Backstory of Arkez the Forest Gnome
Arkez: Forest Gnome, Burglar, and Hero
Arkez is a Forest Gnome with a penchant for thievery. Orphaned (or abandoned, he is unsure of which) at 3, he knows not his surname, parents, or family. Living the life of a common urchin, his skills were noticed by a local criminal organization, who picked him up and trained him as a second story man. The head of this organization was Phenton, an atypically brave, and excedingly shrewd, Kobold. Phenton was a mentor, and the only father Arkez had ever known. When Phenton passed away, the rest of the organization imploded into a civil conflict. Having no interest in being entangled in such a struggle, and having little ties to those remaining, Arkez set out on his own, eventually finding his way towards Saltmarsh.
Arkez has a strong distaste for wasting any resources availed to him, as his youngest years were a time of desperation and survival. He is prone to random acts of bravery, sometimes to the point of foolhardiness. He has a vigilant eye for treasure, and while he has no interest in stealing from those closest to him, nearly all others are fair game. Arkez has had little interaction in religion, and the most notable of his interactins have been the pilfering of wealth from churches. He views the gods as nobility or royalty, rather than deities, because they never intervened on his behalf. He knows in a logical sense the gods are incredibly powerful beings, but it doesnt translate well to his hind brain, and it is why he is irreverent toward them.
Arkez is currently without purpose, no organization to align with, no ideal that speaks to him, he's a young man trying to find a meaning to life, and money is the only thing tangible enough to make sense to him.
