Xanatos Gambit NPCs (Deceased, Exiled, or Departed)
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L. Laurent Dupont
(Formerly Laurent, Planes Militant.)
Physical Description: In terms of equipment, a variety of tools and weapons adorns his belt, jacket, and vest. Scroll-cases, magical rods, lockpicks and other doodads can readily be seen. He carries two rapiers. Most of his equipment is marked with a peculiar insignia. Otherwise, he has unremarkable features. Short-cropped blonde hair sits atop the plain face of a human male.
Public Knowledge:
Act I: The insignia marking his equipment is that of the Planes Militant, an organization of planeswalkers dedicated to bringing about and maintaining their view of planar and dimensional equilibrium. Despite this affiliation, Laurent is rumored to be a native of Narfell. Word on the streets is that Laurent opposes the Smiling Monkey, an organization he considers to be an enemy of the aforementioned equilibrium. More generally, he has expressed publicly that certain anomalies and entities do not belong in the Prime Material realm, constitute a threat to its purpose and design, and must be expunged. To that end, he employs his skill-set as a rogue. He is considered methodical, dedicated, quiet, and well-spoken.
Act II: The several months after the first encounter against Laurent saw many more. It has become clear that Laurent is waging a private war against the Smiling Monkey. Laurent has raided that organization's facilities, stolen its technology, manipulated its consultants, and abducted its allies. On more than one occasion, Laurent has clashed with those on that organization's payroll, including adventurers. Laurent further has the ability to compel planars that are on the prime material realm to do his bidding. Recently, the party of adventurers opposing Laurent liberated a peculiar fey under his control. The fey appears to have been critical to the man's objectives. The clock is ticking. Laurent's plans have been thrown into disarray by this drastic loss. It stands to reason that his methods will become correspondingly drastic.
Act III: By now, Laurent's unorthodox maneuvers are common knowledge. The man used the fey to selectively cut out substantial portions of his own memory, allegedly as part of his tactics against the Smiling Monkey. This strategic amnesia was, apparently, part of Laurent's orchestration of a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, between his past (pre-amnesia) and present versions as well as the party of adventurers seeking him. That party, however, has out-maneuvered Laurent, and has released those which have been abducted by the man. What's more, they have seemingly uncovered Laurent's true identity along with his complicated relationship with the so-called 'higher-ups' behind the Smiling Monkey. It appears the party's most surprising and recent victory has even restored Laurent's memory in its totality. This restoration seems to have changed Laurent's approach entirely - owing, it seems, to the broader view that accompanies a full account of the facts. The man is now an unexpected ally, as the party turns its sights to a new target: the 'higher-ups' behind the Smiling Monkey.
Thematic Music:
Act I: Enforced equilibrium.
Act II: Your responsibility.
Act III: Big picture.
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Smiling Monkey Co.
Physical Description: On labels, tags, and brand tickets is the image of a monkey smiling before a yellow backdrop. Depending on the product or service, the monkey is depicted with a body in various acts of of consumption or entertainment. Each tends to be accompanied by a slogan, question, or vague proverb.
Public Knowledge: A purveyor of satisfaction, the Smiling Monkey Co. holds itself out as a company that can provide anything and everything. The litany of goods and services with which the strange branding is used has yet to be counted or described in detail. From gadgets and doodads to arcane amusement parks, the organization at least appears to possess a vast inventory and extensive resources. While most are familiar with its many goods, some have said that at least one service offered by the operation involves the documentation and archiving of the bizarre and the unsolved. The end to which this service is put remains unclear...
Thematic Music:
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"Reachful Hands"
Current Status: ████████████
Physical Description: The entity has been described by the survivor as many reaching hands. The survivor also described the physical sensation of fingers being pressed into the cranium.
Public Knowledge: The entity is suspected to either reside in or travel through the Far Realm. █ ████ ██ ███████ ███████ ███████ ███████ ██ ██████ ██ ██████ involving multiple cult ███. Specific staff of ██████████, notably ██████████ █████ and ████████████, have further catalogued the entity under the provisional label of "Reachful Hands."
Thematic Music:
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Lucy Rhodes
Status: Deceased - killed in the Nars Bandit War, Year of Doubt.
Physical Description: Fierce, dark brown eyes, a pointed baritone voice, and heavyset armor lend this woman an intimidating air. During her time in Peltarch, she was often seen in military dress. Following the death of Jessica Whyte, and her exile from the city, Lucy Rhodes instead wears black full plate adorned with a dark-red cloak.
Public Knowledge: During her tenure with the Defenders, former Captain Lucy Rhodes was known for her effective yet ruthless approach to achieving military objectives. She rose to prominence in her ability to bring under Peltarch's banner a number of townships and villages East of Peltarch. She has a record of attacking and interfering with non-military individuals and entities in order to create political pressure to weaken her targets, including blockading trade routes, scorching earth, and raising dams to cut off water supplies. She also frequently worked in tandem with certain Far Scouts to spread disinformation within and to sabotage such targets before finally pushing forward with her actual military forces. Her record of military successes is largely thanks to her ruthless ambition and unscrupulous tactics.
It is by now common knowledge that Rhodes was Jessica Whyte's main point of contact in the Peltarch Defenders. Rhodes assisted in Whyte's takeover of Peltarch. When Whyte assumed control of Peltarch following the assassination of Damian Fisher, it was by paying and promising gold to bandits and mercenaries to assault Peltarch and cover up the assassination attempt. It is by now known that Rhodes was the one who organized and rallied that specific set of mercenary invaders which were contracted by Whyte. Rhodes further lent strategic military advice to the bandit and mercenary forces, including privately communicating information about weak points in Peltarch's defenses.
Following Whyte's downfall, and the subsequent restoration of Peltarch's monarchy, Rhodes fled the city along with her loyal soldiers. Lucy Rhodes was officially exiled by Peltarch some time after that.
Even more recently, Rhodes has returned to prominence after the re-organization of the many bandit and mercenary forces under Leslie Fim. Specifically, Fim has entrusted Rhodes with the majority of those bandits loyal to him that are located in the Nars. Rumor has it that Fim has even given her license to do whatever she pleases with his forces in the Nars, such that those mercenary and bandit forces now follow Rhodes' orders.
Rhodes has used her regained military strength to raid, pillage, capture, and enslave those villages that are on the periphery of the Nars, far and away from the jurisdictions of major cities. Her bandits have enslaved townsfolk into either labor or combat. Her bandits have also also created a supply network to pilfer the natural resources of raided and subjugated towns and villages. These resources, including lumber and stone, have been used to build a stronghold in those woods just east of the Giantspire Mountains. Military intelligence also claims that these resources are now also being used to build mobile siege equipment.
Lucy Rhodes was finally killed following a raid against her stronghold by adventurer forces, during the Year of Doubt.
Thematic Music:
Military: Scorched earth.
Combat: She moves like a knife.
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Arch Weyland
Status: Deceased - killed in the Nars Bandit War, Year of Doubt.
Physical Description: His most distinguishing features are his stark blond hair and confident smile. He has a magician or performer's build, insofar as he is lithe and seemingly spry. He carries with him a variety of musical instruments. He used to wear a Cerulean Knights 5th Star Uniform. Now, he wears an array of bardic clothes, but always with a blue and white starred tag pinned to the lapel or shirt.
Public Knowledge: Graduating Year of the Tiger, Arch Weyland is a Bard whose infamy precedes him. Weyland's particular talent with fire-based arcane magic lent him recognition amongst his Bardic peers and helped him rise high and swiftly as a military official of the Knights of the Cerulean Stars - a position from which he was discharged some time ago, during the Year of the Flame (five Post-Coronation, and three before the Year of Uncertain Futures). His fire-based Bardic magic is considered rare and unique among Bards, whose magic does not typically lend itself to mastery of the elements. His music is capable of summoning powerful fire elementals and creating walls of flame as well as it is igniting the passions of listeners.
Detractors call him traitor to the City and to the King. They remind the public that Arch Weyland was once the Renegade Far Scout Smoke's lieutenant, and the one who started the many arcane fires supporting the insurrectionist's cause. Weyland is also the defacto leader of the Autonomist republican faction, alongside Berlinne Toews, another factor his critics point to as evidence of his persistent and continued treason against the city.
Supporters applaud what they call his persistent and principled approach to the Autonomist vision of Peltarch - that is, a return to the democratically elected Senate, and the abolition of the Monarchy. They claim Weyland's alliance with Smoke was an unfortunate mistake. They note that his actions during the first Autonomist rebellion in the Year of the Flame demonstrate his principles; that is, where Smoke left and abandoned the Autonomist cause to retreat to the Para-Elemental Plane of his namesake, Weyland stayed behind and fought for his ideology despite the clear incoming defeat. His supporters also emphasize that adventurers (including the likes of the Monarchist and Princess Reyhenna Jorino) themselves worked with Smoke in the past, including to bring down the Silver Host.
During the Year of the Flame, Arch Weyland was executed by Reyhenna Jorino in the public square for his affiliation with and the assistance he lent Smoke. Weyland's last words were a rallying cry to those Peltarchians who support his cause. His death was kindling, and the execution only galvanized support for the Autonomists. It led to armed riots and protests in the streets, which some say were orchestrated by Berlinne Toews, calling for the return of his body and his resurrection. Eventually, and in response to these riots, the Crown and King absolved Weyland of his crimes, and returned his body to the Autonomists. He was resurrected, on the condition that he could no longer serve in Peltarch's military. This latter condition was apparently lobbied for by the Princess Jorino during a City Council meeting.
Arch Weyland was killed in battle during the war against the Nars Bandits and the mercenary army lead by Lucy Rhodes, during the Year of Doubt. General Gom apparently permitted his assistance (under detainment) in a raid against the bandit leader, who had fire-based weaponry against which Weyland apparently had some training and could prove useful. Though given Weyland's former ties with Smoke, and continued ongoing rebellious efforts against the Crown, Gom was not particularly sympathetic with Weyland's death.
Thematic Music:
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Defender General Sally Williams
Current Status: Permanently MIA.
Physical Description: Tall, muscular, and possessing an simultaneously imposing and distant air, Defender General Sally Williams carries herself head and shoulders above most men. Her facial expressions are almost always that of cold austerity, matched by her gray hair and wizened female features. Her voice carries with it a tone of arctic command, and her eyes are almost always narrowed with a combination of both principled judgment and pragmatic, militaristic calculation. She is never seen out of her Defender uniform. She carries a large sword on her back, and a blade the size of an arm-and-a-half at her hip.
Public Knowledge: Sally Williams was one of the former Captain Talbot Anderson's lieutenants, alongside Carl Tusker and Jean Taschereau. When Anderson was defeated and slain on grounds of treason, Federic Del'Rosa promoted Sally to Captain by the recommendation of Peltarchian adventurers. During the grand meeting to decide Anderson's fate, Sally was the only voice pleading for a military trial rather than execution on the field. Peltarch's heroes, encouraged by Guard Captain Oscar Halbrook, instead chose to slay Anderson on sight for his crimes. Being the sole voice to have asked for such mercy has led many to question Sally's loyalty to the Crown, wondering if her true allegiance rested with the traitor and rebel would-be usurper Anderson. These suspicions are only exacerbated by rumors that she confronted the traitor during the raid on Anderson's creche-forge rebel base in combat, and lost, but was nevertheless spared by her former Captain.
Her compatriots in the Defenders know her as a proficient swords-woman and a capable leader. She is known to cast a variety of combat enhancements using divine magic. Few know who her deity is, for she rarely gives sermons or lectures. Close observers note that the backside of her gauntlets sport the symbol of a staring eye with blue pupil. There is talk that she began her career in the Order of the Divine Shield, and transferred to the ranks of the Defenders a decade or so ago. Some soldiers have complained that her protocols are too strict. She is known to disallow with harsh, physical reprimand any forms of post-battle reprisals against foes defeated by her regiment that go beyond the necessities of current objectives. This holds true be the defeated foes bandits, uprising satellite towns, or foreign armies, and holds true even for the typical spoils and pleasures of war such as the property, land, women and wives of the conquered. During her tenure as Captain, soldiers called her "the stiff Captain," or "the boring one," though never to her face.
She is known to have a rivalry with Guard Captain Oscar Halbrook, the two often butting heads in areas of concurrent jurisdiction due to their divergent methods and perspectives.
More recently, Williams was chosen by Defender General Del'rosa to be his successor following his retirement. Del'rosa was, apparently, insistent that it be Williams, and none of the other Captains.
Following a sequence of bandit attacks on the city, as well as the Trial of Reyhenna Jorino, Defender General Sally Williams has vanished and the public does not know where she is or whether she is even alive.
Thematic Music:
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Beeble Ravelzilch
Current Status: Resurrected but elsewhere. Killed in plot finale: "The Mystery of the Eye." Resurrected in plot-line: "The Sense of Self."
Physical Description: Beeble Ravelzilch appears as a floating, singular, lidded eye that glows a strange orange at the iris with a black pupil. His or 'its' eye is emotive, expressive, and attentive, and leers at whatever it watches with great interest. When Beeble speaks, the orange glows slightly brighter. His voice is a gibbering mess of overlapping sounds and noises, each of which contrasting with the other; however, his tone, usually, is infinitely cheerful and optimistic. When angered, however, it grows into a deep, dark boom, and his orange glow tinges red. A certain select few have seen behind Beeble Ravelzilch's appearance as an eye, beneath it a different physical shape. Who they are or what that is remains a mystery for the time being.
Public Knowledge: Very little is known about Beeble Ravelzilch, other than that he invades people's sleep. Some say he is a mage versed in enchantment and illusion magic; others, still, that he is an entity that lives in the region of dreams. Well-read folks might consult some books that do speak of certain, specific creatures that exist there. Connected, learned, and noble-blooded individuals hear a few rumors too. Apparently, Beeble has been active in Narfell for some time, though people are only now slowly beginning to realize and remember the dreams he has invaded and what has occurred in them. A few of the aristocratic nobles in Peltarch that attended the recent masquerade ball hosted by house Hemway claim to have overheard some of the adventurers speak of him. Apparently, the adventurers rumored to be in the masquerade experienced a shared dream.
Isolde Garibaldi, Roslyn Underhill, Leena Lynn Rayfe, Artemis, and others have resisted Beeble Ravelzilch and conducted an investigation into what it is, where it came from, and the secretive sect surrounding the creature's creation and continued existence. People utter of the Night Parade sect, and many of this organization's members in Peltarch (including members of minor noble houses, such as House Finhund and House Whitedune) have been caught by the lucid dreamers/investigators and imprisoned by Captain Talbot under charges of conspiracy against House Hemway. The Cerulean Knight, Tristyn, who worked with the lucid dreamers and investigators closely, apparently double-crossed the investigators but was caught; he has also been imprisoned under charges of treason and conspiring with the Night Parade.
The investigators have also weakened the entity by creating and distributing enchanted dream-catchers, apprehended the members of the sect surrounding the entity, rescued Garric Hemway, and acquired the magical materials they need to enter the dreamscape, brave its dangers, and face Beeble Ravelzilch directly. Horgrim Blackweave assisted with the process, and rumor has it that the investigators succeeded in killing Beeble Ravelzilch. They came back, apparently, with a brown-haired, plain looking halfling girl.
Thematic Music:
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Marie the Waitress
Current Status: Vanished.
Portrait:
Physical Description: Marie's most distinguishing features are her melancholy, distant eyes and her down-turned expression. She is plain-spoken, and while not shy, she is known to carry a vindictive if not spiteful undertone when speaking. She is often seen in a waitress' garb, the customary uniform of servants who work for the Grapevine Inn in Norwick. She almost always wears her waitress' garb, but when she doesn't, she is rarely but sometimes seen working the fields of certain farms. Marie's hair is often loosely tied in a makeshift ponytail, or simply left as is, and her skin is often stained with dirt or soot. She is also sometimes seen with a young girl in the fields of Norwick. The young girl seems about twelve winters of age, and shares many of her features.
Public Knowledge: Rumors around Norwick claim Marie and a small girl arrived in town a few weeks ago, accompanied by Z, Roslyn, Isolde, and Shesarai. She is a waitress who works for the Grapevine Inn, recently hired. Most customers who are served by her note that she does not speak very much, but that she does her job well. Some customers have complained that she does not smile enough; this problem was fixed, though, after she was spoken to by the Grapevine's owner on proper waitress etiquette. There have been no complaints since. She is often seen spending time with a young girl, either in the meadows of Norwick or by its farmlands. The young girl often plays with a wooden sword and shield, pretending to be a warrior. While spending time with the young girl, Marie is seen instead reading from one of two large, thick, black grimoires in her lap, or writing in it with a quill. Sometimes, albeit rarely, she is seen murmuring to herself or making small gestures with her fingers.
Thematic Music:
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Faceless Servant
Current Status: Defeated.
Physical Description: A black sheet of obsidian metal has been welded to her face, with no holes to breathe nor see. She walks with a faint hunch on her back. She wears tattered clothes, scorched from heat. Her skin is pale white, as if drained. When she speaks, one can see her jaw and chin move. Her words are often muffled by the metal, but the deep baritone of her voice lends them clarity.
Public Knowledge: Few know anything at all about this woman. She has been seen by certain people, at certain places, at certain times, usually with a series of objects nearby. Peculiar objects, presented in a peculiar order. Whom, where and when, and what those objects are, exactly, remain an open question. Some say that she "serves." Others say she has been killed multiple times, already.
Thematic Music:
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Second Silver Host
Status: Sacrificed themselves against the Blackstar.
Physical Description: These returned Paladins, Clerics, and Holy Warriors are silver armored ghosts draped in blue capes and an otherworldly aura. Translucent, ethereal, and well equipped, they wear the same armor and wield the same weapons they did the moment of their death.
Public Knowledge: Here are the ghosts of the Silver Host, brought back to the land of the living thanks to certain ancient magic allegedly wielded by Jasmine, one of the few Silver Host Survivors. The story goes that Jasmine sacrificed herself to bring back her former allies, who have now returned as ghosts for some hitherto unknown purpose. Whisperers speak of the fact that the ghostly army is on "borrowed time," and has returned to protect Narfell from impending evil. The former leadership of Robert Holmsmead and his advisors is gone. Now the Silver Host army is comprised of a few living mortal soldiers, including Ser Laswell and Eve, as well as 70 ghost soldiers. The ghostly warriors reside in the Temple of the Triad in Peltarch, for now...
Thematic Music:
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Wilkes
Current Status: Deceased. Assassinated by Meadow during the Intrigue of Peltarch.
Physical Description: An impetuous gleam often finds his ambitious, dark brown eyes. It lends him a disarming air of confidence. Coupled with his precipitous smile and rough cut and shave, it means that the man has an air of charisma that is difficult to resist to most of the working class.
Public Knowledge: Prior to Wilkes and Roslyn Underhill's intervention, the laborers of the docks were divided amongst a miscellany of smaller unions split by race. The common rumors have it that Jessica Whyte, then managing partner of the Seafarers Guild, had fomented racial tension among laborers to keep the unions separate and weak. It is thanks to Wilkes' human connections and Roslyn Underhill's cosmopolitan appeal amongst hin, elves, and dwarves alike that the two managed to displace the leader of the largest of these unions, the Human Laborer's Union -- revealed, then, to be Jessica Whyte's puppet.
There is now only one Union in the Docks, and it is led by Wilkes. The Union has emphatically thrown its support behind Roslyn Underhill, and is a huge factor to her recent electoral victory in the Docks. In addition, the Docks Union has negotiated what some have called luxurious rates of salary, to the point that Docks laborers are beginning to spend and live as well as Guild members. Some have gone so far as to say that the Docks Union is the new and real driving force behind life in the docks today, since Jessica Whyte's defeat and replacement have severely weakened the Guilds' position relative to Labour.
Under Wilkes, the Docks Union has amassed what some have suspected to be a small fortune in Union dues and fees, and indeed, more and more Docks Union members are wearing higher-class clothing. Many have begun to purchase small businesses around the docks, leading some to ponder the blurry line between labourer and owner.
Thematic Music:
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Surin Trusho
Current Status: Impossible to find, since plot finale "The Night's Last Parade." ???, since plot finale of "The Sense of Self."
Physical Description: A tall and broad-shouldered mage, Surin Trusho ordinarily carries himself with a certain poise and indifference. There are moments, however, when his eyes flash with ire and intensity. He once wore a hood and mask, though now shows his face and hair. His hair is an unremarkable brown, and his face is as equally lacking in unique features.
Public Knowledge:
Not so long ago it was rumored that the masked person now identified as Trusho was responsible for a number of crimes within and near the City of Peltarch. He has lured adventurers into traps to study their decision making and behavior. Some claim he is the one responsible for a previous strange, purple cloud that manifest over the Giantspire Mountains. The cloud was dispersed thanks to Gorien Harbottle's regiment of Cerulean Knights, though some claim that the cloud was a mere distraction to cover for a secret attack on certain noble houses in Peltarch's residential district. The ultimate purpose and the motivation of these crimes currently remains unknown to most, though there are many within Peltarch who point at the current matriarch and patriarchs of Houses Finhund and Whitedune and call for public hangings due to their predecessors' known affiliations with the Night Parade.
Previously a hooded and masked individual, and still wanted by Peltarchian authorities on charges of murder, destruction of property, assault, theft, impersonating an official, and breaking and entering, the mage known as Surin Trusho has hitherto vanished from the face of Narfell. Last seen amidst an eruption of nightmarish arcane in the Giantspire Mountains, many are relieved to report that incidents relating to this man have ceased to occur.
Since, he has only rarely been seen, and no longer did he wear Night Parade robes or masks, and no longer did he carry any manner of weapon or spellbook. There was, once upon a time, talk of secrets, and Trusho mentioned a desire to learn certain of them: "the first," then a man named Kordamant's, and then a hin named Vere's.
Surin Trusho has allegedly learned these secrets and has hitherto vanished from the face of Narfell following a number of clandestine events and orchestrations that even Narfell's most learned gossips have difficulty piecing together.
Thematic Music:
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Marcel Finhund - "M" / "The Red Killer"
Current Status: Deceased. Captured in plot finale: "The Machinations of M." Killed in plot finale: "The Sense of Self."
Physical Description: He is elderly, but wiry and spry. He has gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a sneering gleam in his eye. Marcel Finhund was formerly wreathed in a veil of anonymity, under the moniker of the so-called Red Killer. No one knew exactly who the Red Killer was, let alone what he or she looked like. Precious few claim to have actually seen he or she (though most report a he), and fewer still claim a consistent description. Some said the Red Killer is male and sports brown hair and a goatee, while wearing fancy clothing. Other accounts of the Red Killer have been reported to the Peltarch Times, ranging from youthful to old, blonde to brown-haired, clean-shaven to sporting a full beard, to the point where no one knows which reports to believe or disbelieve. Needless to say, his exact physical description was not known to the authorities, though they seek out any who can provide one.
Public Knowledge: There was talk of murder in Peltarch. One woman was found in the ice-lace, with wounds to her neck; another, in her home, with no visible causes of death or wounds to speak of save for her wrists and ankles. Another still was found in the fields West of Peltarch, totally butchered. While none of the deaths appeared connected, The Peltarch Times (clickable) newspaper have confirmed that each one is a red-haired female. Peltarch's authorities have yet to officially claim that these murders connect to one another to form a serial string - though the Peltarch Times insists that this is the case. Who he is and what his motives are are entirely unclear. There is gossip, however, among a certain few, including those well connected to the Peltarch Times, that each dead woman is found with the brand "M" on the back of their scalps, hidden past their red hair.
The most recent rumors, following Marcel Finhund's capture, discuss the alleged "Night Parade" cult. The murders were apparently used in a ritual sacrifice to summon a creature from realms beyond–typical behavior for a Night Parader, some of the sharper gossips sneer and jeer. The Finhunds, alongside the Whitedunes, were the two noble families that constituted the reformed "Night Parade" some time ago. This Night Parade framed the Hemways, captured Garric Hemway, and operated to assist the nefarious Beeble Ravelzilch. A few startled murmurs wonder if all of the Finhund family are Night Paraders; some even demand that the noble family be rounded up and executed--including all the indirect relations, cousins, and those who married into the family.
Other information concerning Marcel Finhund is thus: he was a master surgeon prior to his criminal activity. His criminality thus revealed that he used surgical methods to kill rather than to save lives.
Unable to overcome his impulsion for the color red, M was found dead in his cell. His wrists were slit, and the walls were painted crimson with his own blood.
Thematic Music:
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Renegade Far Scout Smoke
Current status: Deceased. Killed in plot finale: "The Cinderwood Bastard."
Physical Description: Few have seen the man, though many claim he is not human. Those who have note that his skin is covered head to toe with the Far Scout uniform. He wears a helmet, out from which a faint gray fog pours -- from the visor, from the chain slits, and from below the neck. He is tall, wiry, and carries himself with a clear agility and physical celerity. Those who have seen him in combat note that he crouches like an opportunist, and that he has many traps and knives hidden about his leather attire.
Public Knowledge: Up until very recently, almost nothing was known about the Far Scout whose appearance lent him the alias "Smoke." However, since the failed uprising in Peltarch, other Peltarchian officials have commenced an in depth investigation into his activities. First, it is rumored that he is the one truly responsible for the annihilation of the Silver Host. Upon Smoke's orders, Smoke's former associate, Arch Weyland, conjured the fire elementals that attacked the Western Townships. The plan apparently was to distract the Silver Host's seer with many diversions -- the fires and the attacks, to lure the Silver Host in, and provoke them to protect the innocent. Then Peltarchian forces would also rush to the scene. Finally, the conflagration of fire in the townships and nearby woods. All of these elements proved sufficient to distract the Silver Host's Seer of Futures, who tried to protect the villagers and save the woods. This diversion cloaked Smoke's actions (and the actions of the adventurers who helped him) and, because the Silver Host's Seer was sufficiently diverted, Smoke and the adventurers managed to assassinate her. Later on, the rest of the Silver Host were killed, weakened by the loss of their Seer.
In addition to this, Smoke allegedly lead a campaign to infiltrate the many divisions and regiments of Peltarch's military. Besides apparently having indirect and unofficial control over many Far Scouts, he had plants and spies in the Defenders, the City Guard, and the Cerulean Knights. Captain Gom was apparently under blackmail or some other influence from Smoke. Former Guard Captain Oscar Halbrook apparently was loyal to Smoke, up until very recently, and released almost all Far Scouts who ended up in the Gaol (whilst it was under his command). Arch Weyland, the Fifth Star Cerulean Knight, also commanded a regiment of Ceruleans for Smoke, without any official record of their true loyalties. Finally, Far Scout Treys held control over the Far Scouts who unofficially obeyed Smoke rather than the true chain of command.
Smoke is also the mind behind Peltarch's increasingly imperial and expansionist approach to the bordering towns and villages, a policy which has been reversed since the revelation of Smoke's loyalties and true plans. The "expansion" spread Peltarch's military thin, all but for the Far Scouts under Smoke's Command, which neglected to protect the villages. Like butter spread across too much toast, Peltarch's military could not keep track of Smoke's activities or his infiltration. Through these actions Smoke lead an uprising against Peltarch's city officials, presumably in the name of the democratic republic of Peltarch's former Senate (the so-called "Autonomists"). Even this, however, proved to be a lie, as Smoke abandoned the Autonomists during the revolt (which was put down by adventurers), and fled.
Rumors suggest he has since retreated to the para-elemental plane of his namesake. A military taskforce raided this plane and killed him. Written materials gathered near his Cinderwood headquarters reveal that he used the chaos and anarchy that he caused to conceal his true intentions, which were to kidnap as many individuals as possible to the Cinderwood, and use them in a grave experiment. What this experiment was, and why, is likely only found in those written materials.
Thematic Music:
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Francisco Dibel (and Company)
Current status: Deceased. Both Dibel and his three familiars were killed in the subplot finale, "A Date with Lady Nocturnal."
Portrait:
Physical Description: Pale, blonde, and sporting a cheerfully cruel smile, Francisco Dibel appears to have fun no matter what he is up to. He carries himself with an unnatural and some might say unfair agility and grace. At his hip is a strange, arcane tome, upon which one might recognize the Ashald family symbol. Next to that is an ornate scabbard that carries in it a Waterdhavian sabre. A magical lute floating may be floating about his person, bobbing and weaving, as if alive whilst it plays music (which is typically upbeat and matches the tempo of a combat or a fast paced dance). Despite his apparent youth and luster, the dandy man's clothes are old-fashioned. When he speaks, he speaks in all of the lilting highs and lows that comprise an upbeat, mood-lifting melody.
Public Knowledge: Apparently pining for a so-far unnamed woman's attention, Fransisco Dibel is trying anything and everything to impress the mystery lady. Rumors abound that he is a member of the vampiric coven that has sank booth teeth and roots into Narfell, though he is far less clandestine and careful than most of its fanged members. If this claim is believed, it is typically followed by another: that he is part of the madder of the trio of houses or "breeds" of vampires that comprise this coven. Whereas the vast majority of the vampiric coven's members have gone into hiding (allegedly for a mysterious ritual), Dibel has instead made his presence known, and claims to be "on the clock" with regard to the need to impress the previously noted unnamed woman. This has included attacking and killing a nearby mining village east of Peltarch, stealing an arcane tome from the Ashald Family Crypt, and posturing against the swordsman known as Garen for a certain artefact that he carries (apparently to put on his mantle, to impress the unnamed woman). He has also invited the prettier female adventurers to help him make the unnamed woman envious.
Company: Dibel has three servants or familiars that follow him about and do his bidding, each seemingly sentient. The first is a mass of living shadow that appears capable of expanding, moving through walls, casting arcane spells, and is named "Dusk." This creature is apparently the more logical and cautious of the bunch. The second is a heavily bandaged corpse which resembles a mummy, and is named "Wraps." This bandaged entity speaks in muffled tones, comprehensible, it seems, only to his undead companions. Finally, the third is a patchwork of skeletal pieces cobbled together by whatever remains the other two have come across, and is called "Bones." The skeletal pieces are held together by a fine, red mist, and the skeletal pieces appear able to speak. When defeated, Bones dissipitates into the red mist, and must wait to be put back together again by the other two. Apparently, Dusk and Wraps like to put Bones back together in strange ways that they claim are humorous, much to Bones' frustration.
Thematic Music:
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The Silver Host (Legacy -- under Robert and Vere's Control)
Current status: annihilated.
Physical Description: The Silver Host is a mobile army of Paladins, Clerics, and Holy Warriors in the service of Torm. Each man and woman that forms part of this holy crusade wears silver armour and a blue cape. They are well equipped, their weapons, armour, and other equipment heavily enchanted to match that of a seasoned warrior. When they fight, they are bathed in holy light that emanates from their leader. They fight with zeal, fervor, and loyalty to one another, and with a visible pride in their achievements and purpose. Common folk who bare witness to them, especially in combat, stand in awe.
Public Knowledge: The Silver Host won fame and glory in their first crusade in Zakhara, to purge that land of Banite colonies. This first war was a success. It won further renown during its second crusade, against the Sun Elves of Myth Drannor, house Dlardrageth, whom laid with demons to form half-elven half-demonic offspring known as the Daemonfey. This second war, too, was a success. Now the Silver Host has come to Narfell, to purge it of all evil. Robert Holmsmead, better known as the Chosen of Torm and his Voice on Toril, leads this army. He is joined by Vere, whom is called the Knower of Truths. She is a halfling woman and a seer whom it is claimed can see all past, present, and future events. Zachary and Marlene, two Paladins, lead their regiment of knights and mounted cavalry.
In Narfell, the Silver Host has repelled orcish attacks, slain ogres, and purged the Giantspires of necromancer cults with the aid of adventurers. They have also, with the aid of adventurers, purged Jiyyd of any residual demonic taint, and vanquished three demonic generals of the Abyss.
The Silver Host also holds Conclave Tribunals in Narfell, where they sentence wrongdoers to exile for their crimes. None know where "exiled" criminals go, but they vanish in a holy light. They have thus far exiled several Cyricists and Surin Trusho. Rumor has it that Reyhenna Jorino, Marie Andersdottir, Szath Durro, and others have been called upon to answer for their crimes in the upcoming second Conclave Tribunal. Due to its recent conflicts with Peltarch's military, as well as its willful ignorance of Peltarch's court judgments and thus its law, the Silver Host has been banned from that city, much to the ire of Order of the Divine Shield High Priest Galin Reynolds. Supporters of the Silver Host have called its law divine and superior to that of man-made law.
Some time ago, the Silver Host ventured to Peltarch's Western Townships to fend them against a sudden attack from fire genies and the elemental plane of fire. During the chaos of the attack, they were joined by Peltarch Defender Captain Gom and his regiment. Together, they held against the fire elementals. However, during the prolonged siege, Vere, the Knower of Truths, was assassinated, and the might of every Silver Host soldier was dampened as a result. The Silver Host was overrun. Only Ser Robert Holmsmead, and a handful of others, managed to defend the town against the attack. This after facing off against several adventurers, Ser Robert allegedly vying to save the town instead of fighting the adventurers, but forced into confrontation by the adventurers' persistence. The loss of Vere, the Seer, apparently weakened the entire army as well as Ser Robert himself. Still, the remnants of the now devastated army defended the villages. Afterward, the Silver Host departed from the Western Townships. They were but a fraction of their original force. The fire genies slaughtered the majority of their troops. Some time later after that, the rest of the Silver Host were slain in a surprise attack off the road in the Nars, apparently from bandits -- though this was later revealed to actually be a covert team of Far Scouts under the command of Far Scout Smoke.
Rumors claim that Ser Robert fought admirably till the death, defending his men as they defended him. Some speak of Torm empowering the man before his final breath, who found redemption after the conflict with the adventurers prior to his death.
Thus Ser Robert, Zachary, and Marlene are dead, as are all of the remaining Paladins and Knights.
Thematic Music:
Silver Host theme: ecstasy of God.
Robert's theme: battle against a true hero.
Vere, Seer of Truths
Current status: deceased.
Physical Description: It seemed as if the diminutive halfling's eyes were filled with austerity and judgment wherever they were cast. Despite her frail and ill physical appearance, she carried herself with a straight posture and seemed adamant to project strength and conviction rather than sickliness and weakness. She wore a cleric's garb, and her colors matched those of the Silver Host.
Public Knowledge: Vere was the Silver Host's Seer, entitled the Knower of Truths. It was alleged that she had the power to look into a person's past, and reveal all secrets therein. It was thanks to her ability that the Silver Host was capable of holding Conclave Tribunals: judicial gatherings of the Silver Host soldiers as well as local inhabitants to judge the guilty and sentence them to exile. The exiled vanished in a holy light. None knew where the exiled were banished to.
Vere, along with the rest of the Silver Host, is dead. She was the first who was killed while trying to protect villages from a siege of fire elementals summoned by Peltarchian Cerulean Knights. More specifically, she was assassinated during this effort by the renegade Far Scout Smoke as well as the adventurers who helped him, including Reyhenna Jorino, Autumn, Blue Raven, Scott Grimm, Merlynna Proudfeet and others.
According to rumor, Vere was secretly ur-priest, and stole her power from the Gods to fuel the Silver Host army. Though none discovered how. Rumors now say that her secrets (and thus her methods) died with her.
Thematic Music:
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Far Scout Treys
Current Status: In Peltarch's Gaol, due for execution on grounds of treason.
Physical Description: Far Scout Treys is a fit, wiry woman whose only notable features are the few scars she has on her neck and jaw. By all accounts she is an unremarkable woman of average or lower appearance. Her hair and eyes are a dark shade of brown. She carries with her several weapons, most obviously a pair of thin swords and a large crossbow strapped to her back. At times, she is seen wearing a Far Scout uniform, though these sights are few and far in between. More often than not she wears a non-distinct brown set of leather armor.
Public Knowledge: It is highly unlikely that you know this woman. If you do, it is unclear if "Treys" is her real name or the operating name that was given to her during her tenure with the Far Scouts. It is also unclear what her rank in the Far Scouts is, and who, exactly, she reports to. Any inquiries into the identity of her direct superior officer are met with delays, stonewalls, and red tape. She is, at times, seen with Vick Blake, and some fewer times yet with Rasuil Delagim, though she certainly does not treat the former as her superior and the latter is not even a Far Scout. Her job, role, and accomplishments remain unknown.
Thematic Music:
Sanctioned heist / dirty deeds done cheap.
Smoke Gets in your eyes
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Korvan "of the Undying"
Current status: Deceased. Killed in plot finale: "Call of the Fey."
Physical Description: Korvan of the Undying's unkempt appearance contrasts with his eerily calm demeanor. He is broad-shouldered, pale of skin, and long of hair. His hair is a dark brown and disheveled. He carries no visible weaponry, and presents himself with a straight posture. His movements tend to be slow, deliberate, and tranquil. His voice is rich, articulate, paced and baritone. Loremongers and naturalists will recognize that his appearance resembles the Figure of the Beastlord. His perhaps most notable feature is the thick, dark cloaked mantle of fur draped across his shoulders. Out of this cloak (or is it his person?) seeps a thick, black fog that lingers around both him and his immediate environment. Being near this black fog lets one hear the distant, perpetual, hollow sounds of moans, whimpers, and growls, though it is difficult to see where they come from except from inside the fog itself.
Public Knowledge: Korvan of the Undying is a Malarite of which little if anything is known amongst the Narfellan region. He is known to have some sort of rivalry with Rasuil Delagim. Those who have encountered him in the past, including members of the Deepwood Court, claim that he is a necromancer and a divine caster of Malar. The nature and extent of these encounters is not known to the public. What is known is such: His pack is said to have included Lo'Gok the Hunter, a half-orc ranger; Aisha the Claw, a druidess of panthers; Praxi the Talon, an avian cleric; Ilmryn of the Silk, a drow spider-keeper; Szath Durro the Voice, an elven bard and druid; and Doona the Scale, a halfling sorceress. All but Doona the Scale have been slain, recently, some say by Rasuil Delagim. There is talk of Doona the Scale having been brought to the druid's glenn.
Silvia the Fey was recently rescued from his clutches. He intended to use her grand tree in Deepwood as a locus to spread his undead blight throughout the lands. Korvan was slain by Rasuil Delagim, Reyhenna Jorino, Leena Lynn Rayfe, Aoth Sepret, Isolde Garibaldi, Roslyn Underhill, Shesarai Foutopolis, and Artemis.
Thematic Music:
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Godfrey and Godfreya Gostrun
Current Status: ???? - Vanished in plot finale: "A Melody Mechanical."
Physical Description: Those who claim to have seen one of the two in one way or another describe them so - although accounts vary. Godfrey Gostrun is a man with a finely groomed mustache, focused and calculating eyes. His clothing is well prepared and presented, he carries an even number of scrolls and wands. His robes are proportionate and his hair well groomed, and he seems proud of it. Godfreya Gostrun is a woman with a wild smile and darting, amused eyes. Her hair is disheveled, her clothing is haphazard, and she carries an odd number of wands and scrolls. Her robes are entirely crooked and messy, and it doesn't seem to bother her.
Public Knowledge: Little is known about Godfrey and Godfreya Gostrun, save for that they were both mages who lived an undetermined time ago, and that they only ever seen apart and never together. Some have said that they are one and the same, and others that they are twins. Others insist they are something stranger. Loremongers will find in old texts and books describing the work of past arcanists that provide such accounts. Godfrey Gostrun was known to be a planar arcanist whose work centered around the plane of Mechanus, its constructs, and its mechanical architecture. He was known to be obsessed with logic, shapes, geometry, symmetry, proportionality, and achieving perfection in form and structure. He was known to suddenly stop whatever he was doing, take out a hand-held mirror, and gaze into it often to groom his mustache and hair. Those who claimed to have known him said he was working on a grand, secret project before he vanished. Godfreya Gostrun was known to be a planar arcanist whose work centered around the planes of Limbo, their inherently unknowable nature, their ever-changing realities. She was obsessed with the fickle nature of perception, individual will, individual identity, and the unpredictable effects of chance. She was known to suddenly stop whatever she was doing, take out a hand-held mirror, and gaze into it to smile widely at her dynamic appearance, hair, and eyes. Those who claimed to have known her said she was working on a grand, secret project before she vanished.
Thematic Music:
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Vanno Hemway
Current Status: Departed after plot finale: "The Sense of Self."
Portrait:
Physical Description: Handsome, smiling, and with a welcoming demeanor, Vanno Hemway's appearance and confidence are things to be vied and desired. He wears elegantly cut tunics, simple yet pleasing rings, and otherwise sports a groomed aesthetic. His brown hair is smooth, clean, and typically tied in a ponytail. His eyes are a dark brown, and alternate between easy amicability and sharp focus. Not muscular, but toned, and seemingly dexterous. He bears only a little resemblance to the Peltarchian Hemway house's more immediate family, leading one to surmise that he is perhaps a more distant relative.
Public Knowledge: Vanno Hemway recently arrived in Peltarch alongside his servant, Geoff. Rumors have it that Garric and Vanessa - the patriarch and matriarchs of the Hemway family - did not expect his visit, and were caught off-guard (see "The Hemway Nobility" above). Those in the know have heard that house Hemway has a variety of relatives living abroad in major cities, and that Vanno Hemway hails from one of them. Where House Hemway has maintained its wealth in Peltarch, it nevertheless failed to flourish politically, remaining on the outskirts of influence and power. However, the House has had more success abroad in the major port cities, leading one to wonder why it is Vanno visits his family in Peltarch here and now. When asked how long he is staying, Vanno has given a few vague replies: laughing and noting a time-frame of six months on some occasions, and on others replying that the visit may last longer still. There is also more recent talk about an altercation between Vanno Hemway and the Bardic College (or was it the Bardic College's former guard?) in the commons.
Thematic Music:
