Cedar's Tale

My background? Wow, it seems kinda strange that anyone would really be interested. I mean the interesting stuff is what is happening right now. We just returned from the center of the multiverse berk! No, no, I've got nothing to hide, it all just seems awfully boring. I left home for adventure - and have we ever found it! Okay, if you insist. If you're bored to tears, don't say I didn't warn you.

I grew up in Suzail, capital of Cormyr. That was back when Azoun was still alive. The old Azoun I mean. Compared to most places I've been since, Suzail is a big, cosmopolitan city. Nothing like Sigil, though. My Dad, Latharus Maratim does carpentry work. He has always worked for other people, always earning low wages. This is partly because he has never been able to afford to buy tools of his own. They cost too much. We never had much in the way of material wealth. Mom and Dad have always been too busy trying to keep food on the table to afford any of the finer things in life. Of course, they say that the ultimate treasure is love. That's one thing we have in abundance at home. I was born third of 9 kids. I'm the only boy of the bunch. First is Malewiel, she's 25 now. Then comes Eloadia, she's 24. Then there's me, then the twins, Nieri and Aaethiel, they're 19. Then Cimwen, she just turned 16 before I left home. Derien is 15, Delany is 13 and last is Larissa, just 10.

When I was little I started feeling attracted to magic. At first my folks didn't think anything about it. But it soon became clear that I had something of a gift from Mystra. Delgluth Zorthaster's Herbals shop was not too far from home and I started spending most of my free time there, mostly running errands for Master Zorthaster. The shop is on North Market street, near the Field Gate but I did deliveries all over the city. It was Master Zorthaster that started calling me Cedar. He said it was because I was as twisty and dense as a cedar tree. My folks named me Tescelin. When Master Zorthaster decided it was more trouble trying to keep me out of the shop than putting me to work, he took me on as an apprentice. He is such a great guy. He knows so much about herbalism and alchemy and magic. He really tried to discourage me from adventuring though. Said it was not worth the risk. Said it is a pastime for bone headed troublemakers that the Realms is better off without anyway. Me, I just couldn't get enough of the chapbooks that would circulate through the market. I just loved chapbooks about the adventures of Randal Morn and the Freedom Riders. It was all so romantic and exciting. I wanted to go on adventures of my own. I wanted to find ancient treasures and magical wonders. I'd send the treasure home to my family and become a great and well loved wizard with the help of the magical wonders.

So, here I am. I saw Randal Morn ride by just this morning. And Potulous, that strange Gunnery Sargent, he had a Hero's Medal! And we might get to do a job for him! This is all just so exciting. Master Zorthaster wished me well when I left. He seemed disappointed in my decision to leave, but gave me my staff and enough traveling money to get here. I hope he doesn't feel that I deserted him after he taught me so much. Mom cried when I left. Dad just wished me Tymora's favor and told me to remember where home is. Larissa wouldn't speak to me for the whole ride before it was time for me to go. I've saved up enough gold with this job for the Tooka to buy Dad some really good tools from Aurora's. I'm going to send them as a present for the High Festival. Then he can get some of his own jobs and work for himself. He's always wanted to do that.

Well, that's about it. Nothing very exciting about that, eh?