Geekz had a typical childhood and was oblivious to the Last War going on outside of his home. It wasn’t until visiting hobgoblins were exchanging stories about Darguun with his father that Geekz truly understood that the world outside was indeed a chaotic place. He also learned that being a goblin in a human world was not the best of positions. Even in the Cogs where the poor of Sharn struggle to simply exist day to day Geekz and his family were looked down upon.
By this time Geekz was nine years old and invited to start learning his father’s trade. His brother’s were already trained and did their best to help provide for the family and their needs. Geekz was fascinated by the ruins and the sewer system underneath Sharn and was quite at ease accompanying his father and brother’s for hours. One day Geekz discovered a dump site for those on the upper levels and was shocked at the things the people would throw away. He discovered that with a simple spring and a metal clip some of this trash was easily repaired. His father seeing an opportunity to use the boy’s talents used his savings to buy a small stand and opened up Guxb’s Repair Things Broke and Shiny Polish. The gamble paid off handsomely as Geekz gift brought in new revenue and a small amount of respect in the Cogs. No matter what was brought before Geekz he always seemed to know what was broken and how to fix it. He spent a few years simply fixing all matter of broken items, including trash that his family would bring that once it was repaired could be resold at the small shop.
By the age of 12, Geekz was fascinated by House Cannith. House Cannith was responsible for creating the new race of living golems called warforged. Geekz wanted nothing more than to find a way into becoming a House member. Of course he did not bear a dragonmark and so his only hope lay in an invention so great that they would accept him on his pure ability rather than his race and status. Late one night, Geekz left the Cogs in search of knowledge and adventure. He knew that his talents would never be acknowledged here in the Cogs and he would be unable to rise above this without practice and experience. The only person Geekz informed was his good friend Swifttail a shifter he had befriended living in the sewers.
Geekz headed for the country of Cyre using what little money he had saved. The year was YK 987 and Geekz’s reception in the land of Cyre was less than pleasant. He was immediately arrested and harassed at every town until finally he was able to reach a military outpost. Geekz lied about his age and joined the Cyre army. Being a goblin he was not trusted however and was made to carry water and feed the horses until one day Geekz came upon a wounded warforged. The warforged had been badly injured and had pulled itself with single-minded determination to the outpost. Geekz saw that the creature was in great “pain” and using the tools he had brought with him so long ago he was able to save the warforged and help it back to camp. This was met with both outrage and disbelief from the Cyre commanders.
The warforged named Axe spoke on Geekz behalf and was able to spare Geekz from an execution. Geekz was allowed to stay in the army under strict supervision and even allowed to help repair other warforged injured by the fighting. Geekz did not mind the constant supervision as long as he was to work and learn.
In YK 990, another scientific breakthrough as House Lyrandar introduced its first airship. The airship was an incredible invention. It bound magic and science together to make a ship capable of flying through the very skies above. Geekz was extremely fascinated by the invention and hoped to fly one once Cyre won the war. Geekz was slowly trusted by the Cyre commanders and some of his conditions were removed as time passed. Geekz became friends with the warforged, especially Axe, and a few members of House Cannith. Geekz was still hoping to one day find his way into the great house.
All questions about becoming a member however were met with disgust, confusion, or ignorance. Only the lower members of the House had been sent to the front lines and Geekz would need to find other connections if he truly wished to still join after the war.
YK 994 was a horrible time for Geekz as all he had done was destroyed in a single moment. Geekz and a handful of warforged had been asked to investigate a Karrnathian invasion force on Cyre’s border. Geekz had finally been promoted to “field medic” and had volunteered to follow his good friend into the fray. This saved his life and that of his friend but neither felt very lucky when the explosion known as the “Day of Mourning” obliterated all they knew and had fought for.
Geekz and the warforged were relocated to Breland in YK 996 and Geekz left the service to return home to Sharn. His father was unable to continue the shop without Geekz had been forced to sell it to a gnome and had never forgiven Geekz for forcing him to sell it to a “rat“. Geekz was not allowed home and was forced to stay with his friend Swifttail in the sewers.
Living in the sewers did not bother Geekz as much as the hatred his family had shown him. Geekz had simply not thought of the ramifications that his departure would cause. Geekz slipped into a deep depression and it wasn’t until the arrival of his old friend Axe in YK 998 that his spirits once again lifted.
Axe had earned his freedom and had been declared a person and no longer property with the signing of the Treaty of Thronehold. Axe had been searching for his friend and other old friends to start a mercenary group. Geekz was very excited and immediately joined. Geekz and Axe traveled around and found many of Axes’ old war party who was interested in joining and adventuring once again. The group became quite successful and soon the Sword and Board was known as a prestigious mercenary group that took the most dangerous jobs around.
In YK 1001 the Sword and Board had been asked to undertake a dangerous mission. Axe had been approached by the Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn of New Cyre. Seems in the final days of the Last War the nation of Cyre had brokered a secret deal with an unnamed general in the Karrnathian army. In return for an insane sum of gold, he would side with the Cyrans. The agreement had been struck and the gold was sent via a House Orien rail car to the Karrnath border. However it was too late. The Day of Mourning struck before the shipment arrived and so the rail car was lost in the blast and the confusion.
Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn seemed to think the rail car had survived the explosion and was simply waiting somewhere along its tracks for a brave enough adventuring party to travel into the Mournlands and retrieve it. The Prince had hired Axe and his mercenary group to travel on his behalf and reclaim his gold. The Sword and Board were to team up with Cyre’s own Teth Samal. The trip itself was fraught with many perils and it soon became aware that the Prince had not been the only one with the idea of retrieving the rail car. In an ambush in Fairhaven it became all too clear that other powerful player’s wished to reclaim’s the lost rail car and all it held.
Geekz and his friends arrived at the rail car as the same time as a group of scavengers ran by Ikar. The battle was horrific and deadly. With the rail car so deep into the Mournlands however it soon became apparent that the warforged had a sizeable advantage. Slowly the Sword and Board gained the advantage and the scavengers’ were the first to flee. Before the group could rest or regroup the rail car was attacked and surrounded by a large number of living spells and spell plagued creatures. The warforged fought bravely and with an unmatched fury but were already beaten and battered from the earlier battle. Slowly they began to fall until only a few of the original Cyre group beside Geekz and Axe remained.
When things were looking their darkest a beacon of hope arrived at the last moment. A group of soldiers arrived and began to help cut down the deadly foes. With a combined effort the two groups were able to turn the tide of battle and destroy the plagued creatures and living spells. The man leading the timely arrivals was Strosler d’Denieth of the House Denieth who had become involved with the murderers happening in and around Fairhaven. It quickly became evident that the men traveling with Strosler were also members of Houses.
With the groups now working in concert Geekz offered to take a look at the rail car and see about getting it up and running out of the Mournlands. It would be faster and safer than trying to carry the gold out of the Mournlands especially with the scavengers gathering reinforcements. Geekz worked tirelessly to get the rail car running and within a half a day succeeded in leap frogging it from lightning stone to lightning stone until it connected to the main line.
The scavengers attacked the rail car only once but with a defendable position Geekz and his new companions were able to make short work of them. It wasn’t until the Karrnath border that things began to look grim once more. At the border to Karrnath they discovered a huge group of undead waiting for them. General Sigor Thol was determined that the lost gold never be found. The gold was proof of his treachery and would be the end of him if he allowed it to be found. The undead stormed the rail car and the fight which began at the front of the train escalated and bled into each and every car. This was a fight to the death as the General could allow no witnesses just as much as he could not allow the gold to be found. Geekz was of great help here as his acid flasks and thunderstones proved very useful in the tight quarters.
Eventually the rail car was cleared of undead and the tired group of adventurers found themselves pulling into the station in Karrlakton, where representatives of House Kundarak, Orien and Denieth awaited them. Geekz, Samal, and Axe were escorted and placed in protective custody for their own good for several days. After a three week stay they were all released but not before being strongly recommended to have some memory loss of the past weeks. Geekz and Axe split and went their own ways both needing time to recover from their wounds both mental and physical.
Geekz returned to Sharn with Strosler d’Denieth. Geekz once again determined to be accepted into the House Cannith. He had more than enough experience and was sure he would be accepted now. Geekz was sadly disappointed when he was not even allowed past the front gates. His dreams so close and now only held back by the color of his skin Geekz sought out Strosler d’Denieth to see if he had any suggestions or pull within the House. Geekz arrives only to find that Strosler has been sent on a mission already and is not expected back any time soon.
Frustrated Geekz devises a crazy idea of breaking into the House grounds and appealing to a House member for sponsorship. Many months of planning later and one moonless night Geekz slips into the House Cannith complex in search of a sponsor. Geekz spends many hours traveling the complex grounds disabling traps and working his way further and further inside. Finally sees a door with a complex lock and several arcane wards. A challenge and a worthy sponsor perhaps. Geekz spent a great deal of time but it pays off as he is able to bypass the wards and locks gaining entrance into the room.
Geekz has several hours before the dawn still and spends his time searching the room looking for clues that will impress this person enough to allow him apprenticeship. During his search Geekz comes upon a map and a journal page. The journal page entry is of a deceased member’s latest and best discovery. He has found an airship that predates the current airships. Truly the airship is ruined and extremely old but an airship that could belong to House Cannith he feels is worthy of investigation.
Geekz agrees and a plan begins to formulate in his mind. If he could reclaim this ship before the House Cannith and rebuild it. Surely they would be unable to deny his entry then. However the House would not look kindly on the one who stole from them and so pushed the idea out of his head. A noise at the door alerted Geekz he was not alone just in time to duck the crossbow bolt that grazes his head.
“The map is mine little thief!”
Standing in the doorway stood a humanoid with a reloaded crossbow. The attacker wore all black and was obvious by his appearance not a member of the House. Knowing that this man was indeed a real thief and that he desired the map Geekz grabs the map and tucks it in his backpack. At this same moment Geekz is attacked by the stone guardian behind him. Geekz quickly realized he was a fool. The golem had only been ordered to attack if a thief stole something. The moment Geekz had picked up that map and placed it in his pack he had activated that command.
Alarms began to sound from within the room and in the hall. The golem, a stone statue of an armored dwarf swung its stone axe at Geekz head once more. The figure in the doorway curses at Geekz and vows to find him and make him pay before disappearing down the hall. Geekz quickly scanned the room for an escape. Noticing a trash chute Geekz leapt into it and hoped the landing would not kill him. Geekz did survive the fall but not without injury. Bleeding and battered Geekz cursed aloud as he discovered all his healing potions had been broken in the fall. Limping to the door Geekz slipped into the darkness trying to leave as little a trail of his blood as possible.
It took Geekz several hours of hard work to escape the complex and get back home. Knowing that the House and this mysterious person would soon be after him quickly packed his belongings and left several clues pointing in the opposite direction of his travels. He then journeyed as discreetly as possible to Strosler d’Denieth’s home.
On the way Geekz overheard that the Sharn city guards were looking for a goblin that broke into the House Cannith, stole something, and killed several guards making his escape. Geekz’s only hope is that his comrade may be able to help get him out of this trouble. Perhaps if he just returned the map? Bleeding and battered Geekz arrived at Strosler d’Denieth’s doorstep. At first Strosler d’Denieth listens to the story with great distrust but it soon becomes clear that Geekz is too scared to make up such a story and that it’s so unbelievable it may have just happened.
Strosler d’Denieth and Geekz leave the city that night in search of the airship and its secrets!
All questions about becoming a member however were met with disgust, confusion, or ignorance. Only the lower members of the House had been sent to the front lines and Geekz would need to find other connections if he truly wished to still join after the war.
YK 994 was a horrible time for Geekz as all he had done was destroyed in a single moment. Geekz and a handful of warforged had been asked to investigate a Karrnathian invasion force on Cyre’s border. Geekz had finally been promoted to “field medic” and had volunteered to follow his good friend into the fray. This saved his life and that of his friend but neither felt very lucky when the explosion known as the “Day of Mourning” obliterated all they knew and had fought for.
Geekz and the warforged were relocated to Breland in YK 996 and Geekz left the service to return home to Sharn. His father was unable to continue the shop without Geekz had been forced to sell it to a gnome and had never forgiven Geekz for forcing him to sell it to a “rat“. Geekz was not allowed home and was forced to stay with his friend Swifttail in the sewers.
Living in the sewers did not bother Geekz as much as the hatred his family had shown him. Geekz had simply not thought of the ramifications that his departure would cause. Geekz slipped into a deep depression and it wasn’t until the arrival of his old friend Axe in YK 998 that his spirits once again lifted.
Axe had earned his freedom and had been declared a person and no longer property with the signing of the Treaty of Thronehold. Axe had been searching for his friend and other old friends to start a mercenary group. Geekz was very excited and immediately joined. Geekz and Axe traveled around and found many of Axes’ old war party who was interested in joining and adventuring once again. The group became quite successful and soon the Sword and Board was known as a prestigious mercenary group that took the most dangerous jobs around.
In YK 1001 the Sword and Board had been asked to undertake a dangerous mission. Axe had been approached by the Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn of New Cyre. Seems in the final days of the Last War the nation of Cyre had brokered a secret deal with an unnamed general in the Karrnathian army. In return for an insane sum of gold, he would side with the Cyrans. The agreement had been struck and the gold was sent via a House Orien rail car to the Karrnath border. However it was too late. The Day of Mourning struck before the shipment arrived and so the rail car was lost in the blast and the confusion.
Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn seemed to think the rail car had survived the explosion and was simply waiting somewhere along its tracks for a brave enough adventuring party to travel into the Mournlands and retrieve it. The Prince had hired Axe and his mercenary group to travel on his behalf and reclaim his gold. The Sword and Board were to team up with Cyre’s own Teth Samal. The trip itself was fraught with many perils and it soon became aware that the Prince had not been the only one with the idea of retrieving the rail car. In an ambush in Fairhaven it became all too clear that other powerful player’s wished to reclaim’s the lost rail car and all it held.
Geekz and his friends arrived at the rail car as the same time as a group of scavengers ran by Ikar. The battle was horrific and deadly. With the rail car so deep into the Mournlands however it soon became apparent that the warforged had a sizeable advantage. Slowly the Sword and Board gained the advantage and the scavengers’ were the first to flee. Before the group could rest or regroup the rail car was attacked and surrounded by a large number of living spells and spell plagued creatures. The warforged fought bravely and with an unmatched fury but were already beaten and battered from the earlier battle. Slowly they began to fall until only a few of the original Cyre group beside Geekz and Axe remained.
When things were looking their darkest a beacon of hope arrived at the last moment. A group of soldiers arrived and began to help cut down the deadly foes. With a combined effort the two groups were able to turn the tide of battle and destroy the plagued creatures and living spells. The man leading the timely arrivals was Strosler d’Denieth of the House Denieth who had become involved with the murderers happening in and around Fairhaven. It quickly became evident that the men traveling with Strosler were also members of Houses.
With the groups now working in concert Geekz offered to take a look at the rail car and see about getting it up and running out of the Mournlands. It would be faster and safer than trying to carry the gold out of the Mournlands especially with the scavengers gathering reinforcements. Geekz worked tirelessly to get the rail car running and within a half a day succeeded in leap frogging it from lightning stone to lightning stone until it connected to the main line.
The scavengers attacked the rail car only once but with a defendable position Geekz and his new companions were able to make short work of them. It wasn’t until the Karrnath border that things began to look grim once more. At the border to Karrnath they discovered a huge group of undead waiting for them. General Sigor Thol was determined that the lost gold never be found. The gold was proof of his treachery and would be the end of him if he allowed it to be found. The undead stormed the rail car and the fight which began at the front of the train escalated and bled into each and every car. This was a fight to the death as the General could allow no witnesses just as much as he could not allow the gold to be found. Geekz was of great help here as his acid flasks and thunderstones proved very useful in the tight quarters.
Eventually the rail car was cleared of undead and the tired group of adventurers found themselves pulling into the station in Karrlakton, where representatives of House Kundarak, Orien and Denieth awaited them. Geekz, Samal, and Axe were escorted and placed in protective custody for their own good for several days. After a three week stay they were all released but not before being strongly recommended to have some memory loss of the past weeks. Geekz and Axe split and went their own ways both needing time to recover from their wounds both mental and physical.
Geekz returned to Sharn with Strosler d’Denieth. Geekz once again determined to be accepted into the House Cannith. He had more than enough experience and was sure he would be accepted now. Geekz was sadly disappointed when he was not even allowed past the front gates. His dreams so close and now only held back by the color of his skin Geekz sought out Strosler d’Denieth to see if he had any suggestions or pull within the House. Geekz arrives only to find that Strosler has been sent on a mission already and is not expected back any time soon.
Frustrated Geekz devises a crazy idea of breaking into the House grounds and appealing to a House member for sponsorship. Many months of planning later and one moonless night Geekz slips into the House Cannith complex in search of a sponsor. Geekz spends many hours traveling the complex grounds disabling traps and working his way further and further inside. Finally sees a door with a complex lock and several arcane wards. A challenge and a worthy sponsor perhaps. Geekz spent a great deal of time but it pays off as he is able to bypass the wards and locks gaining entrance into the room.
Geekz has several hours before the dawn still and spends his time searching the room looking for clues that will impress this person enough to allow him apprenticeship. During his search Geekz comes upon a map and a journal page. The journal page entry is of a deceased member’s latest and best discovery. He has found an airship that predates the current airships. Truly the airship is ruined and extremely old but an airship that could belong to House Cannith he feels is worthy of investigation.
Geekz agrees and a plan begins to formulate in his mind. If he could reclaim this ship before the House Cannith and rebuild it. Surely they would be unable to deny his entry then. However the House would not look kindly on the one who stole from them and so pushed the idea out of his head. A noise at the door alerted Geekz he was not alone just in time to duck the crossbow bolt that grazes his head.
“The map is mine little thief!”
Standing in the doorway stood a humanoid with a reloaded crossbow. The attacker wore all black and was obvious by his appearance not a member of the House. Knowing that this man was indeed a real thief and that he desired the map Geekz grabs the map and tucks it in his backpack. At this same moment Geekz is attacked by the stone guardian behind him. Geekz quickly realized he was a fool. The golem had only been ordered to attack if a thief stole something. The moment Geekz had picked up that map and placed it in his pack he had activated that command.
Alarms began to sound from within the room and in the hall. The golem, a stone statue of an armored dwarf swung its stone axe at Geekz head once more. The figure in the doorway curses at Geekz and vows to find him and make him pay before disappearing down the hall. Geekz quickly scanned the room for an escape. Noticing a trash chute Geekz leapt into it and hoped the landing would not kill him. Geekz did survive the fall but not without injury. Bleeding and battered Geekz cursed aloud as he discovered all his healing potions had been broken in the fall. Limping to the door Geekz slipped into the darkness trying to leave as little a trail of his blood as possible.
It took Geekz several hours of hard work to escape the complex and get back home. Knowing that the House and this mysterious person would soon be after him quickly packed his belongings and left several clues pointing in the opposite direction of his travels. He then journeyed as discreetly as possible to Strosler d’Denieth’s home.
On the way Geekz overheard that the Sharn city guards were looking for a goblin that broke into the House Cannith, stole something, and killed several guards making his escape. Geekz’s only hope is that his comrade may be able to help get him out of this trouble. Perhaps if he just returned the map? Bleeding and battered Geekz arrived at Strosler d’Denieth’s doorstep. At first Strosler d’Denieth listens to the story with great distrust but it soon becomes clear that Geekz is too scared to make up such a story and that it’s so unbelievable it may have just happened.
Strosler d’Denieth and Geekz leave the city that night in search of the airship and its secrets!
1 comment:
The length of these backgrounds...its just sick, sick, sick lol. Do we have some really creative GM/Storytellers in the game or what?
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