A Mysterious Post

As suggested by Tess, I'm putting up this post as a spot where you guys can discuss any 'mysteries' that come up during the game. This way, when the time comes for me to explain things, you'll actually remember what you wanted to ask about!

Arik

True Neutral Male Human (?) Barbarian, Level 5

Str 18 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 11 Cha 12
HP 48 AC 18 Prime Attributes Strength, Dexterity, Constitution
Height 6' 1" Weight 190 lbs Age 35 years

Class Abilities Combat Sense, Deerstalker, Intimidate, Primeval Instincts, Whirlwind Attack

Equipment Two-handed sword +1, chainmail, 5 hand axes, light-tube

Description Tall, lean, and muscular, Arik's most striking feature is his skin, which is a deep shade of red. This feature marks him as different from every other human in the land, but apart from this one difference, he appears to be completely human in every way. He bears the marks of a difficult life; his features are weathered and he carries many scars. Arik usually wears very little clothing, because he comes from a land that is much colder, and he finds the climate of Ember in particular to be almost intolerably warm. The clothing he does wear is generally simple and practical.

Biography Arik comes from an unknown land called Ares, a land of vast reddish deserts, where the Sun shines dimly in the sky, the rivers are dried up, the climate is freezing, and civilization has fallen millenia ago. The people of this land eke out a meagre existence in small bands of hunter-gatherers. There is no magic and no Gods where Arik comes from, but there is evidence, found in ancient ruins and carvings, that there once were Gods and magic in the distant past.

Arik made it his life's quest to discover where the Gods had gone, and his fifteen-year search led him to a portal among some strange ruins built with grey stone, not native to Ares. A band of adventurers, exploring the dungeons that housed the other side of the portal, activated it and brought him through. Arik was amazed to find himself in a land where magic worked, and the Gods were present. Deciding that this must be where the Gods had gone, he embarked on a quest to convince the Gods, or at least one of the Gods, to return to Ares and restore magic to his land.

Cities of Ember

Viskha – The largest city of Ember, Viskha is home to over 25,000 people. It is an ancient city, said to be thousands of years old, and during its history it has experienced many ups and downs. Currently, it is on the up – under the rulership of Althai, the Warrior-Queen, it has captured all of the territory along the Yann up to (but not including) Cappadarnia. These subjugated cities bring in tribute and taxes, which enriches the city of Viskha.

Golnuz – Sometimes called the “City of the Gods”, Golnuz is so known because of its many temples and monastaries. All religions are tolerated in Golnuz, so long as they obey the laws of the city and do not unduly harass the other temples, so although the main Gods of Ember still hold sway among the populace, a great number of lesser cults and sects can be found within Golnuz. Golnuz has a population of about 8000, with a disproportionate number of priests, monks, and other holy men and women.

Haz – Haz is a small town that is largely populated by halflings. It is particularly known for its excellent fishing, and much of its prosperity comes from selling its fish to the hungry metropolis of Viskha. The halflings of Haz are extremely friendly and congenial to travelers, but extremely hostile to non-halflings settling down in their territory – they are very protective of their fishing business. About 1500 people live in Haz.

Narl – Narl is a mid-sized settlement of about 3000 inhabitants, which would be mostly unremarkable were it not for an ancient trade contract that a previous ruler once signed with the elves of the eastern desert. This contract, though ancient in human terms, is still relatively recent to the elves, and so Narl is still their favoured trading spot. Thus, the inhabitants of Narl make a good living by selling elven goods to the other cities, and selling goods from the other cities to the elves.

Gondara – Gondara is the sister city of Golzunda – the two cities are directly across the Yann from each other – and its people are largely defined by their rivalry with the inhabitants of Golzunda. Gondara is smaller, with about 3000 inhabitants, and is well known as a center of learning. The Library of Gondara is the largest such edifice in Ember and attracts scholars and wizards from all over; Gondara also boasts the only significant temple of Sish in Ember. Gondarans view Golzundans as uneducated and materialistic.

Golzunda – Golzunda is slightly larger than Gondara, with a population of about 5000. More importantly, it has a much more favourable natural harbour, which means that it is visited by more traders and is consequently richer. Golzundans are shrewd businessmen and are notoriously miserly. They view Gondarans as poor, impractical, and out of touch with the real world.

Imaut – Originally a fairly large and prosperous town that thrived on trade from Cappadarnia, Imaut has suffered greatly due to the conflict between Viskha and Cappadarnia. From its apex of 5000 or more inhabitants, it has dropped to 3000 in the last decade, due to casualties of war as well as emigration. Currently controlled by Viskha, it has become a fortified fortress-town, serving as the first line of defense against Cappadarnia. It changes hands between Viskha and Cappadarnia every few years.

Cappadarnia – The second largest city of Ember, Cappadarnia is currently embroiled in a decade-long conflict against Viskha. Its proximity to the dwarves of Irusian mountains means it has a healthy trade in metals and dwarven goods with the cities downriver – or at least, it did before the war with Viskha began. Its main source of trade now cut off, Cappadarnia has resorted increasingly to borrowing money from Perdondaris to fund its defense. Cappadarnia is in a very difficult position, because even if it does eventually fend off the Viskhans, it will find itself deeply indebted to Perdondaris.

Blut – Blut is essentially an overgrown trading post of Mlo. The town of 1800 people is ruled by Mlo, and its main industry is trade of dwarven goods with the cities further downriver. Its main trading partner is Cappadarnia, which due to the war has a great need of dwarven weapons and armor. Ironically, the same war that is rapidly bankrupting Cappadarnia is rapidly enriching nearby Blut (and therefore, Mlo). Of course, were Cappadarnia to fall to Viskha, Blut would fall very quickly after it.

Mlo – Nestled within the Irusian Mountains, Mlo is unique in that it is half above-ground and half below-ground. The above-ground half is inhabited by humans, while the below-ground half is inhabited by dwarves. The two races jointly rule the city, and their peaceful coexistence allows each race to benefit from the other race's skills. The human part of the city is inhabited by about 5000 people. Many believe that the inhabitants of Mlo have some dwarven blood in their ancestry; indeed, the people of Mlo (and its outposts, Blut and Pen-Hai) tend to be short, stocky, and gruff.

Pen-Hai – Pen-Hai is, like Blut, essentially a trading post ruled over by Mlo. It is slightly smaller, with a population of 1400, and rather than focusing on downriver trade, it focuses on upriver trade. Because of this upriver focus, its fortunes have generally not been affected by the war between Viskha and Cappadarnia; demand for dwarven goods in Perdondaris and further cities is about the same as it's ever been..

Yethlyreom – Ruled by a cabal of necromancers, Yethlyreom is mystery to most inhabitants of Ember, despite its sizeable population of 8000. This is due to the law of the city which states that all who die within its walls become fodder for the necromancers to raise, which rather effectively scares travellers off. The Great Temple of Mung is located within Yethlyreom. Its black-robed necromancers are occasionally seen outside of the city; they are always greatly feared, wherever they go.

Perdondaris – Perdondaris is the third most populous city of Ember, with 17,000 inhabitants. The most prominent citizens of Perdondaris are the Seven Merchants, who represent the seven mercantile families that hold most of the real power in the city. Perdondaris serves as the gateway between the northern cities near the mouth the Yann, and the southern cities further upriver. It is sometimes known as the “City of Wonders” due its sizeable gnomish population, and the many fantastic contraptions that they tend to invent.

Astahahn – Astahahn is a strange, unchanging city of about 6000 people, where all its people are bound to strict habits and rituals which they never deviate from. The people of Astahahn claim to have bound and fettered Time itself; by keeping their city eternally unchanging, they prevent Time from escaping and devouring the Gods. Most people believe the inhabitants of Astahahn to be mad, but it is true that the holy scriptures do claim that, one day, Time will turn against the Gods and destroy them - so perhaps there is more than madness to Astahahn.

Mandaroon – Another mysterious and strange city, the 2000 inhabitants of Mandaroon are bound to eternal slumber. Stories tell that the people of Mandaroon must never be awakened, for the day that they awake is the day that the Gods will die. The truthfulness of this statement has never been tested, for those who are mad enough to try to wake the city are inevitably stopped by the fanatical guardsmen, who preserve its people's slumber.

Pir – Little is known of distant Pir. Stories brought by traders and merchants describe it as a relatively unremarkable town of about 2000, part of a small country ruled by Migris.

Kyph – Like Pir, Kyph is distant and unknown. It is slightly larger, with 3000 inhabitants.

Migris – Migris is a city of not inconsiderable size, with 12,000 inhabitants - less than half that of Viskha, but still enough to make it the fourth-largest city in Ember. Migris is the capital of a small country, which includes the cities of Pir, Kyph, and Marn. It is said that, this far south, the climate is much milder than that of the burning deserts to the north.

Marn – Marn is the final city ruled over by Migris; it is a small town of 1900 inhabitants.

Map of Ember

This map represents information that the average inhabitant of Ember would most likely know. I reserve the right to change things around basically whenever I feel like it. Names and general ideas gleefully stolen from "Idle Days on the Yann" by Lord Dunsany (http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8129/pg8129.html).

Lorcan Creed

Chaotic Neutral Male Half-Elf (Elven Lineage) Assassin / Sorcerer, Level 1 / 1
Played by Jenn

Str 12 Dex 15 Con 11 Int 16 Wis 15 Cha 16
HP 5 AC 16 Prime Attributes Dexterity, Charisma
Height 6' Weight 160 lbs Age 70

Racial Abilities Empathy, Enhanced Senses, Spell Resistance, Spot Hidden Doors
Class Abilities Case Target, Climb, Death Attack, Disguise, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Poisons, Sneak Attack, Spells, Traps

Spells Change self, charm person, detect magic, endure elements, light, message

Equipment Crossbow, 3 daggers, 10 sheets of parchment, quill, bedroll, waterskin, large sack, 14 gp

Description

Biography

Adokas Sunstarer

Lawful Neutral Male Halfling Assasin / Monk, Level 1 / 1
Played by Tess

Str 11 Dex 12 Con 18 Int 11 Wis 10 Cha 9
HP 13 AC 13 Prime Attributes Dexterity, Constitution
Height 3' 10" Weight 75 lbs Age 25 years

Racial Abilities Duskvision, Fearless, Resistant
Class Abilities Case Target, Climb, Death Attack, Disguise, Fast Movement, Hand-to-hand Combat, Hide, Iron Body, Listen, Move Silently, Poisons, Sneak Attack, Stun Attack, Traps

Equipment Sling, 30 stones, light metal shield, 2 weeks worth of rations, 180 gp

Description

Biography

Blog Intro

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle and document my upcoming Castles & Crusades campaign. If you're one of my players, hi! If you aren't, dude, you have too much free time on your hands. How did you even get here?