The Last Raid

Prologue

Jaren was raised by average people in the town of New Rustion. His father Chris was a carpenter and while his mother Viv tended her garden. As Jaren was growing up he quickly took after his father, in which he watched his father build with wood daily. Jaren also watched his mother tend to her garden.

New Rustion was a melting pot of cultures. Having dwarves, elves, but mostly humans the town had very unique architecture. The town itself was built around Fort Rustion. It has a lake, many stores and houses. Among the stores are: a fletcher, smith, butcher, tailor, and many other stores of all sorts. Amongst it all there was the Fort Rustion where the Count of New Rustion lived.

As Jaren grew older he helped his father Chris with building houses. Though, the tasks were small they felt large. By this time Jaren was seven and Jaren was learning swiftly and picked up skills quicker. Chris was a loving father and wanted Jaren to learn other skills. So, one day Chris built Jaren a bow, a dozen arrows and bought a quiver. Jaren was naturally very gifted with the bow, but he left it near the gates to the Forest for quick access during target practice.

In his free time Jaren would always help his mother Viv. Jaren would help her tend to her garden,  and learn about foraging. She showed him plants that were poisonous and plants that were edible. Different ways to fetilize soil, such as ashes and compost, made a great lesson that Jaren kept with him. Viv also showed Jaren how to tan hides, cure them, preserve meat, and cook through the years of him watching his mother.

One day after Jaren's eighth birthday, a group of cloaked bandits showed up. The bandits went around slaughtering whom they saw fit, pillaging through houses, and burning the houses with everything they didn't take. Jaren hearing the commotion on the other side of town, ran headlong towards the danger.

After, seeing a bandit throw a torch threw a window Jaren ran towards the tall burly man. Jaren was thrown to the ground. As the bandit turned to walk away Jaren grabbed a shard of the broken window. Filled with adrenaline and fear Jaren stabs the man in the back with the glass. The man grabs the glass and yanks it out of his back. "HAHAHA, puny child. You really thought you could stop me with a piece of glass," asked the man. The man then punches Jaren in the face, knocking him out, then kicks Jaren's body away.

While Jaren is still unconscious, the bandits proceed to set more houses ablaze. Pillars of smoking rising above New Rustion. Glass and burning boards cover the ground. People on their knees weeping at the loss of their loved ones and possessions. Jaren abruptly awakens and his mind begins to wonder.

Where are mom and dad? What has happened to the town?

Then, the fear sets in. Jaren gets up off the ground, his head is spinning and pounding. Every step sends a jolt of pain down his spine. Jaren asks a few people who are sobbing where his parents are. They respond between sobs with, "We haven't seen them about, last we saw they were at home."

With new found energy Jaren starts sprinting towards his house. Once the house is in sight Jaren is fighting back tears, anger, and fear. Jaren reaches burnt remains of his house and drops to his knees at the sight of his parents bodies. Now weeping, Jaren is devastated and all the energy and life drains out of him. As he lies there in tears, Harogar and Haimont lift Jaren up and try to console him and ease his pain. Both offering Jaren refuge with them.

Harogar was a Dwarven man with a long beard and bald head. Harogar owned "Harogar's Finest Meats and Meads," which was untouched by the bandits. After a few days with Harogar, Jaren had learned to skin and gut animals. But, Jaren didn't feel at home, so he went to live with Haimont.

Haimont was a human lumbering at six foot five. Haimont was a master blacksmith and ran the local smithy. Haimont and his son protected both his house and smithy from being burnt down. Jaren enjoyed living with them.

Alas, after a few days Jaren is overcome with grief. Jaren decides to venture into the dangerous Malandaria Forest as a means of escaping the memories and pain. Jaren picks up his bow near the New Rustion gates that head toward Malandaria and vanishes into the forest.