Billingham

**Billingham** was an adventurer and self-professed thief by trade who was active in the early years of the Heartstone Crisis. He eventually met with the young wizard Cyril Faulkner, and their travels would eventually take them far across the Astran Isles, and on all manner of adventures, but at the hour of their meeting they had yet to realise their significance.

## Information

### History

#### Birth and Early Life

Billingham, or as he was often simply called "Billy", was born in a nameless village on the borders of Merhall. His mother, who happened to be a harlot, never lasted through child birth. He was the product of rape, and never learnt who his father was. It was said that even though his mother suffered well during, between and right after his conception and birth, even all the way up to her death, one could argue that this misery gave way to a new life.

In such a small village, born as a bastard with no parents, his chances of survival were slim as parchment. With no orphanage in any reasonable distance, the boy's uncle made a choice. He bundled the newborn tightly in a few blankets, made sure everyone else was asleep, and walked out into the mist-filled early morning darkness.

Outside town, a small campsite stood with smoke from the extinguished fire pits mixing with the mist and carrying on skywards. A travelling troupe of bards with their tents and horse-drawn house-carts, whose music had carried out an open tavern window and filled the half-damp dark room where little Billingham had been born. Outside the largest caravan, belonging to the troupe's leader Arnon the Bard, a sleepy little bundle was left, with the inhabitants eyes shut as tightly as a little babe's eyes can be.

Billingham was named after a small monastery that the troupe passed only a few days after his discovery, and the name had brought on nothing but bad luck for Arnon. With no wife and no children of his own, he had taken the responsibility for the boy upon himself. Arnon did his best to raise the boy, but as the leader of the travellers he had his hands full already. Many of the bards and performers in the troupe had tried to teach the boy different arts of performance but he quickly got bored of it, no matter if it was juggling, comedy acts or playing the flute.

Whenever the boy got bored, he would take off to explore whatever place they had stopped at, and as he wandered throughout towns and villages aimlessly things would suddenly vanish from market stalls and things would accidentally fall out of people's pockets and into his own.15 years of mischief and petty criminal acts later, he was exposed when attempting to steal from the town guards. His lack of attention had afforded him a crack over the head from a third guard, who had come up behind him and seen the whole thing. The crack of the head also came with a free jail cell for an entire year. The troupe never figured out where he had gone, and waited five whole days before they carried on with their journey, Arnon's heart heavy with loss. Once he got out, the boy had no idea where to go and do with his new freedom. He decided upon a random road, and left Merhall on a carriage that would bring him to the next step of his journey.

#### Faulkner and Billingham

Another group had been riding in Billingham's carriage. One, an ageing knight, and the other a youthful female Orc acting as his bodyguard. After swiftly defeating the bandits that had attacked, that knight had found himself struck down in the battle and unable to continue. He urged Billingham, and those around him to find the stone had had been stolen from him, and he found himself adventuring with a young purple wizard who introduced himself as Cyril Faulkner of Bucklesbury and a young Elf calling himself Thalanil Lyndis lind Elyn Estel.

There, they discovered an omen for what was to come. Guided by the Orc, the party pressed deeper into the woods to find a mysterious stone circle alive with activity. Billingham went first, utilising his roguish talents to approach the circle and observe events as they happened. What he saw, corrupted druids in possession of a heartstone. However, he would never divulge this to anyone, except Cyril, as he wrote it in his diary.

Cyril and the rest of the companions arrived seconds too late, in the process alerting their enemies to their presence. A battle ensued, and only after the many fanatical druids lay dead did they have the time to inspect the mysterious stone circle. There, the leader of the bandits that had ambushed them now lay dead inside of his clothes, reduced and deconstructed to little more than an ashen mannequin that fell to pieces with a single touch.

Searching for the truth behind this vial would take Cyril and Billingham across the Astran Isles, from the quiet village of Morningmore to the troubled town of Highwall, the sleepy parish of Aredale and even the capital of Olenor itself, Emberstrand.

#### Death

Whatever plans Billingham may have had in life were cut short by the arrival of a street gang known as the Brickfists in Emberstrand. Catching them in the act of bullying the outnumbered Half-Elf Tara Gannet, he stepped in to protect her, and his friends. However during the fight he sustained fatal injuries. In his final moments, he was hoisted onto his horse by his friends and although they escaped the city and sought aid, Billingham had already passed on. He was remembered by his friend Cyril Faulkner, who spent 300 gold pieces on an elaborate tombstone outside of Emberstrand, inlaid with a basin filled to the brim with wine.

### Personality

Billingham had a roguish and spirited personality, and often reacted to stress in a jovial manner, joking his way around combat and providing much needed levity on the road. In had no qualms stealing from those he saw as rich and powerful, and on many occasions pocketed riches from himself. He was partial to beautiful women, often to his own detriment, especially when they stole from him.

### Appearance

Billingham had a handsome face, framed by an unkempt beard and messy sandy blonde hair. He often wore simple outfits, although his favourite outfit included a red coat and wrap, as well as small furnishings such as golden brooches and a single earring in his right ear. He wore long, brown riding boots that often kept the grime and mud away from the rest of his coloured outfit.