On a caravan trip to Korvosa in 4667 Ivan sr. met Ivan’s grandmother while traveling through the town of Harse. As grandfather tells it they fell instantly in love and she joined him on the caravan down to Korvosa and then over to Magnimar. By the time they reach Magnimar it was obvious that grandmother was not suited for caravan travel. In Magnimar they heard of the farm settlements to the northeast near the village of Sandpoint. On the journey to the farm lands is when Ivan Sr. met his life long friend Yahy. Yahy passed away just last year so these days Grandfather gets a little choked up when regaling his adventures with Yahy. As grandfather tells it he gave up his bow to be with the love of his life.
In 4684 Yahy’s Son Noah marries Ivan’s Daughter Sara and they start there own family. The twins Abby and Ivan were born 4696 and are the youngest of seven children, Ivan was named after his grandfather. On the morning of Ivan’s and Abby’s 10th birthday Ivan was having a hard time controlling the excitement about finally being able to go hunting with grandfather. Ivan Sr. had a tradition of taking the children out on there 10th birthday to teach them how to use the bow and hunting basics. His older siblings kept telling Ivan that it was going to be boring and that Ivan and Abby should humor grandfather. Ivan took to the bow as if he had used one all of his life, Abby was more likely to hurt herself with the bow but as normal she just enjoyed being with grandfather and Ivan. For the next 3 years Ivan spent every free moment practicing with bow and hunting skills learned from his grandfather. Abby mean time planned the crop rotations, designed new barns, and logically mapped where she expected Ivan can find game. While grandfather, mother, and Abby supported his desire to hunt most of his family believed that he was wasting time.
Finally a teenager Ivan was a proficient hunter making extra money selling game to butcher shops in Sandpoint. Even though he was bringing in meat to the family and helping out on the farm it was not good enough for most of the family. Throughout the spring and summer of 4707 Ivan spent more time helping out on the farm but still he could not do enough in the eyes of his brothers. Abby just laughed at him when he complained about his brothers and slyly suggested that he might have better luck helping out the women. Abby loves the farm while Ivan can’t wait to get out and see the world. Abby always seems to know when Ivan is returning to the farm and he swears sometimes she can read his mind. Abby says that she is the brains and Ivan is the eye candy. When it come to the two of them Abby doesn’t believe in boundaries or modesty, its as if they are almost part of the same person.
Ivan, Abby, Sam and their other friend’s barely escaped the goblin attack during the Swallowtail festival in 4707. This was a celebration and he left the bow at a friend’s house. A group of them had to close up in a house until the Hero’s could drive off the goblins. If Ivan had just brought his bow with him maybe he could also be a hero and get away from farming. Sam and Abby started dating. Ivan quickly realizes that Sam and Abby are perfect for each other.
During the Giant evasion of 4708 Abby and Ivan were on the farm celebrating Sam’s birthday. Everyone on the farms hid from the giant army. The giant army was focused on Sandpoint so they escaped without anyone in the family being hurt. In the distance he could see the light of what he presumed was Sandpoint burning.
In 4710 Sam and Abby are married. By that fall Abby is pregnant with there first child. Even with all of this the bond between Abby and Ivan remains strong, sometimes it just included Sam. Ivan’s relationship with his father was so strained that he moved into Sam and Abby’s spare room. Ivan made a deal with Abby that he would not leave until she had her second child. By early spring Abby and Sam had a little girl that they named Patty. Late summer Abby once again was pregnant. Life continued on with Ivan spending his free time either hunting or helping Sam and Abby with there farm.
On Ivan’s and Abby’s 16th birthday Ivan’s father announced that Ivan was engaged to the neighbor’s daughter, who happened to only be 11 years old. While she looked like a fully developed woman, she was still just 11 years old. It was at that moment that Ivan, Abby, and Sam realized his days as a farmer where over.
The next morning Ivan awakes to Abby sitting next to him with his packed bag in one hand and her week old son Gavin in the other. Stepping out the door Ivan found his mother waiting to say goodbye. Ivan gave his mother and sister hugs before heading down the dirt road towards the lost coast road. Abby and there mother stood there watching Ivan walk down the road until he was well out of sight. Although Abby always knew Ivan couldn’t stay on the farm she already missed him. Abby and her mother head back into the house where Abby brews a fresh pot of coffee.
At the lost coast road Ivan was jumped by a band of highway robbers. Everything went black and the next thing he remembers is seeing an old woman’s face seemingly talking to her self “Desna be praised he still lives”. At that moment Ivan was sure that he saw butterflies all around the two of them.
After a few minutes Ivan stood up and began to thank the traveling caravan for saving him but suddenly began to feel dizzy and Ivan felt intense itching all over is torso. He dropped his bow and began crazily scratching all over. After several tense moments it just stopped. Very confused Ivan reaches down to pick up his bow and it was gone! One of the guards found the bow off to his left and handed it back to him. At this point Koya asked Ivan to drop his bow to the ground again and this time it ended up 10 feet behind him. Koya immediately check Ivan for more injuries but to her surprise found what looked to be tattoos for what she believed were representatives of all of the known deity holy symbols all across Ivan’s torso.
Koya’s friend Kendric who was visiting from Magnimar was in town to pay respect for the passing of her mother. He had just returned from a trip from some foreign land to the south. Kendric and Koya help Ivan understand his new abilities. A couple of days after the attack Abby, Sam, and Mother show up with the children to make sure he is ok. Ivan explains what is happening to him and shows Abby the tattoos. Abby just tells Ivan that he has always had these gifts and the gods were just tired of waiting for him to figure it out. Ivan really wanted to know why the gods did this to him but he now has come to understand that the gods and Abby work in mysterious ways. He has resolved himself that he will never know which god or gods gave him this curse/gift or why. Ivan once again said is goodbyes to his family as they head back to the farm.
Over the last few weeks Ivan has been making is way by hunting. On some evenings he heads to the tavern and buys a round of drinks for the caravan guards that helped save his life on the eventful day. They start telling fantastic stories of adventure during the many travels with the caravan. Ivan often ends up buying several rounds as he can’t get enough of the stories. The stories are fueling Ivan’s desires to get out on the road. Koya just tells Ivan that she will talk to Sandru about him joining the caravan when the time is right.