12 parts Complete Originally a backstory for a D&D Character that got just a little bit out of hand with length and detail, its now morphed itself into a full blown Novella. Its the most effort I have ever put into any creative project in my life. I hope you enjoy it!
This is the story of a twenty year old human man, Mardston, as he takes his first steps along the path to becoming a true warrior. Trained as a blacksmith as a child by his adopted dwarven family, and then as a Mercenary Soldier as a young man. Happy where he was in life as a traveling sellsword, he had it all torn away when his first experience with a deadly battle, was a massacre that saw all 500 of his companions cut down in a manner of minutes. Walking away from the engagement by being judged by his enemies as the most mentally weak, and therefore chosen as the designated survivor to go tell the tale of what happens to those who intrude in their woods.
Completely alone, with no purpose, no living friends, and no desire to work as the one thing he was trained to do. Mardston starts his journey to becoming a warrior at the bottom of a bottle. Where he is singled out for the most mundane of reasons by a strange young elven woman with unnatural abilities, who chooses him to accompany her on her journey. A journey where she begins the path to learning what it means to be a Hero to those who need saving, and where he stands fast and fights to protect her and keep her safe from all who wish her harm. While the two of them together venture forth to find their new places in a world that has no need of them as they were.
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While editing, I noticed that I didn't describe Mardstons physical description well. Jamming it in now, results in awkward and clunky exposition. So I will just write it here even more awkwardly. Mardston stands at 6'2" tall, weighing in at 350 lbs. Built like a bodybuilder from a childhood of keeping up with dwarves, he stands with more than twice the mass and strength of your average human warrior.
