The character I will be playing is a Grung Monk called Gr’unn. Here’s some lore of him.

The plaza#

Chickens were running across the plaza in between the legs of people and slaves alike. Shoes, feet, boxes, small children. These were all obstacles for the chicken running for their freedom. The plaza itself was a big open area in town near the water. Here people could get all kinds of things from different stands. Fabrics, clothing, weapons, armor, candles, little trinkets, anything a traveller could need or desire could be found here. For this reason, it was packed with people from different corners of the lands. Human, orc, dragonkin, even yuan-ti couldn’t ignore this place.

In a far corner of the plaza you could find more unique ‘products’ for those who so require them. Here one can find more mystical items like scrolls, strange amulets, brains (of any race), and also slaves. The slave trade took centre stage on this spot. Here there was one group or to be more precious one individual that runs it. An exotic individual who personally handles the more special slaves while his underlings deal with the more regular slave trade. This thing, for no one knows exactly what it is, goes by the name of The Pricemaster. The thing is not particularly tall (est. 150cm-170cm) but exudes a dominating sense of awareness on whomever he focusses his gaze. His outfit is one made of exquisite material. Showing of his wealth in a subdued more esoteric way. A skilled tailor would immediately recognize the Pricemaster as an individual of high stature. Its face was also covered with a golden mask. Enough to not show the top half. The bottom half of its face was covered with some kind of cloth which made it hard to decipher what it was.

The Pricemaster acquires his slaves through trade but also by more forceful means if he really wants it. Several times throughout the day it takes on center stage and brings up a slave or group of slaves. It does not tell the audience what is special about the slaves. It prefers to let the product speak for itself. Literally or figuratively. The time I was there there was a single slave standing next to the Pricemaster. This slave seemed to be dimly emitting some kind of light under its scales. Its immense length only being secondary to whatever made it glow.

Suddenly the people looking at the Pricemaster and its slave went quiet. The only thing being heard was a stray chicken running after being chased away by a brutish human. Once all sound had died down the Pricemaster uttered a single yet dominating phrase. “MAKE ME AN OFFER”. It send waves over all the people looking. After a moment one reptile like individual raised a piece of wood and yelled “1700 gold”. The Pricemaster fixed its gaze on them and with the same intensity as before exclaimed “17…..THOUSAND GOLD“. The moment the last word left its lips the reptile like individual fell to his knees and stared emptily at the Pricemaster. It seemed as if the counter shattered their mind. Leaving them as a husk of their former self.

After this immense display of power I was taken somewhere else at the trade show to wait while my master discussed something with one of the Pricemaster’s underlings. I was taken away before I could see what remained of the first person who offered a price and also what happened to the slave. I did hear a recognizable “YES” come from the stage as I was being dragged away so I can only assume someone else bought the slave.

Harbor slave life#

Eventually, I was left at the plaza slave trade in ownership of the Pricemaster. I never personally spoke to it or was in the same room as it. It did seem as though one of his higher ranked underlings was the one who managed me and the other slaves in my group. We were never given any names at birth but once we were set to labor at the harbor for the Pricemaster we gave each other names. I was named Gr’unn for one of the underlings from the Pricemaster was once overheard calling my people that way. The others in my group were called Neinte, Kloob, Frasky, and Bic. We eventually determined that we were all acquired by the Pricemaster because we were all freaks among the other slaves of our race. This fact the Yuan-ti used to trade me for some mysterious box with the Pricemaster.

During my time at the harbor, I noticed a lot of the underlings were not using weapons. They seemed to be strong even if one appeared quite scrawny. Once an underling from the Pricemaster was taking me and my group to a place to move some boxes when a group of intoxicated sailors showed up. They started insulting the underling and called him small compared to them. At first the underling ignored their attempts but when one of them pushed the underling the underling focussed their gaze on the sailor. In one swift motion it punched the sailor centermass which made the sailor collapse even though it was almost twice as big as the underling. The other sailors were stunned for a moment but ran off after that show off. Such control of his body made me fear my master even more. If this was just an underling I doubt I can even imagine what the Pricemaster can do. Every night after that happened I decided to practice the moves I saw the underlings do. I paid more attention to their mannerisms and words. Even if I would never not be a slave I wanted to at least become better for myself.

Later on, I worked as a messenger that delivers items to harbormasters. I was tasked with sending letters, boxes, and other items to them. I never learned what the messages contained for they were encrypted in handwritten rhymes. These rhymes/riddles were all quite cryptic but one always stuck with me.

A fish swims yet it sees no water.

Groups of fish sense where hunger is fed.

Yet smash their heads on walls instead.

This message was the one that got the harbormaster I gave it to to panic and hurry out of the room leaving me alone. Confused as I was I decided to just go back to my master. Once back everyone was gone. My group was gone, the masters were also gone and the slave stage was also gone. I seemed to be left behind maybe even forgotten. The houses were empty except random scraps here and there.

In one of them I found a book about martials and a monk’s way of life. The book wasn’t in pristine condition and several pages were torn out. What was left of the book made me realize that this slave enterprise I was in was some kind of nomadic monastery. A weirdly powerful and dominating traveling monastery. Using their discipline to obtain whatever they want.

This swift and sudden disappearance of them made me realize that they know what they are doing and probably have been doing it for awhile. The book itself also showed me how one can live a life similar to theirs. Living in between the seams of society and only showing up when one needs to. I’ve decided to keep the book with me as it might teach me more about the slavers and also how to become stronger.

Freedom#

A few days after I ‘obtained’ my freedom, I decided to get a job. A real paying job. Eventually, I landed one because the harbormaster recognized me from a previous time I delivered them a message. The harbormaster gave me a job carrying boxes and other generic tasks. I cleaned rooms, ships, and did whatever else he wanted me to do for a fair wage. Over time I drank a lot with different people from different places at the bar near the harbor. Most of them being sailors until one day I met a group of adventurers who hired the services of the harbormaster that I work for. During their stay, I was like their assistant and helped them find their way in the town the harbor is part of.

This party had one individual who seemed to be able to drink to their hearts content and still be able to win a bar brawl. I could never figure out if they were just a very skilled fighter or were just insanely lucky. On the last day of their stay I had the fortune of drinking with that party and the lucky bar brawler told me about his life. I learned why they became an adventurer and also what they want to do. Their story made me inspired to also become an adventurer. Not immediately of course. The day after this I picked up the book again that the slave group left together with me. I started practicing the moves and rituals one needed to gain better control of ones own body. After I felt confident enough in my ability I decided to join the adventurer’s guild.