A Crow in the Darkness - Frederick Staurhell

[TheBlackVanguard]

The Tale of Frederick Staurhell is fraught with excitement, danger, and most importantly - adventure. His tale is that of a young man, no more than twenty-five harvests old. Physical and psychological stress dull the shine of his natural black hair and the constant threat against his life shows in the numerous scars, scratches, and other blemishes not only to his body, but to his mind and heart. Still, this is a tale not of depression and woe. No, this is a tale of magic, of adventure, of friendship and love. This is the Tale of Frederick Staurhell of Ravenloft.

[TheBlackVanguard]

One...

Frederick Staurhell is the fifth and youngest child born to the landed nobility Thomas and Maryanne Staurhell of the region Baldur’s Gate in Faerun. As the youngest child, Frederick was born into his family with a series of incredibly high expectations that he could not possibly hope to live up to. Frederick lived constantly in the shadow of his father and his elder brother, Thomas and Kenneth Staurhell, who both served as ranking members of the Flaming Fist mercenary company. After several children within the Staurhell family took less accepted and traditional positions within society, including his eldest brother, Anton and his eldest sister Juliette (both of who served as wizards within Baldur’s Gate), as well as his older sister Gabrielle (who served as a Druid and an herbalist outside of the city proper), it was expected that Frederick would father in the mercenary footsteps of his father. Unfortunately for the Staurhell family, Frederick found little to no interest in serving with the mercenary company and showed an overall dislike and lack of respect for more traditional standards of living. This behavior quickly led to Frederick becoming distanced not only from his father and brother, but from all except his older sister Gabrielle, who was quick to take him in and provide him the kindness, compassion, and patience that her other siblings would not.

After multiple failed ventures into other avenues, including arcane and divine studies, Frederick found himself serving as a member of the Hunter’s Guild within Baldur’s Gate. After several disputes between himself and some senior members, Frederick took to sport hunting - tracking and killing increasingly dangerous forms of wildlife until he began to find interest and satisfaction in hunting down and killing small monsters, including goblins and kobolds. As word of his ‘adventures’ spread (as told by him, of course) amongst the less than reputable population, Frederick found himself making a number of friends in fairly low places. While his days were often filled with a variety of duties, including required noble gatherings, chores, required study, prayer to Lathander, and other menial tasks, his nights were filled with small adventures, death-defying feats (if he’s to be believed) and several rounds in the nearby tavern with or without company. If Frederick could not be found at home or at the tavern flirting with one too many a tavern wench, then it was Tymora’s bet that Frederick was out scouring the wilderness for his next big story.

This lifestyle continued for quite some time until that fateful day when the Mist stole him from his home and brought him on an adventure he never could have dreamt of in several lifetimes. Now, he has a new home. He has new friends, a new story, and a new purpose - he serves as a ranger in the Order of the Crows. With a new goal in front of him: to serve and protect the people of the realm, it is up to Frederick to find his life’s satisfaction and live up to the new expectations set before him. Finally, there are no rules except for the ones that he uses to keep his own life.

This is where our story begins, in Ravenloft, outside of Barovia...

[TheBlackVanguard]

Two…

Frederick’s first several days in the Mist were eventful ones to be certain. After recovering from the initial shock of being forcefully torn from one realm and placed down into another, Frederick was quick to establish an initial group of allies in the form of a young bard - Tobias - and a sorceress by the name of Sistillia. At the time, Frederick was merely content to know that he had two people he could call ‘friends’ in this new land. Little did he know, these two would eventually become part of a concrete circle of allies that Frederick would lean on, both socially and martially, to help him through the trials and tribulations that the Mist would throw at him. Merely making acquaintances was not the end of his first week or so in the Mists.

It wasn’t long before Frederick came across a man by the name of Snow - somewhat tall, chiseled features and skill with a blade that would make even the greatest of warriors cower in fear. This man, along with two others - a ‘Lance’ and an ‘Edwin’ - introduced Frederick into an order that would not only test his mettle as a warrior, but would give him a purpose that he had never had before. Known simply as the Order of Crows, Frederick was inducted alongside a young sorcerer by the name of Angband, who would also serve as one of Frederick’s friends and allies in the many moons to come.

Our story continues, a Crow standing tall against the Darkness of Barovia. Many individuals - a single entity - trials and tribulations await. Against the tide of undead, lycanthropes, and other horrors they are but a single drop of light in the bucket, but any good man or woman knows that a single drop of light is all it takes to tell a story for the ages...