recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Zalharad Family

The Zalharad Family is the ruling dynasty of the slaver city-state of Jadus, in post-war Sethulhmet. The family came into renown during the Jeweled War for the territory of the desert that would become Jadus in the aftermath of the War of the Nine Knights. Beginning as a meager army of mercenaries in the service of more powerful nobles and warlords, under the shrewd leadership of Jarod Zalharad, the family and its army overtook their masters in the admiration and loyalty of ally and rival armies, becoming a contender in the war in their own right. The Zalharads emerged victorious, claiming the territory for themselves and building the city of Jadus. Jarod Zalharad declared himself Sovereign of the city. Under Jarod's rule, the family established many eccentric practices that have endured for centuries - most notably an incestuous system of marriage between brothers and sisters, co-sovereignty over the city between siblings, and an infamously hedonistic royal harem (largely populated by slaves) and a debauched court of libertine courtiers and sycophants.

As a result of their incestuous practices, the Zalharad family tree is difficult to follow, and the line has birthed several bastards among harem members as well throughout the years. The following is a summery of the family line that have served as a Sovereign at some point.

1. **Jarod** The First Sovereign. Ruled as sole sovereign (with council from his three sister-wives) from 40 A.C. to 78 A.C. Called the Jeweled King, on account of his victory in the Jeweled War for Jadus.
2. **Jezebel**, the Second Sovereign. Daughter of Jarod. Ruled from 78 A.C. to 93 A.C. when she was murdered by her younger brother Tash, and sister, Zahara.
3. **Tash & Zahara**, The Third Sovereignty. Son & daughter of Jarod. Established the style of co-Sovereigns from 93 A.C. to 96 A.C. when Tash mysteriously died. Tash was called the Pawn Prince, for his perceived secondary role to his sister, Zahara.
4. **Zahara** The Fourth Sovereign. Ruled as sole Sovereign from 96 A.C. to 121 A.C.
5. **Nazira** (daughter of Zahara and Tash), **Suada** (son of Zahara and Tash), and **Saadia** (daughter of Zahara and sister-daughter of Suada) The Fifth Sovereignty. Ruled as a Triumvirate from 121 A.C. to 141 A.C. when Nazira murdered a pregnant Saadia and was then executed by Suada.
6. **Suada** The Sixth Sovereign. Ruled as sole Sovereign from 141 A.C. to 170 A.C. Longest serving Sovereign, cumulatively.
7. **Vhadem** (son of Suada and Nazira) **and Shaatha** (daughter of Suada and Saadia) The Seventh Sovereignty. Ruled as co-Sovereigns from 170 A.C. to 178 A.C. when Vhadem was assassinated by a harem slave and bastard daughter of Saadia, in revenge for Saadia's death at Nazira's (Vhadem's mother) hands.
8. **Shaatha** The Eighth Sovereign. Ruled as sole Sovereign from 178 A.C. to 188 A.C.
9. **Hajara** (son of Vhadem and Shaatha) The Ninth Sovereign. Ruled as sole Sovereign from 188 A.C. to 229 A.C.
10. **Jain** and **Jericho** (son of Hajara and an unknown concubine), The Tenth Sovereignty. Ruling from 229 A.C. to the present.
Walder Lethbridge-Havelock

Walder Lethbridge (married name, Lethbridge-Havelock) was the late husband of Lady Illyana Havelock, and the father of Han and Wanda Havelock. A charming young mage, he managed to gain the attention of Illyana when he competed against her as a teenager in a Witching Royale - losing the competition but earning her respect and affection nonetheless. The two were married not long after and raised their children with high expectations regarding their arcane abilities, though he was also a loving father that doted heavily on his daughter, Wanda. Lethbridge fell right into place within the Havelock Family as a talented and ruthless magician. Unfortunately he was killed in a wizard's duel, defending the family's honor against a disgruntled mage whose son had been killed in a Witching Royale. The duel ended in a draw, with both duelists dying from their wounds. His death followed after the untimely deaths of his brother-in-law Rennen and his wife Eona's deaths, leaving the Havelock family with only his beloved wife Lady Illyana to lead them.
Sister Cierra

Marbury

Sister Cierra was a Priestess of the Church of the Lost Dawn. A missionary, she and her mission partner, Sister Mary, traveled the wasteland before finally settling in the village of Marbury, in which they found a respected role as spiritual leaders of the isolated community. During the Forgeborn Threat, the village was beset by many problems - many of it's people enslaved and the crop fields salted by the Forgeborn. In their desperation to feed the village, Sister Mary abandoned her faith in Pelor for the dark goddess Urgathoa - a plan that Sister Cierra reluctantly followed. The two converted the townsfolk from one faith to another, beginning a cannibalistic cult within the village that preyed on travelers. While Sister Mary was confident in her devotion to Urgathoa, Sister Cierra remained uncertain of the course of action they had taken up until the end - when the village was attacked by the Red Claw in the midst of a ritual sacrifice the party had been roped into. In the aftermath battle, Sister Cierra was captured by Jorg-Hammer, who turned her over to Pandora. Guided by the spirit of Marro, Pandora performed ritualistic torture on Cierra in the name of Orcus. Her exact fate after enduring this torture is unknown, what remained of her body having been left in the ruined village.
Tribal North

The Tribal North, formerly known as Halestrom, is a region in the eastern wasteland of Noxerra. While Halestrom was united under the flag of Sartorius, the Knight of Storms - in this absence after the War, the peace he had brokered between regional tribes of remaining humans, dwarves, and orcs fell apart. The tribes scattered and the frontier cities that had been erected collapsed. The tribes warred for roughly a century before finally congregating into the four Northern Tribes that rule the region in the present. The Tribal North is now a cold and desolate wilderness, with what little cities and structures that were built in Halestrom having long since fallen into ruin, with the harsh mountainous nature having become the dominant presence throughout the region.
Zon-Kuthon

The Dark Prince

Zon-Kuthon is one of the remaining gods that have an influence over Noxerra. A dark and malevolent deity, he is known as the god of pain and is widely regarded as a patron to torturers, murderers, and assassins. He is the malevolent twin of the love goddess Shelyn, who in myth he and his faithful have taken a binding oath never to harm, despite the polar difference in their spheres of worship.

Organized worship of Zon-Kuthon is rare, but there is at least one sect of worshipers based in Jadus, operating a temple and pleasure house known as the House of Midnight, presided over by priests known as Cruciators.
Wee Jas

The Red Reaper

The Crimson Caller

The Woman in Red

The Ruby Sorceress

The Dark-Eyed Lady

The Lady of Book and Bone

> *"By hook or by crook,*
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> *By bone or by book,*
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> *Each soul must die,*
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> *And by the Taker be took"* - Jasidan proverb
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Wee Jas is a goddess that presides over the domains of death, magic, and law across the realm of Noxerra. Originally worshiped by the indigenous Suel humans of Golgotha, with the growing might of the Sol Empire, Wee Jas worship was largely stomped out over time. Small sects survived the War of the Nine Knights however, and in the present Wee Jas is worshiped by some as a mysterious death goddess and by others as a codifier of magical law and practice. She is most prominently worshiped by the Taken Sisterhood in the Jasper Garden of Golgotha as well as the Whitehand, one of the few remaining Suel tribes in the great forest. A fair but ruthless goddess, Wee Jas aims to reclaim the domain of magic for herself after the cosmic power vacuum caused on Noxerra from the Collapse.
Sam Redfoot

Sam Redfoot is an ex-pirate and aspiring pit fighter in Durkheim. Seemingly having recently retired from the seas to pursue a new line of career, he entered into a competition in the fighting ring at the Obsidian Ace on Durkheim's Lower Level, but was bested by Jorg-Hammer (who was attempting to help settle some of Coldstone's debts through the fight's winnings). In their duel, Jorg-Hammer sundered Redfoot's rapier (which he mentioned as having been an ancestral blade belonging to his uncle), and left him essentially defenseless, resulting in an easy victory for the tribal. Redfoot exited the arena in shame and embarrassment.
Seng Fu'la

Seng Fu'la is an apothecary, alchemist, and the proprietor of the Foggy Coffin drug den in Durkheim. A shrewd and shady businessman, Seng caters to many of the passerby that make their way to the Lowers of the city, and maintains a healthy supply of clientele that he keeps hooked primarily on his strains of opium, as well as countless other drugs that the Coffin provides. Seng is secretly a dhampir as well, a secret that is closely guarded but known to a select few associates as well as some spies about the city.
Vysteria Cathyrion

Vysteria Cathyrion was the fifth ruler of the Cathyrion Empire. The daughter of Shaddar the Peacemaker, Vysteria was well-prepared for the throne, groomed to rule since her youth, guided and inspired by the wisdom of her father. She came to be known as *Vysteria the Wise*, settling disputes and conflicts with grace and even-handedness, as well as making major cultural reforms as the Empire's first truly long-standing Empress (following the short-lived reign of her aunt, Syrlua). Vysteria fostered cultural growth and the arts, and largely kept the peace that her father had fought to maintain, limiting the Empire's military expansions and opening more trade agreements with such nations as Mordenheim and some of the desert cities of Sethulhmet, or the wood elves and suel of Golgotha. Unfortunately, Vysteria's legacy became tainted when her children proved to be less adept rulers than she, as she failed to truly prepare them for the throne, becoming complacent in her own ruling style and trusting that her children would merely observe and follow through. Sadly, Vysteria became more remembered for this singular failure than she did for her many other successes as Empress. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Caligan.
The Fisherman

The Fisherman, also called "Harpoon," is a dwarf living on the southern coast of the eastern wasteland, near the Broken Isle. His past is unclear, but according to him he was part of a fishing crew that were attacked by a monstrous sea beast he calls the "Clawed Terror," the grisly deaths of his crew having driven him insane and caused him to forget his name. It is implied that the dwarf actually drowned the crew himself, mentioning that the captain was "too fat" and would sink the boat otherwise. When the party encounter him, he helps them sail to the Broken Isle in exchange for helping him kill the Clawed Terror, which is revealed to be a minor giant crab. The Fisherman took on the name "Harpoon" after Jorg-Hammer tells him of the Havsbladen Warrior Caste's tradition of naming themselves for their favored weapons. Harpoon is not seen after the party enter the Iron Tomb, his ultimate fate remaining unknown.
Wanda Havelock

Wanda Havelock is the daughter of Lady Illyana Havelock and Walder Lethbridge, and the younger sister of Han Havelock. She is a talented summoning mage in her own right, but is notably more reserved than her mother and brother in demonstrating her magical aptitude. Wanda has great concern and affection for her cousin, Reya, and is fiercely protective of the family's secrets and status. Despite her and Han's difference in opinions and personality, the two are an effective duo in combat, and she went on to fight alongside him and Lady Illyana during the Battle of Mordenheim.
Sunken God

The Sunken God emerging from it's portal within the House of the Drowned

The Sunken God is an entity that is the central focus of the Drowned's worship. According to Xaal-Tuogurrath, the Sunken God is a creature from beyond the stars - from the dreaded Dark Tapestry - the dominion of chaotic, primeval, beings that exist outside of the realms of space and time. According to legend, the being that would become the Sunken God was feared even by it's own kind, and banished from the stars to Noxerra - sealed in a prison dimension deep in the ocean.

At one time it was worshiped by the Deep Ones who built their kingdoms above it's prison - but eventually it was abandoned and remained dormant and forgotten for centuries. The Collapse of the Sol Empire as a result of the War of the Nine Knights and use of the Apotheon Artifacts opened a small rift in the prison, however. This rift caught the attention of the aboleth, Cthar-R'yatha, who was driven mad by the visions granted to him by the Sunken God. He became a devoted "prophet" of the entity's will, and set about converting castaways on the island of Krakengärd above the prison to a cult devoted to the creature - the Drowned.

According to Cthar-R'yatha's prophecies, the Sunken God's release from it's prison is to result in a Great Flood - wiping out most life on Noxerra and paving a way for a new, better world to follow, where the survivors will unite in the aftermath in devotion to the Sunken God. This prophecy depends on a ritual that must take place on a specific time during which Krakengärd will properly materialize back on Noxerra. The truth of this prophecy is unknown, but the Drowned seem to genuinely believe in pursuing their own doom for a greater good to follow. The true nature of the Sunken God - it's motives and even exact appearance - are unknown as a result of it's dark, alien origins.

In 237 A.C. the Drowned attempted a ritual summoning of the creature in alignment with a blood moon eclipse, using the power of the Tempest Armillary to stabilize the island and open the Sunken God's prison. Cthar-R'yatha and the High Trident were prevented from completing the ritual however by the party, when Jorg-Hammer managed to destroy the Armillary with the Warden's Arm, causing the Sunken God's prison to close - seemingly sealing it away once more. Xaal-Tuogurrath speculated to Jorg-Hammer that the entity was not destroyed or imprisoned - but perhaps merely banished back to the stars, and may yet be seen again.
Suada Zalharad

Suada Zalharad was one of the Triumvirate of the fifth Sovereignty of Jadus with Nazira and Saadia, and then the sole Sovereign after its dissolution, beginning the sixth Sovereignty. He was the son of Tash and Zahara.

Suada, both as a member of the Triumvirate and as sole Sovereign, is the longest serving Sovereign in Jadus's history (and one of the longest-serving human rulers in general, in the post-war world) sitting on the throne for forty nine years until his death at ninety years of age. Suada was incredibly politically savvy, managing not only to make but to actually *keep* and maintain alliances made with the other slaver states that had begun to form. He worked to establish various trade routes across the desert to make the slave trade more efficient than before, and actively bolstered the creation of slaving guilds within and outside of Jadus. Suada ensured that Jadus was not merely a self-aggrandizing isolationist state in the middle of the desert, but the de facto capitol of a much greater wasteland, recognizing the strength of the other cities, and ensuring that they recognized the strength and luxury of Jadus, ushering in the modern age for Sethulhmet.

Despite his highly admired and efficient leadership, Suada is most well known for his extreme depravity and sexual deviancy - name the incestuous relationships with his own mother that led to the birth of a sister-daughter, Saadia - who he also had a relationship with, marrying as one of his sister-wives along with his older sister, Nazira. Seventeen years Saadia's senior, the relationship between the two was highly questionable. It would ultimately be the downfall of the triumvirate when a jealous Nazira murdered the much younger Saadia, who was pregnant with Suada's child at the time. Enraged at the loss of his favored wife and the child she was carrying, Suada had Nazira executed and became sole Sovereign.

Before their deaths, Suada did manage to have two children - one by each of his sister-wives; Vhadem by Nazira, and Shaatha by Saadia. The two would go on to succeed Suada as co-Sovereigns upon his death.
Valerie Gregovitch

Valerie Gregovitch is the ruling Baroness of Sunvale, in Yarmouth. She is a half-elf, and shares some of her authority within Sunvale with the local Church of the Lost Dawn, who are the original founders of the city. The Baroness is a highly respected and refined woman, who proudly rules over the oldest city in Yarmouth. She is considered by many in Sunvale to be the most fair and responsible of the Barons, given Redbrook's status as something of a slum and Karstein as a hive of illicit activity.
Syztra Volanys

Lady Syztra is the youngest daughter of Lord Azerys of the royal House Volanys - the surviving members of the ruling family of Volazyrris in the underdark of Zventhos. Only a teenager by elven standards, Syztra was no less loyal to the cause of the Volanys's ambitions to retake their ancestral home and restore order and civilization to the ruins of Zventhos. Unfortunately, she was recently captured by the forces of Xaegaroth of the Queensguard, where she presumably remains under his watch as a prisoner - awaiting rescue from her father's meager host of soldiers that remain loyal to their cause.
Sethulhmet

Sethulhmet is a massive desert far in the southwest of Noxerra. Always somewhat isolated from the rest of the Sol Empire, in the time since the War's end Sethulhmet has broken off from the rest of the continent and become an actual island. While always dangerous and desolate, being a desert, Sethulhmet has now become one of the single most unpleasant regions in the entirety of the continent. Before the War, the desert was a unified kingdom with a rich and spiritual culture built on higher learning and progress - but in the present it is little more than a vast and empty wasteland, with only a few loosely-connected city-states being left in the way of civilization. These cities - Jadus, Kaath, Ruby Point, and Scarab - are collectively called the "Slaver States" of Sethulhmet, and are effectively the ruling body of government in the region, trading slaves and other products between each other as well as shipping products and slaves further North along the coastline of Golgotha. While heavily built on slaver culture, Sethulhmet is also home to many mysteries within the desert - lost cities and haunted ruins in the vast, unsettled Dunelands, as well as the nearby islands of Raider's Run being a haven for criminals, pirates, treasure hunters, and practitioners of strange magics and religions. There is also one small "free city" to the north, called Chainhaven, founded by freed and escaped slaves.
The Crater

The Crater was a hidden community of halflings and gnomes living in the deepest parts of the Deadwood, in the Eastern Wasteland. Unknown to have existed to most of the eastern wasteland, the Crater was so called as it was formed around a literal crater caused by a large meteor that had at some point crashed into the woods.

The Crater was an isolationist community, with its existence only becoming more popularly known during the Forgeborn threat, when the Crater was discovered and raided by the Forgeborn and the dragonborn slaver Trask and his slaver band. While many of the halflings from the Crater survived their enslavement in the aftermath of the Battle of Mordenheim, it is unknown if they returned to resettle the Crater or integrated into the other communities of the wasteland.
Vizt'strada Volanys

Queen Vizt'strada of the noble House Volanys was one the three Queens of the Drow collective of Zventhos. After Zyara the Knight of Pain usurped Yezura of House Nulyra and declared herself a Queen, Vizt'strada swore fealty to the new banner of Zventhos. Ruling from the city of Volazyrris, Vizt'strada's lands became puppet states of the new Queen. Her fate after the War of the Nine Knights is unknown, as her lands are beyond the territory of the underdark scouted by the Orrukov Regime that displaced Zventhos's capitol on the surface.
Vishan Kobra

Justiciar Vishan Kobra, a human, is one of the members of the Tribunal of Kaath. As the current patriarch of the noble Kobra family, Vishan also oversees the production and sale of Kobra Arms - a popular weapons and armor smithing company throughout Sethulhmet, based in Kaath. Through Kobra Arms, Vishan served as one of Esther's major sponsors during her time in the Crucibles.

Vishan is the most recent heir to the Kobra family's seat on the Tribunal - which was earned after the once minor noble house made a name for itself as smiths in Jadus originally, in the time immediately after the War. Eventually, they relocated to Kaath, where their smithing skills earned them much respect and admiration from the various warlords and clans that set up there. The Kobra family are thus one of the oldest factions to hold a seat on the Tribunal.
Turgen

Turgen is a ratfolk mercenary, as well as a relic hunter for the Orrukov Regime, operating in Durkheim. At some point, he lost his eye, and wears an eyepatch as a result. While his primary occupation involves the acquisition of artifacts out of the Underdark for the Regime, he spends most of his downtime as an experienced card gambler - mostly winning through sleight-of-hand tricks to stack decks in his favor. A roguish and shifty individual, he cheated the oread Coldstone out of a fair bit of coin - but was challenged by Nymue who managed to expose his ruse and have him evicted from the Obsidian Ace gambling hall, with many of his winnings turned back over to the house and other conned patrons.
Aloysius O'Dare

Aloysius O'Dare was the High Commander of the Blood Hunters by the year 237 A.C.

An elf, Aloysius lived through the end of the War of the Nine Knights, and became convinced that magic was the root of the supernatural evils that had spread across Noxerra in the time since the Empire's collapse. At some point he established the Blood Hunters as an organization to hunt down monsters, mages, and even his fellow elves - who he also distrusted because of the Empire's origin in the elven nation of Sol. Aloysius disguised his race with a mask and developed a legend as a mythical hunter of the supernatural, rarely making public appearances - to the point where few even knew he existed and those who did believed him to be more of a boogeyman than a real person.

He emerged from his obscurity during the Forgeborn Threat, coercing the party into his strategy to defeat the Forgeborn on punishment of death. When they agreed to his terms and succeeded, the High Commander redacted his offer of leniency and demanded their execution to the Council of Dreadmont, who offered the party a trial by combat instead. Aloysius dueled and killed Jorg-Hammer - whose death he felt served as penance enough for the party's crimes. Merric Mandrake exposed Aloysius an elf to the Council, however, who had him arrested for his hypocrisy and deception. His ultimate fate after his arrest remains unknown.
Vixandria

Vixandria is a gnoll seer living in Dreadmont's Witching District. She has the gift of the Sight, and makes a living as a soothsayer and fortune teller. Her visions, like many of those with the Sight, are incredibly draining on her mental state. Her past before arriving in Dreadmont is unknown, but she is responsible for aiding the party in directing them towards Osmand Stoneward's Blood Rune, helping them against the Forgeborn Threat.
Zarkhov

Commandant Zarkhov is a high-ranking member of the Orrukov Regime's police force, seemingly responsible for managing affairs on the Ground Level of Durkheim, where he maintains a general police station and holding jail. A strict professional like most Regime-aligned duergar, Zarkhov saw through the official arrest and imprisonment of Seamus Walsh - the Butcher of Blind Alley - after the party successfully apprehended the werewolf.
Urias Cathyrion

Urias Cathyrion was the second Emperor of the Cathyrion Empire, succeeding his father, Galahad. His rule constituted the first part of what is called the "*Year of the Three Emperors*." A paranoid and weak man, Urias had his more popular and battle-hardened sister, Syrlua, exiled from his court - fearing that she would usurp him, as he had no wife nor heirs. Urias's paranoia gave way to a self-fulfilling prophecy in which Syrlua gained support from within and outside the Empire to do just that - spending much of the year warring against her brother, eventually taking the throne herself and executing him. Syrlua herself was later usurped and executed that same year by their younger brother, Shaddar, who became the only lasting ruler of the three.

Urias is perhaps the shortest-lived of the Cathyrion Emperors. Many historians of later periods have theorized that Urias was a homosexual, who had no intention of siring his own line of successors - and the pressure to do so led to his panic, paranoia, and self-implosion.
Urzo-Thaal

Urzo-Thaal is the leader of the Red Claw in the year 237 A.C. Despite the gnoll warband's reputation for viciousness, Urzo-Thaal himself is a cunning tactician and is surprisingly honorable. As is custom in the Red Claw, Urzo became leader after challenging his predecessor to combat and killing him. Urzo-Thaal does not tolerate weakness among his ranks, and has exiled several gnolls from the Red Claw for insubordination - if not outright kill them. During the Forgeborn Threat, Urzo-Thaal struck a deal negotiated by Kartov with the alliance headed by Dreadmont to battle the Forgeborn, in exchange for the city-state allowing him to settle the Red Claw in the ruin of Mordenheim once the Forgeborn were defeated. Urzo-Thaal and the Red Claw fought valiantly alongside the alliance during the Battle of Mordenheim, where he now rules with the warband.
Ven

Ven is a gnoll slaver and a member of Trask's slaving band, along with his sister Vel. Between the two of them, Ven is considered the more physically capable combatant. He and his sister were at some point exiled from the Red Claw, after which they wandered the wastes until falling in with Trask's band. The gnolls were integral in the Forgeborn's plans, having infiltrated Dreadmont to help steal the key to Iron Tomb from Wuulgruf's Vault and smuggle in the automaton assassins intended to kill the Council of Dreadmont. After escaping imprisonment, Ven and Vel returned to Mordenheim, where they later escaped the battle aboard the *Dauntless* with the other surviving slavers. Ven's current whereabouts are unknown.
Weehawk Mill

Weehawk Mill is a farming community and lumber mill in the forests of Golgotha. Located some ways south of Wolfsbane Lodge, it is one of the only other bastions of civilization in the sprawling wilderness. The mill was built in close proximity to the nearby rivers that run throughout the forest, allowing it to run a mostly successful lumber operation, transporting lumber across the forest to other communities.
Saddiq Sato

Lord Saddiq Sato is the ruling governor of Dreadmont's Commerce District, representing it on the Council of Dreadmont. He is the current head of the Sato Family. His duties in representing the Commerce District include overseeing the general trade done within the city (outside of trade conducted within the Witching District) as well as managing the supply lines between Dreadmont and other communities in the wasteland such as Shorestead and Kaylen Farm. Lord Saddiq also has a reputation for being an accomplished duelist, being quite skilled with a dueling sword. He is often considered to be the most passive and introspective member of the Council, waiting to hear the others' thoughts before contributing his own. Like Viceroy Tyrithia, he is also much younger than some of the other members of the Council, only being in his early thirties.
Thastur Yong

Justiciar Thastur Yong, a tengu, is one of the members of the Tribunal of Kaath. Prior to becoming a Justiciar, Thastur was a warrior that roamed Sethulhmet seeking various challengers to duel. He arrived in Kaath, and offered to compete in the Crucibles despite being a free man. After several decisive victories, Thastur's predecessor - a human named Muhada Wol - challenged Thastur out of frustration at seeing so many of his prize slaves slaughtered. Thastur easily defeated and killed Muhada and was then offered his seat on the Tribunal. He accepted, and has ruled there since.
Hakor I Orrukov

Hakor I was the younger brother of Tsar Vaerald III of the Orrukov Regime. Historically seen as relatively unremarkable, in his time he was a close ally to his brother and one of his most trusted advisers. Today, he is more well known for being a point of dispute between his nephew - Tsar Ulrich, and his daughter Lyeta - both of whom elected to name a son after him. While Ulrich's son, Hakor II, technically won out - Hakor is also the namesake of his own grandson, Hakor III.
The Butcher

The Butcher was an alias given to a member of Marro's splinter faction of the Cult of Orcus, based in the city of Kethis. He was cannibalistic a brute whose main responsibility was capturing and torturing any remaining townsfolk in the city and killing them so they could be raised as zombies by the magical plague that had cursed the city. He was killed by the party in the slaughterhouse he used as a base of operations, his cursed helm falling in the hands of Merric Mandrake. It is not known who the Butcher was before joining the Cult, or whether or not his cannibalism and vile nature was natural or owed to the cursed magic of his helm.
Wilfred Annesburg

> *"If Hajara could see me now…he was always chasing ghosts like this. Demon Lords, dwelling in volcanos…just like the Black Pharaoh out in the desert...Maybe he wasn't crazy after all. Those nightmares he had…Maybe there **was** something out there, just like these things are down he-" -* Annesburg's last words
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Doctor Wilfred Annesburg was a human archaeologist and alchemist. For several years he served Hajara Zalharad, Sovereign of Jadus in Sethulhmet. Under Hajara's orders, Dr. Annesburg participated in several archaeological expeditions and operations through the years - even venturing so far as into the edges of the infamous Dunelands.

Annesburg left the Zalharads' service some years into the reign of Hajara's children, Jain and Jericho. He wandered the wasteland for several years, eventually making his way northward into Yarmouth, where he took up with the halfling mercenary Tembra Flynette, who he kept as a permanent bodyguard. Annesburg made connections with some of the local Barons in Yarmouth before finally finding himself in the service of the Orrukov Regime as part of the expedition team led by Jurza Setrov to recover an apotheon artifact from the underdark. This team also included the party, with whom Annesburg became acquainted. Over the course of their journey, it became clear that while Annesburg was certainly well-read in ancient history and had a deep fascination and respect for various legends and ancient cultures of the Imperial age, he was decidedly out of his depths in the thick of a dangerous territory like the underdark. He made few friends among the expedition as well, given his haughty and often ignorant personality.

Annesburg eventually would meet his end late in the expedition - being the third of the expedition's recruits to perish in the underdark, after Adrio was slain by Zyara upon her return, and Tembra - killed by Jaxza of the Queensguard. Annesburg, ever curious, was fascinated and impressed by the ancient technology and magi-science of Klavus's arcane laboratory - particularly his research with the Underhive, which Annesburg himself had been quietly studying throughout the journey. Upon examining a Primarch specimen that was contained within one of the labs - against the others' better judgements - Annesburg was attacked when the creature was remotely released by Klavus, and injected with a larval spore that attempted to infect him, causing a gaping chest wound as it burrowed into his organs.

Despite Nymue managing to remove the larvae, the acidic blood of the other surrounding underhive ultimately burned away at Annesburg - leaving him a practically unrecognizable, mangled corpse. Despite his ignorant views and inexperience, the party still tried to recover his body for proper burial as they escaped the lab during their encounter with a mutated Klavus not long after the Doctor's death.
William Arkwright

William Arkwright is a citizen of Sunvale, in Yarmouth. A close childhood friend of Nymue's, William had aspirations of becoming a writer - being a scholarly student of the arts and a collector of ancient literature, novels, and plays. A gentle young man, he had his suspicions regarding the Reverend Daniel Becket, and warned Nymue about getting too close to the charismatic priest. Nymue did indeed discover the Reverend to be a murderous dhampir, who then threatened her into fleeing the city, forcing the girl to leave her friend (and romantic interest) behind. William's current status is unknown, though years later Nymue would finally attempt to contact him through a letter delivered by Reverend Karl Quint upon his return to Sunvale after being shipwrecked on the island of Krakengärd for several years.
Veldemar Seward

**King Veldemar** of House Seward was the first King of Valtoria, and one of the defining figures of the Shattered Kingdoms era - being a major hero of the Shattered War. Veldemar was originally a mere regional governor, given control of the vassal state that would become Valtoria by Emperor Syrlucio, before ascending to the position of King during the war.

Veldemar was a loyal figure within the lesser human nobility of the Cathyrion Empire, and had garnered much respect from the predominantly human population of the Valtorian region. When the region began to suffer under Emperor Kyber, talks among the lesser Houses began to stir of open rebellion, but Veldemar cautioned his friends within the echelons to wait. When true rebellion did break out led by the Larethian Crusade who deposed Emperor Fyrello, Veldemar saw his opening and his allies declared their own independence from the Empire, and went to war against the remnants that formed the Cathyrion Imperium, as well as the Crusaders - between Valtoria saw little distinction.

Veldemar would ultimately lead his people to ally with the Crusade, however, and with them make the final push towards victory against the Imperium and officially declare the independent sovereignty of Valtoria as a new, human-centric kingdom. Politically shrewd and military-minded, Veldemar was an ideal and experienced leader and governor, whose years of experience and loyalty that he had already fostered within the Empire leading to a smooth transition when he was crowned King. He was a gifted orator, but soft-spoken in private - though still with a cold intensity and demand for results from his advisers and generals. For many years, Veldemar was held up as an ideal that his successors should aspire to, though few rulers in Valtoria's history would measure up to his success both during and after the war.

Veldemar's legacy was ultimately marred and torn apart during the War of the Nine Knights by Lucian de Lamperouge, who purged many of the monuments and relics devoted to House Seward, and held open contempt for the royal family and their ancestors. Veldemar's once glorious kingdom is now the barren, demonic ruin known as the Hellmouth - with barely a trace of the splendor his rise to power gave way to.
Desna

Tender of Dreams

Lady of Fortune

Queen of the North Star

The Wandering Star

Desna is a relatively minor deity. Worshiped at some point before the War of the Nine Knights, there are still ruins of temples and shrines dedicated to her across the wasteland of Noxerra. Depicted as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings, Desna was a goddess of dreams, travel, and luck. Favored by many wanderers without a home, temples to her were common in the pre-war age as "rest stops." Popular worship of her has fallen out after the war, with her temples becoming just another shelter - or repurposed entirely, like the Black Butterfly brothel in Redbrook.

Desna is still sworn by however by some seers and soothsayers across the wasteland, and some choose to view her as a patron deity for those that posses the Sight, though this is not a particularly common practice. Still, some attribute the visions they receive in their dreams to Desna, and a select few faithful remain that continue to travel and pray to her for safe journeys.
Sigrid

Sigrid-Axe, formerly simply Sigrid, is a young woman from Nightport, on the island of Krakengärd. She was born into the Havsbladen tribe, to Shipmaster parents. Her parents were supporters of Ragnar the Bold's expedition west, and sailed with him as part of his ill-fated fleet. When the fleet was caught in the storm that transported them to the island of Krakengard, Sigrid's parents were killed. Sigrid herself survived, and had lived on Krakengard now for thirteen years, having witnessed and aided with the building of the township of Nightport. Despite having few memories of the actual Havsbladen homeland and tribe, Sigrid has a reverence for her culture and Ragnar - practically hero-worshiping the late Shipmaster. She was a member of Kzzartha's movement to acquire a ship for the people of Nightport to actually escape the island, and was eager to truly become a Havsbladen and rejoin the tribe, and not just be a member in spirit. Despite her youth, Sigrid is a driven and capable young woman and aspiring Shipmaster in her own right.

With the party's arrival on the island and their aiding in Kzzartha's ambitions, Sigrid joined them on parts of their adventures across the island, accompanying them to the Stronghold. She also developed a precocious crush Jorg-Hammer, as he relayed his adventures to the group.

She, Arkin-Hook, and Quintus set out to return to Nightport to relay the information the party had learned from Xaal-Tuogurrath to Hogarth, but along the way Arkin-Hook entered one of his fugue states - possessed by the aboleth Cthar-R'yatha, attacking Quintus and kidnapping Sigrid. Arkin-Hook took Sigrid to a shoreline grotto that housed other female prisoners that had been kidnapped and used by the Drowned as breeding slaves to populate the numbers of their corrupted Deep Ones. After rescuing the party from the High Trident, Shaw and Quintus would join Jorg-Hammer and Nymue in rescuing Sigrid from the caves, freeing Arkin-Hook from the aboleth's grasp.

Now jaded and scarred from her experience, Sigrid would join the party in the final assault on the Drowned - rejecting Jorg-Hammer's advances before the battle, her feelings for him having waned over the course of their adventures - the harsh reality of a warrior's lifestyle having disillusioned her perception of heroics, leaving her cold, hollow, and determined only to seek vengeance on her captors.

In the aftermath of the Drowned's defeat, Jorg-Hammer honored Sigrid by bestowing upon her the honorary weapon-suffix of the Havsbladen Warrior caste - naming her Sigrid-Axe. She would go on to leave with the party aboard the *Blood Diamond*, departing westward for Sunvale with Reverend Quint, in search of the rest of the Havsbladen who were travelling west over the land bridge.
Zyphus

Zyphus is a minor god of assassins, presiding over the sphere of accidental deaths and tragedies. Depicted as a shadowy, scythe-wielding figure, Zyphus is mainly a patron to smaller cults of assassins and spies, and was once privately revered in times of great strife and war in Noxerra's history, as a cosmic instigator of conflicts.

Presently, in the post-war era, he is still worshiped by smaller, secret sects of worshipers - and is viewed as a great rival of Wee Jas by the Taken Sisterhood - whose worshipers they view as "stealing" deaths that rightfully belong to the Taker. As such, many Jasidans have little nice to say about those who fall among Zyphus's faithful. Likewise, the 40 Lashes view those assassins in service to Zyphus as rivals for their clientele, having a more economical disagreement with them rather than philosophical.
Yezura Nulyra

Queen Yezura of the noble House Nulyra was one the three Queens of the drow-controlled underdark, in what would become the collective of Zventhos. Yezura herself however was usurped and deposed by Zyara, the Knight of Pain. After taking control of the ruling city of Rahzad Nul and the royal courts and armies, Zyara jointly established the united state of Zventhos - forcing rival Queens Syntress and Vizt'strada to submit to this join-rule so that the drow people as a whole could officially join the newly founded Sol Empire.

Yezura and House Nulyra were captured and branded as traitors and dissenters to the drow people, and executed under Zyara's regime. In most historical records, Yezura is labeled as a traitorous tyrant and an enemy of the Empire and one of the last remnants of the pre-imperial age.
Titus Barracus

Titus Barracus is the Lieutenant Commander of the Blood Hunters by the year 237 A.C. He is second in command to High Commander Aloysius O'Dare, though Titus is the most public face of the Blood Hunters. A harsh and cruel individual, Titus is fanatically devoted to wiping out any supernatural threats to Dreadmont and the wasteland in general. In addition to being an accomplished fighter in his own right, as many Blood Hunters are, Titus is also a decent orator, often being designated to carry out public executions and proclamations delivered by the Blood Hunters. He is also one of the few to know of Aloysius's true identity as an elf. When this information is revealed to the Council of Dreadmont and Aloysius is arrested, Titus is passed over for promotion to High Commander in favor of Kartov. While he isn't arrested with Aloysius, Titus's fate in the aftermath of the High Commander's arrest and Kartov's promotion remains unknown.
Avandra

The Wanderer

Avandra is a minor goddess on Noxerra. She is the goddess of change, luck, and travel - and was regularly worshiped by halflings and gnomes before the War, as well as by various merchants or even mercenaries whose main draw to the lifestyle was the chance to see the world. There are few true temples or churches devoted to Avandra - even before the War - though worshipers would build roadside shrines along various trade routes, or even deep in the wilderness. As such - relics such as these can still be found buried in the depths of places such as Golgotha's forests or the Wyrdwood, as well as the still-functioning roads of Yarmouth and the Eastern Wasteland. Avandra is still occasionally worshiped by those smallfolk still around in Noxerra, though most have taken up a reclusive solitary lifestyle in communities such as the Crater. She is still somewhat popular with merchants, however, though Avandra's influence - being an optimistic and free-spirited goddess - has faded considerably as the oppressive darkness since the collapse has waned on.
Tuu'arkus

Tuu'arkus was the previous Champion of the Crucibles of Kaath, preceding Esther - who ultimately defeated and killed him. A pure orc, Tuu'arkus was raised in slavery from birth, owned by the Kolis family and eventually coming under the co-ownership of Thastur Yong and the Izarius family as well - all members of the Tribunal of Kaath.

Tuu'arkus was a savage and skilled warrior, who achieved his status as Champion when he killed a number of slaves in a single Crucible event matching that of the previous champion from some hundred years prior during Kaath's founding. Although the orc had thus earned his freedom, he was so conditioned and institutionalized by his time in the Crucibles that he did not understand this, and elected to remain to fight evermore. It was rumored that secret magicians within Kaath were performing various rituals and augmentations upon Tuu'arkus to maintain and improve his strength.

However, he was eventually defeated by Esther, who claimed the orc's trademark shotgun (a unique weapon crafted specifically for Tuu'arkus), upon his death. Tuu'arkus had previously killed Esther's lover, the tiefling Sa'id, in an earlier crucible battle. Esther, unlike her predecessor, *did* claim her freedom, approved by her owner Omar Kathash, and embarked from Kaath, leaving the city to fall into a series of slave riots as a response of the event.

Even years after his defeat and death, Tuu'arkus's reign as champion and death are still fresh in the memories of the people of Sethulhmet.
Orduin

Orduin was a sea-elf member of Sartorius's Honor Guard. He was one of the survivors of the shipwreck caused by Syn-Sogoth during Valtoria's invasion on Krakengärd. He accompanied Sartorius along with the other surviving Honor Guard to the tower fortress on Mount Stormfall. There, he along with the others tried to defuse the duel between Celtius and Sartorius over the Tempest Armillary. Despite his efforts, Orduin was slain by Celtius during the conflict, and died alongside his fellow Guards by the time Sartorius successfully activated the artifact. His experience was relived by Pezzack when Xaal-Tuogurrath allowed the party to experience a vision of the invasion during their time on the island.
Zyara

The Sol Empire

Queen Zyara, known in legend as the **Knight of Pain** was a drow woman, and one of the members of the Knights of Nine - the order of the Mage-Emperor's Knights that would become the Betrayed. Born somewhere in one of queendoms of what would become the drow collective of Zventhos, the Knight of Pain would join the Emperor during the Sol Rebellion. After the foundation of the Empire, Zyara herself usurped Queen Yezura of House Nulyra, and unified the three drow queendoms within the underdark into the collective of Zventhos.

During the War of the Nine Knights, the Knight disappeared when the surface-dwelling drow retreated back into the Underdark. Whether or not she survived the war or not is unknown. The nature and status of her Apotheon Artifact is similarly unknown.
Ystarri

Ystarri was a sea-elven member of Sartorius's Honor Guard. Led by Celtius, Ystarri was among the survivors of the shipwreck during Valtoria's attack on Krakengärd that accompanied Sartorius across the island and to his tower fortress atop Mount Stormfall. Despite the efforts of her and the other Guards to prevent Sartorius from activating the Tempest Armillary and to prevent Celtius from killing their master, Ystarri was ultimately slain in the conflict. Her experience was later relived by Nymue when Xaal-Tuogurrath allowed the party to experience a vision of the past.
Velika Orrukov

Princess Velika Orrukov is the only daughter and the third child of Tsar Ulrich Orrukov. Being the youngest of the Tsar's children, Velika has yet to inherit many royal duties, though she is occasionally given minor roles in keeping the peace within Durkheim itself - mostly through entertaining noble visitors and traders.
Terrence Barnes

Reverend Terrence Barnes is a priest of the Church of the Lost Dawn, stationed in the Ground Level chapel in Durkheim. Barnes tends to deal with small, working-class affairs for the faithful within the city, which constitutes a very small number of the population. Barnes's chapel answers directly to the more populated and better kept main temple on the Elite Level, governed by Sister Eileen. Barnes himself is a relatively kind and humble individual - and like many missionaries of the Church, is simply trying to carve out a decent living in a remote part of the wasteland.