First thing I remember is breaking the nose of another dirty wretch while fighting over food scraps in back alley in the city of Brindol. Although I didn’t know it was Brindol at the time, it was just the whole world to me then.
When I couldn’t find food I stole it. I was bigger, stronger and faster that the other street urchins and I fought anyone tooth and nail for food, best spots for begging, best places for stealing.
Occasionally I mugged people, although even back then I knew that was a fast way to a noose, so only when I was really desperate for food.
I killed a couple of guards once, they chased me into a blind alley and thought they had me caught but I cracked their heads together instead. Never got caught though. Looking back I guess who would have thought a kid could have done that, even a big one like me.
Probably would have died on the streets eventually, would have stolen from the wrong place or taken a bad fight or too many guards would have cornered me or something.
But that didn’t happen because I met Zor Runegrip. I was robbing a warehouse she was guarding and she took me down like it was nothing. I was lying on my back on the street spitting curses at her and she took a look at me and instead of clobbering me over the head with the haft of her axe and hauling me to the stockades like she was supposed to she gave me a job, and a purpose.
So that’s how I ended up in the Handypeeps, only a kid but already bigger than most humans. Zor trained me, slapped me about when I was being a shit, taught me to read, taught me to fight. I’d die for her and for our guild and I don’t die easy.
Zor told me I’m half dwarf and half human. Doesn’t make sense to me because she’s a dwarf and is really short and I’m really big and I’m bigger than humans as well but if Zor says it it’s normally right so it must be true.
Being in the Handypeeps was way better than being on the streets but it could be a bit boring. They mostly kept me on duties away from people due to my temper. Guarding warehouse in out of the way places, patrolling walls, boring stuff like that. I’m not really a people person. “Acerbic due to his unconventional upbringing” Zor would say to people after I’d pissed off some pleb or something.
Anyway it’s been a while now I’m a lot older and I’ve calmed down a little bit. Zor says I’m way better around people and they are going to let me join an adventuring group on account of how good at fighting I am. I’m going to make her and the guild proud. I hope the pissants they put me with are good enough.