The Kid

Greetings Old Friend, I've just finished going over this map I've... appropriated from an NRF officer. Who's the NRF and how did I get this so-called officer's map? Well let's start where we left off yesterday. We're dropped onto the lower levels of Sharn and following Deme's instructions we head towards the Broken Crown Inn over in Firelight. Not a minute goes by before we wandered into a pile of shit. We stumbled onto six members of the NRF kicking the shit out of a dumbass who got himself caught carrying a book extolling syndicalism. I have no patience for this political BS essentially: NRF hate warforged and the Syndicalists, the Syndicalists love the working folk and hate the NRF. Upon seeing this Durne and Frost take it upon themselves to get involved, thereby dragging the entire crew into it. Marion tried to calm everyone down, but the uh negotiations devolved into a brawl. Just like that. One life for the meager price of six, and as a bonus our mission has been made nigh impossible. Long story short, we killed the bastards, saved the Dumbass, Marion spontaneously grew a Dragonmark, and I nabbed the leader's satchel before we book it before reinforcements came. While we were heading towards the Broken Crown, we learned that Dumbass' name is Thelonius Brayson a half orc/elf who couldn't be more than 17. He was naturally freaking out, but we assured him that we'll protect him for now and that he can stay with us for the night at the Broken Crown. Niko or "Lady Caroline" and I went inside first to ensure the safety of the rest of the group. We played the friends of Deme card and talked to the owner; a man named Destir Zenden. He was nice enough and gave a basic overview of the NRF, the Syndicalists, and the goings on of Sharn. Apparently, the workers of the Cogs have gone on strike for higher wages, and there's word of a potential edict from the Queen declaring the strikers traitors; thereby voiding both their wage increase and naturally their lives. Gotta love the eternal plight of the working stiff. Does one lick boot or instead gets their head stomped in by some nice and expensive plate ones? Anyway, eventually Destir hands us the keys to nine rooms and a meeting area for us to use. Then we invited everyone in and planned our next move. The kid deigned to inform us and Niko's familiar confirmed that we're currently being tracked by what he calls an NRF (probably Triumvirate but he doesn't need to know that) enforcer known only as "The Butcher". That since his (the kid's) blood and some of the crew's was left at the scene, Butch is able to track us. Great now our cover which was broken into tiny pieces, has just exploded leaving a crater the size of Mournland. As a result, the kid suggests we link up with the Syndicalists down in the Cogs, as they can properly protect us and potentially help track down Ulyvar. Fuck out of any other ideas we resolve to sleep the night in shifts and make a break for an entrance in the morning. Hence the map I mentioned in the beginning. It's a patrol map and I was going over it for safe routes to a Cogs entrance. Now that we're all caught up Old Friend, shall we get to why I can't sleep? It's not for lack of trying my friend. It's 3 in the morning according to this desk clock, and I've spent a fair amount of time pouring over a map and I am exhausted. You see when we encountered those NRF jackasses beating on the kid I... I thought we should have left him there. He had nothing to do with our mission and in fact saving him could have (and has) endangered it and us as a group. Our mission, the thing I'm getting paid to do, isn’t to right all the world's wrongs nor save every hapless bastard on the side of the street. It's to save Ulyvar and return back to Gift. Nothing more; nothing less. Yet, as I listened to the kid and got a glimpse of the passion he holds within his heart for that inane cause of his... he reminded me of someone I knew. Someone who would've without hesitation or ulterior motive have jumped in to save his ass. Just because it's the right thing to do with no regard for their own skin. A person who not too long ago set out on a quest to save the world from the monsters that stalk its dark corners. Who was excited to be lauded as a hero and savior of man. A person who was able to sleep at night and recognize themselves in the mirror. I hope I see him again one day.
 
Drawings
The kid, Wolf school medallion, a younger Gaetan