The story and history of the first 20 years of the life of Jahndow.


On a dark and stormy night, in the first week of Charlatos, a pair of guards stand duty outside the West Gate of Wehnimer's Landing. Nearing the end of their shift, one of the guards notice a shape moving towards the city. Nervous after a long night of cold winds and howling wolves, the guard gets his partners attention and points towards the movement. Holding their weapons at the ready, they prepare for the worst. As the movement nears, it becomes clear that a wagon approaches, although a driver does not appear in evidence. As the wagon gets closer, the guards tense even more, seeing arrow shafts protruding from the sides of the wagon. Fearing an attack, one guard rushes inside to get reinforcements, while the first to notice the wagon prepares to fight to the death in defense of the city. When the horses drawing the wagon approach the gates, they slow to a stop before the guard. Taking the reins in hand, the guard notices the horses are near to death from fright, with scratches and wounds on their flanks. Taking a risk, the guard approaches the door and turns the handle. As the latch clicks, the door rushes open, a body hurtling towards the guard. Leaping back in fright, the guard draws his blade and stands ready to fight, only to notice the body fall straight to the ground. Closing slowly, the guard discovers the body is that of a young dark elf woman, dead from multiple arrow wounds. Hearing noise behind him, the guard turns quickly blade at the ready, to discover his partner returned with a few other guardsmen in tow. Taking charge the guard orders his counterparts to secure the horses and wagon, and get the local cleric and healer. Upon closer inspection the guard finds clothes and equipment to support a family while they journeyed far. Male and female clothes packed together, weapons and jewels worth a small fortune hidden in the luggage. As they start moving the wagon into the city, a small cry comes from inside the wagon. Wrapped in a cloak under the bench, the guard finds a newborn dark elf boy. Shocked at the discovery, the guard picks up the child and hands him off to the local cleric for safe keeping. The next day the constable ordered the wagon and its contents held for a month before auction, and the child was given to the local orphanage for raising. A month went by, the wagon sold off at auction, most of the contents as well, except a few familial type items, the silver and items placed in a bank account for the child. A few years go by, the child growing strong and healthy, with no sign of the father showing up to claim the child. Life in the orphanage was rough for the young boy, being the only dark elf in the city, he was picked on and abused quite often. As he neared adulthood things did not improve. Constantly bullied and tortured by the other children his age, he grew tough and quick to avoid the worst of the treatment. Nearing his 20th year in the Wehnimer's Landing orphanage, on a cold and bitter winters night, the young boy found himself out on the streets in a sudden and heavy snow storm. Getting turned around in the snow he found himself soon lost, searching for a familiar sight to get his bearings, when he noticed a shop sign he had not thought he was anywhere near. Blowing in the breeze, the sign for Helga's Tavern was an unwanted and quite frightful sight for the young dark elf. Just as he turned to leave the area, a voice called out from down the street in the snow, "Hey blackie, where you think you're off to, huh?". Deciding a fight is not on the forecast for his night, the young boy turned and started to run. Soon the echoes of footfalls crunching in the snow following him drove him onward even faster. Turning a corner, the young boy slipped on a patch of ice, colliding with a cart on the street. Struggling to escape the debris from the broken cart, the boy was found by the small group of townsmen who had been chasing him. Surrounded, cold, wet, and defenseless, the boy rose to face the men who had chased him. Demeaning, racist, and hateful comments flooded out of the crowd, harassing the young boy. Soon small stones were being thrown at him as he dodged around. Attempting escape, the boy tried to rush through two of the men, but was stopped and flung back in the circle onto the ground. "So trying to escape, ehh? I'll give you an escape." said one man, who then slowly drew a knife from its sheath. Closing on the boy, the man lunged, attempting to stab the boy. Quicker than he thought, the boy reacted by grabbing the mans wrist, and pulling him down. Slipping on the ice, the man fell, groaning sharply then laying still. Fearful of another attack, the boy turned around wildly assessing the intentions of the men surrounding him. Fear and shock met surprise, as the boy turned and realized the man was not moving. Turning the man over, the situation soon became clear, as the knife was jutting out from the mans bowels. The men surrounding him turned and fled, screaming that the black elf had murdered a man. Fearful of the constable and what may happen if he was discovered, the young boy ran. Reaching the orphanage, the boy quickly gathered the few possessions he had, and fled. After a quick stop at the bank, to empty his account, the boy fled the city altogether. Heading north, he sets his sights on Icemule Trace in the hopes that he can find a better reception than the racism and hate he received in Wehnimer's Landing. Upon arriving, he soon settled down in a small apartment, and went about his life for many years. Until one night he received a letter, stuck in his apartment door with a knife. Pulling off the knife, he discovered the blade was well crafted, the hilt capped with a large black diamond rose. Reading the letter, he was shocked and confused by its contents. "To my son, I only recently discovered you are still alive. You cannot come find me. I loved your mother dearly, and we both ran away from Sharath when she became pregnant with you. I thought we had gotten away, when we were ambushed. I was captured and told your mother had perished as well as you. I have since returned back into the fold of our society and now have another family. Your birth and your life were not approved by the council, and therefore you cannot ever announce yourself as my son, for we will both be set to immediate and torturous death.Knowing you are alive is a dishonor upon myself, which I accept for I loved your mother very much. Do not dishonor her by attempting to be my son. I will kill you swiftly and mercilessly." Unsure what to do with this new information, Jahndow set out to discover the truth, of who his father was, and where in Elanthia he truly belonged.

[[Hopefully this is an easier read. I couldn't figure out how to edit the previous post.]]

On a dark and stormy night, in the first week of Charlatos, a pair of guards stand duty outside the West Gate of Wehnimer's Landing. Nearing the end of their shift, one of the guards notice a shape moving towards the city. Nervous after a long night of cold winds and howling wolves, the guard gets his partners attention and points towards the movement. Holding their weapons at the ready, they prepare for the worst. As the movement nears, it becomes clear that a wagon approaches, although a driver does not appear in evidence. As the wagon gets closer, the guards tense even more, seeing arrow shafts protruding from the sides of the wagon. Fearing an attack, one guard rushes inside to get reinforcements, while the first to notice the wagon prepares to fight to the death in defense of the city.

When the horses drawing the wagon approach the gates, they slow to a stop before the guard. Taking the reins in hand, the guard notices the horses are near to death from fright, with scratches and wounds on their flanks. Taking a risk, the guard approaches the door and turns the handle. As the latch clicks, the door rushes open, a body hurtling towards the guard. Leaping back in fright, the guard draws his blade and stands ready to fight, only to notice the body fall straight to the ground. Closing slowly, the guard discovers the body is that of a young dark elf woman, dead from multiple arrow wounds. Hearing noise behind him, the guard turns quickly blade at the ready, to discover his partner returned with a few other guardsmen in tow.

Taking charge the guard orders his counterparts to secure the horses and wagon, and get the local cleric and healer. Upon closer inspection the guard finds clothes and equipment to support a family while they journeyed far. Male and female clothes packed together, weapons and jewels worth a small fortune hidden in the luggage. As they start moving the wagon into the city, a small cry comes from inside the wagon. Wrapped in a cloak under the bench, the guard finds a newborn dark elf boy. Shocked at the discovery, the guard picks up the child and hands him off to the local cleric for safe keeping. The next day the constable ordered the wagon and its contents held for a month before auction, and the child was given to the local orphanage for raising.

A month went by, the wagon sold off at auction, most of the contents as well, except a few familial type items, the silver and items placed in a bank account for the child. A few years go by, the child growing strong and healthy, with no sign of the father showing up to claim the child. Life in the orphanage was rough for the young boy, being the only dark elf in the city, he was picked on and abused quite often. As he neared adulthood things did not improve. Constantly bullied and tortured by the other children his age, he grew tough and quick to avoid the worst of the treatment.

Nearing his 20th year in the Wehnimer's Landing orphanage, on a cold and bitter winters night, the young boy found himself out on the streets in a sudden and heavy snow storm. Getting turned around in the snow he found himself soon lost, searching for a familiar sight to get his bearings, when he noticed a shop sign he had not thought he was anywhere near. Blowing in the breeze, the sign for Helga's Tavern was an unwanted and quite frightful sight for the young dark elf. Just as he turned to leave the area, a voice called out from down the street in the snow, "Hey blackie, where you think you're off to, huh?". Deciding a fight is not on the forecast for his night, the young boy turned and started to run.

Soon the echoes of footfalls crunching in the snow following him drove him onward even faster. Turning a corner, the young boy slipped on a patch of ice, colliding with a cart on the street. Struggling to escape the debris from the broken cart, the boy was found by the small group of townsmen who had been chasing him. Surrounded, cold, wet, and defenseless, the boy rose to face the men who had chased him. Demeaning, racist, and hateful comments flooded out of the crowd, harassing the young boy. Soon small stones were being thrown at him as he dodged around. Attempting escape, the boy tried to rush through two of the men, but was stopped and flung back in the circle onto the ground. "So trying to escape, ehh? I'll give you an escape." said one man, who then slowly drew a knife from its sheath. Closing on the boy, the man lunged, attempting to stab the boy.

Quicker than he thought, the boy reacted by grabbing the mans wrist, and pulling him down. Slipping on the ice, the man fell, groaning sharply then laying still. Fearful of another attack, the boy turned around wildly assessing the intentions of the men surrounding him. Fear and shock met surprise, as the boy turned and realized the man was not moving. Turning the man over, the situation soon became clear, as the knife was jutting out from the mans bowels. The men surrounding him turned and fled, screaming that the black elf had murdered a man. Fearful of the constable and what may happen if he was discovered, the young boy ran. Reaching the orphanage, the boy quickly gathered the few possessions he had, and fled. After a quick stop at the bank, to empty his account, the boy fled the city altogether.

Heading north, he sets his sights on Icemule Trace in the hopes that he can find a better reception than the racism and hate he received in Wehnimer's Landing. Upon arriving, he soon settled down in a small apartment, and went about his life for many years. Until one night he received a letter, stuck in his apartment door with a knife. Pulling off the knife, he discovered the blade was well crafted, the hilt capped with a large black diamond rose. Reading the letter, he was shocked and confused by its contents.

< "To my son, I only recently discovered you are still alive. You cannot come find me. I loved your mother dearly, and we both ran away from Sharath when she became pregnant with you. I thought we had gotten away, when we were ambushed. I was captured and told your mother had perished as well as you. I have since returned back into the fold of our society and now have another family. Your birth and your life were not approved by the council, and therefore you cannot ever announce yourself as my son, for we will both be set to immediate and torturous death.Knowing you are alive is a dishonor upon myself, which I accept for I loved your mother very much. Do not dishonor her by attempting to be my son. I will kill you swiftly and mercilessly."

Unsure what to do with this new information, Jahndow set out to discover the truth, of who his father was, and what his "society" had to offer.