PC Group XP & Level

End Session 5


PCs
Varek, Altanian Human Fighter
Saryth, Revenant northern Eladrin Hexblade
Megaera, 'Human' Warlock
Rameses, Altanian Human Fighter


Noon, Altanian Shifter Druid
Storm, Altanian Shifter Barbarian


PCs were joined by Ardan, a Southern Elf Ranger.


Party XP: 5717
Party Level: 5
XP to Level: 7500

Varek

Character: Varek, a mercenary swordsman, formerly of the Tiger
Claw clan.

Rank: Erstwhile guard officer in Bisgen
Sex:M
Race: Altanian
Homeland: Altanis
Age: 24
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 202 lbs
Colour of - Hair: - Eyes: - Skin: Dark Brown, Brown, Tanned
Appearance: A weathered man with a broad and impassive face.
Hair and a rough beard both cropped short - this is done
regularly to avoid being gripped in a fight, but Varek's tribe
were warriors, not barbers, so he often looks a bit scruffy!
Clothing: Armour is a sleeveless scale coat reaching halfway to
his knees (slit for riding), metal greaves on the lower legs.
Right arm is bare except for a bracer, whereas the left is
cased in steel, a gladiator-style shoulder guard and
articulated metal plates leading down to his spiked gauntlet.
Beneath this Varek commonly goes shirtless, wearing loose
trousers tucked into leather boots (think of most any pirate
movie)
Demeanour: A pragmatic man, shaped by hard military expeditions
since a young age. Uncomplaining in the face of death and
privation, but prone to grumble about quality of food, ugliness
of women, luck with dice etc when times are good.

Motivations: Following a rather unsuccessful campaign fighting
pirates on the high seas, Varek was destitute and had to take
service as a guard officer in Bisgen - this was somewhat of a
step down from more active pursuits, despite being the best
fighter of Parre's men he quickly became bored. The pay never
seemed to add up to enough for him to leave, so the opportunity
to join the adventurers in looting and reaving was very
welcome. Like most mercenaries Varek wants enough gold to live
like a king, albeit for a short stretch, and like all the best
soldiers he wants to drive his enemies before him, win mighty
battles, and hear the acclaim of fellow warriors. Parre may not
be too glad to hear that he's not returning to her service, so
Varek may need to keep on the move and watch his back . . .

Background: Mercenary - as an old campaigner accustomed to
eating boot leather and making forced marches, Varek has +2 to
endurance. (Hey, is this ok? I understand I apply a +2
endurance bonus for being an altanian as well, so I am willing
to change this to 'Guard' and have an intimidate bonus instead,
rather than being accused of gaming the system) Varek left the
Tiger Claws when he was 14 on a horse and with a sword that
weren't necessarily his (depending on how you look at it).
While Altanian tribes have no feudal hierarchy, the boys of any
tribe likely to excel are the sons of prominent warriors - and
Varek's father was a worthless drunk, derided to his face by
better men. Varek's mother wouldn't even take him as a husband,
so young Varek grew up seeing his father at a distance and with
contempt. In training, play and the esteem of the tribe, he was
always lagging behind boy with better families and blood,
denied his true potential. Eventually, realising he would not
rise to glory among them, he picked a quarrel, beat a rival
half to death (hence the horse and sword) and rode out. If he
ever returns there, he swears it will only be to show he's
capable of whipping the three best warriors of the tribe single-
handed - he has no desire to end his days in the plains when
there are cities and civilizations across the wide world to
satisfy his desires.

Saryth

Name: Saryth Wintermoon  Player: Judith
Rank/Position/Concept: Hunted (haunted) escapee of the Winter Realm
Sex: Female
Species: Revenant Eladrin
Race: Winter Fey
Homeland: The Winter Realm
Age: 23 (apparent age)
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 130lb
Colour of - Hair: White; Eyes: Indigo, white pupils; Skin: Bluish-White
Appearance: Graceful, ascetic.  Close to, it feels like she's radiating cold.
Clothing: Layered leather armour of eladrin make, dyed indigo.  Clothing is flowing but practical, based around a colour palette of white, indigo and black.
Demeanour: Cordial, curious, but always looking over her shoulder.
Motivations: Fascinated by this bizarre warm countryside!  So very odd and interesting!  But underneath that joy in discovery is a sense of time running out, that whatever is hunting her is drawing ever closer and her chances of finding sanctuary - if sanctuary even exists - are diminishing day by day.

I have a lead-in idea for Saryth that she has been in Renth long enough to gain a reputation as a competent and dependable swordmaiden, and is escorting/bodyguarding Theyvatta of Renth, the half-elven wife of a kidnapped local merchant, east to the Stone Axe Inn to negotiate the payment of ransom to Shadar's Band, the bandits who are holding her husband.  My idea for Megaera is that she is travelling to the Stone Axe Inn because she believes it to be the source of the dark visions of human sacrifice which have been disturbing her sleep; perhaps there is also some kind of mystic compulsion...
The two PCs could know each other in Renth, perhaps they met at a church or library (or church-library!) while investigating rumours of an elusive 'Sanctuary' that offers hope to both of them that they might somehow avoid their dark fates.  Saryth could have told Magaera about the escort mission, & Meg might have volunteered to go along as an additional bodyguard, as well as for her own reasons.


CONTACTS

Ennathren Mirael
Elven Priestess of Sehanine based in Renth, senior of the three priestesses based at the shrine.  A longtime resident of Renth and well-versed in the lore of the Winter King, she's taken Saryth under her wing, acting as a confidante and advisor.

Kaveri Narr
Half-elven horse trader.  He regularly travels between Renth and Bisgen as well as other settlements in the region.  Saryth has worked for him several times escorting him and his caravans around the region.  Kaveri came to the area about 5 years ago - no one's quite sure from where - but local rumour has it there's some dark secret in his background.

Gulkathu
Half-orc escaped slave gladiator living in Bisgen.  He makes his living hiring out as a mercenary or other muscle for hire.  Gulkathu met Saryth when the two were working for Kaveri and despite a rough start, they ended up developing a mutual respect for each other.  He's not exactly high-principled, but looking back on his own experiences, the only people he point-blank refuses to work for are slavers.

Malaric Astlar
Aging human Hedge Wizard living in Bisgen who is well-known amongst the townsfolk for brewing love potions and cure-alls - occasionally they even work!  He's fascinated by Saryth (in hopefully a not-too-skeevy-way!) but has his suspicions she's not exactly what she claims to be.

Andradin e'Darryan
An Actun eladrin sea captain, commanding the trading xebec "Errant Venture", Andradin originally met Saryth when she travelled on his ship from Actun to Renth.  Since then he has kept in contact as far as possible, bringing her news and small gifts whenever the Venture docks at Renth.  Fearing his reaction should he discover her true nature, Saryth has tried to discourage his attentions, but has to admit to herself that she enjoys his company.

I have an idea that Saryth is fleeing something very horrible and very cold, something that seeks to drag her back to the Winter King's realm... have you read "A Wizard of Earthsea"? >:)  She has run south into the hot lands of Altanis, as far as she can go - any further south and it starts getting colder again!

-Simon

From: Judith Marshallsay <alekto_uk@hotmail.com>
To: Simon Newman <s.t.newman@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 6:53 PM
Subject: Southlands

Some character stuff - you said there was scope within the setting for another ancient empire...


Southlands Background


The Winter Realm

Centuries, perhaps millennia ago, there was a Realm of the Eladrin, its name lost to time, ruled over by one whom history remembers only as the Winter King.  Though the Winter Fey were of the same race as all eladrin, the Winter King held his people to be distinct from their brethren and thus when the King of Actun called for the aid of the Winter Fey fighting a great enemy, he refused.  Dismayed by their King's decision to deny aid to their kin, some amongst his Captains chose to disobey and bade their troops ready for war.


When their actions became known to him, the Winter King called his Captains to him and spoke to them of the need to protect their own realm and its people, reminding them of the times they had needed aid and none had been sent, but his arguments were in vain.  As the last of his Captains left the Winter Court to gather their troops, the Winter King was overwhelmed by a great and terrible anger.  Drawing on all his power he reached deep into the immanent cold of the Winter Realm and drew it forth, intending to close the borders of his realm that none could leave.  The cold, vast and protean, willingly answered his call reaching across the borders between the dimensions, spreading faster and further, but in his rage the Winter King noticed too late that it had passed beyond his ability to control.  Clouds of freezing fog swept down the corridors and hallways of the Citadel, creeping under doors until the entire Citadel was engulfed.  Where the fog had touched, every surface was left rimed in ice.  Alone and unmoving, the Winter King sat on a frozen throne.  Some few of the Winter Fey had seen the cloud coming and managed to flee to safety, eventually seeking refuge in Actun, but the rest lay where they fell, consigned to a frozen living death.


As time passed, the fog drifted beyond the Citadel and all that lay within the borders of the Winter Realm was locked as if in the coldest winter.  Fey creatures roamed the frozen forest, tasked by the Winter King to guard the borders of his domain from any who would disturb it.  Within the Citadel, the spirits of the Winter Fey who could not escape were drawn into the still-living mind of the Winter King, into his Dream of what should have been...


Saryth Wintermoon

There are two sorts of Winter Fey: the descendants of those who fled the Winter Realm and the corpses of those who didn't.  Saryth Wintermoon is one of the latter.  Over the years the borders of the Winter Realm have ebbed and flowed; where they have drawn back, they have sometimes revealed a frozen corpse of one of the Winter Fey who failed to escape.  Given time, luck and perhaps the will of the Gods, the spirit of that eladrin was able to break free from the Dream to re-inhabit and re-animate its body before the cold returned.


Saryth awoke from the Dream three years ago with only fractured memories merging the Dream with ages-old reality.  Elven priests from a resident mission devoted to Sehanine, once the patron goddess of the Winter Fey, found her and tended her.  Accompanying a supply caravan, she travelled to Actun where other priests of Sehanine took her in and gave her time to adjust to the world into which she had awoken.  They taught her how to control and utilise the cold within her spirit, to shape it for attack and defence, and to manifest it to form what they described as the Blade of Winter Mourning.


As soon as was deemed reasonable, Saryth left Actun to settle in Renth, away from the accusing gazes of High Elves who still remembered tales of the Winter King's refusal to help them in their hour of need.


Description

Name: Saryth Wintermoon
Rank/Position/Concept: Free Sword loosely attached to the Church of Sehanine
Sex: Female
Species: Revenant Eladrin
Race: Winter Fey
Homeland: The Winter Realm / Actun / Renth
Age: 23 (apparent age)
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 130lb
Colour of - Hair: White; Eyes: Indigo, white pupils; Skin: Bluish-White
Appearance: Graceful, Ascetic.  Close to, it feels like she's radiating cold.
Clothing: Reinforced leather armour of eladrin make, dyed indigo (treated as Hide).  Clothing is flowing but practical, based around a colour palette of white, indigo and black.
Demeanour: Curious; naïve about many non-eladrin/elf things.
Motivations: Currently tagging along with a group of elven traders travelling from Renth to Bisgen with a view to buying a horse.  Saryth wants to get out, to explore - as far as she's concerned, stories of ancient treasures and fell creatures definitely sound worth looking into!  (But with a view to avoiding anything related to undead as far as possible - some things are too close for comfort!).  Since she's awoken, she's been an outsider.  She's looking for comrades who will take her for who she is, not what she is.


Possible links to other PCs - any Red Elves/Half-elves with connections to Renth; Ranger/Warden or other outdoors type scouting for the elven traders; anything related to Sehanine.

 ====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Saryth Wintermoon, level 3
Revenant, Hexblade
Choose your Race in Life: Eladrin
Background: Pledged Scout (Perception class skill)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 13, Dex 17, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 19.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 13, Dex 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 17.

AC: 19 Fort: 13 Reflex: 15 Will: 16
HP: 35 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 8
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +6, Perception +6, Stealth +8, Intimidate +12
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Dungeoneering +1, Endurance +3, Heal +1, History +1, Insight +1, Nature +1, Religion +1, Streetwise +5, Thievery +3, Athletics -1
FEATS
Level 1: Rod Expertise
Level 2: Silvery Glow
POWERS
Level 1 Hexblade Daily Power: Armor of Agathys
Level 2 Hexblade Utility Power: Ethereal Stride
ITEMS
Blade of Winter's Mourning, Adventurer's Kit, Magic Hide Armor +1, Magic Rod +1, Dagger, Potion of Healing (heroic tier) (2)

Maegara

Character Name: Meg (Maegara)  Player: Francis
Rank/Position/Concept: Unwilling and still good priestess of
dark powers
Sex: Female
Race: Either human or tiefling (born human - see background
story for why it might have changed)
Ethny: Altany
Homeland: Altanis
Age: 17
Height: 5'2" (plus anything up to 5" heels)
Weight:
Colour of - Hair: Black
Eyes: Ice Blue
Skin: Olive
Appearance: Small, dark, and the sort of curvy you gain as part
of a pact with dark ... things.  Other than the eyes, could
possibly pass as a succubus.
Clothing: Normally black leather - if there's any excuse for
modest clothing providing an advantage she'll take it.
Demeanour: Surprisingly innocent for a dark pact warlock.
Generally cheerful and enjoying the good life.
Motivations: Conflicted - she wants out of her pact but wants
no one else to risk what she's gone through so she likes
playing rescuer and really likes the power she wields.  And
slowly it's getting to her.  She also likes letting her hair
down, splurging money (even if she doesn't buy her own drinks),
and having fun.

Her brain was foggy with smoke and the ropes dug into Screaming
had been pointless even before she'd been placed on the dark
altar.  And in stories this was the time the hero arrived.  But
she'd never believed in heroes.  She had, however, believed
Mattrim's honeyed words when he'd lured her here to be his
sacrifice to she knew not what.  Never again, not that that
looked as if it would be an issue.  She arched her chin to
avoid being cut, shivering.  He raised his knife high in the
air.  This was her only chance.  She twisted so her back was to
him, grabbed his belt knife and stabbing him in the gut.  His
own blade descended, scoring a line down her stomach as he
doubled over.  Which brought his head and neck into reach.  One
hard bite and she and the alter were drenched in blood as the
waste of skin expired messily.

Dark laughter from a cacophany of inhuman voices erupted in her
mind as she felt as if her body caught fire.  One voice spoke
to her, sounding like a hundred snakes hissing.  "The ritual
has been performed, and the sacrifice accepted.  Welcome, our
newest priestess.  Now what do you wish to do with your two
acolytes?"  Feeling much calmer than she ought to, she looked
at one and mentally reached out.  She glared and wished looks
could kill.  He collapsed, blood pouring out of his nose and
eyes.  Apparently her looks now not only could but she felt
high on the surge of energy that flowed into her.  Her other
captor screamed and brought his club down on her stomach, but
as it was about to touch her much of the energy she'd taken
earthed itself through the club and it's unfortunate wielder
causing his hair to stand on end - and his heart to stop.

In her mind the laughter, which had died down, erupted again.
"Very well done."  The sibilant voice continued.  "Corruption
is so much sweeter than inherent evil and you will make a fine
priestess.  And an entertaining one.  Enjoy your remodelled
body.  If you try wearing clothing we find inappropriate other
than for malicious purposes, it will itch.  And do something
about that tiresome virginity of yours."  As she blushed she
wished that heroes did exist; one would be useful right about
now for many reasons.  But right now, getting free and getting
out of here seemed like a good plan.