Pendus

My name is Pendus and I’m here to tell you my story. I’m a member of the barbarian guild and have been training for the guild my entire life.

My parents were killed in the Gorbesh War. I still remember their screams as the Gorbesh stormed into my house and slaughtered my entire family as I hid. Since that day I wanted to be a warrior to get my revenge on them. My family lived between the Crossing and the Gorbesh lands. The Gorbesh stormed through our countryside killing and pillaging villages and families.

My father tried fighting back but he wasn’t nearly as skilled in combat as the soldiers. He managed to injure a few of them before being completely overwhelmed by their forces. I remember listening to their cheering as they killed him and my mother. I sat and hid all night until they left my village burning and destroyed. I was the only survivor. I dug out graves for the people of my small village and carved out tombstones to memorialize the tragedy.

After a few days of burying my family and friends, I gathered up my belongings and supplies to make a journey to the west hoping to find a new life. I walked for what seemed forever until I saw a long wall and a gate opening to a city the likes of which I have never seen before. I made a quick dash for the gates believing that I could get my start to becoming a warrior to get my revenge.

I found my way to the library and started reading about the different guilds. I found the barbarian guild. I was drawn instantly to the guild. I went to the guildhall and talked to Agonar. When he told me I could be a one man army if I stayed the path, I was hooked. I began training immediately to be a great warrior. A young paladin named Heike helped me get some gear and taught me how to fight. I quickly caught on and started hunting solo. I rapidly rose through the ranks of the barbarian guild and found myself getting stronger, faster, smarter and deadlier.

I heard of a place that I could train and become stronger faster then anywhere else and I left for the distant land. The rumors were true, I found myself learning new lessons daily in multiple weapon skills. I smiled and knew one day I’d have my revenge on the cold and sinister Gorbesh.

I traveled back to the Crossings and heard of another army taking hold there. Sorrow had come and blocked off the routes north and south. His forces were seemingly limitless and unrelenting. I fought with my friends daily to what seemed to be a pointless fight. We fought for days on end, our bodies battered and our minds weary until started falling from exhaustion or loss of blood. Empaths and clerics tirelessly healed and gave us new life.

One day we were fighting the hordes of Sorrow and we broke through their lines and headed for the barricade holding us from traveling north for reinforcements and supplies. Our flanks took on the merciless army while we pounded on the barricade. We listened to them scream in pain as the army of evil ripped through our ranks with a ferocity I never saw before. We prayed they could hold out a few moments longer when we saw the barricade starting to crumble. They couldn’t and we were stuck between the barricade and them. We continued on though, finally destroying the barricade and allowing our reinforcements from Therengenia through. They fought bravely that day and we defeated the epalzi that day. They helped us back to the triage centers and we collapsed after days of fighting nonstop.

With our lines now open, we planned an attack on Sorrow’s Keep itself. The plan was nearly flawless and executed nearly perfectly, but we still failed. We were met with new foes and traps we had not foreseen. Sorrow’s forces were equipped with mana bombs and oil bombs. The oil bombs scorched our skin and the mana bombs took away our mages ability to heal, raise and cover the melee fighters with spells.

Our forces were falling one by one, but we pressed on and eventually found our way to the base of his keep. We could not enter his keep though, it was protected by a barrier of magic that was unbreakable. We retreated and searched for a new way to enter his keep and end his reign of evil forever. Before we could do this though, he foolishly attempted to use the Zaulfung stones and perished there along with one of his generals. We have never heard from him again.

That takes us to the present. I still have yet to find a single Gorbesh to extract revenge upon. I hope to one day find them and end their existence. That is my story. Thank you for listening to it.

Last Revised: 06/28/03