In the deserts of Ispar I was training to be a War mage with the Warriors Brotherhood, the Jaladh. Within this group, each individual was trained to a very specialized role. If you were a Life mage, all you knew were the healing arts. If you were a Blademaster, your sword was your primary tool in battle. While this seems foreign in the new land of Dereth, these specializations served us well. It was extremely rare for any individual to ever go out alone. Adventuring parties were highly organized and balanced to assure that every necessary skill was available.

When I recovered from the sickening purple haze of my portal into Dereth, I found myself in the Sho town of Shoushi. It is here that I met people from many different races and backgrounds. Several of them were worthy adventurers with whom I shared many hours. Several of them asked me about my family or invited me to join their new found families. I've never really had a family. Early in my life I was taken in by the Jaladh and began my training. I know little of my parents other than that they were the ones who presented me to the Brotherhood. While I loved my fighting friends dearly, I could not call them family. Something was missing. I decided that I must find the deserts, perhaps there I would begin to feel complete. I missed the warmth and the vast, expansive miles of wilderness. Eventually, I made my way to Samsur. This is the town that I now call home.

Now that I had found a home, I wanted to find a family. I wanted to once again feel the satisfaction of being part of a well-honed team. The first person I chose to call Brother was Blah al-Blah, a capable Gharu Blademaster. Many in town ridiculed his name, but it is one he chose as a lad after listening to the mages in his family talk endlessly about the mystical arts. I appreciate his straightforward demeanor and thirst for adventure. While not a complete party, we make a good pair and have learned to support each other in combat.

Soon after this, I found a larger family in the Silver Citadel. I was drawn to them because of their devotion to knowledge, not for the sake of knowledge, but for helping others. I chose to follow Ras, another Gharu like myself. He has supported me well and taught me much. Within this larger family, I have sought to make a smaller one of my own. With the support of Blah, we have taken several mages and warriors into our home and sought to teach them the finer points of group adventuring and how each person can play a particular role.

While I have continued to develop my skill in the school of War magic, I too have found it necessary to develop other skills. To support my warrior friends, I've chose to develop my skills in Item Enchantment. Since then a subtle change has begun to work itself within me. While raining death on the foul creatures of Dereth excites me, helping others to do the same has become almost more fulfilling. I wonder at this change in my thinking.

Perhaps satisfaction will come to me not so much from being the one to clean the face of evil from the land, but from supporting the ten others who will.

This is something I have to think on more.