The Worlds Apart

[Jack7]

Sailing to Byzantium

That is no country for old men. The young
In one another's arms, birds in the trees
- Those dying generations - at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.

An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.

O sages standing in God's holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.
Consume my heart away; sick with desire
And fastened to a dying animal
It knows not what it is; and gather me
Into the artifice of eternity.

Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.​

I. This is a brief description of my D&D game milieu, and how it works. I decided to put it here because the Plots and Places Forum seems to be for campaign and plot development instead of for settings. If you want to discuss this setting in this thread then feel free to do so. I’ll add things to it as I go along.

Two Worlds: There are actually two worlds, our world, circa 800 AD, and the setting upon our world is semi-historical. That is most of the things that happen in our world, as the setting for the game, involve real world historical figures, cities, cultures, religions, technologies, societies, military forces, economic systems, and so forth of that era. The exceptions to the historical rule are the introduction of the player characters themselves (who often encounter real people of the time, like Charlemagne, as well as legendary figures like Roland).

In addition there is another world, geographically identical to our own but inhabited by completely different creatures and operating by different rules. This other world will be described later in this thread but creatures such as Elves and Giants inhabit it (though they do not call themselves that) and only a few human refuges from our world can live there. Most humans who travel to that world do so by accident and become far longer lived than normal humans but most also become sterile over time. A very, very few have over time interbred with the local populations on that other world but it is an extremely rare occurrence when that happens and the offspring sometimes fall prey to strange diseases and fail to mature. Some of the off-spring who do live past adolescence are also naturally sterile or barren. As a result the human population, which never accounted for more than a few hundred individuals is now nearly extinct.

As well as Elves and other such creatures monsters also inhabit that other world. They sometimes escape their own world and come to ours.

The Setting Upon Earth (Terra): The City of Constantinople is the center of most activity in the setting on our world. It lies along one end of the Silk Road and Byzantine contacts run throughout Western Europe, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe, as well as into Russia, the Near East, Syria, Persia, and into parts of the Orient, and finally down into Egypt, and into Northern and Eastern Africa. As far as sea travel much of the Mediterranean is open to them as well as the Black Sea. Giving the players and their characters a wide area of territory in which to explore and operate.

The Byzantines are at almost constant war with the Persians, and the Bulgars. At other times they fight with the Muslims (becoming more and more frequent), various barbaric tribes, such as the Goths, are at odds with migrating tribes from the East, face occasional rebellions in Egypt, Syria, and in the Holy Land, and still hope to regain some control of territories in the West, such as some of the early Italian city-states (other than Ravenna).

They are also involved in religious disputes such as the early stages of iconoclasm, as well as suppression of heretics such as in Egypt and in Syria (which makes them very unpopular in certain parts of the Empire, and among certain groups of peoples like the Copts). The Patriarchs of Orthodox Catholicism (although there has been no real schism as of yet) are often at odds with the Pope, who the Byzantines sometimes see as an ally, and sometimes see as a problem.

The main group of players operates out of the city of Constantinople, or New Rome, as their home base.

Constantinople (New Rome): It sits upon the Golden Horn (Kera), is the capital of the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, controls the naval trade throughout the empire and into the Black Sea, is the home of the most advanced technology in the world at that time, is immensely wealthy, incredibly well-built and well defended, and is one end of the Silk Road. It is also the center of the Orthodox Church, as well as being one of the most populous cities in the world.

It has contacts throughout Northern and Eastern Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and into India. It is the home base of operations for many of the player parties.

I modified the city somewhat from its true historical analogue. It now includes the Strategion (the Imperial War Offices and College), the Thematic War College (for educating and training Theme Generals and officers), the Stoa Inventi (the official Inventions Laboratory, where Greek Fire was developed, the Inventi being based upon Alexandria's old Museums of invention), the Thaumaturgion (the place of Miracles, where prophets, Church Fathers, and Saints congregate and study, and where relics are accumulated and studied), the Palacial Library of Blachermae (containing the official Imperial records, census, texts, and histories), the Academy of Sagae and Holy Art (where Icons and holy art are created), and the Library of Deoklarion (where a number of unique and unusual texts from the ancient world, and holy writings, are stored and copied).

I also slightly modified the Imperial Palaces, some of the churches, like the Holy Apostles, and some of the monasteries, like Studios and Myrelaion.

The city also contains several harbors, the Industrion, the Galatan Naval Reserves and the Galatan Industrion (across the straights), the Garrison of the Imperial Legions, several Forums and markets, Constabularies, Aqueducts, numerous churches and monasteries, several underground cisterns, palaces, the Walls of Theodosius, the Walls of Constantine, the Walls of Septus Severus, the Chalke Gate, numerous other famous Gates and Towers, the Milion, several important streets and highways (like the Mese), the shipyards of Caesarius, various public baths, sections of underground and buried ancient city, artwork and statues, obelisks and columns and stelae from all over the world, the Chain of the Golden Horn, the Lykos River, Hagia Sophia (the largest and most famous church in the world), the Great Treasury, the Acropolis, and of course the Hippodrome which also served as a city-wide public amphitheatre.

And the city is divided into Demes so on occasion there are Deme riots as well as riots in the Alien (Foreign) Quarter. Of course I don't really need to mention the political machinations since "Byzantine" is an historical watchword for all things politically devious. Though to tell you the truth it wasn't really any worse than anywhere else, and often far better and far more civilized than most places at the time, just usually far more complicated because of the immense number of political players and institutional and organizational interests all simultaneously vying for influence. It was a lot like modern American politics to tell you the truth. Far less bloodshed but far more underground corruption and devious maneuver. And strange ambition.

Constantinople regularly sees foreign visitors, tradesmen, merchants, dignitaries and even would-be invaders, everyone from Arab Bedouins to Viking Raiders to Russian Steppemen to embassies from Charlemagne and from other parts of Europe to traders from the Italian City States to diplomats from Ethiopia and Persia and even India.

The official and state language in the Empire is Latin, but the “Lingua Franca” is Greek and most Byzantines (Romans) and almost all residents of Constantinople, including resident aliens, speak Greek.

In addition there is the other world, like ours, but with native populations of elves, giants, dwarves, etc. Whenever these creatures come to our world they often infiltrate Constantinople in disguise. And sometimes monsters that have escaped this other world come to the Empire and ravage the countryside surrounding Constantinople. So it is a very interesting place for the players to live in and adventure from.

For information on some of the adventures that take place in this setting then see this thread: Adventure Ideas.

For information on some Byzantine Relics and Inventions, as well as inventions, artifacts and relics from the other world see this thread: Museum

For information on some of the Monsters of the other world that have come to our world see this thread: Unique Monsters

 

[Wombat]

Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul is a constantly fascinating subject.

Let me give you a couple of links (one related to Ars Magica, so you need to ignore the system-aspects, one just open), that might give you some wonderful background material.

Theban Tribunal Sourcebook

Byzantium 1200

 

[Jack7]

Jack, you have debauched my sloth.

Womby, I swear I wasn't in town on that date. You can look it up.

Seriously though, thanks for the links. I'll check em out and see what I can make of em.

 

[Jack7]

Dang that Byzantium 1200 site is useful. For a wide range of things, including research. XP on the horizon.

 

[Jack7]

II. Briefing on the General Setting of Terra Ghantik - Terra Ghantik is actually two worlds. The first is our world, where most of the gaming activity takes place. The game and campaigns themselves are set primarily in Terra (the Latin term for Earth), the time frame being around 800 AD and the geographical and national setting is the Byzantine Empire. The common base of operations is Constantinople.

Our world, Terra, is as it was in the era of 800 AD, historically, socially, militarily, and so forth. However recently several strange things have occurred which have severely concerned the Emperor and the leadership of the Eastern Orthodox Church. These strange events have prompted the Emperor and the Orthodox Church to band together to form a secret team that is charged with discovering the cause(s) of these weird and uncanny events, and to put a stop to these strange events, if possible. Most of the players play characters in this team, or in one of the related teams. This main team is called the Basilegate, or translated, the Emperor’s Legate.

At about the same time a group of Buddhist Monks (and others) in the Orient has been having visions about these same disturbances and has formed a team of their own to travel to the West and investigate the same phenomenon. That team is called the Hoshi, or The Footbridge.

What is actually occurring on our world at this moment is that our world is being invaded by beings and creatures from the other world, that world being named Ghantik (though various languages render the term differently), and the people who inhabit it. No one in our world knows how these creatures are coming here or exactly from where they originate, and this information is also hidden from the players, who must discover these events for themselves. At about the same time (slightly later in time frame actually) another group of beings from this other world are also trying to find a way into our world and eventually succeed at their efforts, and are then able to come to earth. These beings are what would normally be referred to in the game as elves, dwarves, giants and others of their kind. None of these people or creatures is indigenous to our world and no humans are indigenous to their world.

These peoples are collectively called the Eldeven peoples and consist of the Jukarn (Dwarves), Sidelh, also called the Caer (Elves), Lorahn (Eladarin), Gheriks (Halflings), Avafal (the “New Ones” or “Fallen Ones,” literally the offspring between Men and Eldevens), and so forth. These creatures are more akin to various human races in that they can all intermarry and interbreed (though the rate of intermarriage is no higher than on our world at that time period), than they are to separate species. There are also other beings who are allied with the Eldeven, such as the Adharma, who are a race of Demi-giants, and their half-brothers, the Gabar (Renown Ones, offspring of the Sidelh and the Nephili). Though the Adharma and the Gabar are not considered Eldevens.

There are two reasons that the Eldeven peoples desire to come to our world, the first is that they are seeking to hunt down and recapture or destroy most of the monsters that have escaped to our world from their world. The second I will explain later.

The Eldevens come to our world in disguise hoping to accomplish their various missions without being discovered. They encounter humans (us) however, as they must in our world, and eventually some men begin to understand that the Eldeven party is not human. There are various reactions to this discovery, some believe the Eldevens to be demons or devils come to invade our world and that they are somehow allied with the monsters who are also invading our world. Some believe them to be angelic messengers sent from God to assist mankind against the invasions of monsters, and to help stop the plagues and the disasters wracking the world at that time. Some believe them harbingers of the Apocalypse. There is a schism between both those who are in government (the Court of the Emperor), and those in the Church, with either group being divided into two camps, those who oppose the Eldevens and consider them enemies, perhaps even demons, and those who want closer relations with the Eldevens and consider them helpful, perhaps even Agents of God.

The Eldevens themselves send a scouting, expeditionary, research, and monster hunting party called the Caerkara, or the Expeditionary Force into our world. Once it is discovered that this party is composed of non-human creatures the decision is made in Constantinople to send out the Basilegate to hunt for and try to make contact with the Caerkara, and to discover the true nature and motives of this Eldeven party.

While these monster invasions are in the process of occurring and shortly before the arrival of the Eldeven team, various plagues, earthquakes, famines and other natural disasters begin to afflict our world. Some people connect these calamities directly to the monster invasions, and some directly to the arrival of the Eldeven party. Still others see the Eldeven group as possible allies with whom they can work to help combat both the monster invasions and the various natural disasters. Eventually the Court at Constantinople comes to believe that the Eldevens may be the people of the legendary Prester John. The Patriarch of Constantinople and the Church remain more skeptical.

Samarkand (The City of Samarl): The city of Samarkand sits in exactly the same geographic point as the city of Samarkand on our world. Both cities also share the same name. However all similarities end there. Samarkand was designed by the Sidelh but was built by the Adharma. Both races share a similar view of architecture in that they encapsulate information in material objects. Books or written materials are rare among the Sidelh and completely absent among the Adharma. The giants instead are excellent masters of mnemonics, and therefore pass history thousands of years old down orally with very little variation or embellishment between transmissions. They also weave information into every building, statue, column, piece of furniture and art, and physical device they create. The entire city then is one huge library of historical, arcane, and mythological information if one knows how to read the text.

Samarkand is the capital city of Kitharia, the most populous and powerful nation known among the Eldeven peoples. Since the Sidelh are slow to reproduce they have invited many other races of Eldevens to dwell in their city and the Sidelh are actually often outnumbered by the non-Sidelh living there. Nevertheless the non-Sidelh are often granted citizenship after a time, as are their families, and so often easily integrate into Kitharian society, to become stout defenders and loyal citizens of their adopted homeland.

The ruler of the Samarkand, and by extension Kitharia, is the individual known as the Samareül. He is elected by a secret group of individuals and once elected he takes no public name other than his title of Samareül, which means Priest-King. The Samareül is elected for life, and is rarely deposed. The Samareül is the supreme judge, most influential political leader and chief priest of Kitharia, being considered the living representative of Samarl, or God. Strangely enough however the Kitharians and most Eldevens for that matter have no formal religion or religious beliefs, and most seek no relationship with God at all. Instead the relationship between Samarl and the Eldevens is considered the de-facto representative relationship and chief obligation of the Samareül. (The current Samareül is looking to change this state of affairs wishing to make a religious and spiritual relationship among the Kitharians and eventually all Eldevens to be a matter of personal relation between the individual and Samarl. This has led to strained cultural, societal, political, and in some cases racial [such as between the Sidelh and the Lorahn] relationships among some parties, and to the establishment of a strange interlinked alliance between the courts of Samarkand and Constantinople on religious and spiritual matters. I’ll discuss this in more detail in a later posting.)

The city is dominated by an acropolis into which is carved (in the fashion of the Adharma who carve their homes into mountainsides) the Palace and administrative houses of the Samareül. The acropolis is also said to contain numerous secret passages into which the Samareül and his officials keep stored many ancient and secret artifacts and devices, including weird machines which are said to be able to peer into other worlds and through time. This acropolis is called the Jlæthÿlîrel. There is also a rumor that the passages themselves have created a sort of scrying channel and that the channels may be decorated with glyphs of unknown design. This acropolis is sometimes called the onŵl-Samarkando, or, Helm of Samarkand

The city also has numerous districts in which various Eldeven races mix rather freely, but it also has segregated districts. These are most evident between the Sidelh (the elves) and the small enclave of Adharma (who rarely take citizenship) who prefer to live there for periods of time as trusted resident aliens. Politically the situation is stable at most times, except during periods of war. There is a large public gathering area called the Msýthariørl where public elections, entertainments, athletic events, public rites, demonstrations of arcane force and skill, and debated counsels are held. It can hold nearly one-half of the entire population of the city at any given time.

There are also a number of industrial and manufacturing districts to produce and market goods, the Eldarik Houses, the Armories and Internal Towers, the Plarshoel (or, Walking Houses - the giants built the city so that certain buildings can move around the city on tracks, allowing the city to be reconfigured for both ease of trade and transport, and for periods of war and self-defense – unknown to most the city walls can likewise move allowing them to be “interlocked” in various defensive configurations as needed), the sa-Elturaere (the Temple for the study and practice of Elturgy and Elturael – Arcane magic), various markets and domestic areas, the Jmyatŗ Skella (the Crafting District), the Tĕna (Quarters of the Peace Officers), the Nhil (the Warband Quarterings), and the newly created Praşklyřt (the Hall of Investigation – to study and counteract the creation of monsters, discussed later).

As mentioned above the entire city is also a sort of architectural library. However many believe that actual Elturgy was used by the Sidelh to recast the work of the giants so that a secret code now also lies hidden within the structure of the city foundations. To what purpose no-one is really sure.

The River Qira runs through the city (including partially underground) and the river Qala now runs completely around the city in a near perfect circular moat, and then runs away through artificial channels so that the river approaches the city from the East and leaves by routes facing due West, South, and North.

The city is composed of seven plateaus, or levels, the highest being the Jlæthÿlîrel, and the lowest section being an underground area of hot springs and baths called the Myņil.

 

[Jack7]

III. Being a Small Section of the Lay of the Myth of the Eldevens – Below is to be found a small section of one of the most ancient versions of the Lay of the Eldeven.

EĻDEVÅLAËRAŅE
THE LAY OF THE ELDEVEN

ĦLO’SĶIEŊL
Before All

Being the Account of the Arrival and of the Old World​

Before all there was another Iÿarlðma (another world, another Ghantik). In those days many ancient and wondrous things visited Iÿarlðma from elsewhere, wandering this world and inhabiting it for brief seasons, yet never long lingering. The world in those days was broad, and deep, and untamed, filled with many archaic and dangerous creatures full of strange life. Many things did creep and crawl and did seek out the untrodden secrets of hidden recess which are now long buried beneath the deep mounds of great age. But none with mind and soul, as we think it now, yet lived to walk upon Iÿarlðma, or to measure out her expanse, or count her passing years. Those days were long, and many, and continued unabated, huge and unknown creatures stalking all the lands both near and far.

Then came the Nephýařla (the Neph, the Other Ones). They settled upon the lands, reshaping the djarńae (ground?) after their own will, planting, growing, hunting, and killing the huge creatures which then freely roamed the world. Still other creatures they tamed or remade according to their own secret intentions, so as to befriend or to belabor that creature as they best saw fit.

With them the Nephýařla brought the H’alel, the forebears and forefathers of the ancient Nephili, the mighty Tardeek. And the Neph made living souls as mates for the H’alel, and to serve them, and they mated and bore forward offspring who became the Nephili, the ancient Tardeek. And even the young Tardeek were as very large, tall, and strong Eldeven, but as they grew they became gigantic, and some became monstrous, and all of them were fearsome to behold. And the Tardeek were great and grave in battle, so that any who saw them watched in awe, and fled from them for fear of their great strength and tremendous height.

And for long ages the H’alel and the Nephili lived together, and the H’alel taught the Tardeeks many useful arts and many cunning and clever things. For the Tardeeks were monstrous and powerful, and being versed in all the H’alel taught them they could move great weights and build many terrible and wonderful monuments and could carve out mountains to build homes in which to dwell. And the H’alel were proud for a season with their offspring, and yet the H’alel were beings of craft and lore, and ever did they seek to know more craft and lore, and as time passed they grew dissatisfied with the labors of their children and grandchildren, and with the crudeness and naïf of their mates. For their mates were not as they, and were more sensual and unrefined, and more like their children, who often disdained subtlety in favor of strength and power. And the thoughts of the H’alel grew dark, and did wander far and wide throughout Iÿarlðma seeking those more like themselves for companionship. And they found none, for the Nephýařla who had brought them into Iÿarlðma had moved into the deep places of the world, and to dwellings far sundered, engaged in their own pursuits, and had left the H’alel to their own devices and pleasures. And the H’alel despaired of finding any like themselves, as mighty as themselves, or as subtle and cunning as themselves. Then in the Spring of the Morning of the faring of the Eldevens upon the earth did the Sidh arrive, and the H’alel were taken unawares.

AŒSEI-SÎDELHI FĖLIJ
The Tareåsarmãrl of the Felidic Sîdh

Being the Great Tale of the Fate of the Sidelhi, First of the Eldevens​

Then did the Sidelh appear, the first of the Eldeven folk, and none knew from where, or how they arose. And their appearance was as a shock, and a surprise to the Nephýařla, and to the H’alel, for the Sidh had been foreseen by neither, and neither knew from where they came. And the Sidelh themselves could not explain their lives, for they were living souls, and wise, but knew not how they came to be, or from where, or why.

For a while did the Nephýařla watch the Sidelhi from afar, as they approached the lands in which dwelt the H’alel, and the Nephili. And the Nephýařla sent secret emissaries to the Sidelh and they did converse and parley one with another, each seeking to learn what they could of the other. For the Nephýařla did not know if the Sidelhi came as enemies, or unknown strangers, and the Sidh knew nothing of the Neph, or of any of the peoples of the world. So much in word and deed did pass between them, and yet much went unsaid and unlearned, for the Sidelhi did not know from whence they arose, or how, and the Nephýařla would not say from whence they also arose, nor why. But finally, being satisfied in themselves with the nature and intent of the Sidelhi the Nephýařla returned to their own places and left the Sidh to approach that part of the world then inhabited by the H’alel, and their mates, and their children the Tardeeks.

And when the Sidh did arrive then the young Tardeeks saw the females of the Sidh and that they were very fair and pleasing to look upon. So because of the beauty of the females of the Sidelhi the Tardeeks took many of them as wives, and with some consent did the Sidh in those days betroth the Nephili (for in those days they were not foemen, but new companions one to another), and by some clever means known only to the Sidh did their women-folk bear the giants off-spring. And the offspring of the Sidelhi became the Tardeem, the Adharma. And the Adharma were, and yet still are, the half-giants, larger than the Sidh but smaller in statue and strength than their fathers, the ancient giants. And the Sidh also bore unto the Tardeeks the Gabar, the Deirae, the Great and Renown Ones, terrible in war, firm and fixed in form, and as shrewd and strong as any beast of the field. Yet the Gabar were smaller than their brethren, the Adharma Tardeem, being the same in stance and statue as their parents, the Sidelhi. But both races were also sure and powerful, like their forebears, and neither did fear any that lived. Even their own sires.

Then did the H’alel look with envy upon the Tardeem and the Gabar, for they too wished to possess the females of the Sidh for themselves, as their children did. For they reckoned the Sidelhi to be a people filled with lore and wisdom, and beauty, subtle, like themselves, and in this they did not err. And they thought well that the Sidh would make of them the companions of which they wished, and that the Sidh folk would be naturally inclined with favor towards themselves. Yet in this they were much mistaken. For the H’alel were very different from the Sidh, and although both folk were filled with cunning and craft of their own, they were alien and estranged one to another. And the female Sidh did not desire to be wives to the H’alel, and they could not produce offspring between the two. So some of the H’alel did abduct and steal away some of the Sidelhi and they did many unnatural and dark things to those Sidh they held captive, and to themselves as well in order to make them true for each other. But these things all failed and gravely frustrated the H’alel, and in their foiled lust and desire they took to rape and rapine against the Sidh. And in their anger and jealousy the H’alel forbade the Tardeeks and the Tardeem and the Gabar from taking anymore wives of the Sidh.

In those days the H’alel had grown great, waxing to the full measure of their craft and their power, and they had taught many arts and skills to their children the Tardeeks, and the Tardeeks in their turn had taught these things to their own children and grandchildren. And the Tardeeks as well had taught their arts to the Sidelhi, and the Sidh learned much that was noble and high, but the Sidh also had secret and unknown arts of their own, and they held these arts unused and unseen. For they had envisioned from afar what was to pass, and they held their craft in cunning abeyance for the day in which their foreknowledge would bloom in blood. As it was foreseen and spoken as a watchword among them;

Asö læbethl karavądyarcølmed urýl Sîdelhi-ryt gařthe boľgaed, Saêđr jya gűayaţr…

Which is to say, “The secret arts of the Sidelhi are to be held against the day when the spear of naked war is broken by craft, and by guile…”

 

[Wombat]

And let me say I would love being in your game -- it looks amazing!

 

[Jack7]

And let me say I would love being in your game -- it looks amazing!

Thanks Womby. It does have the advantage of having gone on for a number of years and so the setting is at least well-developed if nothing else.

 

[Jack7]

IV. The Main Parties: (Primary Player and NPC Groups)

Being a brief description of the various parties that adventure in the setting


The Basilegate - Legate of the Emperor: Imperial and Orthodox Special Legate Team of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Caerkara - The Expeditionary Force: An Expeditionary Team of mainly Eldeven creatures sent to Terra to study humans and human religion.

Hoshi - The Footbridge: A group of Orientals formed by a Shugenja Monk and sent into the West along the Silk Road to discover why the Korreupt have invaded the world.

The Oro - Moonshadow: A group of former African Sharpers who have formed a team to go into the Byzantine Empire, Europe and Asia Minor to explore and investigate

Consociatio - The Society: An association of Dragoons and their allies who seek the return of their Antipope to the Papal Chair, and who desire to destroy and murder all of the remaining Paladins, Rangers, and Cavaliers/NPC

The Korreupt - The Twisted, The Terrible: Those Caleedam (monsters) who have escaped Ghantik and made their way into our world/NPC

Khomainahas - The Serpent‘s Teeth: An international syndicate of arms and contraband smugglers, slave and human traffickers, and individual criminals/NPC

Heires - Glyphers: A secretive organization of individuals whose purpose is unknown but who use a strange hieroglyphic language with unknown properties/NPC

 

[Jack7]

IV-A.The Party of the Basilegate

Below you will find the party of the Basilegate.
Rhorric of Capadocia is slightly offset because he did not originally join the group. Rather Rhorric was a Vigilante (Ranger) Sharper who had many contacts within Constantinople, the government and the military.

He discovered of the existence of the Basilegate (though knew few details) through his network of informants and contacts and decided to shadow the Team for some months before finally exposing the fact that he had been serving as an unofficial watchdog and guardian for the group. Generally older, and more experienced than most other group members, he is also famous in the Frontier areas of the Empire as well as among many barbarian tribes and nations, and among the Arabs. He shadowed the Basilegate entirely at his own initiative before finally joining with the support of the Patriarch of Constantinople and recommendation of several generals in the Strategion.

THE BASILEGATE
(The Legate of the Emperor)​

Vlachus - a former Armenian missionary, who was called by the Patriarch of Constantinople to assist with the attempt to Christianize the Balkans. He attached himself to the Monastery of Myrelaion where he has served as both priest and missionary. Recommended by the Prelate of the Monastery for the Basilegate assignment. Known for his toughness and dogged determination, for his forgiving nature and his amazing success as a missionary to the East. Single, with two younger brothers, Largus, a leatherworker, and Klemis, a smith and soldier of the Armenian theme. Both parents are dead. His insignia is the Holy Star and he is of the Gold Deme.

Luthemia Casel Venetia - a Latin nun of Venice, sent to Constantinople as an official delegate and representative of the Pope. Widely rumored to be a Wizard, in addition to being an unofficial Cleric, and appointed to the Basilegate because of her extraordinary reputation as both a Saintly and miraculous nun and a Scientae. Single, an only child, and considered a prodigess as a youth. Her father is dead but her mother Sandra still lives. She was once married but now never speaks of her former husband and it is unknown whether he lives or is dead. Her insignia is the Cross and she is of the White (Foreign) Deme.

Drakgarm - a former Viking of Gotar who traveled south into the Russian lands and eventually passed through the Iron Gate into the Balkans. While nearly dead from wounds received on a raid he was rescued by Orthodox monks who healed him and converted him. Upon recovering he traveled to Constantinople where he entered the monastery of Studios and became a fighting monk for the Empire. Recommended by the Abbot of Studios for his devotion and enormous physical strength and power. He had one brother, Braedon, and one sister, Yvette, but their whereabouts are unknown. His parents are both dead. Single and childless. His insignia is the Rose and he is of the Red Deme.

Larmaegeon - a Welsh Bard of Caerlean in the British Isles he was trained by the High Bards of Britain, the poetic descendants of the Druids. He was converted when a young boy by Roman Christians, but continued his studies among the Bards in Wales and Ireland. He claims that his mother was Aelfish and that therefore he is Haelfla. He has one half brother, Cimmeus, who considers himself Roman and British, rather than Celtic and Welsh. Cimmeus’ father was killed in battle with the Picts and Larmaegeon was said to have been sired by an unknown person after his mother Eponia became pregnant by a stranger she refused to speak of. Very worldly and unattached he will woo women freely. His personal insignia is the Holly Leaf and he has adopted the Green Deme. Chosen for the Basilegate due to his extensive language capabilities, his diplomatic skill and his knowledge and travels in the West.

Suegenius “The Dwarf” - a Galatian Slav, nicknamed the Dwarf due to his small statue and tough disposition. A very hardy man, very skillful in technical matters and an excellent spy and infiltrator. Raised a Christian in Galatia by his mother Yarlas who was also small, he is unaware of who his father was as his mother would never speak of it. He is unaware of any siblings or other relations, and also unaware of any children though it is possible he may have produced children with any number of women. Immigrated to Constantinople, briefly arrested and flogged for theft, escaped, recaptured and offered freedom and pardon for service in the Basilegate. Attached to no Deme, no personal insignia.

Klura - sometimes called “prav Sagae” due to her reputed powers of the soul, which she possessed from a very early age. She was a former Rus Barbarian who lived in the village of Kiev until traveling south with a caravan to Constantinople. While in the City she began to attend Mass and became a devout convert and briefly entered an unknown hermitage, where the hermitess there supposedly helped her refine her many gifts. Considered a witch and an outcast by her pagan sister Drexa and by her mother Rulliss, she is nevertheless loved by her father Sergei. Unmarried and childless, though she has a suitor named Theocytio, a Rhodesian sailor. Of the White Deme, her insignia is a White Rose. Chosen by her reputation for psychic gifts and her reputed ability to foresee the future.

Marsippius Nicea - originally from Nicea, and from a long line of distinguished and professional soldiers, he served a short time along the Western Frontiers and was then transferred to Constantinople by the Prefect of Nicea in order to honor the service of his father Marsimmius Stratus, a city Consul of Nicea and former Imperator of the Thracian Theme, and to give advancement to the son. Middle Son of a large family including; Marsimmius Duotus, a Centurion of the Thracian Legion and eldest son, Galinda, the eldest daughter, Talera, the youngest daughter, Marsippius, and Darinius an estate farmer and Senator of Adrianople. Both his father Marsimmius Stratus, and his mother, Lucia, still live. His family also consists of many famous cousins, and nephews. Married to the noblewoman Celena they currently have no children. While in the capital he impressed one of the Sub Prefects of the Strategion with his intelligence and capabilities, and was recommended for the Basilegate. Family native of the Blue Deme, his personal insignia
is the Cross.

Edomios - a young Paladin who had served the Mayoral line of the Pepins in the West in Barcelona, Spain. Sent East to train and to learn the ways of the Oriental Palademes of the Byzantine Empire and to act as a liaison between the Court of Charlemagne and the Court of the Emperor Nicephorus. The village in which his parents lived was overrun by the Moors and both his father Emus and his mother Chiara are now missing and presumed dead. He has three young teenage daughters; Alisa, Elena and Maria by his wife Doria, a Greek woman. His family is housed in the Venetian Quarter. Raised as a Latin Christian he has sworn his sword and service to the Church and to both Empires, East and West. Adopted the Green Deme, and his insignia is the Anchor.

Rhorric of Capadocia - a Vigilante’s Vigilante (Vigilante being the Latin name for a Frontier's Lawmen, or Ranger). For many years Rhorric served the Capadocian and Armenian themes as a Frontiersman, an enforcer of the law, an imperial Scout and a spy. Eschewing life in the cities, towns and villages, Rhorric grew up along the frontiers, intermingling freely with various barbarian tribes, Arab raiders, pirates and mercenaries, many of whom he secretly worked against after seeming to befriend them. His grandfather, Rhomarr, was a Palademe (a Byzantine version of a Paladin) who was eventually hunted down and ambushed by a group of Dragoons and slain after enduring horrible torture. His father, Calandus escaped with the help of his unmarried uncle, Lexemes, a Vigilante, but his father never became a Paladin or Ranger and forbade Rhorric to pursue Paladinhood or Vigilantism. After the death of his father, and his mother Rheda, Rhorric located his elderly uncle who trained him to become a Ranger and made him swear vengeance against the killers of his grandfather and against all Dragoons, but especially against the Antipaladins. Since then he has led a secret and disguised life assisting the empire, hunting criminals, and searching for the murderers of his grandfather. He has one younger brother named Critius, a merchant, and a married sister, neither of whom he has seen in years and both of whom assume he is dead. Of no Deme, but with the personal insignia of a Fish intertwined by a Serpent.