recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pyndran

### Aliases

King of Aurum, Conqueror of the Sun, Lord of the Citadel, Blood of Dragons, and Sovereign of the Aasimar, Genasi, and Aarakocra

## Physical description

### Gender

Male

*“The dark winds are nearing. I can sense them. I can feel them in the air all around me, like a distant echoes. My hunger is slow to wake, but hard to sate. My heart burns fiercely, even in the face of evil.”*

 -Pyndran

## History

One of the mightiest of the cloud drakes, Pyndran was a prince among his own people, being ancient indeed. Half as old as the Kingdom of Aurum itself, he looked down upon the world with disdain.

## Personality

Wise and arrogant, Pyndran possessed a deep mind and a long memory. He acknowledged no creature as his equal, and thought himself the most virtuous mortal. He looked down upon the people of Aurum, but saw it as his duty to protect them. Even as a representative to the Holy Council, he would attend by himself, forbidding his counterpart to come with him.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Pyndran would join the other cloud drakes in the Dragonflight, descending upon the heavy hull Lord Highdark's Revenge, destroying it and forcing its captain, Finley MacClellan, to evacuate.

## After the War

Pyndran would observe Aurum descend into strife and madness as the War Council and the Kreitonists fight for power. Taking matters into his own hands, he would descend upon the Citadel, devouring all five members of the War Council, King Alphius, and Queen Cynthia. Proclaiming himself the King of Aurum, Pyndran would prepare for the coming war with the Great Old Ones.
Southern Imperial Army

## Combat Doctrine

Ship-borne assaults and boarding actions, defensive and fortification operations in extremis, stronghold assaults, the conquest and forced compliance of island-fairing civilizations.

## History

Formed from the remnants of Fax Gallengrand's Army of the Interior and the partisans of Farcraft's Rebellion, the Southern Imperial Army's first task after the Doom was setting up a systemic draft to swell the army's ranks and protect the turbulent empire. Under Twin-Emperor Silvius' direction, the army developed a strong naval branch, of which they had had no prior need. Over their twenty years in active service, the army took after the inclinations of their commander, General Fax Gallengrand, and truly excelled in defensive operations, although they were capable of siege actions on the offensive as well, possessing many arcane war machines developed by the Arcane Academy.

Unlike the Northern Imperial Army, which prized initiative and allowed a great deal of initiative on the part of lower ranking officers, the Southern Imperial Army prized a rigid chain of command and frowned upon foolhardy heroics. Nonetheless the officer training of the Army, while still bound up in social class, was highly praised for its rigor and ability to turn out competent and dutiful leaders of men.

## Members

* General Fax Gallengrand
* Colonel Luminar, Arcane Magic Division
* Captain San-Janis, Bladesinger Cadre

## After the War

The few surviving units of the Southern Imperial Army either laid down their weapons and returned home, or joined other fighting units in nearby countries.
Raid Engverden

*“I can laugh at peasants and townies chained all their lives to a tiny corner of the earth while I roam its face and see its wonders, but when I go down, there will be no child to carry my name, no family to mourn me save my comrades, no one to remember, no one to raise a marker over my cold bit of ground.”*

-Raid Engverden
Skycity Alliance

## History

The Skycity Alliance was formed at the behest of Arikas, the Mayor of Windemere, and dissolved after the War of the Philosopher-Kings.

## The Twelve Cities

* **Windemere:** Led by Mayor Wrelen.
* **Openshaw**: Led by Mayor Xodon.
* **Ballater:** Led by Mayor Orhim.
* **Ballachulish:** Led by Mayor Cardira.
* **Grimsby:** Led by Mayor Jecorin.
* **Onryx:** Led by Mayor Nyrhana.
* **Arkala:** Led by Mayor Myhani.
* **Xynnar:** Led by Mayor Tolin.
* **Tenby:** Led by Mayor Nirick.
* **Accrington:** Led by Mayor Graser.
* **Swindmore:** Led by Mayor Lanbar.
* **Eanverness:** Led by Mayor Panamorn.

## Gods

The Gnomes of Skycity Alliance worship the Gnomish Pantheon, with different gods holding prominence in various cities. The patron god of the Alliance at large is their inventor and sky god, Rill Cleverthrush. Their representative god on the Holy Council is Rill Cleverthrush.
Land of the Fey

## Gods

The people of the Land of the Fey worship a diverse number of gods, with some worshiping the Archfey themselves. The humans of the land have a native pantheon of their own, while the Elves worship their own Elven Pantheon. Their representative god on the Holy Council is the Autumn King.

## Inhabitants

* LeShay
* Eladrin
* Seelie Fey
* Unseelie Fey
* Fomorians
* Boggles
* Meenlocks
* Hags
* Sprites
* Satyrs

## Cities

* Saa Belanore: City of the Wood Elves
* Lowertown-Dunsland: City of the Formorians
Order of the Valkyries

## History

Originally serving the demon lord Xiloxi Drutreu, the Demon Army ravaged much of the world during the Demon Wars. Their numbers were ravaged at the hands of Bolgar of Ragnarok and his knights, but by the end of the war many still remained. When the Arendurian mages Sharra and Tolumvire ascended to become demon princes, they decided between them that Sharra should take command of the remainder, which she did. Though Sharra was a demon, she had been invested as an instrument of the god Hermod, her profane form clad in holy steel. And so the Demon Army became an instrument of good, serving alongside the Kingdom of Ragnarok during its most dire times.

## Overview

Since the death of Xiloxi Drutreu, the Demon Army remains confined in their own demiplane in the Abyss, which serves as their mustering ground and as a prison for mythic beasts. Only one of the three representatives of Hermod on earth - his Mortal Sword, Shield Anvil, or Destriant - in practice, the King of Ragnarok and the High Priest of Hermod, can call upon the Army. When they do so, the demon prince Sharra is summoned to the prime material plane, and she herself calls upon what forces she believes necessary. Once the battle is over, they return to their demiplane.

## Members

* Sharra, Commander of the Demon Army
* Lord Arzaan the Disinterred
* Lord Garzaman the Grotesque
* Lord Kostradon the Ever-hungry
Paul Ayodele

*“Error has never approached my spirit. Any plan conceived in moderation must fail when the circumstances are set in extremes.”*

-Paul Ayodele

## History

The second Minister of State in Rick of Aglazdere's government, Paul Ayodele was a young nobleman who abandoned his duties and became a sky pirate, thereby earning favor in the eyes of the Padishah. Rick had been slowly growing dissatisfied with his long-tenured Minister of State, Karim Hadar, whose counsel was cautious and by-the-book. Minister Hadar was revered by the Aglazderian civil service, and considered a steady hand, so the Padishah grudgingly let him remain in office and waited for time to do the work of ushering him out. After living far longer then anyone expected, Minister Hadar passed away, and Padishah Rick was quick to replace him with the dashing and daring Ayodele, who seemed much more in line with his monarch's impatient frame of mind.

## Personality

A witty man beloved by high society, Ayodele was in above his head. He might have had substance once, it was lamented, but he had lost it long ago. His talent, which was real, was burdened by poor judgement and a rash personality, as well as his unshakable belief in his own nonexistent spheres of expertise.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Once in power, Ayodele quickly clashed with his fellow ministers, especially Grand Vizier Annakiya, who deemed him a useless fop. Some ministers, such as Chancellor Finley MacClellan, nonetheless humored him in return for his alliance.

Paul Ayodele's uncompromising attitude and sympathy towards sky pirates brought him into a collision course with Nim Lawfey, his counterpart in the Final Empire. His predecessor, Karim Hadar, handled the issue of the pirate raids in the border of the Final Empire with greater delicacy, and privately tried to get the Padishah to take a stance against it. Ambassador Lawfey, a former monarch who had contended with war and other weighty issues, came to swiftly despise Minister Ayodele, and advised the Twin-Emperors of the Final Empire to prepare for war.

During the war, Ayodele was increasingly sidelined, and the increasing view came to be that he had failed the country. He was never replaced out of sheer inertia on the Padishah's part, and played no part in later peace negotiations with the Final Empire.

## After the War

Paul Ayodele served in the government of Padishah Finley MacClellan and Grand Vizier Matthias Peynirci, but found that no one took him seriously anymore. After the conquest of Aglazdere, he tried to re-start a political career in Shangare, with middling success. He died impoverished and in debt, abandoned by his wife and children, and forgotten by the wider world.
Saban Sacan

*"There are different ways of crossing this Valley, and all birds do not fly alike. Understanding can be arrived at variously — some have found the Maker, others the idol. When the sun of understanding brightens this road each receives light according to his merit and he finds the degree assigned to him in the understanding of truth."*

-Saban Sacan

## History

A mad poet who had been unaffiliated with the Black Rose for years, Saban Sacan returned after the death of Rose, with whom he had clashed in the past. After Gin refused leadership, Saban Sacan won the support of a plurality of the decimated organization's members, edging out the factions who wanted to either disband entirely or else choose another leader. Saban Sacan claimed Rose's mask and Deck of Many Things, giving out draws to his supporters, some of whom met with horrible fates, and others of whom won great power for themselves.

Saban Sacan supported Rick of Aglazdere and helped stage the production of Islands of the Blessed during the Padishah's wedding.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

The Black Rose aided the Padishah in what ways they could.

## After the War

Following the conquest of Aglazdere by the Empire of Shangare, Saban Sacan supported the rebellion against Kuldeep and made common cause with the Church of the Maker. Not long prior, however, his Deck of Many Things was stolen by the Whisperer, better known as Desert Rose.
Valdemar Einarsson

*“Other folk thought the Rage was simple bloodlust, a berserk savagery that neither knew nor cared what its target was, and so it was when it struck without warning. But when an Ursine gave himself to it knowingly, it was as cold as it was hot, as rational as it was lethal. To embrace the Rage was to embrace a splendor, a glory, a denial of all restraint but not of reason. It was pure, elemental purpose, unencumbered by compassion or horror or pity, yet it was far more than mere frenzy.”*

-Valdemar Einarsson
Volkan

*"To live is to wage war against the abyss. In our growth we find conquest, in our stagnation we find ourselves under siege, and in our dying our last defenses are assailed."*

-Volkan

## History

Born and raised in Aglazdere, Volkan would be sold into slavery by his parents, who were already unable to support his siblings. He would rise swiftly in the ranks, becoming Colonel of the Grindstone, a prestigious albeit unenviable position. Volkan served on high command, but had few opportunities to make his views known, for he was typically leading his men on the battlefield, where they would frequently take appalling casualties. After the rise of Padishah Rick and the retirement of Commander Badem, Volkan would be chosen to take his place as the Commander of the Faithful. In this role, he was responsible for war preparations, and for overseeing a transformation of the Janissary Corps from a primary military instrument to an auxiliary to the sky fleet.

## Personality

Volkan was a somber and driven man, bitter and frustrated from his many years as the Colonel of the Grindstone, during which he frequently sent young soldiers to early graves. He resented his fellow Colonels on high command, and was dismissed by them in return. As Commander of the Faithful, Volkan would be an imperious and tight-fisted leader who trusted his own judgement and did not brook dissenting views or any kind of disobedience. He despised Padishah Rick, but was faithful to the nation, and never gave cause to doubt his loyalty.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Volkan works with Grand Vizier Annakiya to found and train the Ghosts of the Deep, the first aquatic Janissary company. He has misgivings about Ramander's presence as an adviser, as well, but sees war with Atlantis as grimly inevitable. He leads the Janissary ground offensive into the Final Empire, and is prepared for a brutal war of attrition. When the imperial troops fall back, he relies on old instincts and takes what ground he can. His overextended battle lines would prove vulnerable to Aurum dragonflight, and he himself would perish to dragonfire. His replacement, Commander Callias, would prove more adept at war in a foreign land.
Lloyd

*"Raine is not your master - fear is. You listen to my words, while my weapons speak! Power. Fear. These are my weapons. If you could only comprehend the truth of the depths... I wouldn't need to drive it into your skulls."*

-Lloyd

## History

A mercenary from the Isles, the merciless Lloyd would write his history in blood on the decks of countless ships, before killing a Raine Knight and taking his armor for himself. Traveling to Atlantis, he challenged the knights for a place among their ranks. Fighting with a morningstar and a curved shortsword, he defeated all challengers, and even fought King Raine to a standstill. The Raine Knights, demoralized by the recent loss of Lorn Longstaff and Butcher Knight Kade, accepted him as their new Captain. King Raine was not pleased with this, but his knights had chosen. He did not trust Lloyd, but could not deny that there was no warrior more capable then him.

## Personality

Dark-hearted, chosen for might rather then virtue, Lloyd would have horrified Lorn and Kade, had either of them been unlucky enough to survive to see his rise. He is cynical and underhanded, willing to do anything, no matter how degrading, in the name of victory. He does not truly understand the ideals of the Raine Knights, and is an indifferent foe of the Deep Ones at best. He represents a shift in the ethos of the Knights, from one of duty to an embracing of strength and might, whatever the source. For those who know him by reputation, Lloyd himself presents a disappointing figure. Dull-eyed and removed; a curt and humorless man, he appears consumed by a sullen melancholy that belies his profound cruelty.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Lloyd would lead the Raine Knights in every engagement during the war, establishing a reputation for cruelty and the wholesale slaughter of enemy populations. He would be at the forefront of the Invasion of the Great River, and the primary advocate of shedding dead weight in the army. It was he who desecrated the temples of Ta-al Kayji, tearing down many a shrine to the Maker. He would lead the Raine Knights again in the war with Guilddon, sacking many towns and putting their inhabitants to the sword. In World's End, he would do the same to the islands of Karres, directing the Raine Knights to perform untold atrocities. In mainland World's End, he and his knights would meet their match in the Vampire Spawn, troops just as bloodthirsty and ruthless as they. By the war's conclusion, Lloyd would have established a reputation for himself as a butcher and reaver crueler then Raine himself, hated across the world. Lloyd would come under the service of Lorelei the Reborn, who would bind him to her will the Blue Vow. In the course of his service to her, he would kill Jamkas Wolfswift. He would try to turn his knights against King Raine, only to be slain by him.
Sylviane

*"The fox does not always appear in the guise of a woman for evil purposes. There are several stories, and one really pretty play, about a fox who took the shape of a beautiful woman, and married a man, and bore him children—all out of gratitude for some favour received—the happiness of the family being only disturbed by some odd carnivorous propensities on the part of the offspring."*

-Sylviane

## History

Wife of the Prophet. Extremely beautiful. A monk. At Shaarabahn’s urging, she stole the Philosopher's Stone, freeing all the homunculi bound by it, triggering the fire at the Laboratory of Varas. Uncertain who to trust, she fled towards Naus Mau. Years before, Diana had given her a token that would guarantee her safe passage there, if she ever needed a refuge. Sylviane fled deep into the into the waste, but as she drew near near Naus Mau, she knew she would only bring war and death to these people. She tried to destroy the Stone, but initiated a lethal rebound. The stone fed upon her departing soul as it gave her life, creating an arcane storm her her at the center, unable to die. The arcane storm fuels the spread of the waste. When Re=L’s magic and memories destroyed Al Dijar, it resonated with Sylviane, worsening the arcane storm.

## Personality

Sylviane had different assumptions from those around her concerning personal space, blithely invading others' space in innocence, or reacting to ignorant invasion of her own. She expressed affection or contempt in ways that were unfamiliar to others. Though she did not know the ways of Aglazdere, neither did Aglazdere know hers, which was to her advantage. She was fascinated by the beauty and wonder of Namerya, and for the exotic beauty of its people.
Marnard of the Final Empire

## Marnard Ningel

### Aliases

His Imperial Majesty the Lord Emperor of the Final Empire, Son of Heaven, Autocrat of All under Heaven, and Lord of Ten Thousand Years

## Physical description

### Eye color

Varies

*"No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."*

-Marnard Ningel

## History

Born to an aristocratic family in a faraway country, he was forced to flee at a young age, and join a travelling band. He was eventually forced to leave them as well, and ran a tavern for a while. He has a hatred of tieflings and drow. He wears the death mask of the First Lord, and is slowly succumbing to its influence.

Marnard Ningel would become one of the adventuring companions of future Twin-Emperor Silvius, and fight in the rebellion against Nim Lawfey. By the end of the rebellion, Ningel was utterly consumed by the will of the death mask, and retreated into parts unknown.

## Personality

Marnard Ningel was a contradictory, ever-shifting figure who drifted in accordance with his moods. Utterly amoral, he lived aesthetically, performing acts of careless cruelty and selfishness with an oblivious sense of consequences. His personally would slowly become eroded by the mask he wore, until he ultimately lost his sense of ego, becoming one with the First Lord.

A kaleidoscope of a psyche: Highly intelligent and adaptable, contemplative, articulate and highly intuitive, impractical, over-complicates everything, fatalistic, morbid, self-contradictory, and makes unnecessary sacrifices.

As a result of the First Lord's influence, Ningel hates the old ones, though he cannot account for why this is the case.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

The man once known as Marnard Ningel, little more then a shard of the First Lord's malice, had disappeared long before the start of the war. He would resurface as an enemy of the Twin-Emperors, swaying malcontents and deserters to his cause, forming an almost cult-like following. Ningel would preserve his followers from the great plague, and settle them around the abandoned dome. The guards from Ragnarok would prevent his entry, but the changeling would patiently wait, knowing that a time would come for him to claim the throne.

## After the War

A period of time after the war, members of the Black Rose would grow weary of the vicious war between Ragnarok, Shangare, and the Deep Ones. Some of them would seek out Marnard Ningel and his cult, formally initiating him into their ranks. Whispers would spread about a tantalizing possibility - restoring order by re-founding the Final Empire, with the Black Rose as a vanguard and Marnard Ningel as the Lord-Emperor.
Silke

*“No soul can withstand the sun's bones of light and reason dims when darkness falls. Soldiers are issued armour for their flesh and bones, but they must fashion their own for their souls. Piece by piece."*

-Silke

## History

The highest ranking office in the Navy who did not die in the War of the Philosopher-Kings or defect alongside Aric Vere, Silke served for a time as the acting leader of his branch. A Water Genasi, she existed in a state of limbo. After his return to sanity, Raine would appoint her to the full title, giving her more breathing room.

Silke was part of the military company that included Lorn Longstaff and Butcher Knight Kade, and one of Raine's earliest allies. She fully expected to join the Raine Knights, but was rebuffed due to their being an all-male order. Appointed instead to the Navy, she served as the Rear Admiral, reporting to Vice Admiral Bras and Admiral Aric Vere. Silke chafed in her role, knowing she was more capable than both of them.

## Personality

Tough, direct, capable. Silke is a skilled tactician and prudent leader. She was among the first in Atlantis to recognize King Raine's madness for what it was, and was horrified by the senseless butchery that was the War of the Philosopher-Kings. She remained loyal to Raine at first out comradeship, then nostalgia, then necessity, and resented him for casting her aside after the rebellion.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Silke would lead the Atlantean Navy alongside Bras and Aric Vere, though she would be perennially disregarded. To her chagrin, she was primarily a liaison between Aric Vere and Vitreous, although in time, she was able to build a valuable alliance with the sky captain. After Bras' death in battle, she would be given the title of Vice Admiral, Aric Vere's second-in-command. When Raine and Lloyd sent the diversionary attack at Ashkethis, Raine held Silke back due to their old comradeship. Even after Aric Vere's desertion, however, Silke would not be promoted to lead the Navy until Raine's return to sanity after the war was over. Silke would aid the Royal Envoy, Kenres Purallath, in his military coup during the Lorelei Uprising, taking the side of Queen Lorelei. She would be slain alongside the remaining nobility after the waking of the Deep Ones.
Mogget of Ulthar

*“Just a cat! Just a cat! I am the stealer of breaths, the walker of shadows, the keeper of nine lives. I am a great believer that anything not expressly forbidden is explicitly allowed.”*

-Mogget of Ulthar

## The Dreamland Cat Militia

Mogget leads the Dreamland Cat Militia, which he used to defeat the Illuminated. He was able to convince the Terran, Martian, Saturnian, and Uranian Cats to follow him, but was not able to convince the Mercurian Cats to follow suit.
Lorelei

*“You want the world to be perfect, and that's a noble goal. But the world isn't perfect. It's people like me who give the world the chance to try another day for virtue. Beneath the water exists an entirely alien world. Water reveals the song of the Deep Ones, to those who know how to listen.”*

-Lorelei of Atlantis

## History

Around three centuries before the rise of King Raine lived the tiefling Lorelei Vuhlanath, the second wife of King Calas Vuhlanath. She ensnared the King’s mind and induced him to declare her the heir of the Throne of Atlantis, to the objection of his sons from his previous marriage. She ruled for many years before being deposed and forced to grant the throne to King Calas’ eldest son. During her reign, she did not give herself to the Deep, instead choosing to fight them. For this reason, she is the only ruler of Atlantis who passed on to the afterlife.

## Personality

Queen Lorelei was considered a hollow temptress during her lifetime, deriving her identity from the adoration and ultimate fall of those who became enthralled with her. The Kingdom of Atlantis was of endless fascination to her, a source of delights which fueled her whimsy. It it difficult to attribute any triumphs to her, save for her stand against Deep. Lorelei was a consumptive entity, unwilling if not unable to give herself to anything, and so commanded her armies to war with the dark powers that would have taken her soul.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

After the Raine Rebellion, forces aligned against him retrieved Lorelei's soul from the Abyss, it being the only soul of an Atlantean monarch not consumed by the Deep. The soul fell into the possession of Jotunheim of the Illuminated, who gave it to the tiefling illusionist Philoktia, with the hope that she might one day be able to take the Throne of Atlantis as its true heir, and resume war with the Deep.
Pontiff Laurentius

*“A man can no more diminish the glory the gods by refusing to worship them than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”*

-Laurentius

## History

The Pontiff of the Alban Church, responsible for crowning new Emperors, interpreting omens, and preserving the old Alban rituals. Laurentius, born Laurence Jax, was a priest and close friend of a young Clovis Coralis. With his shrewd mind, ambition, and connections to the monarchy, it was inevitable that he would rise to become Pontiff. Considered radical by his colleagues, he believes that the majority of priests do not truly understand the gods they serve. He is in favor of expanding the empire’s borders, and in incorporating local gods into the Alban pantheon. He is one of the few that knows about the Great Old Ones, and was the principal advocate for war against Arendur.

## Personality

The Pontiff is not a man that most people know; a priest’s priest, seen by others in the church as a power-player who plays fast and loose with doctrinal matters. He is far more distant from the people of Alba Coralis then many of his predecessors were.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

The Pontiff would crown Duke Regulus as Emperor of Alba Coralis, but did not follow him to Scarbantia. After the rise of Emperor Arthur, he would go into hiding, eventually disappearing. It was assumed that he had been assassinated at the Emperor's orders. Many members of the church, refusing to accept Grand Duchess Galla Livossa-Coralis' appointment to the highest ecclesiastical officer, would consider Laurentius a saint and a martyr.
Northern Mage Wars

## Participants

* Kingdom of Aedrigord
	+ King Ardeo of Aedrigord

* Kingdom of Blineran
	+ King Untverden of Blineran

* Kingdom of Majivar
	+ King Ozalius of Majivar

* Kingdom of Prydell
	+ King Rodridore of Prydell

* Kingdom of Tiregel
	+ King Gauward of Tiregel

* Kingdom of Vlawland
	+ King Isenton of Vlawland

* Kingdom of Wacriesal
	+ King Haelannon of Wacriesal
Orval Royce

### Aliases

Guildmaster of the Shipwright's' Guild, Admiral of Guilddon, Commander of the Guilddon Expeditionary Force

## Physical description

### Eye color

Brown

*“My ships will sail tonight... my interest in the ships and my thoughts of an adventure to come make me regret my departure less, but even so, I'll stand at the rail as my ship departs into the night waters.”*

 -Orval Royce

## History

A respectable Guildmaster from an old family, Orval Royce has close ties to the navy. He relies much on old money, and is not the most astute businessman, though he does carry influence. He does not actively court Queen Mercy, but is considered a contender for the throne nonetheless.

## Personality

An austere and reserved man, Orval Royce was raised with high expectations within a family of great means. He believed that great things awaited him, and believed that it was his destiny to serve his country as a hero and one day become King. In truth, Orval Royce, though not lacking in courage and resolve, was a man of mediocre talents and little capacity for introspection. This would prove to be his downfall, as he strode onto the world stage to fight in the War of the Philosopher-Kings, only to be swallowed by it and forgotten.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

As the Guildmaster of the Shipwright's Guild, Orval Royce was responsible for preparing Guilddon's fleet for invasion, and setting up the supply lines to keep the armies of World's End and the Reich Nördlich operational far from home. In a surprising move, Royce chose to lead Guilddon's invasion force himself. Many observers disdained his choice, for Royce's limited military experience was naval, and it was clear that he sought to use the war as a chance to establish himself as a hero and perhaps even a future monarch. The fears would be proved true as Royce and his men found themselves quickly out of their depth, unable to face the brutality of the northern winter. Though ostensibly the third member of the war council that included Franz Forrawyn and Emperor Arthur, he was quickly sidelined, and earned a reputation as proud, stiff, and unequal to the task of commanding his men. Nonetheless, he acquits himself well during the Siege of Torzhestvo, holding the line and contributing to the final victory against Nadezhda. Upon hearing of the fall of Guilddon to the Atlanteans and the capture of Queen Mercy at the hands of King Raine, Royce would suggest a rapprochement with Brennen of Alara and an end to the war. Franz Forrawyn would rule out the idea out of hand and prepare for the invasion of the northern Final Empire. With the soldiers from World's End already on their way home, Royce chose to act in defense of his Queen, turning on Forrawyn. Many of his men join him in his rebellion, but they are defeated after a bloody and pointless struggle. Royce himself is executed by blood eagle, and his legacy largely forgotten.
The Mole Brothers

*“We are the same soul split in two and walking around on four legs. It seems unnatural being born together and then dying apart. What strange creatures brothers are!”*

-Rainbore and Earthbore

## History

A Chimera made in Doctor Curtin's laboratory, the Lords who would one day be nicknamed the Mole Brothers were once one man, a hybrid of human, ogre, and mole. He was one of the first Lords, a warrior able to burrow beneath the earth. At some point in his history, the Lord was split into two identical twins, Rainbore and Earthbore. The two became priests, each worshiping the other as their god, granting them the ability to raise the other from the dead, should that be necessary. Their function in the Final Empire was somewhat obscure, with some believing - likely erroneously - that they had gone rogue. Brought back to serve in the Illuminated, the brothers were dispatched to gather recruits among indigenous tribes to serve in the Great Crusade. They were successful in this task, managing to amass a warband of two hundred men before the start of the Arendur-Ragnarok War. After the war, they followed Tolumvire into exile, where they resumed their old career as adventurers.

## Personality

Buried souls, the two brothers kept their cards close to their hearts. They confided only in each other, and tended to work in secret. They gave no reason to doubt their loyalty, courage, and discipline, and were capable warriors and leaders both.
Reese Wilmarth

## Though he found it distasteful, Wilmarth murdered

*“...how could they let insane people gain control of devices that could do so much harm? If you knew a man was out of his mind, you restrained him. You didn't give him power.”*

-Reese Wilmarth

## History

Reese Wilmarth was an adventuring companion of Francis Forester, born in the Final Empire. He was an expat from a thieves' guild, formerly the Four of Diamonds, on the run from Blackjack. He was a highwayman near Forester's Town, but was captured by Francis Forester and forced to serve him. He answered the call of Arendur, fighting in the Great Crusade, the Arendur-Ragnarok War, the Demon Wars, and the War of the Philosopher-Kings.

Though he found it distasteful, Wilmarth murdered in service to Blackjack's thieves' guild, and during his own days as a robber. His service to the Forester family is repentance for that. If the Forester family were to perish from the face of the earth, he would unravel.

## Personality

Wilmarth values his dignity but is willing to swallow his pride and do what needs to be done. He has issues with authority, but if beaten and convinced of the rightness of his opponent, he will serve and serve with loyalty. He holds himself above his compatriots.

Reese Wilmarth shares the unusual distinction of having been the only man to explore the north and return unchanged. Scaevola fell prey to the predations of the Pallid Mask, and Forester was driven mad by his obsession with the Hyperborean Maiden. Wilmarth himself masks a great deal of sadness and melancholy; a sort of survivor's guilt.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Reese Wilmarth fought alongside the Forester Town Rangers in defense of Forester's Town.

## After the War

Reese Wilmarth accompanied Francis Forester and Flavius Luteus Scaevola on the first northern expedition, arriving in the Northern Dome.

It was terrifying and eerie. The three were alone in a cavernous city, with a blizzard howling outside. Their footsteps echoed. The columns and walls were inscribed with strange glyphs and bizarre artwork. The room was filled with the charred, armored corpses of the Hexenjägers, and Brennen’s skeleton was grinning on the throne. Forester had found the imprisoned Hyperborean girl and freed her. It embraced him out of gratitude, and he returned the embrace. Wilmarth was disturbed by his apparent fascination with the creature. Scaevola was no comfort either, for he had found a puzzle box with a book, a symbol, and a mask inside. He had discarded the box, and was reading the book - evidently a play - with an obsessive quality. Wilmarth stood guard that lonely night while Forester made love to the Hyperborean Maiden, and Scaevola feverishly read the play, acting out scenes as if he were preparing lines for a performance. Wilmarth counting his every heartbeat until dawn. The three men did not speak of what happened, and the next day, Forester declared that he would stay behind, and ordered Wilmarth to leave his side. The memory of that long night haunts him still.
Vostr-Hirraldyng

*“Magic means letting things do what they wanted to do, or be what they wanted to be... The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows. ”*

-Vostr-Hirraldyng

## History

Unusually intelligent for a frost giant, Vostr-Hirraldyng held the warriors and shamans of his people in contempt, and spit upon the altars of the god Thrym. He sought out arcane lore, communing with witch covens and giving shelter to mages from whom he would learn and eventually betray. By the time of the Winter War, Vostr-Hirraldyng was a mighty and feared creature, a shapeshifter who hunted at the head of a pack of undead wolves, outcast from his kind for breaking numerous taboos - including ritual cannibalism. He maintained a lose network of desperate and fearful followers who sought out his wisdom and placated his wrath.

When the half-giant Ymir became King of Jotunheim, he sought out Vostr-Hirraldyng and bested him in combat, forcing him to join his great host. Vostr-Hirraldyng became a counselor to the King, and a mighty warrior against the armies of the Windwalker.

## Personality

Cunning and brutal, Vostr-Hirraldyng hungers for knowledge and answers to no one. He blames his fellow frost giants for their sorry lot in life, and scorns the gods as weak and uncaring. He plans to seize as much power as he can before anyone stops him, and has no illusions about the fact that he will likely meet a nasty end.

Vostr-Hirraldyng is known to possess a giant's bag that is in fact a bag of holding, as well as several suits of armor belonging to Hexenjägers that he has slain.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

King Ymir tracked down Vostr-Hirraldyng once more to force him to fight in the War of the Philosopher-Kings. Vostr-Hirraldyng battled with the soldiers of the Northern Imperial Army, but when the tide turned against them, he fled the burning of Utgard and let his kin die. For his desertion he earned the eternal hatred of his fellow giants; of course, he could not care less. Vostr-Hirraldyng spent the rest of the war wandering from battlefield to battlefield, looting and scavenging weapons and arcane relics for his collection.

## After the War

In the years following the war, Vostr-Hirraldyng became the last mage of any power to escape the predations of the Hexenjägers, earning him a place of high regard amongst those who counted the Reich amongst their enemies. Vostr-Hirraldyng became a leader of sorts among a band of giants who had banded together after the war, and who prioritized their survival above their grudge against the shapeshifter.

Shortly before the end of his life, Vostr-Hirraldyng would lie low in the town of Falsterdal, where he swore the inhabitants to secrecy. Anyone who tried to leave the town would be hunted down by him and his pack of wolves. Eventually, the last great frost giant lord could hide or run no longer, and faced the wood elf swordsman Mark Patenaude in combat, where he was slain.
Sascha Glas

*"I believe motivations prove, ultimately, irrelevant. Upon either side of the battlefield the face grins with blunt stupidity, even as smoke fills the sky from horizon to horizon, even as crops whither and die, even as sweet land turns to salt. Inequity ends when no-one and no thing is left standing."*

-Sascha Glas

## History

Aleksandra Glas, better known as Sascha Glas, was born to refugee parents from World's End who settled in the Reich. From an early age, she heard stories of the horrors of the War of the Philosopher-Kings and the vampire overlords who sucked their land and people dry. Glas was pushed to join the Hexenjägers, who wanted her to repay the country that had taken them in. She joined them with indifference, but rose in the ranks nonetheless. Her rise to power came when she married then Commodore Eugen Marquerink, a dashing officer in the Kriegsmarine who was on the up and up. He would eventually become Admiral of the Kriegsmarine, based in Guilddon, and he would take his wife with him. With his political connections, he was able to get his wife appointed as Gauletier of Guilddon. The two ravage the country for its resources; the Admiral greedily controls the shipping industry for his own profit, while providing muscle and manpower to the Gauletier, who diverts resources to the Kriegsmarine at the expense of her people's welfare. Imperious and domineering, Glas is able to run roughshod over the people of Guilddon. The guilds are too busy fighting amongst themselves to put up an organized resistance, and the young king Talfryn Goronwy is nothing more than a figurehead. She and her husband are despised, deeply so, but there is little anyone can do about it.

## Personality

Sascha Glas is an arrogant, greedy woman, a social climber, scarcely even devoted to the ideals of the Hexenjägers. She is a tragic example of how little the larger Reich cares about Guilddon; only the merchant class has any interest in the island, and even then only for reasons of profit. That was enough for Marquerink and Glas to exploit, and rise to positions grossly above their talent and moral character.

## The Great Awakening

After the fall of the Reich, the people of Guilddon would revolt in favor of King Talfryn Goronwy, capturing Glas and Marquerink, killing them, and displaying their bodies publicly.
Luminar

*"You'd like some real amusement? Come closer! No turning back! Beware a man with nothing to lose."*

-Luminar

## History

Luminar, formerly a member of the Illuminated in Arendur, became an assassin known as Magekiller after the Doom, as he had to bind a powerful elemental within his own blood. It cuts off his connection to magic, but if he opens a vein, slivers of the creature can be released, slicing flesh and cutting off the victim's connection to the Spellweave.

Luminar's curse was healed in Laucil's Grove, but he was forced to relearn his magic. He chose to apprentice himself to Silvius, serving as the storm sorcerer's trusted aide during Farcraft's Rebellion. By the time of the war's end, Luminar had re-learned some magic, though he possessed pale shadow of his former prowess. He was nonetheless a formidably talented alchemist and expert in the arcane.

Luminar was placed in charge of the Arcane Magic Division of the Southern Imperial Army.

## Personality

Bitter and tense, Luminar spent many years confronting his weakness. He was forced to swallow a great deal of pride and temper his recklessness. He was nonetheless highly knowledgeable and focused, though he was easy prey for his impetuous temper.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Luminar remained in Thunderdome for most of the war, serving as Silvius' equerry. He would finally take to the battlefield alongside San-Janis to push back the Wild Hunt. Luminar drastically overestimated how much of his magic he had regained, and perished in the fighting.
Master Max

*"If we must have a tyrant, let him at least be a gentleman who has been bred to the business, and let us fall by the axe and not by the butcher's cleaver."*

 -Master Max

## History

A barbaric warrior of prodigious might, Master Max was known first and foremost for the artifact he wielded - a sentient axe capable of speech. Known for his stupidity and belligerence, Master Max's official duties, insofar as ruling and strategizing were concerned, were taken up by his weapon, which was cunning, self-aware, and possessed of a personality of its own. This led to many debates over whether the warrior or the axe itself was the true Lord, although wiser heads knew that the wielder and the weapon were so inseparable that to think of them as separate entities was to grossly misunderstand them. Master Max often traveled, but he could return to the capital for his most important duty, that of initiating new Lords. Master Max remained in the dying future, fighting vainly for the preservation of the Final Empire. Brought back to serve within the Illuminated, Master Max was paired with Lord Ravenfreak, and the two operated close to Arendur, investing problems and unexplained events. The pair was considered broadly unsuccessful, tending to turn up more false leads then actual information. After the Arendur-Ragnarok War, Master Max followed Tolumvire into exile, but was unable to survive the journey through the Twisted Gate, perishing with.

## Personality

Unintelligent and incurious, Master Max seemed to be a man out of his depth. He was overbearing and somewhat domineering, but typically oblivious to his surroundings. His axe, which shared the duty of Lordship with him, was observant and cunning, doing much to make up for his shortcomings. The two often seemed to live as one entity, trusting one another implicitly.
Matthias Abel

### Relatives

Lea Abel (wife), Martin Abel (son), Jason Abel (son), Jean-Paul Abel (grandson), Doran Abel (nephew), Gervaise Lachapelle (sister-in-law), Romaine Abel (daughter-in-law), Alys Hawkins (daughter), Hugo Hawkins (son-in-law), Millicent Abel Hawkins (granddaughter), Jean-Luc Dufort (son-in-law)

## Physical description

### Eye color

Brown

*“Cross my palm with silver and I'll tell your fortune. Cross my palm with gold and it will certainly come to be. Cross my palm with iron and you won't live to see daybreak. I'm a gypsy. A rogue. Wicked as they come.”*

-Matthias Abel

## History

Patriarch of the Abel family; elected King of the Gypsies. Intelligent and well-connected, he makes his enemies cautiously, and is owed favors by members of all twelve families.

## Personality

Perhaps in all New Arendur, there is no one save he who exhibits the quality of "cold iron" as a battle commander.

He is determined to bleed New Arendur dry, to measure his victory in kill counts, to bleed them of their will to fight.

## After the War

As the elected King of the Gypsies, Abel is given a legendary short sword called Nomad, and one of the two Crowns of the Elven Sisters. The other Crown is lost. The two crowns belonged to two legendary wood elf sisters named Rosemonde and Solange, who united their people. What family they came from is unknown, but all the families claim descent from the sisters.

Matthias Abel had two sons, Martin and Jason, a grandson, Jean-Paul, and a daughter, Alys. His sons and grandson would die in the Shadow War. Shortly after the War of the Philosopher-Kings, his daughter Alys would marry an Arendurian soldier, Hugo Hawkins, much to her father's anger. He would refuse to appear at the wedding, and cut off contact from her. When she was lynched by the mob in Forester's Town, he would blame Hugo Hawkins. He has never met his granddaughter Millicent, though he has seen her from afar. She looks too much like his lost daughter to do anything other than cause him pain.
Stephanus of Livossa

*“Against attackers, your surest defense is cold iron. Against defenders, often the best tactic is to sheathe your weapon and refuse the game. Reserve contempt for those who have truly earned it, but see the contempt you permit yourself to feel not as a weapon, but as armour against their assaults."*

-Stephanus of Livossa

## History

The lord of the central province and right hand of the emperor rules the most unified territory, and is firmly loyal to the empire. He commands the nation’s standing army, and acts as a first amongst equals amongst the Dukes. His coat of arms is a rose and an arrow with radial symmetry.

## Personality

Ponderous and cantankerous, Duke Stephanus rubs many people the wrong way. He is used to being obeyed, and places family loyalty above all else. Often thought of as somewhat dull, he possesses a powerful mind, and keeps his own counsel. He does not typically like to share his plans or coordinate with his allies, preferring to act unilaterally, so that no one has the sense that they can influence him.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Duke Stephanusus is murdered by Prince Ramander during Khamsa's coup, preventing him from preserving the old order.