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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kid Charlemagne" data-source="post: 766" data-attributes="member: 93">Previously, in The World of CrystalmarchOur heroes are investigating the cause of a breakdown in communications between the underground dwarven town of Kazathun, deep beneath the Vokal Mountains.  In so doing they are about to travel to the town of Shadow Springs, where they have heard there is an access point to the Underdark, and a guide who can help them find Kazathun.They are recently come from the city of Mahanaim, where they participated in defending the city from a mercenary army led by Elros Ekozius, a former Count of Ghithor who was exiled after a long Civil War in which he took the losing side.They are also investigating the provenance of a magical Egg, which has caused Aris to have visions, apparently of people who previously possessed it.  The meaning of these visions is not clear, and Aris is trying to learn more about the Egg, and about its previous owners.  He is having difficulty doing so, as the Egg’s history appears to be remarkably lean, as if those owning it have been trying to keep it as far under wraps for the past two millenia as they could – and succeeding.  The Egg radiates warding magic, and evil; it is as if the evil is contained inside the Egg, and held back by the wards cast upon it.   The Egg was last seen when the party returned it to Lord Masato, a Ralt Gaitherese priest of Ameterasu, who planned on returning it to its rightful place in the Song-Ling Monastery, a holy place under the protection of the Emperor of Ralt Gaither.Reana Stormblade (Half-elf, Ranger 7) – Reanna is a local girl, born and raised in Oakendell, a small village in the Doriath Forest. She comes from a tradition of rangers, beginning with her half-elven grandfather, Erethel Mileki, who was a reknowned ranger in his time, but is now quite old and a little bit senile. There is enough elven blood from various sources running through Reanna’s family that she still retains the half-elven attributes, even after a couple generations. Reanna is related to many of the families in Oakendell and Sickle Creek, as Grandpa Erethel was quite a wanderer in his day, and is currently on his 4th wife. Reanna has something along the lines of 80 cousins. Her father was a mercenary in the southern part of Ghithor, and Reanna spent a large portion of her early days as an adventurer attempting to locate other members of her father’s family. Since the party seperated after their last series of adventures, Reanna has been living the life of a ranger on patrol in the the forests and mountains of northern Ghithor. Batista (half-elf, Ranger 6) – Batista loves the forests, and seems to sometimes actually fear big cities. He’s a little uncivilized in some ways. His mentor, Vershanion, saved him from death (details will come out in the course of the story) at an early age, and then trained him to be a ranger. Batista has been living the life of ranger on patrol for many years, rarely returning to civilization. Like Reanna, he receives his orders primarily from Ryla, a Druidess based in Sylvan Fields, the northern most town in Ghithor. The Rangers receive orders from a council of three, ordinarily made up of a Ranger, a Druid (or priest of Leonus), and an Elf. This has been the traditional makeup of the Rangers command for centuries. There are 6 Ranger territories in Ghithor and Ambardor, and each has between 18 and 30 rangers. The Rangers follow three Strictures: Own no more than you can carry; Owe no alliegance greater than that to the Rangers; and never operate in groups of greater than three. Jalea (High Elf, thief 9) – Jalea is from the Marquisate of Ulfang, in the southwest of Ambardor. He was active in that city’s Thieves’ Guild, but left town most recently after an unspecified incident that he hints has made him unwelcome at home. Early in his career, he served in the Army of Ulfang as a scout, and has since used that euphemism to describe his talents. For the past several years, he has been working his way up the ranks in the Thieves’ Guild of Fencig, a large northern city. Previous to their recent “vacation” the party had inadvertently aided the Guild by wiping out a group of wererats (known as the “Lumpers”) who were working to take over the Guild. The Lumpers were being aided by the Priesthood of Tyaa, who were enemies of the party, and who were financing the takeover through money earned through their gambling operations at “The Falcon’s Club,” an upscale casino in a very nice section of Fencig. The casino fell into disrepair, only to eventually be bought and reopened by the party’s Priest, a gnomish priest of Bes (God of Luck) named Jovah. Jalea has been keeping the Guild off Jovah’s back in regards to protection money, with the aid of Morris, a Guild Lieutenant who was their primary contact during the Lumper incident. Brennan D’Loxor (Human, Sword of Kelanen 7) – Brennan is a worshipper of the demigod Kelanen, the Prince of Swords. Kelanen is one of those rare individuals who transcends mortal status through great deeds. In his case, he was the catalyst behind the overthrow of Vecna and Kas some 2,000 years ago. He was the only man to ever defeat Kas in single combat, although Kas used treachery to then capture Kelanen. Kelanen’s chief followers are known as “Swords” and practice a windmilling, twin-longsword style that is heavy on offense and light on defense. They also can cast spells in a manner somewhat similar to a Paladin. Brennan fought for King Yarzhen’s forces during the Civil War of 412-416, and for his heroic efforts in previous adventures, has recently learned he is to be knighted by King Dengar of Ghithor, who is the nephew of Yarzhen, and whose accension to the throne effectively ended the Civil War. Brennan is also from Oakendell, and is the son of a local landowner-farmer. --->These stories are from a 2nd Edition campaign, which we just (in 2001) converted to 3rd Edition. The Swords of Kelanen is a homebrewed class for 2nd edition, which has been converted into a Prestige Class for 3rd Edition. Aris (High Elf, Bladesinger, Fighter 6/Mage 7) – Aris joined up with the party during an expedition to recover an Elven artifact from a group of pirates, and continued with them in order to gain more knowledge of the humans, as well as learn more about the increasing sightings of Drow in the wilderness of Ghithor and Ambardor. The Drow had been laying low for over a century, and Aris was the second Elf to lay eyes on a Drow in over 100 years (the first was Jalea, but he went unconscious shortly afterwards). For the past year or so, during the party’s “vacation,” Aris has been travelling the northern lands, visiting Elven cities that are forbidden to any humans. He has just recently returned to Cape Varna, his hometown, in order to catch up with his mentor, Tolaro Telegar, an elderly Grey Elf, and former Dean of the Mage’s College at the University of Cape Varna. The University is considered by many to be the foremost academic institution in the area, although there are some fine universitys and mage’s schools in Ghithor and Ambardor. Cape Varna is the chief city of the Princedom of Krone, a nation of elves and humans. The elves constitute the upper class, and the major nobility are all Grey Elves. There are only 3,000 or so Grey Elves left in the Princedom, and their numbers are slowly declining. Shyne Jovah Rockbrite (Gnome, Priest 8) – Jovah is a priest of Bes; one of a very few priests, as a matter of fact.  Bes belongs to the Murkraal Pantheon, one of the gods of a long-lost civilization that disappeared into the sands east of the Ar-Ainadorian Empire more than a thousand years ago.  Jovah’s parents were jewelllers, and Jovah initially left home to investigate a jewel robbery, and later inherited a tower (and its attendant debt) from a roguish favorite uncle.  In the course of paying off the debt, he met and joined up with Brennen, Reana, and Jalea.  They have travelled together for nearly four years, and have made quite a name for themselves.  Jovah now owns the Fox Club, a swank casino and restaurant in Fencig.  He helps out those down on their luck, and uses the casino as his base of operations.  He is constantly keeping tabs on the Church of Reksus, which is also powerful in Fencig; Reksus is the most powerful remaining God of the Murkraal Pantheon, and has spread the story that Reksus is the Chief Diety of that pantheon in order to boost his credibility.  In fact, this is not true, and Jovah has a set of scrolls dating back to Murkraal’s peak that reveal the truth that Reksus was actually a trickster god, God of Magic and of Power.  (And Public Relations, as Jovah likes to say).  The Church of Reksus does not want these scrolls to reach wide distribution, but Jovah has been hiring scribes to copy them and send them to scholars across the land to spread the truth.Gavin, (Human Fighter 8) - Gavin hails from near the mountain town of Cardell.  He served as a cavalryman in the Rebel Army during the Ghithor Civil War, and was involved in the campaign in the North, including the Occupation of Fencig.  After the war ended, and the Rebels lost, he made a living as a mercenary working the Copper Pass connecting Carandor and Ghithor, picking up a working knowledge of Caradinian and Orcish.  He joined up with the party after his friend Koth was kidnapped and turned into a strange sort of ghoul by Virenzo Staris, the necromancer.  Since joining the party, Gavin has earned more money than he ever could have dreamed of as a mercenary, and come closer to death as well.  His rallying of the cavalry in Mahanaim to fight off Elros Ekozius is frequently credited as the turning point in that battle, and along with his adventurous exploits with the party, seems likely to earn him a knighthood.  Gavin is an excellent horseman, and likes the trappings of money and nobility.  His more mercenary nature has been tempered over time by exposure to the more altruistic and idealistic members of the party.</blockquote>

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