ONE SHOT: Baldur's Gate (Bucky DM)

Back story for Brie Darkleaf - Female Woodelf Rogue
 
Wood of Sharp Teeth
 
Bri’el scooted backwards on the floor, keeping her green eyes fixed on the salivating fangs of the werewolf slowly approaching her. She had foolishly left her rapier laying across the table behind her. If she could just reach it.
 
She kicked a chair at the beast but it swatted it aside like a gnat, not slowing the lycanthrope’s advance at all. But it was enough of a distraction to allow her hand to shoot up and grab hold of the rapier’s hilt. The beast’s eye locked on her hand with malice and then the wolfman leapt at her.
In a flash, she freed her father’s sword and set it against the floor as the creature landed on top of her to savage and rend her flesh. Instead, it gave a gurled yelp of pain and scrambled back from her grasping at its throat taking her weapon with it. The rapier had pierced the werewolf through the center of the throat and protruded out the back of its neck. For years she thought the locals had just given the forest its name, Wood of Sharp Teeth, because hunters or woodcutters were killed anytime they entered the primeval woods.
Burning smoke rose around the hole created by the rapier and when the evil beast grabbed at the blade trying to remove it, the silver also burned its claws. Now she understood why her father insisted all their weapons be silvered. For decades there were rumors of a werewolf clan living in the aptly named Wood of Sharp Teeth.
 
Now she knew the true nature of her homeland. The werewolf tried to howl in pain but only a sickly rasping sound escaped the wound as it sprayed smoke and blood. It spun wildly around the room still trying to dislodge the instrument of pain and death. It crashed into another table spilling an oil lamp onto the floor. The lamp was smashed and flaming oil spread across the floor.
 
The werewolf fell to its knees dying. It toppled to the side motionless and Bri’el yanked the silvered blade from its corpse. She watched as the wolfman transformed back into Elvisar, their tribe’s leader. He had run into Bri’el earlier that day and asked her to come by his home to discuss her future role in the tribe of Askavar. She was hoping to train as a ranger. Unlike her parents, she had a wanderlust and wanted to explore the far reaches of the wood, if not the greater world around them.
 
But after Elvisar had poured her a second glass of wine, and had yet to mention his plans for her, she became suspicious. Licking his lips, he grasped her arms and professed his wanton lust and desire to have her. Appalled, she pulled away and rebuffed him. Meaning to leave immediately, she turned to retrieve her cloak. But he spun her around and backhanded her, sending her crashing to the floor on her backside. He was furious at her rejection and with a feral growl, his bones snapped and contorted, Bristly black hair sprouted from a normally hairless humanoid. With a final snarl, Elvisar had transformed into the beast that sought to destroy her.
 
The fire was consuming the room and she grabbed her cloak and rushed to the door. She flung it open and hurried down the spiral stair wrapping around the duskwood tree that held Elvisar's home. At the base she encountered several of the tribe’s guardians who had seen the blaze and smoke pouring from the tree. She was detained.
Her trial for the murder of Elvisar was swift. Despite her claims of Elvisar’s aggression against her and self-defense in his death, and her parents speaking on her behalf, the priest of Corellon claimed that under the divine spell of truth Bri’el was lying. It was only later that she realized he must have been a lycan as well like Elvisar, and did not want the wood elven community discovering their presence in the tribe. She was sentenced to die by a firing squad of rangers the next morning.
That night, her mother, a mage, charmed the guards and freed Bri’el.
“You must flee the forest my daughter.” She told her. “And never return to Askavar.”
“They will punish you for this mother.” Bri’el replied.
She nodded with a smile. “It will be fine. Most likely confinement to my home.” She took her necklace off and handed it to Bri'el along with her rapier and short bow. “Take this. I wish I could give you more.”
They embraced. “You have given me my freedom. My love to you.” Bri’el said.
“Live long and be prosperous.” Her mother replied watching Bri’el slip into the night and leave the village.
 
Baldur’s Gate – The Outer City.
Bri’el looked down at her hand. Only 5 silver pieces left in her purse. She was having dinner at the tavern in the Twin Songs district of the Outer City. None of the caravans would hire a wood elf girl, with no training as a ranger. Her mother’s silver and pearl necklace was probably worth 100 pieces of gold, but she’d be damned before she would sell that. I will eat a sewer rat before I sell this, she thought to herself.
 
“What do you call a wood elf that doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal?” A voice called from the table next to hers. She looked up to see the toothy grin of a fat human with a white beard. “A dead wood elf!” he finished and laughed at his own humor until it turned into a wheezing cough. “Well met.” he continued.
“Well met.” Bri’el replied dryly.
“I’m Whitley.” He introduced himself. “And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
 
She thought for a moment. Her past life was gone and here in the realms of men a new one began.
“Brie Darkleaf.” She answered.
“Well miss Darkleaf,” he said standing and coming uninvited to her table. “I heard a new female wood elf was in town looking for work.” He sat down and leaned in. She could smell mutton and ale on his hot breath. “I can provide you with plenty of work.”
“What kind of work?” She asks, suddenly interested. “Nothing of a sexual nature!” she quickly followed up with.
“Oh no of course not!” He scoffed pretending to be offended but mentally scratching that option off the list. “No this would be work more suited to your talents as a gatherer of information, running errands, making certain payments for the organization I work for. He lays a token with a dagger embossed on its face down on the table. “Come to my compound here in the district tomorrow and present this token. We will get you set up with your first job. I work for a gentleman named Scratch.”
 
Scratch Barracks (six months later)
Brie opens her eyes, finished with her nightly trance as Ardryll climbs down from the top bunk. Seeing her he says. “Good morning Brie.”
Brie fumbles with a pouch on her belt and pulls out a rolled smoke stick. She stands and lights it with a candle. “Morning yourself high elf.”
They wince as light from outside floods into the barracks. At the door is standing a small halfling girl. Mickie.
“Boss wants to see yuns now!” she barks.
“We had a long night short stuff.” Brie replies.
“I don’t give a fuck.” Mickie says. “Get to his manor now.” She turns and disappears before they can reply.
“Ugh. Turn the damn lights out.” A voice calls from the blankets in the next bunk.
“Scratch has summoned us Zathis.” Ardryll tells the human rogue. “Perhaps this is the job we have been waiting for.”
“You say that every time.” Brie complains, while strapping her rapier on.
“One day I will be right.” Ardryll says.
The three leave the bunkhouse and head to the kingpin’s manor house.
END
 
Epilogue: Three weeks after returning Scratch's lady
 
Rawk, the half-orc opens the door and sees Brie standing there.
"I am here for my appointment with Diamond." She tells him.
 
"Come in"
 
She walks into the parlor passing a black human female and a red-headed half-elf.
"Thank you Onyx and Ruby." Diamond calls to them as they leave.
 
"Well hello young lady." Diamond says seeing Brie walk in.
 
"Well met." Brie replies. "I have thought about your offer and decided to take you up on it."
 
"Excellent!" Diamond says smiling. "What of your other friends?"
"I am working on them...." She replies. "Ardryll is a bit loyal to Scratch and thinks he will be rewarded with a big score soon."
"Ha. Not likely." Diamond laughs.
"And Zathis is worried about repercussions from Scratch."
"Tell him not to worry. I can handle Scratch."
She looks at Brie's green eyes. "From now on you will be known as Jade."
Diamond calls to the half-orc, "Rock. Prepare Jade a room."
"As you wish my lady."
 
END