Oren and his Unseen Friend Vax
Oren stood at the end of a dock in the bay of Eldermont, waiting for the trade ship "Fool's Gold" to be ready to set sail. He had bought passage to the Empire and hoped to make it there in time for the big dust up.
He seemed to start in the middle of a conversation as though whomever he was talking to went unheard. "No, no...I think we fooled her. Fooled everyone, really. It helps when everyone thinks your crazy, or a bit unbalanced. They never know what to think."
Some time passed, and then Oren answered the unheard voice again. "You damn well know why I did it. I Didn't want the Dragon-King to have Whelm. And I didn't want it going to the Azure Kingdom. Javair's a fine enough bard, but he'd make a better Jester than King, wouldn't he? So, let the he-she have Whelm. That's whom the boon chose anyhow."
Sailors stopped to stare at Oren occasionally, and then would get nervous and walk on. He was quite the sight, in his full plate armor, with its helmet artfully designed to look liked the face of a handsome dwarf. And the one-sided conversation continued.
"Oh...the he-she was pleasant enough to look at, I suppose. Might have been fun, if a bit confusing figuring out what to do with all the extra bits she'd bring into the mix. She'll make good use of Whelm, I imagine. Tough as nails that one."
A long cloak cascaded down Oren's back, and wrapped partially around him. He reached down absent-mindedly, and pulled a weapon from his belt that was concealed beneath the cloak.
"No...no...no. I couldn't have taken Whelm, even if the hammer had chosen me. I have Maker here. A gift to the world from Rusch the Provider....(pause)....Oh, for fuck's sake, Vax...why shouldn't a dwarf carry the boon of Rusch. I suppose I wouldn't have the thing, if the gods didn't want me to have it!"
Oren hung the hammer from his belt beneath his cloak again. He was nodding, as though agreeing with something only he could hear. "We'll make it. We'll make it with time to spare. The world can't go to war without us old friend. Won't Galen Green be proud his son, when I'm there to help end the world as we know it!"
Comments
Just a note. Oren was always bonkers. Mike Haun always played him that way. He was also always plotting. Sometimes with his party, and sometimes against his party. You never knew what you are going to get.
When Chris discussed with me his story for Whelm, and how it ended up with Brunhilde...he told me that near the end of the fight, Oren was shot with a poison dart...and that he was shot by his imaginary friend Vax. And this brought to mind that Oren was probably plotting something, and had an agenda all his own. That he was playing at being crazy, like he often was when Mike Haun played the character. So, this little afterward, was written out of respect for how Mike would have portrayed the mad Dwarf.
Oren always insisted that Galan Green, a legendary human ranger, was his father. Pure madness, but it seemed appropriate to have Oren reference his "father's" pride here in the story.
Rest in Peace, Mike!