Gillyrd Tav'Arj

> *"Not many have as big an appetite as I. My mother used to say that if I could, I would eat the stars to fill me up!" -*Gillyrd Tav'Arj, foreshadowing his eventual demise...
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## Summary

**Gillyrd Tav'Arj** (he/him) was a part-human, mostly-orc valor bard and hexblade warlock, hailing from the Tav'Arj tribes. He played the ocarina very well, despite his tusks. He began on a quest (of sorts) to find inspiration for his music, meet many new people and eat some better-than-average food. On this journey, he was made a knight of Sterling, and defeated many evils. At the end of his journey, he found a higher purpose- to return his treeant friend Senrik to the Feywild. However, he never saw this quest come to fruition, due to his untimely demise at the hands of a Death Knight, Sir Siriad.

## Early Life

For 22 years, Gillyrd lived with his Tav'Arj family in a bespoke shack in the woods bordering both the Orc "Old Country" and the land of the Iron Paladins. Here, he was surrounded by many cultures, and frequently disguised himself as a human to travel the nearby lands of non-orc folk. On his disguised tours, he became developed a taste for the wonders of music, arts, foods and languages unlike those that he had experienced in the Orc Country. As the years passed and his body and tusks grew, his disguise efforts grew too. Puberty didn’t stop venturing him venturing into the towns.

Although the travels were the most exciting part of Gillyrd's early life, it was certainly not *all* of his early life. Gillyrd spent most of his days either at home or in the various nearby Orc Country Tav’Arj settlements. At home he was the least boisterous of the bunch. Not nearly as strong, fearsome or feisty as his siblings. Of those, there were three sisters and one brother. The brother, despite being the third-born, was the strongest by far, able to frequently best their father in an armwrestle, and occaisonally, their mother. His sisters, both older and younger, were not too far behind their brother. Although Gillyrd was second-born of the litter and the eldest son, he could not match the strength of any of his siblings.

As a wee boy Gillyrd was "naught but another orcling under the feet of the adults" in the Old Country. He was scrawnier than the other orclings in comparison but put him next to the children of most other species and you could tell the difference, not just because of the green skin and budding tusks. When his siblings were being drawn to the wonders of swordplay and war tactics Gillyrd would happily join in but those weren’t the activities that he was most interested in. In fact, what drew his attention was tinkering and pottering about, making instruments to play with no matter how rudimentary. However, when his father introduced him to wood chopping to try and bulk him up he became fascinated with the use of axes and the properties of wood. Seeing this bloom in her child, his mother, unable to introduce it to any of his other siblings, introduced him to wood carving. Gillyrd was enthralled and it didn’t take him long to figure out that he could craft higher quality instruments from this wood he was harvesting than the other materials that he had been using. After a few years of honing his crafts, wood carving, tree felling and becoming an adept musician, he opened a stall in a nearby village in the lands of the Iron Paladins selling his wares. To sell his wares he ran his stall every week on Sun Day using his pseudonym ‘Colm Dryllig’. Colm being a Half-Elf musical salesman. Use of a pseudonym was necessary to protect himself on several different fronts. One being to make his whereabouts and actions less obvious to his parents who knew something was afoot and were always curious about where his various carvings and instruments disappeared to. Gillyrd would always keep the creations he liked the most and make requests from his family, those wouldn’t disappear. The disguise was also required to keep his orcish identity hidden from his customers, those who came to listen to him play, other Tav’Arj who bothered to venture into town and most importantly, the Longtusks.

The Longtusks never affected Gillyrd and his family directly, nor did they affect the Tav’Arj settlement closest to them, for whatever reason there might have been. Other settlements weren’t as lucky. When travelling further afield he would often come across the aftermath of Longtusk incursions or leave just before something happened and return the next time to find out that something had. Thus, Gillyrd reached his 88th season still without encountering a Longtusk. Nevertheless he grew up with an unpleasant feeling towards the constant threat they were and that they posed, enough of a feeling to not like them but still unsure whether to despise them or not.

As Gillyrd was dedicated to his crafts, he spent most of his time honing them and the closest people in his life were his family. Though he was physically weaker than his siblings that didn’t change the fact that they strongly bonded over their years living together. The same applied to his parents. Strange that they may be being orcs and all. The small nucleus that they were didn’t last forever however. Gillyrd’s siblings left their bespoke shack in the forest to set out on their adventures one by one eventually leaving him the last one there with his parents. First was his brother, Takryll. Then Yllara, his elder sister left, not to be outdone by her younger sibling. Next were Kwyll and Nylla, his younger twin sisters. They left to find out what the world called for them to do. His parents Gollnar and Pynra were quite accommodating, they were anything but bothered with his hanging around as he seemed to be able to sustain himself. Gillyrd fared well for a while once the last of his siblings had left but the fact that apart from his parents he didn’t have any real friends left him feeling empty as he only had acquaintances in the Tav’Arj settlements and what boiled down to customers and fans of Colm Dryllig in the nearby villages.

This being the case, after a few months Gillyrd decided to go on a trip himself. He knew that if he was going anywhere Colm would have to as well as to not cause any suspicion. So, Gillyrd as Colm mentioned to all of his patrons how great it had been to serve them over the years and though it was with a heavy heart, he would be leaving searching for another place to sell his wares. After closing up shop Colm played everyone a tune and said his goodbyes. Leaving everyone inspired. That was the last time they saw Colm Dryllig. Gillyrd, now having done what needed to be done, spent the next few days preparing to leave, chickening out several times and then eventually leaving. He said his farewells to his parents and departed at the beginning of his 22nd birthday.

After setting off, Gillyrd completely dropped the guise of Colm Dryllig and fashioned himself into the travelling minstrel Gillyrd Tav’Arj. Now being a minstrel he decided to play to as many people as he could and thus played at every inn, brothel, tavern and barracks he came across (that allowed him in). Gathering coin as he could. As Gillyrd travelled the roads from inn to inn, settlement to settlement, he came across various things unusual to him. The first of these strange happenings was when he came across several highwaymen. Being the naive green sprout he was, he greeted them and offered them a song. They accepted. Halfway or so through the ditty they demanded more of Gillyrd than he could give. He became very apprehensive and a tad scared but kept playing however and when the highwaymen ventured too close he flinched and a wave of thunder burst forth from him and pushed them all back leaving them shocked and stunned. Though surprised and bewildered yet elated, Gillyrd noticed his chance to change the situation for the better. He rushed his assailants, pilfering their most obvious weapons and one horse. Riding off he threw all but one of those weapons into the surrounding forest. The one he kept was nothing but a plain rapier but now it was special, a memento of his first success on the road. Now he had with him his wood axe, woodworking kit (this he left behind in an inn somewhere or it was stolen as it was in quite good nick), rations, ocarina, drums, panpipe, rapier and the clothes and armour on his back. From then on he experimented with his newfound power that derived from his music and began to understand it better and better. As he continued as a travelling minstrel throughout the lands of the Iron Paladins and a bit further up north, he was denied entrance to a few inns, brothels and taverns. He was chased from barracks more than the other places put together. Gillyrd continued living the typical travelling minstrel life until he was in a small village called Rhubarb.

## Rhubarb

After a small amount of travel from his homeland, Gillyrd arrived in a delightful little village named Rhubarb where they served the most delicious rhubarb pies (and very large helpings). The friendly dwarven woman who ran The Second Helping, Hilja Hiebjorg, offered Gillyrd a room and some food, in exchange for some songs. He accepted, and The Second Helping became the talk of the (admittedly very small) town. It was after about a week of this that Gillyrd felt he might want to do something a little more interesting. He had seen every face in the town, sang every song, and played every note. It was on this day that a scruffy-looking hofflin sat down next to him and ordered "same again". Soon after, a blue-haired hofflin girl introduced herself to the duo. This began a lifelong friendship. And by that, I mean it lasted until the end of Gillyrd's life, which was all of 4 months away.

### Rings in Rhubarb

During their delicious meal, Gillyrd, Yalla, and Lideen were approached by a woman named Calassa Praefaire, who noticed they were looking for work. Gillyrd and his friends were curious. It seemed like a simple scenario: Two members of the town, Oana (she/her) and Osbourne (he/him) were getting married. As a half-elf, Osbourne was part of the Sequoia family, and his elven mother was unhappy with him marrying a tiefling woman. She ostracised them both, never giving her blessing. When she passed away earlier this year, only members of her elven clergy were invited to her funeral, and she was encased in amber and laid to rest in the Rhubarb tomb. Unfortunately, she'd also been preserved stubbornly wearing the diamond ring she was supposed to give to her son. So, an easy bit of cash for a spot of grave robbing. He did, for a moment, wonder if it was ethical. But he quickly realised that this would be stealing from an old elven bigot to let two young lovers have the beautiful ceremony they deserved.

* The ring
* Gelatinous cube injured Gillyrd
* The crypt

### A Pocket Picked

* Got pickpocketed in Rhubarb
* Slept in the inn
* Left Rhubarb at the end of the session

### The Long Road Ahead

* Gillyrd, Yalla, and Lideen on the road
* I-spy with Lideen and Yalla

## Ubbin

### The Poisoned Tankard

* In the Poisoned Tankard
* Met Murrat
* Gillyrd did the negotiations
* Got poisoned

## The Triumvirate

Gillyrd fought against the Triumvirate.

* Infiltration bard
* The mercs
* Hags of Longwall

### Return of the Ring

This session was a major turning point for Gillyrd.

* Parasites and cider
* Nearly died

### Scorched Fields

Alive, but wounded, Gillyrd and the party could finally leave their hiding place. Stepping out into the sun, they smelled the burnt corpses of Rhubarb's previous inhabitants, but it was what they saw that was more important. Or rather, it was what they did not see. Bellruphon, Regis, Villiam, and the cart. They had all disappeared. Our heroes followed the tracks of the cart, leading them in the direction of Sterling.

Encountered Siffilio

### Flight of the Sun Eagles

* Trapped with Lideen inside
* Not much to do

### Veni, Vidi, Vici

Immediately following the fall of the Triumvirate, the armies of the Triumirs went to battle in the streets of Sterling.

* Captain Genocide
* Looted Zul'Vak

## The Darkness

### Vrid'Nazzular

At last, it seemed like Sterling was safe. But of course, that would've been too simple.

* Vrid'Nazzular

### The Moonwhisper Caves

* Bought wood
* Fighting the slugs
* His friend Yalla got hurt

### Tallyium's Alliums

Desperate to find help for Yalla, Gillyrd prayed with his friends. Although he knew that Lideen was much closer to Rokkette than he was, the bard begged the chaos deity for help. Someone answered. And for a moment... He thought Rokkette had answered him. But as the divine answerer appeared, it was not Rokkette - it was Tallyium, Swendall's demigod son. He admitted he'd been intercepting prayers from the Alvatorn area in the hope that he could make some change. And change he did make, immediately healing the lethal wound in Yalla's side.

Gillyrd was elated. His friend wasn't going to die. He thanked Tallyium profusely, and so did Yalla and the others. Pleased, Tallyium explained that he was just doing his part for the province - but perhaps they could help him in return. The mysterious Darkness, or as Gillyrd remembered it - the Kruul'Gaan, had spread to a place called the Yerisettical, a Yeris temple North of Rhubarb. All the party needed to do was investigate and clear the temple for Tallyium. The party accepted, and Tallyium grinned. Perhaps, he suggested, Gillyrd could write a song about him - but nothing rhymes with "Tallyium". Quick as a flash, the orcish bard piped up: "What about alliums?" The concept was novel to Tallyium, and he was so glad that he decided to make the allium his trademark flower.

* The council
* Returned to Rhubarb, where he had been many times before. A part of him was almost glad it burned down - all it had given him was pain and suffering.
* The dream
* Realising something, Gillyrd asked everyone to read the first word from each page of Lideen's book. To the surprise of the other party members, the words were different. That was when Gillyrd revealed his discovery: They were in a dream.

### Of Sleep And Death

* Death from the hands of the spider-druid
* Yerisettical

## Swanmire

### Armiriane Awry

Death had claimed Gillyrd's soul, and he would've been lost forever if it had not been for the brave Tallyium. Constantly shivering - unsure if it was the chill of the grave or the fear. The resurrection had left him weaker, in body, mind, and soul. His nerves frayed, Gillyrd found himself startled more easily, and fear lingering in his mind for longer. His pallor became paler, his veins more visible. His brown, flowing locks faded in some areas, and he could feel his beard had grown in thicker, as if his age had been accelerated. From the bodies of the deceased, Gillyrd found Noeren's bone flute, which was enchanted with magical abilities.

Tired, and afraid, Gillyrd left the Yerisettical, only to find it was snowing outside. Surely... He hadn't been dead for *that* long? Right? But the answer was far less hopeful. Time had not passed, but Tallyium's death had made Alvatorn into winter for a time.

* Downtime
* Hung out in Sterling for a while
* Didn't feel as if he deserved his knighthood
* Eventually discovered Armiriane was gone
* Met another Gill, crazy Gill

### The House Under the Lake

* Battled the clockwork beholder
* Nearly got dragged down under by the Sister of Sirens

### An Evil Residence

* Accquired Hexbringer
* Wasn't acting himself after he'd been charmed by the siren's call
* Became bloodthirsty, nearly killed the sisters

### Witchcraft and Wizardry

Gillyrd left Swanmire a changed man. At last he had found a purpose with Senrik. They two were a lot alike.

* Senrik downtime
* Sterling Citadel

## The Coast

### Fresh Faces and Old Flames

* Went to the Coast
* Met the Dragon's Hoard

### A Night to Remember (And Forget)

* Became Sir Siriad
* Killed parents and others
* Dead Sun