Krouk

Krouk
Created	April 29, 2011
Status	Active
Race	Halfling
Hometown	Hovelton
Classes	Thief
Followed	Rufus

Current Description:

The Halfling before you is of slender proportions. He is unkempt, scraggly-thin, and very short indeed. He is swift and quiet, yet more noticeable then most thieves; forever scourged -an oddity of the realm.

His stature is unlike most others you have seen. He is neither plump nor jovial, but solemn and soused with liquor. Pungent scents of tar and whiskey pervade the air around him. His head hangs low, bent at the neck and depressed into his chest; yielding to the burden he carries.

Shielding his skin from the burning sun, a multi colored cloak surrounds him. The cloth was woven from earthen tones then stained with grass and clay. The faded fabric is tied with a course brown rope - carefully knotted about his waist. From this hangs a tarnished silver dagger and several bags crafted from the hide of small animals.

Underneath his cloak is a protective garment of high quality elven chain. It is visibly loose - improperly taken from the shop sans adjustments. His pants are ragged, dirty, and sewn with many patches. The pockets are deep and bulging. His shoes, worn with age, show paths further traveled then most Halflings would dare. One of them - split at the toes – is wrapped in husks of tender nightwood. He is a collector of many disgusting things. Several bizarre items are tied around his neck, none stranger than the leg of a large rodent.

Noticing your gaze he briefly lifts his head. Krouk says, 'I bite back'.

You are startled. Not only by his words, but the condition of his face, mangled as if one hundred tiny teeth had chewed upon his flesh. The ivory white skin is pitted with countless tiny scars. The tip of his nose and the edges of his ears are crooked and gouged. His lips are practically nonexistent.

He twitches slightly, sneering as you stare at his disfigurement, flashing his sharp yellow teeth, and then turns away.

As he walks into the distance, you remember not only his nasty glare and crude personality, but his delicate locks of auburn hair and two compassionate cerulean eyes - wet like rain drops clinging to the first spring leaf.

You do not know if he is a child or a man.

WHO Lists:

Hlf [       Th: 1       ] Krouk the Halfling                         04/29/11
Hlf [       Th:16       ] Krouk.                                     05/09/11
Hlf [       Th:20       ] Krouk. <------- ---- -----C-R-OO-K         05/13/11
Hlf [       Th:28       ] Krouk the monk.                            06/06/11
Hlf [       Th:28       ] Krouk, the ugly monk.                      06/09/11

Character History:

Krouk was born to a wealthy family in the Township of Braddlebury. Due to increased political pressure, they were forced to flee the area. Hoping that a farmining community up north would allow them to live a normal life, they packed what they could carry and sailed across the ocean. Unfortunately, they were wrong. His parents reputation for starting political mischief preceded them. This was something the Thain of Hovelton would not tolerate.

Immediately upon arrival they were intercepted by a thuggish crew of six sheriffs. His family was then personally escorted to the Thain himself, where they were subjected to intense interrogations. Sensing their situation was dire, Krouk’s parents fought for their lives. While his father distracted the Thain, Krouk and his mother ran into the sewer below. There, Krouk’s mother hid him in an old chest and turned to face the sheriffs. He waited for hours, but she never came back.

After what seemed like forever Krouk crawled out of the chest. He was scared and alone. He didn’t want to move but he was hungry. He collected a pile of small stones and stood at the end of a tunnel, hunting rats until finally he struck one of the rodents in the back. The vermin screamed in pain and twitched wildly about the floor. Krouk quickly stomped on its head, relieved that he would finally eat. But before he could take a bite he heard the pattering of hundreds of tiny feet frantically running toward him. A pack of rats had heard the cry and came to defend their sewer. Krouk was grossly outnumbered and unable to defend himself. The animals crawled up his clothes and attacked his face, biting him repeatedly. He fell to the ground, flailing his arms and screaming for help. He thought he was going to die, but then someone grabbed him from above and yanked him out of the sewer. Krouk couldn’t see and could barely speak. He was simply in pain. He was handed him a cup and told him to drink, so he did. The liquid was bitter and harsh; it burned the back of his throat and warmed his stomach. He drank until the pain went away and then slept.

It took many days for Krouk to heal. During this time he could not open his eyes. His face was wrapped in bandages. When he finally took them off he could smell something delicious. A savory stew was cooking over a fire. He left the big comfortable chair he had been sitting on and quickly gobbled from up.

Krouk looked to his left and finally saw the man who had saved his life. The man smiled at him and said, “You made it, but your parents didn’t.” He handed Krouk a mirror. “You will never be the same again.”

Krouk stared blankly into the mirror. His face was mangled from the attack. His skin was pitted with countless tiny scars. The tip of his nose and the edges of his ears were crooked and gouged. His lips had been completely chewed off.

“What will I do?” he asked.

The man replied, “I am a Master of thieves. I will teach you how to survive. You will hide in the darkness. You will live among the shadows. You are hideous and the world will not accept you as one of them.”

Krouk now spends his youth in the Halfling town, taking what he needs to survive. He will forever defend himself against the evil ways that forced him to leave his home.

Personal Timeline:

04/29/2011: Krouk is created.
06/01/2011: Krouk joins Rufus and the Monks of Blood.