Connor History

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**Character History:** Each paragraph is a little snippet that will maybe someday get tied all together.

*I was born on the Irroquin merchant marine ship Valiant. The ship was in route from Gherin Culloch to Karandia,
 carrying mostly immigrants. In those days Gherin Culloch was importing a
 lot more than it could export, so, the trading ships were taking on
passengers to help pay the way. My father and mother (nearly to term
with me) were among the fifty or so passengers on that voyage.*

*Just half-a-day outside (Karandia Port City), I was born. The
captain of the ship produced some papers showing that I had been born in
 Karandian water, and, with a little squeeze my father was able to get
the certificate accepted in town. I was officially a Karandian citizen.*

*I enlisted in the army. For two years I was trained as, and deployed as a shield man with a pike* *squadron.
 The basic training was a challenging time, but was the perfect
distraction to my prior life. Being responsible for my shield, and my
partner, it was a good time. We saw no combat, though, we were posted on
 the Chalter Medrium border for about six months. It was there that I
first saw a Talon team in action.*

*I first wanted to sign up as Red Talon. Those were the guys that had all the best assignments,* *learned all the powerful arcane magik out of the ancient Libraries, and got all the women.*

*The captain that Cyrus screwed was really, really mad, and, he took
it out on Cyrus’ team. I was quickly reassigned to one of the Green
Talon squads that regularly probe into Icara.
 For about three straight years, every time my unit was scheduled to
rotate home from the front lines, I would be transferred to the incoming
 unit. So, for about thirty straight months I made weekly reconnaissance
 trips into Icara.*

*The only benefit to come from this unbelievable schedule is that I
was sent to Green Talon command school, where they taught me some fun
new spells, and, gave me a bunch of training on how best to use the
skills of the other troops.*

*After a few days of sitting under a bush and counting Icaran troops,
 the smallest things start to get your attention. I realized this time
that I had set up right next to the den of some raccoons. Throughout the
 night I would see them moving around the woods near me, foraging. The
attention to detail that they showed was pretty amazing. At night,
before I slept, I would usually set up a ward barrier around my
location. (Like all Green Talon working solo in the field, a bookworm
had enchanted my tags with the barrier spell* *so I could sleep
at night. That way, I would have at least a few moments warning before
problems could get to me. Anyhow, I had just started laying out the
components for the ward, when I noticed two of the younger male raccoons
 watching me. They and I had sort of developed a ‘you do your thing,
I’ll do mine’ relationship over the few days I had been there. I guess
they were as interested in me as I was in them. So, there I am, in my
ward, getting ready to eat a little of my rations, when one of the two
comes over, right to the edge of the ward. This got my attention because
 he seemed to know where the edge was; he didn’t even bump his nose. As I
 sat there, not moving, he got up on his hind legs, put his front paws
on the ward, and, pushed. He seemed to only shove a little bit, not
really exerting himself greatly, and, just sort of popped through my
ward! I was surprised, but at the same time I was impressed. I gave him a
 little of my dried fruit, just so he didn’t feel like he had wasted his
 time. And, after he was done eating, he went and pushed his way back
out again.*

*Over the next few days, this became the dinnertime pattern. It
wasn’t until the fourth day that he would let me touch him while he was
eating. That night I risked starting a flame, and, with its help I was
able to ‘talk’ with my supper companion. Through his eyes I was able to
understand how he got through the ward, and, that it was a skill he
shared with his kind.*

*A week later, when I was finally back at the rallying point, I sat
down and worked it out. I found that I too could tap into the upper
layer, using the ambient energy to help pass through wards. Now, every
time I pull this off, I think back to my hungry little friend there in
the northern woods of Icara.*

*In the middle of summer 501, I ran into Cyrus and Horace, inside
Icara! I was frankly amazed that they were there. Even more strange,
they were papered to be there! They had legal documents, and were
working on some project for the new Concentric Order. I told Cyrus what
had been done to me, and, when he got back to Karandia he had some
strings pulled, and I was finally reassigned to the Concentric Order,
under the command of Cyrus.*

*I was in Karandia when the earthquakes started. Cyrus and his team
were kept in the country to help with disaster relief. We also privately
 suspected that the Griffin wanted his trusted troops nearby, in case
anything else happened. When the big one struck, I was dispatched to the
 coast, as leader of a green talon team. Their sergeant was killed in
the quake, and, I was given temporary command. We were told to survey
the destruction on the coast, and, report back. When we got to the
shoreline, there was a massive amount of destruction. A wave taller than
 the tallest trees must have rolled onshore. Whole towns were wiped off
the map. In Verath Tau, which appeared hardest hit, we went in for a
closer look.*

*What we found was startling, and led me to leave the team in place
and return with the information. Below the now decimated fishing
village, mostly buried in the mud, was a structure of unknown age. We
were able to stand on the roof of this ancient stone building. In this
flat panel of stone was a sealed opening, and, much rune work. I drew
some brief sketches, and returned to report.*

*Back at the base I filled in Cyrus, and a bookworm named Stewart
what I had seen. Cyrus assigned me to accompany Stewart to Halgudar, to a
 library where more information could be gained. Cyrus sent me because
he has no Rocks on his team, and none would be reassigned. I would have
preferred to stay in country, but oh well.*

*While at this library, I was given a vision. The spirits of the
woods between Karandia and Halgudar found me, and, showed me what was
occurring on the shores of Karandia. I saw the door on the buried
building opening, almost like a crypt, I saw the Talon squad I left
behind dying, and, I saw a single black bird rise from the land and fly
out to sea.*

*I relayed this vision immediately to Stewart. He believes that the
thing he is studying is somehow a part of this vision, and the
earthquakes.*

*When we got back to Karandia, they assigned me to work on the
monsters that had moved into the area damaged by the wave. For almost
three months I was running around the western mountains, killing or
taming as many orcs and goblins as I could find. The recall order came
through a really young private who they sent out to find and replace me.
 Things must be tough; he looked like he still had Mage Sergeants
ringing in his ears. Anyhow, they brought me into Traau, and assigned me
 to work with Stewart, Horace, a new Scar Private named Ruby.*

*They sent us back out to the town that I checked out with the Green
Talon team right after the quake and wave. When we got there we found
some of the bodies of that team, and, we were met by a half-elf Captain
wearing a Black Talon uniform. (We never did find out who exactly he
was…) Anyhow, he brought something important and very Yellow for
Stewart, and, promoted the housie to Sergeant. Works for me, puts me
that further from having to keep track of what’s going on.*

*Anyhow, the town had been taken by some form of magik, and all the
townspeople were under its spell. There were also some creatures running
 around that had amphibian-like qualities. They looked aquatic, but
moved on two legs as if they were accustomed to being on land. They
attacked with powerful claws on two seemingly ambidextrous arms. Some
seemed capable of innate magikal abilities, but, that is just a guess on
 my part.*

*The Sarge found some sort of gateway that the squid-heads (so named
by Horace) were using to get here from wherever home was. We closed it,
after fighting a bunch of the critters, and what seemed to be some
undead Green Talons, which, I have to tell you were pretty freaky. Give
me a scavenging horde of orcs any day…*

*After clearing out the village, Stewart, Ruby and the Captain headed
 back to Traau with something important, and, Horace and I split off to
check on his family in the next canyon over.*

*No sooner were we over the pass we were taken by some more possessed
 villagers. To this day I could not tell you how they managed it. There,
 waiting to be executed, this guy who said he knows us showed up, and
rescued our butts. I suspect he did some nasty things to the villagers,
despite our request that none be hurt, as they were not acting of their
own will. Ardan was his name. I don’t trust him, even though he helped
us out.*

*After that escape, Horace and I returned to Traau, and were
essentially assigned to the barracks for a couple months. We knew the
two Sergeants were around, having meetings and planning sessions. We
received some basic training about ships from this real cute Naval boson
 named Christie, and, next thing we know, we are assigned to this task
force that was sailing west, trying to see what the heck was out there.*

*We arrived on this island, just me, Horace, and this real green
Turtle named Naan. We were supposed to be meeting Cyrus and some elven
scouts, and a Veldron there, but, they were nowhere to be found. More of
 the squid-heads attacked us, but Tasha turned up with the elves, and
pulled us out of the fire. She was happy to see me and Horace; she
thought we were dead. Not sure why, but, there you have it. She keeps
forgetting I’m too stubborn to die.*

*Well, I finally got the help I needed from the trees, and was able
to talk to one of the squid-heads. They agreed not to attack us, and we
agreed to get what we needed and get the hell out of there. Turns out a
Sequestrum toadie beat us to this big magik book. The Sgt sent me after
him, and the two elf scouts and the Veldron came with. We got to the
coast just in time to see his ship raise sail. I might have caught him
on my own, but, what would I have done with him? Oh well, seems like we
just can’t catch a break on this whole mess. Always just outside our
reach.*

*Back in Karandia, Cyrus got reassigned, trees only know where.
Stewart took command of myself, Naan, and Horace and we headed back down
 to Halgudar, to pick through the rubble of the Library that burnt down.
 We were still walking around with the elves, so, that was annoying.
They get so accustomed to being sneaky in the woods that they stop
paying attention. Anyhow, that’s another story.*

*Down there we ran into a couple of Rynith, and this magikal
construct everyone was calling the Devourer. I never saw her eat
anything, so, who knows. Anyhow, turns out this thing is Ardan’s wife,
transformed to protect something or another. Well, he shows up and fixes
 her, then takes off with one of the magik stones. Stewart was annoyed.*

*The court mage also made off with one, but not without a fight. He
tried to split, but me and Stewie chased him down. It felt nice to catch
 up with him, but, honestly, it was like wrestling a really pissed-off
lion. He had more magik than I think the Dustie had ever seen. I still
wonder why he didn’t just kill us. Instead he left us lying there in the
 road. Horace found us a little later and put us back together.*

*Obviously, something of significant import is occurring, but, I am
content to let the Griffin and the Dusties deal with it. I will continue
 to go where I am ordered to go, and do what I am trained to do. Next
up, the desert of Sh’Thraem…*

***(Again, way out of date. Any of the squad want to help me
remember what else happened? Just throw in some bullet points below, I
will work on the tale.)***