Belbirith Clumruunthik- Dragonborn Wizard (PC in the “Chasing Lightning” Campaign)

Character Name: Belbirith Clumruunthik

Player: Asher

Character Class: Wizard

Level: 3

Relationships:

Times have been better for Belbirith Clumruunthik. However, they’ve been worse as well. A dragonborn is a bit of a rarity in the world of Kul De’Has, but not a scarcity. The bulk of the continent’s Dragonborn population resides in Bygone Bay. Having migrated there from the dragonborn colonies found Southwest of its shores. The farther away from that region one travels, the sight of a scaled individual runs slimmer. Imagine how the residents of the northern village of Laudlin felt when a small family of dragonborn moved in.

Belbirith was just a boy when his parents decided to work their way up river, from the city of Run’s End, until they found a place of their own. Memories of his family’s time in Run’s End are almost non-existent. So when his parents settled in the junction city of Laudlin, he didn’t have much of an opinion on the matter.

Laudlin has grown very little over the years. A junction village between the Frosthill Mountains and the Kota River. It’s main purpose is to facilitate the progression of shipped goods up and down the river system. Belbirith’s parents found their place within this system. His mother working at the local inn and his father as a dockhand and occasional bargemen. Belbirith was not large by dragonborn standards, but compared to the other local youth, the scaled youngster towered over them. His parents didn’t speak much about their time before Run’s End. Back when they resided on the continent of Vor’Dan. For Belbirith, it was mostly a mystery. Although he remembers Run’s End, the majority of his memories begin in Laudlin.

Being larger than the other children, Belbirith was always seen and used for his strength. Eventually gaining employment south of Laudlin, working for Bondurant farms. The largest farm and ranch on the continent of Kul De’Has.

Bondurant & Sons, as the formal title dictated, grew to control that largest portion of farmland and grazing territory in the Greensea Grasslands. larger than all other agricultural companies combined. Lee Royal Bondurant, the Patriarch of the family has gained a reputation as quite the ruthless individual. He carved out and absorbed the lands around their initial homestead to create the agricultural empire that B&S has become. In the most recent years, his son Turner Bondurant, runs the day to day operations of the organization. He in turn is flanked by his 2 sons Victor and Roger, whom he has groomed as his would-be successors. B&S started as a simple farming homestead, now has grown to include livestock. Cows, sheep, pigs and a few other species of livestock, comprise the bulk of the companies income. Large organizations like this have grown to the point of developing their own security forces. Hiring professionals to fill the ranks and protect their interests across the Grasslands.

When joining this organization, Belbirith began as a hand, working the Northcutt Locks. Like most others, Turner saw the boy’s size and immediately put him to work. After a scuffle in the shipping yards left Belbirith the sole individual standing, Turner saw the potential in the 6’3” Dragonborne. He commissioned him into the Bondurant Security Forces, assigning him to protect the Company’s holdings from who or whatever needed to be turned away. As Belbirith came of age, it wasn’t just his strength that continued to grow, but his mind as well. Although Belbirith felt just fine swinging a quarterstaff into the face of his employer’s enemies, he felt most comfortable with his nose in a book. Reading and learning, became a passion. When he came across his first book of spells, Belbirith felt his entire world change.

He began to study the arcane and its intricate subtleties. He learned he had a knack for it. Becoming proficient in a few small scale spells relatively quickly. His confidence in the mystic arts began to grow. One day Victor approached Belbirith’s commanding officer and said they would be needed for a mission. A band of orcs had been spotted raiding cattle in the Northwestern quadrant of the compound. Not entirely unusual. A relatively straightforward assignment. Victor had the team suit up and follow him. Upon arriving in the area of the most recent transgressions, the squad set up their positions to await the would-be assailants. When dusk came, so did a small pack of orcs. Victor ordered the team into their ambush positions. Belbirith took a longer look at the orcs. Something seemed off. Their movements didn’t appear to be that of cattle rustlers. He voiced his concern to Victor who brushed him off and ordered him to take his position. The Security team did as they were ordered and took positions to begin the expulsion. As soon as the orcs hit the desired ambush site, the teams began the melee, only to find the orcs immediately retreat. Odd for a band or orcs not to rush into combat. Victor ordered the chase. The squad did as they were ordered.

When they crested the hill in pursuit of the orcs, they discovered why the orcs were acting so odd. The team came over the hill and out upon the Northern Highway to find that the orcs had led them into a trap. Belbirith and his fellow enforcers were immediately surrounded by more orcs than they had ever encountered. The team fought bravely but they began to fall victim to the oppositions numbers. As the battle continued, Belbirith was struck on the head. He collapsed into a heap on the ground as his fellow soldiers fell around him. It was at this time that Belbirith conceived a plan to use his new found magical skills. With the last dwindling energy he possessed, he performed the necessary actions while gathering the requited components. As he spoke the final word, a single wisp of an ember erupted from his fingertips, flitted through the air and lowered itself to the dirt. upon contact, it erupted into a giant swirling orb of fiery death. With this, Belbirith succumbed to the darkness, passing out in the ashes of the once lush landscape.

Belbirith felt a sharp slap across the face. His eyes wrenched open as he heard, “He’s alive.” Belbirith rose slowly and surveyed the area. He was shocked to find that he appeared to be the loan survivor of the assault. The charred bodies of friend and foe littered the ground around him. Everyone was dead. Consumed in fire from his hand. Other Members of the B&S Security forces were attending to the bodies of their fallen brethren. One small group surrounded a man kneeling upon the ground. As Belbirith approached he realized what he was witnessing. Turner Bondurant had come to see what had happened to his son, Victor, and he had found it. As he stared at the burnt remains of his eldest born, he became aware of the dragonborn who approached. “You. You did this!” As his crew held him back his accusations became unintelligible. Although the team did hear one clear order. “Lock his ass, up!” Two recruits were charged with taking Belbirith into custody. He provided no resistance.

That night Turner came to see Belbirith in his cell. “Because of you my son is dead. You took my boy from me. If I had my way, I would string you up every morning. One for every sunrise Victor will never see. but I can’t, The Leathered Palm says that I don’t have enough evidence to kill you, and since the fight happened on the highway, they’re callin’ the shots. But if I ever see you again, There isn’t a man alive who could save you from me. Now get out and never come back.”

With that the guards handed Belbirith his things and escorted him to the edge of the Bondurant’s territory. No words were exchanged between himself and his guards. Just sad eyes as they watched their former brother in arms walk slowly away down the road.

Belbirith thought about returning home, but the idea felt like a large weight in the pit of his stomach. So he kept walking haunted by the grief of his fallen brothers. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. Belbirith took jobs as he found them. Some honest. Others not. He continued his studies of the arcane, if for no other purpose than to control the power that was inside of him, swearing that no brother in arms would fall at his hands ever again.