"I remember it…do you…wish to hear my story?"
“Come sit at my fire”
“Ignore the Succubus, she will not harm you, she is my curse to endure, my friend.”
"Now I will tell you a tale, of who I was and how I came to be…but more so, of how I came to be called Papa, leader of these lost souls.”
“Very simply, I was too lucky to live.”
“Ahh yes Silvermoon, on the surface you see the gold, the luxury, but beneath it, there is a slow rot spreading.”
*The Warlock sighs softly*
“I was born fortunate, into a very wealthy family who were and still are well connected in trade circles.”
“Growing up in Silvermoon was easy, my wealth made me popular and I had one very close friend, my brother sworn by blood oath.”
“He came from a less wealthy family and took a job as a courier, doing the nightmare run into Ghostlands to earn extra silver for his labour.”
“One night a scroll was delivered to me, begging for my help, my blood brother was in dire need of me, dying out in Ghostlands.”
“I never hesitated, calling my servant to bring my Hawkstrider to the courtyard; I raced to his side to save his life.”
“I never realised, how foolish could I have been, how arrogant to think I was loved by everyone, that I could never have an enemy.”
*A bitter smile plays over the Warlock’s face*
“When I arrived at the place he had fallen, I found nothing, not a sign of spilled blood, no marks on the ground...”
“I should have turned and left, but I sat for a moment, thinking…”
“The first throw crippled my Hawkstrider, unseating me as it stumbled away and fell struggling beside the road.”
“The second throw took me between the shoulders, tip biting into my spine.”
“Before I hit the ground I felt the impact of blades in my exposed back, strangely…there was no pain…and I watched the ground come slowly towards me until I was face down breathing the smell of leaves.”
*Flames cast a halo on the Warlocks bald head*
“Do you know what happened next?”
“I tried to stand; confused because my mind was screaming run, but my body wouldn’t listen.”
“I never did see who it was; the poison on the blades was mercifully strong, pushing me into the darkness, away from the horror.”
“Why I chose to heed the voice I will never understand, even now, I curse the day that voice urged me to wake up, leave the realm of mindlessness and come back to the world.”
“When I first took back my mind, it was foggy, wandering in circles without direction. I had to force myself to concentrate again.”
“Did you know when you have been risen from the other realm, you cannot even speak; you have basic body function, eat and walk, and for the rest…well you have to reclaim that slowly, like a youngling.”
“For a long time I struggled, pushing the fog back, forcing my mind to quest for knowledge, training myself to read and write.”
“My study now consumes me, once a slave of the arcane; I now study the darker magic, playing with the forces of evil that exist in secret places, if you know where to look.”
“You see, I fear nothing, I have been to hell and come back as you see me, this body rots slowly around my mind, but my mind holds more power than any realise.”
“You wish to know of the Carnival?”
“My family still live in Silvermoon…I went home to them…as I am now.”
*The Warlock looks down as his eyes grow sad*
“They called a Priest to come and give me my last rites…wanted to place me in the family crypt…away from the eyes of their Peers.”
“The Priest tried, but I reached up and touched her beautiful face with my palm, and watched her wither beneath my hand.”
“She became my first lost soul, cast out of her order because she is wreathed in shadows.”
“She is Darkleader, my friend and ally in all things. The healer who gives life and death in equal measure.”
“Then the souls began to find me, lost and cast out, those who have nowhere to go, or who are wanted for crimes.”
"Tullaen was caught liberating a Kodo from its owner in a rather un-gentlemanly fashion, I was there and I helped him escape the consequences of his unwise action."
"He called me Papa in jest, and now they all do."
*The Warlocks face creases in a fond smile*
“They are my family now, and I protect them, moving from place to place, ahead of the law and the retribution that follows.”
“We play for your amusement, brightening up your day with our tricks and jokes, but we are more than just a fun show, we are a family, looking out for one another.”
"We are Carnival of Lost Souls where all are welcome without judgement, and those who betray us are dealt with by our own."
Papa
