About the Author

Kerith of the Dalelands

            My background?  Where am I from?  I suppose answering the Dalelands is a little too general for what you were hoping?  In that case, sit back, grab your mug and I’ll spin you my tale.  While adventuring brings more interesting tales, this one may intrigue some of you and will tell me something about each of you as well. 

            I am a Half-Elf Bard who calls the Dalelands home.  I stand 5’7” tall, 184 pounds, green eyes, shoulder length deep brown hair in braids with beads on the ends, in a combination dress of adventurer and entertainer.  My rugged human father, Andar Soulblade, met my beautiful elven mother, Scharlae Mystictale, many years ago before the northern Dalelands became filled with turmoil.  A marriage followed a long courting period and soon I became part of the world.  Out of honor for my elven side, my parents decided to give me an elven name - Kerith. 

            Unfortunately, father needed to find a better paying job to support his family.  We lived in Coymanthor where opportunities outside of large cities are few and far between.  The Zhentarim were in a town not too far away recruiting for guards for nearby cities and caravans.  Since this would still keep father close to home, he signed up.  The first few years were as he had expected - training, local duty, never really gone for more than two weeks at a time, the usual.  He had shown his capabilities and work ethic and was selected for promotion whether he liked it or not.  He now began traveling the Dalelands wherever the Zhents took him. 

            I grew up with my mother amongst the elves from that point learning many skills and enjoying life.  I, surprisingly, wasn’t teased nearly as much as others but I also had a knack for telling when something said was in seriousness or in jest and took it accordingly.  Something I remember was growing up with a beautiful elven maiden in my village.  She was older than I, of course, but has a playful heart about her and the beauty of an enchantress.  Someday, I hope to revisit her again as she never was one for talking and I never did know her name. 

            Unfortunately, I grew faster than the other elves and it became time for me to leave the village, as usually occurs to those of us half-elves.  We hadn’t seen my father for years so I set out to find him.  It took me months of traveling the Dalelands until I did track him down in Voonlar.  He had been stationed there and couldn’t get enough time off without losing an arm or leg to come home.  He was happy to see me and had seemed to change some but not as much as I would have expected from all the talk about the Zhents.  I traveled with him for the next few years.  His friends tried to talk me into enrolling but I just couldn’t settle down for that long yet.  We went to Dagger Falls, visited Snow Mantle (and saw the Flaming Tower and Temple in the Sky on the way), we spent some time in Teshwave, and even visited Yulash for a short period.  I got to know many of his friends and their “Non-Zhentarim” lives including family and realized that, like my father, the uniform didn’t make their hearts evil, it’s their hearts that made the uniform evil.  My father had surrounded himself with men of good character who did their job effectively when needed but had a heart in everything they did.  

            It had been a while since I had been home and decided to leave to visit mother again.  I found an artist to sketch a picture for my father and my mother of the two of us (he in his full uniform and I in my adventuring gear) and took the long trip to return it to her.  I was to meet my father in Voonlar in a month, as he would be out on a mission I could not attend. 

            I arrived home to find most of my village had left the area.  My mother had stayed knowing I would return.  She had told me that the elves were still on the move to a safer ground and that she was leaving for that place in two days with the remainder of the village.  All my childhood friends had already left including the elven maiden.  I stayed with my mother there and helped her pack.  I stashed what little gold I had in her things (I had five gold pieces at the time and was saving for a Long Sword) and escorted her to the edge of the village, as I could not go with them to the new place.  I had told her about father and my meeting him in Voonlar in case something happened on her journey.  My mother said she would find a way of finding me when she could so I would know where to find her.  After they left, I spent a day going through what was left of the village taking what I could use, cleaning up so nature could reclaim the area, and wondering where the elves had gone.  I hoped they would have appreciated that from me.

            I then began my travels back to Voonlar stopping in Shadowdale along the way as I had heard so much of the place.  It was a great trip meeting many people and hearing more good tales as well as sharing mine.  I returned to Voonlar and was greeted as I had left by those who worked with my father - he was not there.  I had asked what had happened and they assured me he was fine.  Upon his return from their successful mission ahead of schedule he was transferred again (the penalty of success).  They didn’t know much more than that and I left he message that I would start out in Dagger Falls and see where it leads me.  I knew they did not head that way at all recently but it was still in the Dalelands and close enough for contact if he got the chance.  That’s how I arrived in Dagger Falls. 

            Home for me is wherever I lay my head in the Dalelands.  I decided to start here as it was a growing area looking for good-hearted people and that was something I had from my parents.  I’m adventuring for the sake of adventuring with hope of finding my parents or that beautiful elven maiden from so long ago.  I am entranced by Lore and Knowledge with storytelling and singing as my gifts.  Adventuring gives me a source for stories, money for getting information, and satisfies my curiosity of what is out there that I haven’t seen yet.  I have learned songs from various races and cultures and broadened my languages as much as I could.  Someday I will be a renowned Bard and be able to get my parents back together again as both of their hearts still long for the other. 

 

            Slightly romanced, possibly.  The information, all true to my word.  And now, your reactions my friends, for it is time for me to learn about you...