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Table of Contents
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Character Information
All new characters will use a 32 point buy for stats. See the Links menu for point buy calculator and a page that randomizes stats using the point buy value.
Active Characters
Casey Sodeho
Human Factotum 10 / Binder 1
“I was marooned in the ocean. Stranded and left for dead. Me – the king's man! Tossed in the drink like a log in the loo.”
When our intrepid adventurers first meet Casey, the smallish man is fending for himself, living off the land with only his wits to keep him alive.
His story begins four months (“…or was it eight? I can't remember…”) earlier, when he was aboard the HMS Seadrake. Casey, the first and only naturalist of Lord Roth's western expedition, was sent to The Island to catalog and obtain specimens for return to the court. In particular, Lord Roth was fascinated with tales of “two-legged, fireless dragons,” and was very much hoping to see one captured for study…
But alas, this was not to be. One month into the voyage, the HMS Seadrake was overrun by the Kraken - pirates of the Crimson Fleet! All hands were put to the sword, save the Captain's daughter (ravaged horribly and taken for wife), and Casey himself, who was fortunately recognized for his extraordinary gifts of intellect. Indeed, it was Casey's cunning alone that helped him climb the ranks of those crimson seadogs, quickly winning the feral respect of that godsforsaken fleet.
"But seriously, I'm not really a pirate."
But respect can be fickle, and Casey's rank was shortly challenged. Accosted in his sleep, Casey was bound, gagged, and thrown off-deck in the still of night. By virtue of the gods, he came ashore to The Island, and to this day has shrewdly avoided detection of those crimson scoundrels.
Corvin
Human Paladin 12
Egeo
Human Sorcerer Another-something-from-EoM/Monk (?), with raven familiar Ein
Backstory: My life started out much like any one else in Fenhold. Born to a farmer, expected to become a farmer and eventually die a farmer. The only excitement ever came from the traveling shows that rolled through our little village every fall around harvest time. The brightly colored wagons, the exotic smells of strange food and perfume. The cacophony of festive music, story tellers and roars of strange beasts. My favorite of all were the Tricksters. Performers who were quick of tongue and quicker of hand. Slight of hand they called it, and I watched ever one of them endlessly, trying to see the truth behind the ruse. Not to ruin the trick mind you, but to repeat it. When I was eight I bought a deck of cards with my hard earned coppers and practiced all summer the tricks I witnessed every year. The more mundane slights where easy to figure out. Most of them involved palming small objects which I eventually managed to do with regular success. The cards where harder to figure since you could never really see what was happening as the Trickster flit them between this wily fingers.
After months of playing the cards I began to become frustrated with my inability to figure it out on my own. One fateful evening of failed attempts at trying to guess my current and only fan's card (my youngest sister Zin age 5) I slammed the deck down in annoyance and let out a huff of defeat. With that the deck of cards blew into the air and scattered about the room. Zin clapped in wonder. I just sat dumb founded.
During the next few weeks I learned that I could make little gusts of wind, sparkling little lights and even move small objects. Over time I learned to control them with some skill, but I kept it to myself. Only Zin ever saw me preform the less mundane magic, and only because she insisted that I let her watch or she'd tell Ma and Pa. I figured they would only react with fear or anger, so I figured it be best just to placate her.
During my eleventh year, when the traveling show came to town as it did every year, I sneaked into the performers camp after the show ended for the day. I sought out the tricksters to show them what I could do, or at least the slight of hand stuff. I was still too afraid of how people would react to my real magic, even from these supposed “magicians”. They were all just trickery and speed. I was something else, and even they might react with fear. I don't know what I was expecting to gain other then maybe being let in on the secret of their card tricks which I still could not reproduce even tho I was able to shuffle the cards with out touching the deck, albeit slowly.
I found the man who called himself the Jack of Diamonds. He still wore his glittery frock and cape. He had just settled down for his supper. I gathered up my nerve and introduced myself. At first he just took me as a star struck country bumpkin looking for an autograph and tried to shoo me off. But after I pleaded my case to let me show him what I learned from watching men like him all my young life, he obliged begrudgingly. As I did my simple and crude imitation of his craft, he looked on with weak interest. I was probably one of hundreds of kids who had interrupted his dinner. He politely stifled a yawn and patted me on the shoulder. “Looking good. A few more years and you might have your own show.” I could hear the half hearted tone in his enthusiasm. He just wanted to finish his dinner in peace. I asked to let me show him my final trick. My best. My real trick. He let out a sigh knowing that agreeing was the only way he'd get rid of me and sat back down across from me. I set my deck of cards on the ground in front of me. Their edges worn fro constant use. Jack huffed impatiently when nothing happened after the first few seconds but was quickly replaced with stunned silence as the deck slowly began to cut and shuffle itself. I'll never forget his words. “I'll be damned kid. You have the touch we tricksters only dream of!” He then asked me to return the next night before the show left town. He wanted me to show the troupe leader what I had shown him. I happily agreed, completely forgetting my fear of showing others what I could do.
The next day dragged on. I was too excited about the coming meeting with Jack and his boss. After dinner I ran off before my parents could even tell me to clear my plate.
It was a little harder to repeat my trick for the troupe leader, being too nervous and excited to focus. But after a minute I got the same reaction from the man as I got from Jack the night before. He looked at me with a strange sparkle in my eye. “How'd you like to join my show kid?”
I never even stopped to think of how my disappearance would make my parents feel. I figured being the middle child of seven I was overlook enough as it was and expendable. He was my chance to escape the cycle that every man in my family lived. My only thought of Zin and how it would break her heart if I just vanished with saying a word.
I waited to return to my house until after I was sure everyone was in bed. I crept into my room, shared with my three older brothers. It was easy to collect my few worldly possession with out much worry of waking them under the cover of Gort's snoring. I then slipped into Zin's rooms. I had to be careful not to wake the two youngest. I roused her quietly and motioned her to follow me outside.
I told her my plan as tears welled up in her eyes with every detail. I half expected her to beg to follow me or threaten to wake the whole town. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown and looked me in the eyes. “You'll come back some day, right?” I nodded.
“Of course I will. Here” I pulled my deck of cards from my pocket. “Keep an eye on these while I'm gone. I'll want them back when I return. OK?” She only nodded and sniffled. Then grabbed me in a big hug. “You can tell Ma and Pa in the morning. I'll be long gone by then.”
That was the last I ever saw Zin. I traveled the land with Jack and the troupe. He taught me all the mundane tricks he knew and I added flourish with my own special style. As the years passed I learned new tricks of my own. Became a master trickster in my own right and then some. After ten years I decided to return home. I began to miss my family, epically Zin.
Upon my arrival home I learned the horrible news that Zin was dead. She also had the spark and practiced as I did, however she was caught by a local boy as she levitated some twigs about. Terrified, he ran to the elders crying witch. He riled a mob, many who began to claim having seen Zin do other things normal girls should be able to do. They demanded her tried and despite my families pleas the elders allowed it. She was found guilty of witchcraft and was burned at the stake.
I never told my parents about my own powers. They had been through enough. They didn't need any more burdens. I placed the blame on myself. I should have never let her watch me. Or maybe if I had taken her with me, she would be alive today. I found the deck of cards I left her in a old drawer full of other bits of junk. I took it and left. I never returned to Fenhold. There was no reason to any more.
Huff Covington
Human Ranger 6 / Beastmaster 5 / Barbarian 1
When Lord Ingleburt Covington, Baron of Fenland, on his 21st birthday, announced his desire to seek the hand of Lady Cordelia Pettigrew across the river, it was not unexpected. The crown-prince was the stuff of storybook pulp; dark haired and mysterious, charming, calm and wealthy. He was any woman’s dream to marry.
And when, Lady Cordelia Pettigrew, reared almost from birth, as it were, to be his bride, received his engagement, it was not unexpected. She was his equal in beauty and grace, with long blonde hair that seemed to flow and move of it’s own will, and deep blue eyes that could stop the hardest sailor dead in his tracks.
And when their wedding day was sunny, perfect, and musical, picture perfect in every possible way, it was not unexpected. It was a day that was almost surreal; the cleaving of 2 noble families, the gala which saw everyone dancing and cheering, and the newlyweds riding off into the sunset on a silver-maned horse.
And when the couple welcomed their first son into the world….what they got was..unexpected. So ugly and gangly was the son, that the midwife, upon delivery, remarked “Mistress Cordelia, I have delivered many babes into this world, but yours is with all certainty the most unhandsome troll I can recount.” And when the newborn was held up by his feet and his father looked upon him, the only word that could escape his lips was a disgruntled “Huh…” which had the unfortunate timing of being the word spoken in answer to the royal genealogist’s most recent question “What shall you name your son, my Lord?” Thus, the misheard name of “Huff” was recorded, and the litany of disappointments only grew from there.
So unlike father or mother, in fact, was Huff, that it was certain the Baroness had been unfaithful. The marriage recovered from such rumors, and in fact from all the other embarrassing moments that Huff subjected them to, rather unknowingly, in his youth. The boy, quite simply, was an idiot, from the get-go. He had trouble with his bathroom training; was slow to speak, slow to understand and in every possible situation requiring social grace, Huff performed to the opposite. “ Math, histories, art and music all have eluded him with immeasurable aplomb, but the boy has performed admirably in flatulence, crotch-picking, nose-picking, and drooling” the family’s tutor testified on many an occasion.
To their great credit, the boy’s parents suffered his behavior with much patience. After several years, it was decided that they should simply give up grooming the first-born, and try again. And so, Huff’s education took a back seat and the Baron and Baroness of Fenland produced several other heirs; new material with which they could work to produce more capable and successful progenitors. It’s not that Huff was neglected or abused, but simply that his refinement and grooming for nobility were completely given up on. He was left to pursue his own interests, and this led him in the direction of nature.
Left to his own devices, Huff spent countless hours on his own in his family’s forests, catching frogs and fish and being a rather common boy-coming home with muddy breeches and dung-ridden shoes. He was friendless and lonely, for the most part, and learned to keep company and find favor with animals, who regularly took to him. Apart from the estate’s gardener and several other menial servants who took pity on the boy, he had little human contact, often going days without seeing either his father or mother who were taken with more noble pursuits.
Nevertheless, in his later teen years, being rather a late bloomer and not totally an imbecile, he was able to retract some of his awkwardness, and function more appropriately in society. He would never be a noble; he was too blunt, too direct, too gullible and not savvy enough for the task. During those years he learned to hunt the forests, and regularly provided fresh game for his family’s evening repast. He prided himself on his respect for nature, and his ability to take down game swiftly and mercilessly. One day however, upon seeing a great white elk in the forest, he bent his bow and took aim, but his shot went awry and struck its hindquarters. He spent the next hour pursuing the beast before finally tracking it to its deathbed. When he came upon it, it was dead, and he could see from its rigor mortis that it had spent its final moments in much pain and anguish. Worse yet, its carcass had begun to be infested by vermin, to the extent that he was unable to save the meat of the beast before it went bad. Huff recounted that as the most tragic of all his life’s experiences, “I’ve been a fool in all my life’s work, this I know. But nothing has ever caused me as much grief, hurt, pain or regret as the waste and folly I allowed that day. I sent a most noble and courageous beast to death, and for not less than a mouthful of sustenance did he die.” Huff unstrung his mighty bow, an enormous piece of yew-wood that had been cut specifically for his great height, and vowed never to string it again, nor hunt with it.
The experienced aggrieved Huff so, that he refused to take up the bow again. His parents worried once again to find him a place in life, and spent the next decade attempting to train him and place him in various paths that would at least give some credit to his noble lineage. The Clergy, Arts, Business, Music; Huff managed to blunder nearly every occupation that he attempted, the pain and regret of his experience with the white elk marred him so.
Finally, Huff decided that he would live and work amongst animals to undo his crime against them. So, without his parent’s conset, at the age of 27, he ran off to join a circus. When the travelling shows came to the village of Fenhold every fall, Huff joined up with them. He hoped eventually to become an animal trainer and performer, but first he would start off shoveling dung and emptying trough buckets. As time wore on, however, he became more and more disillusioned with the way the animals were treated. When he finally saw that the animals were in fact, abused, he resolved to put an end to it.
There was showman, a stage magician called the Jack of Diamonds who eventually helped him, and using some deceitful smoke and mirrors, Huff was able to sneak into the animal cages, unlock them, and in the ensuing chaos, helped most of the animals run away. He also stole a small chest that belonged to the ring-master, Jeremiah Banthum, which contained some money and half a dozen strange potions that Huff has been afraid to drink.
Most of the animals made for the hills that day, but there were 2 that would not be persuaded to part company. An old mule named Willow continued to follow Huff, as did an old performing bear named Shirpa Thumblejack. When Huff tried to “shoo” the animals into the wild, they obstinately refused and demonstrated that they would not part ways.
Huff brought the beasts back to his family’s estate where he hid them for several days in the stables. His family was outraged at the dishonor he had brought. “When the lawmen come, I will have no choice but turn you over to them” said Huff’s father. Huff was saddened by the decision and within a day, the local magistrate nervously asked the ruling nobles to see Huff, along with one very irate ringmaster who demanded full payment for the loss of livestock. Huff was set to surrender himself to jailtime and redress for the crime, but when he saw a group of guards emerge from the gardens with Shirpa and Willow in bonds, beating them with staves and whips, he became mad with rage. He snapped the iron chain manacles like a twig and then dashed to his bedchambers, where his mighty yew-wood bow had laid unstrung for so many years. There, he strung it effortlessly and from the high room of his family’s estate, he opened fire upon Shirpa’s captors. The first shot struck a guard’s thigh, and he cried in pain as an arrow thicker in girth than most men’s thumbs went straight through armor and flesh alike, pinning the man to the ground. The other guard, rather foolishly, stabbed at Shirpa with a spear, thinking the action would be a suitable hostage gambit from which Huff would realize his folly and surrender. The action only provoked Huff more, and his second arrow split the man’s head in twain; his body crumbled to the ground like a rag doll. Seeing the violence, the magistrate and ringmaster turned tail to run. Huff had little quarrel with the magistrate and allowed him to flee without injury, but he had no intention of acquitting the ringmaster similarly, whose abuses and greed had piled up over the many months that Huff had been with the circus. And now that the ringmaster had panicked and run straight away from the estate into Huff’s field of vision….
…Huff was banished from the Barony of Fenland that night by his parents who wept with rage and sadness. It was clear to them that they had failed their son, and the intermingling of their opposite destinies had been made to be a cruel joke by the fates. They did not belong together. Huff accepted their decision and swore to renounce any claim to land, title or wealth, letting all such deeds fall to his younger siblings; he would never again introduce himself as a Covington. Later, he would hear that both the Ringmaster’s hands had to be severed after growing ill and nearly dying from gangrene and infection, such was the damage that he inflicted when he pierced them each with an arrow, severing tendons and ligaments and shattering bone. Huff was satisfied with this punishment, and silently declared that no animal would again suffer an evil or torment for his greed. Moreover, he felt that his debt to the white elk had finally been repaid. He swore he saw it one last time in the foggy cold dark of the autumn night that he left home.
For the past couple years, Huff has meandered from town to town with only his 2 friends, Shirpa and Willow to keep him company. He loves both beasts and treats them gently and tenderly as equals. His money has been dwindling steadily, and he is now nearly impoverished. Huff is often dirty and smelly, from constantly travelling and sleeping in the woods. He often goes to bed hungry so that his pets can eat. When necessary, he sets up a small, make-shift “cage” of bamboo reeds tied together, and advertises himself as “Huff the Tough man-eating bear wrestler”, whereby he has adequately trained Shirpa to put on a not-very convincing mock wrestling match that usually involves him winning (when Shirpa feels like allowing it). The act is barely believable enough to fool children, but most adults that watch are only too happy to throw a couple copper for the amusement and laugh it generates.
Recently, Huff has made his way to Sasserine, where he hopes to start life anew. He knows he is an exceptional shot with the bow, but he’s also a bit cowardly. He is not fond of violence, so would prefer work other than that of a mercenary, even though such work was offered to him no less than 5 times on the sea voyage to the great port city. He has less compunction about killing Goblins and their like, which he considers to be a wicked and spiteful race and have always been violent to man and beast alike. He has no tolerance for cruelty, abuse, and bullying, of those who cannot defend themselves (animals and children especially) and it’s the quickest way to provoke him, though he usually tolerates insult and hardship unto himself without violence.
Huff is essentially a Ranger who lacks the wisdom and confidence to actually be a ranger. He is a masterful archer, but lacks confidence in combat so prefers to avoid melee. Nothing about him is noble, heroic, or awe-inspiring. While he is not stupid by any means, he has no confidence in his own plans, judgment or intelligence. He carries a massive yew-wood longbow over 6’ in height, and shoots ashwood arrows that are nearly as thick around as most people’s fingers. He also carries an old rusty greataxe that is in all aspects, a piece of junk, but he believes it to be good luck. (on a natural attack roll of “1”, the Axe head falls of the hickory-wood staff to comedic (or deadly!) effect.)
Lebannen
Human Druid 11 with tiger animal companion Karn
Savan Swiftpaw
Savan grew up in the outskirts of Sasserine and learned his trade from his family-pack. As his parents were quite adept at blazing trails rapidly, they soon came to the attention of the Vanderborens for one of the earlier excursions to the Isle of Dread.
As the Swiftpaws lived in transit, they didn’t regret for an instant the chance to see new vistas – particularly ones as intriguing as an island that had been resistant to exploration. With the elder Swiftpaws scouting the way, the Vanderborens were able to get a feel for the island they came to be entranced by much more rapidly than if they had simply gone by themselves. Savan learned the languages of the locals to more easily acquaint himself with the terrain from their reports and revels in the thrill of exploring.
When the Vanderborens last left the Swiftpaws stayed behind to explore more of the Isle, so that when the Vanderborens next returned they would have ever greater access to the Isle’s mysteries.
Savan, his parents and siblings spent months exploring further and further into the depths of the Isle’s more inaccessible areas. In the last several months, however, fewer and fewer of the family members were returning successfully to Farshore to share their discoveries. Savan himself was noticing that the Isle seemed to have taken some sort of foul turn, with creatures and locales that were previously considered safe suddenly were no longer so…
When Savan last left Farshore after hearing phanaton rumor that some of his pack had fallen victim to an infestation of vicious giant insects. Savan left Farshore (probably roughly at the time that the party left Sasserine) to see if this was the case and uncovered a hive of twisted, mutant, somewhat-anthropoid giant wasps. The wasps had been hunting sapients to paralyze, bring back to their massive hive and use as food for their grubs. Savan – along with a small cadre of phanatons who had also lost family to the wasps – lead a daring rescue, killing many of the twisted insects and burning the hive. Sadly, the members of his pack – mother and two younger brothers - that he managed to find were already hosts to the wasp larva and Savan was forced to end the lives of those that had been most dear to him. Savan’s father and elder sister are still unaccounted for in the wilds of the Isle.
Savan had taken the crossbow he calls “Hornet’s Fury” from one of the wasps; the crossbow appears to be the abdomen and legs of a wasp with the bolts being fired through what would otherwise be the stinger. The bolts then take on the “venom” that would be fired from the stinger, a viscous acid.
Savan returned to Farshore to discover that it had been laid siege to, and after being informed by the [council? chief? folks-in-charge?] of the party’s intentions, he set off in hopes that he might find the rest of his family…
Inactive Characters, in order of leaving the party
Moxie (as played by Seph)
As the girl's name would indicate, Moxie is a trouble maker. A spell-thief from across the sea, Moxie did what she could to live a life of leisure, including lying, cheating, and stealing. After being thrown into a cavern system and left to die by Vanthus, Moxie decided that this job was not worth the pay, and took off.
Jayden (as played by Bryan)
Jayden was the group's previous hard-hitter. He is a gypsy who was gifted with great strength, intelligence, and talent with a sword. He mowed down at least two dozen enemies with his two-handed Bastard Sword, and kept a quiet tongue. After becoming a human grinder, taking out 8 - 9 members of the Lotus Dragons by himself, he too decided that the job wasn't worth the pay.
Alistar Navarro (as played by Bryan)
Alistar is a barbarian who was tamed by the love of a woman. However, when he took on the Lotus Dragons - after they harassed his wife - they took him prisoner and tortured him. Having been freed by the party, he wreaked his vengeance upon the LDs and thus returned to his previous life.
Daaku (as played by Mike)
Daaku is a halfling with certain extralegal… talents, and an insatiable appetite for scrimshaw. Having helped to cripple the Lotus Dragon guild and free Sasserine from their strangling grasp, he also earned the coveted Spire of Sasserine. At present, Daaku has decided to take a break from the perilous life that he got mixed up in and ride the wave of renown and popularity this provides him. He is living the high life of Sasserine, which he can now afford with the spoils of his short adventuring career. Perhaps when he gets bored of that, he will seek out an adventure again, if it doesn't find him first.
Flynn Delavid (as played by Steve)
Flynn is a druid "Warden," a hunter of creatures that could upset the balance of nature. He came in contact with the party after being contacted by Lavinia, who was impressed by his tracking skills.
Alas, his unfamiliarity with the ways of the civilized world set very uneasily with him, and after returning the Vanderboren family fortune he returned to the wilds.
Laurel Lynn (as played by Bryan)
Laurel Lynn is a nature-heavy ranger who can spend months living on the land.
Daleck (as played by Andrew)
Daleck is a young but talented wizard. He has traveled far from home in an attempt to distance himself from both lost love and embarrassing failures. He is very confident in his abilities and hopes to one day be a respected guildwizard.
Daleck is the only original member of the group, which initially consisted of Jayden, Moxie, and himself. As a result Daleck is the only current party member to be a Spire of Sasserine (an accomplishment he is immensly proud of) and also the only to have personally encountered the villianous Vanthus Vanderboren and his lover and former Lotus Dragon guildmaster Rowyn Kellani.
Caulderon Stoneheart (as played by Steve)
A Warblade who took up the call of adventure to return glory to his family's name.
Zeidel (as played by James)
Half-dragon (gold) Monk, who has a Hat of Disguise that he uses to make himself appear human; believed lost at sea after the sinking of the Sea Wyvern.
Rejin Lighthammer (as played by Justin)
Dwarven Paladin of Heironeous; believed lost at sea after the sinking of the Sea Wyvern.
Raphellion "Rafe" Silvos (as played by Steve)
A Rogue/Swashbuckler who specialized in dual-wielded kukris. He captained the Sea Wyvern until his untimely demise.
Edrik (as Played By Ray)
Human SpellThief Warlock/Beguiler Something-from-EoM/Rogue/Something-else-from-EoM (?)
Djeerling Buckelberry (as played by Patrick)
Luthar van Zon (as played by Steve)
Cleric of Pelor who was a had come along on the journey, yet adventuring proved to be too much of a test of his faith.
