Zek

Zek was a member of the Winter’s Hand. In the winter of AeP 447, he was in the group of twenty who went to Curaheim. He was one of six people who survived the attack by White Badgers and weren’t captured in the aftermath. Along with Deryl, Jessie, Tarron Kesvin, Valera, and Zonah Safar, he continued to the town to find it occupied by Drel’Mareath. He worked with the others to free the town.

History
Zek was a career member of the Winter’s Hand. He was part of the company under the command of Captain Boris Virili, where Zek served as the cartographer. In the winter of AeP 447 he went with Boris and eighteen other mercenaries on a trip to Curaheim. When the group was only three days from the town, they were attacked by White Badgers in a blizzard. In the fight Zek followed Jessie and a new recruit named Valera. Along with Zonah, Tarron, Deryl, and two others, they sought shelter. In the fight the two other mercs were killed and Zek’s leg was injured. However the survivors found shelter and Deryl patched up Zek’s wound. The next morning the six of them realized they were probably all that was left of the original twenty. However, any other survivors would make for Curaheim. Zek was too injured to walk so he was pulled along on a sled. From there he guided the group to Curaheim.

Two nights into that part of the trip, the six were accosted by Drel’Mareath. Jessie pulled him to safety during the fight. The next day they found that Curaheim was occupied by a Drel’Mareath army. Zonah stated that their new goal had to be removing the Drel’Mareath at any cost. Even if that meant surviving Hand members who might have been captured had to die. This statement made both Zek and Jessie uncomfortable but they did not disagree. While others went off to find a camp for their resistance, Zek and Tarron remained near Curaheim watching the town. They saw the Drel’Mareath Behemoth that Tarron spotted earlier. It was walking around the town's temple. Eventually most of the others returned and agreed to camp in the West where there were hills. Jessie was not there since she had to lead a group of Drel’Mareath away, but Zek and the others were confident she would return. They then moved West, Zek able to walk, and found a cave to camp in. Jessie found them that night. The next day Zek worked on a map of the area while the others set up defenses and went to free a group of townspeople.

The townspeople returned with the others to the cave and told the group what had befallen the town. Zek then worked with them to forage and continue to set up more defenses. Between Deryl and Rayna a woman from Curaheim with medical training, his leg was healing well. A couple days later the whole group went to attack the nearby mine where the Drel’Mareath and their leader, The Dawn Priest, were forcing villagers to work. They struck at night and Zek fought alongside the townsfolk. They beat the Drel, though a man from Curaheim died. Zek himself took down a couple of Drel’Mareath Pawns. However at the end of the fight, a Drel’Mareath witch blew up the entrance to the mines, gravely injuring Jessie.

After the fight at the mine, Zek became friends with Canton. Canton was the young apprentice blacksmith working there. They decided that the best way they could help Curaheim would be to find the master blacksmith that had left town last fall. After consulting with the other members of the Winter’s Hand, they left. Zek found the master blacksmith and several days later ran into the Hand and the free townsfolk again. They were on the way to attack Curaheim. Zek told them what he had found and promised to get to Curaheim the next day. He returned to the blacksmith and they returned to town in the morning, after the battle was over.

Appearance
Zek was tall and skinny. He had curly brown hair and brown eyes. After the White Badger attack he walked with a limp due to his injury. Zek had a polished one-handed axe, and always wore his backpack.

Relations
After the monster attack on the road to Curaheim, Zek and Jessie were the only members of the Hand left who were not new recruits. They had been acquaintances before but their bond deepend from their shared loss. Zek also came to respect the new recruits Derly, Valera, Tarron, and Zonah. He viewed them as competent and compassionate for saving his life.

Powers
Zek was an excellent cartographer. Because of this he was the guide for the trip to Curaheim. He was able to draw accurate maps purely from descriptions.

As a member of the Winter’s Hand, Zek had to be adept at combat. His favored weapon was an axe that could be wielded in one hand.

List of Appearances
Campaigns
 * 1) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session One: The Blizzard’s Bite
 * 2) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session Two: The Grip of Frost
 * 3) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session Three: The Winds that Blow
 * 4) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session Four: The Sunshine’s Lost
 * 5) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session Five: The Force of Cold
 * 6) The Tale of Storms and Clay Session Seven: In Frozen War