Covenant Item - Alashan's Boots

[Kane]

Alashan’s  Boots

In the waning days of the Third Age, a young man named Alashan rose to infamy as a horse thief and scourge of the noblest Sarcosan families. He was raised in the slums of Sharuun, and from an early age he survived by stealing food from market stalls. He was lean and quick and easily eluded irate merchants and the local guardsmen. By the age of thirteen he led a small group of child thieves and began to expand into more serious theft. He showed courage and ingenuity confounding the best efforts of the local Sharif to catch him. It was boredom that finally pushed him to leave the city and move closer to his destiny.

Once outside of Sharuun, Alashan took greater and greater risks, seeking the prized possessions of the great noble families. His specialty was horses; stealing into heavily armed camps and riding away with the finest breeding stock. He took what would cause the greatest embarrassment and rage, taunting the nobles and daring them to catch him. During these days of glory he lived a life of luxury and fame. He was the dashing gentleman bandit, stealing seemingly at will without ever spilling blood. To the lower classes of Sarcosan society he was hero, tugging at the beards of the high and mighty.
During his glory years, Alashan did not hide away, and was seen in the markets and taverns of every major city south of the Pelluria. He dressed in richly woven clothes, always in the latest style. However, no matter what he wore, he was never without his pair of finely tooled riding boots. They were his signature and were copied by many younger riders. From those who knew Alashan, it was said, that he could walk across a field of fallen leaves without making a sound or leaving a trace of his passage.  Many believed the thief derived his great skill from those boots.

Alashan’s carefree life ended as war with the Shadow loomed. Stealing horses meant for the High King’s armies was no longer a noble pursuit.  In his days in the slums of Sharuun he had watched friends disappear only to be found days later with their bodies drained of blood. While it was never spoken aloud, he knew that his friends had fallen to the knives of the hidden priests of the Shadow. Now as war approached, he had his chance to strike out at the followers of the Dark Lord.

In 996 Third Age, Alashan gathered his closest followers and presented himself to his old nemesis the Sharif of Sharuun. Alashan offered his services as a scout and raider in return for a pardon for his crimes. Most expected the thief to be held and executed, but the Sharif knew that he’d need Alashan’s skills as his cavalry travelled north. Over the next two years, Alashan led countless missions against the approaching Shadow host, providing critical intelligence that helped offset the Shadow’s overwhelming numbers. In his most daring raid late in 997 Third Age, Alashan led a raiding party of 40 men into the heart of an orc host and killed almost a dozen legates and warband leaders in their sleep before melting back into the grasslands.

Alashan was never captured and slipped away as the Kingdom of Erenland collapsed. He continued to lead raids as late as 14 Last Age.  It’s believed that he fled to Hallisport and possibly took ship to Asmadar.  If the stories are true, and the boots still survive, they would be invaluable to any resistance group.

Level   Ability
1      Feather Light  Step +2
3      Feather Light Step +4
5      Feather Light Step  +6
6      No Man Shall Mark my Passage
8      Follow in my Footsteps  +2
10      Follow in My Footsteps +4

Feather Light Step: Alashan moved with the grace of a dancer, carefully placing each foot to avoid making a sound. For each level of Feather Light Step, add +2 to the player’s Move Silently skill.

No man Shall Mark my Passage: Alashan could elude even the most skilled trackers, leaving no trace of his movements. The wearer of Alashan’s Boots, never leaves any mark of his passage and can only be tracked by magic or scent.

Follow in my Footsteps: During the war against the Shadow, Alashan was able to lead large raiding bands through territory firmly controlled by the Shadow without being detected.  At eighth level, everyone within 30’ feet of the wearer of Alashan’s Boots receives +2 to their Move Silently checks.  At tenth level the bonus increases to +4.