Cottonsquare Village was not the sort of place to seek fame, fortune, nor glory. In fact, the location of such a place would most definitely never be found upon a traveler’s map and its name would doubtfully ever reach the ears of most. For this particular village was mostly self-supporting and rather small with its all-halfling residents considerably few in number when compared to most other populations. However, as isolated and unbeknown it was, Cottonsquare still welcomed the familiar trade of those few merchants whom had the pleasure of discovering it. And a pleasant discovery it would prove! For nowhere in a week’s ride was there a place to obtain finer raw cotton materials or related items such as articles of clothing, bags, and the sort. One could say the village residents had a natural knack for the material. It was this that kept those few merchants flowing through their loose dirt paths and the village from being forgotten completely. Apart from the occasional merchant, Cottonsquare was a small, inbred village that had become rather stale in nature; the faces would change with time, but the numbers did not and the lifestyle had become all too mundane.
It was in this sort of private place that Hob and Eleanor Barnes resided. While rather nonexistent in the minds of outsiders, the couple were very well known and respected in Cottonsquare as the only inhabitants to not have originated from within the village. For many a year ago, the two outsiders had waltzed into the village carrying their newborn son. They spoke of their desire to take up residence and quiet and peaceful life apart from the other unnecessary roughness of the outer world. While this was far from the village’s norm ways, they quickly accepted the Barnes for their wit and charm. The residents would also benefit from some of the newcomers' “outside talents”. While in no way a great cotton farmer, Hob proved to be a valuable locksmith and key-maker and played a vital role in the overall security of the village. His lovely wife, Eleanor, brought an extensive knowledge of herbs as a medicine woman.
Throughout the Barnes’ quiet years in Cottonsquare, their son Beau would come to earn quite the reputation for himself. The other inhabitants would often choose Beau’s looks as the subject of their morning gossips, for the boy was known to have such an unusually beautiful appearance – albeit rather feminine. For some period of time, his gender had even been questionably whispered about. But eventually the grapevine tires of the same conversations and people settled for dropping the subject. After all, Beau was simply just a very pretty boy. Still, the simple residents of Cottonsquare did worry.
Such looks can only serve to go to one’s head, they thought. And while Hob and Eleanor would have loved nothing more than for their beloved son to prove such silly ideas false, Beau fell miles below his parents’ expectations. For the poor boy had become so self absorbed in his appearance. Ironically enough, Beau had developed a great weakness for the fine silks brought in by the regular merchants.
As the years went by, Beau discovered he did not share his parents' passion for the quiet life. Rather, he felt suffocated by the small and modest cotton farming town. And so, once of proper age, the young Halfling lovingly bid his goodbyes to Hob and Eleanor, promising to visit again, and began adventuring beyond Cottonsquare’s borders. Having acquired the trade skills of both of his parents, Beau found himself able to make some modest income as a locksmith and key maker while occasionally selling some herbs and treating minor maladies/wounds along the side. However, modest, did not get the Halfling very far and he quickly found that honest work was far less rewarding than the not-so-honest. Soon enough Beau was making contracts with the more shady types of customers; promising his skills in picking the locks of the noble and wealthy. But it did not take long for Beau to develop a feeling of constant unease about his latest practices. He found himself never able to spend too much time in one place, having become so worrisome.
This obviously became quite the hassle and Beau did not appreciate the slight paranoia he had started to develop. And so he sought a group of individuals amongst which his skills would be of aid, and most importantly, of value.
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I’ll conjure up a grand location with meeting-up potential.
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Originally Posted by VKAllen
