The Tattered Traveler

[N.R. Barnaby Falbor]

The Summer sun falls in the sky as the heroes of the Wildlands cool themselves in the Inn. This day was especially hot, and work was harder when sweat pored from the brow of ever man and woman in town. But, this night is calm, more or less - the the people of the inn have finally found time to relax. That is, until the door bursts open and the old man stumbles in clutching his bleeding arm tight. He looks around at the variety of faces...

"Where is Gondowon T. Falbor??" He questions pulling his hand away from his wounded arm to reveal an open wound - and a red band tied across his bicep. "Tis' urgent, I promise you."

[Gondowon T. Falbor]

As if on cue, the sage in question falls backwards into the Inn, looking as though he'd just been punched by someone on the other side of the door. He stands up and brushes himself off and turns around to face the room, looking rather sheepish for his odd display. Before he can speak to justify his strange behavior, he notices the old man standing before him, and the wound on his arm.

"O-oh, oh my! Sir, are you alright?!?" he says, quickly moving to attend to the man's laceration. As he does so, he spies the red band tied around his arm and pauses, staring at it in disbelief. "Is... this a band of the Redwind?" he asks, looking at the old man with a puzzled look on his face. "Who are you?"

[N.R. Barnaby Falbor]

"Yeah, Kid. One of the oldies. But, that's not why I'm here." He Smiles up at Gondowon, "It's time to follow your destiny Gondy, we've met before, do you remember me?"

The one-eyed man adjusts his glasses, its now that Gondowon realizes their accents...are very similar.

[Gondowon T. Falbor]

"Met before? Remember..." Gondowon puts a hand to his lip as he ponders the question. Something about this was familiar... long ago, but strangely recent as well. He also has the feeling that he was forgetting something important. Something he has to remember in order for things to change for the better. He begins to wrack his brain for something, anything that would help him understand what was happening, and how this man knew him. He sifts through the list of people he knows, hoping to find this man's name somewhere among them.

Cirrus, Lord Chargeender, Her Highness Fionna, His Majesty Corrigan, Sir Marcus, Leo, Dias... wait... who is Dias? Never mind... Noshii, Shea, Zandron, Dante... no, wait, Dante? Agh, keep going. Kuro, Augustus, Christian, Riddle, Khorvalis, Mahto, Grayson- Grayson? Why did that... Where did I learn... what... who is...

Navira.

Gondowon shakes himself from his reverie as realization and understanding hit him simultaneously like a pair of boulders. A little bit of black ectoplasm seeps from his lip, but he pays it no mind as he smiles brightly at the man before him. "UNCLE NICK!!!" he yells, suddenly pulling the old man into a hug. "Oh by the spirits of this world, it's so good to see you again!!!" he says, pulling back and getting a better look at his long lost uncle. "How on earth did you end up here??? How did you find me?!? How did you become a part of the Redwind?!?" He asks, barraging the old man with questions.

[N.R. Barnaby Falbor]

"You're a fool." Uncle Falbor mutters to the back of Gondowon's head. He pulls out of the embrace and smiles brightly, "How could you not recognize your craaaazy Uncle Nickoli? Sit down and I'll give you a sum up of what the last decade has been like." He waits for Gondowon to sit down across from him. He pulls out two mugs and pours frothing ale in each, pushing one close to the young Falbor. "Before the Cataclysm I was taking a sea ride to the lands in the East, your 'Redwind' was the only reliable ship that went that far, so I hired the Captain at the time - A Dark Elf chap - to ferry me across. It took long enough, but we made it. Then, the cataclysm hit, somehow that brilliant ship made it out unscathed. But, we couldn't exactly land on the other side, and what I was going for was most likely destroyed...So I joined the crew and worked on the ship for the yeas after that. Eventually, they set port - Zandron was captain at this point - and I decided to come to land, gave my bunk to a little Ga'vin boy and started traveling. Now, what happens in those years I won't regale to you. But, I've been searching for my family - my wife Alina, her brother Rayne, and your parent's of course. But, for all these years I haven't had luck. That's until I stopped in this new city, Korrigan's Landing, and some marines saw my tie." He points to the red sash, "They took me to your Commodore, and I got to meet that Ga'vin kid all grown up! Mahto inducted me, and some of my traveling companions, into the Redwind again, or, I guess it's the navy now. And he told me you were alive. Which was Krius send, of course, and, well, now I'm here. Bonding with all the family I got left."

[Gondowon T. Falbor]

Gondowon listens intently as his Uncle recalls the tale of his voyages, all the while doing what he can with his knowledge of first-aid to mend his arm. At the mention of his parents, however, his face falls and turns dark.

"Uncle Nick... I'm sure Aunt Alina and her brother are out there, but... my father... your brother... he's dead. My mother and brother too... I checked myself when I recovered from the Cataclysm... the village was too close to the impact zone... nothing was left." He hangs his head in shame and ceases his healing. "I'm so sorry..."

[N.R. Barnaby Falbor]

"I know." He puts his uninjured hand on Gondowon's shoulder. "Don't worry Son, I'm here now. I'll take over where your father left off...I'll teach you the Falbor techniques that have been passed on for generations."

[Gondowon T. Falbor]

Gondowon gives his uncle a funny look. "Falbor techniques? Are we talking about fighting techniques, because father already tried to teach me those..."

[N.R. Barnaby Falbor]

"Oh, you'll find out son. In due time, you'll wake up to your latent ability." He winks, "So, tell me about yourself. How's the last years been."