Post by selnath on Jun 6, 2015 8:38:06 GMT -7
The ugly half-orc was sunbathing by his favorite pond just outside the city, admiring the crystal waters as a light Spring breeze caressed the surface, which wrinkled in embarrassment. On the other side a family of humans, probably also just relaxing after a day in Rook, had set up a small picnic area. They didn't seem to notice Brock, or perhaps didn't want to - After all he was probably the only thing about the entire area that wasn't beautiful. Brock closed his eyes to relax, but after a few minutes he heard a small splash followed by shouting - He opened his eyes to see a small human girl had found herself in the pond, flailing a bit but treading water. There was no panic in the shouting, but more anger - Apparently swimming wasn't allowed for the girl, but after a couple minutes it was clear she wasn't getting out. Deciding that it was a little too noisy to take a nap, Brock sat up, stretched a moment and then dove in. His 'dive' was closer to a cannon ball, and a large splash disrupted the mostly serene scene.
The shouting changed - No longer anger at a disobeyed instruction, there was now a clear concern. What Brock didn't know, and what was concerning the family, was that there was rumored was a water demon that lived at this pond. Since it was so close to Rook it stands to reason that some would disregard the rumor, but a sudden large splash was all it took to bring the fear of the unknown to life. With a little grace and a lot of strength, Brock went below the surface, holding his breath as he drove himself through the refreshing embrace. Above the surface, the father had pulled his sword, but he knew not how to swim, much less fight while swimming. As the shadow under the water rapidly approached their daughter, the mother had fallen to her knees, praying for her daughter's safety.
Seconds passed, and right as the girl turned to try to understand the fate about to befall her, something hideous erupted from the water not three feet from her, sending a wave outward as it burst through the surface and sent water flying. It let out a roar and set its gaze upon her, a dark countenance with a gaping maw of pointed teeth. The mother let forth a bloodcurdling scream, and the father dropped his sword and began weeping in misery. The beast snorted out a warm mist as if to clear its throat, and with a rough and guttural voice it addressed the child in Common, much to the surprise of all present. "Hi, I'm Brock!" The girl summarily fainted, and sank below the surface as she did. Brock frowned but luckily did not waste time thinking and reached into the water to pull the girl up.
.........
The small group was gathered around a fire to dry off, and Brock laughed heartily. A water demon? That explains why no one ever spent time at the pond any more - Ever since he started hanging out here people thought he was some kind of demon. Silly people! Brock was never offended by such presumptions - Whether this was because he just expected it or because he was too stupid to think that much into it wasn't clear. In any case over dinner the family discussed how much their daughter loved the water but since neither of the parents knew how to swim they could not teach her. Brock, being Brock, finished his bite and responded "Oh it's easy, just jump in and have fun!" And with that he got up, sprinted to the pond and dove back in. Excited even more about swimming, the daughter quickly followed despite the protests from the parents.
And that's how things started to change. There was still a rumor of a water beast at the local pond, but the story went that the beast was ugly but not malicious, and would teach you to swim like a beast. The pond once again became a very popular spot, and Brock met lots of people, young and old, who wanted to learn to swim. Brock never thought to charge for swimming lessons, but he often received small donations of food or money that were a welcome boon to his income from his day job. Most importantly, Brock had fun.
The shouting changed - No longer anger at a disobeyed instruction, there was now a clear concern. What Brock didn't know, and what was concerning the family, was that there was rumored was a water demon that lived at this pond. Since it was so close to Rook it stands to reason that some would disregard the rumor, but a sudden large splash was all it took to bring the fear of the unknown to life. With a little grace and a lot of strength, Brock went below the surface, holding his breath as he drove himself through the refreshing embrace. Above the surface, the father had pulled his sword, but he knew not how to swim, much less fight while swimming. As the shadow under the water rapidly approached their daughter, the mother had fallen to her knees, praying for her daughter's safety.
Seconds passed, and right as the girl turned to try to understand the fate about to befall her, something hideous erupted from the water not three feet from her, sending a wave outward as it burst through the surface and sent water flying. It let out a roar and set its gaze upon her, a dark countenance with a gaping maw of pointed teeth. The mother let forth a bloodcurdling scream, and the father dropped his sword and began weeping in misery. The beast snorted out a warm mist as if to clear its throat, and with a rough and guttural voice it addressed the child in Common, much to the surprise of all present. "Hi, I'm Brock!" The girl summarily fainted, and sank below the surface as she did. Brock frowned but luckily did not waste time thinking and reached into the water to pull the girl up.
.........
The small group was gathered around a fire to dry off, and Brock laughed heartily. A water demon? That explains why no one ever spent time at the pond any more - Ever since he started hanging out here people thought he was some kind of demon. Silly people! Brock was never offended by such presumptions - Whether this was because he just expected it or because he was too stupid to think that much into it wasn't clear. In any case over dinner the family discussed how much their daughter loved the water but since neither of the parents knew how to swim they could not teach her. Brock, being Brock, finished his bite and responded "Oh it's easy, just jump in and have fun!" And with that he got up, sprinted to the pond and dove back in. Excited even more about swimming, the daughter quickly followed despite the protests from the parents.
And that's how things started to change. There was still a rumor of a water beast at the local pond, but the story went that the beast was ugly but not malicious, and would teach you to swim like a beast. The pond once again became a very popular spot, and Brock met lots of people, young and old, who wanted to learn to swim. Brock never thought to charge for swimming lessons, but he often received small donations of food or money that were a welcome boon to his income from his day job. Most importantly, Brock had fun.