Character: Eomer

By Shamus Posted Monday Sep 5, 2005

Filed under: D&D Campaign 7 comments

Name: Eomer
Race: Human
Class: Rogue
Played By: Pat

Backstory:
Eomier Abrin DeCauste was born to a soldier, Claudius. While he was not afforded luxury, he was not deprived either. By means of his father he was taught at the only established school on the island, which in those times was almost always a church, and this school was no different.

He was often told not only by his father, but at the school, of the crusades of Ubrin Lorich. Three generations had passed since Ubrin and his companions freed the isle of Grey Moor from its natural occupants; the orcs. These stories were grand, elaborate and verbose. I will not burden your ear with the stories in full Elvish song, but know that to the children of Greymoor these songs were as intoxicating as fine wine. Idolization of Ubrin and his friends was assured.

“Ubrin had, with the aid of his friends, hunted down and killed every tribe of orc on the island. Afterwards he declared Grey Moor a free island, that no man should ever rule it. None but those who sought to take from others should be turned away from its shores. Like everyone else, Eomier was astounded that one could be so selfless as to give up an entire island after conquering it almost single handedly. While many stories circulated as to why Ubrin had such an acute distaste for monarchies or established governments, none were ever proven, and no one really thought it that important.

After Ubrin parted ways with his companions, he constructed the office of the protector of Grey Moor. He did little but watch the city of Bayhaven grow around him till his death, save slaying the occasional band of goblins. He sired and raised a son, Aaron, and instructed him in the way of the sword and the way of the pen. After his death Aaron took over stewardship of the island, keeping to his fathers will that no man should have dominion over another. Aaron lived many years and saw Bayhaven grow from fledgling town to a city that drew trade ships. It was during this time that so many races came to settle in Grey Moor. Despite the usual tensions that exist whenever dwarf, human and Halfling live in such close proximity, Greymoor and its (lack of) politics kept these disagreements to a minimum.

It is during Aaron's tenure that the first mention of the Monks of the Highstone Monastery is made, a passive (but lethal) order of Monks that had taken stewardship of the local town of Bridgehold. It's not clear if the town or monastery came first, but since the monks had a penchant for vows of silence, no one really knows for sure.
No one knows how long the dwarves had been on the island, but it was also around this time that their presence was discovered. All-the-while this seemingly uninhabited island was home to a clan of Dwarven stone masters. Like most dwarves they were very content to live within their mountain, unburdened with anything outside of it. Little was heard from the dwarves, but Aaron did arrange a reasonable trade of goods and foods (mostly ale and textiles) from off-island for whatever valuables the dwarves were willing to part with.

Aaron knew that once word of trade with Dwarven miners spread that the trade ships would be more eager to stop at this once small port. Peoples from all over Mar Talos soon came to find their fortunes in the mountains that cut the island in half, find adventure in the north, to free themselves from oppression or to simply claim a strip of land and make a simple living.

During his time as steward Aaron saw Grey Moor's population grow from a few hundred to almost ten thousand, with roughly 4 thousand in Bayhaven alone. This did, however, cost him quite dearly. He invested much of his families' fortune out of a sense of obligation to his charge as Protector. Near the end of his wildly successful and peaceful tenure, he made one error that would eventually engulf the island in civil war: He levied a tax on ships stopping in port, simply for upkeep of the docks themselves. While this is customary in all other ports, this was the first time that such a thing had been done on Greymoor. Without knowledge or intent, Aaron created a government. The office of the protector passed to his son, Reginald.”

During childhood the fact did not escape Eomier that while there were more than a few thousand families in Bayhaven, there were less than a hundred students. This troubled him greatly, and he sought answers. The head master (and head priest as it was) Tenril at first seemed annoyed that a boy would question such things, and took it as an accusation. He rebuked Eomier, and his father was less than pleased. For 7 years he kept his silence.

By age 11 he was the top student, and his father had advanced to rank of Lieutenant and personal advisor to Reginald the Protector. One day, while walking home from school, as he passed the keep he saw his father and his men taking a young man, not many years older than Eomier, up to the keep. He looked like he had been roughed up quite a bit, and the number of guards escorting him suggested whatever his offense had been, this was a very dangerous man. Eomier asked his father what the man had done. The man had been caught stealing, and his punishment would be imprisonment for 2 years, or banishment to the north. This was basically a death sentence, since no one had come back from the north in 20 years. He was told of how there would ALWAYS be people who will take advantage of others if not kept at bay. And that is what the office of the protector, and in turn Eomier's father, did. There were always thieves who would pray on the innocent if not dealt with, and dealt with harshly. This is what Ubrin did, and what he had envisioned for Grey Moor. Eomier accepted this.

Days later while again walking home from school Eomier was accosted by several older boys. He did not recognize them and they were much bigger than him. He did what most boys would do, he ran. Fleeing through the streets he turned a corner, ducked into a shop and vanished from his pursuers. As his breath returned, peering out the window as his attackers passed by, he was startled from a gruff voice from behind:

“Get used to it kid…”

He turned around to see a man not as old as his voice would make him seem. He stood there, frozen, scared and out of breath.

“You don't even know why they're chasing you, do you?”

Eomier shook his head, he had no idea. Eldon informed him that his father had become quite well known as Reginald's lap dog, making more than a few enemies. It was the first time he first heard the other side life on Grey Moor, away from the keep and the school. He heard of how a few days earlier a man had been imprisoned for trying to sneak a few things off a ship without paying the tariff first. He had always paid before; he simply needed to sell the goods first to pay the tax. Instead he was beaten, jailed, and his goods claimed. The story of an entire ships crew banished to the North for a mere casket of wine. Eomier refused to believe it, and left the shop and ran home.
By age 14 he was done with school, and it was time to do what was expected of him and follow in his fathers footsteps. His first assignments were simply escorting goods from the port south to the towns north. He did this often for several months, and it wore on him. He wished to keep the peace, to defend the people of Grey Moor.
While daydreaming of riding with Ubrin one day, three men jumped from the bushes along the road and snatched several bags of grain from a cart right in front of him. Surprised because he wasn't paying attention, but mostly because these three men hardly looked like the viscous thieves he was trained to look out for. They were dirty, ragged, and very obviously starving. They didn't look anything like the thieves or evil-doers he had imagined, they were starving peasants. Two of them weren't even wearing shoes. As he watched them “flee”, still quite surprised at their appearance, he watched as all three were chased down and cut to pieces by other guards on horseback. Shocked at what had just happened, he said nothing as the Captain rebuked him for not paying attention. When he returned home, he asked his father of what had happened, and of his thoughts. Again his father to reprimanded him for questioning the way of things, and told him to be more thoughtful of his duty. Troubled by what had happened, he sought advice from an unlikely source: The shopkeeper.

Eldon was all too eager to fill his ears with stories such as the one he had seen. And soon Eomier was starting to question exactly who was oppressing who? Who was the thief? Was he really defending the people? He struggled with his own ideals and began to see not just the world he had been shown, but what was hidden behind strong doors and clean clothes. He used his fathers influence and status (which was now Magistrate) to look into some of the accusations levied against the prisoners of the keep. He was shocked to find out that jails were full, usually for the smallest of offenses, but almost always having to do with monies owed to the office of the protector. Crimes against other citizens were dealt with in the harshest manor possible. There were no rights, no appeals, only the decree of the Protector.
Secretly he began to funnel info to his new friend, Eldon. In turn he was taught useful skills, and mostly he felt he was only now really helping people who needed it.
He was still young however, and was soon caught. After a very heated argument with his father, he left the Office of the Protector and found work smuggling goods from the north to escape what was now a ridiculous tax. With every trip back to Bayhaven, a new wing had been added to the keep. It resembled a castle more than anything, and the flags of “The Office of the Protector” flew as a King's would. Eomier's contempt grew every trip.

 


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7 thoughts on “Character: Eomer

  1. The Hidden says:

    very, very, awesome!!!! Mind if I use him in a story?

  2. Patrick says:

    feel free…thanks.

  3. Porphyrogenitus says:

    He bore a son? :S

  4. Byte says:

    Thought Eomer was that NPC in DM of the Rings^^

  5. Go go go Patrick! Well made stories are always nice to have!

  6. me says:

    nice story there

  7. Austin says:

    Wait, Reginald? THE Reginald? I am aware that the Reginald mentioned existed long before Cuftbert, but wow…

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