Captain Lofwyr Illandriel loses his love

[Damienknight]

She was stalwart, reliable, quick and at times graceful. He had been with her for years. When he first met her she belonged to another, but he had remained close and loyal and eventually won her heart. But what took years for her took only a moment for Lofwyr. Ever since he first met her, Lofwyr loved Maggie.

He stood proud and tall, swaying up and down on the plank. The waves splashed playfully below, flicking cold briny water at him as though it were just a game. But this was no game. This was the last time Lofwyr would see Maggie and knowing it was constricting his throat tight as a noose. He looked her over lovingly, doing his best to hold back tears. He couldn't have his voice cracking now.

The majestic view of the Pirate Ship Maggie was spoiled by a rotten countenance. An ugly face bulging with strength an malace, dappled with scars white and red. It was a Crowley, a ruthless scoundrel and perpetrator of this mutiny. His raven black hair was greased with oil to hide the speckles of white, and tied back in ratty ponytail. His scowl contorted as he spoke, his angry countenance matched by the hate in his voice.

"Yer a damn coward, and never deserved to be captain," Crowley spat the words out, his vitriol raining onto the dreadlocks of the tied up Pigmy held beside him. Crowley had always been a thorn in Lofwyr's boot, ever since Captain Barnes had made Lofwyr first mate. Crowley had been with the crew for years before the Sun Elf had joined them, but the roughian's crass personality failed to win over Barnes, or enough of the crew to force Barne's respect.

But a golden haired elf came in like a gale, catching the crew and captain up in his love for life and the sea. His singing rallied the men through times good and bad, and when it was time for a new first mate, Barnes had chosen with his heart.

The Pygmy's tore that right out of his chest, Crowley thought with a smile. They had paid their due, but Lofwyr became captain and spared one-- their witch doctor. Who ever heard of a Pigmy sailor!?

But times had been rough in the year Lofwyr had been captain, with their biggest smuggling job dumped to the sea in a chase, and the elf's weak kindness blocking them from some of the juiciest pirating opportunities. It only took a few weeks of convincing and he had the crew ready for new management. Except the loyal Pigmy.

Crowley had a plan for that, and had tricked the Pigmy into betting away most of his best trinkets the night before. With Lofwyr's only staunch supporter weakened, it was a simple task to start the mutiny.

Thinking of Doc broke Lofwyr's wistful thoughts and gave him an idea. "You know Crowley, Umbae is the last of his people, and a holy man among them. Thats a double curse if you kill him. You really want to start your rein as Captain with a double curse?"

Whispers broke out across the men. Being at the mercy of the unpredictable sea made sailors a supersticious bunch, and Umbae had done enough magic to prove he was capable of quite a bit of cursing.

Crowley looked over at the brown skinned runt tied up beside him and shrugged, "Fine. We will loose him on a rowboat and let the sea take him. I think the sea doesn't care much for your curses, eh?" Nods of approval all around. "But not you Elf. You've wasted this crew's time and ruined our profits with yer coward way of runnin things. No, YOU will walk the plank."

Lofwyr looked over to powder barrels and briefly fantasized about a final struggle where he blew the ship to pieces. But no, never. Lofwyr had never loved a woman the way he loved this ship, and he would never blow Maggie up. He truly loved her, enough to let her go on with another at her helm.

Lofwyr felt the lockpick in his palm. He had fished it out of his sleeve despite the ropes binding them, and was already halfway through tearing the cords that bound his hands. "Have it your way Crowley." Lofwyr looked at the crew one last time and smiled. "Good luck to you then. Treat Maggie well."

With that he stepped backward, flinging himself into the cold embrace of the tumbling waves.

It was a full minute before he had his hands free, and his lungs were burning for air. He couldnt go up though... he thought Crowley might order the men to shoot him if he bobbed to the top. He dug into his boot and found it. A small wooden flute shaped like a lung. Umbae had made it for him just a week ago. Was it luck, or did the Pigmy witch doctor know this was coming?

Lofwyr put the flute to his lips and blew. He was afraid he would not have enough breath left to activate it, but after a moment a bubble of air grew out of the flute and warped itself over Lofwyr's head. It grew until it was a few inches out from his face then stopped. His lungs screamed for air, but he had not used this trinket before and was afraid a deep gasping breath would pop the bubble. He slowly and carefully took in a sip of air. The bubble deformed but did not pop. Finally he filled his lungs and sighed. He did not realize how close he was to the long sleep until his vision cleared.

He began the laborious swim up toward the surface but held back, keeping out of sight. The bubble lasted longer than Lofwyr expected, and by the time he was forced to surface, Maggie was far into the distance, her Sails billowing gracefully in the wind.

"Eh-eh! We gots you Cahpitan!" Umbae shouted from a dozen meters behind Lofwyr. The dimunitive Pigmy waved and Lofwyr swam over and lifted himself aboard the rowboat.

"No paddles Umbae? Damn Crowley." Lofwyr shook his hair, salty water spraying about.

"No matter Cahpitan. We gots da spirits wit us, we do!"

The sun did not even set before a ship found them and took them aboard. More Pigmy magic, or just good old fashioned luck?

Three days later they stepped into a busy port. "I will miss her Doc. I prefer the sea to Baldur's Gate, but for two fortune seeking water-dogs saving up for a new ship, there is no better place to be. Comon, I smell opportunity on the winds!"

Umbae bobbed his head in agreement and his dreads clinked with bones and wood. The industrious witch doctor had already begun creating new trinkets and working his Voo Doo on them. He would would be strong with spirit magic again in no time. "Aye Cahpitan, da spirits be smilin at we!"

[Damienknight]

First Name: Lofwyr
Last Name: Illandriel

Appearance: Tan skinned golden haired sun elf with a patch over his right eye. Favors darker colors for the pirate intimidation factor, but always brightens it with a smile.

Race: Sun Elf
Age: 127
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Facial Hair Style: Clean Shaven

Personality Profile: Lofwyr is an eternal optimist who loves the sea. His ambition is to accumulate enough wealth to buy a ship, and enough reputation to attract a crew. Although he has taken part in a fair number of pirate raids, he prefers Smuggling to robbery. He never executes a prisoner, and seldom sinks a ship he has captured. He has come to trust deeply his friend Umbae the Witch Doctor. He believes everyone should be free to choose and pursue their own destiny.

General Health: Energetic and healthy, minus his right eye, which was injured in a sword fight.

Deity: None, though he often donates a few coins to whatever alter he passes, and has respect for the gods, both good and bad. His pursuit of freedom stops him from subscribing to most God's edicts, although he would probably follow one of the more free Gods if anyone ever made a good case for it.

Initial Alignment: True Neutral. He does alot of good to make up for the fact that he is a little bit leacherous. He prefers to steal womens hearts but will settle for robbing them of their gold and jewelry.

Profession: Pirate. Briefly Captained a Pirate ship for a year until he lost it to mutiny.

Base Class & Proposed Development: Bard/Swashbuckler, building into Dread Pirate/Duelist.

Habits/Hobbies: Loves a good pirate shanty, and sometimes whistles Elven folk tunes he learned as a child. Tendency to steal, but also loves to play the hero when the opportunity presents itself. Often vows to become more fearsome so he can develop a properly intimidating pirate reputation, but never has the heart to go through with really dastardly deeds.

Languages: Elven, Common, Undercommon, Goblin, Aural
Learned Undercommon from a half-drow sailor. Goblin when he was a scout as a young elf prior to becoming a sailor. Umbae has been teaching him Aural so that they can have a less common language to communicate in code.


Weapon of Choice: Rapier and dagger

Background: Fell in love with the sea when he first sailed. Joined a merchant ship and learned to be a sailor. The ship was transporting soldiers once when pirates attacked. After the pirates had been beaten, the Lieutenant of the soldiers was going to execute the captured pirates. Lofwyr impulsively blew a powder keg as a distraction and broke them free, fleeing with them. As an outlaw became part of a pirate crew and served under Captain Barnes for several years aboard the Mad Maggie. When Barnes was killed in a fight with Island Pigmies, Lofwyr became captain and saved the life of the last Pigmy from the village, a Witch Doctor named Umbae. He spent a year as captain, leading them to more Smuggling than Piracy, but bad fortune made it unprofitable. Eventually there was a mutiny and he and Umbae survived, but he lost his ship. The ship that rescued them dropped them off in Neverwinter, where they have decided to try and make a fortune as adventurers.

Goals: Become famous, attract a crew.
Become rich, buy (or steal) a fast ship for smuggling.

Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:
Finds out where Crowley and the Mad Maggie are, attempts to retake the vessel.

Misc Fact, when Barnes crew came to the island Umbae is from, they were initially peaceful. Barnes saw a golden statue he liked and attempted to take it by force, causing a deadly fight with the village that left Barnes dead. Lofwyr missed the fight because he had been bitten by a local snake and was recovering in the Witch Doctors hut. The remaining crew wiped out the Pigmy village, but Lofwyr was able to protect Umbae and take control of Mad Maggie. As captain he referred to her simply as Maggie, because she never really seemed particularly mad to him.