The Tale of Tarqwin

As told by Shelwin Kelnarn

It’s one thing when you’re the runt of the litter. It’s something else when all of your kind are thought of that way. Tarqwin was the second eldest of 5 siblings, 3 sons and 2 daughters. His family moved out to Archet after thier farm in Buckland was taken by fire. Archet had lush green pastures waiting to be tilled and the hands of skilled hobbit farmers were a welcome addition to the area.

However, growing up in Archet was not easy for a young hobbit. The human children were bigger and matured faster than Tarqwin. While not small for his own kind, he was always the smallest of the boys playing whatever the game of the day was. He was not skilled with the wooden swords the fought with, nor could he run as fast or jump as high as the other boys. But all in all he liked the humans. They had a zest for life that could not be denied and while his father kept on telling him that a hobbit’s place was in the home, as he watched his friends leave Archet in search of new opportunity, there was a small part of him that longed to see what was out there.

It wasn’t until his early teens that he discovered the bow and it proved to be a great equalizer for him. With a bow in his hand his small stature didn’t seem to matter so much anymore. He took to archery very quickly and soon surpassed the other boys in the village with he skill. He spent a great amount of time hanging out at the hunting lodge and would go out into the wilds with any hunter who would take him. Gradually he learned the ways of the forest. Soon, he was able to help support the family with the game he could bring down and the suppleis he could forage from the forest.

Then, things began to get darker. The wolves in the area become bolder and began to venture into their lands killing the livestock. The local ruins became the base of operations for a small band of thieves who harassed the farmers in the countryside. When the local constable came to advise people to move into town for their own protection, Tarqwin’s family boarded up thier farm and took refuge within the town walls. When Tarqwin encountered the black rider on the road that evening, he knew that things would never be the same again for him or for Archet. Days later, the town of Archet was burned to the ground. Tarqwin’s father tried to help save the town, but eventually succumbed to the smoke and flames.

Tarqwin’s mother’s family back in the Shire heard of his family’s strife and offered to take her and the rest of the family in. But Tarqwin could not bring himself to go with them. His mother urged me to come with them, to the safety of the Shire and away from all the evil that these men seemed to attract. However, while he did long to settle down in the Shire, he knew that this was not his path. He had seen the dark rider and he believed that if something was not done that this darkness would spread even to the farthest, more serene reaches of the Shire. If that darkness was to be stopped, then it would take the actions of many of the free people to see it through and some how he knew that his place was to be out there confronting it.

He still thinks of his mother and his family often. He hopes that they are well and enjoying life. But mostly he hopes that they never come know the horrors and evils that he will be facing in the months and years ahead.

(Well maybe a little roleplaying is OK)