Player Character: Roland

Player character from the Adventures of Thorn campaign.

Roland's History (written by Roland)

Roland comes from the southwest side of the Dagalethe Mountains, in a farming village called Gealand. Gealand is made up of a storage barn, blacksmith shop, tavern and meeting hall. The rest of the area is comprised of various farms and huts that the serfs work and live on. The farms and serfs are here for the sole purpose of supporting the Keep with supplies it needs.

Twice a year a caravan would come to town and collect their payment for the Keep. Every serf was to bring their payment to the storage barn to be shipped to the Keep. Payment was dependent on land size and what was grown on the land. If the payment were not enough you would have to provide a servant for the Keep until it was deemed your payment was met in full. If you could not provide someone you were forced to leave your land, usually with a few cuts and bruises. After all, Lord Velruz provided us with much needed protection and a place to live, the least we could do is provide him with the things he needs. That is what we were told every time the caravans came.

Folo the blacksmith made and repaired farming equipment and shoed horses. For this he was paid with food and on occasion, gold from travelers passing through. Folo is also the barkeep when it became too dark to work. There is no profit to be made at the tavern and often it runs dry, until a merchant caravan comes through. The tavern consists of two tables and a counter where the weary farmers would come to clear the dust from their throats. The meeting hall is a large building with no windows and wood benches for seats. Here all town business is conducted, festivals held, and on Saturdays trading between local farmers. The only source of hard currency was merchants that would stop in every few months to buy excess stock and sell their wares.

Roland lived with his father, four brothers, and three sisters in a small three room hut. His mother died while trying to give birth to what would be a fifth brother. They all worked the farm, but Roland was unsatisfied with his lot in life. He wanted more and he knew there was more then this valley in which he lived. His father thought he was a dreamer and wasted his time on books, when he should be putting his mind toward work.

One day the caravan came which was strange because the spring festival wasn't for a full month and the caravans were not due to arrive for another two weeks after the spring festival. Word spread that all the village folk were to meet at the meeting hall as soon as they heard word of it. We call gathered at the meeting hall waiting for what good word came from Lord Velruz and the Keep. One of the soldiers took the stage, he said, "I bring to you a proclamation from Lord Velruz. (Haradan) Slavers are moving towards the Keep, so to protect the Keep and all of you people we will be taking DOUBLE payment which will have to be here at morrows noon. ALL villagers will be with their stock when we pick them up. That is all." Folo protested saying that was too much; he was quickly beaten down and shackled. No one spoke another word about the unfairness of the payments.