Bashir Rasmutin Delsario III
Everyone loves a hero. They show us what is possible, what can be attained through hard work, perseverance and luck. But what if the hero’s around you are tarnished? What if the light that everyone else sees is a shadow from your side? What if no one believes that the shadow exists? How do you tell them about the dark?
Bashir grew up son to a knight of Crieste. A great man, who saved damsels, vanquished evil wizards and slew dragons. His exploits are sung from town to town across the empire. Any tavern he walked into he was praised. Every maiden he walked past would swoon. The bright shiny exterior of The Knight hid a misshapen man.
Sir Delsario II, the man who stood fast against the goblins of Chell, was a gambler, a womanizer and a drunk.Bash was 8 when he got his nickname, the Hero’s Shadow. It was a jest at how he followed his father around; trailing him as he went about town greeting the baker’s wife or collecting a gift from a jeweler.
He was 14 when The Knight told him to mind his mother and stay home. He of course didn’t listen but followed from a great distance. On this day he noticed a change in the greeting with the baker’s wife. The wave and a smile from previous days were an embrace and a lingering kiss. The gift from the jeweler was not as freely given as it had been in the past. Threats were given and debts were mentioned. The jeweler closed his shop later that week and left claiming he was bankrupt.
That evening Bash followed The Knight to a local tavern. As he was never allowed in this late he climbed up through a second floor window and watched from a shadow. People cheered The Knight as he retold tales of glory. Drinks flowed to the man in a seemingly endless stream. Despite the actions he had witnessed earlier, Bash still saw admiration on everyone’s face.
Bash’s eyes were opened on that dark day. He started noticing; the late nights, the furtive glances from certain people in town, the way his mother acted around The Knight, and the way he ignored her. His world crumbling Bash began acting out. He continued to follow, The Knight. Not as a trusting child, but as a predator looking for anything he could use against the man he would no longer call father.
Three years of hiding in shadows and climbing through windows builds certain skills. While on one of his late night forays he came to the attention of someone else. Bash climbed into a window to observe a conversation between The Knight and some other gentlemen about a crooked gambling venture. As the meeting broke up Bash noticed another shadow move. He was surprised that he had been there for so long and not noticed the other person. Flight was his first instinct, but knowing that quick movements draw the eye, Bash slowly moved back to a different window and slid out. The path home that night was long. Bash took many side trips and cutbacks to avoid anyone following him. When he got home and in his room at The Knight’s manor he finally let go of the tension that had been in him. As he poured a goblet of brandy he sensed he wasn’t alone. With out turning he said, “Care for a glass? It’s quite good, from The Knights personal stash.”
With that offer Bash entered into the service of the crown.
To all who ask Bashir Rasmutin Delsario III is on a mission for his family. Sir Galwaith owes The Knight money. Money that he lost while betting on a horse race. Few know his real reason for travel.
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