Please jot down a memory of Brian, or a photo with him in it, or just tell us how you were connected.
wrote on June 16, 2023
at
2:17 pm
This was a small send-off I wrote for Norkas the Wise, the last character Brian played in our long-running D&D game. The other names are characters played by close friends, but the one I want to call out specifically is the character of Bondin. This was Barrett's character for the majority of the campaign.
Across the seas, over the jagged mountains of the Krakenโs Maw, past Arcantionโs capital of Grestead, deep in a shadowy and abandoned temple library, we see a figure. Muscular, broad shouldered, clad in weathered yet well-cared for bronze armor. He moves from shelf to shelf, flipping pages of ancient and disintegrating tomes, unrolling crackling fragments of scrolls. Occasionally, he returns to an open space in the center of the chamber, where a number of arcane and divine sigils are etched into the floor, creating a complex circular pattern.
As he passes a nearby table, his lanternโs faint flame illuminates his face. Norkas the Wise runs a calloused hand over his chin and his eyes trace down another codex. Then they go wide. He quickly moves back to the circle, and with a piece of blue chalk, sketches the final sigil into the circle.
It has been years of searching, amidst his other adventures. He has been taking notes and collecting information while traveling with his friends and companions. He helped Indos rebuild his familyโs name and take his rightful place at their ancestral home. He traveled with Etain, rescuing her father from hostile forces who had captured him for their dark rituals. With his friend Gunnar, they ventured to Lesdon, where after the Proudstar Rebellion, additional support was needed. They rebuilt the garrison, and he helped establish Gunnar as the captain of the Dukeโs guard. He even found a quiet little cottage for his friend Morthos, and helped him establish a quiet yet popular little alchemists business.
And during all these adventures, he has been seeking the hidden information secreted away by his god, Ogmha, Lord of Knowledge.
At last, he has found it.
The circle before him begins to glow. Norkas sheds his pack, removing his dented armor, leaves his weapon leaning against a nearby table. He looks over his belongings with a smile, remembering the trials and tribulations he underwent with his allies. And with that smile on his face, he steps into the light.
As so the next stage of Norkas the Wiseโs journey begins. He ascends, taking his place as the avatar of Ogmha. His voice will be a whisper in the ear of all those who seek a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it. His hand will guide invention and discovery for ages to come.
And perhaps most important of all, his legacy includes a tightly-bound leather tome that flickers and disappears as the light of the circle fades. In all of his travels, he gathered whatever information and knowledge he could come across, and chronicled it for his kindred spirit in the hunt for truth, his old companion Bondin. This tome will magically make its way to his friend, in due time, and with it, Norkasโs story will continue.
Across the seas, over the jagged mountains of the Krakenโs Maw, past Arcantionโs capital of Grestead, deep in a shadowy and abandoned temple library, we see a figure. Muscular, broad shouldered, clad in weathered yet well-cared for bronze armor. He moves from shelf to shelf, flipping pages of ancient and disintegrating tomes, unrolling crackling fragments of scrolls. Occasionally, he returns to an open space in the center of the chamber, where a number of arcane and divine sigils are etched into the floor, creating a complex circular pattern.
As he passes a nearby table, his lanternโs faint flame illuminates his face. Norkas the Wise runs a calloused hand over his chin and his eyes trace down another codex. Then they go wide. He quickly moves back to the circle, and with a piece of blue chalk, sketches the final sigil into the circle.
It has been years of searching, amidst his other adventures. He has been taking notes and collecting information while traveling with his friends and companions. He helped Indos rebuild his familyโs name and take his rightful place at their ancestral home. He traveled with Etain, rescuing her father from hostile forces who had captured him for their dark rituals. With his friend Gunnar, they ventured to Lesdon, where after the Proudstar Rebellion, additional support was needed. They rebuilt the garrison, and he helped establish Gunnar as the captain of the Dukeโs guard. He even found a quiet little cottage for his friend Morthos, and helped him establish a quiet yet popular little alchemists business.
And during all these adventures, he has been seeking the hidden information secreted away by his god, Ogmha, Lord of Knowledge.
At last, he has found it.
The circle before him begins to glow. Norkas sheds his pack, removing his dented armor, leaves his weapon leaning against a nearby table. He looks over his belongings with a smile, remembering the trials and tribulations he underwent with his allies. And with that smile on his face, he steps into the light.
As so the next stage of Norkas the Wiseโs journey begins. He ascends, taking his place as the avatar of Ogmha. His voice will be a whisper in the ear of all those who seek a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it. His hand will guide invention and discovery for ages to come.
And perhaps most important of all, his legacy includes a tightly-bound leather tome that flickers and disappears as the light of the circle fades. In all of his travels, he gathered whatever information and knowledge he could come across, and chronicled it for his kindred spirit in the hunt for truth, his old companion Bondin. This tome will magically make its way to his friend, in due time, and with it, Norkasโs story will continue.