For the Love of Tomeri...(23June2004)

[crater]

Sounds like they could have used a bit better reconaissance beforehand.

Yup, I have to agree with that. We'll have to find some way of scouting without the use of invisibility, the wizard just got fed up of using invisibility all the time!! Maybe clairvoyance, or some of those floating eye spells. I thought we did ok by eliminating most of the Yeth hounds early on, but we werent counting on the Anarkarim knights being so recklessly destructive.

 

[simmo]

chapter 8 “I've got your back!” said the mineral mephit

As the battle was raging inside the remains of the Anakharim base, Serena remained outside alert for signs of reinforcements. She could clearly hear the thoughts that her companions were shouting at each other during the battle and the seer felt somehow removed from the whole conflict. As if she was catching glimpses of a vision and not of actual events unfolding in front of her.

To clear her head and prevent a vision from assailing her and clouding her mind Serena tried to concentrate on something else. Her gaze was drawn to the carrion birds circling lazily overhead and she saw that one of the birds was rising from the canyon to join the others. Her intuition told her that there was something not quite right about the bird.

The heart seer of Tomeri drew on the powers of her mind to expand her vision and she once again looked at the rising bird. This time she could clearly see that the vulture was bigger than the others circling above them and that it had somewhat different features. The tuft of hair at the base of its neck was not stained red like the others and its claws appeared longer. Also, the bird appeared to be gaining height at an alarming rate.

Serena sent out a mental summons to her dwarven companion who flew slowly and steadily over the roof of the building. There is another knight at the back of the building inside a bubble of force, Littleby informed Serena as he sped upwards to follow the fleeing bird.

The dwarven scholar's fingers traced intricate patterns in the air as he flew after the rising vulture. He crafted a potent spell to unravel the magic around the creature. Suddenly the vulture's forward momentum slowed and the air around it rippled briefly. The bird let out a hoarse cry and pointed its head downwards as it dived in to the next canyon.

Littleby gave chase along with the mineral mephit and followed the carrion bird in to the next canyon. The flyers dodged between rocky outcroppings and swooped down low across the ground before gaining altitude again. The dwarven scholar was not surprised by how uncharacteristically good a flyer the vulture was for one of its race. Further confirming his belief that it was no ordinary bird.

Having narrowly avoided collision with some jagged boulders in the midst of the canyon floor, Littleby began to fall behind the creature yet again. The dwarven scholar moved his fingers in the same motions as before and uttered the same arcane words. This time he succeeded in unravelling the alteration enchantment around the vulture which transformed in to the shape of a man dressed in a sandy coloured robe.

Instead of plummeting out of the sky the man began to gently drift downwards and as he did his lips moved in prayer. The shaven haired man wore a loose sandy coloured robe with a finely wrought belt on which hung several pouches. He had a snake-shaped amulet around his neck and a white curved dagger jammed in through his belt that looked more like a tooth than a blade.

The dwarven scholar flew straight at the shaven haired man, intent on bearing him to the ground. As he flew towards him he became aware of a buzzing sound that rapidly grew in volume. From beneath him he caught sight of a small dark cloud that was on an intercept course and as it drew closer he saw that it was a swarm of locusts.

“I've got your back!” said the mineral mephit. The small creature flew between the dwarf and the swarm and a spray of tiny crystal shards erupted from its mouth. The minuscule ceramic pieces that the mineral mephit breathed on to the swarm tore through insect wings, compound eyes and took out a significant portion of the swarm before it closed over the dwarf.

“Thanks, mephit.” Littleby was stunned for a brief moment by his own words, never having thought that he would say those words. The mephit's intervention bought him enough time to read a spell off one of his many scrolls that blinded the priest as he drifted towards the ground.

The dwarven scholar raced to out-fly the swarm of biting insects and came around in a long arc straight at the priest with the serpent symbol around his neck. The mineral mephit fought a fast moving battle with the locust swarm that was dragging out in to a war of attrition with neither side being able to drive the other out of the air.

Littleby heard Cade's mental warning about the man being the leader of the base and tried to come up with a quick plan to capture the man alive. He spotted that the lips of the priest were moving again in prayer and decided that instead of trying to lift of the priest's amulet – he would simply pile drive the man in to the ground.

Littleby came straight down on top of the Sethetis and as he bore him towards the ground. The priest's outline became wavery and then he disappeared entirely. The dwarven scholar noted with interest from the spell and a brief whiff of ash as the priest departed that Sethetis had most likely plane-shifted to Gehenna. However, Littleby did not have long to ponder on this as he and the ground were getting ever closer at an alarming rate.

The dwarven scholar managed to pull out of his vertical dive just in time to avoid being flattened against some moss covered boulders and flew up high enough to see the mineral mephit devour the last of the locusts.

 

[simmo]

chapter 9 The round up

“Prithee the fair maiden is saved from harm.” Sir Osbourne cradled Greir Crasad's slumbering form in his arms. He brushed her hair away from her face and smiled at the slumbering beauty that his liege had charged him with protecting.

Cade meanwhile was busying himself with exploring the remains of the building and seeing if there was anything of interest that they might like to take with. Caleb and Serena had rushed upstairs to explore the top floor and they came back with reports of several operating rooms, one of which had an insane bariaur male inside. The earth genasi had to resort to bludgeoning it in to unconscious to keep the mad creature contained.

In a different room they found a man whose legs had been removed. Fine powder covered the work-bench where the man lay and Serena guessed at the fact that the poor man had died from shock. Further along they found a small library of scrolls and books, some of which were penned by Sethetis. Those related to trying to bring modrons back from the dead, but he appeared to have had very little success as the subjects kept disintegrating in to a fine dust as soon as they died.

The priest of Set had been unable to contain the energies after the modron subject passed away. Littleby came back to aid in the search and recognised a small book that he'd borrowed from Kesto Brighteyes, proprietor of the Parted Veil in Sigil. There was another copy of the book that had been half completed, with only the first few chapter transferred across.

The hound archon left the grafting chambers and the alchemists laboratories for the watch tower outside. Ever vigilant, he was determined to keep a good look-out to give adequate fore-warning for when the Anakharim sent reinforcements.

One of the modrons had survived, as well as the bariaur woman calling herself Yissa the Sage and two of the knights. The modrons had been partially disassembled and was missing an arm as well as a monocle. When Littleby attempted to communicate with it in its native tongue the only thing that the broken quadrone could utter was: “Error, error, unable to mount arm. System failure due to missing parts.”

Cade and the others pooled the money, books, scrolls and gems that they'd recovered from the base. The halfling had continued to ask the bound bariaur female questions and had also found time to sing a calming melody to the workers who'd locked themselves in one of the store-rooms. When the others were preoccupied with exploring every nook and cranny of the base, Cade drew his short sword and walked menacingly over towards the bariaur woman and the two captive Anakharim knights.

With a few smiles, veiled threats and wagon loads of intimidating stares the halfling was able to learn from the captives that the Anakharim had two other bases on the Outlands. One close to the gate-town to Gehenna, called Torch, and the other by the Cavern of Thought, Illsensine's realm.

When he realised that the bariaur woman was withholding information about a third base, Cade glanced over to Sir Osbourne and the others to make sure that they were not looking in his direction, before brining the sword close to the captive's neck.

“If you don't tell me where the other base is, then I'll be forced to stop asking nicely.” Cade smiled at the bariaur woman in such a way that even a vampire would have cringed. The mad gleam in his eyes, sword brushing against her neck and terrifying smile broke Yissa's will.

She told Cade about a major base called the Flower Infernal in the plane of Gehenna, in the canyons of Khalas. As the halfling trawled through her thoughts he saw the currents of obsession that had led her to experimenting on her bariaur lover to further her understanding of transferring mechanical parts to organic creatures. The unfortunate bariaur, Denrac Grundurein, lay upstairs in a dreamless sleep tormented by the metal parts that had been unwillingly bonded to his flesh.

Yissa had studied under a half-elven scholar by the name of Valran Stonefist, but the two had fallen out over how to combine mortal and modron parts. Each had gone their separate ways. Yissa had joined the Anakharim and had convinced them that she could create an army of super-soldiers for them by combining modrons and men. The last that she'd heard of Valran was that he was somewhere in Arborea of all places.

Yissa felt no remorse for what she had done to the modrons or the other captives. She even felt joy at her lover's transformation, ignoring the fact that the process had cost him his sanity.

 

[simmo]

Chapter 10 Saved by the bell

One of the mephits found the stash of soul prisms that Sethetis had kept hidden away and brought them to its master.

”I reckon that I know someone who can sort those out for us, or at least tell us how much they are worth,” Cade said eyeing the prisms with keen interest.

“Why do I get the impression..” Serena began, but was interrupted by Caleb asking a question of Yissa.

“WHAT ARE THESE?” the earth genasi asked Yissa, holding the soul prisms in his outstretched hand.

“Currency,” the bariaur woman replied dispassionately.

“WHAT DO THEY DO?” Caleb asked.

“Cade, I get the impression that you're the kind of person who knows someone that can sort just about anything.” Serena managed to finish her previous sentence. She tired to give the halfling a hard stare, but it faltered as he smiled back at her.

“It's funny that you should mention that,” Cade said with an even bigger grin. “I've got a contact called Montello the Jeweller that I've had some dealings with in the past. He used to work for Shemeshka the Marauder.”

“Knowledge and memories.” Yissa the Sage stated after a lengthy pause. “Experiences.”

“INSIDE THESE STONES?” Caleb asked as he held one up to the light. He saw a ghostly face moving inside it that moved as if blown about by the wind. Or perhaps it was a ghostly human face crying out silently in distress.

“Yes,” the bariaur woman confirmed. She was unhappy about her superior keeping the stones, but Cade could not discern why.

“HOW DO YOU ACCESS THEM?” the earth genasi enquired, eager to find out more.

“Well, you simply have to...” Yissa began.

“They're traded by fiends.“ Cade cautioned his tall friend. “I'm not sure that you'd want to.”

“Can I have a look?” Serena asked, taking one of the prisms out of Caleb's hand.

“Memories and knowledge, are we talking about a soul?” Littleby asked. Yissa had not bothered to answer Caleb's question, but the dwarf was a little more insistent in getting an answer.

“I don't know,” she replied truthfully. Or care, the bariaur woman thought to herself. “It is simply currency to me.”

“I'll tell you what, when we get back to Sigil...” Cade was about to launch in to his plan about how to sell the prisms when he found that Caleb was not ready to move on yet.

“WHY DON'T WE SMASH THEM?” Caleb asked no one in particular.

“It's currency,” Cade stated as if that explained everything. Destroying money was sacrilege to him. “It is of value to someone.”

“IF IT CONTAINS A TRAPPED SPIRIT WITHIN IT...” the earth genasi mused out aloud.

“If.” Cade reiterated emphatically. “Perhaps we can get it to someone who can value it?”

Littleby remembered reading a book awhile ago in which the author claimed that if a soul died away from its destined plane then it was annihilated. Although if these were trapped souls of mortal instead of petitioners, then they would seek to travel to their after-lives.

“LET'S SMASH IT,” Caleb stated as he raised one of the prisms in his hand.

“At the very least I can find out more about them if you let me have them when we get back to Sigil.” Cade's voice had risen in panic at the thought of the valuable prisms being mashed and he gently lowered the earth genasi's hand.

“If we get back to Sigil,” Andrew did not bother to hide the doubtfulness of such a claim.

“I certainly think that we should find out more about them.” Serena did not like the idea of smashing the prisms. Perhaps this was because of the creepy feeling that she got when she handled them, or perhaps it was her intuition telling her to keep the prisms close. “But if they really do have souls trapped inside them, then I don't think that we should sell them.”

“Well, we can discuss that once we are absolutely convinced of what is inside them.” Cade was about to go over his plan again when the bell started ringing loudly from the watch-tower.

Zakar? Serena called out to her guardian.

There are riders coming, the hounds archon though back in his normal growling tone of speech.

How many and from which direction? Serena asked.

There is a column of knight coming from spirewards. Zakar was busy climbing down the tower's ladders to reach the Chosen of Tomeri.

What colour? Cade asked, realising that the knights might belong to their allies.

Black armoured knights, Zakar replied disgustedly, just as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Black armoured knights? Lets get the hell out of here. The halfling packed his gear in under a minute and was ready to rush off. Osbourne!

Yes your Highness. The knight was still holding Greir Crasad protectively in his arms. The other companions could feel the faint rumble of man riders somewhere in the next canyon and all gathered their belonging to quickly leave the Rendering works behind.

 

[simmo]

Part 22 Show me the Treasure

chapter 1 Back to the march

After clearing out the remains of the building off anything valuable, the companions got ready to leave. Cade was hurrying back from convincing the workers to ride with them when he came across Andrew who was looking pensively at one of the prisms.

“I was going to smash one to see what would happen.” Andrew commented after a lengthy pause. “Because you were all just sitting around arguing.”

“Yes alright let's get it back to Sigil, find out exactly what it is before we go around wasting what could a very valuable resource.” Cade picked up the prisms and placed them in a sturdy leather satchel.

“Agreed,” said Littleby who was counting the prisms as the halfling was putting them away, just to be sure that none of them mysteriously disappeared.

“We'd have nine of them left I'll have you know,” Andrew stated defensively.

“Yes,” Cade answered with a smile and a slight frown. “But we'd have one less to sell!”

As the three of them went outside they saw that the workers who'd been employed by the Anakharim were arguing amongst themselves whether they should stay or not. Cade hurried over and calmed their fears. With a few witty remarks, some veiled threats and a mental nudge here and there he was able to convince them to come along.

“So you're trying to get the workers to come along with us against their will,” Andrew had watched the halfling at work, intrigued by his technique but not pleased that it was going on at all.

“Yes,” Cade replied innocently, grinning like a cat who got the cream.

“That's not very moral,” the Indep was upset by the notion that a group of people could be so easily swayed.

“Isn't it,” the halfling replied in agreement. “How interesting.”

“No it isn't!” Andrew said indignantly before marching off to saddle his horse.

As the companions rode out they took with them the two captive knights and Yissa who lay bound in a wagon. The surviving quadrone that was partially disassembled as well as the ten workers that they found hiding in one of the storage rooms.

At first the pace was slow going and they did not progress very far. But after awhile with Littleby flying above them, Zakar in hound form scouting ahead and Sir Osbourne keeping tabs on the column of Anakharim knights, the travellers were able to pick up the pace more and prevent the gap between the groups of riders from closing too fast.

As Caleb rode in his two-man chariot with Andrew, his thoughts turned to the productive and positive relationship that his friends had with their bodyguards and servants. He slowly turned these thoughts over in his mind and then began to compare them to his mephit servants.

“PLEASE CAN EVERYONE MISTREAT MY MEPHITS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,” Caleb asked the others as they crossed a small stream in one of the canyons.

“No, because they would just come back.” Cade laughed merrily at Caleb suggestion. “We could kill them ritually every night and it still would not make any difference.”

“I tried,” Serena added, referring to her attack on one of the creatures earlier in the day before the front of the building exploded.

“They don't seem to mind,” Andrew stated incredulously. He was amazed at how much punishment the mephits took and still they came back.

“THEY'RE VERY LOYAL.” The earth genasi said and everyone laughed except for the mephits.

The light began to fade across this section of the Outlands as night was approaching. The companions spent some time looking for a cave to hide in and then debated how best to deal with the column of knights chasing them. In the end it was Littleby who flew off with the clay vases filled with waste, curtain dumplings and 'ooze mephit special' that threw the yeth hounds and Anakharim knights off their trail. As night fell they realised that they had become lost in their rush to evade the Anakharim knights.

“Zakar, can you guide us to somewhere that is good to camp?” Serena asked.

"Sorry my Lady," Zakar replied. “I do not know this area.”

“Back towards the march, that it what we need.” Cade stated. He stretched his small legs as they ached from the long ride and was glad to be back on the ground.

“Yes. Then let's get back towards the march as far as we can tonight.” Serena stated calmly.

“HAS ANYONE GOT ANY WAY FOR US TO AVOID GETTING HOPELESSLY LOST?” Caleb asked. His servants and a few of the others could see in the dark, but when the earth genasi asked his question – they realised that they would not be able to travel any further that night.

 

[simmo]

chapter 2 It's treasure time

The captives remained tied up for the night and they fed the workers. However, the broken modron was a different matter as it kept saying the same thing over and over again. As if one of the cogs inside had got stuck.

“DOES ANYONE SPEAK MODRON?” Caleb asked.

“Yes” Littleby replied, taking a quick break from reading one of the books that they'd recovered. “I recently learned a bit of modron, just a few words mind.”

“WOW, WHAT A COINCIDENCE,” the earth genasi said with a straight face.

“Unfortunately all that it would say is error, error, core dump, interactive debug mode initiating,” Littleby shrugged his shoulders and turned away from the earth genasi. He had a quick look at what Sir Osbourne was cooking in the pot but turned away in disgust. As he took out his ion stone and sent it spinning around his head, he was heard to comment: “I'll not eat any of that foreign muck”.

After another three and a half days of travelling through the Outlands they finally reached the outskirts of Faunel. The ancient city had long been claimed back by the jungle and ruined towers could be seen poking up amongst the tree tops. Vines and weeds choked the overgrown streets of the city and moss covered many of the stones. The companions did not enter the city, but instead chose to remain outside by one of the tent encampments as the great modron march left the Outlands and entered the Beastlands.

Sir Vamish Crasad was overjoyed at being reunited with his sister. He insisted that they accepted a monetary reward. The knight of the Order of Planar Militant was still suffering from the wounds that he'd received in the ambush, but was simply too stubborn to stay in the halls of the healers for too long. He thanked each of them profusely to the extent where some of the companions almost lost their patience, before leaving to join the rest of his men who had taken the injured Anakharim knights and the bariaur woman, Yissa the Sage, in to custody.

His sister thanked each of them as well and gave Sir Osbourne a kiss on the cheek. The knight blushed from head to toe and turned a deeper shade of red when he saw Cade giving him a knowing smile. Greir gave Sir Osbourne a letter and then left to join her brother. As she was walking away Lady Toujin made an appearance and presented each with a gift as a reward for the great deeds that they had performed.

Sir Osbourne received a new dragon-head shaped helmet. Lady Toujin informed him that it would give him a measure of protection against elemental energies. Cade Highdale received a platinum dragon scale that resonated whilst he sang, enhancing his chances of favourable interaction with celestials and good-aligned dragons.

Caleb received large metal boots that were shaped to resemble dragon claws. The earth genasi was pleased to learn that by concentrating on them briefly, the claws dug in to the ground and he remained absolutely fixed to the spot. Another thought retracted the claws to permit him to move off. The mephits each received a small satchel. They were initially disappointed to find that they were empty, but soon began to cram them full of odds and ends.

Serena received a small dragon statue that fit inside the palm of her hand and wrapped around her fingers. By focusing her anger through the device she was able to make it produce a small bolt of fire that incinerated the base of a nearby sapling, much to the surprise of the mephits who had been lounging in its branches.

Lady Toujin came up to Zakar and placed her delicate hands on the hound archon's shoulders. He sank down on one knee in front of her as she prayed to Bahamut and his collar changed to tin. Zakar was overwhelmed by the transformation and knelt in front of her whispering his thanks over and over. She hurried along swiftly presenting Littleby with three teeth of dragon summoning and Andrew with a plain cloak that had no distinguishing features.

Eventually Lady Toujin departed, heading back towards Excelsior on her flying carpet and waving at the companions as she left. As she glided off in to the sun-set the beautiful priestess of Bahamut winked at Cade and waved at the others.

 

[simmo]

We Interrupt This Adventure to bring you the following news

Peace-loving Organisation Forced to Change its Name Due to Vicious Attacks

Chant mongers and touts are rattling their bone-boxes around the Cage bringing you this breaking piece of news. Those in the know have heard of the recent happenings in the Great Modron March, including the unprovoked raid on a research base that left many dead and injured. At first it was thought that the raid was carried out by a Tanar'ri scouting party due to the ferocity of the attack and the amount of devastation that it caused. But a subsequent investigation indicated that it was conducted by a ruthless band of mercenaries whose only goal it was to plunder the base for knowledge and valuables.

Our reporter on the scene, the renowned Ashenbach, was able to get a quick interview Sethetis administrator in chief of the base.

Ashenbach: "Wanna tell us about the bashers that raided your place and how they gave you the laugh?"

Sethetis: Sigh. "It was truly awful. We were attacked without warning and many of our researchers were killed. The enemy was upon us before we could react, using underhand tactics to disable and main our guards in order to ensure the complete element of surprise."

Ashenbach: "Much obliged and all that. So what's this dark I'm hearing about modron implant tinkering..."

Sethetis: "Please let me finish." Sigh. "Our loyal guard dogs were burnt alive, they recklessly slew many of the volunteers that we'd paid to take part in our trials and they kidnapped the rest. They stole all books that were invaluable as they are the culmination of years of research. To top it all off they actually cut off the legs of one of the volunteers, he died of shock before he was able to bleed to death."

Ashenbach: "Suren. Anyway, what are the Anakharim plans for making sure these berks pay the music? Gonna ask the Red Death for help?"

Sethetis: "Well, the Anakharim will do nothing. Since these heartless mercenaries attacked us and brought our hard-earned good name in to disrepute, we have been forced to change the name of our organisation to save face. From now one we will be called the Tacharim."

Ashenbach: "Hmmm. Did the Anakharim... uh, I mean Tacharim mess with modrons 'n humans? You know, like making new tiefers or some such?"

Sethetis: "Of course not! These foul accusations have been put about by our enemies to discredit us. They have hired mercenaries to attack us as they are too cowardly themselves and we expect further attacks. However, this time we will be ready for them."

Ashenbach: "So the chant about that modron implant stuff is pure screed?"

Sethetis: "Yes. Do you have any more questions?"

Ashenbach: "Suren. What exactly are you berks messing with in this place?"

Sethetis: "I'm not permitted to speak of it, I'm sorry."

Ashenbach: "Chant has it you're using soul prisms in yer work. Wanna comment?"

Sethetis: "Under no circumstances would we use those items or even handle them. This is yet another attempt by our enemies to discredit us. Now if you please, I have work to do and a base to rebuild."

Ashenbach: "What a rube. Well there you have it cutters. The Anakharim are now the Tacharim and their peace-loving researchers. I'm a monkey's uncle and it's g'night from me. Stay tuned for more tarmy chant coming your way, suren."

 

[simmo]

As well as encouraging all my players to roll up a character and create a background (for which they get some XP). I also encourage them to fill in the 20 Questions that I've modified slightly from the 7th Sea Players Handbook by AEG. (note: the d20 version of 7th Sea is called Swashbuckling Adventures ).

Twenty Questions <Format>

1. What country/place is <insert name> from?
2. How would you physically describe <insert name>?
3. Does <insert name> have any recurring mannerisms?
4. What is your <insert name>'s main motivation?
5. What is <insert name>'s greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
6. What are <insert name>'s most and least favourite things?
7. What about <insert name>'s psychology? (i.e demeanor, mentality)
8. What is <insert name>'s single greatest fear?
9. What are <insert name>'s highest ambitions? Her greatest love?
10. What is <insert name>'s opinion of Sigil?
11. Does <insert name> have any prejudices?
12. Where do <insert name>'s loyalties lie?
13. Is <insert name> in love? Is she married or betrothed?
14. What about <insert name>'s family?
15. How would <insert name>'s parents describe her?
16. Is <insert name> a gentleman/gentlewoman?
17. How religious is <insert name>? What church do they follow?
18. Is <insert name> a member of a church, guild and/or faction?
19. What does <insert name> think of psionics and magic?
20. If you could, what advice would you give <insert name>?

 

[simmo]

Twenty Questions by Malkir
note: these questions were answered by Tallarn who plays Malkir. The questions are a modified version of those found in the 7th Sea Players handbook by AEG

1. What country/place is Malkir from?
He comes from an isolated part of Serena's homeworld, and grew up initially on a small farm on the southern continent. It was a large family with many mouths to feed, and at the age of about nine Malkir was sent away to the monastery. The Master of the Monastery saw potential in Malkir, and took him and began to teach him the way of the Henshin Mystics. It is only now that Malkir is starting to understand those teachings.

2. How would you physically describe Malkir?
Serene, calm, focused. If you read my thread on acting, I'd say he has a balance of strong and lightweight, has more quick time than sustained time, and a large amount of flexible space. He's quick to examine situations from many angles, determine his course of action and act upon it.
He tends to wear simple clothes, that look cheap yet enduring. There is a periapt hanging around his neck, shaped like a tree symbol if I remember rightly. He also wears fingerless gloves on his hands, and underneath the vest on his torso you can see a pair of bracers if you look carefully.

3. Does Malkir have any recurring mannerisms?
Smugness is an air he tends to give off at first, but when you get to know him a little better you realise that is simply incredibly aware of himself and his limitations. He's very difficult to faze for long.
He's fond of mystical sounding statements as well.

4. What is your Malkir's main motivation?
To learn himself and transcend to divinity. This does not mean godhood necessarily, but Malkir believes that eventually he will leave his material body behind and instead become a creature of another form.

5. What is Malkir's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
Strength - His ability to remain calm and focused in all situations, regardless of distractions.
Weakness - His lack of adherence to anything. By being so flexible, he lacks the raw passion and conviction that can sometimes take someone through a difficult situation.

6. What are Malkir's most and least favourite things?
Most - riddles and teaching
Least - people that refuse to accept a simple truth because of their inability to view something from another viewpoint

7. What about Malkir's psychology? (i.e demeanour, mentality)
Somewhat covered above, but the key point to the character is his concentration and sereneness. He constantly evaluates situations, seeking the maximum amount of information he can gain from his surroundings that help him to act.

8. What is Malkir's single greatest fear?
That everything he has been taught is a lie, and he can never transcend himself. That no matter what he does or how precisely he knows himself, someone out there could have greater knowledge. That Orcus is controlling him.

9. What are Malkir's highest ambitions? Her greatest love?
To ascend to divinity, but to take other people with him when he does. To have his school become established and well known without having to fight everyone for it.

10. What is Malkir's opinion of Sigil?
It's a nice place. Much better than home, with the lack of a mindflayer invasion and all. And although he's heard things about how awful some sections of it are, no one seems to be troubling him too much.

11. Does Malkir have any prejudices?
Not really, although the way he feels about people that can't adjust to a new situation comes close.

12. Where do Malkir's loyalties lie?
To himself first, always. Then to his students, and then on to Serena and Littleby, in that order. Caleb and Andrew are coming in last at the moment.

13. Is Malkir in love? Is she married or betrothed?
"The Master is not married, nor do I think he ever will be." - Riff Raff, The Rocky Horror Show

14. What about Malkir's family?
He left them behind a long time ago, and doesn't think about them much any more. The Master of his monastery also went walkabout one day, and Malkir occasionally wonders what happened to him. He hopes that the two of them can meet again, but he's not sure about it. Since coming to Sigil, he's realised that a portal might have been responsible, and the hope of meeting his former Master has increased.

15. How would Malkir's parents describe him?
If they saw him now, they'd be pleased with him. He's become something worthwhile, a teacher and a largely good man.

16. Is Malkir a gentleman/gentlewoman?
No, but he has the self confidence of one.

17. How religious is Malkir? What church do they follow?
He's not religious, but he is spiritual. He's aware of the Gods, but doesn't feel any need to ask them for aid.

18. Is Malkir a member of a church, guild and/or faction?
He's considering approaching the Sign of One for more information, but for now he's content to be the Master of a small monastery/school in Sigil, whilst waiting to see what this Githerezai has to say for himself.

19. What does Malkir think of psionics and magic?
Both are ways in which people manifest themselves. Either can be a learned skill or an innate ability. Malkir doesn't care about a person's abilities much, he's more interested in the why of things.

20. If you could, what advice would you give Malkir?
Bloody well get Annaleese to tell you about herself, make sure you keep up with that Githerezai Master, don't get on the wrong side of the Harmonium, and try not to buy anything else from Akin.

 

[simmo]

Twenty Questions by Serena Allman
note: these questions were answered by Randomling who plays Serena. The questions are a modified version of those found in the 7th Sea Players handbook by AEG

What country/place is Serena from?
Serena is from the higher levels of the tower city Tal'Chuan, where her father was a high-ranking officer in the military.

How would you physically describe Serena?
Serena is small and slim. She is not striking, but she is quietly pretty, with dark brown hair, lighter brown eyes and extremely fair skin. Her face is round, her nose snub, and her forehead quite high. She's long-limbed, with small breasts and a small waist. Her hair is waist-length and almost always worn long, though it is usually covered by the hood of her cloak.

Does Serena have any recurring mannerisms?
Generally quiet, Serena has some unobtrusive mannerisms. When troubled, she will twist her fingers through her hair, or keep one hand on the symbol of Tomeri at her throat. She typically has a calm exterior, but if extremely nervous she will bite her nails.

What is Serena's main motivation?
Serena's ultimate goal was once to rid the world of evil and unhappiness, and to that end she tried to set herself against the Enemy of her home. Now her eyes have been opened to the Multiverse, and her goals have changed somewhat. She wants, first and foremost, to do the things Tomeri has called her to do. Her way of doing this is to solve the problems put in front of her, seek to complete her quest, protect those she loves to the best of her ability, and spread love and the word of Tomeri wherever she can.

In reality though it is submerged anger and fear that keep Serena fighting. Hatred of her stepmother, anger at the suffering of herself and others, and fear of evil all drive her strongly. She will fight the causes of these feelings, but will also fight hard to avoid confronting them directly.

What is Serena's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
Serena's greatest strength is compassion. She has an almost unlimited well of love and compassion for others which drives her to great length to help them, but also gives her vast emotional fortitude. Married with a strong spiritual core, this makes Serena able to withstand almost any emotional blow in the knowledge that it is part of Tomeri's plan.

Her greatest weakness is her naivety. Serena is not only loving but immensely trusting, and her principles dictate that she sometimes doesn't treat new acquaintances with the contempt they seem to deserve, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. She has a near-infallible faculty for telling when people are not trustworthy, but her trusting nature leads her to ignore it far too often. She treats her word as her bond and expects the same courtesy from others - where there is antagonism she expects open opposition, but barely understands the concept of the double-cross.

What are Serena's most and least favourite things?
The thing that Serena craves is simple - a quiet room in which to meditate, pray, and practise her art. She loves (and sometimes needs) solitude and calm. The company of a man she loves comes a close second. However, it's a long time since either of these has really been a factor in her life.

The Enemy - illithids - terrify Serena and it's an effort for her not to try and kill one on sight. She knows the havoc they've wreaked on her homeworld and in her life, and her hatred of them knows almost no bounds.

What about Serena's psychology?
There is a large part of Serena, mostly buried deep, that is still a very frightened, angry and confused little girl. She's missed her father since his disappearance five years ago, and to a large extent has looked for a replacement - men who are by turns loving and distant, or helpful and mysterious, usually fit the bill. This hidden part of her desperately needs to feel looked after and protected.

What is Serena's single greatest fear?
Serena is terrified of being abandoned by everybody and left completely alone. This probably stems from the death of her mother, but was reinforced when her father went missing and again when Daniel left her. She tends to keep herself surrounded by people, even when those people barely know her, which is one of the reasons she likes to stay in the temple when she can.

What are Serena's highest ambitions? Her greatest love?
Serena's biggest goal is still to defeat evil and end unhappiness, and though she feels she is called to other things at the moment her eye is still fixed on her homeworld and the illithid threat there. In more practical terms, she wants to protect the people she loves from harm and confront evil wherever she finds it.

Her greatest love now probably goes to the church of Tomeri, which has nurtured her through a difficult time recently. High on the list would also be the Danster family and her father.

What is Serena's opinion of Tal'Chuan?
Mixed. On the one hand, she would go to great lengths to defend Tal'Chuan should it ever be threatened. On the other, it's a dark and troubling city in which Serena would rather not make her home again. Certainly now there are no ties of responsibility keeping here there, as there once were.

Does Serena have any prejudices?
Serena's most entrenched prejudice is against illithids - though she has recently proved, to her own great surprise, to be able to work with Sss'ah'tlaha when circumstances require. Otherwise, she has few prejudices.

Where do Serena's loyalties lie?
First, to Tomeri - if Serena feels her goddess to asking her to do something, she will do it to the best of her ability without question. Second, to the friends who have stuck by her through recent trials, as she sees it to protect and aid them any way she can. After that, she serves the needs of anyone she perceives to be in danger or distress, obeys the law and her own word, and only after that thinks of her own needs.

Is Serena in love? Is she married or betrothed?
Short answer - none of the above. Once, she was in love with a man called Daniel, who was a low-ranking soldier in Tal'Chuan. They maintained a relationship for two years, though he didn't always treat her well. Daniel was obsessed with other worlds and three years ago announced that he was absconding from the army and leaving Tal'Chuan. He asked Serena to go with him, but she felt bound by her obligations. She never saw him again. It hurt her deeply and it took her a long time to get over it, but for the most part she now remembers him fondly.

What about Serena's family?
The only child of two only children, Serena now has no living relatives. Her father, who died recently, was in the Tal'Chuan military. She remembers little of her mother, who died when she was four, but knows that Helen Allman was a beautiful noblewoman and was distantly related to the Danster family. The only relation Serena has living is her power-hungry, avaricious stepmother Miranda Allman. The relationship is mutually murderous.

How would Serena's parents describe her?
Serena's father, a cool-headed military man, doted on his daughter and would first of all describe her as beautiful and talented. However, he would also say she is too compassionate and trusting, and leaves herself open to being duped. Her stepmother on the other hand would say that she is scheming, stupid, and only after the family money.

Is Serena a gentlewoman?
She is noble by birth, but really has no contact in the noble circles of Tal'Chuan, as she ran away from home aged fifteen and apprenticed herself to Vincent Danster. The normal way of life of a noblewoman - sitting doing embroidery, as far as she can tell - doesn't suit her well as she'd much rather be out there saving the world.

How religious is Serena? What church does she follow?
Serena is highly religious - she has devoted her life to the worship of Tomeri, goddess of love and wisdom. She is a devout follower of the church and a Chosen of her goddess, entrusted with a quest on the church's behalf.

Is Serena a member of a church, guild or faction?
Serena doesn't really hold with factions, but she is an active member of the church of Tomeri.

What does Serena think of psionics?
As far as Serena is concerned psionics are her life's work and her life's art. They're a tool for getting things done, a channel to Tomeri, and the only way to ever discover anything about herself or anyone else. They are at the centre of her being.

If you could, what advice would you give Serena?
Speak up for your own needs more often, and go kill your stepmother.