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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack7" data-source="post: 4768219" data-attributes="member: 54707">IV-E. The Caerkara When the Eldevens began to realize that monsters were being accidentally created through the use of Elturgy (Arcane Magic) they began to track down and capture many of these monsters and isolate them in various places where they could be studied and hopefully cured. However the alterations caused by exposure to (especially) high level Elturgy seemed irreversible.<img src="http://www.mysteriousworld.com/Content/Images/Journal/2002/Summer/Atlantis/War.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Eventually the Eldevens also realized that Elturgy itself seemed to be “mutating” some of their own kind, as well as other creatures, into monsters, or the Caleedam. Many at the Court of Samarkand came to understand that some of these monsters were completely rogue and out of control and could not be held or captured, that once transformed certain monsters would have to be killed due to their new and vicious nature. The Eldevens in Samarkand formed secret teams of “monster hunters” that traveled throughout the Known World (and sometimes to places in their world beyond their explored knowledge) to capture or kill monsters. At the same time the Samareül began a project that lasted for many decades that attempted to “repair” elturgy so that it no longer created monsters. But the deterioration only seemed to increase and worsen and no means was discovered to return Elturgy to a reliably benign state of operation.Some monster hunter teams soon discovered that monsters were disappearing right before capture. The reason was a mystery until it was discovered that these monsters were fleeing to another world, through means unknown. The Samareül put his best Sages and Elturgists upon the problem and eventually the Drüidect was discovered, which allowed travel between their world and Terra, though the means by which “the Weirding Road” operates is still a mystery.The Samareül formed a secret and elite team of Monster Hunters to go to Terra and either recover or kill the monsters that had escaped to that world. While there agents of this team met human beings and discovered human ideas about religion as well as information about Miracles (Thaumaturgy). When this team returned home and reported on their findings the Samareül decided that these events were not coincidental at all but fated, and that Thaumaturgy, God, and religion might just be the long sought answer to either repairing or replacing the troubled nature of Elturgy. <img src="http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Riders-sidhe-L.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Since then the Samareül has been carefully studying humans, their society, religion, thaumaturgy, God, and other related matters. He has sent his elite Expeditionary Team into Terra on numerous occasions. Ostensibly it is the job of this team to hunt down and capture or kill the escaped monsters from their world, but secretly this team also studies humans, religion, thaumaturgy, etc. and gather intelligence to return to the Samareül for further study and research. This secret team or Expeditionary Force is called the Caerkara. Over the course of their expeditions to Terra they have spent much time in the Byzantine Empire (where many of the odd events affecting both worlds, as well as the escaped monsters, seem to tend to congregate) and humans have become aware of their existence, though not their true nature and point of origin. They have also become uneasy allies on occasion with the Basilegate, and as a result of this interaction a relationship has developed between the Court at Constantinople and the Court at Samarkand.  THE CAERKARA(The Expeditionary Force)<img src="http://www.leyman.demon.co.uk/Cup-marked%20boulder%20at%20Sidh%20of%20Ardtalnaig,%20Perthshire.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Dora, also known as Larunfahl - Larunfahl was born the only daughter in a family of six children. At an early age two of her brothers were killed in action overseas in war against Tardeek giants. Another brother was lost in a shipwreck and both her parents and her youngest brother were killed in an earthquake and the resulting fire. Both Larunfahl and her last remaining brother Garaenth were adopted by their uncle Srumairthu and sent to the Capital of Samarkand in Kitharia. At the age of twelve Larunfahl was separated from her brother and apprenticed to the Order of Samarkand Konnachts (Knights) where she so distinguished herself as a tactician that she was eventually promoted to lead a detachment of the Samarlean Guard. At the age of 30 she was awarded full Knighthood and became an attendant in the Court of the Samareül of Samarkand. When it was determined that a group of Eldeven peoples should undertake an expedition to the World of Men to discover more about human beings and their thaumaturgy it was decided that Larunfahl should be military leader of the group expedition which would be known as the Caerkara. Adopting the Greek name and disguise of Dora, Larunfahl agreed to help protect and defend the Caerkara, to help discover all she could about the human world and their thaumaturgy and to help locate and return any monsters which had escaped from Ghantik to the human world.Lingenus, also known as Tholrom - Abandoned as a child due to his small statue, Tholrom was later discovered on the side of a volcano on the island of Kragelar in the Massunelia chain. Adopted by a mixed group of Jukarn and Tardeems who lived in a commune and who called the island home, Tholrom grew quickly and was well liked. He became renown for his ability with projectile weapons and became an accomplished hunter, especially in jungle terrains. As he grew he took to hunting sharks and with fearless abandon often dove into the shallows in order to attack them with knifes. He therefore earned the nickname Baragu, which means Shark Bane. Considered small for his size, growing to an eventual height of 7’ 3”, Tholrom was nevertheless extremely agile and fast for his size, which only sharpened his hunting and shooting abilities. At the age of 23 he entered and won a local artillery contest and thereafter competed professionally in many matches. At the age of 27, being restless and desiring to see the world, he joined the Traemarian Navy and served three years as shipboard Bhiur (Artillerist) and Master of Naval Arms. In his naval travels around the world Tholrom served with distinction and earned many honors. At the end of his enlistment he decided to settle in Samarkand where he became an advisor to the Kitharian Army on Tactical artillery Tactics. Volunteered for the Caerkaran group by his Army Commanders he was made their artillerist and also a technical advisor on Human military forces. Trained for one year in Latin and Human military operations prior to being accepted into the Caerkara. Adopted the human name Lingenus.<img src="http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/BRGPOD/170478~Gilliatt-Struggles-with-the-Giant-Octopus-Posters.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Pumillio, also known as Fhe Fhissegrim - Born blind, Fhe Fhissegrim was the youngest child of a family of six Jukarn brothers. Fhe remained blind for most of his youth, and only learned to speak late, at the age of nine. Feared to be badly malformed and incapable, maybe even the victim of an Elturgic accident, he was hospitalized at age six as a possible Korruhn (one mutated by exposure to Elturgical powers). His parents refused to concede that he might be Korruhn however and his mother and father took turns nearly every day reading to the boy on a wide range of subjects. Possessed of formidable oratorical capabilities, once he actually learned to speak, Fhe could recite whole passages orally from materials his parents had read to him. As far back as the boy could remember however he had suffered from strange dreams in which he would see vivid scenes in how mind, full of ugly, bizarre colors and usually containing some horrific or terrifying omen. Often these dreams came true. Fearing to ever speak of what he could see only in his own mind Fhe would not speak until he grew much older, but even then he withheld his strange visions and dreams from others, even his parents. At the age of sixteen however Fhe was chosen by the ward of the hospital where he lived to undergo an experimental treatment mixing certain Elturgical rituals with newly obtained Thaumaturgical treatments from the human world. The treatment was a partial success, temporarily granting Fhe his sight, but the effects wore off again after about six months. Since then Fhe has had to undergo periodic treatments to restore his sight whenever it wanes. When his treatments are not kept then he once again slips into blindness which is a state immediately followed by new and ever more horrible and prophetic visions and dreams of doom and disaster. These dreams greatly disturb Fhe and he prefers to retain his eyesight at all costs because the same treatments that restore his sight also seem to suppress his visions. After first receiving his sight he went to live on the Isle of Wight with the human immigrants Gawain, Galahad, and Parsifal to try to repay them for their help in assisting with the Thaumaturgical portion of his treatment. Living ten years with the human Knights, in the hermitage as they lived, he gained their respect and a human nickname, Pumilio, the Dwarf. After his return to Kitharia he was asked to accompany the Caerkara as party Vinfarra (Mystic), as an expert in human relations, because of his knowledge of Thaumaturgy, because he had learned Latin so well from the human Knights, and because he is popularly considered a gifted though bizarre psychaec. Taking the human name Pumillio, Fhe actually has reasons of his own for joining the party. He hopes to disprove that Elturgy is a danger to his world or any other, as many Eldevens are coming to believe. <img src="http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/heritage/Heritage/SidhGosht.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Sueva, also known as Esabel - Esabel was an only child, born in northeastern Avalon, and deeply loved by her family. Considered extremely beautiful and delicate, she also displayed great intelligence and inventiveness at an early age. Often while playing by herself she would invent small devices which would amaze her family and friends. Often also reclusive she spent a great deal of time reading and engaging in solitary athletic training to develop her small frame. Medically inclined she often experimented on small injured or sick animals seeking methods of treating or curing their ailments. As she aged her reputation as a healer of animals grew to the point that she soon discovered she had Eldeven patients seeking her advice and ministrations. Finding that she was often able to treat or heal those for whom all other practices proved useless, she came into high demand as a healer, and became quite wealthy. Encouraged by her peers and former teachers to move to Kitharia she did so after turning thirty years old. After the death of her parents she immigrated eastwards and settled in the Capital. In the Capital she spent part of her fortune in the study of Elturgy, even though she was considered too old to begin training. She astounded most of her teachers by excelling in the arts of Eltrugy in a short period of time and due to her reputation as both a healer and Elturgist was soon approached by the government of Kitharia to become the Nockma (Magi) of the Caerkaran party. Adopting the human name Sueva she agreed to join the party as healer and Nockma.<img src="http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/PODP/10091~Fairy-Queen-Medb-of-the-Sidhe-Posters.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Helmarcinius, also known as Telanisil Elyu - Telanisil was born the older of two siblings, having only a younger sister to keep him company in his youth. Born in the high mountains of Clariy his family preferred their privacy and he grew up many miles from the nearest neighbor. Farmers and simple trades-folk the family made a modest living farming, raising livestock and bartering with the skills they possessed. Telanisil received no formal education, but he and his sister were schooled by their parents. Once a month the family would descend the mountain and use any surplus monies they had made for the purchase of books and art supplies. A very close knit family, Telanisil was especially attached to his little sister Elyu. Telanisil read as much as he could, spent many free hours roaming the mountainside, became an expert mountaineer and survivalist and drew and sketched everything his eye fell upon. In time he became an incredibly good artist and thanks to his uncanny and incredible memory he was able to reproduce on paper scenes, objects, and events which he had seen weeks or even months before, with such accuracy that his drawings were considered almost Elturgical. As he aged he often camped away from home, spending the night roaming about and sketching animals and the flora of the mountainside. One morning, after spending all night away from home he was returning to his family when he chanced upon a strange figure standing motionless. Even from a distance this figure seemed dangerous and out of place to the young boy so he took a hiding place and briefly sketched the figure as best as he could see it. After a few minutes Telanisil started on his way but the sound of his movements alerted the strange figure, that turned to look, and seeing the boy suddenly bolted away as if frightened. Telanisil then noticed that the figure had been standing above an object on the ground and ran to investigate. He came upon the body of his own sister, brutally raped, mutilated and murdered. In horror he ran home for help but nothing could be done for the girl, she was long dead. After the burial Telanisil received another shock when his parents confessed to him that his father was not his real father, that Telanisil had been born of an affair between an unknown party, whom no one would speak of, and his mother, and that there was a possibility that Telanisil might be Deirae. The next day Telanisil ran away from home, spent three years wandering in Ytlai, and then hearing of a special force of monster hunters in Kitharia moved to Samarkand. At Samarkand Telanisil took the surname of Elyu, his sister’s name, and vowed to retain the name until he found her killer and avenged her death. Joining the Tennants (Peace Agents), the legendary Law Force and Caleedam Hunters he spent ten years traveling the world, often by sea, hunting down criminals and Caleedam who had proven themselves dangerous by attacking or killing others. So good was he at his duties and so single minded in his pursuit of criminals and monsters that his comrades called him Lasu, the Stranger, because he rarely spoke on the hunt, turning all his energies to absolute concentration. In the service of the Tennants he eventually discovered that his sister’s murderer was likely one of the Caleedam Goblins, the most notorious of the Eldevenoid Caleedam criminals. He has never forgotten the face he saw standing above his sister's broken body nor has he ever put aside the sketch he made of his sister’s probable killer. After ten years of service he was promoted to Tennant Ghaner and recalled to Samarkand where he was offered the chance to serve in the Caerkara. Hearing rumors that some of the Goblins may have escaped to the human world he eagerly accepted the assignment, learned Greek, took the Greek name Helmarcinius and joined the party as their chief investigator and monster hunter.In later entries I will discuss:The Nature of Miracles and MagicGod and ReligionBasic HistoryPoliticsThe SocietiesConnections between Our World and the World of GhantikCharacter Professions (“Classes”) and Experimental and Variant ClassesNew SpellsThe Races Important OrganizationsTerminologyAuthentic Weaponry and ArmorWarfareGuerilla OperationsMonsters and ElturgyAdventures and MissionsPsychic and Mental PowersEquipmentArtifacts and RelicsCampaigningLanguagesThe VaddersSpecial AbiltiesInventingTravel Between WorldsEldeven-Human Interactions, and other such subjects.I'll continue this outline later in more detail when I can.Anyone who wishes is certainly free to comment on what I have constructed thus far.</blockquote>

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