Uncertain Plans

[CamoCommando]

Biography:

Mother: Sasha
Father: Varyn
Siblings: None
Hometown: Baldur’s Gate

Like many along the Sword Coast, Vithik’s family was of non-noble background in Baldur’s Gate with very little wealth. Vithik’s mother, Sasha, was but a simple maid for a wealthy scholar and trader in the city. His father, whom was a street cleaner, was not supplying a future for starting a family. Sasha, seeing her husband’s dismay, decided to inquire job opportunity with Artimus, the scholar whom she was a estate maid for. Artimus decided to take Varyn on as a personal assistant and bodyguard, even though Varyn wasn’t a strong sword hand, Artimus rarely put himself in terrible danger.

Even through Sasha and Varyn were now providing more of a steady living situation to start a family, Varyn yearned for more. Throughout Varyn and Artimus’ travels and expeditions, Varyn began to listen closely to Artimus’ conversations, and in his spare time read Artimus’ books and scrolls to become a learned man. Artimus noticed Varyn’s interest in gaining knowledge, and decided to tutor him to utilize the Weave. After Varyn began learning incantations, but still very early in his tutoring, he overheard a conversation between Artimus and some potential trade partners. Varyn could not fully comprehend, but he understood it was a summoning of some sort, in which Artimus believed it could be a very lucrative and profitable outcome. Varyn, growing impatient to have a better life for his family, decided to encroach on Artimus’ plan. One evening Varyn stole what information Artimus possessed in regards to the summoning.

That same evening, Varyn set-up the necessary components in his home with a very concerned Sasha looking on, and began reciting the incantation, jumping from scroll to scroll to make sure and include all parts of the spell. The candles and flames lit in the room began to dim, and an uneasy feeling washed over Sasha and Varyn; Especially Sasha who withheld information from her husband, that she was now carrying child. Suddenly with a blinding flash of light, causing Sasha and Varyn alike to turn away, there in their house kneeled another unknown human figure. The figure gazed up slowly, revealing empty black eyes and a set of horns adorned on his forehead.

In disbelief, Varyn began furiously searching through his parchment for further information and validation on his ill-prepared plan. The demon, now muttering slow demonic phrases, began slowly approaching Sasha with unknown intent, yet with an oddly unsettling charismatic aura.

Varyn skimmed for a reversal spell, or commanding incantations, in which he found the latter. Varyn recited the listed spells to command the now apparent demon, but he was not powerful or skilled enough to control him. This same unfortunate happening might be the savior to their plight. As Varyn was not strong enough to command the demon, the spell used to summon him was not strong enough to last as well, and the demon began to fade. The demon, realizing his time was limited, began speaking demonic phrases but in an expedited fashion and making hand gestures towards Sasha. Varyn, not knowing what was to come, leapt in front of his wife to protect her from what may come.

An unknown arcane blast emitted from the demon towards Varyn and Sasha, which knocked both of them to the ground. With a last gaze, and grin, the demon disappeared. Sasha sat up in a slight daze but relatively unscathed, and looked upon a now lifeless Veryn. She now realized with a heavy heart that she was left on her own now, to raise their child.

Some short months later, a baby son was born, but what was before Sasha’s eyes would cause much dismay. Horns, just like the demon Varyn had summoned, were fixed on her baby’s forehead. She looked eagerly to try and remove them with her bare hands, but once the boy started crying she accepted the futile attempt, and let out a long sigh.

“Vithik, “ she said, “Vithik is his name, and I must keep him. He’s all I have left of Varyn.” Those maids whom she worked with, while understanding of the reasoning with hesitation, did not discard the child as many would have done.

Vithik grew up living a completely sheltered life within the confines of their home. The basement during the day, and the rest of the house at night, Vithik grew to cope in his surroundings. Many books and many scrolls were part of his life, when he found buried in the piles of his father’s old belongings, those fateful scrolls and books related to the night he had passed. His mother had no choice but to explain what had happened, which wound up planting a small seed of malice. Vithik did not know where or how to channel his anger, so he learned to hide it behind an eerily similar charismatic charm that the demon had portrayed.

Some years later, Sasha began to grow very concerned, that her son would be doomed to live and die without seeing anything but walls. Still employed by the scholar Artimus, in which she had seen numerous visits by Red Wizards from Thay. She was not extremely familiar with their kind, but did know they were well traveled with their Embassy’s reach in the realms, and could potentially take Vithik somewhere he could live. One evening while Sasha was performing her duties, her opportunity had arrived, in the form of two Red Wizards entering Artimus’ home to discuss trade opportunity. Sasha positioned herself close by to the room, and her moment arrived; Artimus exited the room to fetch something for the Red Wizards. Sasha ran into the room and immediately dropped to her knees beside one of the wizards and clutched the tail of his robe.

The Red Wizard quickly produced a wand from his robe sleeve, pointed it straight at Sasha’s face, and said with a firm quiet voice, “Quickly, why should I not release you from my robe myself?”

“My boy, my son…I don’t have time to explain, but please take him somewhere out of the city. Somewhere, he can be….be safe!” Sasha begs. The Red Wizard examines Sasha, and a coy grin spreads across his face as he replies.

“Your clothes look and smell of commoner at best, Baldur’s Gate is a fine place for him to grow. Leave us be, unless you’d like further explanation.” With the last word, he taps her nose with the wand.

“No, n-n-no you don’t understand. My son, he can’t live here, he has…[hesitantly] horns. He’ll be killed here, he can’t stay in the city.” The Red Wizard lowers his wand and places it back into hiding, and begins quietly conversing with his colleague in a tongue Sasha does not understand.

“Our original observation stands true, you are not of wealthy upbringings. Our business and time is not cheap, tell us, what could you possibly offer us for this task?” The wizards look onwards, with very little interest.

“Anything, please I beg you, please. Name your price.”

“Freedom, for freedom…that is our price. Do you understand? This is also with no guarantees of safety for your, “boy”. This is non-negotiable, quickly now before we recant, what is your decision?”

Sasha’s eyes dart to almost every object in the room other than the wizards, weighing all possible decisions and what to say. She squares her eyes on the wizard again, as a tear rolls down her cheek, “Agreed.” She scribbles their home location on a piece of parchment, the wizard stows it, and fixes his gaze away from Sasha as if to indicate their interaction was now over.

The next evening without a knock or warning, their home’s door flew open causing a candle to blow and out loose parchment to fly. In through their door, a giant of a man entered clad in blood red armor. In his hand were a pair of shackles, and Sasha knew the time had come. The towering man placed shackles on Sasha, as she looked to a frightened and confused Vithik, and shook her head; Indicating not to resist, and this must happen. Vithik, who was still very early into his self-Weave training, was enraged and confused and began to cast the only arcane spell he could. With a swift back-hand, the Knight subdued Vithik and fixed the shackles on him as well. The two were lead outside where two wagons were waiting on the street corner, and they were placed separately. Sasha, as futile as it may seem, asked, “Where are you taking him?”

Vithik, now stricken silent with curiosity and fear, looked to the man as he let out a low rumbling chuckle. He placed a hood over Sasha’s head and then approached Vithik to do the same. As he puts the hood over Vithik’s head, he says;

“Darkness, he plunges into darkness.”

[Thus begins Vithik’s uncertain journey in the Underdark, down a path of vengeance and adventure to finish lingering “plans”, that he is still not sure what they mean.]

[CamoCommando]

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Very soon into my "new" life down here, I have received a number of harsh lessons, which is proving that the Underdark contains a very harsh learning curve. At first, I expected to win over the Drow with diplomacy, and an extended hand; This is completely wrong.

I was met with harsh words, yet, a somewhat odd support system. My learning lessons are still occurring on a daily however, and Vithik, here is your biggest lesson;

"Keep your mouth shut, and play the part of submitting to the Drow, until you have your feet wet."

This has come to bite me back, in which It won't happen again. Play the part Vithik, play the part and soon, you will be able to break free.