Tobias Falmour: Playing God

(( The following is a new character that I plan on making sometime in the near future. ))

His forehead produced beads of sweat whenever he mixed these two vials. One contained a poison that could mean the loss of a hand if any dropped onto his skin. The other was highly acidic and he had experienced first hand what it was like to feel skin melt from his flesh; not a feeling he wished to renew. Gently, he thought, that's it...
"Mr. Falmour!" His fingers tightened around the vials. He exhaled to calm his nerves as Iren, his Gnomish understudy, entered the tent. "Mr. Falmour, I've got another one if you w-"
"Iren, you simpleton fool." Tobias barked as he placed the two vials back into their holds. He turned on his heel to glare at Iren. The Gnome was, by every means of the word, ugly. He had sprouts of hair growing unparallel across his head and lacked any facial hair. His nose was too large, causing his eyes to differ in size - one squinting whilst the other puffed open in a permanent shocked expression. "What have I said, time and time again, when I am performing my art-"
"Do not disturb. Yes, Mr. Falmour, it's just that I've got what you wanted."
Tobias' anger dissipated and a smile crept across his lips, "Well then, why didn't you say so in the first place? Drag it in."
Iren left his tent and returned moments later, pulling a concealed shape thrice his size. He dragged it to a ground level table beside Tobias' workstation and pulled on a lever beside it. The table rose to become level with Tobias' one. He pulled the cover from the shape to reveal a docile ghoul and began to tighten straps around its ankles, wrists and waist.
"Good. It's better than the last one." Tobias opened the flap to his satchel which lay across his workstation, taking out two vials. He started to use a pippet to place drips of both of the syrums into the eyes, ears, mouth and nose of the ghoul. "Take the coins and hand them to our friends. Be more subtle this time; you were almost caught last night and I do not wish for an incident caused by your heavy footing. Inform Mr. Crowcaller that I wish for a word."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Falmour." The Gnome grabbed the coin purse and rushed out of the tent. Iren could be quiet when he wished; his fatal flaw was undoubtedly his mouth.

Entry #43 - An hour before dusk:
The specimen shows few damaged bones. No sign of battle or sword damage, other than a slight chip below the jaw. Most likely caused by a wild animal - nothing that will interfere with my experiment. No initial signs of physical change. Slightly more potent. The-

Tobias heard the flap of his tent lift, the sound of clanking metal was quietened by the fur rug beneath the mercenaries feet. He rested his quill and stood to quickly cover his experiment. He glanced at the two men that stood in the entrance. The first, the group's leader, Jack Crowcaller. Supposedly, he had gained such a name from the amount of men's bodies he had left for the crows. The second man was Samuel the Animal, Iran had informed Tobias previously that he had been given that name for his savage past deeds. In reality, Tobias was quite certain it was to do with the man's hygiene. These two spoke for their group of four - the other two were a rather nasty looking Gnoll named Hibber and a newcomer to their group known as Kyven. The four had been travelling with Tobias for little under two weeks, paid for protection.
"Want somethin', Forclaw?" Jack ran his fingers across his stubbled chin, scratching off what Tobias could only assume was fleas.
"Iren has informed me that you are not satisfied with the agreed sum." Tobias did not correct the mispronunctiation of his surname.
The animal spoke up, "We reckon we deserve a dozen pouches for the stuff we done for ye'."
"I have previously informed you that the coins I have provided for you are sufficient for your current services. If, and when, my research is perfected - you will be rewarded in full, as agreed in our contrac-"
"What are ye' doin' in 'ere anyway?" Jack scanned the covered specimen, he started to approach it but Tobias stepped in his way.
"All in due time, gentlemen. Is that all?"
The two sellswords exchanged a glance before nodding their heads and leaving his tent.

Tobias sat down, running his hand through his head. The hour was growing late and his research was tiring him, he was almost ready to undress when Iren returned holding a bag full of stained copper coins, with golden tinted edges that were slowly fading. "Thank you, Iren. Now, go out and pick some Briarthorn and bring it to me in the morning." Tobias waited for Iren to leave before resting his head against his pillow. He only intended to sleep for a couple of hours.

He woke to the sun setting, Ysera had kept him in a peaceful dream for far longer than he had wished. He hurrid to his workstation and grabbed the bag of coppers that lie untouched from the night before. He opened his journal and flicked the pages until he came across the spell he needed as he was no natural with the transmutation school. He heard rustling from under the concealment adjacent to him, it can't be waking up he thought to himself, the dose Iren gave it should have had it subdued for days. Still the rustling persisted and Tobias was forced to approach it, cautiously. He revealed his subject with both fear and excited anticipation.
" It's worked!" he exclaimed "It has finally worked!"

Entry #44 - Two hours till midnight:
I have spent the day watching the impossible. I have crafted the means to restore life to those that have rotted, decayed and decomposed. Specimen #7 has been a success. I am sat beside her whilst skin regenerates across her face. Her eyes remain unhealed but her cheeks have restored. Her nose looks almost human again. My syrum will fix everything. The undead, the Forsaken, everything. And I, Tobias Terenas Falmour shall become rich because of it.

Tobias remained by the side of subject 7, watching the progress with tears in his eyes. He peered down and saw an almost beauty appear across the face of his experiment, only to be replaced by a strong odour. His initial reaction was to look around to find Samuel, but he soon realised the smell was not coming from anyone. Anyone living that is. He peered down, shaking his head as he watched boils beginning to appear across the face of #7. The skin blistered and wept a green ooze. Within seconds, half her face had caved in, the bones and structure weakening from the latest batch of Tobias' syrum. He was speechless, watching as his ship sunk and his ambitions drowned with it.
"Damn you, you cruel fucking mistress." Tobias took hold of the poison vial he had been tampering with the night before and began to pour it across the body that lay before him. He had planned to wake the ghoul before he destroyed it, some small grasp of vengeance, "Damn you to the pits of whatever hell created you. You wretched cur! You rotten-"
"Treacherous little cunt!" The roar of Jack's voice came from another tent but he could have been directly behind Tobias and made just as strong an impact. Tobias shivered as his eyes crept to the coin purse that silently rest to his side. He had forgotten all about his previous spell and now he would pay for it. He began to unstrap the confines of subject #7.

Jack threw open the flaps of Tobias' tent and entered with both Kyven and Samuel at his heels. "You horrible little cheat. We 'ad a contract." Jack had his shortsword drawn and was approaching Tobias. The alchemist backed into the corner of his tent, falling against his raised bedroll.
"We did have a contract. We do have a contract. Your man Kyven read it aloud! It said, and I quote, 'Jack and his men are entitled to the contents of the coin purse provided to them' and you had no complaints when I-"Kyven's fist knocked him off balance. He fell back onto his bed, holding his blooded lip.
"I did not cheat you! I just... did not reveal the full truth."
"Kyven, fetch their wagon. We'll take all the things in this lovely tent of 'is and see how much we can get for 'em. I'll cut his throat in the meanwhile." Jack swung his blade by his side. Kyven hesitated for a moment but Samuel nudged him out the door and took to Kyven's previous position. Tobias gulped as he had no room to escape.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! An ear shattering screech filled the air. Jack turned his horrored gaze towards the covered specimen. He tried to bring his blade around but it was too late - the creature leapt from the table and began to tear open any flesh it came into contact with - the blood of Jack spluttering across the confines of the tent. Jack's words were silenced by the ghoul's jaw clamping across his neck. He tumbled into the table with Tobias' alchemy supplies on, causing glass to smash and liquid from vials to spill freely.

Samuel drew his flintlock and fired it into the skull of the ghoul, causing it to fall , giving Tobias enough time to raise the dagger from the animal's belt and make one clean cut across his throat. Samuel gargled blood; he dropped his pistol and clamped both of his hands on his neck in a desperate attempt to prevent more blood from pouring out. His attempt failed and he too fell to the ground. Tobias stood, panting as he wiped his red coated hands on the pockets of his robe. He raised his gaze and noticed the approaching Gnome of whom was dragging the remains of Hibber; he had made quick work of the Gnoll. Tobias scampered for his wand and rushed out of the tent, searching for the young, good looking member of the band of four - only to find him making away with one of their horses into the treeline. Tobias returned to his tent and made ihs way toward his destroyed work station. His hands shifted through contents of Jack's insides until he found his journal. It was illegible; he could only assume that it had come into contact with one of his acidic vials. His research, his life, all gone over a few gold coins. He dropped to his knees and wept, cradling the journal like a child to a mother's bosom. His tears dropped to the pool of blood beneath him, fading into the red.


(( So this is an early story for the character. He has grown up a fair bit since this incident and the character will have developed greatly. I apologise if you're reading it and it's a bit long winded. Wrote it in 3 sections over the course of today and I have yet to go back and read it - more of an impulsive writing session! I'll be making him in game soon. ))