#optor

I remember the alchemist making his way to me, but then i am enveloped by darkness. I don’t remember anything and awake in a small grotto it seems i was placed in a nest of leaves with a few thick pelts thrown atop me. My first instinct was to reach for my sword but i had been disrobed. Sitting up fast i felt the weight of drunken debauchery hang heavy on my head.I had not felt this bad since a night in Edrest where i had imbibed to the point of proposing to a bar maiden. The grotto had access to some fast running water I sipped some and deemed it clear enough to drink.I heard Darnerious conversing with someone, i noticed his hearty laugh but couldn’t make out their conversation. I wrapped the thickest of the felts around myself and stepped into the short passage toward the sound of their voices. Being completely naked with not even boots i made no sound creeping up to the pair Darnerious and the alchemist had made camp near the mouth of the grotto. They seemed cordial to each other so i simply approached Darnerious. “You’re up I see” Darnerious looked happy, “How do you feel?” question the Alchemist. “Darnerious what are you doing? What happened where are my clothes?” Darnerious gave me a short puzzled look and directed my gaze to the alchemist. Which wasn’t wearing his mask and i Saw for the first time bright blue eyes and a handsomely sculpted face. This could have been more eerie than his mask, it almost seemed too perfect in its structure, not a scrape or scratch or cut on him.He started with “allow me to explain”. "When I first saw you i spotted it immediately, when you went to liberate the cargo from beyond the settlements territory you unwittingly crossed a slug like creature no longer than the length of your hand." he held out a gloved hand and showed me length."You are very lucky indeed because aside from the goblins i think myself to be its discoverer." He simply smiled at that. "This creature has a leech like or slug like appearance until it latches to a host. It can alter its color and appear much like a thick clump of your own hair as it leeches onto your head and begins to drug you into comatose." I was aghast, I slowly reached to the top of my head to find a bald spot roughly three inches wide at the crown of the back of my head. It was tender and more than a little bloody even though there was a bandage on it. He continued “The slug is a brain parasite, it drugs the victim into comatose and while its attached to the host you feel euphoric,the chemical it produces makes men feel fearless” He cleared his throat slightly  ”it also can extend its senses to your own, at least i believe so.” He scratched his head “It’s actually quite boggling, because it seems to form a telepathic bond with the host but is of extremely low intelligence. Perhaps its a chemical reaction?” He mused to himself about this. "Anyway I saw another patient with the same affliction and tried to warn them as i did you and the slug fired its piercing mandible into the persons head and was inside within a matter of seconds" He made a fairly grave face at this" The agony i believe to be unbearable but it lasts for only a couple of minutes, the slug feeds off of the hosts grey matter then creates an egg sack from its engorged body and incubates." He continued staring longingly into the fire “I suppose that otherwise its not a very painful death, I wonder if the victim might simply drift off and never awaken again.” The gravity in his voice dissipated. “yours i managed to subdue by drowning it in a numbing substance after that it wasn’t too hard to remove.” He looked to Darnerious “unfortunately though as i was iterating to your friend I can’t really study them or afford to keep them alive, The spike that they shoot can break skulls and I haven't any material with me capable of containing the creature should it awaken in the substance.” He reached into is jacket pocket and drew out a long thin needle like object.” So I dissected it perhaps you would like a souvenir of your ordeal. I stood cold naked an unbelieving at the story I had just heard, had this man really just saved my life? I stammered “Thank you my name is Barenet, and I owe you my life” I don’t know much about honor or codes between nobles and knights but i spoke as plainly as i could “truly you have saved me from the reaper allow me to repay you any way I can” He looked to me smiled then extended his hand when i grabbed it he shook it most enthusiastically, “well perhaps we would all travel together for a time, my name is HSLT Derringer though please call me Dare.” He looked to Darnerious ” I was only doing what anyone in my situation would have done, please do not feel too much obligation to me.” His excitement was fairly apparent Darnerious spoke up and added “Well are we still up for going down to that cave?”  

I was so caught up in looking over my shoulder I had hardly noticed that the footfalls from Hastour were silent as the dead. The shock over took me a bit, I had lost my hearing and I couldn’t even explain it to Darnerious. I felt woozy as I got off my horse stood on my own two feet. I felt faint thought I didn’t. Not until I saw a  questioning look in my friends eyes, when I turned to see what it was the alchemist was standing right there.

Optor! An Astral/Barian mix, who aspires to be a true soldier. He has a very strong bond with both of his heritages and wishes for the war to end. He battles to protect both worlds, often switching the battle grounds to fight, making little to no one trust him. Personality wise, he’s very straight faced and to the point, caring only to people who need it. He hardly ever smiles.