D&D 3E/3.5 [Kulan] The Lands of Harqual (Updated: Feb 3/2022)

[Knightfall]

“SEGGR” KARR'TOOMBA
Member of the Order of the Silver Hand, The Dead-Eye, Warden of Cauldron​

Stats: hm (northerner) / 2nd level barbarian (hunter variant), 12th level ranger (of the Balance), 4th level horizon walker / chaotic neutral
Homeland: Originally – Unknown; Now – Domain of Cauldron
Source: Gerald's Silver Hand PC
Personality: Skillful, somber, and vengeful.
Description: Karr’Toomba was born into a unknown, nomadic tribe that wandered distant plains and tundra following herds of bison and mammoth. His childhood was joyful and in his early teen years he had already taken a wife and had become a valued hunter for his tribe.

One dark night the druid of the tribe sent Karr upon his totem journey and his Rite of Passage into manhood. While he was discovering the identity of his spirit guide, a magical attack was unleashed upon Karr by an aberration, and he became the conduit for a gate to be opened into the World of Kulan for an assault upon the unsuspecting members of his tribe. The magic left him unconscious.

When he awoke, drained of much of his life energy, his village was in smoldering ruins — the inhabitants dead or captured. A large raiding party of tabaxi had taken Karr’s young bride — most likely as a slave or a sacrifice to their dark god, Tu. He vowed vengeance against the cat race and struck out to find what remained of his family and tribe.

He chanced upon a meeting with the Order of the Silver Hand in the city of Cauldron; they warily accepted him as a guide and companion throughout the wilderness of the Thunder Lands. Karr’Toomba has his motives, however, and membership in the Order has its own advantages in his quest for vengeance against the tabaxi.

His skill with the bow and his ability as a hunter has grown to near legendary status throughout the Thunder Lands. He is known as “Seggr,” which means hero in the lowborn language of the Kul Moren Mountains and is the official warden of the Dominion of Cauldron. However, he often disappears for months at a time to fight the tabaxi of the Storm Jungle.

 

[Knightfall]

TORYN STONECUTTER
Clanwarden, Member of the Order of the Silver Hand, The Silverbeard​

Stats: dm (hill) / 2nd level expert, 12th level fighter, 2nd level ranger, 3rd level deep warden / neutral good
Homeland: The Hold of Kul Moren
Source: Scott's PC
Personality: Amiable, direct, and steadfast.
Description: Born into a family of stonemasons, Toryn learned the typical dwarven crafts then joined the Kul Moren militia at the earliest possible age to escape a life of endless mining. The dwarven military pushed him towards engineering, munitions and surveying – occupations that would keep him safe and useful to the Hold.

Unfortunately, a gang of ogres decimated his platoon, and Toryn escaped with a battered body and a broken nose. Toryn was thrilled to be alive, so he took up the craft of the warrior and soon became a deadly, no-nonsense menace on the battlefield. He mutters to himself a lot and sometimes cries out in his sleep as his dreams become filled with the nightmare of his lost comrades.

After his twelve-year tour, Toryn left the Kul Moren militia and joined a haphazard adventuring group who tried to help the mountain village of Duvik's Pass, which was suffering through a vicious magical plague. The menace was slavers and bandits using vile magic, led by a man named Stefan Doverspeak. Toryn joined the fledgling group but left after a fight with one of its ambitious members, Ionesco Valdeshar.

Several months later, while working at the Temple of the Cat for his living, Toryn encountered Argo Flameheart, a young cleric of Jalivier and joined his holy cause. Together, with an enigmatic wizard named Hezekiah Grofus, they formed the Order of the Silver Hand and vowed to protect the world against all invaders, unravel the infantile plots of the Stormblades, recover long forgotten treasures, and slay the minions of the Cagewrights and the infernal worshipers of Flamerule.

Over the years, Toryn has learned to trust many of his companions including Amaryllis, Shötte, and Karr'Toomba — the Order's other main members. Toryn has become a famous smith throughout the Kul Moren Mountains and the rest of the Thunder Lands. His prestige has risen to the point that he has been given the title of Master Smith in his Hold. He is also a Clanwarden for the Stonecutter Clan.

 

[Knightfall]

Legacy of the Silver Hand NPCs

LEGACY OF THE SILVER HAND NPCs

Alberich, The Heartless Rogue, Leader of The Heartless
Stats: hm / 9th level rogue, 9th level duelist / lawful evil
Homeland: The Dominion of Cauldron
Source: Original; but Shackled City inspired
Personality: Grim, heinous, and wicked.
Description: Alberich is the leader of the evil group of rogues and warriors known as The Heartless. One of the founding members of the group, and an ex-Alleybasher, he killed the other two leaders of the group when they disagreed with his leadership decisions. He sold off their gear and bodies (to evil cultists) to fund his own evil plans.

He is very secretive and he always wears his mask of lies when giving orders to the group’s other members. The members of the Heartless fear Alberich, as well as his continuing obsession with destroying the Order of the Silver Hand (and Argo Flameheart in particular). However, none would dare oppose him, as he is a master swordsman and his magical flaming rapier is a frightening weapon to behold in his hands.

Alberich is one of the most feared men in the Kul Moren Mountains and he and the Heartless would be a true terror if they weren’t always working towards destroying the Order. The group is always on the run and has been known to hide out in the Underearth under Fortress Mountain.

 

[Knightfall]

Faragel Duskhaven, Cleric of Swords
Stats: em (urbanite) / 10th level cleric (Sword Gods) / neutral evil
Homeland: The Dominion of Cauldron
Source: Original
Personality: Bitter, perverted, and wicked.
Description: Faragel Duskhaven was once a rising star in the church of Olidammara. He was a good-hearted scoundrel that had the potential to lead the followers of Olidammara, in Cauldron City, towards a batter future, which didn’t include the Last Laugh Thieves’ Guild or its vile leadership.

However, this was not meant to be, as the Last Laugh came to see him as a troublemaker and had the young urbanite elf kidnapped. He soon found himself in the vicious hands of Jil and her torturous ways. The assassin stripped away the good in Faragel and shattered his soul and his faith in Olidammara.

How could the Laughing God permit such things? How had he failed his deity? These are the questions that Faragel asked himself over and over. He turned from his god in a fit of rage and began worshiping the Sword Gods. He has become twisted and evil, and hates anyone with a good soul.

 

[Knightfall]

Keygan Ghelve, Owner of 'Ghelve’s Lockhouse,' Member of the Halfling Syndicate
Stats: kitt (m) / 3rd level expert, 3rd level rogue, 3rd level wizard (illusionist) / lawful neutral
Homeland: The Dominion of Cauldron
Source: Dungeon Magazine #97 (pg. 55) [changed his race to kitt]
Personality: Clever, guarded, and timorous.
Description: Keygan Ghelve is a well-known and respected locksmith and tavern-keeper in Cauldron City. He use to live a more quiet life until his cat familiar, Starbrow, was kidnapped, and the Order of the Silver Hand entered his life. They saved his familiar and went on to become heroes and community leaders in Cauldron, and Keygan has reaped the benefits of knowing them.

After the Order defeated a group known as the Cagewrights and raised an army to take back the Dominion from Anoria and Flamerule, Keygan returned to Cauldron, from exile, and rebuilt his shop to become a tavern, as well as a locksmith’s shop.

Now, he lives with his friend Jasper Drundlesput in the reclaimed Jzadirune enclave, which can only be accessed through his tavern. He caters to kitts, halflings, and the growing population of rockwood gnomes that have migrated to Cauldron from the Far South. His favorite customer is Amaryllis Greenbottle, one of the founding members of the Order of the Silver Hand.

 

[Knightfall]

Maple, Member of the Halfling Syndicate
Stats: ½f (hairfoot) / 6th level rogue / neutral good
Homeland: Dominion of Cauldron
Source: Dungeon Magazine #97 (pg. 88)
Personality: Evasive, self-preserving, and resolute.
Description: Maple is a middle-aged female halfling rogue that was born in Cauldron City. She grew up a bit of a street rat and used her rogue skills to get by. Now, she works for the Halfling Syndicate, a group of good aligned rogues that protects halflings and kitts in many communities throughout the Thunder Lands.

Maple moved to the City-state of Caloric shortly after Anoria and Flamerule invaded the Dominion of Cauldron. She decided to stay there even after Cauldron was freed by the Order of the Silver Hand. She is the Halfling Syndicate’s highest-ranking member in Caloric.

 

[Knightfall]

Sirus Youngmay, Avenger of Bast
Stats: hm / 10th level avenger / chaotic good
Homeland: The Dominion of Cauldron
Source: Original; inspired by the free D&D adventure “The Burning Plague”
Personality: World-weary, tenacious, and resourceful.
Description: Sirus was born in the town of Duvik’s Pass, in the Dominion of Cauldron. He grew up under the watchful gaze of an old local cleric of Bast, named Terreno. He learned the way of the North Goddess from the old man and decided to become a holy warrior dedicated to the Cat Mother.

When Master Terreno retired the small temple was taken over by a young Bastite priestess named Lily. Mistress Lily reorganized the temple, which included bringing in two other avengers from Cauldron City, Drand Rhomus and a man named Kent. Drand became Sirus’ commander and Kent soon became his friend.

When the burning plague broke out Mistress Lily hired a small band of adventurers to deal with the situation. However, they were more trouble than they were worth, and a resident was murdered by one of them. To make a long story short, Drand set out to bring these adventurers to justice, even though they made amends.

Sirus soon found himself following Drand all across the Thunder Lands looking for a man named Ionesco Valdeshar and a dwarf named Toryn Stonecutter. Eventually, the three avengers tracked both to Cauldron City where Drand fell from grace, and Sirus and Kent went their own way.

The two younger holy warriors of Bast decided to stay in the city for a while but when Cauldron was nearly destroyed by an evil cabal known as the Cagewrights, they were forced to flee. Kent died during the evacuation of the city and Sirus relocated to the Village of Redgorge.

He lives there still, working to protect the community from the demons of the Demonskar, and is considered a pillar of the community and a leading member of the militia. He has become a close friend of Krank Qallar, a member of the Disciples of the Bloodsun.

 

[Knightfall]

Skie Aldersun, Owner of 'Skie’s Treasury' in Cauldron City
Stats: ½f (hairfoot) / 6th level sorcerer / neutral good
Homeland: The Dominion of Cauldron
Source: The Shackled City Adventure Path
Personality: Fun-loving, eccentric, and fearful of dragons.
Description: Skie Aldersun retired from the adventuring lifestyle nearly a decade ago when she accidentally awakened a slumbering wyvern while attempting to steal some of its treasure. The enraged wyvern managed to slay the rest of her party (including her previous familiar, a cat named Newt) before she managed to strike a killing blow.

The experience traumatized her, and she swore never to meddle with monsters again. But the adventuring lifestyle was still in her blood. Skie decided to open a store that catered to other adventurers, and since that day has lived vicariously through the tales of her clientèle. She still maintains a terrible fear of all dragons and has only recently summoned a replacement familiar, a raven named Whisper.

 

[Knightfall]

“Ssythar” Nahazir, Ex-Cagewright, False Prophet of Merrshaulk
Stats: halfblood yuan-ti (m) / 15th level sorcerer / chaotic evil
Homeland: The Thessalgard Holds
Source: Dungeon Magazine #115 (pg. 66)
Personality: Unbalanced, vicious, and controlling.
Description: ‘Ssythar’ Nahazir is an ex-Cagewright that lives in the ruins of Shatterhorn. Originally from the Thessalgard Holds, Nahazir was once a member of the Thirteen, a group of Cagewright leaders that wished to open a portal to Carceri to free the trapped demon lord Adimarchus. When that plan failed Nahazir severed all ties with the Cagewrights and took firm control of Shatterhorn.

Nahazir believes he is a prophet of Merrshaulk, and that his god gifted him with divine insight. (His self-chosen title of Ssythar means ‘chosen one’ in Yuan-Ti.) His experiences with the Cagewrights drove him insane, and he is definitely not a prophet. He spends most of his time wandering the ruins of Shatterhorn hissing to himself or ordering around his strange group of minions.

Nahazir has a serpentine head and scaly skin, but otherwise appears human. He conceals his features beneath a form-fitting black robe, and around his neck he wears a silver pendant shaped like a tiny cage. He has a snake as his familiar.

 

[Knightfall]

Thearynn Louvel, Ex-Cagewright, Wandering Conjurer
Stats: hm / 17th level wizard (conjurer) / chaotic evil
Homeland: Unknown
Source: Dungeon Magazine #114 (pg. 84)
Personality: Paranoid, unsettled, and a little mad.
Description: Thearynn Louvel is an ex-member of the group known as the Cagewrights. When a group of heroes known as the Order of the Silver hand invaded the Fiery Sanctum under the Kul Moren Mountains, Thearynn was the only Cagewright leader that escaped.

Since that fateful day, he’s become convinced that the other members of the Thirteen betrayed him, so he won’t have anything to do with the Cagewrights anymore. He also believes that the Order is hunting him, which keeps him constantly on he move.

He spends most of his time traveling in the lands the Ragik Peninsula with his quasit apprentice (named Xarthyx), unwilling to settle down in any one city. He is fond of the ‘culture’ in Ara-Ragik, which is as decadent and evil as it gets.

Thearynn is thin and pale, with wide, darting brown eyes. He keeps his head shaved except for a small forelock in the middle of his brow that he toys with when nervous, making it greasy and flat.