NPC: Mayven

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At first glance, you see a man sitting on a stump completely at peace with himself and his environment. Other than the hammer in his hand, nEL-DB.comothing seems out of the ordinary until you note with surprise the pointed tips of his ears. You then realize that all is not as it seems...

Hello

Hello. Please be welcomed to this place of solitude and tranquility. If you feel the need for a fire, your cheery flames will not bother me. Please sit, rest, and let us share stories with one another. In so doing, may the blessings of Glilin lend strength and power to your tools as you create order out of chaos.

Who are you?

Oh please forgive me for failing to introduce myself. My name is Mayven. It is my very great pleasure to meet you.

Glilin

Ahhh yes. Glilin is the god I serve. He has given me so much I can barely begin to describe it.

What are...?

What am I? It's ok. I have been called half blood, half man, elf man, man elf, impure and a host of other things. I am, however, a product of Glilin's forge, although it has taken me years to fully understand that simple truth. I think of myself as a Half-elf now, thanks to Glilin whom I serve. I am his cleric.

What is your story?

My story is a long one that begins in White Stone before I was born and is difficult for many to fully appreciate, but I will freely share it. I have found that some stories, like fine cheeses that get better over time, improve with the telling.

White Stone

My father, a poor human from Grahm's Village trying to make a living, was a woodcutter and hunter. He spent his days collecting wood and occasionally killing wild game. My mother, an Elven maid from Tirnwood Vale, had seen my father before and confronted him concerning the trees he was cutting down and the animals he was killing.

Did they argue?

Yes, but although they met in strife, each found the other fascinating and after a bit of time they actually sought each other out in order to spend time together. They were unable to put EL-DB.comwords to what they were feeling, but both felt incomplete without the other being near and until they met, neither had realized they were incomplete because it was all they had ever known.

Sounds like love.

It was true love. So, against the wishes of their respective families, they were married and after a time I was born. My early years were very happy with my parents. I felt loved and protected and safe. I had human friends and we played many games together. One day, my friends and I were outside playing when a storm blew up and we were quickly soaked.

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With their hair plastered to their heads, I noticed that their ears were rounded like my fathers, rather than pointed like mine and my mothers. When I asked them about our differences, they said it was because I was a half blood. I took offense at what they said and began fighting with them. In the end, all of us bore the marks of our conflict when we returned to our homes.

Were you hurt bad?

Not physically, but my parents were shocked at my appearance and were cleaning me up when there came a pounding on our door. The other parents had gotten together and a huge shouting match took place. Our lives there were never the same. Even though we were able to go about our daily business, there were the looks we all received and the whispers and silences we had to endure.

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My friends' parents no longer allowed me to play with their sons because I was not human. I grew lonely and increasingly angry over the injustice of it all. I am ashamed now to say it, but I began destroying the things I could get my hands on that belonged to the people who I felt had wronged me and my family. I broke flower pots at first, but soon that wasn't enough.

You became a vandal?

Yes. I tore down fences; I spread dung on the walls of houses; I dirtied clean laundry; in short, I did anything I could think of that would hurt those who had hurt me. Eventually, when we could no longer safely live among the humans I grew up with, we moved to be closer to my mother's relatives in Tirnwood Vale. I was excited about the prospects of a chance to start over and I vowed that I would behave myself.

Did it work?

For a time, yes, life was good again: I made new elven friends and began competing with them, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not win. Time passed and I felt frustration at being unable to best them. It was about that time that I suddenly lost control of my voice and I began growing dark hair on my face. My elven friends laughed at me and said they could no longer compete since I was clearly not an elf.

Ouch. That hurt.

It certainly did because I was alone again, I fell into my old bad habits: breaking things, being destructive, and the like. Again, the disapproving looks appeared on faces where I was not expecting them anEL-DB.comd I felt isolated. In pain and anger and frustration, I ran away. In my wanderings, hungry and looking for food, I met a blacksmith who offered me a meal if I would pump the bellows for him while he worked.

A blacksmith?

He spoke little to me other than to direct the speed he needed me to use to pump the bellows. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and felt like my arms were going to fall off, but he was good to his word and fed me. Taking pity on me, he allowed me to sleep near the forge that night. For the next few days, I persisted in working his bellows at his direction, although I ached terribly.

I bet they did.

A week passed and my arms no longer ached as much, so when the blacksmith approached me with a few gold coins I had earned, he offered them to me on the one hand or, on the other, he offered to teach me. I stayed and worked with that blacksmith for many years. With him, I learned of Glilin and I learned that by taking disparate objects and combining them together, I could make something new and beautiful.

You mentioned Glilin before.

I decided I needed to learn more about Glilin and took my leave of the kind blacksmith who had helped me. I applied my energies to my temple studies and it was not long before I said my vows. I learned that like the objects I've melded together, I too was a thing of beauty being made from human and elven materials and a great peace came over me.

Wow

Now, I sometimes feel the need to get back to nature, like today, and at other times, I feel the need to pound on some metal to create a thing of beauty with my hands and sweat. Although I was rejected by both communities, Glilin has forged me into something new and wonderful. I thank him daily. But now, time has passed. Forgive me for going on so long. I pray my story helps you: if not today, on another one soon.

Cleric

Yes, can't you tell from my brown robes? There are priests of Glilin and clerics of Glilin. You will find priests, such as head priest Baostas and priestess Akiko, stationary inside the temple. They handle the dealings within the temple. Clerics, such as myself, spread the word of Glilin throughout the lands. I owe it to my Lord - showing my gratitude for His guidance.

Brown robes?

You will notice an assortment of colored robes throughout the lands. What some may not realize is that certain shades represent those who serve specific deities. Those wearing all brown robes, such as myself, are followers of Glilin. You may find some who just wear them as a fashion statement, but that is an uncommon occurrence.

Akiko

She hails all the way from the distant lands of Redmoon. It just goes to show how far the hand of Glilin extends - even to the furtEL-DB.comhest reaches of the world! Don't let her fearsome demeanor fool you though; she holds all the values of Glilin close to her heart.

Goodbye

Farewell, friend. If my example has inspired you to learn more of Glilin, I invite you to visit Baostas. He can be found in Glilin's Temple in Nordcarn.