Helliktan

The life of Heliktan, though yet brief by elvish standards, has been one full of uncommon adventure and strange coincidence, making his tale one very worth the telling.

Heliktan was born in a small, dusky apartment tucked in among the winding alleys and twisted streets of Elftown in the great city of Neerhemhind. His mother was a common washerwoman who worked in a great municipal laundry facility, cleaning and pressing the clothes of her social betters along with dozens of other women -- both elvish and human -- in the steamy depths of the great basement in which it was located. The laundry handled the garments of those individuals wealthy enough to afford some reprieve from the drudgery of common household chores, and yet not sufficiently affluent for hired help.

His father made what little money he could as a street performer, juggling and capering for the amusement and shekels of passersby. Though the wages of his toil tended to be paltry, they were at least enough to keep him in the firewater and pipeweed on which he relied for his own happiness, at the expense of his mate and children.

Helliktan's profligate father and operose mother had several other offspring before giving birth to him, the youngest. All of his elder siblings quickly found their way into the warren of debauchery and depravity that is Elftown -- his sisters entered the massage parlors, while his brothers became pushers and pimps.

Indeed, it seemed as if young Helliktan would follow in the footsteps of his more mature relatives into their various sinful occupations, but for the intervention of a kindly, old gnome by the name of Hummelrumptus. Hummelrumptus owned a small wood-working operation in the vicinity of Helliktan's lodgings, which the young elf was wont to frequent during the day time hours. Helliktan was fascinated by the wonders wrought by Hummelrumptus's nimble old fingers, and, being a doting old gnome, he too was charmed by the young elf's innocent curiosity.

Recognizing the difficulty faced by a young elf in Helliktan's circumstances, Hummelrumptus sought to take the young elf under his wing, and spent many long hours teaching him the secrets of the wood. In addition, the wizened gnome told Helliktan fantastic tales of his former home the Erkenheld Forest, as well as his previous employers, the Rebel Army. For it must be said that Hummelrumptus had worked for many years crafting fine bows and other goods for the rebels, and remained an ardent partisan of their cause, despite having relocated to Neerhemhind.

Enchanted by the gnome's passion for the cause and tales of phenomenal doings, combined with a deep distrust of and hatred for the oppression that Elothninians heaped on his dear mother, Helliktan resolved to join the rebel army as soon as he was able.

Indeed, the young elf's opportunity arrived when he was a mere 65 years of age (approximately 15 for elves). A close friend of Hummelrumptus and still a member of the rebel army came to visit the elderly gnome in Elftown. When Helliktan made his customary stop at his friend's lodgings, he was introduced to the rebel soldier, and heard his tale. Upon discovering the friend's status as a member of the forces for which he felt so great a sympathy, Helliktan earnestly entreated the soldier to let him return with him to the rebel army, where he could join the cause. Though reluctant at first, this rebel soldier eventually acquiesced and Helliktan accompanied him back to the main body of rebel forces after bidding his family a brief farewell.