Chapter 1 - A Street Beginning

by

Bill

Born to a half-elven whore, his chances of succeeding in life were slim to none from the very beginning. His father was some unknown human John who never knew he had another son in the world. His lot in life was not an unusual one. The streets of Greyhawk were full of street urchins born into a life of poverty and crime. His mother raised him as best she could until he was about 4 years old. Then one morning, she didn't come home from making the rounds. Too young to know much of anything, the young boy joined the rest of the street urchins in life in the gutter. He learned quickly how to stay alive. He was always a quick learner and was just clever enough and just quick enough to stay out of the guards hands. He was also fortunate enough that the guards didn't ever try too hard to run down a street urchin. The guards were very aware that catching a street urchin meant a good chance of death for a pitiful human being just trying to survive. Being caught thieving by a shop owner or cutpurse victim was another matter. Justice in the street was often dealt out quickly by those trying to make an honest living.

The boy found a young rat in the sewers one day and fed it some food. As days past, the boy befriended the rat and began to train it. Soon he realized that this rat could be trained to help him steal food. The boy taught the rat to distract vendors in the market so that he could swipe what they needed to survive. There were several close calls for the rat, but the two profited from their relationship. As the rat grew old or died, the boy would find another rat and repeat the process.

When he reached 7 years old, he was befriended by a black smith. Smithy, as he was called, put the young lad to work in exchange for a safe place to sleep, 1 meal a day, and a few coppers to go into his pocket. The young man did not completely give up his life of the street, but he was aware that eventually he would make a wrong move and would lose "the game" in the streets. It was about this time that a band of adventurers were traveling through town and one of his friends was killed by a dwarf. His friend, Par, had offered his services as guide to the dwarf. After guiding the dwarf to his intended destination, the dwarf was upset when the inn that he sought was only a couple blocks away and the dwarf could have easily found it himself. The dwarf stiffed Par. Par waited for the dwarf to leave the Inn of the Rampaging Dragon, when he did, Par made a play for his purse. The attempt was unsuccessful. The dwarf was enraged and picked up a rock off the street and threw it with all of his might at the fleeing Par. The seven year old boy watched as his friend was killed when the rock hit Par in the head. Enraged at the dwarf, the boy rallied the riff-raff to pay back the dwarf. They chased and harried the dwarf as a group until he eventually left town.

The Smithy nicknamed the boy Scuz for his continued life on the street and his having a rat for a pet. Scuz, who had forgotten his given name, assumed the name Scuz as his own. Under the tutelage of Smithy, Scuz gained much strength working the forge long hours each day. The smithy also taught Scuz how to fight and use daggers. Scuz became obsessed with learning and perfecting the use of the dagger. He learned to throw daggers with great accuracy and worked to make his own daggers in the forge so that he had a set of daggers that was an extension of himself. Smithy, seeing that Scuz was becoming a man, set about giving the boy a set of principals to live by. Smithy was a retired mercenary who had turned in his sword for the forge after a near-death incident; but he still had the desire to got out and work as a mercenary. Smithy saw the boy, Scuz, as a way to live that dream vicariously. He taught Scuz that his word was the most important possession that a man could have. If you accepted a contract, then you were bound by your word to execute that contract. Scuz took this advice to heart and from then on, Scuz kept his word. Sometimes his word was given to the wrong people, but still he kept his word.

While still a boy, Scuz would work the forge during the day and return to the streets with his friends by night. In this way, Scuz learned skills as a burglar. Scuz did not take as much loot as some of his friends did, but he enjoyed the life of a thief. Scuz did not have much of a sense of right or wrong and only acquired what he needed to survive. He had been a lifelong member of the thieves guild having been practically been born into the profession. Scuz did learn many skills that he would put into use in the future as an adventurer.

One day on the streets, a new boy on the street made fun of Scuz and his name. Although the boy was a little bigger that Scuz. Scuz defended himself and his name. He considered it one of his true possessions and was not about to let this newcomer take it from him. The two scuffled and Scuz got the better of the other boy in a fist fight. The other boy pulled a short sword on Scuz and threatened to kill him. Scuz planted a throwing dagger in his throat and had killed for the first time at the age of thirteen.

When Scuz had just turned sixteen, Smithy died working the forge one night. Scuz was faced with a serious dilemma. Work the rest of his life as a black smith or take the mercenary skills he had acquired and make his way in the world as an adventurer. Scuz sold the black smith to pay off Smithy's debts and took the money that was left over to equip himself and took to the streets. A true mercenary was born that day.

Scuz Fighter/Thief 1/1 Neutral Strength: 18/35

Has pet rat and does not take making fun of his name lightly. Equipped with leather armor, throwing daggers, a bastard sword, and thieves tools.

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