The Cast - Player Characters and Non-Player Characters
Player Characters
Alseta
Arhus Lokken
Inquisitor Varsh
Kavan
Nan
Ravick Darkmoon
Vanilla
Ecard
Non-Player Characters
Lord Black Paw - Until his defeat by his own bodyguard, Klar the half-giant, Black Paw was the Catling ruler of the Jewel of the Desert. He came to Joalakavi about ten years ago as a bodyguard for the previous ruler of the city. When that ruler mysteriously died, Black Paw quickly assumed the rulership through cunning and claws. It is said he was an accomplished warrior and had even taken to the arena from time to time. His staff and the nobles of the city, report he was arrogant and vicious. He was almost always in the company of one or both of his bodyguards, Klar and Mood-blade. Black Paw walked with a slight limp that was attributed to an accident which occurred on the balcony of his administrative office. Dawnscar rumors abound recently, but word on the street is that Drace gave the Catling flying lessons when the Lord of the Desert's Jewel refused a promised reward and ordered the barbarian to be apprehended.
Black Paw was last seen sinking into the foul depths of the Defile, the loser's escape from the Arena of Joakalavi. In the aftermath, the escape was sealed during the terrible fight between Klar and a duo of powerful wizards from the Inquisition of Magic, essentially trapping the catling in the sewers of the city with all its many horrors, humiliated, defeated, and thoroughly disgraced in the public's eye.
Moon-blade - The female bodyguard which accompanied Black Paw almost everywhere. She seldom spokes in public, and it is rumored she is a werewolf. No one knows her true name, they simply referred to her as "Moon-blade" and other... less than respectable references to female canines. She has long silver-streaked hair. Her notable accessories include the twin short sabers she wears across her hips. She wears chain-mail as comfortably as Black Paw wears his fur, and the lower portion is, interestingly, a skirt of the metal rings.
Moon-blade disappeared sometime before Black Paw's public demise. It is rumored in the dark clearinghouses of dirty intelligence in the city's filthy underbelly, that Moon-blade is with child, and fled the city in order to whelp a motley pup, which the rumors also juicily tell, is the offspring of the half-giant bodyguard, Klar...
Klar - A half-giant that defied the odds and came away with the strongest traits of both races. From his father he inherited an intellect and the capacity for severe cruelty. From his mother he inherited size and earthly strength. Some say the union was carefully planned to beget just such an offspring. Klar's only real weakness was his short temper which inhibited him from becoming something truly great. He simply lacked the patience to train or learn anything he wasn't interested in and tended to mortally harm those who tried to encourage him along those lines. Word on the street is that Black Paw had some power over him to keep him in line and loyal. Klar became one of Black Paw's bodyguards not long after the Catling ascended to rulership of Joalakavi.
Black Paw sent two hundred of his finest Scorpion Guard into the Tower when he feared that either Blood Monath or Drace Dawnscar were close to obtaining the prize, the fabled Kingmaker. It was Klar who emerged with the prize. After being the first and only person to exit the gates of the Tower - all two hundred of the Scorpion cadre had been annihilated within - Klar challenged publicly the Lord of Joakalavi for his rulership. The challenge was quickly accepted on Black Paw's part and facilitated by Naviol who had wormed his way into the ruler's trust.
Klar defeated Black Paw, humiliating the catling in a deadly battle held before the city in the Arena. On the evening of the hottest day of the year, the Tower unleashed its attack upon the city and the streets became a hellish place of murder and mayhem. Klar was the tallest in stature of any ruler of the city, but would also be known as he witht he shortest reign, for he was quickly killed by members of the Inquisition of Magic.
Salaul - Not much was known about this newcomer to Joalakavi. Though appearances can be deceiving, the stranger appeared to most to be male, although there was some argument about that among the courtesans who dared or even thought to discuss it. He seemed to have the run of he Palace but was rarely there and interacted with few, including Black Paw and his bodyguards most notably. There was some hint he might have taken up residence at Athaldrim in the Golden Quarter, although that rumor ended when Salaul's body was alchemically altered and delivered to Black Paw during a banquet in the Palace.
Vilditha - Prior to the destruction of the Tower, she was the member of the Joalakavi Palace courtesans who seemed to have been there the longest... She was a very large woman who knew the times and locations of meals, who was eating them and what was being said at the table while they were being consumed. She knew the cooks, the scullery maids and even the grocers who supplied the Palace with their wares. She seemed to be only there for the food...
Having fallen victim to the devastating plague of spectres which had befallen the Desert's Jewel, it fell upon the alchemist, Naviol, to attempt a cure. This cure turned out to be more of an exorcism in the end and the result drove out the spectre, but nearly killed Nan and Vilditha in the process. She was on death's door for a tense period of time, but eventually awakened. And with that awakening, she has transformed from the robust Court Food Taster to a lithe and mysteriously powerful exotic beauty with an aura of power not known to Vaneria for nearly five centuries.
Blood Monath - A murderer, a cutthroat, a dark mercenary and... a survivor. If there are any tales in Joalakavi to match those of Drace Dawnscar, then they are of the foul orc, Blood Monath and his vile acts of evil and self-preservation. He's dangerous enough that Black Paw issued a kill on sight order. He has been captured (betrayed) several times except for the last. He is a cunning master of escape and has simply waltzed out of every dungeon he's ever been cast into. The last time he was captured was by a huge northerner several years ago. The story goes that the northerner argued over the reward for Blood Monath with Black Paw himself, who only offered a portion of that which was promised. It was that very afternoon that Black Paw 'accidentally' fell from the balcony of his opulent office.
The Boulder Brothers - "Two heads be better'n one!" is their business motto. The dwarf twins are considered the most knowledgeable and capable sappers in all of Vaneria and their services are sought by anyone who makes war. They destroy more, breach more, and drink more before the sun comes up than other destruction specialists do all week! Merric and Carric by name, though which is which is sometimes difficult to remember.
Derlis Kahr - Supposed son of the current crime Boss in Joalakavi, Zharat Kahr. Little is known of him, it's said that he's lazy and spoiled and not very bright. The prejudice of the city was turned against him for he was a half-orc, the byproduct of the worst kind of illegitimacy. Due the fact that Zharat has no other reported children it is believed he'd adopted the boy and was not really the father, for two people could not be more different except for their shared innate ability to see an opportunity.
Rhanna Queval, The Caravaner's Daughter - Rhanna is the mysterious head of the largest caravan to cross the vast deserts surrounding Joalakavi. It is whispered that she was used in negotiations between her father and Zharat Kahr. She detested the drunken fop and her father's sympathy won out. Interestingly she is still on very good terms with the Kahr Crime Syndicate. She stands to become very, very rich...
Ecard, The Commander of the Scorpion Guard in Joakalavi - The man who has risen to the top of the deadly Scorpion Guard than any guardsman in the history of the order. Within months he went from a relative grunt, lowly in both rank and stature, to the level-headed commander when the former Lord of Joakalavi, Black Paw, foolishly sent the two hundred best Scorpions - including leaders - into the Tower with Klar to retrieve the Kingmaker. Left without solid leadership, the Scorpions were desperate for a unifying figure. Someone strong and powerful. Ecard filled the role. Although it is rumored his meteoric rise to the top was not accomplished without help. Those rumors would never lead to the man really behind Ecard's success, nor the alchemical dependencies which keep him there.
Belonging to the Inquisition
Lord Inquisitor Germain - missing in action
Master Inquisitor Brahms - Acting leader of the Inquisition in Joakalavi. His demeanor is much more familiar than that of most members of the Inquistion, he tends to show his emotions or at least has more difficulty hiding them. He is capable and powerful, and the secret records indicate he has a long list of successful missions and accomplishments for the Order.
Inquisitor Olsne - Senior of the remaining Inquisitors below Brahms, and most likely to be the next in line for ascension to the next higher rank. He was a lanky man with a very pronounced angular face and a long pointy nose. He was also awkward looking and not physically strong, but he more than made up for that with his magic. He was an adept of the element of Air, a rarity among the Inquisition, but was known for his unique talents. (Speech Color: Lavender)
Inquisitor Jesha - As a child, Jesha had shown powerful spell-singing abilities. Her grandfather had attempted to mute her as he was an Elder in the their tiny village and did not want the stigma of bad luck upon his house, or rather shack. The attempt had been mostly successful, but had not stopped her ability to manipulate magic. She'd been discovered by the Inquisition as a young woman just entering the difficult teenage years, and given the opportunity and training she needed to develop her arcane skills. She was the only female in the group. (Speech Color: Pink)
The Story So Far
The Cast - PCs and NPCs
The Places and Races of Vaneria
The Current Quests and Objectives
The Timeline - Chronicles of the Past and Present
The Found Treasure, Uncovered Artifacts and Discovered Lore
Augurium Advenire! RPOL Main Game Page
Test Page and Practice Sandbox Thingee
Read this forum thread for help with Wiki markup and posting stuff...