Merry Crew

Ig-Sidon Yambul

Monkey D. Garp

Saah Sooké

Yumto

**Merry Crew** is an adventuring party trapped in Barovia while in the midst of searching for the Amber Temple. The Merry Crew are employed by The Alchemist, a mysterious artificer who seeks ancient pre-Mallus relics. They were formed in 300 P.M on the 1st of Lowsun.

Merry Crew is an acronym for **Magical Escapades with Rogues and Rangers Yippee! Champions Rallying to Explore the World.**

## Background

### The Alchemist and the Acolytes

In Southern Congeria, an assembly of scholars, mages, and truth-seekers known as the Acolytes of Alchemy hire destitute and weary adventurers in the search for ancient artifacts of unknown power. The Acolytes of Alchemy are led by the Alchemist, a hidden but charismatic and scholarly individual of unknown background seeking a relic of the God's Malice Device. The symbol of the Acolytes of Alchemy is a plague-doctor mask with a potion vial wrapped in vines behind it.

The Alchemist employs hundreds of acolytes, including politicians, diviners, and merchants. While the Alchemist mainly operates out of Southern Congeria, some acolytes travel as far as Grazoth in search of ancient artifacts that if fallen into the wrong hands, they could spell destruction for the races of men.

## Founding

### Scoundrels from Cardis

In the "Heart-City" of Cardis in Northern Congeria, an air genasi named Bree Zellis and an eladrin named Yumto were two best friends who lived in abject poverty in the Docks District. While Yumto learned the art of sorcery from his grandfather, Bree would rob and steal food from wealthy Congerians to provide for both of their families. To many, the Docks District was the coagulation of Congerian filth and races that would never enjoy full citizenship within the Congerian Empire.

One day, Bree Zellis and Yumto witnessed the gruesome murder of a Congerian noble. Due to their alien appearances and their proximity to the crime, Bree and Yumto were labelled as murderous criminals and hid within the sewers of the city. However, the Congerian adjudicators had arrested their families, trying them unfairly and executing them in the public square. Horrified, Bree and Yumto fled Cardis and travelled south, eventually stumbling across an abandoned wood cabin. Seeing this as an opportunity to filibuster the dwelling, Bree and Yumto lived here comfortably for two days until its owner returned.

The owner, a menacing bugbear named Garruk, offered the terrified Bree and Yumto a choice: he could turn them in to the Congerian authorities or they could redeem themselves by working for his acquaintance the Alchemist. Bree and Yumto accepted the latter and travelled to Golbee County to pursue their new employment.

### Mountain Men

In the Balinok Mountains of Southern Congeria, a half-orc monk named Monkey D. Garp was excommunicated from the Aerie for insubordination and not meeting the standards of a martial assassin. Having no real direction in life but to strengthen his power and eventually challenge the Talon, Garp wandered the mountain range for years to find a master to train him but to no avail.

One day, Garp tripped over what he thought to be a rock but was actually an unconscious goliath. The goliath was covered in deep wounds and bruises. Using his remaining supplies, Garp nursed the goliath back to health but was left destitute in the chilly and lethal mountains. The goliath had suffered amnesia and only remembered the nickname his goliath brethren bestowed him: Bubby.

On the brink of dehydration, frostbite, and starvation, the two were able to scale down the mountains to stumble upon riders on horseback. The leader, an elderly man bearing the sigil of a plague doctor, ordered the rest of his crew to rescue Garp and Bubby and bring them to the headquarters of the Acolytes of Alchemy. There, Garp and Bubby were fully resuscitated and questioned by the leader, who had introduced himself as Moses Snowcleaver. Moses asked Garp and Bubby what they planned to do after their stay with the Acolytes, to which they had no clue. Moses then offered Garp and Bubby jobs to search for an Amber Temple that his boss had talked about extensively. They accepted the assignment and travelled to Golbee County to investigate.

### A State of Godlessness

The war between the human Congerian Empire and the drow Kyorlin Dynasty was intensifying at the turn of the century. Termina, a continent from the Ethereal Plane that was hurled to the earth after the Mallus, was the colonial target of the war with the Congerians seeking to add more colonies and the drow seeking to exploit heavenly magic.

A small village-monastery on the quaint island of Saphodel dedicated to the archangel Saah, one-third of the Tetrarchy, was slaughtered, crucified, and pillaged by Congerians. Unbeknownst to the Congerians, an aasimar paladin named Saah Sooké was able to flee his massacred homeland to the shores of Southern Congeria to spread word of the empire's evildoings. Sooké then swore an Oath of Vengeance that day, promising to reap his retribution against the imperial Congerians. However, without the divinity of the gods and direction of his people, Saah Sooké fell into deep depression and resided in the ruins of an ancient church, hoping for guidance from his archangel patron. While Saah did not answer Sooké's prayers, someone else showed up at the doorstep of the ruins for guidance.

A half-orc paladin named Ig-Sidon Yambul had denounced the ways of his father, the great orc High Chief Zog, and swore an Oath of Redemption in the memory of his deceased mother. Yambul had also lacked guidance and wandered aimlessly in the hopes of someone accepting him and training him in the ways of holy warfare. Little did they know that they had both saved each other that day. Sooké accepted Yambul and took him under his wing, training him the ways of divine combat. Eventually, the two paladins fled the church ruins because of a recent Congerian declaration that annexed the areas around the church.

The land of Southern Congeria was quite foreign to Saah Sooké but thanks to his half-orc apprentice's experiences in orc raiding, Yambul was able to chart a course for Rimerock, a small trading city. In a shop called Paddy's Potions, the two paladins met shopkeeper Phillip Friedrink, also known as "Philly." The shopkeeper recognized a business opportunity with the two holy warriors and asked them if they would like to work for the Acolytes of Alchemy to help them stay afloat. The two agreed and accepted the offer. Phillip requested they meet again in a month near Golbee County to investigate clues about an Amber Temple.

## Members

* Bree Zellis *(Air Genasi Rogue)*
* Bubby *(Goliath-Vampyr Fighter)*
* Ig-Sidon Yambul *(Half-Orc Paladin)*
* Monkey D. Garp *(Half-Orc Monk)*
* Saah Sooké *(Aasimar Paladin)*
* Yumto *(Eladrin Sorcerer)*

## Allies & Enemies

### Allies

* Ismark "the Lesser" Kolyanovich
* Ireena Kolyana
* Arik the Bartender

### Enemies

* Strahd von Zarovich *(Nemesis)*
* Those who serve Strahd

## Main Goals

### Locate & Discover the Amber Temple

The Alchemist brought the party together by promising riches and wealth beyond their imagination if they find and locate the mysterious Amber Temple. Though the party does not exactly know why the Alchemist wants to find the temple, Phillip Friedrink told Saah Sooké that the temple harbors a powerful artifact which was utilized in the creation of the God's Malice Device. Various leads and scholarly sources point to Southern Congeria, near Golbee County, as the location of the Amber Temple.

As the party discovered in Barovia, the Alchemist had already sent scores of adventurers to locate the Amber Temple. However, none of these adventurers were able to survive and return to the Alchemist to warn him of the mists.

### Protect Ireena Kolyana

The party was enticed by a letter written by Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich, who promised to give information regarding the Amber Temple in exchange for the protection of his adopted daughter Ireena Kolyana. However, the letter was a ruse, written by Strahd von Zarovich. Upon their entry into Barovia, the party met Ismark Kolyanovich, adopted son of Kolyan and brother to Ireena. Ismark explained that his sister was in immediate danger from the darklord Strahd, who has been relentlessly hunting and pursuing Ireena for reasons unknown. Ismark tasked the party with protecting his sister from Strahd, stressing that the vampyr lord brought the party into Barovia for a reason and that by protecting Ireena, they would be circumventing his plans.

The party accepted the task and promised to escort her to the city of Vallaki where she would be free of Strahd's wrath.

### Escape Barovia

As told by the Vistani and the various folk of Barovia, the mists that surprised the party in their slumber are an inescapable barrier that imprisons those within Barovia. That being said, Barovia and its people are completely isolated from the outside world.

Though the party's main task is to find the Amber Temple for their employer, they will not be able to transmit their findings or return to the Alchemist unless they escape Barovia.