Exiles

Mirages are known to display one's greatest desires. A yearning for water, lost lovers, civilization beyond, isolation from your ghosts... Survivors in the Desert of Exile are criminals with real regrets, dropped off by their kingdoms to seek 'rehabilitation' in their hallucinations or simply to rot where pleasant society can no longer see them. Whether their crimes were of just cause is irrelevant. All of us must fight for our lives or die amongst the sands.

## Family of the Party

(See also: The Party's Crimes= Green Whisper of the Reeds was the cheating man)
Nights father-in-law, through partially legal and very cultural means, has decided that Nights daughter rightfully belongs to Night. So he set out a ship with Red (the daughter) to Exiles for delivery. Nights step-relatives from his former wifes side came along as guards for Red. This includes 'Wind on the Mountain', a chubbier but very respectful man who works as a merchant and is widely used to trade (He impressed Colette with his knowledge of Mortul culture and was pretty respecting/responsible to Red and night). The other, 'Robin on the Windowsill' is a fuckboy who bought two scantly clad slaves to flaunt around and show off while raiding out kitchen for food. Red is a cute catgirl and we all cat proofed the house so she wouldn't fuck up literally everything immediately.

Red River at Dawn

Night's Wife

Wind Over The Mountains

Robin on the Windowsill (arrived w 2 slave women [Amber Eye of The Sand and Water Shining in The Sun] on each arm)

Colette's grandpa

Iida's parents, Mom- Mille Dad - Ossau

Iida's brother. Daedra

## Friends of the Party

**Clip,** *the Kenku'*

> "*The small being had shaken off all of the water from her feathers and began her slow adjustment to the world around her. The eyes, used to the darkness of the ship cabin were blinded for a moment, and despite the dark color of her clothing the bagginess kept her somewhat cool. Her eyes looked around, keen and ready for anything.*"
> ― Clip exiting the Exiles sea
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Clip first met the party through Colette, as the kenku found the woman soon after the pair had been tossed into the Exiles sea. After initial introductions the two decided to stay together for the time being. They eventually found the city of Exiles and made coin together for a few weeks through Colette doing tavern gigs while Clip stole from the crowd or by going on minor bounty hunts. One night Clip left Exiles to scavenge and ran into Iida. She used Colette's voice to say hello, putting Iida on immediate guard. Luckily the two managed to communicate well enough for Clip to bring Iida to her long lost friend. Colette and Clip split up after that, but Clip was called upon several times throughout the campaign- for art commissions, assistance with kenku desert clans, helping to rebuild the Grotto, or for assistance in major adventures. Clip's personality was always on the kinder side, for she enjoyed listening to others and gave them much patience to explain themselves. She had an addiction to 'freedom' as well as she would start to cheer and grow excitable if anyone asked her why she liked Exiles so much. Clip hated her kenku curse for obvious reasons. However, she sometimes enjoyed the lack of communication it brought, as Clip's mischievous side had her delude people with strange voices that used to blatantly lie to them.
**Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs**, *Lady of Pain Cleric*

> "*"Respect us and this will be quick. They do not want to see you in pain General. I am not them." Dolores' voice, normally calm yet warming, was cold, like iron gates covered by winter storm. Emotion was gone. There was none. The Lady of Pain indeed was a name that she seemed to fit.*"
> ― Dolores threatening a general of the Litch Queen
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xxx

**Jarval**
> "*Jarval folded his hands together and politely rested them at his waist. Despite the simple and frankly, quite opposite surroundings of what he was used to he still maintained his politeness to a rather great fault. His posture was that of a servant at the ready, and it looked like that was ingrained into his very bones. Possibly literally, it's hard to tell sometimes.*"
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drinks preservatives

**Horkhan**, *Bugbear Warrior*

> "*I do not have any I wish to claim. None are hairy enough for me. Nor big enough muscles and abilities to crush bone with a single hand from the dark of night.*"
> ― Horkhan's desired traits for a mate
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'soft' for his species, likes humans

**Willow Krube**, *the Draconic Diathian Sorceress*

> "*Look, Willow had just gotten out of hiding in a rancid bedroll from a deadly Wyvern monster for who knows how long. I believe she deserved a little pocket change at the very least.*"
> ― Colette's charity
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Willow was a teifling druid the party met early on in their time together. Upon killing a Wyvern that was terrorizing a local town, the party discovered a tarp in the creatures den. Underneath was a thin, shivering woman on the verge of death. Night quickly used his medical knowledge to revive her. Willow then explain that her entire party had been killed by either the Wyvern or starvation when they lost their way in the dunes. She and Night bonded over Diathian citizenship as the party brought her to Exiles to recover. Willow was a very polite woman who tended towards the demure, as she apologized semi-often and didn't wish to make trouble. The party occasionally called for her when they faced magical problems, and would later offer Willow citizenship in Iida's Grotto.

**Yorhid Valrin,** *A Prince of the Narassi*

> "*Dearest Gem, You have been very kind to me, sending me gifts far beyond what I had thought was of any interest to me or any other. While my sister's are going about with many different things, I sit here in my room blessed with your gifts as I am studying the ways of my people as well as yours. While my ability to speak in your language is still quite new, I think my letters are getting better by the day...*"
> ― One of Yorhid's letters to Iida, written in Halfling
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Na'kasseri" pet name meaning 'our ruby'.
yorhid visited, yaheim commented that we had so many trophies that iida actually might be a better hunter than Yorhid and Iidas response was "Oh, I am." However it was brought to our attention that because iida is an outsider and shows no sign of leaving her ways behind, the matriarch will not approve of them having a relationship so the options are friendship, change her mind, wait till Yahime is matriarch or have a secret relationship. Then when they were ready to leave, Iida accidentally did a good and gave them a barrel of water which apparently is awesome!

## Allies of the Party

Khizumna Sphinx (In Fornisia Ruins): "Do not die. Happiness is found elsewhere. Don't look to brightly into the future, you may not like what you see."

The Duke Gerald Rodhiem ( Duke was a larger man no doubt. His face was clean shaven but his dark brown hair flew in all directions, as if he was not used to having it grow any longer than an inch. His frame did not truly match a man who has stayed in keeps and castles goading serfs along, but instead a scholar turned warrior at some recent time. A few scars ran across his hands and his angled face did not match the colorful round noble garb he had om). Son of Prince Robert Rodhiem. It's a pleasure to see you. I'd usually ask for my archmage and advisor to be here when dealing with nobility

## Iida's Menagerie

Iida's Grotto included the remains of Bandit's pride, including two trained hyena's she occasionally used for hunting. The Grotto had several herds of sheep whose wool was sold to neighboring factions for various goods and services. Goats, chickens, and other livestock were tended to by those living under the Baroness' gentle rule. Venom was allowed to roam freely but he usually stayed near his imprinted mother. Midas was typically kept in a fenced enclosure and only let out on Iida's watch or if the farm was under attack.

## Enemies

The party made a frequent enemy of many dragons in the desert-- likely because of Iida's drive to free their slaves, Night's love of their hoarded magical artifacts, and Colette's desire for more gold to fund a multitude of expenses. *Kuahrax* is an ancient blue dragon whose lair is in front of a mountain range. He is known for hoarding artifacts, of which the party tried (and managed to) steal from a few times. *Bellbore* is a wyrmling red dragon that wanted to sell his kobold fans to slave trading posts. Iida put a quick stop to that. *Bhusmir* the crystal gem dragon was a paranoid slave trader who was obsessed with cataloging peoples traits and talents as if they were toys to collect. Now his skin is talented as scale mail armor!

Iida had a short lived but very intense enemy in *Yanztor the Beholder.* Yanztor fancied himself as a "Humble Merchant" but in reality only desired to see pain in those he saw as lesser (which was everyone). He had a great group of strange monstrous people at his call. He made his home just outside of the Expanse, in a ruin where his den of slavers has set up operations. His profit went to gorging himself on expensive foods and equipment for his anatomical experiments. Yanztor was killed by a hail of thorns from Iida that poked his eyes out.

### Mages of Exile

The White Mage and Grey Mage. Made Rose, super golemn. One that can age, and grow. One that has a soul. Rose was their daughter figure. The mages put the curse upon the whole desert because of her somehow.

Tried to have kids, couldnt have it, made the golemn. Grey mage abandoned Rose with the White one cuz she wasnt human enough. Created a curse on the whole desert to make the 'perfect place' for her, which ended up failing miserably.

golems. They'll tear you all to ribbons, and you or your magic will do absolutely nothing to stop them

### Nya-Mya Rogue Army

**Sand Blown along the Shining Dunes**, *The General*

The General came to Exiles once Night of Endless Stars regained custody of his daughter, Red River at Dawn, with the help of Red's grandfather and family friends. As the General was the brother of Green Whisper of the Reeds, the man Night murdered for his affair with his wife, he had a deep sense of responsibility to reclaim the girl from a killers claws. This was also spurred on by his stern identity in traditional Nya-Mya values. He led a group of over four dozen troops to Exiles for this mission. The General had a clear perception of moral standards since he would get 'bad tastes in his mouth' when performing acts of subterfuge and slaughter. Despite this he felt no guilt, or just not enough, as he would go on to conduct a mass raid on Iida's Grotto, killing several citizens, torching farm land, and ransacking homes in his search for Red. A farmer described him as "tall, muscular. Scarred up something fierce. Obviously veterans of the war between their homeland and the Empire. [He] had that sandy sorta fur... looked like a panther with how massive he was. He ripped one of the kids that came at him in half with one wiff of that damned hammer of his. All that shiny armor too. Marched right off the moment Holt came out tho. They knew once an actual warrior came it was time to bolt". The General had an eye patch to cover part of his face as he viewed his scars as 'useless waste'.

The General eventually allied with Litch deVont when he fully prioritized killing Night over saving Red. Fittingly, this immense violation of tradition and honor caused his army to turn on him. He was accidentally killed by Iida and Night shooting an energy orb into his ship during his final raid on the Grotto. He was ripped apart by the debris spread piercing through his body.

**Calling In The Tunnels,** *The Enchanter*
> "*The last thing any of [the soldiers] would want is a war. Most just want to go home at this rate. A lot of us do. I don't know how much I agree, but I entirely understand where they're coming from.... A vast number of them are in fact more so loyal to their purses than the General. That being said I know their moral is waning, and as an Enchantment mage as you like to mention, I am very good at making people think what I want them to on the battlefield. We are the ones who create the wars and write the treaties, after all.*"
> ― Calling discussing her surrender and philosophy with Colette in a Dream
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Calling was the General's right hand woman who had worked with him during their shared military service. She had an unusual upbringing as she was a Catfolk raised by subterranean Gnolls. This inter-species adoption is near unheard of in Nya-Mya given its ethnic caste system. Her awkward place in society left her with an undying loyalty to the General who had selected her out of a far greater pool of potential officers. Calling's skills as an enchanter wizard let her influence foreign court systems and nobility so Nya-Mya could profit from the political chaos. Her socially split upbringing made her an expert diplomat as well. It was mentioned that one of Calling's enchantments had killed hundreds but the details of how and why were never specified. She was a very cold, efficient woman, as evidenced by her proposing to put a mole in Iida's Grotto. Calling was a warrior-mage that fought alongside her company, and was at the forefront of the raid that devastated the Grotto.

However, unlike the General, when Calling sensed an ethical line she refused to cross it. Calling disapproved of the General allying with a clearly evil, undead Litch deVont. She went through her friends records to discover his reasoning. She discovered that the party in fact did not kidnap Red or stole the land from any rightful (non-existent) rulers, and how this mission was a personal revenge scheme not rooted in practicality. She then contacted Colette through a *Dream* spell to negotiate an ambush to stop the General with a two-pronged assault. After deliberation the party accepted her terms. The ambush worked, though the General was killed, and Calling mournfully left with her remaining soldiers back to Nya-Mya.

### The Mole

    **Louie the Goblin Tailor**, *and Traitor*
> "*Who ever said I betrayed you to her? I was just doing business. As for a good idea... Money, simply. My G-d tells me greed is good. Fair and simple. I've got a lot to my name now, and with how much I've given to my church I'm sure I'll be doing just as swell in the afterlife.*"
> ― Louie during his interrogation
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Louie was brought into Iida's Grotto to work as a gig-tailor for the populace. He was welcome despite his grumpy attitude and often found patronage in Colette's commissions for noble class clothing. Little did the Baroness and her party know, but Louie was working with the Litch Queen and Nya-Mya army raiders for large bribes. During his time as a spy he kept the Grotto's numbers low by shunning away refugees, migrants, and immigrants who heard of Iida's kindness. When he over heard conversation of where the party would travel to next he would relay the information, resulting in ambushes and stolen prizes that nearly killed and deprived the party of valuable resources. He sent blueprints of the Grotto's inner layout to raiders and opened the gates to allow them easy access in. Louie did not participate in any murder however, and was frustrated with the excess loss of life during the raid.

Louie was caught for two reasons. The first was his attempt to kidnap Red during a major raid to give her to the General. Thankfully she managed to escape him and alert others. The party gave him the benefit of the doubt at first, as mind control or black mail wasn't out of the question, but upon investigation of his home found unsent letters addressed to the Litch Queen. A public trial was held the next day. Louie was charged with: Treason, Accessory to Murder, Accessory to Attempt Kidnapping, Child endangerment on two counts, destruction of property, Aggression, Endangerment of Fellow Citizens, Espionage, Trespassing, and a several misdemeanors founded in the turning away of refugees and keeping personal battle plans, notes, and letters belonging to others. His punishment was death by firing squad. Louie was allowed a last meal after being heavily interrogated for information on his employers.

### Undead of Mortul

**Silver Rahnharr,** *The Litch 'Queen*

(The "Lich" Queen: Former ruling family nobility who was exiled years ago)

**Litch deVont,** *Of the Cabal Cult*
> "*They were greeted with the scent of mildew and death. Expected of course, when speaking to these sorts. A darkly lit face looked across to them. It was rotted through, the white sinew straining under the flames of green eyes. The old garb was ancient, older than the ruins they had transformed into a base of operations. "I'm pleased to hear why you've requested I come to this backwater General. I may have time to spare, but I am not one to spare foolishness." The voice was like the wind hushing over the sands. But they all knew of his origin. This was not secret. His status of un-life however was.*"
> ― Litch deVont greeting the General and Calling
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Litch deVont is Colette's grandfather. His demeanor was always emotionless except for a very short fuse of impulsive anger. He was a Virile Palid supremacist, meaning he believed that Mortul Humans are racially superior to all species as well as any other human races. deVont ruled over his family with an iron fist and a short leash, often abusing his sons due to sheer disappointment in their arcane abilities. As a necromancer he rose Jarval to serve his lineage, though he made a mistake in the ritual which let Jarval to rebel against orders but also caused him to slowly lose his memory. He eventually faked his death via a 'freak accident' to ascend to Litchdom, which he hid by purposefully delaying the time it would take for his soul to reach a pre-made phylactery. After his death deVont joined the occult-centric cult of the Cabal. His rise in the Cabal allowed him to gain more political power than the ArchLitch and pull the strings of Mortul in a shadow government. He used this power to illegally take over more territory and resources for Mortul. He also kept a secret watch over his family to further harass them and later prevent Colette's death sentence, instead willing her to be exiled to save his own pride.

Allowing his grand daughter to live became his downfall. Litch deVont put an immense amount of his ego in the accomplishments of his family. When the General approached him with news that his own blood was bedding a "fleabag miscreant of the Empire" he ailed with the tabaxi to kill Colette and his "mistake in my spellcraft" former-servant Jarval. Litch deVont followed his Nya-Mya allies into a raid at Iida's Grotto and would be killed. Oddly enough he wasn't murdered by the party but instead by Aramond Von Baroune who destroyed his phylactery that remained in Mortul.

**Aramond Von Baroune** an undead necormancer who'd been killed by Iida

## Other NPCs

Aurin-haask (??)

Kalrung (Half orc former slave we saved)

Marcus Mamilius Lactantius (guy we save)

Dragoon, gnome bone digger dude

## Places

City of Exiles

Baroness Iida's Base (For the hot and emotionally stunted); has farm, iida's house, milita

The Shipyard Grotto

Diathian Empire

Narassi; the way names are spelt is rly important for Narassi

The Expanse

The Broken City (was burned down by the White Mage)

1. ↑ Bandit Image Source: https://www.deviantart.com/incraylex/art/Adopt-27-Hyena-CLOSE-872582343
2. ↑ Venom Artist Source: https://www.patreon.com/paperforge
3. ↑ Midas Artist Source: https://www.brynnart.com/
4. ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/anzka