recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pezzack Ingor

> *"I have a...**theoretical** understanding of the living..." - Pezzack*
>
>

Pezzack Ingor is a tengu necromancer and cleric of Calistria, and a founding member of the Party. Born in Dreadmont, Pezzack longed for a more adventurous life and abandoned the city-state to wander the wasteland. He developed a fascination with undead and the dark art of necromancy, eventually honing the craft under the tutelage of an elven woman calling herself the Priestess. A worshiper of Calistria - the goddess of revenge - the Priestess imparted her faith onto Pezzack. The Priestess eventually abandoned Pezzack, leaving him alone in the wasteland. After wandering on his own for a time, he met and joined Pandora Von Smythe on a journey to Kethis seeking the *Necros Arcanos*. There he met Jorg-Hammer and Merric Mandrake. The four would go on to work together to traverse the cursed city, forming an adventuring party and continuing to embark on various quests across Noxerra.
Joskar Ironward

Sir Joskar Ironward was a dwarven Knight serving the Kingdom of Mordenheim during the Shattered War. One of the great heroes of the conflict, Sir Joskar served valiantly throughout the war - culminating in the massive siege of Mordenheim, defending against Heldegarde's Army of northern barbarian raiders. Sir Joskar personally rebuffed these forces, and slayed Astra Heldegarde herself in the battle - crippling the enemy's morale and ultimately winning the war for the dwarves.

For his valor, Sir Joskar was asked of King Tormath to name his reward. Ironward asked for the King's daughter's hand in marriage. The request was granted, and Joskar wed Princess Kostra. Their union would lead to the merging of their two noble houses - the Mordenstones and Ironwards - founding a new royal house with the birth of their child - the Stonewards.

Sir Joskar's heroic lineage would continue to rule for several more centuries after the Shattered Kingdoms era - finally dying out with the death of Osmand Stoneward during the War of the Nine Knights, though Osmand's more distant descendants would survive into the post-war era.
Kiaransalee

The Vengeful Banshee

Kiaransalee was one the members of the Dark Seldarine, the drow goddess of the undead and necromancy, and revenge. One of the more actively worshiped deities of the dark elf pantheon, Kiaransalee and her worshipers were known to be ruthless in their devotion to dark magic and it's practical application on those who had earned their ire. Kiaransalee's petty, spiteful nature made her a rival even to the great Calistria for the sphere of revenge. In Zventhos, the cults dedicated to her largely led the slave trade in the Queendoms, procuring and manufacturing great undead armies and servants. In the time after the War, her worshipers having largely died off, the once great goddess of the undead's spheres have fallen sway to demon lords and lesser gods whose devotees are more active elsewhere in the wasteland.
Transcription Rules from French to Orish

French is not a simple language to transcribe from, because French is barely phonetic, and there are many silent letters and words that their spelling does not fit to their pronunciation by the regular rules. However, there are still some rules to follow when transcribing words from French to Orish.

## Consonants

Most consonants in French also exist in Orish.

### Final Consonant Letters

In French, final consonant letters except for C, F, L and R are silent unless they come before a word that starts in a vowel. There are two options when transcribing them to Orish: to transcribe them like they are not silent at all, or to remove them completely.

## Vowels

Unlike consonants, in French there are many vowels that don't exist in Orish.

### Nasalized Vowels

In French, when the letters M and N come after a vowel and before a consonant or at the end of a word they nasalize the vowel that comes before them. In the transcription to Orish, it's recommended to transcribe them like their non-nasalized counterparts and then M or N in accordance with the spelling, in this way:

 /ɛ̃/
 /ɔ̃/
 /œ̃/

### Summary for Transcribing Vowels from French to Orish

* Don't follow the spelling - vowels in French have many spelling forms that don't necessary represent any difference in the pronunciation.
* Ignore the difference between vowels that are phonetically similar and in Orish they are not different phonemes: /a/-/ɑ/, /e/-/ɛ/-/ə/ (/ə/ comes only to break difficult consonant clusters in Orish), /o/-/ɔ/. /œ/-/ø/.
* Replace front rounded vowels with their unrounded or back counterparts: /œ~ø/→E or O, /y/→I or U, /ɥ/→Y or W.
* Split nasalized vowels to normal vowels followed by a nasal consonant.
Mordenheim (city)

Mordenheim is the name of the capital city of the fallen nation of the same name. In the aftermath of the War of the Nine Knights the name came to refer to only the city - itself once a bastion of dwarven architecture and beauty but now a desolate ruin long since unoccupied. It's foundations were somewhat rebuilt and it became the main headquarters for the Forgeborn in the years leading up to their attempted conquest of the eastern wasteland in 237 A.C.

Mordenheim was home to the Apotheon Artifact known as the Forge, built by Osmand Stoneward, the Knight of Iron. During the Forgeborn Threat, numerous communities allied to depose the Forgeborn, retaking the city in the Battle of Mordenheim, during which the Forge was destroyed by a band of adventurers in service to the Council of Dreadmont. In the aftermath of the battle, the city was settled by the gnolls of the Red Claw, as part of a pact made between them and the rest of the Alliance.
Torag

Soul Forger

Dwarffather

Torag is a dwarven god of crafstmanship, the forge, and strategy. Once one of the more prominent gods on Noxerra, after the fall of the kingdom of Mordenheim, worship of the dwarf god fell more into obscurity. According to legend, Torag forged the world itself, and is viewed as a great creator god in the dwarven pantheons. In the present post-war era, Torag is sparsely worshiped by craftsmen and blacksmiths across the wasteland, and occasionally by small sects of dwarven communities.
New Imperial Era

***The New Imperial Era*** is the last era in Noxerra's pre-war history. Despite it's title, the era truly begins with the Sol Rebellion, internalized within the elven Kingdom of Sol. It also includes the Mage-Emperor's journey across Solerra and adventures with the Knights of Nine, and finally the rise of the Sol Empire itself, which lends the period it's name. The Empire only ruled for a little over twenty or so years, and ultimately culminated in the War of the Nine Knights. Despite the current post-War apocalyptic era taking place some 237 years later, the echoes and shadows of this era are the most prevalent of them all. The ruins of the Empire, the cataclysms caused by the Betrayed, and the folly of the Emperor loom heavy even now. For most citizens of the wasteland, this is the only period of "ancient" history worth remembering - and even *it* is lost and beyond comprehension or care. Despite the major developments in technology and magic conducted at the time, much of the knowledge and progress of this era was lost in the collapse, and for many wastelanders, they have started from scratch as if this and every era preceding it may well have never happened at all.
Jericho Zalharad

Jericho Zalharad is one of the two Sovereigns of the city of Jadus in Sethulhmet. He and his sister form the tenth Sovereignty of the city. He is a member of the noble Zalharad family who have ruled the city for generations. Jericho rules alongside his twin sister, Jain, to whom he is married in an incestuous tradition for the family. As a result of the Zalharad's inbreeding, Jericho is ridden with various diseases - at least one leaving his skin permanently bleached. Despite he and his sister's hedonistic lifestyle, the two are surprisingly effective rulers of Jadus, if tyrannical and despotic. He is the son of the even more infamous and long-ruling Sovereign, Hajara Zalharad, from whom he inherited many of his physical abnormalities.
Celtius

Celtius was a sea-elf warrior and an adviser to Sartorius, the Knight of Storms. He was the captain of Sartorius's personal honor guard, and fought with him at nearly every battle in the War of the Nine Knights, the two considering each other close friends.

Celtius was part of Sartorius's army that traveled with him to Krakengärd to secure the Tempest Armillary to aid in the conflict between the armies of Mordenheim and the invasion of Valtoria. Unfortunately they were beset by Valtorian invaders - including the dragon Syn-Sogoth - that trapped them on the island. Sartorius in his desperation used the Tempest Armillary despite having lost his Blood Rune at sea, against the advice of Celtius - who fought the Knight as well as his fellow honor guards in the tower fortress atop Mount Stormfall. Despite cutting down some of his own men, Celtius was unable to prevent Sartorius from activating the Armillary, and the two were accosted by interdimensional creatures summoned from the unstable rifts opened by the artifact.

Celtius was presumed to have died by his son, Celtiar, who had traveled with him to Krakengärd. Crushed by the loss of his father, Celtiar would go on to lead the Drowned for a time as High Trident, before later abandoning them to establish Sel-Duarmia.

Celtius appeared as a ghost to the Party, his spirit haunting Sartorius's tower. While he did not disclose the details of his ultimate death, he warned the party of the Knight's current abominable state and expressed regret for failing to stop him activating the Armillary - as well as killing his fellow guards - his failures preventing him from passing on completely. The party assured him that Celtiar had secured his father's legacy, and upon defeating Sartorius for good found that Celtius's spirit had apparently vanished - finally at rest.
Morn

Deep-Speaker Morn was a Priestess of the Drowned. A sea-elf, she is a native of Krakengärd, and was a high ranking member of the cult. She - as with many Deep-Speakers - acted as an emissary to the other communities on the island, and sought to gain converts to the faith of the Sunken God. She had a particularly icy relationship with Hogarth, who she repeatedly harassed during his time on the island, having converted many former members of Nightport through the years. She met her end when she and a group of Drowned attempted an assault on the Stronghold in search of the goat Tanngrisnir, and she was killed by Jorg-Hammer.
Glintfang

Glintfang was a blue dragonborn treasure hunter and thief. He was employed by many figures in the eastern wasteland, including the Margrave Family who used his talents to recover lost artifacts of historical value, as well as the crimelord Dre'Gardde. At some point Glintfang and an unknown dwarf discovered the location of the Iron Tomb located on the Broken Isle. Glintfang abandoned the dwarf to the mercy of the morlocks that had begun nesting in the ruined tomb, and relayed this information to Aloysius O'Dare. Glintfang later betrayed the party to the High Commander as well when he was hired by Dre'Gardde to help rob Wuulgruf's Vault. When Glintfang's betrayal became known to Dre'Gardde the crimelord had him captured and tortured.
Aezarion Vathyr

Aezarion Vathyr is a drow blacksmith, and member of the 40 Lashes. Operating out of the catacombs below the Golden Cabaret in Durkheim, Aezarion works as the order's chief armorer and weaponsmith. Aezarion covers half of his face with a golden mask due to a disfigurement acquired in his past - being a very ancient drow with ties to the now defunct collective of Zventhos. His once-noble family were conquered and enslaved by the Orrukov Regime who laid waste to the drow territories - Aezarion still holding an intense hatred for the duergar. At some point he joined up with the Lashes in the aftermath of the War. He is regarded as a master of his craft by those within the order, having retained a great many smithing techniques that have otherwise been lost over the centuries.
Abadar

Judge of the Gods

Abadar is a god of commerce, wealth, and civilization, depicted as a figure decked in golden armor - presiding over a vault of vast treasures - perfect replicants of every creation. Primarily worshiped in ancient Sethulhmet, there are still some minor temples in the region that are still erected as tributes to him, but as with many deities, worship has fallen out of style since the War of the Nine Knights. Once one of the major gods whose worship was difficult to snuff out by Imperial elven puritans before the war, Abadar is now only prayed to occasionally as a sort of obligatory pleasantry by those such as the merchants of Ruby Point - or even in a perverted sense by the slaving guilds of the desert - with the imperialistic, lawful nature of his mythos being embraced in a crueler sense by those in power. There are a scarce few ruins dedicated to Abadar further north, in Yarmouth and some even reaching as far as the ruins of Valtoria, in the Hellmouth. Always more popular with humans than other races, however, between the Empire and the War, true representations of Abadar's splendor has long since abandoned Noxerra, and his faith has been twisted by mortals for their own ill wills.
Forgeborn

The Forgeborn were a quasi-religious army of fanatics and zealots active in the year 237 A.C. in the Eastern Wasteland. The group that would become the Forgeborn were originally a small research team sent East by the Illuvari Conglomerate to locate and secure the Forge, led by Ordeon Sudara.

When the Forge finally was discovered in the city of Mordenheim, the team abandoned their original plans and used the Forge to begin construction of an army of automatons, as well as augmenting themselves and other conscripts from the wasteland. Taking on the new name of Scourge, Ordeon established something of a cult to the Forge itself and became convinced that the Illuvari may eventually head east and pose a threat to the wasteland.

Twisted by the dark magic of the Forge, Scourge and the Forgeborn became fanatical in their desire to "protect" the wasteland, and saw complete augmentation as the only path to being fully prepared for any on oncoming threats. The Forgeborn began a campaign of terror across the eastern wasteland in order to conquer and convert wastelanders to their cause, known as the Forgeborn Threat. They were ultimately defeated during the Battle of Mordenheim by an alliance spearheaded by Dreadmont, with the Forge itself being destroyed in the battle. Without the Forge's magic to sustain their augmented bodies, the Forgeborn were all killed with the artifact's destruction and the faction was completely wiped out.
Parsifal I Seward

**King Parsifal I** was the fifth King of Valtoria, succeeding his father, King Esmard. Esmard, who had ruled for thirty years, left the throne to his already late-middle-aged son, Parsifal. King Parsifal was a decent enough ruler, maintaining the peace and various diplomatic relations, and generally keeping the masses entertained with tournaments and other cultural festivals. The King had little true interest in ruling, and considered himself more of a scholar and a student of history and the arcane- fascinated by the time of the Cathyrion Empire and even more ancient stories that had been lost to time. Parsifal I's research would include studies on the legendary Apotheon Shards - with his volumes on the subject later falling into the hands of the Mage-Emperor, where they would prove crucial to his victory during the Sol Rebellion.

Ruling for only four years, upon his death Parsifal was succeeded by his son, Parsifal II.
King of Tribes

The King of Tribes was a legendary figure in the folklore of the Northern Tribes of Northeastern Noxerra. According to legend, in the chaotic aftermath of the War of the Nine Knights and the collapse of the Sol Empire, the tribes were a savage and brutal lot constantly at war with one another - until the King of Tribes united them all with the power of a sword that gave him the power to make whole armies kneel to him with a single word. He was said to be entombed in the ruined city of Kethis - his passing marking the end of a united Tribal North.

The King was later encountered as a wight raised from his tomb by Myron Marro, his legendary sword being the cursed Blade of Calleus. The King had entered into an alliance with Marro to once again walk and rule the North with a new army of undead followers, but was defeated by the party, with the Blade of Calleus and his horned helm being claimed by Jorg-Hammer in the immediate aftermath.
Battle of Mordenheim

The Red Claw

Shorestead

Kaylen Farm

The Party

The Battle of Mordenheim was the decisive event that ended the Forgeborn Threat. It was a battle that took place in the city of Mordenheim between the Forgeborn who were headquartered in the ruined city, and an alliance headed by Dreadmont that also included wastelanders from Shorestead and Kaylen Farm, as well as the Red Claw. The battle was an invasive forward charge by the Alliance into the city itself. It lasted roughly a day, and ended when the party managed to infiltrate the Temple of Steel to confront and kill the Forgeborn's leader, Scourge, and destroy the Forge itself using Osmand Stoneward's Blood Rune recovered from the Iron Tomb. The destruction of the Forge led to the collapse of the Temple, and the destruction of the remaining members of the Forgeborn's army. In the aftermath of the battle, the Red Claw settled in the city after the other members of the alliance cleared out of the ruin.
War of the Nine Knights

Yarmouth

Morninguard

Golgotha

Zventhos

Sethulhmet

Halestrom

Mordenheim

##### *"What you see now - there in the wasteland - is what remains of their folly. The results of mortals wielding weapons they were unfit to carry, their arrogance dooming us all." - Aloysius O'Dare*

 The War of the Nine Knights, also simply called "the War," was an apocalyptic event that led to the Collapse of the Sol Empire and it's nine provinces across Noxerra. Much of the information regarding the conflict has been lost in the 237 years since the Collapse, but it was known to be an intercontinental war declared between several states and leaders.

While the Knights themselves, then called the Betrayed after overthrowing the Mage-Emperor, are the namesake of the conflict - not every Knight was the ruler or head of state of his or her province, with many acting on the orders of another authority. The Knights and provinces also formed a multitude of alliances with each other, though the specifics of these are not well known.

The War ended in a singular event of mass destruction and chaos known as the Collapse that left most of Noxerra in ruin, with many of the provinces having long since abandoned their names and governments in the aftermath and developed new identities - though some regions, such as Yarmouth, Golgotha, and Sethulhmet still retained their pre-war names, while others such as Halestrom have taken on new titles like the Tribal North.

The War and the Collapse also serve as a benchmark for time in the world of Dead Evil, with the time before the war being designated as B.C. (Before the Collapse), and the time after as A.C. (After the Collapse).
Esmard Seward

**King Esmard Seward** was the fourth King of Valtoria, succeeding his nephew, Holden II. Esmard was the younger brother of King Holden I and the second son of Valtoria's first King, Veldemar. Never having expected to inherit the crown, Esmard succeeded his nephew after Holden II was killed during his war with the elves of Sol over the kidnapping of Princess Rhylyria. Esmard had served his nephew as High Chancellor throughout his reign, and while he disagreed with the rationale behind the war, he believed it his duty to serve his King regardless of his personal feelings.

Esmard's honorable nature would not save him from suspicion however, with many viewing his rise to power and support of the war as being a long game to steal the throne out from under his nephew - and his quick negotiations to end the war following Holden's death contributing to the image. However, Esmard's swift end to the war as well as his forthright rulings thereafter would lead to him becoming the first truly great King for Valtoria after his father - and it would be the line that Esmard sired that would rule the kingdom for the next several generations.

In his lifetime and afterwards, Esmard was seen as an ideal ruler with strong political tact and an appropriate amount of ruthless efficiency based in his military experience alongside his brother and father in the Shattered War. In many ways, Esmard became one of the models for leadership in the western kingdoms, and is occasionally still referenced as one even in the time of the wasteland.
This is a Lock (Optional 1)

**This is a Lock (Optional 1)** is an optional chamber in *The Turing Test*

## Summary

This is a Lock is an achievement received after solving the optional puzzle located in Chapter 1, at the entrance to Sector 7.

Solving the puzzle unlocks an icy cavern containing the grave of Minos Brook, died December 24th, 2246.

**Spoilers:**

* The solution to the lock is found in the lab at the end of Chapter 5.
* Minos Brook is likely the name of Sarah Brook's child who died shortly after birth.
* In Greek mythology, Europa is the mother of King Minos.

The locked door to the grave site.Polaroid in the lab.The grave of Minos Brook.
Gilliad Mansford

Gilliad Mansford was Lord Chancellor of Valtoria during the reign of Queen Wilhelmina Seward, and then the leader of a military coup that briefly established the "Republic of Valtoria," of which Mansford presided over a parliament retaining his title of Lord Chancellor.

A seemingly loyal noble, Mansford's ambitions developed during the incompetent rule of King Parsifal II, and seeing the opportunity to earn the public's trust, manipulated the inexperienced Queen into abdicating the throne and going into exile, creating a populist republic in place of the monarchy. Despite the supposed democratic nature of the new parliament, Mansford established his position of Lord Chancellor as being a hereditary position and undisputed leader of the parliament - effectively making him monarch of the kingdom. He ruled as Lord Chancellor for eight years while Wilhelmina and her son Parsifal III were in exile, until they returned with the support of the mountain dwarf clans and royalist insurrectionists, and reclaimed the throne, executing Mansford.

In Valtoria, Mansford was remembered as a hypocritical usurper and traitor of the royal family, though abroad he was viewed in a more favorable light, seen as being more diplomatic and respectable than the stagnant Seward rulers. He was particularly hailed as a martyr by the founders of the Republic of Morninguard, whose ideals of a true republic were highly inspired by the attempted shift away from the monarchy that Mansford made - at least in theory, if not in exact practice.
Carlo Zavetti

Carlo Zavetti was an influential pre-war writer and playwright. Hailing from the eastern isles of Sethulhmet that would eventually become the pirate-controlled region of Raider's Run, Zavetti's plays were well-received and published far beyond his homeland - achieving success in the courts of Sethulhmet and even reaching far to the north into Valtoria and Sol. Zavetti's plays - many of them histories - were well-known for either their gritty realism or their darker takes on more fantastical elements - including vengeful spirits and witch curses. Zavetti was critical of other writers who took a more lighthearted approach to their work - and was a notable rival of fellow playwright Wulf Hartigan, who experienced more mainstream success with his more accessible works.

Still, Zavetti was well-known is his own regard, and like Hartigan his plays survived the war and are still collected and occasionally performed in the wasteland - where their darker tones and themes have found a new resonance in the ruinous landscape of Noxerra.

## Collected Works

* *The Bloody Bride of Brackham*
* *Parsifal's Triumph*
* *The Desert Queen*
* *The Pirate King*
Mordenheim (nation)

Mordenheim was once a great dwarven kingdom of Solerra, before the War of the Nine Knights, and one of the provinces of the Sol Empire after the Sol Rebellion. In the present day, the territory of Mordenheim has fallen into ruin and is now referred to as the Eastern Wasteland, though the ruin of kingdom's capital city still bears the name of Mordenheim as well.

For years, Mordenheim was ruled by the royal Stoneward family - and remained ruled by them as a vassal state of the Empire. It's last King was Osmand Stoneward, the Knight of Iron himself and one of the Betrayed once sworn to the Mage-Emperor. King Osmand was slain however near the end of the War of the Nine Knights in a fatal duel with the vampire and Knight of Shadows, Lucian de Lamperouge. With Osmand's death and the many invasions from Valtoria, Mordenheim fell into ruin. In the aftermath of the war, a handful of families - most of them nobles that answered to the now-defunct throne - founded the city of Dreadmont, which serves as one of the last bastions of an older civilization in the wasteland that the dwarven kingdom has become.
Nightport

Nightport is a township and harbor on Krakengärd. It was founded thirteen years ago by Hogarth and other survivors of Ragnar the Bold's fleet that were shipwrecked on the island. Built using local lumber and salvage from destroyed ships across the island, the community became a melting pot of different cultures made up of various castaways that also found themselves stranded on the magical island. Hogarth is it's de-facto leader, though he has no formal title, with the former pirate Shaw working as something of a captain of the town's volunteer guard. It is a welcoming and peaceful community, though it is populated with many dedicated warriors willing to defend the township if necessary. Nightport had friendly trading relations with the neighboring Stronghold but a tense, ambivalent relationship with the local cult of the Drowned. While it started as a ramshackle village of a few huts, it has become a prosperous beacon of civilization on the otherwise untamed island.

The township eventually made true peace with the Stronghold thanks to the party's efforts at uncovering a conspiracy to divide the two communities orchestrated by Virün - and propagated by the manipulations of Cthar-R'yatha. The two would work to defend their territories while the party infiltrated the House of the Drowned and stopped their ritual to summon the Sunken God. With Hogarth's death earlier, Shaw took over as the town's designated authority.
Zuggtmoy

The Gardensbane

Zuggtmoy is a Demon Lord of the Abyss. Depicted as a rotting female creature composed of rotting fungi and flora, she is the Demon Lord of fungi, rot, decay, and disease. On Noxerra, she is counted as an honorary patron to many of the drow of Zventhos - revered for the dark "beauty" of the drows' fungal gardens and natural vegetation underground. She is also revered by some of the savage druidic tribes of Golgotha. Zuggtmoy's followers make heavy use of demonically-infused plants and spores that proliferate and infect others - forcibly increasing Zuggtmoy's faithful. Even within the Abyss, the Demon Lady spreads her spores and plants to infect those demons who would otherwise refuse to serve her - making her a great threat to those rival Demon Lords. Zuggtmoy shares a layer of the Abyss with Jubilex as well, whom she detests for his more blatantly disgusting nature in contrast to her perceived "beauty." She is also an enemy of Melora, who aims to preserve natural beauty in the face of the forcible corruption and decay brought on by Zuggtmoy's influence.
Kreva-Dra-Kaas

Kreva-Dra-Kaas (Queen of Killers in common) is a black dragon, and the only surviving spawn of Drak-Vo-Ruul. When Jorrick led a triple alliance attack by the other Northern Tribes against the Drakemunde, Drak-Vo-Ruul's mate and brood were mostly destroyed, save for Kreva-Dra-Kaas's egg, which was recovered and hatched by Dovah who began grooming the hatchling to become her own mount some day, keeping the hatchling's survival a secret from the other tribes. When Drak-Vo-Ruul and Dorumarr were slain by the Forgeborn, Dovah became Chieftain and formally revealed Kreva-Dra-Kaas's existence to the other tribes at a Tribal Summit, restablishing the Drakemunde's place among the tribes. While still in her adolescence and too small to ride currently, Kreva-Dra-Kaas is as fearsome a beast as her father, and is loyal to her surrogate mother, Dovah and the Drakemunde.
Brogglyn

Brogglyn is the hobgoblin owner and proprietor of the Obsidian Ace, a gambling hall on Durkheim's Lower level. While Brogglyn hosts a variety of semi-illegal events out of the Ace - namely an informal fighting ring - she is professional enough in her dealings with patrons and gamblers, though keen on ensuring that her own profits outweigh those of her customers.
Virün

Virün was a former Havsbladen Shipmaster living in Nightport. She was part of Ragnar the Bold's fleet that sailed west in search of a new land for the Havsbladen people. Originally, she had great admiration for Ragnar and his principles of freedom and ambition, but in the time sense the shipwreck Virün had grown disillusioned with the leadership of Hogarth. Virün was highly suspicious of the Stronghold to the west of Nightport, convinced that they have a secret alliance with the cult of the Drowned. As such, she has begun a secret society within Nightport to more accurately uncover the truth of this relationship - even capturing and interrogating a Deep One scout, Uthogn'taa - the Deep Ones alliance within the Stronghold having been a well-kept secret by the sea-elves to prevent these exact suspicions and ancient connections to the Drowned from coming to light.

While highly neurotic and standoffish, Virün was dedicated to the people of Nightport as much as Hogarth, carrying with her a deep feeling of responsibility to protect her people from whatever dangers may have been plotting against them.

Nymue and Esther attended one of her secret meetings exposing Uthogn'taa, but kept this information to themselves. When the party finally returned from their mission to recover the Tempest Armillary, they found that Virun had rallied much of Nightport against the Stronghold in Hogarth's absence - after her cohort Reverend Quint freed their prisoner, who alerted Celtiar to her conspiracy. The party were unable to defuse her suspicions, especially given Celtiar's confession of his past with the Drowned, as well as Cthar-R'yatha's possession of Arkin-Hook having sewed other seeds of discord. She and Jorg-Hammer agreed to a duel - which, after breaking every one of her weapons - Jorg-Hammer won. Rather than hold her prisoner, Jorg-Hammer executed her, putting her conspiracy to rest and leading the elves and deep ones of the Stronghold to ally with Nightport against the Drowned.

She and Jorg-Hammer's duel - specifically Jorg-Hammer's shattering of her every blade - led to Arkin-Hook naming him "the Sunderer," as a Havsbladen rite of passage.
Eddard

Lieutenant Eddard was a half-elf Blood Hunter sent to investigate the curse affecting the city of Kethis. He was accosted by the Cultists of Orcus there, and imprisoned by them. The party encountered him when they infiltrated the ruined church in the center of the city where the Cult had made their base. Recognizing some of the party as mages, he proved to be uncooperative and abrasive. Merric freed Eddard with a spell, but the Blood Hunter turned on the halfling shortly after, attempting to kill him. The rest of the party stepped in and killed him, using his blood as part of the Cult's ritual to open a chamber leading to the lower catacombs below the church where they were keeping Ingrid prisoner. The Blood Hunters' High Commander Aloysius O'Dare later claims to have somehow witnessed Eddard's death, and later captured the party himself on account of his killing - as well as other (perceived) charges and crimes.
Celtiar

Sel-Duarmia

Celtiar is the current leader of Sel-Duarmia, also known as the Stronghold, on the island of Krakengärd. A sea elf, Celtiar is the former High Trident of the Drowned, having abandoned the cult at some point to establish the Stronghold with other deserters. His father Celtius was a trusted lieutenant to Sartorius, the Knight of Storms, during the War of the Nine Knights. In the present, Celtiar is a cold and strict, if effective, leader who is held in high esteem by his people - both sea-elf and deep one.

Celtiar proved to be a stoic but effective ally to the Party during their time on the island, his seers Xaal-Tuogurrath and Arkin-Hook steering the party in the direction of the Tempest Armillary - as well as fighting alongside them in the defense of the Stronghold against an attack by Deepspeaker Morn.

It was later revealed that Celtiar maintains a discreet romantic relationship with his Captain at Arms, Ysuvara - who revealed to the party that it was she who eventually turned him away from the will of Cthar-R'yatha long ago, after he had fallen to the aboleth's sway after the death of his father, and being separated from their homeland of Halestrom. On their way to Sartorius's tower, Celtiar tasked the party with finding a ring that had apparently been stolen from them by the Mariners - implied to be an engagement ring. Ysuvara and the party negotiated with Z'yarthox for the ring's safe return to it's owner.

After being alerted to Virün's conspiracy and imprisonment of his scout, Uthogn'taa, Celtiar mounted an attack on Nightport (with whom he had maintained a tense but respectful relationship with under Hogarth) until the situation was diffused when the party once more appeared and dealt with Virün. Celtiar then formally allied his forces with Shaw and the rest of Nightport. Ysuvara - against Celtiar's desires - would accompany the party to the Sunken Temple to aid in the final assault on the Drowned.

In the aftermath of the final battle, Celtiar thanked the party for their efforts (and the safe return of what was now implied to be his wife), and dubbed them the "*Stormguard*" for their role in freeing the island from it's curse. Nymue would in turn give Celtiar the sword of Sartorius, taken from the Knight of Storm's tower, as a relic of the sea-elf's original heritage and the loyalty of his father.
Hajara Zalharad

Hajara Zalharad was the ninth Sovereign of Jadus, succeeding his mother, Shaatha, and preceding his twin children, Jericho and Jain, the current Sovereigns. He was the son of Vhadem and Shaatha Zalharad.

As a child Hajara was a strange and demented child, and continued to be an eccentric and cruel leader of the city - heavily diseased and mentally unstable. He had a hereditary skin condition as a result of the Zalharad's inbreeding, leaving his skin bleached and blemished - a condition inherited by Jericho. He was also severely scarred and deformed in his face, possibly from leprosy, which led Hajara to wear an elaborate golden mask in public to hide his hideous features and preserve the glamour and luxury promoted by the Zalharads and Jadus as a whole. He was mocked by his rivals and referred to by the infamous moniker "*the Leper Lord*" as a result.

Hajara made several strange demands and laws within his court, such as the approximate decimation of his harem once a year, public sacrifices to ancient gods which he himself would often perform in the nude, and an obsession with ancient Sethulhmet artifacts and histories. While Hajara had one of the longer rules as Sovereign - 41 years, second only to Suada - he was viewed as one of the more unstable rulers of the city, though he maintained a consistent peace through fear and intimidation that was still widely respected in the cruel desert region. He is unique as a Zalharad to have born his children not from a sibling - as he had none - but from an unknown concubine among his harem, perhaps diluting some of the Zalharad madness within the twins.

His children have had success as Sovereigns, despite their lineage. Hajara's legacy is currently one marked by his eccentricities and atrocities more than anything, but his rule is still fresh in the minds of Sethulhmet's people, and he is something of a modern standard of both positive and negative leadership, depending on who is asked.
Thaal the Relentless

Thaal the Relentless was a gnoll warlord and the leader of the gnoll faction of Heldegarde's Army during the Shattered War in the eastern front. Like Heldegarde herself, Thaal is a more minor figure considering the histories prefer to focus on the western front of the war, but his legacy is still an integral part of the Shattered Kingdoms era.

Already a well-known savage brute that was a terror to the dwarven kingdom of Mordenheim, Thaal's band were recruited by Astra Heldegarde into joining her northern horde in their formal conquest of the dwarves. While Thaal had been an enemy of the northmen as well, his hatred for the dwarves overrode his prejudices, and he fought alongside Astra as an equal during the war. Like her, however, the great gnoll would meet his end in the conflict and their conquest would ultimately fail in the face of dwarven fortitude.

Thaal became a legendary hero for the eastern gnolls however, to the point that even in the dark, apocalyptic wasteland of the present day - gnoll war chiefs honorarily attach the name "Thaal" to their own to signify their leadership of their warbands - as seen with Urzo-Thaal, leader of the largest war band in the modern age, the Red Claw.
Old Empire Era

***"The Old Empire"*** is the name given to one of the Eras or Ages of Noxerra's ancient past. Succeeding the *Time of Swords* - a period of great strife and war, between both mortals and extraplanar influences - the Old Empire era saw the rise of the Cathyrion Empire, and it's near-domination of the known world. Ruled by the wildly varying elven Emperors of House Cathyrion, the Empire lasted for roughly five hundred years, before it eventually collapsed beneath the weight of managing several unhappy provinces, vassal states, and lesser kingdoms - as well as an internal, religiously-motivated resistance movement that deposed the last Emperor. The fracturing of the Empire led into the following age - called the *Shattered Kingdoms* because of the wars between all of the states previously consolidated under Imperial rule.

The Old Empire is a period vaguely remembered in the post-war Noxerra wasteland, with "the Empire" now more commonly referring to the Sol Empire that preceded the ultimate collapse of Solerra. Still, the Sol Empire would not have existed as it did without the Cathyrion dynasty that preceded it several centuries earlier, and the ripple effects of the Empire can still be felt in the wasteland, if only faintly.
High Queen of Sol

The High Queen was the elven ruler of Sol before and during the Sol Rebellion that gave rise to the Sol Empire. Very little historical record remains of her, but she was known to be a tyrannical high elf who ruled Sol with an iron fist. She was allegedly a masterful magician and warrior, though despite her skill and valor she was a cruel and heartless ruler. The elves of Sol eventually rose up against her in revolution, and her own court mage - the elf would become the Mage-Emperor - betrayed her, gathering allies from across Solerra to rally with the Rebellion and overthrow her. She was defeated and killed in a battle between the Mage-Emperor and the Knights of the Nine. Her throne fell to the Emperor, who went on to turn Sol into the seat of power for the Empire. In the present, the High Queen is a distant memory, and mostly a footnote in the grander story of the rise and fall of the Empire during the War of the Nine Knights.
Evon Dagar

Morninguard Republic

Count Evon Dagar was a military commander of the Southron Hordes during the Shattered War, and a key figure of the Shattered Kingdoms era. Dagar was named a Count after the war by Kaiser Frederick Kaerwald for his efforts during the war, but would later lead several other noble families - called the Exile Houses - and peasants out of the kingdom and into the southern frontier to establish the Republic of Morninguard.

During the war, Dagar developed a great affinity and friendship with the orc tribes of the southern deserts and canyons, as well as the suel of Golgotha. The orc warlord Tharuuk the Hungering even named Dagar an honorary member of his tribe in the aftermath. This kinship he developed with the "savages" led to his later status as a pariah among the humans of Yarmouth and his ultimate decision to form a new government out of the Kaiser's shadow.

Dagar was also a noted rival of famous elven strategist Lord Cypherius Sarthyn. Their rivalry and deep respect for each other is detailed in Cypherius's Stratagem published after the war. Dagar led a detachment of soldiers to lay siege to the fortress city of Canwale in which Cypherius and his men had laid claim to en route to assist their allies within the Larethian Crusade to the north. For months the two languished in a stalemate as the siege carried on, until Cypherius eventually outsmarted and captured Dagar, becoming the "Hero of Canwale," for his efforts. Despite their rivalry and the threat Dagar posed, Cypherius refused to execute such a worthy opponent, and kept Dagar as a prisoner until the war's eventual end. The two would come to strike up a bizarre and lasting friendship during this period and after the war, their mutual respect never faltering, maintaining a consistent written correspondence through the years.
Irene Seward

Irene Seward was the ninth ruler of Valtoria, succeeding her husband King Parsifal III, becoming Queen Regent until their son, Martin, would come of age. The Queen Regent was controversial in her time for having been a commoner. She was an insurrectionist and royalist supporter that aided in Parsifal's return to power and uprising against the traitorous Lord Chancellor Gilliad Mansford and the parliament. Irene herself was a healer that tended to the insurrectionists' wounded - tending to the young Prince himself after a particularly bloody battle. The two fell in love during this time, and when Parsifal reclaimed the throne after his mother Wilhelmina abdicated her own claim so her son could rule, Parsifal married Irene, and she became Queen.

While unpopular with the nobility, Irene was stunningly popular with the peasantry, with she and her husband ushering in a period of trust and pride in the royals for the kingdom. When her husband died, Irene maintained his legacy and status quo of wise policies and friendly relations, educating her son Martin on proper ruling - proving to be a more than adequate ruler herself. When Martin came of age, Irene stepped down and her son was named King, with Irene serving him closely as an adviser until her own death some years later.
Eona Havelock

Eona Havelock, nee Harford, was the wife of Rennen Havelock and the mother of Reya Havelock. Much like her husband's mother, Eona was not gifted in the arcane arts but found her way into the Havelock Family nonetheless. While their marriage was short-lived due to both of their deaths, most accounts painted Eona and Rennen as the most pleasant members of the family. Eona died not long after her husband, who had once again fallen ill from the blood disease that pervades the Havelock's family line - a disease that was inherited by their daughter, Reya. Grief-stricken by her husband's death, Eona died of a heart attack in her sleep, orphaning her daughter who would be cared for from then on by her sister-in-law, Lady Illyana.
Fortunato Privateering Agency

Company Flag

The Fortunato Privateering Agency is one of the three major trading companies based in Ruby Point, in Sethulhmet. The Agency was founded by former pirate captain Alphonse Fortunato in 199 A.C. It is composed mostly of mercenaries and former pirates, specializing in trading both it's own manufactured goods as well as recovering and re-selling stolen goods from pirate ships that patrol Raider's Run and the surrounding seas. The Agency also patrols the trading routes on Sethulhmet's mainland, recovering lost goods from raider gangs and thieves. The Agency has a reputation for possibly illegally engaging and sinking the ships of it's competitors, the Emerald Eye Trading Company and the Phoenix Crest Merchants Guild, and redistributing the goods recovered from these ships - though the Agency typically claim to have been hired by one of the larger companies or a third party to perform these "privateering" raids. The Agency is currently under the leadership of ex-pirate Admiral Mundiata Zandt.
Parsifal II Seward

**King Parsifal II** was the sixth king of Valtoria, succeeding his father Parsifal I. Like his father, Parsifal II lived most of his life before ascending to the throne under the competent shadow of his grandfather, King Esmard. When the young Parsifal succeeded his father, he attempted to replicate his father's success during his short reign by hosting tournaments, feasts, and other gallant events for the masses. Unfortunately, Parsifal's reign coincided with a deadly plague that swept through Valtoria. The inexperienced Parsifal did little to ease the crisis, ignoring it and continuing to host events in feeble attempts to win the public's affections. His efforts proved to be in vain, as he was viewed to favor entertaining the aristocracy over dealing with the reality of the peasants. He was assassinated during a riot in the middle of one of his tournaments. This small rebellion was quickly snuffed out - and Parsifal was hastily succeeded by his sister, Queen Wilhelmina, for the King had no heirs himself (nor even a wife, sparking rumors regarding his sexuality that also pervaded his reign). He ruled for only three years before his untimely death.
Ghaunadaur

The Ancient One

That Which Lurks

The Consumer

The Great Maw

Ghaunadaur is the drow god of the subterranean life of the underdark - including oozes, slimes, and other foul creatures, as well as the god of outcasts and rebels among dark elves. He is often depicted as either a mass of slime himself, or a humanoid slime in the form of a drow, or some more concrete drow form - though by his nature his visage is constantly shifting in ancient artwork, with his symbol typically being a single, all-seeing eye. According to legend, Ghaunadaur was among the eldest of the gods - having risen from the first primordial ooze to form on a mortal plane. One of the more illusive members of the Dark Seldarine - sometimes depicted as a crafty and cunning schemer and other times an omnicidal monster desiring only to wreak havoc and consume whatever was in his path. His cults among the drow were equally calculated and measured or blatant in their bloodthirst. Like the god himself, his worshipers lacked true structure in the culture of Zventhos, though he was still honored for his place in the mythos of the drow people.
Rathos

Rathos is the current Chieftain of the War Riders. He is sometimes called *"the Animal,"* because of his bestial behavior in and out of battle. He is married to Eris, with whom he leads the War Riders. His mount is the saber-toothed snow leopard, Cleo. Rathos is adored by his people and feared throughout the North by the other tribes - being well known for his cruel sense of honor and pride, as he abides by a strict and sadistic "eye for an eye" philosophy.