Hatch Brooker

Hatch is a male human brawler and a PC in the Sanlow campaign.

*"I'm not really one for the thinkin'" - Hatch*

## Summary

Hatch Booker is an adventurer from the village of Sanlow and one of the Heroes of Sanlow. He is a founding member of the Phoenix Hounds adventuring group.

## Vital Statistics

### Eye Color

Brown

Hatch is a simple farmboy born in Sanlow to Ma and Pa Brooker (called so because the family farm is down near the brook.  The Brookers live on a small family farm that they had lived on for generations, though it was always owned by the local lord rather than by them. Hatch grew up on the farm learning that trade as well as engaging in fighting and wrestling contests for fun. Recently he’s also taken to fighting for prizes, and has started to realize that he can fight his way into money - though he lacks the natural showmanship to ever be really exceptional making money at fairs and taverns this way.

## Trouble Looming

In mid 465, the Brookers were contacted by a merchant from Reikland named Elwes. It seemed that Elwes had obtained ownership of various tracts of land throughout southern Reikland as part of the Red Wizard’s restructuring of the barony. Among those plots of land was the Booker farm. Elwes was disinterested in allowing the Brookers to continue to work the land in exchange for a portion of the proceeds as the Red Wizard and Lord Rivel had, but rather demanded coin for his permission to continue to work the land.

The Bookers, not a rich or prosperous family, have attempted to pay the rent in coin, but it is a regular struggle and one that they know will not be sustainable. They estimate that before a year is out they will fall behind on the rent, and Elwes has made it clear that if that happens he will have no compunction in kicking the Booker’s off the land they’ve farmed for generations in favor of tenants who can pay.

Hatch, unwilling to allow his parents to be kicked out of the only home they’ve ever known, resolved to raise enough coin to purchase the farm outright. To do so, he decided he could turn his combat skills to adventuring.

## Embarking on Adventure

Hatch’s first foray into his life as an adventurer occurred closer to home than he anticipated. Evidently a local girl, Anneth Arcard, had gone missing. Her father, the prosperous farmer Robert Arcard, claimed she’d been kidnapped by a traveling minstrel named Balenor Forsend, though the evidence seemed to indicate she may have gone with him willingly. Regardless, Robert was offering a reward of coin and wheat to anyone who had a hand in returning her.

Hatch immediately signed up to track the two, and was soon joined by the rest of the group that would soon come to be called the Heroes of Sanlow.

## Rescuing Anneth

### The Forgotten Tower

Hatch and the others investigated Balenor's activities while he had been in town, and they learned that he had spoken of having found the location of a forgotten tower of some long dead wizard in the wildlands southwest of the village. Balenor had bragged of finding his fortune there soon. The Heroes of Sanlow concluded he had left for this tower with Anneth and pursued.

They found the tower taken over by a small group of Troglodytes led by a druid named Tasskar. Fighting their way through the tower they found a captured Balenor, who admitted that he and Anneth had been captured by the creatures but that they learned she was from Sanlow and took her east a few days prior. When asked, Balenlor denied kidnapping Anneth, claiming that they were in love.

The Heroes freed Balenor, who joined him in defeating Tasskar. A letter on the Troglodyte leader from Pesska indicated that the Troglodytes had an alliance with the Bullywugs and Lizardmen from the Brokenback Swamps, and had a camp nearby in the Violent Forest.

The tower itself, Hatch was sad to learn, had no vast treasure, only a few trinkets.

### The Rescue

Hatch and the others, now joined by Balenor, headed into the Violent Forest and located the monster camp where Anneth was being held. Scouting performed by Xandrik and Balenor located Anneth as well as an old woodsman named Herman, caged in the camp. However the monsters numbered over one hundred, so a direct assault to affect a rescue was deemed impossible.

The group retreated to make their plans and, after a violent encounter with some goblins who briefly kidnapped Ella-Beth, were able to plan an assault on the camp whereby Inithabel, Ella-Beth, Edwin, and Balenor would create a distraction by setting fire to the palisade wall that surrounded the camp while Xandrik, Fenton and Hatch climbed the wall to pull Anneth and Herman out of the encampment.

The plan did not go perfectly, and Herman was killed in the escape, but Anneth was rescued and the heroes fled north. The monsters in the camp, led by the Lizardman Druzaak, broke camp and gave chase. Edwin sent a warning to Sanlow via his familiar Valor, and made for the village as quickly as possible with the monster army at their heels.

## The Battle of Sanlow

*See Also: The Battle of Sanlow*

The Heroes of Sanlow arrived two days ahead of the monster army to find the able bodied men and woman being organized by the tiny town guard to defend the village while the non-combatants were being evacuated. The mayor, Talim Alador, asked if the Heroes if they should fight or evacuate everyone, as they'd seen the enemy forces. The Heroes all urged fighting.

That evening Hatch made the acquaintance of three travelers to the town, Alton, Hennod, and Bullen. Though the trusting Hatch found them to be agreeable and honorable gentlemen, he could not have been more mistaken. That night the three snuck into the homes of the captain of the guard, Menton Myrwood, and Mayor Alador, and murdered them in their sleep before fleeing the village.

Hatch and the other Heroes of Sanlow stepped up to take command of the forces there, almost exclusively made up of able bodied peasants and less than half a dozen guardsmen, and led them in the defense of the town.

The men Hatch commanded fared well in the battle, ultimately engaging Druzaak, the commander of the enemy forces, themselves and humiliating the lizardman, driving the defeated creature from the village by pelting him with offal and dirt.

The battle was very bloody, but ultimately successful, and the enemy was largely slain with the handful of survivors being driven off. No sooner was the battle concluded than a force of cavalry led by Marshal Gery Geddey arrived to help secure the town.

## Formation of the Phoenix Hounds

Hatch and his new companions decided to band together and continue to travel together. Calling themselves the Phoenix Hounds (after a phoenix on a tapestry they found at the Forgotten Tower and the pack of dogs that they had gotten to follow them). It was not long before they were put to work, as Marshal Gery Geddey tasked them with two assignments. As both were in the same region, he assigned both to the group at the same time.

## The Missing Bard

The first mission that Marshal Gery Geddey gave the Phoenix Hounds was to travel to the town of Brookhollow. Marshal Gery advised them that just before the outbreak of the War of Alliance, Lord Rivel Donne had received a missive from his friend named Lia Spellsong who had reported something strange in the town, but seemed to have vanished afterwards.

The Phoenix Hounds departed promptly, making the journey to the town without any serious incidents. There they found that Lia and her husband, Tory the Songsmith, had been in the town a few weeks previously, but had abruptly departed. The innkeeper, Trill Cutter, advised that it was somewhat strange that they'd left so abruptly as they'd paid for the week and that nobody saw them leave.

Hatch and the Phoenix Hounds continued to investigate, eventually getting to the heart of the matter when the local cleric of Vesper, Arrias the Young, kidnapped Ella-Beth. It was soon revealed that he was really a cleric of Baraxus named Kor Bloodaxe and was using both kidnapped townspeople and undead he had raised to excavate under the ruins of an ancient castle near the town.

Fenton, seeking potion ingredients, discovered signs of the struggle between Kor and Ella-Beth in the local temple, and tracked it to the ruins. In short order he had collected the rest of the Phoenix Hounds and they explored the caverns, slaying the undead within and finding Ella-Beth, Lia, Tory and several other enslaved townsfolk. Freeing the prisoners, they departed to find Kor and his allies, Otis Benbough and several members of a goblin tribe from the nearby forest awaiting them.

Hatch fought In the battle that followed. Kor was slain, Otis was arrested and the goblins were slain or had fled. Exploration of Kor's belongings revealed that there was said to be some sort of powerful evil in the ruins that was sought. After a great deal of discussion on if they should investigate further or leave the matter buried, they decided to rally the townsfolk to collapse the tunnels that had been dug and leave the mystery of what was beneath unsolved.

## Investigating the Lady of Lyzol

The second mission given to the Phoenix Hounds by Marshal Gery was to investigate matters in Lyzol. In response to the attacks upon the kingdom the Duke of Rupmon had ordered all his vassals to send troops to defend the realm, however there had been no response from Lyzol and the Marshal Gery wanted the Phoenix Hounds to investigate.

Hatch and the others quickly realized that the town seemed to be making no preparations for war. Further, as they continued to investigate, they learned that the lord of Lyzol, Eber Gawan, had been killed with most of his family the previous year while on a tour of the estate and that his daughter, Kathel, now ruled. However, the people quietly complained of excessive taxes and brutal guardsmen, but were reluctant to voice these concerns very loudly, seemingly afraid of reprisals. Worse, they were able to determine that much of the court had quickly changed after Lord Eber had died.

Hatch and Edwin decided to pay a visit to Lady Kathel to present her with the letter from the Red Wizard demanding a response to her failure to field troops for war. There they met with Blaine Fordin, who introduced himself as the Chamberlain for Lady Kathel. Both men quickly marked the chamberlain as a dangerous and disingenuous figure, with Hatch noting that the man move as though he knew how to fight.

Chamberlain Blaine promised to arrange a meeting with Lady Kathel however upon reconvening the Phoenix Hounds discussed the new information and, partially at the urging of Hatch, decided to leave town immediately in case Blaine planned to have them arrested on trumped up charges.

## Return to Reikland and Confrontation with Lady Kathel

Hatch and his companions returned to the Red Keep where they informed Marian Aben, the chamberlain for the Red Wizard, authorized them to return with an officially named Baronial agent and resolve the matter however they deemed necessary, up to and including the arrest of Lady Kathel.

Hatch and the Phoenix Hounds, accompanied by Mera Ingola (a member of the Order of the Dawn who was named as the Red Wizard’s agent for this matter) returned to Lyzol. They immediately went to Harley Keep and, armed with official documents from Baronial Chamberlain Marian, demanded an audience with Lady Kathel.

Lady Kathel attended them in her throne room, but negotiations rapidly broke down, however, and her chamberlain, Blaine Fordin, ordered an attack.

The battle was fierce, though when the smoke had cleared Justicar Leonard Salt, Marshal Joane Arnhelm and Lady Kathel lay unconscious alongside many of her guardsman and Mera lay dead, slain by Blaine Fordin.

When the fight began to turn, Blaine Fordin fled and Hatch gave chase. Unfortunately the chamberlain was able to mount a horse and escape. Hatch attempted to give chase on his own borrowed horse, but was slowed when a guardsman attempted to stop him and was trampled, giving Fordin the time to escape. Hatch vowed to bring the man to justice.

The hostilities were ceased when Xandrik knocked out Lady Kathel and Inithabel was able to convince Chancellor Ewis Mollen, who had not been present when the fight started, that they were sent by the Red Wizard. When shown the Red Wizard's letter he ordered Lady Kathel confined to chambers and launched an investigation which ultimately revealed that Lady Kathel had paid Blaine Fordin to hire goblins from the Brokenback Swamps to slay her family last year so that she could inherit Lyzol.

## Splitting the Phoenix Hounds

The Phoenix Hounds were faced with two problems. Rumors abounded that the nearby village of Redwyne had been conquered by a troglodyte army and they felt it was their duty to investigate to bring reconnaissance to the Red Wizard. However, matters in Lyzol still needed attention as Lady Kathel and over half her court were imprisoned and the town needed leadership and to prepare to march to the coming battle.

The group ultimately decided to recruit allies and split up. Inithabel, and Xandrik (accompanied by new allies Tookany Schuylkill and Cassandra) would go to Redwyne to scout the town while Hatch, Fenton and Ella-Beth remained in Lyzol to help rebuild the town’s leadership structure.

### Cleaning up in Lyzol

Hatch remained in Lyzol with Fenton and Ella-Beth to help reorganize the beleaguered town. With the assistance of the mage Milo Goldtallow, who had been pressed into service as a local conscript, worked together to find new leadership for the town. They agreed that Chancellor Ewis Mollen should be the new acting Chamberlain until the Red Wizard could assign a new lord for the estate.

In consultation with Ewis, they helped to name a new marshal and justicar for the town, and learned that there was a squad of soldiers under the command of Maara Depakus in Eastway. Quickly realizing that Blaine Fordin might go there to prepare a counterattack, the Phoenix Hounds quickly determined that they may be able to capture the scoundrel before he caused more damage, a move that Hatch supported wholeheartedly.

## Apprehending Blain Fordin

Hatch, Fenton, Milo, and two traveling Galmari (Mejarra Jondit and Kungeon Jathee) who offered to help, traveled with haste to Eastway. Upon arrival the Phoenix Hounds met immediately with the village mayor, Gorald Envardock. Once they showed him the documentation from the Red Wizard’s office that they carried, he revealed to them that Blaine Fordin had, indeed, arrived in town the day before spinning a tale of evil adventurers who had attacked Harley Keep and imprisoned or killed Lady Kathel and her court. He had given orders for the village to rally their conscripts and prepare to march to Lyzol to see justice done.

Mayor Gorald  agreed to help the Phoenix Hounds and, along with a force of guardsmen, accompanied them to the barracks used by the troops under Maara Depakus. Hatch fought in the resulting battle, actively pursing Blain wherever he could and chasing him down when he attempted to flee. Maara and several of her soldiers were slain and, to Hatch’s great satisfaction, Blaine was captured and taken back to Lyzol to await trial.

## Abilities and Personality

Although he is not naturally gifted in any way, by dint of hard work Hatch has become stronger and quicker than average, and his dogged but easy-going self-discipline has advanced him to the point he is pretty capable in a fight. Other than working on the farm or hanging around Sanlow he spends his time pursuing various peasant martial traditions. These include catch wrestling, jacket wrestling, belt wrestling, stick fighting, quarterstaff duels, and fisticuffs.

Personality wise, Hatch is a simple farmboy. Though not the smartest lad he is hardworking, friendly, fairly open, brave and not inclined to hold a grudge. In spite of his provincial view of the world and limited education, Hatch is cunning, in the way simple folk need to be to just get by when the world is stacked against them. A devout Guya worshipper, Hatch spent plenty of time at the local temple in Sanlow.