Story notes before the actual short-story that follows…
Silas comes from Korvosa. need to write a backstory for this fella. It should entail the early villain Gaedran Lamm, the rescue by a priest of the Lucky Drunk, the death of several other street urchins in the employ of Lamm, and the need to escape or just plain leave Korvosa.
AHA the campaign book describes a plague ripping through Korvosa. Silas hitches a ride out of the city aboard a ship with a captain named Thorn. Thorn is looking for luck crystals and the knowledge of how to use them.
Thorn’s ship sinks, or its implied to have been sinking when Silas is tossed onto a lifeboat to escape. Silas arrives, near death, at the content he was traveling to, and awakes under the care of a matron named Wren, who asks him to find and escort home one of her wayward children for dinner.
The latest king of Korvosa, Eodred Arabasti II is dead and the city locks down, to find the conspirators and bring them to justice. Thorn has no desire to let his be detained, and prepares to flee before the harbor is barricaded.
Story begins here…
The far-off cries of seagulls echoed across the battered rooftops. With a briny breeze slapping across his face, Silas Kincadeus tried to catch his breath. The serenity of the scene was broke by a shout.
“Get moving boy! They’re nearly upon us!” Barked Cato Rutius, a middle-aged human cleric of Cayden Cailean and Silas’s mentor.
Below them, the filthy alleyways clattered with Gaedran Lamm’s remaining thugs and the city guards they had bribed to hunt down Silas and Cato. Gritting his teeth, Silas dashed along the rooftop, praying that the old shingles would hold firm beneath his boots.
“One more rooftop and we’ll be at the docks!” Cato panted, running ahead. “Remember! You want the Captain Thorn, of the Hellborn Hate.” He wheezed. They were both exhausted, but the gap between structures rushed inevitably toward them. Cato never paused. He launched himself across, sprawling awkwardly atop the dockside warehouse as he landed.
“Gonna git you, ya little halfling shite!” cackled the distinctive voice of half-orc Giggles.
“Yeah! Gonna carve yer ears off!” cried Hookshank.
Silas risked a quick glance back to find Lamm’s thugs swarming up to the rooftop behind him. He steeled his nerves and attacked the gap in front of him at a full sprint. Another prayer left his lips, perhaps the hundredth one he had uttered since this chase began. “Please, please, please!”
At only two-and-a-half feet tall, and thirty or so pounds, Silas failed his his jump. He caught the warehouse roof’s edge with his chest, at full speed. His teeth clacked together painfully, and his breath blasted out from his lungs. excruciation starbursts blossomed across his vision and the world went suddenly blood-red and silent. He could feel himself tumble backwards into the void above the alleyway. His rapid pulse throbbed within his skill.
Lubdub lubdub… lubdub… lub…
Time slowed to a stop. That next heartbeat never finishing, stretching into eternity. Within the quiet crimson pause, a young boy’s whisper reached Silas.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got you.”
Small hands gripped his shoulders.
“Tim? Is that you?” Silas asked within his mind.
“No, silly. I’m Tam. HE’s Tim.” and more gentle hand supported Silas’s legs.
“Hey goober.” Tim snickered. “Get a grip, would ya?”
Tam groaned at the poor joke, “Cato will catch him.”
“I dunno guys. Cato is pretty clumsy.” A young girl’s voice this time. A sweet zephyr breath against his ear.
“Camilla!” Silas cried out. Heartache swelled up within him oh so painfully, or perhaps that was his chest struggling to take a breath. During the eternal stretch between one heartbeat and the next, tears flooded down Silas’s cheeks. “Camilla, I’m so sorry! I couldn’t stop Lamm. I was too late!”
“Hush, Silas. Hush now.” Camilla soothed. “It’s okay. It’s over now, right? And he can never hurt us again. YOU saw to that. You brave boy, you.”
“But I was too late!” Silas wept.
“Too late to save US, maybe. But you save all the others.” Tam this time.
“Yeah, and you skewered that bastard Lamm right through the heard. Justice served!” Tim added.
“We’re greatful, Silas, and so very proud.” Camilla breathed. Tiny lips pressed against his cheek.
“Now get ready, Cato’s gonna catch you now and…” Tim began to say.
“I dunooooo…” Camilla singsonged, with a giggle.
“He WILL catch you.” said Tam
“And when he does, you gotta be ready to keep running!” continued Tim. “You’ve got a ship to catch. Captain Thorn will protect you.”
“For now.” Camilla said. “I don’t like that man. But he’ll get you where you’re going. Get away from him as soon as you can!”
DUB… lub dub… lubdub lubdub
Time sped up once more. A cacophony of sound clattered into Silas’s ears. He felt his fall jerk to a sudden halt.
“Gotcha!” Cato huffed.
With a YOINK! Silas felt his direction change abruptly. And sight returned as the crimson washed from his vision. He dragged a torturous breath into his starving lungs. Cato propped him up and hauled him onward.
“Praise the Lucky Drunk I caught you! C’mon lad. We’re almost there.” Cato barked encouragement. He didn’t seem to notice the fresh tears streaking down Silas’s cheeks. “There are crates and netting below us. If we’re quick, we can reach the ship before they catch us. Thorn’s crew will keep us safe.”
Silas and Cato scampered down off the warehouse roof to the dockside boardwalk below. The stench of old fish and brine filled his nostrils, and the hot noon sun beat down upon them as the fled through the light crowd of fishermen and dock workers. Behind them, they could make out the ruckus of the guards trying to shove their way onto the docks past unhelpful civilians.
“Ahoy! Ahoy the Hellborn Hate!” Cato cried out as they hurried along the docks. “Your new deck monkey has arrived, as we agreed upon!”
“Oy, what’s that you say?” The second-mate called down. His crewmen could be seen hurriedly drawing up the gangplank.
“I’ve arranged passage for this lad and myself,” Cato glanced nervously back into across the docks, “aboard your vessel. Permission to board?”
With a huff of exacerbation the second-mate ordered ropes tossed down to Silas and Cato. “Have you now? We’ll see about that. Hurry it up. But If yer lying, we’ll toss ya right back overboard. Are we clear?”
The ship was already moving, creeping away from its dock. “Woah. Um. Yes, very clear, sir.” Cato said. “Quickly, Silas!”
As the Hellborn Hate drifted further away from the docks, Silas could see the city guards who were chasing them reach the edge of the boardwalk, staring grumpily out across the water. Giggles and Hookshank were nearby arguing and fist-waving.
“If I may ask,” Cato began still trying to catch his breath, “Why are you in such a hurry to depart? I was told your ship was here for another day at the least.”
“Easy enough answer to that.” the second-mate said, and spat over the rail. “King Eodred Arabasti II is dead, and Korvosa is locking down, preparing for a manhunt to find the conspirators. Captain Thorn has had the foresight to ship off before they barricade us in. This city is no longer a welcome place for foreigners like us.”
“The king is dead?” Whispered Silas.
“The king is dead. Long live the king.” Camilla whispered back. “Gaedran Lamm is also dead! Long live Silas!”
“Long live Silas!” Tim and Tam echoed.
“What do I do now?” Silas ask quietly to himself, and the spirit voices of his friends.
“Cato believes you’re destined for more great deeds! Cayden Cailean, the Drunken Hero, has set you on the crusader’s path!” Said Camilla softly.
“Really?”
“yeah, dude! For freedom and ale! There are more orphans out there who need your help.” Said Tim.
“I like ale.” Tam said.
“I’m gonna miss ale.” replied Tim.
“Me too.” Sniffled Tam.
Silas rubbed a thumb across the old and tarnished flagon-shaped holy symbol Cato had presented him with at his anointment. “Here’s to Cayden, then!” he said, and spent some moments watching the city of Korvosa fade away into the horizon.
“Here’s to Cayden! May he show us wisdom in the bottom of a glass.” They all chimed together.
“You there! Boy!” Barked the second-mate from a ways off. “Are you my new deck monkey? Get to work! Start wrapping those lines before I decide you’re better off swabbing the bilge!”
