Aikil Byrne

A picture of Aikil.

## **Background**

Aikil Byrne was a hill Dwarf who lived around the town of Devlan, in a world unknown. As the town's sole and overly capable protector, Aikil saw it to himself to be rarely seen by the townsfolk and to occupy his time slaying the ever-present threat of monsters around the town. Aikil rarely needed assistance with such an occupation, and thus saw to it that the townsfolk would never possess any weapons of their own, as they both wouldn't have a need for them and what few uses they would have (such as infighting) were generally harmful to themselves -- a thing both to be removed and within Aikil's capability. After stealing the wrong visiting mercenary's sword, Aikil was promptly hunted down and slain.

After being raised back to life by **Beor** and put into his  **world**, the world awaited the young dwarf.

## **History**

Immediately waking up into Beor's temple in **Rakust Dosîm**, Aikil, having never seen nor heard of a fortress, immediately began criticizing the practice of holing up in such a burrow, sealing oneself off from the monsters lurking outside of it. Going as far to even attack the inhabitants' honour on such a cowardly tactic, Makkata, a priestess of Eousch, stepped up to Aikil, missing her blows to his body before attacking his genitals all too well, disabling Aikil's ability to have children.

Hurt in a way no dwarf should be, Aikil happened upon the new Overseer elections proceeding **Kindello's** death. The highly bureaucratic and heated process quickly bored Aikil, sending him to look upon the fortress' open gate. Exiting the fortress, Aikil found himself at home with the cavern flora and, filled with wanderlust, took to exploring them with zeal.

As Aikil explored the cavern world, he would eventually encounter the **Masked Dwarf**, Overseer of **Doren Rorung Geshud**. Convinced that Doren Rorung Geshud was a mere outpost for the greater good of the Dwarves, Aikil quickly believed that a road would be necessary in order to promote trade and encourage more outposts to explore the world in its entirety. The ensuing project would continue for the rest of Aikil's life, never truly reaching completion.

Many days passing, Aikil would later hear an eerie echoing in the caverns. Filled with a mix of bravery and uncertainty, he followed it only to find his fellow Dwarves gathered at the entrance to a large cavern, each nearly as afraid and clad in adamant armour. The ensuing trip would be one filled with suspense and mystery as the group would pass into the warpways that connect worlds, along crevices that lead into the endless void, and into the sunlight of **Liba Riveni**, greeted by the towering **Elves**. Seeing the true enemy of heedless bureaucracy in their meeting hall once again, Aikil distracted himself by flirting with a nearby Elf, Rylla Featherpine, and would seek to court later by handing her baskets upon baskets of carrots. Bored quickly by the Elves, Aikil quickly made haste back to his home in Doren Rorung Geshud.

Questioning the sudden change of life (and perhaps his sanity, having feelings for an elf), Aikil prepared a sacrifice to the deity of Doren Rorung Geshud... **Armok**. Unlike the blood-filled and booming-voiced Armok that Aikil had heard his brethren conduct in the past, Aikil found Armok to be quite poetic and calm as the God spoke unto him.

However mystic Armok may have appeared to Aikil, the goal was clear; unite all of the races, or face destruction from the void. Aikil promptly wrote all of this down and named it "The Good News of Armok", for what better news is that which saves your life?

With this newfound knowledge, Aikil promptly attended a meeting at Rakust he'd heard of. Waiting patiently until the end, he had whispered council with the Overseer, **Nisria Hammerfist**, asking her if he could share the Good News of Armok with her fortress. Things did not go as planned, and Aikil soon found himself outside the fortress with a small pile of belongings from his house and **Emär Tilatûthir** closing the gate behind him. Forbidden from entering the fortress again, Aikil would have to be content with leaving neat stack of "The Good News of Armok" in front of the gates, hoping his luck would be more fruitful by such means.

Though his luck seemed the appear to be just as sour, seeing as Idrath Nish, a local merchant of the Coinpurse Guild, threatened him for his recent deeds, and later attempted to murder Aikil in cold blood, believing him to be going insane due to his recent events with Armok.

Aikil would later realize that he was truly exiled from the fortress, instead of merely put outside temporarily as a punishment. Getting anxious that the great amounts of adamant and gold gifted to him by Doren Rorung Geshud would be stolen, unwise thinking took over and he rushed in while the gates were open, desperate to even know the fate of his belongings. Though quickly pointed out by observant dwarves, Aikil ran out as quickly as he'd came, only to attempt the same thing later, finding his things untouched. In relief, Aikil began gathering his supplies, but didn't finish before a small crowd of armoured Dwarves appeared at his doorstep, lead by **Tabbetha Bronzeleaf** (then spiritual advisor), demanding Aikil leave immediately. Nervous that the crowd was there to kill him, Aikil took his time haggling with himself what to take before deciding to exit his back door and hopefully make it out the gates before getting attacked. It would appear that such a plan wasn't so subtle, as once he'd left the back door, his fellow dwarves rushed through his house, knocking Aikil out nearly instantly.

Aikil woke up in a prison cell, robbed of all of his possessions. The same crowd which knocked him out awaited outside the door, whispering on matters Aikil could not hear. Aikil also felt oddly drunk, and unfortunately only now realized he couldn't hold down drinks like the mountain Dwarves here could. Some very messy and repulsive events later, Aikil was led out of the fortress and given back most of his previous belongings.

Idrath Nish 'forgot' to give Aikil his pickaxe, and renamed it "Aikil's Shitty Pickaxe", henceforth known as the "Shittaxe". Aikil would never be reunited with his Shittaxe for as long as he lived.

Having now potentially spoiled relations with Rakust Dosîm, Aikil turned his eyes towards the Elves of Liba Riveni, who took him in kindly and, due to the Elven rule of not being allowed to draw weapons in Liba, Aikil was able to safely see people from Rakust at ease. He would make long-trusting friends among the Elves, such as **Arion the Walker**, **Eluyemi Eriiti**, and Rylla Featherpine.

Things went relatively smoothly for Aikil from there, until he received word that the Dwarves from Rakust Dosim would soon attack Doren Rorung Geshund. Knowing they'd have just enough time, Aikil and a few other Dwarves set out for Liba Riveni, hoping for a hasty alliance.

## **Death**

As Aikil and his fellow Dwarves sought out and found the current Forest Warden, an attack of void monsters entered through the same warpways of which his Dwarven brethren entered. Hearing the cries of the wicked and undead pour forth, the haphazard group of Elves and Dwarves quickly ran to combat the threat. Upon arrival, Aikil took it upon himself to bravely stride into the horde, Lucksword in hand, such that his allies would not have to risk death. Aikil surely did not know what he was getting into, for the ensuing battle would be his last.

After his death, the Masked Scribe would retrieve his possessions and fail to make a treatise with the elves in Aikil's name. Doren Rorung Geshud would later be raided and its inhabitants free to enter Rakust Dosim once again. Fate is a cruel mistress, as everything that Aikil had wanted, had only been granted to him in death. Arion the Walker would later cremate Aikil's corpse into **Dwarfsteel**, forging the resulting ingot into Akrilla. Having no living being to give it to, Vutheni Veca's owner would also default to Arion.

## **Skills and Belongings**

Aikil possessed no special abilities above the average dwarf, despite being a priest to Armok. He had 2 finely-crafted (not to imply that they were artifacts or anything -- just pretty good but nothing too special) weapons he bore against his enemies:

* **Byrne's Blazing Ballista** - a welcoming gift as Aikil joined Doren Rorung Geshund, Aikil possessed this bow for most of his life, striking fear into the hearts monsters.

* **Lucksword** - as Aikil's first foray into enchanting, Lucksword was made as a mere test, but instead granted enough to become his secondary weapon. It will never be known if "Lucksword" was intended to be "Luck Sword" or "Luck's Word".