In Memoriam: Wil Delving

Wil was born in a little town on the Empire's far western frontier. Imperial authority there was personified by the soldiers of the garrison, most of whom were local townsfolk and friends. In that remote bastion of civilization, he grew up on farm work, lessons in the local Church school, and on clean mountain air.

He was quick and clever, an inveterate wanderer, and an able prankster. In his teens he had finally shot up from "scrawny" to "bean pole", and so he always stuck up for the underdog. He seemed to find trouble every other week, but his irrepressible grin and good humor made it difficult for his elders to stay angry at him for long.

The son of a former adventurer, he had always hung on his father's stories of far away lands. His greatest wish was to see the world in the same way. After his mother died, however, he didn't have the heart to leave his father alone.

He got his wish when the High Inquisitor arrived. The witch burning that followed, a subsequent goblin attack, and the uncovering of an ancient artifact, the White Crown, turned his life upside down. He would spend his last several months in a desperate journey to find a safe resting place for the Crown.

The group of mostly local youths endured terrible trials along the way. The journey forged a bond among them, though they might not have seen eye to eye back at home. However, each grew increasingly uncomfortable with the knowledge that the artifact they carried was drawing ever more unwanted attention, and may even have been acting on their minds.

Their journey ended in a remote cave. They had sought refuge from a gnoll army, but instead stumbled into the lair of an even greater danger. There, Wil died trying to pull a fallen comrade from the cave. The rest of the group followed soon after. The Crown was lost at the bottom of a torrent, and the bones of its former escort lie forgotten in the wilderness.

2 Responses to In Memoriam: Wil Delving

  1. A shame what happened to Wil and his companions. Though I have to wonder what will become of the White Crown, and what doom it could mean for the next possible possessor of it?

    • Yeah it was a shame, especially since that had been the longest running campaign I’d ever played in. Like you say, though, we’re now left with the mystery of the Crown’s destiny, which practically demands another game!