Lanlin Frizzlefry

Slightly smaller than the average gnome, Lanlin is 3' 4" tall and just 39 lbs. He is relatively young for a gnome with wild spiky green hair. His big golden eyes are constantly watching and observing. His clothing is always clean and neat, even in the dirtiest of environments. I will let him tell you his story...

"I guess I have always been a talkative gnome. People have always told me 'Lanlin, you talk too much.' The thing is, I love talking with people and learning about them and their lives. So, many years ago, I enrolled in an academy to learn about other people and their cultures." Lanlin paused for a moment to take a sip of his berry ale. "Anthropology they called it. Anyway, once I finished with my studies, I continued working for the scholars at the academy. They would send me on assignments to live among other races and learn more about their lives and customs. Not only did I get to travel to far away places, I got first hand experience with living with various humanoid races. It was all very exciting to me.

My first assignment was relatively easy, living within a firbolg village. Firbolgs are very large and I was very nervous, especially since I didn't speak a word of their language. But, thanks to my training at the academy, I easily picked up a few key words and phrases, as well as some of the basic expressions and gestures. This enabled me to start some basic communication with these friendly giant-like beings within a day or two. I ended up living with them for several years, learning their language and customs. My best friend was from that village. I called him Bigarm. Did you know they don't really have formal names?" He smiles and take another small sip from his mug.

"I had many other assignments between then and now, but I won't bore you with my entire life history. Let's skip forward to how I came to study magic instead." Lanlin's tone became very serious and the glint in his eye vanished in an instant. "My last assignment was with a tribe of lizardfolk far from here..." He lifted his mug and chugged the entirety of what remained in the mug. "That place changed me. The land was ancient and dark, filled with ruined temples and tombs. Danger lurked around every corner. Even the plants could kill you! Their tribal ways were very different than anything I'd ever witnessed before. Guttural chants and very pragmatic about everything. They never mourned their dead, but instead they harvested their bodies to feed their animals and make weapons and armor from their bones! This all fascinated me and frightened me at the same time."

He paused to take another sip, but found his mug empty. With a sigh of disappointment, he continued, "One day, we were exploring an ancient tomb and I found a ancient book. It was beautiful. I opened it and started reading it, or trying to. When it actually started to make sense to me, I looked up to tell the other what we found, but they were all lying dead on the temple floor! They were literally torn to pieces, but the blood was already dry. I have no idea how long I sat there, and I was so enthralled by that book that I had no idea what was happening around me. What sort of magic was in that book to have entranced me like that? I was determined to learn more, for truly that must be some powerful magic."

Lanlin's eyes seemed to return their focus to the present and he looked around the table. "See, there I go again talking too much. Anyway, I was so intrigued by the powerful magic that I immediately packed my belonging and returned to the academy. I told them my story and all they wanted was the book. I told them I left it behind, too scared it would control me again. But maybe if they can teach me the arcane arts, I could protect myself against the magic. Then perhaps I could return and safely retrieve it in the future. They agreed." Lanlin smiled at the group as he finished his tale. "They taught me the basics, and sent me out to the test my control over these new found skills. And now here I am, decades later, having learned many new and interesting ways to use that magic to protect myself and control… to persuade others to do what is right. " He smiled nervously and looked around for the waitress.