Avalon

## The Home of The Party

**Avalon** is an island hidden away within the Mists of Albion, surrounded on all sides by a whirling gale created by the immense azure ball of fire that floats above the islands center.

This island itself is, in addition to the city on the surface, a multi-floored underground complex and Dungeon run by Dungeon Keeper Merlin and his many minions and companions. It is the home of The Party.

## The Many Inhabitants

Avalon is called home by many different Races. Due to the strange habits (and even stranger hiring policies) of the people running the island the population include Human, Dwarf, Iskai'i, Tentacle Monsters, Orcs, Goblins, True Demons, Vorlon, Spirits,...

The sheer variety of people and creatures living on Avalon rivals even the most bustling of Underworld cities.

Avalon is also home to the one part of the last remainders of the Vorlon people, with the other part dwelling on Nakiridaani.

## The Dungeon of Merlin

The minions working in the Dungeon are divided into one of 6 Departments. Each minion, with the exception of Department Heads and Department Vice-Heads, is also obliged to work in another Department a certain amount of time each week in order to broaden their skills and interact more with their coworkers. The Six Departments are:

### Magic Department

*Department Head:* Thomas Garl

*Department Vice Head:* Count Shambles

*Alchemy Sub-Department Head*: Nurgle

*Gardening Sub-Department Head*: Sirra

*Medical Sub-Department Head:* Hans

The Magic Research Department is tasked with a myriad of tasks relating to the study, research and application of Magic Theory. This Department has three Sub-Departments: The Alchemy Department, the Gardening Department and the Medical Department which are part of the department as a whole but are given a certain level of autonomy.

### Information Department

*Department Head:* Cecelia Brimstone

*Head of Zyreema Operations:* Kalandra

*Head of Albion* *Operations:* Jared

Tasked with gathering, processing (and sometimes spreading) information this department manages all of Avalon's spies and external contacts.

### Logistics Department

*Department Head:* Melissandragorana

*Department Vice Head: ?*

In charge of the Treasury and all of the wealth and resources of Avalon as well as responsible for the steady stream of income, the Logistics Department is indispensable to the islands function. A large part of its operations are done under the names of proxy companies (some fake and some real) such as Garl.Co and groups on Zyreema and in The Underworld.

### Crafting Department

*Department Head:* Dietlinde

*Department Vice Head:* Rothgar

The workers in the Crafting Department work round the clock to ensure that all of Avalon is running smoothly. They repair equipment and develop new tools (and of course - weapons) for the Dungeon.

### Defense Department

*Department Head:* Herveus

*Department Vice Head: /*

*Animal Handling Sub-Department Head*: Xiphos

Not the "Military Department" - the "**Defense** Department". Avalon, under command of The Party has quite a few regulations in place to keep a "defense only" policy when it comes to use of its troops (with a few exceptions). The Defense Department encompasses all of Avalon's military forces and handles all matters regarding their training and mobilization. The Animal Handling Sub-Department is part of the Defense Department despite it being located on a separate floor and takes care of the islands many species of Magical Beasts that are used on the island by the Defense and other Departments.

### Cleaning Department

*Department Head:* Elaine

*Cleaning Sub-Department Head:* Ogin

Consisting mostly of imps, goblins and some trolls and orcs, this Department's priority is to keep all of Avalon and its facilities in good working condition. The Dungeon is mostly self-cleaning due to the effects of the Dungeon Heart but a personal touch is needed now and again to get rid of some of the stubborn messes the Minions have a talent for making.

## The Layout

An unusual Dungeon by many standards.

While there have been instances where Dungeon Keepers made their base on islands, having a Dungeon actually be located within the Mists of Albion is unheard of and unprecedented.

But that is not all, not just the location but the layout as well, is also unlike any other Dungeon.

### The Surface Town

On top of the multi-layered structure lies the a town area which houses not only minions and workers within the Dungeon but also some of their families (provided that a certain screening process was passed). The topmost town contains not only residential areas but also a plethora of other miscellaneous locations such as a marketplace where one kind finds all sorts of goods (ranging from products from the Underworld to even products from the Mist Islands, such as Minos and Nakiridaani), a tavern and local watering hole (known as "The Frixy Pixie" and run by the local bard), a shipyard (the Crafting Departments station for work that needs to be done under the open sky), and even a memorial site.

A black keep, dubbed "Stormeye Keep" by the locals, is situated in the center of the town, surrounded by a moat and high walls. This keep is the only "official way"(with several clandestine routs existing on a need-to-know basis) to go to the lower floors of the Dungeon and functions as a guardhouse for the surface town. Dungeon Keeper Merlin's office is located on the topmost floor of the keep's singular tower.

In addition, the Grand Necromancer Falya, daughter of Moslyeas and the one who raised Herveus as a Death Knight, has recently been given a residence on the top of Avalon. She lives there with her lieutenants and a small armies worth of Skeletons.

### The Underground Town

A part of the surface town, this section of Avalon was created to house those who have an aversion to daylight. The marketplace extends down into this area and there are some shops that can only be found here. Once more there are no "official" way to go downwards into the lower floors from here, you would need to pass the checkpoint in Stormeye Keep for that.

### The Sandwich Floors

"The Sandwich Floors" are floors between floors. They are made up of winding hallways, defensible positions and countless traps. Under normal circumstances these floors are circumvented when one is going down the Dungeon but with the use of a few mechanisms the usual path down is blocked off, making it so that any invader would be forced to make their way trough the sandwich floors or break trough thick enchanted stone while being shot at.

### Floor 1: Fields of Avalon

This floor contains fertile land illuminated by dozens of ceiling lights (the ceiling itself was painted blue in order to imitate a sky). This is the floor where most of the food for the Dungeon is made. This floor is also home to the Animal Handling Sub-Departments "ranch" where many species are breed for the purposes and either giving materials to the Dungeon or aiding in the work of the Defense Department. Notable locations on this floor include the checkpoint leading up to Stormeye Keep, the ranch and the lagoon nest for the **Hydra** (which is part of the ranch).

### Floor 2: The White Garrison and The Black Cells

The second floor is home to Avalons Defense Department and Investigation Department. Minions can be seen here moving between the wide array of training rooms and pouring over maps, reports and projected tactical plans for the future. The floor is also home to the the access tunnel to the underwater prison dubbed "The Black Cells" as well as the Magically warded meeting room where the Department Heads hold general meetings.

This floor (like the 2 floors bellow it) contain sensitive data and have a myriad of security precautions built in to keep the threat or infiltration as low as possible (and several mechanisms to purge documents in order to prevent them from coming into enemy hands).

The Defense Department has many smaller garrisons located on other floors that are maned just in case something should happen.

### Floor 3: Bulwarks of Metal and Paperwork

Home to the Crafting Department and the Logistics Department, this floor is bustling with people moving to all corners of Avalon and beyond. Thanks to the Teleportation Hub located on this floor materials, goods and personnel are constantly transported between Avalon and its trading partners and branches.

The Second Treasury is located on this floor and it contains all non-dangerous treasure and materials (foodstuffs used on Avalon and materials used by the Crafting Department are located here, while treasure like gold, jewels and magic items are kept in the primary treasury)

### Floor 4: Watch Out For Explosions

Floor four of Avalon is a place of immense wisdom.........and lunacy.

Home to the Magic Research Department, this floor contains many labs, libraries and testing areas. Knowledge of both Good and Evil as well as many rare materials (some of which can not be found anywhere else in the world) is at the disposal of the very enthusiastic (and sometimes a bit too enthusiastic) workers. Access to this floor is carefully regulated, as well as the floors bellow it, is carefully regulated.

### Floor 5: Garden of Avalon

Few minions have permission to walk trough the heavy, warded door leading to Merlin's garden. This place is home to many species of plants gathered from all over The World and beyond that are carefully taken after the Dungeon Keeper. The Garden is also notable for being home to the main body of Avalon's resident Dryad - Nimue. Her roots grow all throughout the walls and stretch trough the entirety of Avalon.

### Floor 6: Demons Throne Room

In comparison to the rest of the Dungeon, this floor is much smaller in size. Also, in comparison to the rest of the Dungeon, it has a surprising lack of foot traffic. The entire floor belongs to the Horned Reaper and in decorated to his tastes (bearing horrifying visages that Merlin had to personally spend weeks getting how Red liked them).

If the Horned Reaper is not located here then he can be found wandering around Avalon, gleefully devouring food in the surface mess hall or in one of the second floor heavy duty training rooms.

Except for the Horned Reaper and Merlin's visits for their regular bouts nearly no one else is allowed (and is willing even if able) to come down here. No person, not even Department Heads, is allowed to go bellow this floor without direct permission, guidance and oversight of the Dungeon Keeper himself.

### Floor 7: Death Trap Floor

There is no seventh floor of Avalon. Very few people know about this fact, Even among the Department Heads.

Envisioned by the devious mind of Thomas Garl and made into reality by Dietlinde, this floor is a downwards spiral of countless lethal traps meant to fool whomever is walking into it that they are on the final approach to a Dungeon Keepers Heart chamber. If one manages to reach all the way to the bottom of the floor they will come face to face with a pool of magma, at the bottom of which lies a door giving of the distinct magical tells of a Dungeon Heart. Anyone who reaches this door will be blasted by an array of spell traps meant to obliterate any who would come into contact with the door.

The real path to the actual Dungeon Heart chamber is located in a small hidden (by both magical an mundane means) passage within the lava flow.

### Dungeon Heart Chamber

Beyond the hidden door one will come up into a small lagoon followed by a long, winding (and heavily booby trapped) corridor that leads to the true Dungeon Heart Chamber of Avalon.

## Notable NPC's

* Sonia, the young, skittish Dark Elf that was the first to join us from Galakatah's former minions. Expert at getting out of danger and very bad at lying.
* Lucy, the young girl that is also Thomas's apprentice.
* Elaine, formerly the medium for Galakatath and current Head of the Cleaning Department, lover to Venna
* Venna, Dark Elf, Ambusher Captain and Elaine's lover.
* Francis, the surprising informed orc, in charge of Avalons Armory.
* Sirra, the jolly Dji'kas member of the Magic Department, now our specialist in Iskai'i Magic. She is also a valuable help with Merlin's Garden (one of the few Minions that have permission to enter it without supervision)
* Valna, Avalon's resident Dark Mistress
* Tserk, the slimy green tentacle monster (surprisingly sophisticated)
* Jared, the suave information broker who lives in Evercalm, can occasionally be found on Avalon.
* Melissandragorana aka "Melissa", the Head of the Logistics Department
* Thomas Garl, Head of the Magic Research Department
* Count Shambles, Vice-Head of the Magic Research Department
* Kalandra, currently working in Byzantinople, can be found here during her breaks from work.
* Ogin, muscular construct, eats lightning and Head of the Cleaning Sub-Department
* Brugly, the Goblin Matron of one of our Goblin Clans and Head of the Kitchen
* Urtag, former head of the second Goblin Clan
* Giblet, current head of the second Goblin Clan
* Gimpy, Goblin, brother to Giblet
* Golly Gosh, another Goblin the second clan
* Rothgar, Former Head of the Crafting Department, happy to turn over his paper pushing position over and to commit himself back to forge work.
* - Van, The Vampire Slaying Goblin
* Jeffry, one of the warlocks
* Karmickle, one of the warlocks
* Nurgle, the slim Bile Demon Alchemist
* Xana, Queen of the Ice Spider Clan, assistant to Henry
* The Horned Reaper, friends and sworn enemies call him "Red" - and Horned Reapers have no friends.
* Mary Oglewatch, a former Underworld historian and current informant living on Albion.
* Denis, the young, slightly pudgy, Dark Elf medical assistant
* Forfri, Orc in the Animal Handling Department
* Calvin, Dark Elf Ambusher
* Hobbs, Goblin Worg Rider
* Gruk, Orc Heavy Armor Infantry
* Buffy, Orc Heavy Weapons Specialist
* Amala Coalback, young Dwarf Priestess of Fear
* Gilgamesh, the incubus owner of Avalon's favorite (and only) watering hole and tavern: "***The Frixy Pixie***"
* Dietlinde, Head of the Crafting Department and the architect that designed Avalon.
* Nimue, Avalon's resident Dryad and Merlin's Familiar.
* Raszagal, the Matriarch of the Vorlon Renegades and strong psychic.

#### Former Inhabitants of Note

* Aldaris, Judicator and representative of (what remains of) the Vorlon Conclave, moved to Nakiridaani.
* Henry Mason, "officially betrayed" Merlin and took over Garl Company.
* Hongshir does what heroes do and swore to return in Merlin's hour of need.