You learned...fast. Very fast. You were reading by age two. By age three, you knew how to do basic math. By age five, there were very few books in your fathers library that you had not read.
Gained Eidetic Memory trait: +5 to research rolls, +2 to training mundane skills
Gained Literate(Einsprache): Capable of reading the language of Einsland
Mind at 5: Genius Level
Indeed, it was in the library where a rather interesting event happened. You had been perusing a old tome, attempting to decipher it, when you heard a noise, turning, you saw the Libraries caretaker clamber in, walking to his desk. In his hands was a lantern. In the lantern was a fairy.
Fairy Lanterns were not exactly unknown to you. After all, the fey were extremely bright, and required only a little food to survive, so using them as a source of illumination made some degree of sense.
However, as you stared at the trapped fey, which you recognized as some form of wisp, you couldn't help but feel some degree of pity. It must have been awful to be trapped like that.
Noticing your attention, the caretaker gave a rancid grin, most of his teeth gone or rotten. While the caretaker was a nice fellow, no one could deny how....ugly, he was. It was common knowledge that he kept better care of the books than himself. "Oi, the lamp catch yer fancy? Bought it off a wandering merchant, visited the local village." He said, beaming. "Perfect fer keepin the place bright without threatening to burn it all down, so I thought, and it was only a dozen coin. Good deal, if I say myself!" He bragged. "Er, thats nice." You said. Then a thought occurred to you. "Perhaps I might buy that from you? Double the amount you payed?"
His eyes lit up with barely contained greed. "Well then, that'd be right perfect!" He said.
Walking through the courtyard, you held up the lantern, examining it. On the one hand, you could free the fey. Legend says that they upon occasion gave gifts to those who freed them.
On the other hand, Fairy Lanterns were supposedly sources of powerful magic. And valuable. Honestly, you probably cheated the libraries caretaker a little bit.
[ ] Free the Fey?
[ ] Keep the Lantern?
Of course, something terrible happened that year. You were riding through the local village. You and your parents. Apparently, it was a yearly ritual of your fathers to slowly go through the town, examine every house, every nook and cranny.
It was the first year you had been old enough to go yourself. Of course, you were incapable of riding a horse, so they had put you and your parents in a carriage. You yawned as you looked outside the carriage. Boring. You would rather be at home. You had managed to acquire a old Isenland novel about the First Dwarf Wars.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. "Hrm? Whats this about then?" Said your father. Shaking his head, he moved to the door, opening it, and looking out. He paled immediately. "Out of the carriage." He said. "Whats wrong, Rudolphus?" Said your mama. "OUT OF THE CARRIAGE." He said. Blinking, your mama did as he said, crawling out the door, dragging you with her.
Outside, you saw that that the road up ahead was empty, except for a lone old woman, ancient looking, with sagging skin and a scowl, hunched forward, slowly walking towards. In her hand was a odd walking stick, topped with a odd gem. "Rudolphus Grigori!" Snarled the woman. "I name thee troll lover, child stealer, craven, fool!" She yelled. "What is it you want, hag?" Barked your father. "I have already paid the blood-debt for your son, who," Your father noted, "Volunteered." "YOU THINK A BAG OF COINS WILL MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF MINE CHILD!" Shouted the hag. Your father glowered. "You seek to threaten me. Remember who you are speaking to. Your petty Wyrd-Stone magics will not harm me."
The witch let out a cackle. "Perhaps they won't. But I do not seek to destroy you. I seek to take from you what you took from me. And unlike you, your child is not so protected." With that, your father paled, and attempted to reach you. However, he was too slow, and the witch let out her volley, a orb of burning green fire that was aimed right at you.
Closing your eyes, you heard a impact, and, opening your eyes, you saw your mother crumpled up on the ground before you, having taken the blast for you. Your father, meanwhile, raised his arm and let out a bolt of energy which went forth and pierced the witches heart. Afterwards, he rushed over to you and your mother. "Mathilda! Mathilda, speak to me!" He cried in a panic. You, meanwhile, simply stood there, shellshocked at the events, not understanding what had happened. "Mathilda! Please! Don't leave me!" He sobbed, before going quiet. He turned to one of the knights. "You. Take my daughter from here. She...she doesn't need to see this." With that, the knight took your hand, and led you off.
That was the last you would ever see of your mother.
The funeral had been a sparse arrangement. Only a handful of people had shown up, mostly family. The fallout of the incident was far more hectic. Your father had instituted a strict ban on something called 'Wyrd-Stone', which was apparently what the witch used to cast her spell. Those who were caught with Wyrdstone were sentenced to summary execution.
Your father after that grew...distant. He became wrapped up in his work of running the barony. He rarely spent time with you anymore, and his ritual of perusing the local towns ended.
Of course, you yourself attempted to keep busy. Over the next few years, you...
(Pick 5)
[ ] Studied
-[ ] Magic Lore
-[ ] Medicine
-[ ] Chemistry
-[ ] Theology
-[ ] History
-[ ] Beast Lore
[ ] Spent time with
-[ ] The Librarian. While slightly...hideous... he was fairly intelligent
-[ ] Your Father. You would do your your best to not grow distant
-[ ] The Knights. Your erstwhile protectors and servants
-[ ] The townsfolk of the nearbye burg. While they might have been commoners, they had unusual insights.
-[ ] The Court Magus, Harl.
[ ] Explore
-[ ] Rumor was, a Troll village was nearby.
-[ ] You would attempt to locate the nearby fairy circle
-[ ] A old crypt could be found in a nearby Forrest.
[ ] Train
-[ ] Swordfighting
-[ ] Archery
-[ ] Rhetoric
-[ ] Haggling
[ ] Visit the traveling merchants, see what wares they had.