Sarmesak

Full Name: Sarmesak Makizeqen Jarnevanct

Level 8 Shifter (Otter)

6th Level Gloomstalker Ranger

2nd Level Shepherd Druid

Backstory:

Sarmesak was born in a snowy land, in an evergreen forest next to a babbling river. Sarmesak spent all day frolicking in the river with his family. Then, one day, a pink pine tree descended from the sky. Sarmesak was curious, but his family was terrified. They ran away, shrieking, into the forest. Sarmesak, mystified, tried to follow them, but he couldn’t find them. Terrified, he returned to the brook.

Sarmesak sat in the river and stared at the pink pine tree that had so terrified his family. The pink pine tree slowly descended onto the riverbank. After a minute, a dwarf emerged. The dwarf was muscular and was dressed in chainmail. “Who are you?” squeaked Sarmesak. “Gondolin,” the dwarf said, and walked away. Sarmesak swam after him. “What sort of pine tree is pink and can fly?” “It’s not a pine. I built it out of cotton candy.” “Cotton candy?” “Yes, it’s a wispy sort of treat. Now I’m going.” And he vanished. Sarmesak was alone again.

Sarmesak went into the woods and found some sticks. He fashioned them into a sort of spear. Then he got hungry, so he went back to the river. He caught a fish, a cod, and ate a bit of Gondolin’s pine for dessert. It was too sugary for his liking. Sarmesak dug a hole and found some iron. He used some sharp stones to pry it loose. Then, he attached it to his stick using some plants. Unfortunately, Sarmesak had not taken any rope. He was stuck under the river.

Fortunately for Sarmesak, someone came to the riverbank. “HELLO!” he bellowed. “WHO’S THAT,” someone yelled. There was something familiar about that voice. Was that his cousin? “SARMESAK!” he yelled. “WHERE ARE YOU?” “IN A HOLE UNDER THE RIVER” “COMING!”. Someone’s eye reached the hole. It was a cotton candy Cyclops. “Haha! Fresh meat trapped!” Sarmesak had to think fast, or he was dead.

Sarmesak dug as fast as he could. He battered the top of his hole. After some time, he succeeded. Water splattered him. He sprang up, into the water. He saw the cotton candy Cyclops, who was hauling a ladder to the hole. He wondered where he’d gotten the ladder from. Then he saw! Gondolin’s pine tree had a door, and it was open. This weird Cyclops had stolen his ladder. Sarmesak wanted to get the ladder back from the Cyclops, but he had no choice. He swam away swiftly, clutching his spear tightly.

After swimming for hours down the river, Sarmesak went on land. He caught a fish and ate it ravenously. Night time was approaching fast. Unfortunately, Sarmesak recognized this place from his dad’s stories. It was the LAND of Cyclopes. If Sarmesak didn’t find a good hiding spot quickly, he would either die or lose all sleep defending himself. Neither of those were good options. Sarmesak scurried around, looking for caves. At last he found one. It was winter, and the Sun came down fast. He reckoned he had about fifteen minutes before dark. He dug a hole and slept.

At around 1 in the morning, someone grunted. “That you, Sarmesak?” grunted Gondolin. Sarmesak leapt out of his hole. “Yes, Gondolin.” “Why are you here? Don’t you know this is the Land of Cyclopes?” “I do, Gondolin. A cotton candy Cyclops chased me out of my riverbank and I swam all the way here.” “At your age? You swam from my pine to here?” “Yes, Gondolin.” “Wow. Well, anyway, I’m going to sleep here too.” “Okay, Gondolin. Are you armed?” “No.” “Okay.” And they slept.

In the morning, they woke. “How did you get here?” Sarmesak asked sleepily. “I flew here in my pine. Made some miscalculations and ended up here. Landed here at sundown. Got any food?” “No, I’ll go get some.” “Okay. I dunno how to get any food. I’ll start a fire though.” Sarmesak went to the river and caught a couple of fish. When he got back, Gondolin had started a fire. Gondolin placed one fish on the fire, while Sarmesak ate his raw.

“Well, thanks for the food. I’m off,” said Gondolin and he strode away. After an hour, Sarmesak decided to leave too. He grabbed his spear from his hole and darted into the distance. In 15 minutes, he encountered his first fight.

Sarmesak stopped to take a breather in a clearing. When he looked around him, eyes watched him. They all stepped into the clearing. 5 Cyclopes, against 1 Sarmesak. He nervously scampered away. The Cyclopes surrounded him. “FRESH MEAT!” one bellowed. “HA! DOG FLESH TONIGHT!” “HA! ELEPHANT FLESH TONIGHT.”

Sarmesak thought quickly. The Cyclopes obviously weren’t very bright, as they just called him a dog and an elephant. But he needed more time. “LOOK BEHIND YOU!” he yelled. They did. And what was behind them?

Gondolin stepped back nervously. “Yes, I see you have noticed our other captive! Fresh dwarf meat as soon as we get him out of the chainmail!” “Dog and dwarf!” “Elephant and rodent!” They all surged forward to attack Gondolin. Sarmesak yelled and joined the battle.

Sarmesak leaped and smacked one Cyclops with his spear. He fell to the ground and whirled and whacked another in the stomach. Gondolin was doing okay thanks to his chainmail. The three unhurt Cyclopes realized Sarmesak was the threat and charged him. Sarmesak whacked one with the butt of his spear. He then swept the butt across to hit the fourth in the eye. He swept the butt back across and hit the fourth in the eye again, this time with the iron. “ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

Sarmesak was so busy fighting these two that he forgot about the fifth. The fifth picked him up and tossed him across the clearing. Sarmesak’s flight ended when he smacked into a tree. Fortunately, the blinded Cyclops was out of action. Unfortunately, 4 Cyclopes were charging at him. Sarmesak had no time to rest. He leapt up and drove his spear straight into one’s stomach. He whacked another with the butt. But Sarmesak’s energy was waning. He leapt up with his last strength onto one’s shoulder, smacked another one in the eye, and then toppled the one he was on by driving his spear into his eye and pushing. Once he fell, he recovered quickly and scampered away.

When he had been fighting, Gondolin had vanished. Sarmesak leapt onto the lowest branches of a tree. He scurried up it as fast as he could. The one fit Cyclops leered up at him from the bottom of the tree. “Got yourself cornered, have you, little elephant? Let’s see how you taste with cyanide and cotton candy!”

A pink pine tree descended from the sky. It landed on the ground and unleashed a purple magic going on the ground in all directions. When Sarmesak carefully made his way to the ground, there were no Cyclopes. “Huh,” he thought, “What happened to them?” He sprinted towards the pine tree and threw open the door. “Hello,” said Gondolin. “What happened? You landed and this purple wave went over the ground and then when I went down all the Cyclopes disappeared!” “That purple wave was magic.” “MAGIC?! That exists?” “Yes, lad.” “No way.” “Then explain what just happened!”

“Tell you what, lad. I will make you three weapons.” “Why?” “You saved my life.” “I saved my own life too.” “You had them distracted. You could’ve run. Anyway, if you’re going to adventure, you’re going to need a better weapon than an iron-topped stick.” “You’re adventuring without a weapon!” “Do you not see the weapons on the wall, child?” “But you were unarmed!” “A bit foolish on my part, yes. But enough chat. What weapons, lad?”

Sarmesak thought. “Mmmmmm,” he said, “how about a sword?” “What kind of sword?” “Uh...longsword?” “Don’t know much about swords, do you, lad?” “Um, no. Just do whatever you think is best.” “Okay, I’ll get to work.” “How?” “I’ll take you to Ayergolid, lad.” “What is that?” “The country of my forge.” “Okay. When do we leave?” “Now.”

Factions:

Siblings of the Wild

Captain in the Royal Rangers (Ishtoc)

Notable Items:

Frostbite Longsword: Frostbrand longsword

Knives of Acid: Dragon steel (dwarven steel/silver) daggers

Book of Runes: Custom book written by Sarmesak, providing the information on hundreds of blacksmithing runes.

Nature Backpack: A backpack that has infinite storage on the inside, used by Sarmesak to store all of the natural materials he has encountered on his travels

Companions:
Level 1:

Gondolin

Dwarf blacksmith

Level 12 Forge Cleric

Affiliated with the Siblings of the Wild

Friend

Seldova

Owl-otter; rescued Sarmesak from a werewolf

Owlen

General in the Royal Rangers

Sarmesak's mentor during his apprenticeship

Level 10 Hunter Ranger, Level 5 Fighter

Notable Items:

Longsword of Living Wood

Oathbow

Level 3

Bip Bip

Former party member (now Emperor of Emorok)

Level 7 Sorcerer/Warlock/Paladin

Met in the town of Tumbledust, where they fought kobolds that were raiding the town

Notable Items:

Soulflame: Dragon Steel flametonque greatsword (currently owned by Bip bop, his cousin)

Andrei

Dragonfruit dragon: animal companion

Found in the mountains of Chiri

Aerineya

Cathulhu: animal companion

Adopted from a Druid center near Chiri

Level 4

Thor

Party member

Level 8 Fighter

Notable Items:

Machine Gun

Revolver

Level 7

Belladonna

Black acid dragon

Rescued from the Technomancers in Bloodfin Bay

Valkhir

Behir

Rescued from the Technomancers in Emorok

Bip Bop

Party member

Level 8 Sorcerer/Warlock/Paladin

Cousin of Bip Bip who met them in Emorok, shortly after Bip Bip's rise to power

Notable Items:

Soulflame: dragon steel flametongue greatsword (formerly owned by Bip Bip)

Enemies
Dmitri Auren Viielle

Dmitri is a prominent member of the Technomancers. All of the Siblings of the Wild are against the Technomancers, but Sarmesak is more personally against Dmitri for more reasons, including the death of his family. His former mentor, Owlen, is also strongly against Dmitri. Owlen has had Dmitri's name on his Oathbow for 20 years.