Kiri Greenleaf

Kiri Greenleaf
Priestess of Kregin

Kiri Greenleaf is a cute, perky halfling with brown hair, grey eyes and an insatiable curiosity. Although somewhat shy around strangers, she genuinely likes people and is inclined to aid those in need. As a priestess of Kregin, she has studied stealth and survival as well as theology and the healing arts and has vowed pacifism towards innocents; in return, Kregin has granted her the gift of extraordinarily good luck.

Kiri grew up in Blytheton, where her parents, Kheldar and Bella Greenleaf, ran a small green-grocery. As a child, her intense curiosity drove her to “investigate” much of the town and the adjoining nearwood, including areas not intended for her: areas such as behind closed doors and inside locked boxes; areas which would have been inaccessible but for her nimble fingers and natural halfling stealthiness. During these “explorations”, she would occasionally filch small, inconsequential items that interested her; just as often however, she would leave little unexpected gifts to brighten people's day.

It was during one of these sojourns that Kiri first met the old cleric. She was examining her latest “find” – a small pewter emblem of a rat wreathed in flames – when she was startled by a brief “Ahem” from behind her. Turning, she found herself facing an old, white-haired human who calmly stated, “That's my holy symbol of Kregin you're holding there. I'd prefer you not take that, as I'm rather quite fond of it.”

“Oh, no! A priest of Kregin!” Kiri thought. Kregin, the Rat God. Kregin, the god of stealth and cunning. Kregin, whose followers were the rogues of the cities and the rough men of the wilds. Kregin, the god of fire! “I am sodead! Literally!!” And she closed her eyes, waiting to be burned to a crisp or gutted with a dagger or at the very least, turned into a toad or a rat.

But the white-haired priest did none of these things. Nor did he begin the tongue-lashing that even the gentle priestesses of Serena would have given her. All he did was pull up a chair and say, “Let me tell you a story.” And he proceeded to tell Kiri the story of how Kregin stole the sacred fire of the gods and gifted it to mortal-kind.

Now Kiri had heard the story told before, but this telling – this telling was different. In this telling Kregin took on a nobility and beneficence lacking in the other stories, Furthermore, the old man's voice and eyes expressed a deep reverence as he told the tale. All this touched something within Kiri – something within her very core.

When the old man had finished, Kiri looked down abashedly. “This is yours” she said, handing the emblem back to him. “I never meant to take anything that was important to anyone.”

“I know, child,” the priest gently replied. “That's why I told you that story. Now go in peace.”

Kiri walked to the door, but as she reached it, she turned to look again in wonder at the aged priest. 

“Do come back to visit this lonely old man from time to time, will you?” he said to her. “But next time,” he added with an infectious grin, “use the front door and knock, yes?”

With that encounter – though she didn't know it as yet – Kiri had become a student of the old priest. She returned to talk with him often, and over the seasons, she learning the arts of healing, the skills of survival, and the religious rites and rituals of Kregin. In short, she learned how to be a priestess of Kregin.

As her skills grew, she began to take on more and more of the daily duties of a cleric of Kregin. It was fulfilling work – if somewhat less than exciting – and she thought her course in life was set: to take over from the old man when he passed on, and to live the quiet life of a town priestess. But it was not to be.

One day, while listening to her mentor expound upon one of the finer points of situational ethics, three thugs burst in upon them, demanding the old man's holy symbol. His natural refusal to comply was not well-taken by the intruders, and the ensuing confrontation left Kiri injured, the priest mortally wounded, and the holy symbol in the clutches of the thugs as they hurried away. Unable to heal his extensive wounds or prevent his death, Kiri vowed to retrieve her mentor's holy symbol, intending that he be buried with his only prized possession.

It was three days later that Kiri slipped from a back room of one of the less reputable local inns. The thugs had been in the common room drinking and laughing about how much their employer was paying them to retrieve a “worthless trinket,” so she had had plenty of time to locate the holy symbol where they had hidden it in their room. Now all she needed to do was make her exit.

Fortune was not with her however, as the thugs chose this time to head to the local brothel, and literally ran into Kiri coming around the corner of the inn. Recognizing her and the holy symbol in her hand, they let out a roar and gave chase, eventually cornering her in a back alley. Seeing no exit and no escape, Kiri made a most heartfelt appeal to Kregin for aid and prepared to sell her life as dearly as possible.

Suddenly, a not-voice echoed in her mind: “Granted. Nero shall aid you.” The air began to haze, and the form of a powerful wolf appeared before her.

The wolf crouched to the ground and, though it did not speak, Kiri clearly understood it to say “Climb on.” Amazed, but with no other option, she did so. When she was aboard its back, it rose and said “Hang on. We run.” Then, making a great leap over the approaching thugs, the wolf dashed off into the night, with Kiri crouched on its back, madly clutching its fur in one hand and the holy symbol of Kregin in the other.

Once they had gotten well away from the thugs, the wolf slowed to a trot and then stopped. Kiri slid from its back and gave the wolf a deep hug and many words of thanks. She then bowed her head and raised a sincere prayer of thanksgiving and praise to Kregin.

The not-voice again sounded in her mind: “The holy symbol is now yours. You may call upon Nero as you will. You have done well.”

As her adrenaline subsided, the full realization of what had occurred began to sink in and Kiri stood awestruck: her prayer had been directly answered by Kregin himself! This was the sort of thing one only heard about in stories! She had been granted a rare blessing indeed!

A cold, wet touch brought Kiri from her reverie. Blinking, she saw that the wolf – “No, not 'the wolf'” she though, “Nero” – that Nero had nudged her with his nose. One he had her attention, Nero glanced back over his shoulder and said, “They may follow.”

This was no time to dally about, Kiri realized. Those thugs would be looking for her. And if their unnamed employer was that interested in her former mentor's holy symbol then he might send others after her as well. She was too well known in Blytheton; she would have to leave town. But where would she go?

Making a quick decision, Kiri headed back towards her home with Nero trotting alongside her. She had a lot to do before leaving for Darkwood Towne.