And so begin the campaign logs for the anti-Humanist campaign. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a brief rundown of the basic concept. For exhaustive ruminations, check out http://pub102.ezboard.com/fokayyourturnfrm32.showMessage?topicID=250.topic
There is an organization at work in the campaign called the Humanists. Humanists range from people who are greatful to the giants for freeing them, but who now want to be able to recreate their own kingdom, all the way up to people who see giants and almost every other race as a filthy scourge and want to be free of them as violently as possible.
The campaign is set in Xavel where in recent years, more and more humans have been moving in, and becoming more vocal about their rights. The party are Knights of the Diamond, subProxies (a quarter-step down from a lieutenant, roughly, in a modern military) who have attained the highest rank possible for non-giants in the giant military. They are each routinely responsible for leading small 5-man patrols of guardsmen, but are also part of an elite group lead by Proxy Ku-Carram, a Giant 3/Warmain 3 capable of entering Chi-Julud, and also a Born Leader. The Proxy is a man loved by his soldiers and by this party in particular.
The PCs:
Wolfwind, 1st level unbound human male wolf totem warrior.
Wolfwind was found wandering the Harrowdeep as a little child (~4 years old), and was adopted by Seili Everfight (former quickling spryte female hawk totem warrior) and Soen Loreshadow (former loresong spryte male magister), both of whom are in their late middle age. These two both chose to become sprytes at a time when they were focused on excelling in their respective fields, regarding romance as not for them. Later in life, they fell in love, and it was a great tragedy that they could not have a child together. They were the leaders of the village (Heandale) that found Wolfwind.
Wolfwind was given a surname only because it would be presumptuous for the faen to come up with his real name. Similarly, he was offered the choice to not have a truename (which he took) because the faen were uncomfortable just "making up" something.
Wolfwind considers himself to be a faen, even though logically he knows he's not. Still he feels like he's faen. He was teased mercilessly as a child by the faen children, but thanks to that learned how to control his temper better than another human might, since very soon he would be capable of doing great harm not only to the other children, but even to the adults.
One day, Wolfwind was out in the forest and had what he believes to be his first ephiphany of a Faen god, Great Father Wolf. Any faen would patiently explain that something that broad couldn't possibly be a god; he'd have too much to do! But this epiphany was such that he felt compelled to go out into the world and aid it in the way his parents taught him to.
He entered the city Navael, and even though it's heavily faen influenced, his strange demeanor didn't go over well. He got into an altercation with a drunken man in a bar and hurt him severely. He fled into the wilderness but was tracked down by a patrol that included former squadron-mate, Akai Windrider. He was offered the choice: face his crimes, or join the military to atone for them. He chose he latter.
Wolfwind has an anger problem, and a violence impulse-control problem, but his extraordinary skill and determination to aid the Land and The Diamond Throne have won him a place in Ku-Carram's eilte unit. Nonetheless, these problems make him a bone of contention in the military, and it is only through the sheer force of personality that the Proxy wields that protects him against his enemies in the force.
Wolfwind's player describes the character's personality thusly: "Nice guy. Intense."
Scetigoth, mojh magister
Scetigoth was a man known as Ogar Morsten before his transformation. He lived in a small town called Queviri, in the uncontrolled land between Zalavat and The Diamond Throne (though functionally most ties were with The Diamond Throne). It was a heavily verrik town that had a Humanist attack which forced out almost all non-humans. The town is now largely a Humanist enclave.
His parents ran a tavern called Hanson's Well. The father, Jonaird, died of a wasting sickness and his wife, Carna, died shortly thereafter, despairing in her loss. He was left in charge of his sister, Lynan, and the tavern. He saw his life closing up around him and the chances for him being the kind of man (or, non-man) he wanted to be disappearing, and so he left his sister in charge of the tavern and fled to a mojh enclave called Sadisin. I haven't established yet how he found out about it and the like, but I'm asking the player.
Sadisin is in the Elder Mountains, on the site of a former dramojh "lab" where foul experiments were conducted. In it can be found both a black stream and a power cyst which are both carefully tended by the enclave's leader, the akashic Scisalin. The enclave consists of 6 mojh and 7 mojh-born. The enclave's philosophy is that people who rail against The Dark are being foolish and provincial. They regard the dramojh as vile because of their excesses, but not on principal. They feel comfortable utilizing the tools and discoveries of the dramojh.
Scetigoth spent 5 years among the mojh, learning their ways and eventually "ascending" into their ranks. They gave it its True Name ceremony, and inducted it into the world of those bold enough to truck with The Dark with the Corrupt Mage ceremony. They then sent it out to De-Shamod to study at the ancient magisterial academy, Se-Heton.
Scetigoth didn't have the money to attend the college, but it learned about an opportunity that The Diamond Throne's military was making, and offered to enlist for a five-year tour of duty with the military in exchange for the cost of its training at the academy. Scetigoth swore its oath, and began training.
At the academy, it was hardly popular. It didn't take the instructors very long to figure out that it tangled with forces that most civilized people would find repugnant. Word about this got out quickly among the students, as well, and Scetigoth quickly found itself ostracized. The only things that provably prevented its complete ouster were its determination, its extreme sense of honor and forthrightness when it came to its word, and its ability to domineer those who tried to bully it. While in Se-Heton, it met its future co-recruit, Chardak. The two could not be more different, and did not form a close relationship while studying together.
When it completed its studies and began its enlistment with the army, the word had gotten out about what it was, and what sorts of things it was "into". But the military had made an oath to it as much as it had to them, and so it was beholden upon them to honor it. The decision was made to send Scetigoth to the furthest reaches of The Diamond Throne (where, incidentally, there wasn't as much life to be corrupted by its unfortunate predilections). The hope was also by giving it the assignment that most giants would consider to be the worst possible assignment to get (far from the water), it might be encouraged to quit on its own. That part of it probably wasn't even conscious; it's just that love of the water is so core to the giants' nature that they can't but think of Xavel as one of the worst places in the world to be. It's just about perfect for a mojh, especially one so morally grey.
Scetigoth's enemies include:
Gellis Froron, a human rabble-rouser for the Humanist cause. He is Lynan Morsten's (Scetigoth's sister) fiance, and helps to run the family tavern these days. Sctigoth has tried to go back to its home village several times, to try to reconcile with its sister, but such attempts have never been successful. It believes Gellis has brainwashed its sister into the Humanist cause, and while she occasionally shows some trend toward sympathy toward what used to be her brother, on those rare occasions, Gellis would always be there with his bully boys to run Scetigoth out of town. While Scetigoth is certainly capable of making Gellis rue the day that he ever met Lynan, it can't bring itself to harm one who its sister so dearly loves. Besides that, doing so is not likely to endear itself to her, anyway.
Fisgar is a greenbond who tends to the population of Xavel, aiding both with crops and with the everyday insults and injuries the poor see inflicted on their bodies and spirits. Fisgar is, however, a Humanist. He's one of the more moderate humanists (at least, in public, who knows what his heart truly believes), advocating merely for independant governance and representation rather than the more vile and racist attitudes of some of his compatriots. However, to him, Scetigoth represents everything wrong with the giants. They have a practical darkbond (to his way of thinking) as an officer in their military! The truth is that Fisgar probably regards Scetigoth as his own enemy more than Scetigoth would regard Fisgar as its enemy.
Kesh the Lost is a sibeccai champion of darkness who is a raider in the area. He preys upon the caravans and any peasantry that he and his occasional henchmen are able to find out on their own. To Scetigoth, Kesh is the reason that people are unreasonably quick to judge with regard to his own activites. He wants to stop Kesh because, basically, Kesh is giving The Dark a bad name.
Scetigoth's player describes his personality as, "Grim, quiet, not to be trifled with."
Akai Windrider, male quickling faen unfettered
Akai is from the city of Navael. His parents were merchants, who left him at about 8 years old because they were both struck with inspiration from the gods and wanted to become Champions of Freedom. His father's name was Voen, his mother's Saeni.
He wound up in the care of his uncle, Goen Windwriter. Goen is a scribe who set up a shop in Navael and produces beautiful manuscripts for people, complete with illuminations.
He joined the military because he wanted to live a life of adventure. He served alongside Wolfwind when he was found, and Wolfwind's affinity for faen spoke naturally to the Akai.
Akai's player describes him as an arrogant smartass.
Kester Stenth, male human akashic
His family (Father: Pagis, Mother: Tarra, Brother: Edric) are from Khorl and claim to be descended from what nobility remains from the days before the dramojh. In any case, they are inarguably rich. They use their sizeable wealth, putting it to work in offering loans to citizens and passers-by through the city, and reaping the rewards of interest. The family has unreasonably high standards of excellence for its children.
Several years ago, Edric was caught with a book of necromancy and disowned by the family. During that same period, Kester had become fast friends with a poor and troubled giant named Vi-Gorto, who introduced him to the city's famous and fetid underbelly. Young Kester found himself fascinated by the workings of the criminal underworld, and was drawn to it like a moth to flame. When his parents caught on, they decided they weren't going to lose two children to perfidy, so they packed him off to an akashic school founded in Khorl (a city which echoes with the memories of the multitudes that once lived in wide swaths of the city which are now utterly abandoned--at least by most legitimate people.
This school is known as the Mirran Mind Academy, and is run by a verrik named Veyinr. 4 other akashics call that school home. One of them is Lofgin Corstrat, one of Kester's enemies. Lofgin was always extremely competitive with Kester, and hates him in part because Kester had a fling with Lofgin's sister, Jenlene.
While in the academy, Kester found himself far more interested in the illicit skills he could learn than those his parents were hoping he would take on. However, in the mean time, his old friend Vi-Gorto reformed himself by serving in the Giant military, where (along with some time learning from magisters), he became a mage blade. He convinced his old friend to join up, too, and Kester followed suit.
Kester's player describes his personality thusly: "Very gung-ho, enjoys a challenge."
Chardak, male human magister
Chardak is from a village called Janithan. It's a small farming village north of Xavel. The people there are superstitious and suspicious, and humanist-allied. The town is now all human, thanks to a Humanist-lead expurgation of "undesirables". In this conflict, his family was killed, and his older sister took over running of the farm.
Chardak saw this revolution and his taste for the Humanist cause rather muted. He chose to attend Se-Heton on the same sort of scholarship program that Scetigoth attended on. Once he was exposed to the multicultural environment of De-Shamod and Se-Heton, he fully rejected his former ways, and now feels it's his duty to atone for the excesses he aided or particpated in.
Chardak's player describes his personality as, "Very honest, outgoing, chivalrous."
Most of these characters were created with 32 point point-buy. 2 (Chardak and Kester) chose to roll 4d6 and drop the lowest, though they were told they'd be stuck with whatever they rolled as long as they had a net +1 modifier.
There is an organization at work in the campaign called the Humanists. Humanists range from people who are greatful to the giants for freeing them, but who now want to be able to recreate their own kingdom, all the way up to people who see giants and almost every other race as a filthy scourge and want to be free of them as violently as possible.
The campaign is set in Xavel where in recent years, more and more humans have been moving in, and becoming more vocal about their rights. The party are Knights of the Diamond, subProxies (a quarter-step down from a lieutenant, roughly, in a modern military) who have attained the highest rank possible for non-giants in the giant military. They are each routinely responsible for leading small 5-man patrols of guardsmen, but are also part of an elite group lead by Proxy Ku-Carram, a Giant 3/Warmain 3 capable of entering Chi-Julud, and also a Born Leader. The Proxy is a man loved by his soldiers and by this party in particular.
The PCs:
Wolfwind, 1st level unbound human male wolf totem warrior.
Wolfwind was found wandering the Harrowdeep as a little child (~4 years old), and was adopted by Seili Everfight (former quickling spryte female hawk totem warrior) and Soen Loreshadow (former loresong spryte male magister), both of whom are in their late middle age. These two both chose to become sprytes at a time when they were focused on excelling in their respective fields, regarding romance as not for them. Later in life, they fell in love, and it was a great tragedy that they could not have a child together. They were the leaders of the village (Heandale) that found Wolfwind.
Wolfwind was given a surname only because it would be presumptuous for the faen to come up with his real name. Similarly, he was offered the choice to not have a truename (which he took) because the faen were uncomfortable just "making up" something.
Wolfwind considers himself to be a faen, even though logically he knows he's not. Still he feels like he's faen. He was teased mercilessly as a child by the faen children, but thanks to that learned how to control his temper better than another human might, since very soon he would be capable of doing great harm not only to the other children, but even to the adults.
One day, Wolfwind was out in the forest and had what he believes to be his first ephiphany of a Faen god, Great Father Wolf. Any faen would patiently explain that something that broad couldn't possibly be a god; he'd have too much to do! But this epiphany was such that he felt compelled to go out into the world and aid it in the way his parents taught him to.
He entered the city Navael, and even though it's heavily faen influenced, his strange demeanor didn't go over well. He got into an altercation with a drunken man in a bar and hurt him severely. He fled into the wilderness but was tracked down by a patrol that included former squadron-mate, Akai Windrider. He was offered the choice: face his crimes, or join the military to atone for them. He chose he latter.
Wolfwind has an anger problem, and a violence impulse-control problem, but his extraordinary skill and determination to aid the Land and The Diamond Throne have won him a place in Ku-Carram's eilte unit. Nonetheless, these problems make him a bone of contention in the military, and it is only through the sheer force of personality that the Proxy wields that protects him against his enemies in the force.
Wolfwind's player describes the character's personality thusly: "Nice guy. Intense."
Scetigoth, mojh magister
Scetigoth was a man known as Ogar Morsten before his transformation. He lived in a small town called Queviri, in the uncontrolled land between Zalavat and The Diamond Throne (though functionally most ties were with The Diamond Throne). It was a heavily verrik town that had a Humanist attack which forced out almost all non-humans. The town is now largely a Humanist enclave.
His parents ran a tavern called Hanson's Well. The father, Jonaird, died of a wasting sickness and his wife, Carna, died shortly thereafter, despairing in her loss. He was left in charge of his sister, Lynan, and the tavern. He saw his life closing up around him and the chances for him being the kind of man (or, non-man) he wanted to be disappearing, and so he left his sister in charge of the tavern and fled to a mojh enclave called Sadisin. I haven't established yet how he found out about it and the like, but I'm asking the player.
Sadisin is in the Elder Mountains, on the site of a former dramojh "lab" where foul experiments were conducted. In it can be found both a black stream and a power cyst which are both carefully tended by the enclave's leader, the akashic Scisalin. The enclave consists of 6 mojh and 7 mojh-born. The enclave's philosophy is that people who rail against The Dark are being foolish and provincial. They regard the dramojh as vile because of their excesses, but not on principal. They feel comfortable utilizing the tools and discoveries of the dramojh.
Scetigoth spent 5 years among the mojh, learning their ways and eventually "ascending" into their ranks. They gave it its True Name ceremony, and inducted it into the world of those bold enough to truck with The Dark with the Corrupt Mage ceremony. They then sent it out to De-Shamod to study at the ancient magisterial academy, Se-Heton.
Scetigoth didn't have the money to attend the college, but it learned about an opportunity that The Diamond Throne's military was making, and offered to enlist for a five-year tour of duty with the military in exchange for the cost of its training at the academy. Scetigoth swore its oath, and began training.
At the academy, it was hardly popular. It didn't take the instructors very long to figure out that it tangled with forces that most civilized people would find repugnant. Word about this got out quickly among the students, as well, and Scetigoth quickly found itself ostracized. The only things that provably prevented its complete ouster were its determination, its extreme sense of honor and forthrightness when it came to its word, and its ability to domineer those who tried to bully it. While in Se-Heton, it met its future co-recruit, Chardak. The two could not be more different, and did not form a close relationship while studying together.
When it completed its studies and began its enlistment with the army, the word had gotten out about what it was, and what sorts of things it was "into". But the military had made an oath to it as much as it had to them, and so it was beholden upon them to honor it. The decision was made to send Scetigoth to the furthest reaches of The Diamond Throne (where, incidentally, there wasn't as much life to be corrupted by its unfortunate predilections). The hope was also by giving it the assignment that most giants would consider to be the worst possible assignment to get (far from the water), it might be encouraged to quit on its own. That part of it probably wasn't even conscious; it's just that love of the water is so core to the giants' nature that they can't but think of Xavel as one of the worst places in the world to be. It's just about perfect for a mojh, especially one so morally grey.
Scetigoth's enemies include:
Gellis Froron, a human rabble-rouser for the Humanist cause. He is Lynan Morsten's (Scetigoth's sister) fiance, and helps to run the family tavern these days. Sctigoth has tried to go back to its home village several times, to try to reconcile with its sister, but such attempts have never been successful. It believes Gellis has brainwashed its sister into the Humanist cause, and while she occasionally shows some trend toward sympathy toward what used to be her brother, on those rare occasions, Gellis would always be there with his bully boys to run Scetigoth out of town. While Scetigoth is certainly capable of making Gellis rue the day that he ever met Lynan, it can't bring itself to harm one who its sister so dearly loves. Besides that, doing so is not likely to endear itself to her, anyway.
Fisgar is a greenbond who tends to the population of Xavel, aiding both with crops and with the everyday insults and injuries the poor see inflicted on their bodies and spirits. Fisgar is, however, a Humanist. He's one of the more moderate humanists (at least, in public, who knows what his heart truly believes), advocating merely for independant governance and representation rather than the more vile and racist attitudes of some of his compatriots. However, to him, Scetigoth represents everything wrong with the giants. They have a practical darkbond (to his way of thinking) as an officer in their military! The truth is that Fisgar probably regards Scetigoth as his own enemy more than Scetigoth would regard Fisgar as its enemy.
Kesh the Lost is a sibeccai champion of darkness who is a raider in the area. He preys upon the caravans and any peasantry that he and his occasional henchmen are able to find out on their own. To Scetigoth, Kesh is the reason that people are unreasonably quick to judge with regard to his own activites. He wants to stop Kesh because, basically, Kesh is giving The Dark a bad name.
Scetigoth's player describes his personality as, "Grim, quiet, not to be trifled with."
Akai Windrider, male quickling faen unfettered
Akai is from the city of Navael. His parents were merchants, who left him at about 8 years old because they were both struck with inspiration from the gods and wanted to become Champions of Freedom. His father's name was Voen, his mother's Saeni.
He wound up in the care of his uncle, Goen Windwriter. Goen is a scribe who set up a shop in Navael and produces beautiful manuscripts for people, complete with illuminations.
He joined the military because he wanted to live a life of adventure. He served alongside Wolfwind when he was found, and Wolfwind's affinity for faen spoke naturally to the Akai.
Akai's player describes him as an arrogant smartass.
Kester Stenth, male human akashic
His family (Father: Pagis, Mother: Tarra, Brother: Edric) are from Khorl and claim to be descended from what nobility remains from the days before the dramojh. In any case, they are inarguably rich. They use their sizeable wealth, putting it to work in offering loans to citizens and passers-by through the city, and reaping the rewards of interest. The family has unreasonably high standards of excellence for its children.
Several years ago, Edric was caught with a book of necromancy and disowned by the family. During that same period, Kester had become fast friends with a poor and troubled giant named Vi-Gorto, who introduced him to the city's famous and fetid underbelly. Young Kester found himself fascinated by the workings of the criminal underworld, and was drawn to it like a moth to flame. When his parents caught on, they decided they weren't going to lose two children to perfidy, so they packed him off to an akashic school founded in Khorl (a city which echoes with the memories of the multitudes that once lived in wide swaths of the city which are now utterly abandoned--at least by most legitimate people.
This school is known as the Mirran Mind Academy, and is run by a verrik named Veyinr. 4 other akashics call that school home. One of them is Lofgin Corstrat, one of Kester's enemies. Lofgin was always extremely competitive with Kester, and hates him in part because Kester had a fling with Lofgin's sister, Jenlene.
While in the academy, Kester found himself far more interested in the illicit skills he could learn than those his parents were hoping he would take on. However, in the mean time, his old friend Vi-Gorto reformed himself by serving in the Giant military, where (along with some time learning from magisters), he became a mage blade. He convinced his old friend to join up, too, and Kester followed suit.
Kester's player describes his personality thusly: "Very gung-ho, enjoys a challenge."
Chardak, male human magister
Chardak is from a village called Janithan. It's a small farming village north of Xavel. The people there are superstitious and suspicious, and humanist-allied. The town is now all human, thanks to a Humanist-lead expurgation of "undesirables". In this conflict, his family was killed, and his older sister took over running of the farm.
Chardak saw this revolution and his taste for the Humanist cause rather muted. He chose to attend Se-Heton on the same sort of scholarship program that Scetigoth attended on. Once he was exposed to the multicultural environment of De-Shamod and Se-Heton, he fully rejected his former ways, and now feels it's his duty to atone for the excesses he aided or particpated in.
Chardak's player describes his personality as, "Very honest, outgoing, chivalrous."
Most of these characters were created with 32 point point-buy. 2 (Chardak and Kester) chose to roll 4d6 and drop the lowest, though they were told they'd be stuck with whatever they rolled as long as they had a net +1 modifier.
