Legends of Belariath
Pender Kender
aka Pender the Magnificent
aka The Amazingly Inconsequential Wizard of the Free and Independent City of Odds (Wizard of Odds for short, which he is)
aka Pender, the Unofficial Nymph Servicer of Nanthalion
leader of men, follower of women, juggler and musician extrodinaire, teller of erotic tales and singer of bawdy songs, cartographer of Kings and Emperors; bard, mage, and skald of little renown
a three and a half foot tall halfling (parts of his anatomy are proportional for a MUCH taller man) who appears to be of middle-age (appropriate since we appear to live in the Middle Ages)
he wears dark red Robes of the Magi (AC4)walks with the aid of a shepherds crook-staff (listed as a weapon), his bagpipes can be heard long before he comes into view. while traveling he plays them horribly off-key because the sound is so disconcerting it often distracts ambushers.makes his living as a juggler, musician, story teller, and cartographer.
Humble Beginnings, a Halflings Tale:
A long time ago, on a continent far, far away there was born to Josiah and Mehitabel Kender, their seventh (and most gifted?) child.
Now Josiah and Mehitabel were small folk (halflings) from the town of Long Hollow, which is a few days ride south of The Free and Independent City of Odds on the Plateau of the Palandara. Like many of the inhabitants of the plateau, they believed the City of Odds to be the very center of the universe. That it alone remained a free city-state in a world of warring kingdoms was, no doubt, due more to it's remote location in the middle of the great Mountains of Palandara which split the western continent in two from north to south. Being one of a very few crossroads between those oft adversarial kingdoms, it was utilized by all as a neutral place where treaties could be negotiated without fear of sudden assault by troops of an unfriendly neighbor.The mountain passes one had to traverse to reach the Plateau were few and narrow and easily guarded.
It has long been generally accepted as fact by the people's of the western continent that the people of Palandara Plateau grew the finest smoking leaf, brewed the finest ale, raised the finest horses and otaks, crafted the finest musical instruments and so on and so on and so on. How much of that is true and how much of that is the product of a politically savvy leadership in Odds, who can say? One thing that probably IS certain, is that the City of Odds was the birthplace of the most controversial musical instrument of all creation. An instrument that has both started wars and ended them. The bagpipes.
I mention that fact only because it was Josiah Kender's great-great-great-great-grandfather who first converted the 'pipes' from several instruments always played together, to a single instrument capable of multiple (sometimes harmonious, sometimes discordant) sounds. And seven generations later, Josiah's seventh son (of a seventh son of a seventh son, and so on for all seven generations) discovered a spectacular series of discordancies, which when played together made it impossible for a listener to lie still, waiting in ambush. And made the entire world safer for travelers gifted in the playing of this instrument of Heaven and Hell.
When he reached twenty-one, the age of maturity for halflings, Pender left the safety and obscurity of his parents pig-farm and traveled to the great city to seek his fortune as a player of music, singer of songs, teller of tall tales, and juggler of diverse objects. In other words a Bard. Being gifted with both his father's musical knowledge and silvery-tongued oratory and his mother's sharp and caustic tongue of sarcasm, he became an overnight sensation. His father had given him one other important gift that had been handed down to males of the Kender line since as far back as any could remember. Oversized male genitalia. Although the slender Pender Kender stood a mere 3'6" tall (a respectable height for halflings), his 'equipment' was proportional for a human 6'3". Since the females of his home town had been aware of the abnormal size of Kender males for generations, Pender had many opportunities to practice and hone this skill as well. In fact he practiced it to near perfection. Some have said his departure for 'the big city' came at considerable urgings (or threats) of many other males in his village. (And was viewed with regret by many of the females, both single AND married!)
In a dozen years or so, Pender's considerable musical skills, his multi-talented tongue, and a natural flair for things political enabled him to rise to a position as the Chief Mayoral Advisor (or Wizard, as they were called by the Oddites) of the Free and Independent City of Odds. When one so young rises to a position of prominence so quickly, one is bound to make enemies. Unfortunately for the young Bard, one of his jealous rivals discovered that he was regularly 'servicing' the Mayor's wife and daughter, as well as the wives, daughters and sisters of a majority of the Town Council. Not wishing to embarass the ladies concerned, and with a healthy respect for the well-being of his own skin, he bid a hasty “adieu” to Odds and left the Mountains of Palandara for the more forgiving atmosphere of the great seaport of Khatovar, the Jewel of the Western Sea.
Having learned his lesson of the pitfalls of fame, Pender sought anonymity in the teaming masses of this bustling seaport. Returning to his roots as a bard and juggler, he plied his trade among the many bars that catered to sailors from around the world. Unwilling to change his name, but not wishing to draw unnecessary attention, he introduced himself as merely “PK”. It didn't take long for word of his feats of juggling and his witty and bawdy songs (many with political overtones) to spread beyond the seamier parts of Khatovar, even to the ears of the Emperor.
In due time history repeated itself and the erstwhile bard allowed his lustfull appetites to carry him away to many a delightful nights adventure. Inevitably followed by a particularly horrendous morning that found many husbands and fathers of rich and noble background beating upon his door with great fervor and calling for him to be publicly drawn and quartered. Beating a hasty retreat out an upstairs window and across treacherous rooftops, down back alleys and thru dank basements leading all on a merry chase that lasted till well after nightfall. Coming at last to the waterfront, to scurry surreptitiously aboard a vessel captained by one of questionable moral character. A quick exchange of coins between the halfling and his avaricious friend of long standing and sails were raised to leave Khatovar with the evening tide.
And so Pender embarked once more to a new and challenging world. This time eastward across a vast ocean to a completely new continent. Surely his past would never follow so far, to a place where none knew him (well, almost none). He recalled with fondness helping another friend sneak aboard the very same ship some years past. Heading towards the same destination, leaving behind the same clamoring for blood. Perhaps he would seek out that elf for auld lang syne.
And that is how, upon reaching the shores of Belariath, he came to make inquiries at the Inns and Taverns around the harbor. And, in due time, booked passage up the River Thallis. And came at long last, to Nanthalion. In search of a white-haired elfmaid.
GSS Skills: Pender is a Master juggler, journey cartographer, trained musician (oboe/bagpipes), trained story teller (erotic tales), trained librarian
About Otaks
(being an excerpt from “The Book of Useless Knowledge”, an ancient text of unknown origin)
Otaks are a mild-mannered and inoffensive, if somewhat silly looking, mammal from the area of the Mountains of Penumbra on the continent far across the Great Western Ocean. Adult otaks usually reach the size of a smallish pony with shorter legs. As such they are a favorite steed and beast of burden of the small peoples, halflings, hobbits, kender, nelwyn, and fae.
Easily domesticated and trained for riding, they are not unintelligent, but their entire consciousness seems devoted to the singular thought of eating, which they do almost constantly. As a result they also tend to leave a steady trail of jellybean-like pellets in their wake. These pellets are quickly absorbed into the earth and help to spread seeds and needed chemical substances throughout the forests. This “nature's fertilizer spreader” aspect may account for the Fae's fondness for them.
There are two distinctly different breeds of otak. Lop-eared and round-eared. Lop-eared are found on the western slopes of the Penumbra. Round-eared on it's eastern reaches.
Lop-ears look like some sort of giant kin to rabbits. Their back legs being longer and stronger than the front. In coloration they range from almost pure white through a thousand shades of brown. The fur is long, soft, and silky smooth. They have stubby, 'powder-puff' tails as well. While they do not actually hop, their gait has a hop-like appearance. Galumph, galumph, galumph, with distinct mini-pauses between each. They step out with one front leg, quickly followed by the other, and then both back-legs together. Riding a lop-ear safely requires considerable practice and an occasional tumble if one gets careless.
Round-eared otaks look more akin to large mice. Their coloration is usually some shade of grey. White ones are rare though not unheard of. The fur is shorter and coarser than that of lop-ears. They have a long, hairless tail similar to rats and mice. Their gait is the seasickness producing stride of a camel. Constantly swaying from side to side like some drunken sailor. While it's easier to stay in the saddle of a round-eared otak, some riders new to the experience suffer the discomfort of perpetual nausea. Halflings alone seem immune to this, perhaps because a halfling's stomach seems to never be truly full OR empty.
Both breeds are shy and gentle, they follow directions from a riders knee pressure so a bridle is not required. An otak saddle consists of a harness that encompasses their front shoulders. Lop-ear saddles have a tall saddlehorn and the rider leans forward most of the time. Round-ear saddles have a high cantle, the rider is able to lean back (and oftentimes fall asleep). They often exhibit some nervousness around cat people and wolven. Leading one to speculate that those races may have preyed on them as a food source.
An otak's diet consists of anything it can get in it's mouth (including meat or grain), but they seem to prefer slightly rotted vegetation. For this reason they are prized in civilized areas as “nature's garbage disposal”. The main drawback to this diet becomes noticeable when one follows closely behind an otak as they tend to be rather “gassy” as well. Three otaks in an enclosed barn can literally “gag a goblin”. Almost turning the air inside a faint bluish hue.
Otaks are capable of short bursts of speed when frightened. Usually moving in a zig-zag pattern. They cannot keep this sprint up for very long and generally go in search of food immediately after. Since they normally travel no faster than a person could walk they are sometimes called “a lazyman's steed”. But they can maintain this rate of travel virtually without limit. Having exceptional endurance, and grabbing a quick bite of whatever they pass that looks edible on the way.
Otaks tend to be long-lived, easily surpassing 200 years, and often outliving their riders. In some cultures ownership is passed on from generation to generation.
The origin of this species remains undiscovered, but pictographs in the Penumbra Caverns depict them being ridden in ancient times.