#igmar

Hello everyone!  I've recently started playing in a Rise of the Runelords campaign, it will be replacing my Ocean's Curse campaign journal, as I'm playing in Rise of the Runelords, not running it.

I'm playing a Dwarf Ranger named Igmar Desgun, his backstory was detailed in my last entry. I'm hoping for a good time, as Rise of the Runelords is very well received from what I see, and after just one session I'm already having a ton of fun!

Part 1: Festival and Fire.

Participants: Ermine - Human Fighter 1 Igmar - Dwarf Ranger 1 Sistra - Halfling Sorcerer 1 Sucre - Human Monk 1 Tilik - Gnome Cleric 1

The Swallowtail Festival

The sleepy fishing town of Sandpoint was caught up in a flurry of excitement for the last few weeks, as the Swallowtail Festival was being planned and put together. Five years ago the town cathedral was burnt down in the terrible Sandpoint Fire. Only recently has it been reconstructed and the Swallowtail Festival is to be a celebration of its grand opening.

Igmar woke up nice and early to see the opening ceremonies, he wandered groggily over the food stall, which was being run by longtime friend Sistra, the cheerful halfling bartender, and newcomer Sucre. After receiving a mug of hot coffee he sat down and watched the opening speeches. After listening to Mayor Deverin, Sheriff Hemlock, showman Cyrdak Drokkus and Father Zantus give their short speeches he grabs another mug of coffee and wanders over to one of the tents where he has spotted another newcomer, who bears the symbol of Desna on his shield.

Igmar: Hello there, I haven't seen you around before, new in town?

Tilik: Indeed, I arrived very recently, I'm mostly here for the festival.

Igmar: I see on your shield, that you hold to Desna, a fine choice.

Tilik: Indeed I do, you as well?

Igmar: I'm not a fervant worshiper, but the I follow the Starchild. The names Igmar Desgun.

Tilik: Tilik, nice to meet you.

The two shake hands and get back to checking out the tent. Meanwhile a large and muscular woman is taking part in a test of strength. Most of the previous contestants had failed to ring the bell, but she brought the hammer down, and the bell was launched right off the top of the pole, much to the amazement of the onlookers.

Igmar and Tilik sauntered over to the food tent where Igmar ordered another coffee and some fruit-a-bread. He was approached by Sucre, a bald human, wearing clean white and brown monastic robes, and looking rather inquisitive. 

Sucre: Excuse me, but you're a dwarf correct?

Igmar: Aye, I am.

Sucre: I've never seen a dwarf without a beard before, why don't you have a beard.

Igmar: It's a long story, full of sighs.

Igmar had gotten used to the persistent questions about his past, and understood the curiosity of other folks at his abnormal choice. At this point the woman from the strength test walked by.

Sucre: Hey there!

Ermine: Uh, hello.

Sucre: You're really strong.

Ermine: Thank you, I work out.

Sucre and Ermine hen got roped into a game of tug-o-war, it was close, and might have gone either way at the beginning  but Ermine held her ground and Sucre lost soundly. Igmar was fairly surprised at the fighters strength as well, but nonetheless he challenged her to a tug-o-war as well. He emerged victorious, no doubt thanks to his stable stature, and Ermine's fatigue after her previous match. The remainder of the day passed by with little excitement  the releasing of a thousand swallowtail butterflies was a highlight, but eventually it was time for the closing speeches. Father Zantus stepped on the podium, and threw a thunderstone to the floor to get everyone's attention, when suddenly all hell broke loose.

A scream pierced the air, followed by another, and another. Igmar looked around, cursing his short stature, searching for the source. Then he saw it, by one of the wagons several small creatures with wide heads, toothy mouths and sharp short swords had emerged and were running rampant. 'Damn it, goblins now of all times?' thought Igmar. He reached for his bow and then cursed to himself, 'impossible to shoot through this crowd.' He readied his battleaxe and was about to move in when he saw others mobilizing. 

Ermine charged in first, at a goblin attacking a dog, but her swing missed. Sucre began to push through the crown to get into the fight, and Sistra began to cast some self buffing spells. Igmar moved in, the crowd making it difficult to be speedy, but he managed to draw a goblins attention away from a small child. Tilik hung back and channeled positive energy, healing some injured townsfolk. The group made short work of the goblins, but more were coming. Across the parade ground another group of goblins was moving in, led by a stronger looking goblin singing a fairly gruesome song. The party made their way over, except for Igmar, who was finally able to shoot through the dispersed crowd. 

With the second group beaten back, things were starting to calm down in the area. Several screams were still coming from the north, so the group made their way. Near the north gate of Sandpoint hey hear a goblin's raspy voice yell "Die dog die!" Another small group of goblins is here, and have a nobleman cornered, having just killed his guard dog. Igmar shouts a quick word for the nobleman to stay hidden, this also serves the purpose of getting the goblins attention. Igmar moves into shooting position while the rest of the group moves forward. The goblins charge forward and one leaps into the air, it is swatted aside by Ermine's sward, as is a second one, but a third leaps past her blade and grabs onto her face. She tears the grabby goblin free as Igmar steps forward cutting it in half. 

When the goblins are defeated the noble steps out of his hiding place and thanks the group profusely. He introduces himself as Aldern Foxglove, and begins focusing much of his attention on Ermine, complimenting her skills and good looks. He insists the group has dinner with him in the future and then hurries home.

Igmar Jurgunbeg was born underground, in the Dwarven city of Janderhoff to a merchant and a noble. He was always a tad eccentric for a dwarf, nearly as interested in new things as your average human. His two older siblings and their friends quickly began to bully him for his oddities, but they still loved him nonetheless. 

He joined the militia at a young age, and was taught the aspects of giant slaying. He was unimpressed with the limited speed and strength of the traditional crossbows, and took it upon himself to learn the art of archery, yet another oddity that separated him from the dwarves around him.

He became friends with a human ambassador early on in his lie. She was a diplomats apprentice and often visited his families holding. She became his confidant, and he hers. They never developed a romantic relationship, but they were the best of friends, thick as thieves. 

One day, when his father was out, Igmar stole an expensive pendant from the family shop. He wasn't able afford it now, but he wanted to give it to Selice for her birthday. He planned to pay his father back when he had the money, but as they say, better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. 

Unfortunately the day the caravan was supposed to arrive, instead only a lone messenger appeared at the gates, telling of how the human caravan was beset by terrible giants. Igmar implored the militia to send out a search party and look for survivors, but it was "None of our business what trouble the humans got themselves in."

He then went to his father to secure permission to leave and go after them himself, but his father had discovered the thievery and forbade Igmar from leaving the city. He told Igmar that even if the girl did survive, he would never be allowed to see her again.

Igmar was furious at his father, and at the dwarves of Janderhoff in general. He stole the pendant again, and gabbed his fathers axe. He sneaked out the city and begun the hike to the surface for the first time. He was astounded by the beauty of the stars he saw in the night sky. Flabbergasted at the wonders he saw around him, he quickly set of to find the remains of the caravan. He found the caravan destroyed, dead humans all around, and a single dead giant. It's skin was pierced with multiple arrows which had brought it down. He found the bow of the dead ranger that had felled the giant, and took it so he could hunt from afar.

He tracked the giants through the forest, eventually up to an encampment on Hook Mountain. The giants which turned out to be ogres proved too much for Igmar to handle and he was forced to retreat. He stalked the encampment for days until he found an opening. He snuck in and found the prisoners, only two were still alive, a young man with a broken arm, and Selice, bruised and battered. He led them out of the camp, but before long, the shout of an ogre was heard, and the chase began. Both Selice and the man were faster than the stout dwarf, so he sent them ahead while he led the pursuing ogres away. After he lost the ogres he doubled back and went after Selice and the man. He found them down at the foot of the mountain. 

The man was cradling Selice body, he told Igmar that she had succumbed to her wounds while they were running ,and their was nothing he could do. They dug a hole, and before they buried the body Igmar put the pendant around her neck. "Happy Birthday" he said.

The two men stood at the foot of the grave in silence. Igmar took out his knife and began to saw away the hair that covered his face. "What are you doing?" The man asked.

"If it weren't for the stubborness of dwarves, Selice would be with us today. I am a Jorgunbeg no more." He rubbed the smooth skin of his chin and left the life of a dwarf behind him.The man, Ashton Helsine, told Igmar of the town he lived near, Sandpoint. He offered Igmar a place to stay for as long as he needs. Igmar graciously accepted, and flinging his longbow onto his back the two began the long trek home.