Bastious

A human cleric of Kord, who has never been bested by man or beast. The party first encountered Bastious in the Keep on the Shadowfell basement, taking his ease with a warm fire and a cup of tea. Bastious ( is better than you ) apparently had crushed all the monsters and guards in his path, he did leave behind a few stragglers that gave the party no small trouble... however, his later troubles with deep holes and closed doors in the Keep would seem to contradict this story.

Bastius’ first memories were of his mother and the soldiers she worked for. The soldiers and Berlina followed the warlord Garen, who was in turn hired by towns and even sometimes feudal lords when they needed a little trained muscle. His freedom to roam their traveling camp only extended to the range of his mother’s voice, which generally kept the boy from learning the vices of an idle soldier. Bastius was fascinated with the tools of warfare and talked many a soldier into showing him how to effectively wield a spear, or parry with a shield.

Bastius seemed destined to join the mercenaries himself until one day he awoke to a scene of horror and devastation. The whole company had been slaughtered in the night. Confused and scared, he ran as fast as he could. Scarcely pausing for breath, much less food or water, he ran until exhaustion eventually overtook him.

When he woke, he thought of nothing but the image of his mother’s corpse, impaled upon the spear that killed her. Bastius didn’t wonder about who or what might have wanted to kill Garen and his men, but who would take revenge on the woman who cooked and washed for a living. Eventually the rumblings of his stomach aroused him from his stupor, and he went off in search of sustenance.

Bastius walked until he found water, and following the small stream he stumbled upon a garden. The garden was bordered by the creek on one side, and two small stone walls leading up the hill from the water to a shed. Seeing no one, Bastius quickly hopped the wall and scrounged up some carrots and turnips. Fleeing to the other side of the wall, he hunkered down and gnawed on the fresh vegetables without even cleaning them. When he had blunted the strongest of his hunger pangs, he began thinking about catching a rabbit for some stew. Before he got up however, a strong hand picked him up by his collar, and held him at arm’s length to avoid the thrashing limbs. Bastius, realizing the strength and resolve of this man would not fade, gave up the fight.

The powerful man turned, then took the boy past the shed and into the buildings on the other side of the hill. He sat Bastius down in the kitchen and fed him. He then offered the boy some tea, and asked how he came to be thieving from a monastery. The boy related his story while Lord Mhoram listened intently. At the end Mhoram, prior of this monastery devoted to Pelor, offered the boy a home. Bastius, not knowing what else to do, accepted.

Bastius enjoyed his time in the monastery. He worked in the kitchen, and this kept him too busy to dwell on the death of his mother. He learned much from the monks, and in time, decided to join their order. The night, before Bastius took his vows, was spent in prayer. Pelor never answered the young man. Instead it was Kord who answered the prayers, showing Bastius a life of glory in battle

In the morning, Lord Mhoram and the other monks were not very much surprised by the visit from Kord. The growing boy never forgot the days amongst the soldiers, and had always been eager to hear news of battles near and far. In the end it was decided that Bastius must seek his fate elsewhere. The monks made a present of a morning star, from the armory, and Mhoram himself gave Bastius a copper kettle, before they saw him off on the road that would lead him to adventure.