Difference between revisions of "Persons of Note"

Latest revision as of 02:20, 8 August 2009

Of Amor, Armor, and Alchemy

Worldly Persons
Germanicus DuValle: Until recently a baron, currently the most well recognized and powerful lord in Arthuria, slatted to become its first King. Known for a stern adherence to chivalry, law, and justice, as well as keen strategic, tactical, and political sense.

The Three Hag Queens: Arina, Serafina, and Jagha are the three witches who, through cunning and skill have risen to the highest level of power a witch or warlock can attain. Hag Magic being, generally, a very cutthroat discipline in which power must be increased at the expense of others (or other powerful things/places/etc), this is no small feat. All three are difficult to find, but all three, unlike the highest officers of most schools of magic, will work for anybody if the price is right. Their names are spoken in hushed and fearful voices, and although most magicians scoff, there are few who doubt the power of the hag queens.

Jagha (aka the Sparrow, the Wanderer, Bab Yaga)- A tall, dark haired woman, Jagha resides within a magic hut that travels around by itself. She seems to visit individuals of power and exchange information and services in return for the same. She trades in favors.

Arina (aka Queen of the Scales, the Merchant Queen)- Living in seclusion in northern Csara, Arina values her time, and is rumored to turn petitioners she believes to be wasting her time into mushrooms that she plants : into a garden in her yard. She's said to be most concerned with collecting magical items. Keeps a very richly decorated house with a bronze construct butler. Appears as a very beautiful, older woman (cougar).

Serafina (aka the North Wind)- Not much is known of Serafina, except that she trades in secrets. Lives far north of Eburron. Stone elves are known to visit her for potions.

Hadrian of the Stone Tower: The most talented magician in Karthay, possibly all of Amora. Karthayan magic was fairly rudimentary until this generation, but Hadrian has canonized a wealth of new spells and restructured their school of magic with stunning success. He is said to be a haughty, moody, egocentric genius: despite his faults, his tremendous power and extensive service to the Karthayan state means that he is amongst the most important political players in Karthay.

The Tetrad of Eburon: The rulers of Eburon for the past 25 years or so are a wizard and three angelions, who have transformed Eburon from a small but prosperous trading center to an imperial powerhouse that has conquered a sizeable chunk of the northern continent. Mellior Lightbringer, angelion, is perhaps 6 1/2 feet tall: he is strikingly beautiful, and typically wears a tunic or a loincloth. He has long hair and massive, birdlike wings that are almost translucent. He carries the famed magical item Wrath, a shapeshifting weapon that has so far defied classification (and spurred furious debate) as a runic or an attuned item: it may be something altogether different. The weapon usually takes the form of an elegant two handed sword or a spear/halberd, but has been seen as an Axe, a scepter, a staff, a bow (which somehow generates its own glowing arrows), or even a shield. Belomel, also called the Advisor, angelion, is a famed historian of notorious cunning and political savvy. When he was last seen, he appeared as a normal human, although he has taken to wearing elaborate, flowing costumes accompanied with extravagant masks hammered from precious metals (some say they are of dwarven manufacture). Velasz, angelion, looks like the picture on the Liliana Vess card. She is a powerful magician who claims to have invented a new "form" of magic (as in something other than spellcasting, hag-magic, OR druidry). Nishiim, human wizard, looks like a well built man in his late forties or early 50s. he is the head of the college of summoning in Eburon, and probably rivals Hadrian and a few others as one of the greatest wizards of the age.

Ignus, The Ruby Shield: hundreds of years ago, a great beast crawled through the maze of tunnels beneath a great dwarven city. The hero Thorbjorn turned it to stone, and his brother Hrungding carved apart the petrified beast to discover that its heart had turned into a massive ruby in the petrification process. Hrungding, who was a great runesmith, carved the ruby into many things, the mightiest of which was the shield ignus, inlaid with mithril runes that protected the bearer from nearly all forms of harm. Several generations later, when Oryxys was still young and came for the first time against the dwarves, he burned the gates of Ker Ruug with a single blast of his breath and laid the city waste. Bollo, great grandson of Thorbjorn, took Ignus and his best men to destroy the dragon as he ransacked the city, but falling short of his grandfather in strength and skill at arms, his men were slaughtered and he (although saved from Oryxys' mighty flames by the shield), fearing that the precious shield might fall into the hands of the dragon, flung himself into a deep underground river. The dragon having departed with his treasure (but not the shield), There the shield would have remained, but for the "thieves' bargain": Brollo, brother and heir to Bollo, cursed now by many dwarves, made a hateful bargain with the sea elves in which they agreed to retrieve the shield in exchange for 9 times 9 suits of mithril armor, light as air and strong as dragon hide. The shield back in Brollo's hands, he declared that it was too valuable for any hero to wield, and locked it deep in the mountain. About 20 years ago, the shield was stolen by Iyi, the legendary thief, who sold it to the mighty Orc warlord Grundbad for what is rumored to have been an astronomical sum.

Ixymion: Draconic scholars have narrowed the title of most powerful dragon to 4 candidates: Raach (also called Raag), Aya (a mythic shapeshifting dragon, also called "the faerie dragon"), Jormundgandr, and Ixymion (also called "the watchmaker", a title propagated by himself). Raach has been in voluntary exile for several hundred years, Jormundgandr is dead, and Aya is arguably mythological...leaving Ixymion as the only relevant claimant in memory. Ixymion is a huge dragon with gunmetal colored scales. He is clearly possessed of a tremendous intellect and is a master of magic and the learned arts. Interestingly, he is also one of the greatest engineers and scientists that Amora has seen: he has built, almost entirely on his own (he did enslave some particularly notable engineers to help for certain parts), the Clocktower, a massive, gothic fortress filled, supposedly, with traps, puzzles, and bizarre clockwork machines that allow the entire fortress to run essentially like some gigantic wind up toy. The work was completed, incidentally, within a year, during which Ixymion left the world largely undisturbed: not that he is by any stretch the most disruptive of dragons, but when Ixymion strikes, nations fall, wars spring up where peace has flourished. In short, the damage done when Ixymion turns to violence is always 10, 100, or 1000 fold the actual destruction he wreaks.
Such is Ixymion's power that even before his entrapment (or rather, his presumed entrapment), a cult sprang up worshipping him as an avatar or incarnation of a god/gods. Ixymion has left his followers largely in peace, even aiding them, sporadically, in construction the city of Ixymiopolis which surrounds his fortress on his island, and occassionally passing plunder on to them. The city remains in place and has actually grown, Ixymion's disappearance adding to his mystery and majesty.
It was Tom the fool, together with two other great heroes, who, discovering some nefarious plot of Ixymion's, decided to do the impossible: defeat Ixymion. From what historians have gathered, the three decided quickly that destroying Ixymion was beyond their power, and so they settled on some sort of trap: the nature of the trap remains unknown. Nevertheless, it appears that through their ingenuity, bravery, and skill, that they managed to breach the bizarre defenses of the Clocktower, engage Ixymion in his lair, and prevent him, for the past 200 years or so, from leaving his fortress. Evidence that he is still alive comes largely from the fact that some of the mechanisms of the Clocktower are powered by magical energy syphoned from the dragon himself, and these have not ceased to function. None of the three heroes were ever seen or heard from again. The Clocktower

Oryxys, grandfather flame (deceased): There are perhaps two dozen dragons that have made an appearance throughout the history of amora. They disappear and reappear at great intervals, so it is difficult to say which have been killed and which have been "replaced". Regardless, the three that are generally considered the most powerful are Kraal, The Black Bane, Ixymion, the watchmaker (vanquished, though not necessarily killed, by the three heroes Tom the Fool, Balanor the Pure, and Eras, all three of whom lost their lives in the process), and Oryxys. Although as large as the next elder dragon, Oryxys is notable for his ferocity and his breath, which all who study such things agree is the hottest flame in all of Amora. Other than the legendary Ruby Shield Ignus, nothing is known that will not be reduced to molten slag by its heat. Oryxys finally met his end when he was sought out by the The Auspice of the Forge in their quest to restore their priestess. After restoring the Priestess Daenerys, Oryxys promptly abducted her to add to his horde, forcing a second meeting between himself and The Auspice of the Forge resulting in his death. Rumors of an egg continue to be unconfirmed...

Iyi, Thief of Dreams (known aliases: See Yasmine below): Iyi is, without question, the greatest thief in the history of Amora. He/She has his/her name inscribed in three layers of the blackest jet in the Dwarven hall of grudges, a feat typically reserved for the most horrid of traitors or dragons. The he/she designation derives from the fact that no one who has dealt with Iyi on a professional level is sure whether Iyi is a he or a she. Grundbad, who has had the most extensive dealings with the thief clearly refers to Iyi as a "he", but the respectful form of address in orc is synonymous with this: nevertheless, orcish linguistics scholars (not a plentiful bunch) are fairly certain that in this case it does actually denote a male. The race of the thief is also unknown. Regardless, Iyi has accomplished feats previously held to be impossible: breaking into and out of, without detection, a Dwarven Hearth-Vault, the Clocktower, and at least one of the great Pyramids of Imadigo. Iyi is believed to reside in Csara, where his/her skill makes him/her to valuable for anyone to even consider killing/assassinating him/her. This is exacerbated by the fact that it is rare that Iyi will agree to a "no steal-backs" clause, although typically the skill of the operation means that it takes a very long time for anyone to realize something has been stolen, or who it might have been stolen by. First inscribed into the Hall of Grudges 20 years ago. The second item stolen was the sigil of House Serk, of Karak Serk. The third was the Ruby Shield Ignus. The first is not spoken of by the Dwarves. It has been revealed that this first time was due to The Vault of Secrets.

Sasha Novgorod: a Csaran scholar, trained at akromion (the island nation of elementals on the northern continent). He has a magic carpet and was recently shot in the face with an arrow. He comes from a very well to do Csaran noble house.

Yasmine (cover identity for Iyi): Sasha's assistant. quiet and reserved, Yasmine seems to be a slave trained both in servile and academic disciplines. She has demonstrated remarkable cool and determination under fire, having singlehandedly saved Aetan by pulling his 350+ lb. body onto the carpet despite weighing only perhaps 115 herself.

Penelope: High Priestess of Juun in Karthay. One of the most powerful political entities in Karthay, she has assisted the party on numerous occasions.

Ismena: Priestess of a river goddess among the wood elves.

Tomaas, the bandit king: Tomaas is a famed thief and bandit in the forests between Arthuria and the domain of the Raven King. In his youth, he earned the great honor of successfully entering AND leaving Ixymion's tower: on his return, he had several small but priceless treasures in his possession, that he has used to finance his bandit operation. Recently, he has been captured by Germanicus: although Germanicus is known for a strict interpretation of the laws, he has so far not tried or convicted the bandit because of the love he has from the commons.

Balanor the Pure: A dwarven paladin, sworn to the dwarven Hearth goddess (also the goddess of Mending) Mjar. Balanor began life as a great dwarven warrior, but in the midst of his youth, as glory was beginning to be heaped upon him, he stepped off the saagspfat (path to Glory/story-ed-ness) and returned to his father's hearth, where he spent many years in arranging the affairs of his father's house and the district, undertook to study lore-mastery, rune-mastery, and declamation (the Dwarven version of oratory/politics), and generally disappeared from public life. After perhaps 50 years in this fashion, he became a wandering monk, dedicated to Mjar, making peace among the dwarves, who are very prone to falling into feuds. At some point during these journeys, he underwent another transformation, and joined the order of Mjaran templars: few in number and very selective, he is nevertheless considered the greatest example of their order. Thereafter, he travelled the world, slaying monsters, fighting injustice, and generally doing paladin-y things. When he and Tom the Fool met, they instantly became allies, and their paths remained intertwined to the end.

Eras: Eras could perhaps have been a wizard to rival the great masters of the age. Eras, above all, was a scientist and scholar of magic, and he sought to understand magic in all its forms. Thus, as a wood elf, he first studied hag and druidic magic, refining these skills amongst the bouans, the elementals, and the saurians. It is said he learned some fundamentals of true magic in Karthay, although at that time (perhaps 350 years ago) the karthayan magic was quite rudimentary, and then travelled to Csara, where his savvy and eagerness permitted him to be trained in their school of magic. Ambitious and powerful, Eras sought to uncover many magical secrets, a quest that brought him into a notable and drawn out conflict with Balanor and Tom the Fool. Mostly a battle of strategy and wit, Eras was finally defeated by the pair: but after imprisoning the wizard, they came to understand one another and quickly became allies. Balanor and Eras were always somewhat at odds with each other, but by the time of their attempt on Ixymion, it can be said that each of them saw the others as his brothers.

Grunbad, the East Wind (deceased): it is pertinent, that the name of Raach (mentioned above), roughly translates as "the east wind" in Old Fairy. Grunbad is the scion of the Uruku-ie clan of orcs: long one of the most fierce clans of orcs, it nevertheless remained small and relatively unthreatening because of perpetual infighting. In the current generation, all of that has changed: even in his youth, Grunbad was heralded as a blessed and divine warrior, spoken of in uruku-ie prophecy, destined to lead his people to glory. Grunbad has not disappointed: he proved himself a tactical master in early skirmishes, and displayed an understanding of large scale strategy unheard of in his peoples. What Grunbad has seized that no orc has previously understood is the power of their tremendous mobility: previously, orc combat consisted of massive headlong cavalry charges into the enemy. Fiercesome, but something their bouan and imadigo/saurian foes were skilled at countering. Grunbad still employs traditional Orcish approaches to combat, but rarely from one direction, and almost never in a straightforward fight: he constantly maneuvers his army, moving vast distances to break up his enemies supply lines and force them to spread their forces.
Orcish Culture, with particular reference to Grunbad and his Waaaaagh!

Tom the Fool: Famous hero of Caminus who was a lowly jester for the king of his time that was sent to face King Dionysius and won the freedom of Caminus in a battle with the Knight of Flowers. Tom went on to great adventures throughout all of Amor. He was known as the greatest riddler of all time. Known companions include: Eras, Balinor the Pure and Aia (whose beauty he gifted with a necklace decorated by an untyeable knot).

Local Personalities
Cast of Characters- both minor and mighty
Locations- Places we have been to and heard of

King Dionysius: Sovereign of the fae of Caminus. No non-faerie has seen him since Tom the Fool ventured into the deep forests, but his royal seal upon the gifts delivered to the royal house of Cimon upon the birth of children to any member of the Cimon line indicates that he is alive and well. Before the time of Tom the Fool, Dionysius let it be known that he saw the island as his, and his faeries did as they pleased in the villages of Caminus. Nowadays, the fae keep to the deep woods, and it is at their own peril that any cross into their domain. The Sidhe Court of Caminus

Lord Cimon (now deceased): The latest in a long line of rulers of Caminus, Gaius Cimon is just but stern ruler. He is slow to enact policy, but typically when he does, it betters the island. Nevertheless, he will not tolerate any potential challenge to his rule, and it is known that his court is heavily steeped in intrigue. Despite his stern manner in regards to policy, he is quite extravagant with his free time, throwing huge, elaborate parties, games, hunts, and other events for local and foreing nobles. As such, he has become a favorite destination for royals touring the islands, or exiled nobility from places as far off as Imadigo. Lord Cimon is also a passable warrior and general, and has reduced blood elf and dwarf raiding on the island, although the problem remains far from solved. In general, Cimon is well liked by the people, who are not without a healthy fear of their lord.

Radha Cimon to be exiled to Caminulus: Daughter of Lord Cimon. Beautiful and fiery tempered. 17 years-old. Mother has passed away.

Paris Cimon successor: Son of Lord Cimon, 15 years-old. Same mother as Rodha.

Aihdahl Troy in custody: High Attendant to the Priestesses of the Forge, a position that comes with being the chief of the charcoal burners union. He is a man of immense political, spiritual, and economic power on the island, and has so far filled his role admirably, helping the island to flourish in the last 20 years or so.

Cicero: Secretary to Aihdahl Troy. Mentioned in letters with Zabulon, but unclear whether he was part of the plotting or simply carrying out his duties.

Brent Wogrum: A very ugly but very cunning lord of the underworld in Amoris. He is said to be half-orc, and widely acknowledged as the most powerful of the crime lords in Amoris, although such lofty station is rarely held in this arena for long.

Rex: A small but sturdily built saurian mercenary with a fiercesome reputation, if you ask the right people. His fees, and the fact that they are regularly paid, suggest that the reputation is not unfounded. It is said that in his youth, he was a resistance fighter against the Imadigo overlords of the saurians, but Rex remains silent on this topic.

Broll Wheatgrass: A bouan merchant of herbs, medicines, charms, as well as an importer of various Bouan goods from the plains on the southern continent. He also has connections on the eastern continent. Broll is skilled in Druidic magic, and a large amount of his income derives from this skill.

Mark Threefingers: A notorious thug for hire on the island.

Hassan Ibn' al' Amir: An exiled Imadigo prince, staying in perpetuity at the court of Lord Cimon. Despite his exile he is extravagantly wealthy, one of the richest people on the island, and lives in a massive manor near the sea.

Oresteian Chalanos: sea elf trade ambassador, recently arrived in Amoris perhaps 3 months ago. He resides in a beautifully carved vessel that is moored in a small lagoon just north of Amoris proper. Few people have seen or heard him or his retinue, which appears to be quite small.

Phaedron Agathe (deceased): The high priest of the temple of Aeron. Among the youngest high priests in the history of the temple, he has implemented numerous new "policies" and interpretations of the laws of Aeron. Despite his unorthodoxed principles, he is a devout priest and a famed healer: this combination has made him something of a celebrity at the court, where he is said to have the ear of lord Cimon himself.

The Kestrel: A notorious Blood Elf captain with a flare for the dramatic known to frequent the waters of the central Isles. He has conducted a number of raids on Caminus, some very daring and risky, and he clearly takes great pleasure in the fact that any attempts by Lord Cimon to catch him have been completely unsuccessful. He is aggressive and ruthless, but he does adhere to some poorly understood code of conduct.

Gwyndolin: A wise old crone legendary among the villages of Amoris for her knowledge of the auspices, of medicinal herbs, and of minor charms and spells to aid the common man. She was old when the character's parents were young, so she is clearly ancient. Mysteriously, no one has seen hide nor hair of her in the past year.

Lyra Stoneheart: A stone elf witch outcast. Don't let the 'witch' title fool you, though: Lyra's strength lies in her swordarm. She is a notorious mercenary and sell-sword, although occasionally she takes on assignments just for "fun"; she makes it a habit to test herself against whatever worthy opponents she can find.
Rumors begin to circulate that Lyra has been spotted in small villages in the deep forests between Arthuria and Csara in the company of a strikingly beautiful middle aged woman with flowing, dark hair. Thereafter, she departed into the icy north...

Sir Sissay of Arthuria (devoured by Oryxys (deceased)): A knight with a rigid sense of honor, Sissay was actually banished by Baron DuValle from his court because he was too honor obsessed, starting duels over even minor infractions of honor, real or perceived. He has wandered the central isles since, getting himself into trouble. That he is still alive is a testament to his skill at arms, at least.

Zabulon of Belerr fled Caminus: A fabulously rich merchant importing luxury goods to the island. He has extensive connections throughout the isles, if not all of Amora. Now known to be a powerful Summoner and Necromancer of Eburron.