The REAL epic of Pokk Kabal

[Rumple C]

The real epic of Pokk Kabal

Authors thoughts.

In case I die, mask forbid, I feel it important that people know the truth about me, and appreciate the genius that is I. So many I have fooled, and all my enemies bar one are dead. Few amongst the living can claim the same. I can only imagine the looks upon the faces of those who survive me, should they find this, the only true manuscript of my life.

…

Beginnings…

My childhood was not an easy one, and already published in my earlier memoires. I will not go into it again, I will pick up the tale where it really all began, in the town of Triboar.

I had just arrived from Waterdeep on a caravan of mining supplies of all things, I had nothing but a sack of platinum (60 coins to be precise), and the clothes upon my back. I soon rectified that with a visit to the general supplies shop. I was kitted out in gear appropriate to the rugged town. Chain mail armour, with a light short sword at my side. Truly I was ready to make an impression upon the gullible folk in this backwater. I began with the large lout loitering outside by a campfire (a general meeting place for the homeless).

Oh yes, dear readers, I played upon his vulnerabilities, oh sir are you really an adventurer? A mighty fighter? Please let me write about you!

It was to easy, soon I was at his side constantly, putting honeyed words into his ear, as he took me around with him on his adventures, and I use that term lightly. He was clay in my hands as I moulded him into a pack horse, carrying supplies to farms in the countryside for me, netting me easy coin, and him blisters. His name was Zak, as if it matters.

It was a rugged town to be sure, with plenty of wild life in the surrounds to keep one on your toes. Wolves especially… giant beetles as well, larger than this poor half man had ever seen. I spent much of my early months ducking and dodging these beasts, or finding others to escort me. Ha, it was all to easy to rise in profile in that small town.

I remember one evening in particular, there was a simpleton in town, a warrior from the north who called himself something Red Tiger. His muscles were huge, but his brain was as soft as mush. There were a group of adventurers in Triboar at the time, a couple of elven rangers, Zak, and Red Tiger. Now I was walking with Red Tiger north, when the rangers and Zak came back into town. One of the elves had his sword out, and Red Tiger took offence at this, oh it was to amusing. I goaded them, Red tiger on one side, Zak and the elves on the other. Zak and Red Tiger faced off, a contest of mush brains to see who would back down first, I whispered into Red Tigers ear “you can take him, he is weak”, Red Tiger nodded back. Oh my, to easy. I scurried over to where Zak was and whispered “Red Tiger is weak, you can take him easily!” into his ear. I could barely restrain my laughter as they almost came to blows, but alas…. The local law came along and broke it up.

He had a better use for the group, put down an ettin which was in the woods nearby, and the group would be paid seven hundred gold! A small fortune back then in my early days. If the readers of this text happen to be ignorant, an ettin is a giant with two heads.

For all his boasting Red Tiger would not do it, he claimed he would not fight next to Zak, but I knew the truth. He was scared. Humph, little surprise, I have never found a barbarian from the north who could hold his water in a fight.

The elves, Zak, and I left for the woods, swiftly finding the cave the ettin was meant to be in. We formulated a plan. All armed with crossbows, we would lead the Ettin on a merry chase around the woods, one of us as bait, whilst the others would pepper it until it fell. I offcourse volunteered to be the bait, but then withdrew my application on account of being to short. I quickly nominated one of the elves instead.

The plan was set, the elf soon flew past us with the mighty ettin in pursuit, it was so funny to watch his face of terror, I made sure I missed a few shots just so I could keep the show going for longer. It fell eventually though, and we hacked off its heads, raided its cave, and returned to claim our reward.

…

Gold….

That became my next focus, I lusted for it perhaps even more so than the friendly harlots in the everwyvern. Zak and I raided a complex of Kobold caves nearby and emerged with handfuls of gems. Enough to buy a fine set of full plate armour and a magical sword when added to my savings. A beautiful rich brass colour it was, with a pure white cloak flowing out behind me, truly I looked like a hero, and began to act like one as well!

…

Soppi…

There was two other halflings in town, both ladies, one was Soppi, a stuck up follower of Yondalla, and the other was Nyssa a very young but far more fun individual. Soppi was so serious, with such a sour face and no sense of humour, one night I decided to try to cast a charm spell on her, just to get her to lighten up. She resisted it offcourse and got most upset! She made such a fuss about it, you would have thought I had picked her pocket from the way she went on and on about it. Eventually the local law caught up with me and I had to pay a fine of a hundred gold! Humph, I will get her back eventually…. She is the last one of my enemies alive.

…

The future Wayfarers…

I met a group of adventurers not so long after that. I can barely remember them after so long, but they went on to form the wayfarers, without inviting me I might add…humph. There leader was Dorn, an ignorant barbarian from the north. He could barely speak straight and his head was as full of mush as Red Tigers. Who else? Oh yes, Eliana, a woods lady who had a fondness for apples, and playing with a ring on her hand. She scared me a little to be honest. I think she was smarter than she let on. There was another warrior as well, a knight called Narimer, I am glad he’s dead. He tried to kill me once but more on that later. Jena was another one of them. A beautiful ranger who couldn’t resist my charms… well if I was really trying she couldn’t have anyway. And lastly Lino as well. A simpleton yokel from Triboar who would believe everything I said. Of all of them I miss him the most… and his donations to my orphanage. Ha.

I journeyed with these folk a while and saved the world in doing so. So surprised dear readers? don’t be, I am a hero after all.

To make a long story short, we destroyed a book written by a demon prince. Oho, we thought it so simple when the dragons fire burnt the book to ashes, but that event would have consequences that stretched far into the future…..

…

Geas…

It was during these adventurers that I met X, no one else knew about X, or that X even existed as far as I know. He helped me create a fake book which I sold to some rube for a vast sum, earning me the admiration of the future wayfarers. I then became his servant, and accepted this Geas which claims me still.

…

Soul drinker, mask, and my death…

Soon after the book was destroyed a new threat emerged against the world. Or me at least, a poison of some kind called the soul drinker. People killed by it would lose their souls!

Narimer, Nyssa and I tracked down where it was being made, a underground crypt where evil slime bubbled up and was refined by…maskites! This put me in somewhat of a dilemma, on one hand I could aid my brethren, on the other hand I had become infected by it when I slipped on slime covered floor and jagged rocks pierced my flesh and contaminated me with the poison. I split from the group hoping to find a sympathetic maskite who would help me with an antidote. While I was gone that idiot Narimer trashed the whole complex and turned it into a raging inferno!

He certainly doomed me with that act of stupidity, how could I find any cure when all clues as to where I could look where destroyed?

I took it hard and in desperation, enlisted the aid of Nyssa, and went in search of similar caves, hoping on that small chance of finding another source of the slime. What we found was my death. Well…and hers as well but that is not relevant to my story.

Giant ants swarmed all over us as we entered one cave. They knocked us down and ripped us to pieces faster that I would have thought possible. I still have nightmares about it.

Dorn found us apparently, told where we went by one of the local elven rangers. He took us out, to a temple of Lathander I think. Nyssa was raised in short order, but my body was snatched by X.

…

Rebirth…

He used his extensive contacts to call upon the maskites to raise me. I was to useful to him I suppose, ever since I had begun construction on the orphanage. I was raised, and indebted to mask and X both now. It had been a bad day to be sure. At least the taint of the soul drinker poison was gone.

…

Politics and the orphanage…

I retired from adventuring from that point on. To dangerous for my tastes. Being dead once was enough for me, so I concentrated upon the orphanage. How I loved the children, so young, so innocent, and so easy to acquire. Few people would question murdered parents in such troubled times. The orphanage swelled with children, a lovely time indeed.

Months past. It was time for the Red Larch elections, and I made sure that I was in the running, I hired a passing bard to work for me, as a campaign manager. She did well at first, then the bitch betrayed me, and later earned a statue for her efforts! Merrisa Miller that was her name. I am glad she is dead now, I wonder what happened to that brat of hers and Narimers…

I hired many adventurers and took credit for the deeds they did in my name. Merrisa damn her later told all this to the town. I challenged her in public and dared Tymora to strike me down if I was lying… the funny thing was right as I said it, I swear she rolled some celestial dice and thought it would be amusing to do so. I felt my heart stop for a dozen breaths and had to retreat to my orphanage to recover. It was terrible. I was later able to salvage something of the situation by claiming Merrisa poisoned me. Humph, I was a better liar than she ever was.

I lost the election but made damn sure that she did as well. If I couldn’t be mayor, neither would she.

…

Demons…

Remember the book dear reader? The one destroyed by dragon fire and written by a demon. Anyhow, it seems the demon was most upset by this and set about hunting down the folk who had been directly involved in this. Not many were left alive by then. Narimer, and I were the only survivors at that point as far as I knew. It also took and interest in Merrisa as she carried the child of Narimer.

It haunted all of our dreams, showing us visions of its reality, speaking foul languages, driving us mad. It was amongst the darkest days of my life. Its agents in this plane snatched me and took me prisoner, oh the horrors I endured! Then I had my mind stolen by a demon woman and forced to do her bidding, and aid in the revenge on Narimer, after which I would be killed. Well, if she had just asked I would have helped in the revenge upon Narimer without the mind magic.

Unfortunately, I and they were to late. Ironically Narimer got himself killed, and you will laugh when you read this dear reader, by the giant ants that had earlier killed Nyssa and I. Oh, you should have heard the demon prince howl in anger, cheated of his revenge… it vowed to torment his soul for all eternity by taking out its vengeance on Merrisa and Narimers unborn child.

The demons took Merrisa, and put her in a cage, accelerating her birth with strange rituals which I didn’t understand. I was nearby and watching although she knew it not, the demons wanted me to see her end approach as well, since I would be anticipating my own death afterwards.

I remember the demon woman cutting Merrisa with a wickedly sharp dagger, and pulling out the baby. She wrapped it in a cloak of demon flesh and suckled it on her blood! Truly I can imagine Narimer turning in his grave when that happened, that child was destined for a dark future, I can tell you that much for sure. The demon on her followers took the child and left for another chamber to continue the rituals.

I didn’t want to but I had to save Merrisa, what choice did I have? If she was dead I was next! I healed her up with magic, and used my most precious magic, a gift from my master, which took me and her to the orphanage. In theory we were safe for a few days, whilst the demons finished their rituals, or were they devils? I could not be sure. Ah, no doubt you want to know of my masters role in all this, he offcourse did not want to get involved, fiends are powerful enemies after all.

…The book finishes abruptly, the remaining pages torn out, what secrets are lost forever with such clumsy editing?

[ayergo]

Wow, that is some good writing. Kudos.

[Rumple C]

and its all true as well, well from his point of view at least.

[Rotku]

Great work! Amazing what thoughts went through that small mind of his. Some day I'll write up the elections and demon story from Merrisa's point of view - will be interesting seeing the difference

[Rumple C]

I look forward to it rotku, merrisa sure was a thorn in his side for quite a while.

And lastly Lino as well. A simpleton yokel from Triboar who would believe everything I said. Of all of them I miss him the most… and his donations to my orphanage. Ha.

lol on one hand i knew what was going on...but my pc just could not beleave his good friend was evil. lmao.....fun times indeed.

[Theozcowboy]

yeah they were good times back then Well done Rumple

[NickD]

How do you remember all the earlier stuff? That was a good 10 months ago. I barely even remember Zack and I can't even remember the names of my characters before that.

[Rumple C]

my memory was pretty hazy to be honest, to my eternal shame I forgot all about Gus, and how much Pokk hates him as well . Two enemies left alive!

Rumple

[Damart]

Its all lies I tell you !!!.....

except for the woods lady who had a fondness for apples....
*fingers her ring* - -

Quote " She scared "Pokk" a little to be honest. I think she was smarter than she let on."

I wish!

She'd have been alive still If she was .....

Well written, and gods but if only I'd known at the time!!

[Rumple C]

Crushed under the ruins of the crumpled and broken airship lay the naked body of Pokk Kabal. Rubble surrounded him, pierced him.

Allready his body was feeling the ravages of the elements and scavangers. Ants and maggots fet upon him. But his soul felt it not.

No, his soul was somewhere far different. Somewhere it did not deserve to be.

If souls could grin, then his did.

[Frostfather]

Glad to have been there when he met his demise.

A so well played npc is rarly seen.
I have only heard stories of his pc days and if half the rumours
are true... .
One could summise by saying that he left a much bigger footprint
in the history of the area, much bigger in fact then what his size would
permit.

/Frostfather

[Dorn]

*dances with glee*

hey ho the pokk is dead, the wicked pokk da da da da

[NickD]

Pft. Pokk is like Freddy. He'll find a way to come back.

[PensivesWetness]

Pft. Pokk is like Freddy. He'll find a way to come back.

well, good thing is...

Millia isn't on his enemy list...

[Cynon]

Kail is not sure which list of Pokk's he is on but whatever list he's on it's one that lists him as a tool of some kind.

I've a feeling some of us might meet Pokk again somewhere, somehow. Kail is gonna be one of them i'm sure.

Demons, Devils, Fiends and a lost soul. What are we to do? I see a late night ahead on sunday.