The Story of Gelfling

The biography of Gelfling, a young Cleric in the Order of the Clerics of Rokoon.

Gelfling is a rather young member of the clerics guild, his mentor is Kopeister. He spends a lot of time reading and meditating in the library of the temple in Padorn, and when he steps out into daylight, he humbly wanders through the country, searching for herbs and blessing evil places. He is eager to learn, but not very found of fighting and killing.

Greetings to you, stranger.

My name is Gelfling, and I am a gnome. Yes, I know that I'm a bit small and weak. But please don't laugh about me. My smile is only a veil that hides my true feelings. My tired eyes make me seem older than I am. I'm only 15, though some people think I must be 20. Things were hard, and my childhood ended far too early. Spare me some time, and you might understand why I am acting as I do. It's not easy for me to talk about the past, so please forgive me if I should weep while I'm telling the story.

My parents were poor, honest, hard working peasants. We lived in a small house near Ki-Eren-Home. Our fields were small. We never had an easy time, but my parents were good-hearted and offered hospitality to every wanderer who seemed to be in need. I can hardly recall those days, far far away... When I saw Mum and Dad for the last time, I was only 6 years old.

It was in autumn, late in the evening, when a stranger knocked at our door. I silently peeped through the curtain when Dad opened and let him in, and I slipped into my favorite corner behind the pile of wood that my parents used to store near the fireplace. Nobody would notice me, at least I hoped so. I was so curious about the stories the strange blond-haired human would certainly tell about his travels, and I didn't want to stay in bed. This night I wasn't very lucky. (Or was I?)

When Dad came to put some wood into the fire, he noticed me in my hiding place. He grabbed me by the ear, dragged me out of the living room and made me follow him behind the house. There, I had to bend over and received the usual lesson. Then Dad told me to go to bed and stay there. I was crying like a baby when we came back into the house, and the stranger at the table grinned evilly. I was angry and ashamed. Oh, how I hated all of them! So I decided to run away the same night.

After a while, when I heard the grown-ups talking and laughing, I put a cushion under my blanket and secretly climbed through the window. It was cold outside, but I went on, right into the wood, and climbed into a hollow tree where I spent the night.

The next morning I woke up when my stomach growled and demanded his breakfast. Climbing out of the old oak, I noticed a sharp smell. Heavy, thick clouds of black smoke where rising between the treetops, and they came from the direction of our home! My heart was beating like a drum when I sneaked back and secretly looked through the bushes. I'll never forget what I found. The whole house was burning, but this was not the worst thing. My parents... I can hardly describe it, it was horrible. Their bodies were cut into pieces, and their heads where fixed onto sticks that stuck in the ground. I turned around and ran, faster than ever before in my life.

An old aunt, who owned a shop in Ki-Eren-Home, took me into her house. She was friendly, but she didn't love me like my Mum. And she didn't allow me to talk about the day when I found my parents in front of the burning house. Not even questions where permitted. I was very confused, but I had to obey. At night, terrible dreams haunted me, and there was nobody to speak about it. The gruesome picture was always before my inner eye.

I thought that it was all my fault, and that it all wouldn't have happened if I had been a good boy and had stayed in bed that night. My aunt wasn't much help. She only told me to be good and friendly. She always said things like: "Smile at the world, and the bad things will vanish." I really wanted to believe her and I tried my best, but the horrible dreams returned every night, as they still do.

One morning, my aunt sent me away to bring a grindstone to the local woodcutter. When I came back, I found her sitting in her armchair. She seemed to sleep, but her face looked so odd. When I tried to wake her up, her head fell over and I realized that she would never wake up again.

My aunt was my last relative, at least the last one that I know about. So I left Ki-Eren-Home and started to travel. In Padorn, I listened to a sermon in the temple of Rokoon. It was held in ancient language, and I didn't understand a word. But suddenly my heart was light, and I felt so much better.

So I gave my faith away to Rokoon. He saved me several times and granted me new life again and again. Among the friendly clerics I found a new home, and my loneliness had an end. This convinced me to give all my self to Rokoon, my faith, my little strength, my life. I have become his pilgrim.

Yes, I know I'm only a boy. Bad dreams still haunt me in my sleep, and I tremble and fear when it comes to a fight. But I will try my best and be as brave as I can.

PRAISE ROKOON!

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