Kresh, a Dungeons and Dragons tale (BE and the like to follow)

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Disclaimer:
This is merely inspired by this thread: http://www.process-productions.com/f...ad.php?t=27653 by SoylentOrange and is not affiliated with it.

It had been a month since he left his tribe. Kresh was unusually fair looking for an Orcish male, Many had mistaken him for a cursed human with pale green skin and pointed ears. This did not bother Kresh much. He was a contemplative one who prefered to converse with others above the average orc's education level (that and find someone of the feminine side of life that didn't want to break someone's head in two) True, He appreciated the instructions from his shaman uncle on the arts of the arcane and the preparedness his kind in general kept for war but he wanted to seek people who wanted to contemplate things, such as what the true purpose of one's life is and what one should do. Kresh's strange (for an orc at least) pattern of thinking began when he learned he was only half-orc. True, He was nearly as muscular as any human barbarian but he lacked the brutishness of his tribe. It was only after speaking with his uncle, his only living relative that he discovered his mother had actually been an elven maiden who had agreed to marry Kresh's father to prevent a disastrous attack on an elven country that would have fallen. She died when he was born, the strain being too much for her and his father died shortly after a raid the following year. So his uncle raised him and answered his questions. After 23 years of questions, learning, and being raised in the tribe he finally left and headed for the nearest town he could find: Nelsborough. Hopefully if he kept his hood up he'd blend in enough to survive and become accepted into a more civil society. He'd prepared for this moment a good part of his life, Keeping a sword on himself and a light shirt of mail but otherwise wearing a simple brown robe and cloak over a dull tunic and breeches with some dull leather boots and gloves.

Day 1 in Nelsborough: The Orc's head
Kresh walked in through the gate, which had only one guard (and sleepy at that) with minimal weaponry and armor. Not very wise considering his old tribe lay nearby Kresh thought.
Having passed the gate without incident he proceeded to the first tavern he saw, The orc's head. Ironic, He was walking into a tavern that sported a decapitated orc. He definitely didn't want his lineage to provoke violence. Kresh didn't have an aversion to violence, He merely thought it pointless when he could win oh so easily. His magic was potent, Even with the lack of a familiar, and his spells varied. If magic failed his sword would be his next line of offense, using his dexterity and agility to pierce the gaps in another's defense. Finally, He had this source of... power, that he couldn't explain. It wasn't magic but it was a part of himself that he'd discovered in his silent and lonely contemplation over the past month. He could many things with it that were similar to magic, such as creating burning flames from his finger tips but there were other things as well. He could fiddle with other's minds or create strange constructs that answered only to him. There were other things he was learning about this power but he had other things on his mind.
Walking into the tavern he approached the barkeep and asked for some water. For some reason his power weakened whenever his mind was influenced by drink... When he had his pint of the life giving liquid he looked around casually to see if anyone seemed interesting enough to have a conversation with. He found an old man with a hooded red robe that had seen much travel. The man was human, and had grey hair that was turned almost white covering his scalp and chin. He approached, cautiously, and sat across from the man. The man simply ignored him and continued eating his meal of bread and cheese. Kresh didn't mind, he was more patient than he appeared and sat with his fist under his chin, observing the man as he ate. The man owned a wooden staff, which sat against the table within arm's reach, and a book with runes and symbols on the cover. other than that the old man simply had a bag slung over the car next to him. When the old man finished his meal he lit a pipe he had under his robe, puffed twice and looked at Kresh for the first time.

Day 1 in Nelsborough: A deal and foreboding.
"You're quite the patient one. Young man looking to be a master of the arcane perhaps? I'm flattered that you'd come to a wizard without a guild or familiar to look after him." Kresh processed this and thought about his next sentence rather carefully... "So you know I can cast magic then? I assume you used a spell to find out what I could do?" The man chuckled and shook his head "No, it's easier than that. Adventurers who need help usually interupt me as soon as they find me so I can help them with some simple task. You waited and sat there contemplating much tooo quietly to be of that sort." That was a bit odd for Kresh as he'd never been an adventurer nor seen one but he took it as granted. The man obviously had experience, something Kresh lacked. "So what is it you do want then young one?" The wizard had leaned forward by now and was staring intently at the half-orc, his eyes never shifting. "I have left home to seek something better, companions to contemplate with mostly and-" "A young lady to keep you from becoming a cold, heartless miser no doubt? I probably won't be able to help with that one..." the wizard chuckled again and then thought for a moment. "Or perhaps I can help you find an intelligent young lady to talk to." Kresh's ears perked at that, threatening to pull his hood up and reveal what he was. Fortunately they didn't and he proceeded to ask "So how would we make such an arrangement?" Kresh leaned forward to emphasize his words. The old man leaned back, taking a long draft from his pipe before he finally spoke again. "My only apprentice, Nilicia, has gone missing for sometime now. She sends letters to me all the time assuring me she's fine but I cannot help but feel that something is gravly amiss. If you can find her for me You're welcome to speak with her as much as you like." Kresh though about it for a moment. It seemed like a rather simple task, one he could apply his magic, wit, and strange powers to but it seemed off. His powers could give him a sense of wether this would bode well or not and he used them then. Part of him was filled with dread mixed with uncertainty but the other part was suprisingly filled with joy, an emotion he had not felt since the time he got his first spell right on the first try, much to his uncle's applause. He wanted to take the offer but decided to bait the old man into telling him more, using his powers to further aid him "What could possibly be stopping a veteran master such as yourself?" The old man paused and his face became a mixture of seriousness and curiousity. "You can use mind-compeling effects? Did you use a spell or something else?" How did this old man know about his other powers? Did he have more experience than Kresh thought? Feeling defeated he asked, "How do you know about this?" the old man chuckled again and whispered to Kresh across the table "Psions aren't that rare. Have you barely discovered your powers? You may want to consider looking for a book before trying them again. My spell of psionic detection had no trouble when you used your powers just barely." Kresh was completely dumbfounded and worried. If this man knew about his power what else did he know? That he was part orc? And if this experienced spell caster couldn't find this Nilicia how would he? He sat there, not daring to speak. " What do you want from me?" He barely uttered it but he knew the man could hear him. The old man took the pipe from his mouth and put both hands on the half-orc's shoulders. "I cannot tell if you seek to do mischief but I also don't want you to get into something you cannot handle. I've let you know what mastery of the arcane I have before you agreed to my offer to find Nilicia to make sure you want to do it. It's merely an offer but I'd be grateful if you did it." Kresh looked up at the man's eyes and saw a sadness that reminded him of his uncle whenever he'd spoken about his mother and father. His power, his Psion power or whatever it was called, urged him to take the man up on his offer... So he did. Kresh took the old man by the shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye. "I'll take your offer. Just provide me with what little information you have on Nilicia's whereabouts and I'll proceed with the task."
End chapter 1

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