I was assigned to observe the Quest of Eriothet and Laotlhelh, destined heroes of Star Hill and the Wild Valleys. On the fifth day of Cold Moon, sixth winter of the twentieth cycle, Arrow Star, at the end of the Age of Sorrow, I began my observation. At that time, they rented rooms in a tavern in Stone Ward.
Eriothet is a man of even temperament, conscious of his brawn and his passion. In the past, he drank and brawled. Even as a child, he injured some innocents by accident, though more misfortune came from his ill-advised expeditions than from his reckless fists. He was driven to explore the wilderness and prone to drawing others into his schemes. In his twenties, without any particular inciting incident, he repented of this undisciplined behavior. He gradually grew sick of drinking in poverty and realized that he would never achieve his dreams of adventure without focus and growth, so he set aside his indulgences and trained with martial weapons and armor. At the age of 32, he is a D-rank Fighter in the Star Hill Adventurer's Guild.
Laotlhelh is a woman of subtlety and simplicity. She seems like a contradition, in this respect. Her motivations are clear and pure-hearted, but her tactics are underhanded. When possible, she maintains a quiet and serene demeanor, yet she insidiously pursues certain strategic projects, reminding her allies of their responsibilities and their motivations, drawing them into her struggles, and resolving their conflicts. Perhaps it is the result of a passive and withdrawn profession. Since she can only aid her friends with protection and healing, she insists on managing their forces. She cannot allow them to take unnecessary risks, since they will treat her as insurance without knowing the extent of her powers. Though she is fairly athletic, she seems somehow unhealthy, harrowed and exhausted. Her main weakness is depression. If left alone in decent comfort, she will unhappily languish for days or weeks. At the age of 35, she is an F-rank Healer in the Star Hill Adventurer's Guild.
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They met three years ago and immediately tolerated each other. Eriothet felt that Laotlhelh was competent and impious, which he liked. He was exhausted and frustrated by the Acolytes of the Church of Light, who seemed reluctant to dispense Healing Magic to anyone they deemed Impure. Laotlhelh felt that Eriothet was humble and grizzled, which she liked. She hated the blind ambition of impetuous youngsters, who were difficult to keep alive. She hated the domineering pride of experienced veterans, who were impossible to tolerate. Eriothet and Laotlhelh recognized in each other a certain deep-seated caution. Both would rather observe a situation than interact with it. In the dangerous professions, this mentality is infinitely valuable. Thus, they became friends. The other members of their party quickly abandoned them, for their unified intolerance of pride and stupidity proved intolerable to the class of adventurers, who are generally prideful and stupid. For three years, they quested with a rotating cast of temporary associates.
Some might suspect that this is a romantic story. Indeed, I do detect a certain hint of attraction between them. Yet they are both stolid individuals, and reluctant to give sway to any drive too quickly. Eriothet suspects that Laotlhelh is sickly and perverse, perhaps a witch or a heretic. He worries that she might have an Inquisitor's temperment, even without the corrosive ideology. Laotlhelh, in turn, suspects that Eriothet's alcoholism is slowly escaping containment. She thinks him shallow and foolish, living an unanalyzed life with no ambition beyond excitement. So neither trusts the other. They both work together fairly well, because they both seek stability. Yet each approves of the other only because they meet a minimum standard. Neither suspects that the other could have a great moral ambition, nor that they could be capable of achieving it.
- Ishiran Ananios, "Analysis of Eriothet and Laotlhelh"
