Gabriel's Past

     I remember little about my life before that fateful day.  I had worked hard everyday of my life on my father's farm and was very excited by my recent engagement to a lovely girl named Natasha from a nearby village.  Our wedding day little over a month away.  The details of this time seem to keep fading.  But that fateful night has been branded into my memory.

     I came awake as the door to our hut came crashing in.  Huge men had me pinned on the floor before I knew what was happening.  They had my arms pinned behind me so hard it felt as if they would come out of the socket any second.  I struggled but in very little time my arms were tied behind my back and I was beaten senseless.  As they dragged me from the hut, I finally got a look at my captors in the light from all the huts being put to the torch.  The insignia of the Black Network, the Zhentarim, was plainly visible on all of the officers giving orders. 

     The next several hours consisted of being marched with a rope looped around my neck.  The rope ran from a horse at the lead to each prisoner's neck and 'encouraged' us to keep up.  If a prisoner fell, it caused those around them to be strangled.  If the prisoner wasn't back to their feet by the time one of the guards got to them, they were slain and removed from the rope.  This must have been why the children and elders had been slain at the village, they would have slowed the march of the doomed.

     We were led into a forbidding forest, where it was near impossible not to trip.  Although the lesson of not getting up immediately had been quickly learned, we lost several more who just couldn't find the power to regain their feet.  Due to the pace slowing in the forest, it was hard to tell how far we had travelled in the forest before we arreved at the ruins of Eboncross.  I remembered the tales told of this cursed and haunted ruins.  I started to envy those that had fallen along the way.

     A group in dark robes came out of the ruins to meet the Zhentarim leader.  After a short discussion, one of the robed figures from the rear of the group came forward reverently presenting a huge tome to the Zhent leader.  Then the robed figures moved forward to gather us up and lead us deeper into the ruins.  When the robed figures approached, I saw they each wore a holy symbol of the murderous Bhaal.  I came to the quick conclusion that our captivity would not last long.  Perhaps not even until sunrise.

     One by one my fellow prisoners were led to an altar and sacrificed to Bhaal.  With each successive sacrifice I could sense a portal opening to what I guessed must be the Shadowfell.  I could sense the growing power that the priests were calling forth from the portal.  I knew my time was getting closer at hand.  I kept thinking of Natasha and the life with her I would never know.  As I was drug forward for my turn on the altar, I became frantic with the need to not die so I could have that life with Natasha.  I sensed a presence as I reached the altar.  A seductive female voice whispered inside my head.  It told that to live, I merely had to reach out to the darkness the priests had gathered and draw it into myself.  The voice did not need to tell that there would be severe consequences to doing this.  But I knew I could not let them just take my life from me.  I would just have to accept the price whatever it was.

     As the priest raised the gore covered dagger that had claimed the lives of so many that I had known my whole life, I opened myself to the darkness.  I felt the power rushing into me, invading every particle of my being.  It felt unbearable cold and yet oily at the same time.  Along with the power, I sensed the life force of each of the priests who had linked themselves to the ritual and the darkness.  I coldly reached out and pulled on those links, taking each of their lives as they had taken so many that night.  This was all too much to hold on to, I felt the darkness clawing to claim me completely.  I fought to hold onto my own life force and soul, but would most likely have lost if not for the intervention of the voice again.  She told me to take her hand.  And I felt myself pulled through the portal as it started to collapse.  I was led into the darkness to start my new life in the service of Shar. 

     I studied hard under the tutelage of Darklord Everon in Gloomwrought and learned how to harness the powers granted to a hexblade of the gloom pact.  I found a natural affinity for the manipulation of shadow deep within myself.  I began to revel in the chance to let my darker desires have free reign.  I laid low the enemies of Shar in the Shadowfell and ferretted out those secrets she desired.  I soon mastered the ability to call Dark Creepers to aid me in these endeavors.  As an emissary of Shar, the lesser denizen of Gloomwrought learned to fear and respect my powers.

     I began by infiltrating a cult devoted to Bhaal.  One that had connections to the one on Faerun that had tried to sacrifice me.  I learned their secrets and started to eliminate the members one by one.  At first I made them look like accidents or random violence that was common in Gloomwrought.

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