Aldrik Strauss's Story

Aldrik huffed and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his glove covered wrist. Before the dawn he had set out into one of the many parts of the forest which man dared to enter and claim in pursuit of resources. With mighty swings Aldrik had chopped logs from the dawn into daylight. He feared nothing that had been said to roam the forest, and fearlessly he ventured in the early hours to get his work done quicker so that he would be able to fully enjoy the nearing festivities which Judenburg had to offer that very evening. Speaking of, Aldrik could already smell the epl pirog his mother would be be baking. The simple thought of it made his mouth water like a crazed animal. Sadly he knew the truth was it would probably be gone by the time he could get even a bite, but on the other hand there would be buckets full of other foods. Knowing that filled him with excitement.

While loading the last pile of firewood onto the back of a wagon, Aldrik couldn't stop his thought from flowing in the direction of those poor girls. While many would be busy having a good time, Strauss knew that he must keep a watchful eye and stay near the perimeter of the village in the chance that he could stop another girl from going missing. With the help of his fellow logger, Aldrik tied the stacked wood to the bed of the mobile with a rope while a third man got onto the seat. Climbing onto the back, Aldrik wedged his axe safely in between the woodpile and the sideboards. The man sitting at the front of Aldrik gave a little whistle and with the movement of the reins, the horses started to head back in the direction of their village.

As the wagon rolled down the street, Aldrik caught wind of the ongoing uproar. He commanded the driver, a fellow woodsman, to halt and as soon the horses came to a stop Aldrik got off the back with his axe in hand. Walking down the stone street, his eyebrows pressed together in annoyance; it was already so clear. With the chatter and the emotions painted on the faces of those around, it didn't take even a second for him to realize what this was all about. He grit his teeth. Aldrik was rattled to hear that another child had gone missing and he was no longer game to join the festivities. Under his breath the blue-eyed man growled angrily for the fear struck into the hearts of his small community made him sick to death. “These disappearances must be put to an end once and for all.” Aldrik spoke up in a huff as he stepped in. In front of him stood people he recognized yet never quite interacted with. He was terribly forgetful when it came to names, but standing there was Heinrich, Kezia, Tzaitel, and the Rebbe. Other than the Rebbe the only one Aldrik actually did remember by name was Heinrich; he remembered anyone who had become a victim in this mysterious event. It was a very unfortunate thing. Although he wasn't a father and probably never will be, Aldrik could still imagine what he must be going through. The love a parent has for it's child is something special and like no other; Ghissie, she had to have been Heinrich's world and so Aldrik kept him in his thoughts.

Knowing that if it were one of his sisters that went astray into the hands of some monster, Aldrik would go to the ends of the earth to see them home safe and sound. The thought of it alone drove him wild. Nothing infuriated Strauss more than families being torn apart like this. Without a doubt Aldrik was going to join them on this search.
He was more than qualified because he knew the forest like he knew the village, and neither was Aldrik afraid of anything which lived in that godforsaken place.

Volunteers began to gather. Good men and women were present to volunteer to investigate the disappearances. Aside from Tzaitel, Heinrich, Kezia and Aldrik appeared to help. "Do we have any more?" The Rebbe asked. Tzaitel then answered: "My grandmother is bound to help but otherwise I am not sure who else might be willing to help. Many people are afraid of the forest."

"I guess this is it then. All we know is that there are eight children missing in total. Nearly all of them girls. This quest might take days, even weeks. But don't leave any rock unturned. I'd prefer to raze that damned forest but we cannot do that. Bring back whichever surviving children you can find." The Rebbe said.

"You can definitely count on me to kill any dangers to the group, no matter if it is a witch or a troll." Tzaitel said. "I might be able to get better equip from goblin merchants on the way."