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Act 2
Act 2
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*[https://discord.gg/ZuGRZKD Discord Server]
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You all met in a tavern in some no-name logging town out on the frontier. Scruffy prospectors, scheming merchants, disgraced minor nobles, and deranged veterans from thousands of miles away converged on rumors of a ruined fortress from the Old Empire and the priceless treasures within. Seemed like a great way to get rich, make a name for yourself, or at least keep busy while avoiding the big cities for whatever reason.  
An old school dice-based dungeon crawl, where individual suggesters control their own hapless adventurers.
 
{{Spoilers}}
==Plot Summary==
Sorted by party / plot arc.  The infobox, for comparison, is sorted chronologically.
===The Accidental Pirates===
A captain who doesn't understand why she's been put in charge, a crew that doesn't know what they're doing, and somehow every new encounter results in new, enthusiastic recruits.
 
;{{thread|710774|Thread 1}}:Deep in the Bloodmist Labyrinth, a misfit band of adventurers get off to an auspicious start, leaving one of their own for dead after a comedy of errors and misunderstanding in the very first room (don't worry, he gets better.  Mostly).  They eventually find shelter for the night in a goblin outpost, only wake up as the surprise guest starts in a sacrifice to Orcus.  Spiders and violence ensue.
 
;{{thread|718694|Thread 2}}:Having slain their would be executioner, the PCs are hustled off to the surface by their goblin hosts, richer in reparations, loot, and companions.  Emerging near the sea they declare themselves a shipless crew of pirates, explore the coast, do a favor for a coven and outrageously rip off a group of aliens in the process (the aliens made the mistake of trying to rip off the pirates first)
 
;{{thread|730630|Thread 3}}:The pirates purchase and explore a cart of holding, build their ship, conduct a ritual magic ritual, and generally faff about before collecting their favors from the coven and sailing off into the sunset in search of fortune.
 
===The Fire Hawks===
A group of driven individuals inherit a mercenary company after the original members go missing, and set out to restore the company and rescue their predecessors, furthering their own ambitions in the process.
 
;{{thread|765391|Thread 4}}:A second group of adventures begin their escape from the Bloodmist Labyrinth, beginning by an oversized enchanted chessboard.  Along the way they learn to think with portals, recruit a division of flesh puppets, bicker, mutate, collect a fallen mercenary's dog-tag equivalent, make a bargain with an undead queen, and eventually escape to the surface though the Temple of Final Sacrament.
 
;{{thread|778485|Thread 5}}:The party makes their way to Passholdt and earn a majority share in the Fire Hawks mercenary company.  Their first paying job is as escort to a merchant vessel.  Along the way, they decide to come to the aid of a town beset by a bandit army.  Then a forest explodes in the middle of the battlefield.
 
;{{thread|807859|Thread 6}}:The Fire Hawks work to escape The Green Tide, a brand new dungeon, before their clients sail on without them.  Once free of the dungeon, they take on a problematic pair of former bandit leaders as new clients, complete the first leg of their journey, go shopping, and manage to raise two of the original Fire Hawks.
 
;{{thread|896970|Thread 9}}:With a lead on their founder's missing spellbook, and perhaps their missing teammates, the Fire Hawks prepare to rob the church of Orcus.
 
===Team Magic Sword===
Brought together by a wish, a magic sword, an angel and a devil, a group of weirdos set out to restore a ruined hospital turned dungeon.
 
;{{thread|765391|Thread 4}}:In the same thread where the Fire Hawks made their start, two smaller groups that would later unite work to escape the Bloodmist Dungeon.  The first manages to escape by cutting a deal with the Gug and sailing to Passholdt (with some accidental arson).  The second manage to escape as a result of a preposterous metaphysical mess kicked up a deck of many things.
 
;{{thread|829557|Thread 7}}:The party is united, and begins their work to explore and restore the Mouth of Doom.
 
===The New Guys===
The latest group of adventurers stranded in the Bloodmist Labyrinth, who have yet to distinguish themselves.
;{{thread|890020|Thread 8}}:Pending!
 
==Player Characters==
:''For long form character sheets, see [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VNOzfqCTOpd1Lhqr18uTcHF5VbuUdHNV6NiX-FhuxL8/edit?usp=sharing here] (google doc).''
Listed in order of introduction, sorted by act, and by party membership.
 
===Act 2.5===
A new start running simultaneously with Act 2
 
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Character || Class || Specialization || Summary || Player
|-
| '''Ivori of House Shinseina Kaigijitsu Goodhall''' || Huldra Kitsune Townie || Ninja || style="text-align:left" | - || [[Kome]]
|-
| '''Erik Gunnarsson ''' || Human Soldier || Berserker || style="text-align:left" | - || [[NPC]]
|-
| '''Mizer''' || Man-Bat Rich Bastard || Thief || style="text-align:left" | - || [[strngy]]
|-
| '''Lizzy''' || Anthro Leopard Gecko Hedge Witch || Golemancy || style="text-align:left" | - || [[Santova]]
|-
| '''Grave, the Grave Digger''' || Barkskin Soldier || Honoring the Dead || style="text-align:left" | - || [[NPC]]
|-
| '''Green Redford''' || Kobold Townie || B&E || style="text-align:left" | - || [[Orange]]
|-
| '''Eira''' || Dragon-Kin Soldier || Unarmed Combat || style="text-align:left" | - || [[mageykun]]
|-
| '''Sahara''' || Catfolk Townie || ----- || style="text-align:left" | - || [[Kome]]
|-
| '''Dr. Holly Falkmin''' || Rich Bastard || Unstable Medicine || style="text-align:left" | - || [[Gilly]]
|}
 
===Act 2===
The currently active session.
 
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Character || Class || Specialization || Summary || Player
|-
| '''Maru Red''' || Tiefling Townie || Skald || style="text-align:left" | A boisterous and bawdy musical brawler hungry for fame and afraid of being forgotten, with a spectral axe earned in an act of bloody vengeance at her beck and call. || [[Santova]]
|-
| '''Hore Wutashi''' || Gnoll-Human Hybrid Hedge Witch || <!--Plasmakineticist-->Outsider Shaman || style="text-align:left" | An erratic, bloodthirsty, and shameless cybernetically-enhanced murder-gnoll, complete with variable arm cannon. || [[Kome]]
|-
| '''Decaro Vos''' || Eel-man Soldier || Grappling || style="text-align:left" | The friendly and good hearted paladin of a benign tentacle goddess, blessed with the power of holy mutation.  Currently sporting a third eye, a crab claw, and naga tail.  || [[strngy]]
|-
| '''Davina / Viste''' || Human Rich Bastard || Fencer || style="text-align:left" | A noble swordswoman capable of cutting portals in air, prone to hologram flickering, and host to an extraplaner horror.  Moonlights as a magical girl and seeks to restore her fallen house. || [[mageykun]]
|-
| '''Eric Grimwald''' || Human Rich Bastard || Commanding Others || style="text-align:left" | A lonely soul, possessing a disquieting appetite and difficulties with conventional healing.  He seeks the immortality of undeath and a bride with which to share eternity.  || [[GB]]
|-
| '''Yisheng Ji''' || Half-Avian Hedge Witch || Healing / Medicine || style="text-align:left" | A dour and serious medical professional in the style of an eastern cultivator.  Capable of moving weightlessly, possesses perfect balance, and seeks true immortality.  || [[Tunic]]
|-
| '''Maria Agate''' || Human Hedge Witch  || Purifying Light || style="text-align:left" | A fighting nun of a family order who wields a searing, purging light to combat evil and the undead.  Skilled with knots and more abstract wards and bindings. || [[The Archivist]]
|-
| '''Daniel Agate''' || Human Hedge Witch || Purification || style="text-align:left" | Maria's brother, and the black sheep of the family due to his homosexuality and a non-combative manifestation of the familial gift: an aura capable of repelling or purging poisons, curses and disease. || [[The Archivist]]
|-
| '''Djan Seriv''' || Elf (Orc) Soldier || Slinger || style="text-align:left" | A soldier-turned-deserter who has the ability to manipulate most metals like putty, with the exception of a painful allergy to gold.  He hopes to find both peace and revenge.  || [[DanZapman]]
|-
| '''Rhea''' || Half-goblinoid Hedge Witch || Empathic Fire || style="text-align:left" | A cheerful and somewhat guileless half-goblin fire priestess, from the deep underground.  On a pilgrimage to the surface in service of her ''real'' passion as a dessert chef (and an unhealthy fascination with the sun).  || [[mageykun]]
|-
| '''Geoffrey Vargas''' || Human Rich Bastard || Escapology and Evasion || style="text-align:left" | A former Royal Guardsman, professional coward and most recently (and mostly accidentally) an ancestral sorcerer.  A sigil burned into his flesh warns him of danger, but also attracts it to him. || [[Riotmode]], [[strngy]]
|-
| '''Helen Nabot''' || Human Townie || Deception / Gall || style="text-align:left" | An older intellectual and scholar, bearing a curse on her back (literally and figuratively) which she believes is slowly consuming her past.  She's turned to dangerous adventuring in search of ancient secrets and a possible cure. || [[strngy]]
|-
| '''Azure Youngmason''' || Phoenix Blooded Harpy Rich Bastard || <!--Healing Serenader-->Entrancing Song || style="text-align:left" | A self absorbed and flighty avian who expects to breeze through trouble with some combination of fast talking, sex appeal, her brutish slave, Pog, and conditional combustible immortality. || [[Kome]]
|-
| '''Isaiah, son of Elohim''' || Necrolithograph Hedge Witch || Death Domain || style="text-align:left" | An ambulatory suit of armor with the mind of a twelve year old boy who ineptly attempts to conceal his unnatural condition.  Prophet of Hanspur, blessed with the power to divine the wisdom of roads. || [[Santova]]
|-
| '''Pog Roastchester''' || Orc Soldier || <!--Untouchable Bloodrager-->Tank || style="text-align:left" | Azure's slave and a being of astonishingly limited intellect and prodigious strength and resilience.  Possesses porcine features and appearance. || [[Kome]]
|-
| '''Malkov''' || Human Hedge Witch  || Lightning/Undead-Bane Chi Powers || style="text-align:left" | A clawed and scarred martial artist and former victim of necromatic experiments who now seeks to destroy both the undead and their masters. || [[The Archivist]]
|-
| '''Wendy''' || Human Hedge Witch || “Miracles” || style="text-align:left" | An ambitious tinker and gadgeteer with a holy touch, persecuted and driven from her home.  Venom drips in both her words and teeth. || [[The Archivist]]
|-
| '''Nistamatsin''' || Demon Hedge Witch || Abjuration || style="text-align:left" | A bound demon driven by conflicting and paradoxical desires who steals faces to hide the ghastly visage of his true form.  His body serves as a living bag of holding, filled with blood. || [[strngy]]
|-
| '''Kent Vogner''' || White Elf Townie || Artificing || style="text-align:left" | A mutant, an engineer, and a thief capable of great bounding leaps, and whose passage leaves ripples in stone.  They seek social equality through freedom of information.  They also adore spiders. || [[Santova]]
|-
| '''Valeno Nahesa''' || Vishkanya Townie || Rogue / Poisoner || style="text-align:left" | A voyeuristic contortionist snake person on a journey to become a legendary master of poison, who has been marred by a demon-attracting curse. || [[Shadowkaisen]]
<!--
 
Blank row below, copy paste as needed.
 
|-
| '''''' ||  || || style="text-align:left" |  ||
-->
|}
 
 
;Group I, The (New) Fire Hawks: Maru, Hore, Vos, Davina, Ji, Maria, Daniel,
;Group II, Team Magic Sword: Rhea, Geoffrey, Azure, Isaiah, Helen, Pog, Malkov, Wendy, Nistamatsin, Kent
;Group III, The Dungeoneers: Valeno
;Demoted to NPC: Eric, Djan
 
===Act 1===
{{Todo|Add summaries, clean up relevant section in external doc}}
 
The original session, which died after we spent an entire thread faffing around setting up a pirate ship.
 
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Character || Class || Specialization || Summary || Player
|-
| '''Marijke''' || Hedge Witch || Suggestion / Mental influences || style="text-align:left" | A lucre witch turned pirate captain after everyone around her shrugged and offered to work for an order of magnitude less than she was going to make || [[mageykun]]
|-
| '''Sgt. Nick''' || Soldier || Intuition || style="text-align:left" |  ||
|-
| '''"Sir" Garaile''' || Soldier || Single combat || style="text-align:left" | A double jointed man with solid convictions and fierce loyalty, not to mention a few grisly trophies, oath to the Burning Hate, and a compulsion to give Kobolds a chance at a better life || [[Tunic]]
|-
| '''Nico Nashville''' || Townie || Bluff / Acting || style="text-align:left" |  || [[CalimariGod]]
|-
| '''Yeven Surgis''' || Rich Bastard || Demons || style="text-align:left" |  || [[Bad transetor]] <!--misspelling intentional-->
|-
| '''Than''' || Soldier || Sharpshooter || style="text-align:left" |  ||
|-
| '''Dimitry "the White Snake" Nicola''' || Townie  || Stealth, assassination, thievery || style="text-align:left" |  ||
|-
| '''Letkra''' || Rich Bastard || Spear-dancing || style="text-align:left" |  || [[Mitsukara]]
|-
| '''Riv''' || Hedge Witch || Alchemy / Artificing || style="text-align:left" | Twice over a former slave who's education in alchemy came at the cost of her mental health and people skills || [[Santova]]
|-
| '''Ravenous Llyr''' || Soldier || Tracking / Hunting || style="text-align:left" |  || [[Tunic]]
|-
| '''Stone''' || Hedge Witch  || Spirits || style="text-align:left" | A proud warrior, haunted by the spirits of his ancestors, who now seeks some peace and quiet through any means necessary || [[Santova]]
|}
 
==Notable NPCs==
{{Todo|add more NPCs, expand/add descriptions}}
===Contemporary===
Broken into rough groups, by location and/or affiliation.
 
====In the Dungeon====
;(Queen) Aaphia:
 
====Ecton====
;Jank: An orc who once guarded a pie. Moved to Ecton after leaving the Bloodmist Labyrinth.
 
;Mayor of Ecton: The mayor's a crafty-looking old woman in a broad brimmed hat. She can do some scrying and dowsing, but she's not much good beyond a couple hundred yards. Some of her responsibilities include administrative stuff and tending to wounded.


You assembled a team, planned an expedition, set out for one of the better-known cavern entrances... then things started to go wrong. Currently you're deep underground, separated from the rest of the expedition and known paths to the surface by a sliding-wall trap, and the way forward is blocked by some ridiculous chess puzzle. Engraving on steel plaque, on a low stone pedestal covered in smudged-out chalk notes, reads
;Mayors Apprentice: A woman with ulterior motives; used her position to convince the townsfolk that a return to Ecton was a bad idea, despite testimony of it's safety from the Firehawks. Last seen with eelmen outside of Ecton proper.


"Life is a dirge of shadow and light<br>
;EOD Monk: The second-coil monk from the Esoteric Order of Dagon has oddly wide-set eyes, like Hugo Weaving if he never blinked
A terrible chore ‘ere blessed sleep<br>
Resting in peace of eternal night<br>
A knightly prize for those who would leap<br>
Into the fray knowing their right<br>
A foolish whim whose meaning is deep<br>
Fraught with the force of clerical might<br>
A bound to the left and so we shall reap<br>
Yet stay the true course in blooded sight<br>
A castle falls east in a weatherworn heap<br>
Then comes freedom to victors of peril-fraught fight<br>
And journey continues with prize one can keep.<br>


Seek the prize within the eightfold field.<br>
;Inspector Trihs: Ecton guard squad leader who got caught up in the green tide. Ate lunch with Gorsk "every day for the last eight years". Some practice with the shortbow and halberd.  
Orcus watches and cheers the struggle.”<br>


;Gorsk: Ecton guard, who was dedicated enough to procedure to keep the door closed on Inspector Trihs.


====Zelkor's Ferry====
Has a number of long term residents, including a small contingent of guards and the Brislebacks, a family of wereboars who's presence deters bandits, despite the town's small size and relative independence.
;Odo Bristleback: mayor, innkeeper
;Amelia Bristleback: accountant, laundry, part-time gambler
;Hazel-Eyed Tallie Bristleback: Amelia and Odo's daughter, serving wench, bondage expert & sadist for hire by the hour
;Gumbel Bristleback: Tallie's younger brother, cook, part-time carpenter
;Igor Bristleback: Tallie's older brother, deaf/mute, spacey and skittish, stablehand, unties knots, part-time masseuse
;Vort Bristleback: distant cousin and half-orc but could be Igor's twin, stablehand, no 'inside voice,' calm in a crisis


In other words, an old school dice-based dungeon crawl. Rebooted!
;Ysbel Cloudpine: serving wench, saint lookalike (apart from blond rather than green hair)


;Big Morgan Smith: blacksmith, wagon repair, part-time armorer but not for anything fancy
;Deslena Smith: pottery, chicken ranching


==Act 2 Character Roster:== <!--sorted by status, then order of introduction-->
;Rasmus Pye: general store, merchant guild contact
;Meregan Pye: inventory control, clothing repair


===Active Characters===
;Ulman Dark:Unlicensed Necromancer, "your one-stop shop for no-questions, no-promises, cash-up-front medical care." Ulman is married to Kanndra, and a friend of Eric's.
;Kanndra Dark:Slightly corrupt itinerant bounty hunter.  Married to Ulman.


'''''Maru Red'''''<br>
;Gutmark the ferryman: spends most of his time fishing
Tiefling Townie<br>
;Adebrin the fishwife: meat preservation expert, gnoll liaison
'''Specialization:''' Skald<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Fame, glory, and the perks that come with it / Craving for pipeweed<br>
'''Phobia:''' Being forgotten from this world/dying without becoming famous<br>
'''Mutation:''' Filed down horns protruding from her forehead<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Much like a reptile, gets sluggish in the cold, and will become comatose if she is in extreme cold for extended periods of time<br>
'''Ability:''' She can summon forth a two-handed, spectral ax, fueled by blood, which sings a battle dirge to inspire her allies and intimidate her foes<br>


'''Bio:''' Maru was conceived via rape, and was largely unwanted and resented by her mother. Her mother had demonic blood in her ancestry, and Maru inherited these traits. After running away from home, a group of towns people from a nearby village found her, and filed her horns down in an attempt to purge the demonic influence from her body. Not long after a group of "orc" bandits raided the town, and ended up taking her in and nursing her back to health. She joined them, and some time later was put on trial for the murder of her father, of which she was proudly guilty. She escaped the custody of local law enforcement, albeit on her own, and made her way out to the frontier to get a clean start and make a new name for herself. She entered the ruins hoping for gold glory and inspiration for a epic to be told through the ages, but after being cut off from the main expedition force, a rare voice of reason tells her that perhaps a hot meal, soft bed and cheap wench would be preferable to starving to death in a crumbling fortress. And so, she now attempts to get un-lost, and hopes that the others can figure out the riddle behind this puzzle because she is stumped.<br>
;Kalgor the dwarf: chaplain, librarian, gemcutter, relics appraised & some curses broken, spirit diplomacy, weddings, funerals
'''Player:''' [[Santova]]<br>


;Captain Skorma: guard commander, medium infantry
;Officer Bodi: guardsman, medium infantry
;Officer Eldeshi: guardswoman, medium infantry
;Officer Hanesh: guardsman, medium infantry
;Officer Shuma: guardsperson, medium infantry
;Officer Taom: guardsman, medium infantry
The guards show distant professional courtesy to everyone but each other. Any given time, there's one guard at the gate, one on patrol, two awake but off-duty (usually either sparring out on the grass, maintaining their gear in the barracks, or relaxing in the Black Boar Inn's common room) and two sleeping.


'''''Hore Wutashi'''''<br>
====Near Zelkor's Ferry====
Gnoll-Human Hybrid Hedge Witch<br>
;Tethru Dark, moss troll: Kanndra's adopted child and Ulman's apprentice, reads future in own entrails, set up in Yorgala's old cottage
'''Specialization:''' Outsider Shaman<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Go 'Home' / Murder-Sex. Endless. Murder. And. Sex. At the same time.<br>
'''Phobia:''' Fear of the unknown, mostly anything that can kill her without showing itself.<br>
'''Mutation:''' Canine Features. Ears. Tail. And yes, Gnoll *censored*<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Mental instability<br>
'''Ability:''' Plasma Beam - Based on her mother's broken plasma pistol, this signature spell allows Hore to fire a concentrated beam of generated plasma at any opponent. She has been working on plans to modify the quantum wave pattern of the plasma, which would change the beam's special strength from armor piercing to enchantment piercing.<br>


'''Bio:''' Twenty years ago, a magic experiment performed by the chieftain of a generic gnoll tribe accidentally latched onto a quantum portal energy signature from another world. As you can guess, one of the staff from the lab was sucked in and fell into the arms of a really lucky gnoll. She wasn't even one of the scientists, just an intern from the biology department! But then, all the actual scientists that went through the portal fell in less fortunate places and died in a matter of seconds. So after five rapes, a few medical miracles, and one really loud childbirth later, Hore was born into a tribe of rapists with a deity-figure as a mother and showered with all the attention of a classic chosen one. She learned much about mathematics, biology, natural sciences, and basic quantum mechanics from whatever her mother could still retain.
;Khadeehya's Pack: gnolls camped out on a hill two miles south of the ferry, middlemen for ransoming captives back from bandits


Then her mother died in a freak accident when she was ten. Perforated by falling bull horns. Go figure.  
;Tall Jack Rat's bandit gang: bunkered inside the Mouth of Doom, trying to regroup after a devastating and seemingly unprovoked attack by some sort of forest guardian named Drusilla. Recently they've started working with a ragtag group of adventurers, with the goal of turning the Mouth of Doom back into a place of healing.


After fighting her way out of her own paranoid psychopathic tribe, Hore wants to know more about her mother's world and if she could have a place there. Barring that, like any among her tribe she has a lust for murder and rape matched only by her desire to create a working system for endless murder and rape.<br>
;Niknak Tarbucket and affiliated kobolds: also inside the Mouth of Doom but mobile, regarded as relatively harmless apart from pranks, inordinately fond of fresh bread.
'''Player:''' [[kome]]<br>


;Drusilla: A powerful druid who commands droves of wolves, turns people into clouds, and sets the forest upon those who displease her. Her motivations aren't totally understood, but they seemed to be linked to preventing ecological disruptions.


'''''Decaro Vos'''''<br>
====Mouth of Doom====
Eel-man Soldier<br>
Tall Rack Rat and his gang, members abbreviated as TJRG, which include a five man orc brotherhood who are highly skilled, but poorly equipped with two handed axes, a five man squad of humans trained as light infantry and equipped with short swords and longbows, and two squads of archers.
'''Specialization:''' Grappling<br>
;Talk Jack Rat: Leader of a gang of bandits who are camping out in the mouth of doom after Drusilla killed their previous leader (Mikhail's Marauders) and reduced their numbers considerably
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Protecting the weak / Bedding other sentient species<br>
;Owen: TJRG, has long, well groomed hair and uses a spear with a sling attached to the butt.
'''Phobia:''' Any dry and excessively dusty environment, thorny plants, mummified corpses, scorpions, and powdered silver (or silvery metals, but not, for example, liquid mercury, silver coins, or iron filings), or apparent unnaturally-accelerated erosion of stone<br>
;Eochaid: TJRG, worships Tsathoggua and as a result tries to do as little work as possible. Wears a snakeskin belt, and is interested in intellectual pursuits.
'''Mutation:''' Big eye on chest, which can detect and size people up based on their auras.<br>
;Nerys: TJRG, died after drawing from the deck of many things, but not before gaining a magnificent weapon and thereby finding their peace in the afterlife.
'''Vulnerability:''' Dehydration<br>
'''Ability:''' Flesh growth - can touch a creature to cause a horrible mutation<br>


'''Bio:''' Vos was born of noble parents, the fourteenth hatchling in his clutch. He was raised steadfast in the teachings of his deity, and one day decided to leave his village to spread these teachings and give aid to the many other people of the world. During his travels he heard tale of a dungeon full of secrets and possibly evil, so he joined forces with a band of attractive people to investigate. Vos is now lost and a little bit scared, but he knows his faith will protect him. He was never much for poetry and does not know how to play chess, so instead he attempts to force his way through whatever door/obstacle is in his path.<br>
;Lucjan: TJR, leader of the orc brotherhood, has a long blue scar
'''Player:''' [[strngy]]<br>
;Kamil: TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.  
;Karol: TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.  
;Kasper: TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.  
;Kazimierz: TJR, part of the Orc brother.


====The (Original) Fire Hawks====
An experienced and established adventuring company, whose membership is largely MIA after heading Down The Well, just like everyone knows you shouldn't.  One group of PCs has inherited control of the company, and is now responsible for rescuing, recovering the remains of, or learning the final fates of the original team.


'''''Davina'''''<br>
;Captain Azarthraine (<s>MIA KIA</s> Active):A dynastic sorcerer capable of 8th circle magic. In melee, he usually fought with a rapier whose 'blade' was made from a piece of green wood, or else a three-pronged spear loaded with various tricky enchantments. It could shrink to a concealable baton or extend to improbable length, flex like a gripping claw and then deliver electrical shocks, lots of other stuff. <s>He's been planning and prepping for his last trip for years, maybe even before he founded the company  ...and ''we're'' supposed to rescue ''this guy''?</s>
Human Rich Bastard<br>
- Azarthraine has been recovered and successfully resurrected, but (A) he is in a new lizardfolk body that he is still getting used to, and (B) he does not have his spellbook, which had the necessary variables needed to cast most of his spells. However, he has retained an extensive education in spellcraft, and can use the Supreme Disintegration spell with a few mods, so he is extremely useful when fighting high-level enemies with flawed defenses.
'''Specialization:''' Fencer<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:'''  Legacy (explained / elaborated on in character bio) / Ladies. Doesn't help with establishing a family legacy, but hey, dad had mistresses too.<br>
'''Phobia:''' Spoor of those bodiless hounds which lurk in the corners of time, such as deep yet bloodless wounds in otherwise normal flesh, stringy blue caustic-alkali slime, locked-room murder mysteries, sharp corners on convex architectural elements (especially when filled in with something more smooth and round which has cracked or been left incomplete), and ill-conceived efforts to directly observe the distant past.<br>
'''Mutation:''' Appears normal when calm, but becomes blurry, and thus harder to sense or strike, when in the grips of passion, including most combat situations. 'Clipping' through solid walls or out of manacles is possible, but usually involves heroic exertion and a risk of injury. Berzerk rage, paralyzing grief, blind panic, etc. result in total intangibility for the duration of the insanity, which may be a lifesaver or a debilitating inconvenience depending on context. Clothing and other equipment comes along with, if it's touching and she honestly thinks it's rightfully hers. Also, odd dietary requirements and downright bizarre (though consistent) distortions of smell and taste, ever since a childhood incident that shifted some birthmarks around and made her left-handed.<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Bags of Holding, portals, and other technological exceptions to Euclidean geometry are treated as if wrapped in razorwire, though she'll need something far more exotic than heavy gloves for safe handling, and banishing or warding effects never treat her as 'one of the locals.'<br>
'''Ability:''' Teleport anywhere within line-of-sight, including through windows, and even around corners with the aid of an appropriately-angled reflective surface, but no more than a few hundred yards per hop. Requires a fine sword with which to cut a hole in the air (or at least some edge sharp enough to cut paper, but the very thought of using any tool lesser than her ancestral sword feels gross and wrong on an instinctive level) and the tunnel stays open for a minute or so, allowing partners or pursuers to follow unless they're considerably larger than her. If her feet are glued to the floor or she's broken her spine or something, she might be able to open a hole and then fail to propel herself through it, but can't reliably do that on purpose. If she wants to open a tunnel while staying in place, or for that matter, teleport several times in rapid succession, there should be some surface solid enough for her to kick off of as part of changing direction.<br>
'''Seriously Expensive Thing:''' Ancestral sword, appropriate to style.<br>


'''Bio:''' The daughter of a noble house (or at least a rich and successful one with a good history), Davina benefits from an upbringing where she had everything that was needed to prepare her to face the world. She was the heir to and recipients of these advantages as part of her legacy. A legacy that no longer exists, as her house has fallen.
;Master Sergeant Oldaric (<s>KIA</s> PTSD):A 6th level orc fighter.  <s>We recovered just enough of his remains to reincarnate him into a new body, if and when we can afford it.</s>
- Oldaric has been recovered and successfully resurrected, but is suffering from severe dysphoria. Specifically, he is intrigued about his new female sex, but living in the body of a ''green elf'' has triggered severe psychological trauma due to his racism of elves. He is currently living in the pocket-dimension greenhouse owned by the Fire Hawks, waiting for the sedatives to cultivate so he can stone himself for the rest of the period between now and when he can get himself polymorphed.


She's now on a quest to restore that legacy. Nothing so trite as taking back her exact family holding- this isn't about a right to rule or a territory. As far as she's concerned, she's a link in a chain, and she will not be the point where it breaks. Before she dies, Davina wants a reestablished power base or holdings to see that the next generation of her family gets at least as good a shot as she did.<br>
;Corporal Adrenai (MIA):An elf who dual wields hatchets, and a semi-reformed thief. She joined the company when her opportunistic mugging took down a bounty target the team was in pursuit of.  Rather than ceding the bounty to Adrenai, Azarthraine  made it a new rule that when somebody jumps in and finishes a job the Fire Hawks should've already been doing, faster and better, the new kid gets a few shares of stock from everybody they upstaged if they agree to join up and share credit for the deed itself.  (Which is how we eventually ended up in control of the company).
'''Player:''' [[mageykun]]<br>


;Lt. Mezuryk (MIA): Male, able to tank traps?


'''''Eric Grimwald'''''<br>
;Sister Kalina (MIA): The chaplain.
Human Rich Bastard<br>
'''Specialization:''' Commanding others.<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:'''  To become a lich and rule a mighty kingdom. / To find a suitable bride.<br>
'''Phobia:''' Monophobia - Fear of being Alone/Without companion.<br>
'''Mutation:''' Jaw is slightly deformed which greatly altered his diet. This leads to difficulty chewing solid food, combined with willingness and ability to eat stuff that's badly rotten, and resistance to poison in general.<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Conventional healing magic causes problems for Eric. Agonizingly painful, sometimes makes the wound worse instead of better. Alchemical potions work fine, though.<br>
'''Ability:''' Eric is able to reanimate and command undead creatures of a lesser intelligence to follow basic commands. If Eric becomes incapacitated, any creature under his command shall be free to act as they please.<br>
'''Seriously Expensive Thing:''' A magic quiver that can transmute any dry bones found lying around into more crossbow bolts.<br>
<!--No bio given-->
'''Player:''' [[GB]]<br>


;6th Member (MIA): Name and description currently unknown.


'''''Yisheng Ji'''''<br>
;Acolyte Galanodel:A young half-elven woman with dark skin and teal hair, she served as Sister Kalina's apprentice in the worship of a minor divinity best known for promoting the construction of public libraries, doing clerical work to pay for room and board until she's fully initiated.  Currently the most senior surviving Fire Hawk, our secretary, and sleeping with Davina.
Half-Avian Hedge Witch<br>
'''Specialization:''' Healing / Medicine<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:'''  Become immortal and eternally youthful / Make money<br>
'''Phobia:''' Being crushed to death<br>
'''Mutation:''' Feathers growing from arms, legs, and back that passively help regulate body temperature in non-extreme conditions, and ward off damp, but are obviously somewhat disturbing to look at<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Consuming birdflesh makes him incredibly sick<br>
'''Ability:''' Frictionless, lightweight movement - He can treat non-solid surfaces as if they were perfectly solid and rigid, and move as if he were near-weightless. For example, walking across the surface of freshly-fallen snow without leaving any trace of his presence, walking across water without causing it to ripple, jumping into long (albeit quite slow) glides like 90s/00s wire fu movies, and slow-falling in the same fashion.<br>


'''Bio:''' An ancient, divine spirit beast came down from a celestial realm on business, taking human form when it arrived. (Specifically, its true form was a celestial rooster.) However, before it returned home, it encountered and was infatuated by a village maiden who happened to pass by, and inevitably seduced her. Yisheng Ji was the product of that pairing, although his father left before he was born, likely to never return. Due to this unusual heritage, he enjoys some measure of divine power, not granted by an external source. As he gets more experienced, he'll naturally unlock more and more of that bottomless divine potential. (aka standard level progression) He was apprenticed to, and eventually became a local doctor when he grew up. However, he felt his quiet life was too stagnant to allow him to truly grow, so he set off on his own to master both his medical skills and innate power, hoping to eventually cheat death and the passage of time itself.<br>
'''Player:''' [[Tunic]]<br>


====Passholdt====
;Sasha Green-Iron: The Minister of Security.


'''''Maria Agate'''''<br>
;Prince Aaron IV: Sovereign ruler of Orcmeet, Passholdt, and some 2500 square miles of associated hinterlands
Human Hedge Witch<br>
'''Specialization:''' Purifying Light (Basically the use of magical light to burn and kill enemies)<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:'''  The destruction of Great Evil / The destruction of those she sees as "impure"<br>
'''Phobia:''' The taste of blood<br>
'''Mutation:''' A tongue that can split in half, turning into two fully ambulatory tentacles.<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Magical darkness causes her to suffer symptoms similar to sunburn.<br>
'''Ability:''' Knots which hold the soul as well as the body. Tie someone to a chair and prevent them from lying, bind a door and ghosts can't walk through it, sufficiently elaborate macrame and some demon can't escape until improbable conditions (of her choosing) are met, that sort of thing. Self-bondage to reinforce self-control, too.<br>


'''Bio:''' Maria is a descendant of the Agate line, a series of holy men most known for their unparalleled command of what they identify as the "Purging Light", light powerful enough to burn and even kill those caught in it. She grew up learning the techniques, and when she came of age she set out to do battle with evil. She considers purity very important, though she finds temptations lie stronger than she'd expected...<br>
;Chrysomelkarcalchaxis:The Minister of Thunder, and an adult cloud dragon.
'''Player:''' [[The Archivist]]<br>


;'Ratbag' Amphoranung:A half-orc, and the current arena mixed-melee champion.  Very flashy style, using something like a quarterstaff but with double-bitted axeheads on both ends, He mostly twirls it around like a baton, while doing dance moves in full plate that most people couldn't manage stark naked.


'''''Daniel Agate'''''<br>
;Nick:An ex-PC, changed by his time abandoned in the dungeon. Shelf fungi encrusts his backpack, his clothes, and out of his skin. He's got a magic helmet with a light that keeps an air bubble around his head. Deemed mentally incompetent, and put under the care of a guardian.
Human Hedge Witch<br>
'''Specialization:''' Purification, removal of negative status effects and minor healing<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' To do good / Men, men, ''men''. A sufficiently attractive man can easily distract Daniel, and he finds it difficult to resist their advances.<br>
'''Phobia:''' Large, feral dogs<br>
'''Mutation:''' Square pupils, with greatly enhanced depth perception and low-light vision<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Magical darkness causes him to suffer symptoms similar to sunburn.<br>
'''Ability:''' An aura of light centered around himself that can be expanded and contracted at will. Causes mild burns and can occasionally be accidentally triggered by unwanted touches. At max power he's standing in a golden bonfire which might be visible miles away on a clear night, but it never provides useful illumination outside the actual radius of effect. As a side benefit, so long as the aura is extended beyond his skin (and thus visible) he doesn't have to worry about penalties to balance, climbing, grappling, etc. for slippery surfaces, nor diseases and poisons that work by breath or skin contact. It acts like a forcefield, pushing nasty sludge out of the way. Very handy in a plague environment. Corrosives could still be an issue, or anything ingested, or pressed right into an open wound.<br>


'''Bio:''' Maria's younger brother, Daniel was the "black sheep" of his family. Rather than his family's abilities of Purging Light, Daniel was born capable of the art of Purification, being capable of "burning away" curses and illness, along with minor wounds. Combined with his homosexuality, he proved unpopular in his traditional family. The day he turned of age, his loving sister Maria brought him along as a travelling companion, determined to treat him better than the rest of her family had.<br>
;Einsoku Amphoranung:A dynastic sorcerer with 6th circle spells, including but not limited to techniques for lifting multi-ton stone blocks with his bare hands, teleporting while carrying them, permanently transmuting them into flesh, and inscribing tiny runes which he can later spy through. Can also whisper to people from afar. The Minister of Punctuality, Chrysomelkarcalchaxis' son, one-third half-orc, and one-third some sort of god or demon.
'''Player:''' [[The Archivist]]<br>


;Pickled Locust:Someone the Minister of Punctuality would liaise with for quarantine procedures.


'''''Djan Seriv'''''<br>
Elf (Orc) Soldier<br>
'''Specialization:''' Slinger<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:'''  Secure a quiet, peaceful life for as many people as he reasonably can / Revenge on those who caused his desertion<br>
'''Phobia:''' Swans, as they were depicted in the insignia of the noble who commanded his army<br>
'''Mutation:''' Mostly vestigal second set of jaws in throat<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' aversion and nausea when gold is present in sufficient quantity to smell (which has the side benefit that he's supernaturally able to "smell" gold at all, which shouldn't be physically possible given it's extremely low room-temperature vapor pressure and lack of chemical reactivity), then painful blisters and eventual bleeding sores from skin contact.<br>
'''Ability:''' Bei Fong-style metalbending: Anything a smith could do with proper tools, he can do with his bare hands, usually faster and easier since he avoids the inefficiency of swinging a hammer around. Making useful items requires a roll against the relevant craft skill, since he still needs to understand what he's trying to do. It's easy to temporarily rubberize, say, some iron bars he wants to slip between and then leave seemingly undisturbed, but permanently reshaping stuff requires energy, which has to come from either his own body (fatigue), or oxidation of the item he's shaping. Accordingly, it's harder to work on anything corrosion-resistant, or in an oxygen-poor environment, or with an item he want to keep pristine and rust-free, but those problems don't stack. Twisting a sword into rusty scrap is just about the easiest thing in the world... provided he can grab it and concentrate for a second, which the sword's wielder might not cooperate with. Gold, platinum, moonsilver, pure lead (pewter and mundane silver are fine), and maybe a few other rarities or exotic alloys don't respond at all, no matter how hard he pushes. Along with, of course, anything nonmetallic, or not in contact with his skin. It's possible to reshape a large item far away by extending a thin wire over to connect to it, but anything more than he could plausibly lift with one hand (whether because of total mass or bad leverage) requires going very slowly, and even then is imprecise, like clenching a pool cue between his teeth and trying to write legibly with a half-dead ballpoint pen taped to the opposite end.<br>


'''Bio:''' Djan Seriv had the fortune to be born in a relatively quiet, rural region, so even if he was born fairly ugly for an elf he didn't attract much notice working on his family's farm. He grew strong chasing after sheep, lugging crops, and plowing fields, and when his next stroke of misfortune hit as a war flared up, he was soon drafted into the local lord's army. When he was young and afraid, a fervent anger at the nobility, the enemy, and the world burnt within him, making him an effective soldier. As the years beat him down, he became too weary to sustain his hatred and with little more than what he carried, finally decided to desert his army when the war dragged without any sign of ceasing. He doubts his old allies have much time or energy to spare tracking down one deserter, but just to be sure he's gone all the way to these ancient ruins to shake off pursuers and get something that could let him live a quiet life at last. He doesn't have much and earning his status as a veteran soldier has left him less handsome than ever, but he's tough and determined.<br>
===Historical / Mythological===
'''Player:''' [[DanZapman]]<br>
;Zelkor of the Green Tassels:Azarthraine's beloved mentor, who disappeared Down The Well more than a century ago.


===Casualties===
;Aguinbreke:A blue dragon who held a high position (both literally and figuratively, an important government official in a large city atop the tallest mountain in the world) during the last days of the Old Empire. She observed how and why things went to hell, theorized how such a terrible thing could be prevented from happening again, and wrote a book about it.  This book is now mandatory reading for every dragon, and is the shaping and motivating philosophy behind the entire dracocracy.
----
 
None yet!
;Red Bear: A red-furred bear which lives in an unsually large, hollowed out tree between Passholdt and Zelkor's Ferry. The bear doesn't usually attack caravans, but lone travelers go missing frequently. Weather, and perhaps more specifically mud, could be related to it's habits.
 
==Religions / Gods==
{{Todo|add more gods, expand/add descriptions}}
;Orcus:
 
;Tittivila:Tentacle goddess of flesh and growth. Associated with flowing saltwater and blood, Tittivila heals, transforms, and enriches the living. Her followers are often blessed with the power of holy mutation.
 
;Tsathoggua:Frog demon nemesis of Tittivila. Associated with stagnant freshwater and phlegm, Tsathoggua befouls, preserves, and eventually consumes the dead. His most positive quality is a sort of vigilance, countless wart-like eyes too lazy to close their lids. Graven idols of otherworldly green soapstone watch over tombs, vaults, and treasure-caves long lost to history.
 
;Agatia:Both an ancestor to Maria and Daniel, as well as their deity of choice. Goddess of Flames, Purity and Rebirth, she's kind of a bitch.
 
;Philista:Patron goddess of the Passholdt forgeworks.  Has three separate aspects, Weeping, Laughing and Burning, which are capable of acting independently (or at least, in different places).


;Minor Library Deity:Name unknown, worshiped by Kalina and Galanodel.


==Act 1 (Pre-Reboot) Character Roster:== <!--sorted by status, then order of introduction-->
;"Fire Mom":The fire divinity of Greznek, and goddess of hearth and home (think Hestia's portfolio, but not as nice or as passive?).  Has lost considerable influence to Orcus since his worship was introduced to goblinkind.  Rhea's mother, name currently unknown.


===Active Characters===
===The Old Gods===
Vast, impersonal, eternal, corresponding neatly to sacred numbers zero through eight. Their bodies are worlds, and more than worlds.  Each of the Old Gods corresponds to - in some sense IS - a plane of existence, extending infinitely in at least one direction.  To them, the greatest behemoths were as fleas and ticks are to us, and the Titanomachy was of no more significance than a skirmish between anthills over the right to harvest a spilled bag of candy.


'''''Marijke'''''<br>
{| class="wikitable"
Hedge Witch<br>
! Sacred Number || Name(s) || Plane / Physical Domain || Description || Symbol(s)
'''Specialization:''' Suggestion / Mental influences<br>
|-
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Greed / Wealth<br>
| align="center" | 0 || align="center" | The Hollow Pillar || Illusion and discontinuity. Dreams, spaces behind mirrors, temporal stasis, teleportation mishaps that send people to something like the "minus world" of Super Mario Bros., and so on. Bags of Holding and other pocket dimensions are carved from, and eventually return to, that realm, but are not of it while they still function. || God of charm, death, beauty, physical prowess, void and the horror of non-being which precedes existence. || Polished stone hand
'''Vulnerability:''' Allergy to shellfish<br>
|-
'''Spells:'''<br>
| align="center" | 1 || align="center" | The Storm Forge || The layer of the sky where weather happens ||  God of artifice, nobility  and weather. || Lightning-struck tower
:{|  
|-
|+ style="caption-side:bottom" | * "Free Samples" allow for these spells to be cast once per person per day, independent of prepared spell slots.
| align="center" | 2 || align="center" | The Blood Mire || Land, especially wetlands, but also including everything from beaches to the relatively habitable outside parts of mountains, plus rivers, most of the smaller lakes, and shallow caves. Continues at least as far down as the depth of topsoil and at least as far up as the tops of trees. || God of earth, plant and war. || Grain encircled by a blade
|- valign="top"
|-
<!--The non-breakable spaces are to prevent the table from breaking those phrases into 2 lines-->
| align="center" | 3 || align="center" | The Green Breath || The ethereal plane(s).  Every space with life in it eventually develops an ethereal analogue. || God of air, repose and travel. || Pointed S-curve with a central pivot
<!--This is easier than manually specifying the width of each column-->
|-
| align="center" |''Minor'' || (4&nbsp;slots): || staunch bleeding, resume bleeding, sense poison, gum-fire, whisper-web, bestow fool's luck, green milk curse, footsore curse, experimental miscellany
| align="center" | 4 || align="center" | The Burning Hate || The Sun || God of glory, healing, the sun and darkness.  Bestows miraculous healing, righteous charisma, and simple clear-cut solutions to complicated problems (often downright horrific).  He detests restless spirits and walking corpses for their inability to feel pain. || Golden face, scowling, with radial spikes
|- valign="top"
|-
| align="center" |''First&nbsp;circle'' || (4&nbsp;slots): || spit fire, least true healing*, least true spite, bestow shadow armor, bite-the-pinecone curse, friendship curse*, first servant invocation (specify type), appraise, rhyme of mending,  lightning lecture atemi
| align="center" | 5 || align="center" | Tiamat,<br>The Scaled Ocean || The greatest lakes, shallower parts of oceans and deeper parts of caves, including any serious dungeon. || God of destruction, magic and water.  The root cause of seismic activity such as mountain ranges and earthquakes. || Black/blue/green/red/white pentagram
|- valign="top"
|-
| align="center" |''Second&nbsp;circle'' || (3&nbsp;slots): || demand gift, spit spiders, tesserflecked, penalty clause, least astral courier
| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | Serpenthearth,<br>A serpent coiled around an egg || Something beneath the deepest caves, a secret hearth to light the darkest parts of the oceans || God of community, knowledge and fire.  The root cause of geothermal activity such as hot springs and volcanoes. Reputed to have once swallowed the sun. Side effects from that act led to the extinction of all mortal life, then vomited the sun back out and created at least one entirely new category of mortal life just to get things started again. || Snake or hexagram around a burning egg
|-
| align="center" | 7 || align="center" | The Unbroken Word || The Stars (and more than just the stars) || God of protection, luck and rune. || Colorless geodesic dome or hollow web
|-
| align="center" | 8 || align="center" | The Horned Queen || The Moon || God of animal, madness, trickery and liberation. || Stylized spider with white mouth, raised pedipalps.  Stylized rabbit/elf head with a fractal hat.
<!-- |-
| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | || || || -->
|}
|}
'''Ability:''' Gemstone Familiar<br>
'''Player:''' [[mageykun]]<br>


<!-- Sgt. Nick -->
If there is an Old God whose sacred number is 9, it must be very strange even by the standards of inscrutable cosmic horrors, for no mortal has ever successfully worshiped it to efficacious result, nor knowingly visited it's domain and returned to tell the tale. There are creatures, called 'qashmallim,' 'mothmen,' or 'aeons,' which sometimes profess direct and personal service to, and orders from, such an entity... but then again, some demons or madmen can claim almost anything with that same utter sincerity, so it is also plausible they serve nothing but their own, largely arbitrary if not outright random, compulsions and delusions.


'''''"Sir" Garaile'''''<br>
==Places==
Soldier<br>
{{Todo|add more places, expand/add descriptions}}
'''Specialization:''' Single combat<br>
===Dungeons===
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Renown / Collecting trophies<br>
;The Bloodmist Labyrinth: The starting point of the quest. An underground maze.
'''Mutation:''' Unusually-jointed<br>
'''Player:''' [[Tunic]]<br>


;The Green Tide: A primordial forest that spontaneously erupted from the earth outside Ekton's walls while the Fire Hawks were defending it from bandits. Flora in this region is infectious. Some spatial anomalies included.


'''''Nico Nashville'''''<br>
;The Mouth of Doom: A former 'hospital' that lost control of one of its test subjects and was devastated. Team Magic Sword has been tasked with bringing it back up to shape.
Townie<br>
'''Specialization:''' Bluff / Acting<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Occult secrets / Costuming<br>
'''Phobia:''' Memory loss<br>
'''Parasite:''' Babel worm (distracting universal translation)<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Unusually receptive to magic<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Uncannily adept method actor, can convince observers of blatant untruths and take on aspects or abilities of his persona; believes it while acting.<br>
'''Player:''' [[CalimariGod]]<br>


<!-- Yeven Surgis -->
;Rook's Vineyard: "we don't go there anymore". A ghost town, with something more sinister going on underneath the surface.


'''''Than'''''<br>
===Cities / Towns===
Soldier<br>
;Passholdt: 150 miles east of the dungeon's gazebo entrance.  It's situated on one of the few easy paths across the mountains. Most people assume that's where the city's name comes from ("hold the pass") but the literal translation is "place of walking trees." Controls a road that leads to Orcmeet, as well as the land surround orcmeet, and uses irrigation assisted farming. Passholdt also controls several quarries, used for extracting construction stone, in the surrounding mountains. These quarries are virtually inaccessible without flying or magic, and instead of roads, Passholdt utilizes blink dogs with portable holes to transport materials. In addition, Passholdt also controls and utilizes a portion of the Stoneheart river, mainly through underground caverns. Water is diverted into an aqueducts, and primarily used for irrigation and a cooling pool for smelting. Finally, Passholdt has large logging interests, but trees are able to grow back faster than they cut them down; they control a border fort near Zelkor's Ferry and the territory of the Red Bear.
'''Specialization:''' Sharpshooter<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Purification of insane undead / Verifying hostiles are indeed dead<br>
'''Phobia:''' Being cornered<br>
'''Mutation:''' Heterochromia (blue eye can tell if someone is lying, but not the truth itself; red eye can see enemy vitals)<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Violent deaths within 5 yards will momentarily leave her incapacitated or paralyzed<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Wields a trick weapon spirit bow that can be summoned and desummoned at will<br>


;Orcmeet: Where they keep the arena, behemoth containment, military academy, proving grounds, and round-the-clock parties. Roughly 30 miles from Passholdt if you follow the aqueduct downhill from the east gate. Contains a fair bit of grass, and much more desert; not enough precipitation or ground water to support intensive agriculture.


'''''Dimitry "the White Snake" Nicola'''''<br>
;Greznek: An underground goblin city, below the Bloodmist Labyrinth, that still primarily follows the old ways and the local fire divinity rather than this newfangled Orcus fad that has taken root in so many of the goblin settlements closer to the surface. Where Rhea's from.
Townie<br>
'''Specialization:''' Stealth, assassination, thievery<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Reversion of numerous changes to his biology, so he can live comfortably / Fetish for bring mind controlled<br>
'''Phobia:''' Arachnids / being labelled as an outcast, being shunned<br>
'''Mutation:''' Cursed, black, soulless-looking and reptillian-like eyes which are really sensitive to light, but adjust easier and see further in the dark. Deathly pale skin. Female physical traits<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Affected by many alteration spells. Vibrant to Detect Magic, appears more appetizing to magic-absorbing/eating creatures, less likely to gain positive effects from further alteration spells<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Sociopathic. Remains calm and keeps a clear head in stressful situations, and is unfettered morally<br>


;Overmire: A city where tungsten is processed into immovable rods. Healthy commerce, a huge selection of things to do, and a disturbingly competent navy.


'''''Letkra'''''<br>
;Eckton: A coastal settlement near an eelfolk colony, with a brand new dungeon on its doorstep.
Rich Bastard<br>
'''Specialization:''' Spear-dancing<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Find a way to return to her home dimension / Large impalement, self or otherwise<br>
'''Phobia:''' Being trapped in a ward or summoning diagram (Psychologically incapable of freeing herself from perceived restraints in a deliberate fashion)<br>
'''Mutation:''' Is a golem-construct composed of semi-homogenous inorganic material, with freely detachable limbs and head; automatic self-repair is slower than human healing<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Requires a pint of oil every 6-8 hours of activity, rather than food and water<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Generates an adjustable force field around herself, which can act passively as a small shield or actively as a large barrier<br>
'''Player:''' [[Mitsukara]]<br>


;Rook's Vineyard: "we don't go there anymore". A ghost town, with something more sinister going on underneath the surface.


'''''Riv'''''<br>
;Zelkors Ferry: A small town, relatively independent, and surrounded by rivers, forests and swamps oh my. 25 miles downriver of Passholdt, 50 miles upriver from the old coast road. Not far to the south you'll find Lake Laogi and Rooks Vineyard.
Hedge Witch<br>
'''Specialization:''' Alchemy / Artificing<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Eternal life / Pursuit of knowledge<br>
'''Phobia:''' Fear of own mortality<br>
'''Mutation:''' Four arms<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Partially mummified: weakness to both fire and water, but resistant to physical damage; unusual blood clots at one-tenth speed, but also bleeds out at one-tenth speed<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Tinkering (Rapid prototyping of mad science gadgets)<br>
'''Player:''' [[Santova]]<br>


==Races / Species==
{{Todo|expand/add descriptions}}


'''''Ravenous Llyr'''''<br>
Known sapient mortal creatures (as opposed to animals and vermin on the one hand, or ageless spirits on the other) fall into five broad categories.  Generally, any two members of the same category can produce fertile offspring, and parents of two different races will produce a child of neither parent's race, but within the same category.  Mating across categories doesn't usually yield children at all, unless powerful sorcery is used to force the issue or one of the parents is a disguised dragon, in which case the resultant hybrid is usually sterile.
Soldier<br>
'''Specialization:''' Tracking / Hunting<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Finding true love / Eating freshly-killed raw meat <br>
'''Phobia:''' Completely inorganic creatures, such as metal golems <br>
'''Mutation:''' Superpowered digestive system: can't be harmed by anything ingested, and consuming meat in particular triggers a temporary surge of rapid bodily regeneration based on how much was eaten<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Highly gullible, with little-to-no understanding of social subtleties; easily tricked by even simple deception<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Were-shark, shifting reflexively based on context: full human on dry land, shark in deep/salty water, grotesque shark-faced biped in shallow/fresh water, heavy rain, on a beach, or when coated in blood; strenuous and itchy to use the 'wrong' form<br>
'''Player:''' [[Tunic]]<br>


Even in-universe, these categories are incomplete, and do not account for everything.


'''''Stone'''''<br>
*''Elvenoids''
Hedge Witch<br>
*:Would probably be called "humanoids" if elves weren't so stuck-up and insistent on defining the language around themselves.  Not a lot of natural variation beyond the cosmetic, although (as cases like White Snake demonstrate) they're the most vulnerable to magical mutation.
'''Specialization:''' Spirits<br>
**Elves
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Break his family's curse / Tuning out the spirits through drug use<br>
**:Mature an order of magnitude slower than orcs and humans, and have not been conclusively proven to die of old age.
'''Phobia:''' Drowning / Deep water<br>
**Humans
'''Mutation:''' Left leg up to just above hip is made of stone<br>
**Orcs
'''Vulnerability:''' Tendency to be possessed, even by spirits that wouldn't normally be able to<br>
**Eel-men
'''Innate Power:''' Context-sensitive postcognition: spirits of ancestors can be called upon to recite a target's spiritual condition and history<br>
**:Traditionally lives in or near Freshwater along the estuaries and large bodies of water that pepper the area near the coast.  Reproductive R-strategists, they travel to the sea to lay many eggs.  No bloodline inheritance, hatchlings that survive the trip back to an eelfolk settlement are adopted and communally raised.  Tittivila worship is common.  Ritualistic and/or pragmatic cannibalism is practiced as a form of respect for the dead.
'''Player:''' [[Santova]]<br>
**Fishlike sapient amphibians (and non-amphibians)
*''Eohippoids''
*:Can mostly be described in terms of combinations of human, equine, and avian traits.
**Dwarves
***Green Dwarves
**Harpies
**Centaurs
**Minotaurs
**Mound-Builders
**:Resemble miniaturized humans (averaging just under three feet tall, around thirty or forty pounds), but they move in short jerks alternating with eerie stillness, like startled deer, or hopping sparrows, or praying mantises. Tend to use slings or javelins rather than bows, due to issues of scaling and sudden vs. sustained strength. They're good at climbing and jumping, amazing at sprinting, not so good at marathon running, or surviving extremes of temperature and food shortages. Habitually barefoot.  They made it through the dark times after the collapse of the Old Empire by going nomadic, but unlike orcs, they mostly stayed in green areas, burrows and other crude earthen fortifications (hence the name) dug with help from giant ground sloths and domesticated dire weasels.
**Satyrs
**Sphinxes 
*''Goblinoids''
**Goblins
***Forest Goblins
***Tidepool Goblins
**Hobgoblins
**Man-wise Wolves
**Blink Dogs
**Squidlike Sapient Amphibians
**Gnolls
*''Dragons''
*:Largely solitary, comparable to apex predators even though they can apparently subsist on a diet of ambient magic and ordinary rocks with no more ill effects than a human living on bread and vegetable broth.  There's pounced sexual dimorphism, female dragons are the large, intelligent and dangerous ones controlling large scale politics.  Male dragons are considerably smaller, and may be clever enough for the basics of language and tool use, like apes or crows or dolphins or parrots.
**Blue
**:Breathes lightning
**Bronze
**:Breathes lightning
**Cloud
**Various other colors / types
*''Troll-kin''
*:Unusual in that many of them aren't generally known to reproduce at all by conventional means.
**Trolls
**:True Trolls have a two-stage life cycle: a sapient bipedal hermaphrodite with hands suited for tool use, and a tangled serpent which grows additional heads when wounded. Sloughed or severed heads develop arms, legs, viscera, and self-awareness in no particular order.
***Mountain Trolls
**Hags
**Huldra
**:Make no damn sense physiologically: they could be mistaken for elvenoids, apart from the fox tails, but instead of a spinal column they've got a gaping hole, and instead of a normal array of vital organs, the inside of a huldra's torso looks like a hollow rotten log.
**Lamias
**Medusas
*''Other / Unknown''
*:Various creatures that don't fit neatly within the dracocracy's scholarly taxonomy.  (As well as those that perhaps do, but have not been properly categorized due to player ignorance).
**Neogi / Eel-ticks
**Umber Hulks
**Ghouls
**Gug
**Qashmallims / Mothmen / Aeons
**Vishkanya


===Casualties===
==Languages==
----
Characters can have fluency on a scale of 0-3, where 2 is enough to avoid "my hovercraft is full of eels"-level errors. Spoken and written tracked separately.
 
This list merely covers those languages we have personally encountered; it can be safely assumed there are many more.
 
*Humish / Low Draconic
*:The presumed default for most adventurers, unless otherwise specified.
*High Draconic
*:Scholarly research tends to be written in High Draconic, but it'd be unusual for any non-dragon to have fluency in spoken High Draconic above 1, due to a mix of deliberate secrecy and physiological limitations.
*Elvish
*:Elven language has two spoken dialects (green and white), which are similar enough that it's impossible to achieve full fluency in one without at least minimal comprehension of the other, but only a single written form, consisting of densely-packed ideograms. Elves also have their own system of sign language.
*Elemental Languages
**Elemental Fire / Flametongue
**Elemental Water / Seatongue
**Elemental Earth / Rocktonque
**Elemental Air / Skytongue
**Elemental Wood / Forest-tonque
*Orcish Intertribal Trade Pidgin
**Specific Tribal / Familial Dialects (Various)
*Quenyl
*:No spoken form, just ideograms and sign language best performed by pairs of three-fingered hands sharing an elbow.
*Ghoulish
*Dwarven / Harpese
*:Thought to be a distant relative of rocktongue, though any lingering similarities are readily apparent only to the most cunning linguists.
*Goblinese
*Vishkanyan
*Liturgical (Various)
 
==Gallery==
===Official===
====Maps====
{{fanart|board=quest|717480|caption=Battle site, Greznek Fort}}
{{fanart|board=quest|721109|caption=Seacoast}}
{{fanart|board=quest|727422|caption=Eel-tick Base}}
{{fanart|board=quest|775069|caption=Goyle Base}}
{{fanart|board=quest|809012|caption=Partial map of the Bloodmist<br>Labyrinth, past the chasm}}
{{fanart|board=quest|842695|caption=Partial map of <br>the Mouth of Doom}}
 
 
===Fanart===
{{fanart|99607|by=Mitsukara|caption=Letkra}}
{{fanart|107181|by=strngy|caption=Vos}}
{{fanart|107542|by=mageykun|caption=Also Vos}}
{{fanart|107676|by=Riotmode|caption=Geoffrey}}
{{fanart|107677|by=Riotmode|caption=Geoffrey}}
{{fanart|107694|by=GB}}
{{fanart|108554|by=strngy}}
{{fanart|109095|by=mageykun|caption=Davina}}
{{fanart|109220|by=Riotmode|caption=Rhea}}
{{fanart|board=draw|36218|by=strngy}}  <!--2017/10/09-->


'''''Sgt. Nick'''''<br>
Soldier<br>
'''Specialization:''' Intuition<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Redemption / Fascinated by ghosts<br>
'''Phobia:''' Disease and rotting corpses<br>
'''Fate:''' Left for dead in diseased pool with a corpse in it<br>


====Maps====
{{fanart|101531|by=mageykun|caption=Cubic Cart of Holding}}
{{fanart|107708|by=mageykun|caption=Bloodmist Labyrinth (Part II)}}
{{fanart|board=quest|778519|by=mageykun|caption=Overworld (initial rough)}}
{{fanart|113305|by=mageykun|caption=Node map of The Green Tide.<br>Not to scale, cardinal<br>directions inaccurate.}}
{{fanart|116125|by=strngy|caption=Overworld}}


'''''Yeven Surgis'''''<br>
Rich Bastard<br>
'''Specialization:''' Demons<br>
'''High/Low Ambitions:''' Revenge / Groom themselves frequently, and be impeccable<br>
'''Phobia:''' Claustrophobia<br>
'''Mutation:''' Blind, but with 10-meter Blindsight<br>
'''Vulnerability:''' Spells affect her as if she were a demon; symbols of holy faith or purity are injurious<br>
'''Innate Power:''' Lesser gravity control<br>
'''Player:''' [[Bad transetor]]<br>
'''Fate:''' MIA; wandered off into labyrinthine caves<br>


{{JamesLeng}}
{{JamesLeng}}
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[[Category:Text Quests]]
[[Category:Text Quests]]
[[Category:Quests with Individual Players]]
[[Category:Quests with Individual Players]]
[[Category:Running Quests]]
[[Category:On Hiatus]]

Latest revision as of 23:50, 23 April 2020
Please do not [T]ake these Organs by JamesLeng
710774.png

Act 1

Act 2

An old school dice-based dungeon crawl, where individual suggesters control their own hapless adventurers.


Spoiler.gif This article contains spoilers! You were warned.

Plot Summary

Sorted by party / plot arc. The infobox, for comparison, is sorted chronologically.

The Accidental Pirates

A captain who doesn't understand why she's been put in charge, a crew that doesn't know what they're doing, and somehow every new encounter results in new, enthusiastic recruits.

Thread 1
Deep in the Bloodmist Labyrinth, a misfit band of adventurers get off to an auspicious start, leaving one of their own for dead after a comedy of errors and misunderstanding in the very first room (don't worry, he gets better. Mostly). They eventually find shelter for the night in a goblin outpost, only wake up as the surprise guest starts in a sacrifice to Orcus. Spiders and violence ensue.
Thread 2
Having slain their would be executioner, the PCs are hustled off to the surface by their goblin hosts, richer in reparations, loot, and companions. Emerging near the sea they declare themselves a shipless crew of pirates, explore the coast, do a favor for a coven and outrageously rip off a group of aliens in the process (the aliens made the mistake of trying to rip off the pirates first)
Thread 3
The pirates purchase and explore a cart of holding, build their ship, conduct a ritual magic ritual, and generally faff about before collecting their favors from the coven and sailing off into the sunset in search of fortune.

The Fire Hawks

A group of driven individuals inherit a mercenary company after the original members go missing, and set out to restore the company and rescue their predecessors, furthering their own ambitions in the process.

Thread 4
A second group of adventures begin their escape from the Bloodmist Labyrinth, beginning by an oversized enchanted chessboard. Along the way they learn to think with portals, recruit a division of flesh puppets, bicker, mutate, collect a fallen mercenary's dog-tag equivalent, make a bargain with an undead queen, and eventually escape to the surface though the Temple of Final Sacrament.
Thread 5
The party makes their way to Passholdt and earn a majority share in the Fire Hawks mercenary company. Their first paying job is as escort to a merchant vessel. Along the way, they decide to come to the aid of a town beset by a bandit army. Then a forest explodes in the middle of the battlefield.
Thread 6
The Fire Hawks work to escape The Green Tide, a brand new dungeon, before their clients sail on without them. Once free of the dungeon, they take on a problematic pair of former bandit leaders as new clients, complete the first leg of their journey, go shopping, and manage to raise two of the original Fire Hawks.
Thread 9
With a lead on their founder's missing spellbook, and perhaps their missing teammates, the Fire Hawks prepare to rob the church of Orcus.

Team Magic Sword

Brought together by a wish, a magic sword, an angel and a devil, a group of weirdos set out to restore a ruined hospital turned dungeon.

Thread 4
In the same thread where the Fire Hawks made their start, two smaller groups that would later unite work to escape the Bloodmist Dungeon. The first manages to escape by cutting a deal with the Gug and sailing to Passholdt (with some accidental arson). The second manage to escape as a result of a preposterous metaphysical mess kicked up a deck of many things.
Thread 7
The party is united, and begins their work to explore and restore the Mouth of Doom.

The New Guys

The latest group of adventurers stranded in the Bloodmist Labyrinth, who have yet to distinguish themselves.

Thread 8
Pending!

Player Characters

For long form character sheets, see here (google doc).

Listed in order of introduction, sorted by act, and by party membership.

Act 2.5

A new start running simultaneously with Act 2

Character Class Specialization Summary Player
Ivori of House Shinseina Kaigijitsu Goodhall Huldra Kitsune Townie Ninja - Kome
Erik Gunnarsson Human Soldier Berserker - NPC
Mizer Man-Bat Rich Bastard Thief - strngy
Lizzy Anthro Leopard Gecko Hedge Witch Golemancy - Santova
Grave, the Grave Digger Barkskin Soldier Honoring the Dead - NPC
Green Redford Kobold Townie B&E - Orange
Eira Dragon-Kin Soldier Unarmed Combat - mageykun
Sahara Catfolk Townie ----- - Kome
Dr. Holly Falkmin Rich Bastard Unstable Medicine - Gilly

Act 2

The currently active session.

Character Class Specialization Summary Player
Maru Red Tiefling Townie Skald A boisterous and bawdy musical brawler hungry for fame and afraid of being forgotten, with a spectral axe earned in an act of bloody vengeance at her beck and call. Santova
Hore Wutashi Gnoll-Human Hybrid Hedge Witch Outsider Shaman An erratic, bloodthirsty, and shameless cybernetically-enhanced murder-gnoll, complete with variable arm cannon. Kome
Decaro Vos Eel-man Soldier Grappling The friendly and good hearted paladin of a benign tentacle goddess, blessed with the power of holy mutation. Currently sporting a third eye, a crab claw, and naga tail. strngy
Davina / Viste Human Rich Bastard Fencer A noble swordswoman capable of cutting portals in air, prone to hologram flickering, and host to an extraplaner horror. Moonlights as a magical girl and seeks to restore her fallen house. mageykun
Eric Grimwald Human Rich Bastard Commanding Others A lonely soul, possessing a disquieting appetite and difficulties with conventional healing. He seeks the immortality of undeath and a bride with which to share eternity. GB
Yisheng Ji Half-Avian Hedge Witch Healing / Medicine A dour and serious medical professional in the style of an eastern cultivator. Capable of moving weightlessly, possesses perfect balance, and seeks true immortality. Tunic
Maria Agate Human Hedge Witch Purifying Light A fighting nun of a family order who wields a searing, purging light to combat evil and the undead. Skilled with knots and more abstract wards and bindings. The Archivist
Daniel Agate Human Hedge Witch Purification Maria's brother, and the black sheep of the family due to his homosexuality and a non-combative manifestation of the familial gift: an aura capable of repelling or purging poisons, curses and disease. The Archivist
Djan Seriv Elf (Orc) Soldier Slinger A soldier-turned-deserter who has the ability to manipulate most metals like putty, with the exception of a painful allergy to gold. He hopes to find both peace and revenge. DanZapman
Rhea Half-goblinoid Hedge Witch Empathic Fire A cheerful and somewhat guileless half-goblin fire priestess, from the deep underground. On a pilgrimage to the surface in service of her real passion as a dessert chef (and an unhealthy fascination with the sun). mageykun
Geoffrey Vargas Human Rich Bastard Escapology and Evasion A former Royal Guardsman, professional coward and most recently (and mostly accidentally) an ancestral sorcerer. A sigil burned into his flesh warns him of danger, but also attracts it to him. Riotmode, strngy
Helen Nabot Human Townie Deception / Gall An older intellectual and scholar, bearing a curse on her back (literally and figuratively) which she believes is slowly consuming her past. She's turned to dangerous adventuring in search of ancient secrets and a possible cure. strngy
Azure Youngmason Phoenix Blooded Harpy Rich Bastard Entrancing Song A self absorbed and flighty avian who expects to breeze through trouble with some combination of fast talking, sex appeal, her brutish slave, Pog, and conditional combustible immortality. Kome
Isaiah, son of Elohim Necrolithograph Hedge Witch Death Domain An ambulatory suit of armor with the mind of a twelve year old boy who ineptly attempts to conceal his unnatural condition. Prophet of Hanspur, blessed with the power to divine the wisdom of roads. Santova
Pog Roastchester Orc Soldier Tank Azure's slave and a being of astonishingly limited intellect and prodigious strength and resilience. Possesses porcine features and appearance. Kome
Malkov Human Hedge Witch Lightning/Undead-Bane Chi Powers A clawed and scarred martial artist and former victim of necromatic experiments who now seeks to destroy both the undead and their masters. The Archivist
Wendy Human Hedge Witch “Miracles” An ambitious tinker and gadgeteer with a holy touch, persecuted and driven from her home. Venom drips in both her words and teeth. The Archivist
Nistamatsin Demon Hedge Witch Abjuration A bound demon driven by conflicting and paradoxical desires who steals faces to hide the ghastly visage of his true form. His body serves as a living bag of holding, filled with blood. strngy
Kent Vogner White Elf Townie Artificing A mutant, an engineer, and a thief capable of great bounding leaps, and whose passage leaves ripples in stone. They seek social equality through freedom of information. They also adore spiders. Santova
Valeno Nahesa Vishkanya Townie Rogue / Poisoner A voyeuristic contortionist snake person on a journey to become a legendary master of poison, who has been marred by a demon-attracting curse. Shadowkaisen


Group I, The (New) Fire Hawks
Maru, Hore, Vos, Davina, Ji, Maria, Daniel,
Group II, Team Magic Sword
Rhea, Geoffrey, Azure, Isaiah, Helen, Pog, Malkov, Wendy, Nistamatsin, Kent
Group III, The Dungeoneers
Valeno
Demoted to NPC
Eric, Djan

Act 1

[TODO: Add summaries, clean up relevant section in external doc]

The original session, which died after we spent an entire thread faffing around setting up a pirate ship.

Character Class Specialization Summary Player
Marijke Hedge Witch Suggestion / Mental influences A lucre witch turned pirate captain after everyone around her shrugged and offered to work for an order of magnitude less than she was going to make mageykun
Sgt. Nick Soldier Intuition
"Sir" Garaile Soldier Single combat A double jointed man with solid convictions and fierce loyalty, not to mention a few grisly trophies, oath to the Burning Hate, and a compulsion to give Kobolds a chance at a better life Tunic
Nico Nashville Townie Bluff / Acting CalimariGod
Yeven Surgis Rich Bastard Demons Bad transetor
Than Soldier Sharpshooter
Dimitry "the White Snake" Nicola Townie Stealth, assassination, thievery
Letkra Rich Bastard Spear-dancing Mitsukara
Riv Hedge Witch Alchemy / Artificing Twice over a former slave who's education in alchemy came at the cost of her mental health and people skills Santova
Ravenous Llyr Soldier Tracking / Hunting Tunic
Stone Hedge Witch Spirits A proud warrior, haunted by the spirits of his ancestors, who now seeks some peace and quiet through any means necessary Santova

Notable NPCs

[TODO: add more NPCs, expand/add descriptions]

Contemporary

Broken into rough groups, by location and/or affiliation.

In the Dungeon

(Queen) Aaphia

Ecton

Jank
An orc who once guarded a pie. Moved to Ecton after leaving the Bloodmist Labyrinth.
Mayor of Ecton
The mayor's a crafty-looking old woman in a broad brimmed hat. She can do some scrying and dowsing, but she's not much good beyond a couple hundred yards. Some of her responsibilities include administrative stuff and tending to wounded.
Mayors Apprentice
A woman with ulterior motives; used her position to convince the townsfolk that a return to Ecton was a bad idea, despite testimony of it's safety from the Firehawks. Last seen with eelmen outside of Ecton proper.
EOD Monk
The second-coil monk from the Esoteric Order of Dagon has oddly wide-set eyes, like Hugo Weaving if he never blinked
Inspector Trihs
Ecton guard squad leader who got caught up in the green tide. Ate lunch with Gorsk "every day for the last eight years". Some practice with the shortbow and halberd.
Gorsk
Ecton guard, who was dedicated enough to procedure to keep the door closed on Inspector Trihs.

Zelkor's Ferry

Has a number of long term residents, including a small contingent of guards and the Brislebacks, a family of wereboars who's presence deters bandits, despite the town's small size and relative independence.

Odo Bristleback
mayor, innkeeper
Amelia Bristleback
accountant, laundry, part-time gambler
Hazel-Eyed Tallie Bristleback
Amelia and Odo's daughter, serving wench, bondage expert & sadist for hire by the hour
Gumbel Bristleback
Tallie's younger brother, cook, part-time carpenter
Igor Bristleback
Tallie's older brother, deaf/mute, spacey and skittish, stablehand, unties knots, part-time masseuse
Vort Bristleback
distant cousin and half-orc but could be Igor's twin, stablehand, no 'inside voice,' calm in a crisis
Ysbel Cloudpine
serving wench, saint lookalike (apart from blond rather than green hair)
Big Morgan Smith
blacksmith, wagon repair, part-time armorer but not for anything fancy
Deslena Smith
pottery, chicken ranching
Rasmus Pye
general store, merchant guild contact
Meregan Pye
inventory control, clothing repair
Ulman Dark
Unlicensed Necromancer, "your one-stop shop for no-questions, no-promises, cash-up-front medical care." Ulman is married to Kanndra, and a friend of Eric's.
Kanndra Dark
Slightly corrupt itinerant bounty hunter. Married to Ulman.
Gutmark the ferryman
spends most of his time fishing
Adebrin the fishwife
meat preservation expert, gnoll liaison
Kalgor the dwarf
chaplain, librarian, gemcutter, relics appraised & some curses broken, spirit diplomacy, weddings, funerals
Captain Skorma
guard commander, medium infantry
Officer Bodi
guardsman, medium infantry
Officer Eldeshi
guardswoman, medium infantry
Officer Hanesh
guardsman, medium infantry
Officer Shuma
guardsperson, medium infantry
Officer Taom
guardsman, medium infantry

The guards show distant professional courtesy to everyone but each other. Any given time, there's one guard at the gate, one on patrol, two awake but off-duty (usually either sparring out on the grass, maintaining their gear in the barracks, or relaxing in the Black Boar Inn's common room) and two sleeping.

Near Zelkor's Ferry

Tethru Dark, moss troll
Kanndra's adopted child and Ulman's apprentice, reads future in own entrails, set up in Yorgala's old cottage
Khadeehya's Pack
gnolls camped out on a hill two miles south of the ferry, middlemen for ransoming captives back from bandits
Tall Jack Rat's bandit gang
bunkered inside the Mouth of Doom, trying to regroup after a devastating and seemingly unprovoked attack by some sort of forest guardian named Drusilla. Recently they've started working with a ragtag group of adventurers, with the goal of turning the Mouth of Doom back into a place of healing.
Niknak Tarbucket and affiliated kobolds
also inside the Mouth of Doom but mobile, regarded as relatively harmless apart from pranks, inordinately fond of fresh bread.
Drusilla
A powerful druid who commands droves of wolves, turns people into clouds, and sets the forest upon those who displease her. Her motivations aren't totally understood, but they seemed to be linked to preventing ecological disruptions.

Mouth of Doom

Tall Rack Rat and his gang, members abbreviated as TJRG, which include a five man orc brotherhood who are highly skilled, but poorly equipped with two handed axes, a five man squad of humans trained as light infantry and equipped with short swords and longbows, and two squads of archers.

Talk Jack Rat
Leader of a gang of bandits who are camping out in the mouth of doom after Drusilla killed their previous leader (Mikhail's Marauders) and reduced their numbers considerably
Owen
TJRG, has long, well groomed hair and uses a spear with a sling attached to the butt.
Eochaid
TJRG, worships Tsathoggua and as a result tries to do as little work as possible. Wears a snakeskin belt, and is interested in intellectual pursuits.
Nerys
TJRG, died after drawing from the deck of many things, but not before gaining a magnificent weapon and thereby finding their peace in the afterlife.
Lucjan
TJR, leader of the orc brotherhood, has a long blue scar
Kamil
TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.
Karol
TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.
Kasper
TJR, part of the Orc brotherhood.
Kazimierz
TJR, part of the Orc brother.

The (Original) Fire Hawks

An experienced and established adventuring company, whose membership is largely MIA after heading Down The Well, just like everyone knows you shouldn't. One group of PCs has inherited control of the company, and is now responsible for rescuing, recovering the remains of, or learning the final fates of the original team.

Captain Azarthraine (MIA KIA Active)
A dynastic sorcerer capable of 8th circle magic. In melee, he usually fought with a rapier whose 'blade' was made from a piece of green wood, or else a three-pronged spear loaded with various tricky enchantments. It could shrink to a concealable baton or extend to improbable length, flex like a gripping claw and then deliver electrical shocks, lots of other stuff. He's been planning and prepping for his last trip for years, maybe even before he founded the company ...and we're supposed to rescue this guy?

- Azarthraine has been recovered and successfully resurrected, but (A) he is in a new lizardfolk body that he is still getting used to, and (B) he does not have his spellbook, which had the necessary variables needed to cast most of his spells. However, he has retained an extensive education in spellcraft, and can use the Supreme Disintegration spell with a few mods, so he is extremely useful when fighting high-level enemies with flawed defenses.

Master Sergeant Oldaric (KIA PTSD)
A 6th level orc fighter. We recovered just enough of his remains to reincarnate him into a new body, if and when we can afford it.

- Oldaric has been recovered and successfully resurrected, but is suffering from severe dysphoria. Specifically, he is intrigued about his new female sex, but living in the body of a green elf has triggered severe psychological trauma due to his racism of elves. He is currently living in the pocket-dimension greenhouse owned by the Fire Hawks, waiting for the sedatives to cultivate so he can stone himself for the rest of the period between now and when he can get himself polymorphed.

Corporal Adrenai (MIA)
An elf who dual wields hatchets, and a semi-reformed thief. She joined the company when her opportunistic mugging took down a bounty target the team was in pursuit of. Rather than ceding the bounty to Adrenai, Azarthraine made it a new rule that when somebody jumps in and finishes a job the Fire Hawks should've already been doing, faster and better, the new kid gets a few shares of stock from everybody they upstaged if they agree to join up and share credit for the deed itself. (Which is how we eventually ended up in control of the company).
Lt. Mezuryk (MIA)
Male, able to tank traps?
Sister Kalina (MIA)
The chaplain.
6th Member (MIA)
Name and description currently unknown.
Acolyte Galanodel
A young half-elven woman with dark skin and teal hair, she served as Sister Kalina's apprentice in the worship of a minor divinity best known for promoting the construction of public libraries, doing clerical work to pay for room and board until she's fully initiated. Currently the most senior surviving Fire Hawk, our secretary, and sleeping with Davina.


Passholdt

Sasha Green-Iron
The Minister of Security.
Prince Aaron IV
Sovereign ruler of Orcmeet, Passholdt, and some 2500 square miles of associated hinterlands
Chrysomelkarcalchaxis
The Minister of Thunder, and an adult cloud dragon.
'Ratbag' Amphoranung
A half-orc, and the current arena mixed-melee champion. Very flashy style, using something like a quarterstaff but with double-bitted axeheads on both ends, He mostly twirls it around like a baton, while doing dance moves in full plate that most people couldn't manage stark naked.
Nick
An ex-PC, changed by his time abandoned in the dungeon. Shelf fungi encrusts his backpack, his clothes, and out of his skin. He's got a magic helmet with a light that keeps an air bubble around his head. Deemed mentally incompetent, and put under the care of a guardian.
Einsoku Amphoranung
A dynastic sorcerer with 6th circle spells, including but not limited to techniques for lifting multi-ton stone blocks with his bare hands, teleporting while carrying them, permanently transmuting them into flesh, and inscribing tiny runes which he can later spy through. Can also whisper to people from afar. The Minister of Punctuality, Chrysomelkarcalchaxis' son, one-third half-orc, and one-third some sort of god or demon.
Pickled Locust
Someone the Minister of Punctuality would liaise with for quarantine procedures.


Historical / Mythological

Zelkor of the Green Tassels
Azarthraine's beloved mentor, who disappeared Down The Well more than a century ago.
Aguinbreke
A blue dragon who held a high position (both literally and figuratively, an important government official in a large city atop the tallest mountain in the world) during the last days of the Old Empire. She observed how and why things went to hell, theorized how such a terrible thing could be prevented from happening again, and wrote a book about it. This book is now mandatory reading for every dragon, and is the shaping and motivating philosophy behind the entire dracocracy.
Red Bear
A red-furred bear which lives in an unsually large, hollowed out tree between Passholdt and Zelkor's Ferry. The bear doesn't usually attack caravans, but lone travelers go missing frequently. Weather, and perhaps more specifically mud, could be related to it's habits.

Religions / Gods

[TODO: add more gods, expand/add descriptions]

Orcus
Tittivila
Tentacle goddess of flesh and growth. Associated with flowing saltwater and blood, Tittivila heals, transforms, and enriches the living. Her followers are often blessed with the power of holy mutation.
Tsathoggua
Frog demon nemesis of Tittivila. Associated with stagnant freshwater and phlegm, Tsathoggua befouls, preserves, and eventually consumes the dead. His most positive quality is a sort of vigilance, countless wart-like eyes too lazy to close their lids. Graven idols of otherworldly green soapstone watch over tombs, vaults, and treasure-caves long lost to history.
Agatia
Both an ancestor to Maria and Daniel, as well as their deity of choice. Goddess of Flames, Purity and Rebirth, she's kind of a bitch.
Philista
Patron goddess of the Passholdt forgeworks. Has three separate aspects, Weeping, Laughing and Burning, which are capable of acting independently (or at least, in different places).
Minor Library Deity
Name unknown, worshiped by Kalina and Galanodel.
"Fire Mom"
The fire divinity of Greznek, and goddess of hearth and home (think Hestia's portfolio, but not as nice or as passive?). Has lost considerable influence to Orcus since his worship was introduced to goblinkind. Rhea's mother, name currently unknown.

The Old Gods

Vast, impersonal, eternal, corresponding neatly to sacred numbers zero through eight. Their bodies are worlds, and more than worlds. Each of the Old Gods corresponds to - in some sense IS - a plane of existence, extending infinitely in at least one direction. To them, the greatest behemoths were as fleas and ticks are to us, and the Titanomachy was of no more significance than a skirmish between anthills over the right to harvest a spilled bag of candy.

Sacred Number Name(s) Plane / Physical Domain Description Symbol(s)
0 The Hollow Pillar Illusion and discontinuity. Dreams, spaces behind mirrors, temporal stasis, teleportation mishaps that send people to something like the "minus world" of Super Mario Bros., and so on. Bags of Holding and other pocket dimensions are carved from, and eventually return to, that realm, but are not of it while they still function. God of charm, death, beauty, physical prowess, void and the horror of non-being which precedes existence. Polished stone hand
1 The Storm Forge The layer of the sky where weather happens God of artifice, nobility and weather. Lightning-struck tower
2 The Blood Mire Land, especially wetlands, but also including everything from beaches to the relatively habitable outside parts of mountains, plus rivers, most of the smaller lakes, and shallow caves. Continues at least as far down as the depth of topsoil and at least as far up as the tops of trees. God of earth, plant and war. Grain encircled by a blade
3 The Green Breath The ethereal plane(s). Every space with life in it eventually develops an ethereal analogue. God of air, repose and travel. Pointed S-curve with a central pivot
4 The Burning Hate The Sun God of glory, healing, the sun and darkness. Bestows miraculous healing, righteous charisma, and simple clear-cut solutions to complicated problems (often downright horrific). He detests restless spirits and walking corpses for their inability to feel pain. Golden face, scowling, with radial spikes
5 Tiamat,
The Scaled Ocean		 The greatest lakes, shallower parts of oceans and deeper parts of caves, including any serious dungeon. God of destruction, magic and water. The root cause of seismic activity such as mountain ranges and earthquakes. Black/blue/green/red/white pentagram
6 Serpenthearth,
A serpent coiled around an egg		 Something beneath the deepest caves, a secret hearth to light the darkest parts of the oceans God of community, knowledge and fire. The root cause of geothermal activity such as hot springs and volcanoes. Reputed to have once swallowed the sun. Side effects from that act led to the extinction of all mortal life, then vomited the sun back out and created at least one entirely new category of mortal life just to get things started again. Snake or hexagram around a burning egg
7 The Unbroken Word The Stars (and more than just the stars) God of protection, luck and rune. Colorless geodesic dome or hollow web
8 The Horned Queen The Moon God of animal, madness, trickery and liberation. Stylized spider with white mouth, raised pedipalps. Stylized rabbit/elf head with a fractal hat.

If there is an Old God whose sacred number is 9, it must be very strange even by the standards of inscrutable cosmic horrors, for no mortal has ever successfully worshiped it to efficacious result, nor knowingly visited it's domain and returned to tell the tale. There are creatures, called 'qashmallim,' 'mothmen,' or 'aeons,' which sometimes profess direct and personal service to, and orders from, such an entity... but then again, some demons or madmen can claim almost anything with that same utter sincerity, so it is also plausible they serve nothing but their own, largely arbitrary if not outright random, compulsions and delusions.

Places

[TODO: add more places, expand/add descriptions]

Dungeons

The Bloodmist Labyrinth
The starting point of the quest. An underground maze.
The Green Tide
A primordial forest that spontaneously erupted from the earth outside Ekton's walls while the Fire Hawks were defending it from bandits. Flora in this region is infectious. Some spatial anomalies included.
The Mouth of Doom
A former 'hospital' that lost control of one of its test subjects and was devastated. Team Magic Sword has been tasked with bringing it back up to shape.
Rook's Vineyard
"we don't go there anymore". A ghost town, with something more sinister going on underneath the surface.

Cities / Towns

Passholdt
150 miles east of the dungeon's gazebo entrance. It's situated on one of the few easy paths across the mountains. Most people assume that's where the city's name comes from ("hold the pass") but the literal translation is "place of walking trees." Controls a road that leads to Orcmeet, as well as the land surround orcmeet, and uses irrigation assisted farming. Passholdt also controls several quarries, used for extracting construction stone, in the surrounding mountains. These quarries are virtually inaccessible without flying or magic, and instead of roads, Passholdt utilizes blink dogs with portable holes to transport materials. In addition, Passholdt also controls and utilizes a portion of the Stoneheart river, mainly through underground caverns. Water is diverted into an aqueducts, and primarily used for irrigation and a cooling pool for smelting. Finally, Passholdt has large logging interests, but trees are able to grow back faster than they cut them down; they control a border fort near Zelkor's Ferry and the territory of the Red Bear.
Orcmeet
Where they keep the arena, behemoth containment, military academy, proving grounds, and round-the-clock parties. Roughly 30 miles from Passholdt if you follow the aqueduct downhill from the east gate. Contains a fair bit of grass, and much more desert; not enough precipitation or ground water to support intensive agriculture.
Greznek
An underground goblin city, below the Bloodmist Labyrinth, that still primarily follows the old ways and the local fire divinity rather than this newfangled Orcus fad that has taken root in so many of the goblin settlements closer to the surface. Where Rhea's from.
Overmire
A city where tungsten is processed into immovable rods. Healthy commerce, a huge selection of things to do, and a disturbingly competent navy.
Eckton
A coastal settlement near an eelfolk colony, with a brand new dungeon on its doorstep.
Rook's Vineyard
"we don't go there anymore". A ghost town, with something more sinister going on underneath the surface.
Zelkors Ferry
A small town, relatively independent, and surrounded by rivers, forests and swamps oh my. 25 miles downriver of Passholdt, 50 miles upriver from the old coast road. Not far to the south you'll find Lake Laogi and Rooks Vineyard.

Races / Species

[TODO: expand/add descriptions]

Known sapient mortal creatures (as opposed to animals and vermin on the one hand, or ageless spirits on the other) fall into five broad categories. Generally, any two members of the same category can produce fertile offspring, and parents of two different races will produce a child of neither parent's race, but within the same category. Mating across categories doesn't usually yield children at all, unless powerful sorcery is used to force the issue or one of the parents is a disguised dragon, in which case the resultant hybrid is usually sterile.

Even in-universe, these categories are incomplete, and do not account for everything.

  • Elvenoids
    Would probably be called "humanoids" if elves weren't so stuck-up and insistent on defining the language around themselves. Not a lot of natural variation beyond the cosmetic, although (as cases like White Snake demonstrate) they're the most vulnerable to magical mutation.
    • Elves
      Mature an order of magnitude slower than orcs and humans, and have not been conclusively proven to die of old age.
    • Humans
    • Orcs
    • Eel-men
      Traditionally lives in or near Freshwater along the estuaries and large bodies of water that pepper the area near the coast. Reproductive R-strategists, they travel to the sea to lay many eggs. No bloodline inheritance, hatchlings that survive the trip back to an eelfolk settlement are adopted and communally raised. Tittivila worship is common. Ritualistic and/or pragmatic cannibalism is practiced as a form of respect for the dead.
    • Fishlike sapient amphibians (and non-amphibians)
  • Eohippoids
    Can mostly be described in terms of combinations of human, equine, and avian traits.
    • Dwarves
      • Green Dwarves
    • Harpies
    • Centaurs
    • Minotaurs
    • Mound-Builders
      Resemble miniaturized humans (averaging just under three feet tall, around thirty or forty pounds), but they move in short jerks alternating with eerie stillness, like startled deer, or hopping sparrows, or praying mantises. Tend to use slings or javelins rather than bows, due to issues of scaling and sudden vs. sustained strength. They're good at climbing and jumping, amazing at sprinting, not so good at marathon running, or surviving extremes of temperature and food shortages. Habitually barefoot. They made it through the dark times after the collapse of the Old Empire by going nomadic, but unlike orcs, they mostly stayed in green areas, burrows and other crude earthen fortifications (hence the name) dug with help from giant ground sloths and domesticated dire weasels.
    • Satyrs
    • Sphinxes
  • Goblinoids
    • Goblins
      • Forest Goblins
      • Tidepool Goblins
    • Hobgoblins
    • Man-wise Wolves
    • Blink Dogs
    • Squidlike Sapient Amphibians
    • Gnolls
  • Dragons
    Largely solitary, comparable to apex predators even though they can apparently subsist on a diet of ambient magic and ordinary rocks with no more ill effects than a human living on bread and vegetable broth. There's pounced sexual dimorphism, female dragons are the large, intelligent and dangerous ones controlling large scale politics. Male dragons are considerably smaller, and may be clever enough for the basics of language and tool use, like apes or crows or dolphins or parrots.
    • Blue
      Breathes lightning
    • Bronze
      Breathes lightning
    • Cloud
    • Various other colors / types
  • Troll-kin
    Unusual in that many of them aren't generally known to reproduce at all by conventional means.
    • Trolls
      True Trolls have a two-stage life cycle: a sapient bipedal hermaphrodite with hands suited for tool use, and a tangled serpent which grows additional heads when wounded. Sloughed or severed heads develop arms, legs, viscera, and self-awareness in no particular order.
      • Mountain Trolls
    • Hags
    • Huldra
      Make no damn sense physiologically: they could be mistaken for elvenoids, apart from the fox tails, but instead of a spinal column they've got a gaping hole, and instead of a normal array of vital organs, the inside of a huldra's torso looks like a hollow rotten log.
    • Lamias
    • Medusas
  • Other / Unknown
    Various creatures that don't fit neatly within the dracocracy's scholarly taxonomy. (As well as those that perhaps do, but have not been properly categorized due to player ignorance).
    • Neogi / Eel-ticks
    • Umber Hulks
    • Ghouls
    • Gug
    • Qashmallims / Mothmen / Aeons
    • Vishkanya

Languages

Characters can have fluency on a scale of 0-3, where 2 is enough to avoid "my hovercraft is full of eels"-level errors. Spoken and written tracked separately.

This list merely covers those languages we have personally encountered; it can be safely assumed there are many more.

  • Humish / Low Draconic
    The presumed default for most adventurers, unless otherwise specified.
  • High Draconic
    Scholarly research tends to be written in High Draconic, but it'd be unusual for any non-dragon to have fluency in spoken High Draconic above 1, due to a mix of deliberate secrecy and physiological limitations.
  • Elvish
    Elven language has two spoken dialects (green and white), which are similar enough that it's impossible to achieve full fluency in one without at least minimal comprehension of the other, but only a single written form, consisting of densely-packed ideograms. Elves also have their own system of sign language.
  • Elemental Languages
    • Elemental Fire / Flametongue
    • Elemental Water / Seatongue
    • Elemental Earth / Rocktonque
    • Elemental Air / Skytongue
    • Elemental Wood / Forest-tonque
  • Orcish Intertribal Trade Pidgin
    • Specific Tribal / Familial Dialects (Various)
  • Quenyl
    No spoken form, just ideograms and sign language best performed by pairs of three-fingered hands sharing an elbow.
  • Ghoulish
  • Dwarven / Harpese
    Thought to be a distant relative of rocktongue, though any lingering similarities are readily apparent only to the most cunning linguists.
  • Goblinese
  • Vishkanyan
  • Liturgical (Various)

Gallery

Official

Maps

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Partial map of the Bloodmist
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Partial map of
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Fanart

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Letkra
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Vos
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Also Vos
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Geoffrey
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Geoffrey
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Davina
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Rhea
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Maps

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Cubic Cart of Holding
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Bloodmist Labyrinth (Part II)
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Overworld (initial rough)
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Node map of The Green Tide.
Not to scale, cardinal
directions inaccurate.
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Overworld
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Quests by JamesLeng

TGchan: Fluorine Quest | Metyelilu's Revenge | Please do not [T]ake these Organs | Seek Alternate Route | Neomah Quest: Race to the West Pole | Dragon King Quest | RNG_XALT.qst | Indivisible Fortress | Thaumaturge Quest | You All Meet In A Jungle | Voidfarer's Daughter | Transporter Accident

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