the City of Loudwater Katerina tells The bard of an upcomming war along the Desserin and offers him the duty of being her Herald.
Before they set off for their first destination the Bard aids a Drow in escaping the inquisition of the Gray Knight and a fellow Paladin. The Drow offers The Bard a reward... the chance to see what no other will ever see in their lifetime...
Kio becomes one of the Shadow, a child of Shar, the Mistress of Loss takes him in and he embraces her. The only god to acknowledge him and his worth...


With a kick to his step Kio travels with Katerina to the 'Gate once again, meeting Duke Eltan in the process, travelling to the Silver Marches and even Daggerford.
The journey ends in loudwater itself, heavily besieged by a half orc mercenary army from one side and a hellish army brought forth by Cyric.
The fighting is going strong and Kio insinuates himself easily with the defending side, morale is low and the Bard becomes welcome all to quickly.
Katerina progresses to Commander, Harvo joins the fighting as an officer with the Irregulars underneath the Red Knight's man, kit Gyrfalcon and Kalev soon arives with his third circle Knights.

Katerina Dies at the hands of a band of the Hired Half-orcs, her body is lost among the long list of MIA's.

The Bard meets with Abbadon Eldegart amongst the Banite army.
He uses the Banites to his Godesses advantage - gathering as much information as possible.
Kio comes across two he met briefly in the Long Road region, one Alleina and another Fajera.
With Alleina's help he is taught the Dogma and lore of the Church of Shar - but more importantly he is led to the Sharran presence in the are. The real power behind the War.
Not before long he is contatced by the Shade's themselves to search for an Artifact of great power to aid them...

With The Bards help, Fajera is turned to Shar...

The Selunites become highly suspicious of Kio, it becomes harder to move within the war effort... To meet with the Shadows moving behind the scenes and to keep his loyalties a secret...

Kio becomes Jant Shira via the use of Magic - His apearance, voice and manner is changed completely.
Jant throws himself back into his role as The Bard fullheartedly, a foppish womaniser comming from Arabel, he revels in his new identity and people flock to his charm and wit.
The artifact ring is lost from him and he suffers greatly at the disfavor of the Mistress of Loss...
He comes across the artifact necklace instead and uses his role as confidant to most weary soldier and officer to find the rings wearabouts...
He moves to the city once again as the treaty is signed between the Cyricists and defenders, the Banites are aparently smashed and the Horde makes its way steadily to Loudwater...

-----------------

Jant walks up to the only standing house amongst the wreckage of the city and frowns.
The door opens easily and almost immediately the light is blotted out by a huge Halfbreed.
"Oi! Ya, you der. Invadin me premises, eh! What's yer flava then boss? You a luva of the Loudwater pansies?"
Blinking, Jant was, for the first in a long time, unsure what to say to this remark... His role instantly sprang to mind as one of the Irregulars underneath Commander Harvo.
"Your vile corruption shall end here, foul orc! Loudwater shall reign forever!"
With this Jant struck a truly heroic pose but the Orc seemed naught interested in bantering. A Greataxe came out from its place quickly and the bard was hard pressed to keep away from the awesome reach the Halfbreed had against him.
The first cut hit deep into the ribs, sending Jant tumbling over the crude living arrangements. The flimsy rapier that burned in as his trademark came up and a hand clasped to the necklace.
Filled with the power of his mistress he dealt a deadly parry and riposte tearing open the Halfbreeds arm and cutting deep into the right lung.

Jant leaped over the furniture and headed for the door, whipping up his crossbow he aimed and shot wildly, his last bolt sinking into the wall as the enraged Halbreed bore down him, hacking off his arm at the elbow, sending the beautifully made crossbow - a gift from the shadows themselves - tumbling to the ground to be crushed under the onslaught of the filthy creature.
The Axe fell from a bloody grip leaving the Half-Orc only his meaty fists to deal damage to Jant's lower and upper body sections in turns, breaking ribs and damaging flesh.
The broken bard fell to the ground, face a usual image of a radient smile and lady charmer black and blue from abuse.

Dult found interest in the bleeding arm and ribs the colorful human had dealt him, turning from the broken man to attend to his wounds... Muttering to himself he managed to bandage the arm but the lung wound was giving him trouble...

Jant looked up at the image of the Halfbreed looming over him through a swolen eye, holding onto conciousness by a bare thread. The door at his feet was partially open and his boot stuck out, he risked a glance outside hoping for a Greysword to pass by and notice the muddy boot sticking out in the daylight.
No help came and Jant tried to mumble an obscenity as the Halfbreed tossed him out onto the road...
"You damn stay dead, you hear!"
The door slammed, the Half-Orc obviously too stupid to realise The Bard held a small kindle of life in his body.

The street was empty... So Very empty... The Wind tugged at his once fine clothing and the smoke in the air clogged his throat and stung his eyes.
The Bard levered his head up underneath himself - pressing his forehead against the cold hard Earth to shield his eyes from the smoke and ash clogging the air around the City of Loudwater.
"What good are you Jant? Just die... You cant keep a ring from those that seek to take it and you cant even defend yourself against a disgusting Halbreed mistake of nature..."
His vision swam as the last bout of drowsiness overcame him and the feeling slowly disipated from the waist down.
He shakes his head in frustration, trying to clear the diziness and the darkness at the edges of his vision...
"No... haven't found the," his word are punctuated by short quick gasps, "Ring..."
Swallowing he lifts his head feebly, butting it down onto the earth to clear the sparks dancing over his vision...
"No! If they... find me now... the Necklace... Selunites..." A grunt escapes through the blood bubbling up under his tongue.
"They mustn't... CAN'T! Have... it..."
Looking down at his remaing hand he feebly scrabbles at the catch of the small potion pack held on his side...
"Rrnnng.... Why... Is.. it that its so... hard to..."
His voice trails and he slowly falls back to the earth, blood bubbling and pooling about his cheek as he slowly slips out of concious thought.
"Don't seek to further yourself... Only share secrets..." The Broken Bard begins to mumble the Dogma of his mistress into his own blood as the darkness settle in and carries him away...

[Damart]

OOC--

so ends a charecter of over a years life...Real Time...and he only made 5th level but was involved in so many twists and turns across Faerun, often 2 or 3 in a week...much more than any of mine saw in their entire lifetimes!


IC...

An "Irregular" under the command of the Gnome brings word of having found another corpse, nearby, on the rise by the back road in the town...clearly killed by a flurry of axe blows....dumped and stripped....

The human Liueutenant whispers to the Gnome and the Dwarf..

"Something to report and look into, Sirs?
We cany have murderers on the loose within our ranks...destabilising a delicate balance, can we now?
Shall I alert the men to be wary?"

The Gnome and Dwarf look to each other and nod once....

[Joos]

Well written, but one obvious mistake glares in my eye.

Nicely written and OMG what memories you will have of Kio. He sure didnt have many friends,
but OOC I always thought he was a remarkable and memorable character. Among the few
characters I meet ingame and treasure to remember, Kio will be one of them.

[Davlin]

Thanks for the story Joachim, it's always good to read another perspective. Was a joy to have you as a player.

[Rusty]

Welcome to ALFA.

Good luck on your second character.

[sabercraig]

Nicely written mate

Kio/Jant was one of my favorite players on LW. A fantastic PC that will be rememberd by many.

[heletari]

Very well written, and Jant will be missed. Don't doubt that we'll meet again though!

[Frostfather]

Well written and very well played my friend, im sad to see him go.
He had a big part in Arims life and now he will never find him.

I hope to see you in another incarnation soon.

/Frostfather

[Gagred]

Kudos old friend

*salutes*

[Dorn]

Bad luck with that chimwad.

Never knew 'Jant', but Kio made an impression and made me enjoy my time spent in this game a little more as i'm sure he did others. And thats the sign of a cool character if you ask me.

[Mizbiz]

Good memories, Joachim. Thanks <3

[Xerxes]

Boooo you never wrote my tale. Grrr well well. If you need a group to start of a new PC with the Cold Dawn is always open to ya

[Joachim]

Me? A Banite? With my kind reputation?

....

Don't mind if I do...!