Norlian

Growing up, Norlian had always felt alone. Humans were plentiful in his village. Elves, not so much so but there were still a great many. A few dwarves every now and again, one of which was the blacksmith of the town. But he was the only Half-Elf for Leagues.

And it wasn't as if he didn't have a family. Well, at first. He grew up with his mother and father. His mother loved him and his father but could not stand humans other than them. She would constantly bicker with the rest of the townsfolk because of their attitudes towards nature. One day she couldn't stand it anymore and so on the day of Norlian's 7th birthday she decided to return to her family. Norlian's father understood and would not disgrace her decision by begging her to stay, but merely intoned that Norlian would be sad to see her go. And Norlian was indeed sad. He cried for a week. His father understood that as he was a child he had the right to grieve over her leaving but he also tried to take his mind off of the matter by training him. It worked to some degree, but as a half-elf, Norlian never felt like he belonged and would occasionally skirt training to go wander the forest around town. He learned of a place, far from peering eyes, where many and exotic birds would flitter. There were green, blue, orange, red, and yellow birds. Even birds with a rainbow plume. He would sit there all day in the secluded clearing listening to their songs and think of his mother. He would cry but he wouldn't be sad. Because the tone of the birds' music always seemed to make him happy.

His father was a great warrior, hailed all over the town as their best swordsman. Through his tutelage Norlian leanred how to weild a few crude and common tools. Mostly he favored the mace. He liked the way it smashed things easily. He was never overfond of slicing weapons like swords and axes. They all only brought to mind the butcher and how he would cleave meats day in and day out. However, his father could not continue his training to completion. He was called away to a war of which he would never return. Norlian was 25 when he got the news that his father had been defeated in combat. When he heard this from the herald of the army, he broke down and tears streamed from his face anew as grief for his lost family. He understood that his dad had had to leave, that he had to fight. But he had always thought his father invincible in combat.

As the years drew by, Norlian began to get in further touch with nature He loved life and he loved living and assisting those in need. One day, while out in his clearing listening to the birds, he, well, he seemed to fall into a trance. He didn't know at first that he wasn't really seeing his surroundings as they were. He was actually seeing his surroundings as he thought them in his mind. And in his mind came a powerful voice. It beckoned him to the center of the clearing where he found what he would learn later was Lithander. Lithander looked upon Norlian and nodded. Lithander said "You will do nicely. I want you to go to the temple. MY temple. Train with the acolytes and learn more about the grace you have been given. You who love life and enjoy its company. You who have felt pain and regret at the loss of Life. I bid you go learn the ways of healing at my temple."

Then, just as suddenly, Norlian came to be where he was sitting prior to the vision. He knew it had been a vision for there could be no other explanation for him to have traveled from the center of the clearing back to his seat instantaneously. He decided he would heed Lithander's call and travel to the temple. As Lithander had said "You who love and enjoy life's company", for he did enjoy it. He enjoyed being around the birds and the trees and the flowers in bloom. He loved watching newborn animals scurry about the forest and he loved the happiness he felt when he viewed these things.

That day, he packed up and left town without any notice. He left a note,sure, for the town so they would know where he had gone. But he mentioned nothing of the vision. The needn't know his reasons. He did apologize to the town because he had been a great source of livelihood what with being able to do a myriad of things with his birdsong he learned from listening to the birds of the clearing. But he knew they would understand. As a half-elf he would never be comfortable just sitting in one place. His heart had always pulled to adventure and travel.

So he arrived at the temple, which was positioned on the north side of a massive hill, and with a great wide plain off to the east were an immense farm was worked by the acolytes. You see, the acolytes provided most of the food for the village, and many others besides. They had many leagues of open ground and a vast variety of animals within view from their promitory. They had weaved spells around the perimeter for centuries which kept it protected from any who would do harm to the inhabitants. It was a lovely and beautiful place.
Norlian presented himself to the leader, a woman named Uria (pronounced Your-eye-uh). Norlian would learn to enunciate this particular name well for Uria would punish those who mispronounced it with extra chores. Norlian described his vision to Uria, and Uria put him to a test. He would have to go out into the wilderness with nothing but his wits and save or protect from danger an innocent life. It mattered not what form the life was, so long as he managed to protect it from harm. He was also ordered not to search for it but to let his heart guide his path. Eventually Norlian happened upon the life he had to save.

A young girl by the name of Emily had been picking berries on the edge of a ravine when a large gust blew her off balance and she fell over the side. She was barely able to grab onto a nearby root that jutted out of the side of the ravine. Norlian rushed to her aid, but found he was unable to lift her out of the ravine. Norlian, slightly panicking for he knew he had one chance to save her, quickly thought up a way. He would climb down and be her foothold. His strength from his training with his father would serve him well in this endeavor as the wind still gusted about in a great fury. He managed to get below her but then found his grip on the wall of the ravine to be straining. He had to hurry so he spoke to Emily and assured her that she had nothing to fear. As long as she remained calm, he would save her. And so the struggle began. He moved so that she could place her left foot on his right shoulder and had her pull herself up as he pushed and climbed to give her the momentum she would need to get back over the edge. After a good 5 minutes Norlian found his grip to be weakening further. Then, with one last, great surge of effort, he managed to push her back over and onto flat land.

A hand reached down. And it wasn't Emily's Hand. This hand obviously belonged to a man. He gripped it and pulled with all his might and suddenly found himself crouched next to Emily gasping for breath. Norlian said "Thank you" while still gasping. But when he looked up to see the face of his own savior, nobody was around except Emily. Befuddled Norlian stood up. There had been a man who had saved his life. He had felt his hand. Thinking back on it, the grip felt familiar. He tried to place where he had felt those hands before. Suddenly a tear fell from his eye. He realized he was crying. Smiling, he looked up into the sky and said "Thanks dad."
Norlian made sure Emily was okay and escorted her home. Upon assuring her parents that it was no trouble, that he had been at the right place at the right time, he returned to Uria. Upon reaching her, Uria smiled at him.

She said "I see you have succeeded. There is a glow about you even though you do not see it. With time you will be able to see the glow of all those who follow Lithander's teachings but it may take you years."

Startled he asks her how she knew he had accomplished the task set on him by her.

"This glow that you now have can only be obtained by those who throw their own livelihood to the winds in an attempt to save another. Tell me, what saved YOU from your certain death?"

Startled once again he explained how a man had reached down to pull him back out of the ravine just as his strength was at its limit. How he had a familiar grip about him. How he KNEW it had been his father.

Smiling and nodding, she said "Thus is it always how Lithander works. Those who value life beyond just their own shall be saved by the life of one they had loved. You must have been really close to your father. I grieve for your loss."

Afterwards, Norlian began his new training. He learned how to heal. How to cast basic defensive spells. How to use Prayers to restore life unto others. He also learned how to do a basic offensive spell. Uria had asked this of him for she had seen how he could use such a power to protect lives from evil. Norlian was slightly reluctant to learn this power but Uria insisted and explained that he wouldn't need use it except on true evil beings.

In the years that passed, Norlian grew and learned and trained, and healed. He did everything Uria ever asked of him. After being in the temple for 20 years he started seeing a slight shimmer around everyone. When hebrought this up with Uria she said "Finally! You have mastered your training with us. There is nothing else we alone can teach you. You must now go forth and use your new abilities to assist the weak."

Norlian asked why. Why did he have to leave? Could he not continue to learn and train at the temple? Why was she basically just sending him away.

"Norlian, listen. You had your vision. You were insisted upon to come to this place and train and you have. You have learned what you need to learn. You are strong of body, which I know comes from your father. You are now strong of mind. You must use these two strengths to help the living of the world. This is my vision. Those that stay here are those that haven't fully mastered all the training that you have. We have plenty of assistance here so you need not fret over our livlihood. May the Grace of Lithander guide your feet to your next destination."

Norlian understood. He bid everyone goodbye. He was sad to leave but he now knew what he needed to do. He must travel anew with his newfound abilities, and protect the life of this land. He would help the weak and assist the hopeless. But he knew not where that path led. However, his heart always seemed to pull him in the right direction. Whenever he would look behind, he would see his father smiling at him and he would get courage from him. Courage, Strength, and now Wisdom were Norlian's. And he would use them. Eventually he came to be in a tavern. He later learned that this place was called The Guild Hall. And thus his adventure began......