Hello everyone. Your old friend Thomkin, proprietor of the Traveler’s Rest, is back again to enthrall you all with my stories of wonder! Huzzah, huzzah! Goodness, it’s been so long. Miss me? Well, I missed you!
Don’t lie to the people, Thomkin. What you missed is the steady stream of technology you conned me out of for the inn. What the hell you’re gonna do with a VCR in the 13th Century is beyond me.
You know what I’m using it for! Movie night! That reminds me, the whaddaya-call-it died again.
The generator? Didn’t you remember to put in the gas I gave you.
Hrr?
Short-term memory is always the first to go, eh Thom? Never mind. I’ll explain it to Theresa the barmaid. She’s bound to have more sense than you, you clueless bastard. I’m just surprised that no one from the local temple has come to take you away for using black magic.
Nah. They love me over there. I give them free popcorn.
Yeah, well, just don’t forget where you’re getting that free popcorn.
How could I forget, with you continually bringing me back to do your job for you.
Give me a break, Thom. It’s been over a year since I called you last.
Your time maybe. For me it’s only been a month.
Face it, Thom. You wanna get stuff, you gotta do stuff.
Fine. Just make sure you get me that video you promised.
Braveheart?
That’s the one!
O-b-k-b
Hrrr?
Never mind, Thomkin. Just get started.
Right then. The person I wanted to talk about this time is an old friend of mine, Ashton Collins, priest extraordinare and vampire slayer of renown. As a matter of fact, he resides at the temple in town I was just talking about. A temple to the goddess of agriculture, it is. I know priests of agriculture don’t usually make slaying undead a major priority, but Ashton is a special case. Actually, I find that most adventurers are special cases, but I digress.
Here’s the boy’s story. Ashton was attacked by a vampire as a boy of 13. Came close to dying and becoming one of the living dead himself, he did. If not for the priests from his father’s temple, he would surely have died. Did I mention his father was a Father? Anyhow, as a result of this experience, along with his priestly studies, Ashton has spent long hours researching how to track and kill vamps. He seems to have a special affinity for the work for some reason, as if being so close to such a creature in his youth gave him a special knowledge.
You should see this guy when he’s on the trail of a creature of the night. I have, and it’s scary. He’s relentless, I tell ya. Some might even say obsessed. And when he has one cornered, he doesn’t just stake them, neither. He cuts their heads off, then stakes them, then burns them to ashes, then mixes the ashes with holy water, then buries the mess. You’d think just one of those methods would be enough. But no, Ashton says it’s the only way to be completely sure the creature isn’t coming back. He’s a bit nuts on the subject, if you ask me.
I’m surprised he even went into the priesthood of agriculture. I’m surprised that he didn’t pick a deity closer to his life’s work. Well, I suppose being raised in that faith had something to do with it, as well as gratitude to the temple for saving him. And you know, I’m no priest, but it seems to me that when you think about it, it’s all the same. Life and growth is the opposite of death, or in this case, undeath. That must be why the temple puts up with Ashton’s occasional missions. Sometimes he even goes on these little missions FOR the church, especially when it’s apparent that something unnatural has been sucking the life out of a few cows on the farms outside of town. We can’t have undead cattle running around, now can we.
Ashton Collins
Lawful Good, 8th level cleric of the Goddess of Agriculture
Human Male, 26 years old
5’9”, 140 lbs.
Str 11 Con 15 THAC0 16 Wis 17 Dex 10 Hp 58 Int 12 Cha 14 AC 2
Weapon Proficiencies:
(special note: Although only a cleric and not a druid, Ashton has been granted special permission from the Goddess to use edged weapons as long as he only uses them on his chosen enemies, vampires. At all other times, he must use bludgeoning weapons like any other cleric)
Long Sword, Morning Star, Warhammer, Quarterstaff
Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
Agriculture (bonus), Religion (bonus), Healing, Herbalism, Reading and Writing (Common), Direction Sense, Fire-building, Swimming
Languages:
Common
Equipment:
Plate mail, Long Sword+1 (+3 against undead), Ring of Protection +1, holy symbol, Morning Star (silver-plated), Warhammer, Quarterstaff, backpack, tan tunic, green breeches, high soft brown boots, belt, 2 small belt pouches filled with various herbs, 1 large belt pouch, money pouch with 18 gold and 3 silver, water skin, iron rations, flint and steel, hooded lantern, 3 flasks of oil, 4 flasks of holy water, 2 stakes, a mallet, 50’ silk rope, riding horse, saddle, small saddle bags, a saddle blanket, and a small holy symbol for the horse.
(c) 1999 by Erica Woollums