History of Piqie

So you think you know me? I be Halfling. What my people have to offer is obvious..........yes? Its common knowledge that Halfling talents have been honed for generations. Aren't we the little bees who can unlock the secrets of a thousand flowers while you are still pondering the implications of first light?

You are what you are, I was told by my grandfolk and the graybeards as they gave testament to the altar of Orily. The mantra that filled my head throughout a happy childhood was one that assured me that I would fit anywhere as Halflings are likable because we're jolly, we're admired for our awareness and we are masters of all languages. So then I wondered, was the path that stretched before me as fixed as the one that lay in the past and traversed by all my kinsmen?

The oldest of nine half-sisters, I grew up in Devardec taking room and board in exchange for domestic service. Inheriting my mother's patience and my father's love of risk, I tested every boundary that lay before me. It was in these circumstances that I recognized the dubious nature of locks and the lords that owned them. The first being a symbol of pretense and the later a pretentious symbol. But through artful manipulation, I discovered how I could hold the advantage and my instincts for thievery and deception bloomed in the homes of the wealthy.

At seventeen I wanted to strike out on my own. I was confident but too many families knew me in Devardec so I left on good terms and caught a lift with a young merchant making his way to Tranos. On our journey, he told me of the dark guilds there and of one in particular that revered members that could slay the serpent of the Keep. Listening intently he saw how impressed I was with his stories. He would, of course, accompany me to the Keep.

I made my bid for entrance into the Thieves' guild with the knowledge that my ilk had thrived there for generations. Here, even the wee folk could find footing because the weapon of choice was cleverness. Thus the Thieves' Guild became home. Profound influence flowed from the genius of Noelani, Valan, Nhonahoe and Mordimer and as well as from many other guildmates that all seem to be in various states of relaxation while their craft and game was hidden beneath layers of style that became their motif.

As my own identity began to form, I knew that my next decision was at once, eerily easy and yet elusive. I needed a mask. But not one of satin, but one that would be held in the minds of those who thought they knew me. My masquerade began to take form and I reasoned that my most adept mask would embrace the obvious. So for many years my observations and experience lay hidden behind my childlike visage. My large and inquiring soft brown eyes and perpetual smile afforded me a non-threatening freedom. And while the obvious beguiled and lent comfort, I melded into obscurity as not to hinder the observed with the hope that another potent secret would be revealed. I may seem to be blissfully writing cookbooks but I will be pondering many many other delicious schemes.

Success is a two-sided sword. For while you are in a state of giddiness, you may think you have found your equal and bow with respect. Was I seduced by arrogance when the opportunity presented itself to follow Lord Silk and join the Temple of Shadows? Aye, but when the blade withdrew, the humble side was revealed. And this side spoke of something important to be valued. A value that must exist if thievery is to be more than just a compulsion.

What I seek in the Shadows is more than impulse. Everyday, I begin anew as a student. Watching the permutations of the Pillars, their prisms rich and enigmatic, my commitment assured.