Deuce_Backstory

Deuce

Legends and Stories

The Legend of Kuru-Bey and Old Sea

I'm from a little island called Kuru-Bey in Old Sea... the waters between Mavantia and Rukoml. We call it Old Sea, though nobody else does these days.

It used to be the only sea - the only water in the world... this was a thousand, thousand years ago, mind you.

The rest of the entire world was dry and barren and they begged the king of Old Sea, Kuru - as if you didn't know - to share his waters. But Kuru was proud and loved his ocean and would not part with a drop of it.

But then one day, everything's eventual, you know... everything will happen eventually.

Well, eventually Kuru fell in love with a simple peasant woman, named Bey. She was beautiful and plain with sad eyes with a heart too big for her chest.

And she wept for the dry world.

Oh how Kuru loved her and would do anything for her... he built her mountains, he re-wrote the clouds, he locked up winter for 5 years when she caught a chill.

But still she wept for the dry world. And Kuru knew he had to share his sea.

So Kuru, the king of Old Sea, went north and began to dig and dig - and he dug for a hundred days without stopping to eat or sleep. When he was all but done, he called for Bey to come north in his beautiful golden boat called "Dawn's Edge." They stood on bow the golden boat and Kuru moved the last bulwark... his ocean began to flow.

He gave his treasure to the world, and Bey smiled, and Kuru smiled... and they sailed out into the forever, together.

A Timeline

0. Summary

Deuce was born into a band of missionaries that called themselves Simsanites from Kuru-Bey seeking to spread the light of a minor god named Simsa (god of pebbles) in Chevria. He took leave of that calling and bonded with a Roving Wave a nomadic ranging group where he found a true passion for wilderness and his true calling of protecting those that can't protect themselves.

He is at a point where wishes to put his training to the test in the real world in hopes of finding adventure and exploring the ever wider world. He's heard that there are wonders in the east lands of Feydori and is mystified by what he's heard of the Birbach.

1. Early Life

The Simsanites were introduced to Kuru-Bey by a sailor visiting the island. Capitalizing on the Kuru-Bey folks' extant reverence for nature, and offering a freedom from convention (fun, sex positive), it became popular with the youth and, as such, was fairly quickly encouraged to leave Kuru-Bey, which they took as a calling to spread the word.
Deuce was a second or third generation Simsanite (it got fuzzy to keep track of - see: sex positivity) and was a young teen when they departed on their mission to Chevria.

The Simsanites were received well there, being nature lovers and generally kind, but as Deuce climbed into adulthood, he became disillusioned with the idea of "spreading the good word" and he tired of the insulated life that was suffocating him. Because he showed great promise in his Cleric studies, it wasn't easy to get out of that life, which made it all the more vital that he did.

Deuce would be surprised to learn that he and his "family" were perceived as members of something closer to a cult than a simple and benign religion. While generally well-intentioned in their messaging and deeds, they were insular and stubborn and vehemently opposed to the idea that you could "leave" the group.

2. Joining the Roving Wave

His exit was aided by some rangers he befriended during his mission. It wasn't some grand escape, more like a reverse intervention... but it was marked by a cruel severance from his people.

3. A Mission to Protect

With the Roving Wave, Deuce grew from a young man into a full one. While his heart was always aimed towards the greater good, he didn't really understand what he was up against until he started seeing what the Wave showed him about the tragedy and unfairness of the broader world.

To this end, a key undertaking of the Roving Wave during this time was to guide and protect refugees and supply runs to and from Virgin Weald, an outpost just south of the Oronti Mountains. This was a Halfling settlement that seemed to be founded on (or at least propped up upon) ideals of peace and good cheer... and definitely good drinking. This made it a good early destination for refugees fleeing persecution in Mavantia. The Wealders, as they were known, were kind and generous but not overly powerful or strategic, except perhaps in their ability to make friends who were.

Of note, they mostly did not prefer to be called Virgins and definitely tended to bristle at being called Virgin Wealders as it fell upon the ears as "Virgin Wielders."

But the journey to and from Virgin Weald was perilous and the nature of the inhabitants and the folk seeking refuge made them vulnerable to misfits of all types. Scoundrels, seeking easy pickings from weary and frail travelers, delighted in putting a finger (or a fist) on the scales of commerce - as well the scales of justice.

The Roving Wave answered this misfortune with bravery and deft knowledge of the forest and mountain passes of the region. This troop of skilled rangers offered needed protection and aid to travelers and supplies that were often under threat.

4. Loss... and Finding a New Path

The Roving Wave were brothers and sisters when Deuce needed them most, and he lost more family over his 20 years with the Wave than he ever did leaving the Simsanites. And new members joined the Wave every year, replacing those that fell - and those that fell away.

Deuce saved more lives than he lost by orders of magnitudes - but each loss, be it brother or charge, ate away at him. His heart was as strong as ever but his body and soul tired of the losses, and especially having to relive them as he passed the same places season after season.

He needed a change or he was going to break. And so, after living most of his life with the Roving Wave, Deuce bid them farewell - seeking adventure further into the world that had inspired his wonder as a child.

5. A next Step, Heading East

Deuce is now in his mid-50s, who can say exactly, and is seeking adventure past what he has known. He is not as strong as he was in his youth, but he is clever and certainly adept... and a force to be reckoned with when danger arises.

I've lived enough life in the broken north. I'm going East... to Feydori, the Birbach, The Vashara, if I can. I'm not dying without knowing I've seen the edge of the world.

Notables

NPCs from times with the Roving Wave

The Za'darions

  • Pulk, Tul, & Rayn Za'darion - a very rare set of Halfling triplets born in Virgin Weald and radicalized into action in their youth. They joined The Roving Wave as fledglings in their teens, around the time Deuce joined (in his twenties)
  • When Deuce left the Wave, Pulk & Tul Za'darion, were co-leaders of the Roving Wave and had been for the last 10-15 years.
  • The Roving Wave grows and shrinks over time, but there are generally around a dozen core members and then a varied cast/caste of fledgling members that either wish to join permanently or feel temporarily indebted to the group.
  • Core and Fledglings
    • The core members tend to split up into teams of 3 or 4 for most missions and pull from the fledglings to fill out their teams.
    • Deuce was with the Wave for decades and was a respected core member at the time he left.

Pulk Za'darion (Hulk, but with a P)

  • Male Halfling sibling of Tul and Rayn
  • Missing three fingers on his left hand
    • a "lesson" taught by bandits when he was a very young boy.
  • Suspicious of outsiders and Opportunistic
    • His traits have solidified the Wave as a true force to be reckoned with (as opposed to a band of misfit mercs) and scored them many victories - but also make it difficult to get close and impossible to understand his larger motives and plans.

Tul Za'darion (Tool)

  • Female Halfling sibling of Pulk and Rayn
  • Smokes a long pipe and tells long wonder-filled stories
  • Friendly and Loyal
    • She is much easier to deal with - for both those inside the Wave and outsiders. She revels in a wisdom and a calm well beyond her years, but remains a fierce and terrible foe on the battle field.

Rayn Za'darion (Rain)

  • Female Halfling sibling of Pulk and Tul
  • Probably a Gloomstalker?
  • Charming and Cautious
    • Compared to her siblings, Rayn was simpler and less ambitious. She was never far from Pulk and Tul growing up and, though she lacked their passion for "the resistance," she joined The Wave with them. Her exceptional ranging and stealth skills made her a top member in terms of respect, but she had no desire to be a leader.
    • Deuce enjoyed ranging with Rayn and they did so often, building a strong bond of kinship and respect.
  • She is understood to be dead by all involved, but may not be.

The Dread Day

  • Through a few lucky breaks, The Wave obtained intel that pointed to The Dread Weaver and The Skein operating near a specific narrow passage in the Oronti Mountains.
  • Pulk and Tul assigned Rayn and Deuce to lead a dangerous mission (a few years before present day) deep in the the Oronti Mountains. Their charge: to gather information and, if possible, eliminate The Dread Weaver - the leader of the ferocious and mysterious group called The Skein.
  • The Wave's team was ambushed and Rayn and others were lost in an avalanche trap that took out most of their party. In a frantic search among the wreckage of bodies, Deuce found a small mangled hand limply holding on to Rayn's dagger. Deuce kept the dagger and gathered the few survivors to return home, completely devastated.
  • The Roving Wave mourned this loss as it did every loss: deeply, reverently, but briefly. Deuce could never escape being haunted by Rayn's memory and could not understand how Pulk and Tul could bear it at all.

Enemies

The Dread Weaver

Known to The Roving Wave only as The Dread Weaver, this mysterious and dangerous enemy leads The Skein from a distance and from the shadows.

The Skein

They are exceptionally well-organized and have tormented the Wealders and The Wave through improbably deft deployments and skillful maneuvers far beyond those of typical raiding parties. Their targets seemed to be specific and purposeful, but The Wave had yet to solve even a small part of the mystery.