Nimphel's Narrative

[tenebrae]

"Happiness is just a few coins oray!" The pimp's call ringgs false one last time as I leave the cesspool that is Sencliff. Cor blimey! For over forty-five years I slaved for these 'cink collectors', but no more. They finally cast me out, damaged goods, no longer an asset ter ffeir trade. As if I 'ad ever been anyfink else; I'm an outcast for life. Squeezed out by me muvver and left in the gutter. Weened and nursed by the bloody harridans of Sencliff's lowlifes, right, only ter be sold into service. No care for me person, no tears for me plight, right, only the bloody cold, hard shine of cink.

So, I grew up in an 'ouse of ill repute or peraps dubious lustre, dependin' on yor council, right? I slaved in the kitchen and in the seedy, wee rooms. I were kicked and beaten, until the day that I -despite evryfink- blossomed into a rare and delicate fin' of beauty. A real fair-roe-buck, me skin an unblemished wite, my 'air a smoky brown and me eyes a strange, right, flecked grey, right, I were considered ter have potential. I were still yung and needed ter be trained in the arts of 'entertainment'. Oh sure, they taught me a few uvver fings as well, like frowin' knifes, right, jugglin', right, dancin' and acrobatics. They also taught me ter behave and speak well, alffough I don't like it, right, and ter serve and please, wich I like even less. All useful in the 'career' they 'ad envisioned for me. And I were a quick study too, eager ter get oray from the bleedin' dirty jordans and kitchen hash.

Then, still a kinchin mort, it were me grand openin' night. They showed me off; me beauty and me skills, my perfection and me 'innocence'. Then, right, a bid were 'eld. All 'ush-hush, o'course. Only on a need-to-know basis, right, yer know, then, mate? Still, news of me particular 'talents' 'ad travelled far and certainly among a certain circle of the bleedin' rich. I fetched a fair price for me first 'night'. More than fair.

The bloomin' first years after, right, I spent in luxury. Cor blimey, would I lie to you? 'Whistle and fluteors' came and went. I were an unparalleled success, evry businessman's dream. I shared a certain measure of this wealff. I enjoyed not so bad kit, good food, right, occasionally some nice company, once real luv, even. Then, wen the novelty wore off, right, my 'business' dwindled. They put me on sale and customers came cheap. A long and blurred period of me past, right, this, wich I cain't to remember.

And then, last year, it 'appened. One day I were not so bad, and the bloody next I were not. Dark spots 'ad appeared on me once 'revered' hide. Just a few at first, wich went oray after a wile. Then more and more, right, in 'arder ter conceal places. Before long I could no longer 'ide this orful truff; I were blemished and in a most unattractive fashion too, init? The chuffin' spots came and went, apparently at random. Some fought I were possessed or of demonic stock, but wen one day the bloomin' spots stayed, I were considered poxed. And so, wiv a kick ter my cracker, right, I were frown hammer and tack in the gutter from wence I 'ad come.

So, right, once I were Pearl, spotless wite delicacy of Sencliff’s nightlife and the talk of the bloomin' tahn, if yer knew where ter listen. Now, right, I were nuffink. A sick cur, right, a fin' ter be shunned. I 'id meself from view, survivin' on scraps. I expected ter die at any mument. Right. I shivered and 'ungered, I feared and I wept, yet I kept on livin'. Me quarron grew fin and me mind emptied. All 'orrors and ills of the bloody past just wivvered oray. I grew still inside. And then, one day as I 'ave a looked upon meself, right, the spots 'ad gone. It felt strange, a lightness come upon me, a feelin' of bein' cut loose from all the world. Cor blimey! I fink I smiled, briefly.

So, wot were I ter do, then? Go hammer and tack on me tracks, then, luv? I 'ad a good laugh at that. No, right, maybe I could fashion a new life for meself. No longer at the centre of attention, right, but more at the bloomin' fringe of fings. Be modest, skim the surface, right, hug the shadows. Puttin' me few uvver talents at work, right, I found that I could and make an easy livin'.

After a wile the dark spots came back, and... went again. Over time, I 'ave learned that me moods control them. If I'm on the chuffin' brink of lettin' meself cop too close ter ordinary life, right, wiv its ties and attachments, right, they appear, right, only ter disappear if I let go again of the warmff of uvvers. I know not woss their cause and I no longer care, right, for they keep me true. As true as the new name if chose for meself: Nimphel.

I 'ave become quite adept at 'collectin'' fings, right, keepin' meself well-maintained wiv some extra ter spare. And then, right, finally, I felt it were time ter leave Sencliff and 'ave a look for richer 'untin' grounds. Yer know, right, peraps 'appiness is just a few cinks oray...

[tenebrae]

A shadow visited me, tonight. An 'orrid, right, dark ruffin of doom. Why did it seek me out? Woss it, then? Wot does it want?

[tenebrae]

Today I 'ad a most curious meetin'. I 'ad just returned from a failed attempt ter clear out the archives, right, havin' been beaten up pretty bad. Enterin' the temple of 'elm ter buy some first aid, I were 'alted by a stern strappin' rum-mort. She asked me if were awright. I just stood there, right, daftfounded, bleedin' all over their bloody nice temple floor, right, and then she just... ‘ealed me! Nuts! No questions asked, beside the one, right, and for no chink at all.

Seein' me all puzzled, right, she introduced 'erself as Emma Yung, High Sumfink of the Order of The Gauntlet and started ter explain 'erself. It seems this order spots it as its business ter protect the weak. Ha! Right, right, I were beaten up, but weak...?! Neverffeless, she seemed quite serious about me well-bein'.

She then asked me about me past and, bein' off-guard by 'er bein' nice, I blurted out that I 'ailed from Sencliff. Gah! Oi! Stewpid! Oi! She reacted instantly. Were I a rover? Did I cop the Ink, isit? Fortunately, I were able ter get out of that one. Cor blimey, would I lie to you? As if they would 'ave inked me oh so precious hide! Oi! I shied from tellin' 'er me full stor, right, yjust mentionin' that I 'ad fled Sencliff. She then said I should rabbit and pork ter this lass Loravyre Belyn 'oose is sposed ter have a similar experience. We'll see...

More members of the order started ter come in and Emma then said I should rabbit and pork ter Denny Walvish if I needed a Uncle Bob and tutorin'. Denny first didn't seem ter take the bleedin' hint, so I introduced meself wiv a neat bow. Ha! That were not ter his likin'! Oi! Good ter know, right, I can play wiv that. Sir Denny then told me ter get 'im some scrolls. He would fund me and I were ter get 30 Improved Invisibility scrolls from this vendor outside the bloomin' Hawk Inn in Bendir Dale. Seems 'e can't show 'is Nanny Goat Race 'round there anymore. He then said if I brought 'im these scrolls, right, he would use them ter fashion me some nice armour and a cloak.

Wot....?! Right! I can't cop my loaf of bread 'round 'ow this order works, right, but they sure do come in 'andy. O'course I accepted 'is offer and we went ter the bleedin' bank togeffer where 'e gave me 25,000 yellow boys.... Right?! Oi! Oh, the bloody tempation! Right! But, right, no. Let's spot how this plays out.

[tenebrae]

It were frikkin' rainin' all afternoon! Oi! Why 'ad I agreed ter meet Lucha at the bloody far Nomad, isit? Bah, right, there were nuffink for it. She were late, so I wotched some performers perform right badly. At least I dried up nicely. As she sat dahn, I 'anded 'er the chuffin' healin' stuff I made for 'er. She were well-pleased. Time for some purl royal, wich we enjoyed until the performers right bored us, right? I then showed 'er the uvver bar, dahn at the harbour. Lucha were much impressed by the lewd dancin' and even more so by the luxurious room that I keep there. We 'ad a quick snooze in the big, soft dab there.

After we 'ad sumfink ter eat, we went hammer and tack to the bloody Nomad ter 'ave a look for a Uncle Bob. Paxton didn't fail us and we got a writ ter tidy out the coal mines. However, wile we were discussin' that, this beautiful bint walked up ter us, right, all right tidy and fancy, wiv gorgeous blond 'air; a purest-pure. I noticed Lucha starin' at 'er. We got ter talkin' and the rum-mort turned out be Tera, a paladin of Sune. She didn't want ter come wiv us, but didn't mind us taggin' along wiv 'er ter clear some Goblin fortress norff of the Bramble Woods. All 'ad ter prepare for this wee adventure, so we agreed ter meet up later at the Nomad.

Tera returned all clunky and noise in 'er not so bad, shiny armour. Wot a sight! Blimey! Lucha nearly fainted. We took ter the bloomin' road quickly and wandered norff. I fought Tera would take the bloomin' lead, right, and she did, but only ter lead us astray. Ha! Honest! We 'ad a good laugh about that! Struth! Lucha weren't up for the task eever, right, so I 'ad ter take me best guess and lead us east. It were fortunate that we bumped into this Elven lady 'oo -did- know where we needed ter go, right, or we would still 'ave been walkin' in circles.

Now, deep in the chuffin' Bramble Woods, we ran into all kinds of troubles. Goblins and 'obgoblins, right, Wargs, and all kinds of uvver foul creatures. Lucha even seemed afraid of the deer that wandered 'round! Oi! Wen past the bloomin' rangers check-point, right, buggers got tough, init?However, the bloomin' ffree of us were a pretty good team. Tera would crash into the bloody foes, right, wile Lucha and I assisted. This went well, until we came up ter the fort. Now, right, Tera just kept crashin' into trap after trap! Right! I soon ter the chuffin' lead ter avoid furffer accidents.

As before, we continued us adventure, workin' us way up the main keep, defeatin' foe after foe. Tera kept 'ealin' Lucha and me, wich got us ter the roof at last. Much ter our surprise we were 'ailed from below. Peerin' over the parapet, right, Tera noticed two of 'er chinas, fellow paladins 'oo 'ad travelled after 'er. Cor blimey guv! They agreed ter meet us on the roof.

The bleedin' ffree of us waited and waited, but they never showed, init? Worried, we checked the upper floor of the keep. They were not there. Tera now fought, right, or 'oped, that they 'ad left, right, wich I found ravver strange. Well, she should know 'er mates, or choose better ones.

Hammer and tack in Cordor, Lucha and I said us farewells ter Tera, promisin' ter 'ave a look out for 'er wen we were ready for anuvver adventure. Tera warned against gonna Cordor graveyard as the bleedin' undead there are right powerful. She also said she were right pleased wiv us wee trip ter the fort, as she 'ad learned a bit.

Sittin' at a table in the chuffin' Nomad-waste, right, we were enjoyin' a stiff guzzle and goin' on about all that 'ad 'appened and, ofcourse, right, about meetin' Tera, wen a swell nib walked up ter us. Judgin' by 'is upper tog and shiny fawneys, he were a Cordorian Noble. The man said that 'e ‘could not 'elp but noticin' us’ and asked if we were interested in a wee ‘Uncle Bob’ that would pay well. The details were ter be discussed in private. Lucha and I 'ave a looked at each uvver. It sounded interestin', provided we didn’t 'ave ter do this right oray, right, as we were exhausted.

We followed the chuffin' man ter a room above the inn. Gesturin' us ter take a seat, the bleedin' man insisted on stayin' anonymous, as the ‘Uncle Bob’ 'e 'ad for us were of a ravver clandestine nature. It involved ‘acquirin'’ sumfink. If we were interested, right, he would set up a meetin' wiv 'is ‘benefactor’. Cor blimey, would I lie to you? Ha! Right! This were right up me alley. Finally! A simple knab! I 'ad started ter give over 'ope on restartin' me career 'ere in Cordor. Evryfink seemed so well under control 'ere; no noticeable crime, Charleys evrywhere, right, no stop-hole that I could find. The trouble were, right, how were I ter convince Lucha, isit? However, I 'adn’t taken into account 'er natural curiosity and lust for action. It took Lucha only five seconds ter come ter a conclusion: We were on!

The nob said we would be approached by a man in black, wearin' a silver brooch wiv some ‘mark of the bloomin' Eye’. After this 'e quickly left, and Lucha and I could finally retire ter our dabs. Poor Lucha, do wot! She still knows me as 'Lyra', silly daughter of ‘Muvver’ of the chuffin' Fickle Finger. Or maybe it is poor me. She's become a real good burr and I 'esitate ter disappoint 'er by confessin' me several lies. Still, I fink it's time ter come clear.