The Fate of Temmer Longfellow
At the end of his journal, a despairing Temmer vows to end his life. When he, Alanna and Lisha Shadowborn suddenly appear in an inn room, Temmer even draws his dragger and prepares himself for death.
He is interrupted when a young couple bursts in, wondering why a group of adventurers has usurped the inn room they´ve rented. They summon the innkeeper, who throws our heroes out on the street. Our heroes find themselves in the capital city of Geston during the Great Hurvan Games.
Sensing Temmer´s black mood, Lisha and Alanna keep a close eye on Temmer as they search for, and finally find, a place to stay. They proceed to drag the dispirited bard to the fair grounds, hoping to cheer him up. Their efforts prove fruitless until they run into another bard -- Temmer´s twin sister, Teela.
Though alarmed by his missing arm, Teela weeps with joy to see her brother alive. The family had heard of the destruction of Skytumble Tor near Istur, and they´d believed the prodigal bard lost forever. Teela does give Temmer some bad news -- their mother is very ill, and the family is suffering grave financial difficulties. While Lisha and the others enter the great Hurvan games, Temmer heads home to help his family.
He arrives too late to save his mother. Temmer stays to make peace with his father and to recuperate in the loving arms of his family. A small portion of Temmer´s treasure is enough to get the family farm back on its feet, with plenty to spare. Temmer stays on the farm only for a few weeks. Alarmed when his father tells him that his younger brothers Marc and Milton have gotten involved with unsavory characters in Istur, Temmer heads out to rescue them from a life of crime.
On the way there, Temmer learns that Lisha won the Hurvan games, but that she and her retinue disappeared during their mission for the king. Suspecting rightly that they´ve been transported to Ravenloft, Temmer prays for his twin´s safety.
Temmer also runs into a group of Vistani traveling near Istur. Their leader, a gypsy matron named Hedviga, offers to restore Temmer´s arm. In return, some day in the future, Temmer will answer Hedviga´s call and perform any service the gypsy cares to name. Though realizing that the bargain is a dangerous one, Temmer can´t pass up the chance to be whole again. Hedviga restores Temmer´s missing limb, but not with one of flesh and blood. The new arm, which radiates an aura of magic, is made of solid brass. It carries no sense of touch, but can be moved as nimbly as Temmer´s real arm, maybe even better. Temmer is annoyed that he will have to hide his strange deformity, but the ability to play music again outweighs his misgivings. To hide his brass arm, Temmer takes to wearing long sleeves and gloves at all times.
Before his arrival in Istur, Temmer realizes that he also needs to get rid of the scars on his face. Considering his past experience with the crime-ridden town, he doesn´t want to be too recognizable. Temmer decides to drink not one, but both of the potions of longevity he was given as part of his share of the treasure.
The potions work -- they do remove Temmer´s scars. But Temmer wasn´t quite prepared to be twelve years old again. This creates quite a problem, especially when he runs into the pirate Red Francis, by whom he is still very much charmed. The persuasive bard has to do a great deal of talking to convince her that he can be useful to her. Red agrees to give him a try, providing Temmer do something to hide his apparent youth.
Using Thibor as an inspiration, Temmer dresses all in black, and adds a mask and head scarf to hide his boyish looks. He even adopts Thibor´s raspy voice and threatening manner. In this guise, he becomes known as Temmer the Black.
Red Francis is delighted when her newest sailor turns out to be a powerful bard and an able leader. Over the next few years, Temmer rises quickly in the ranks, and becomes Red´s first mate. For her own personal reasons, Red uses a permanent charm upon the bard, causing him to fall madly in love with her. Although Temmer continues to charm the women of Istur when he and Red are apart, his loyalty to the pirate captain is assured. Temmer forgets all about looking for his brothers, and settles into his new life as a pirate.