The Expeditionary Force

The following page contains information about the current members of the expeditionary force. If you would like to add or edit your character's biography, please contact the ref team. For information on former members, please go here.

## Legion of the Maor Dli

### Thomas Rodger

Thomas was previously a member of the gentlemen bandits known as the Jolly Hood. After a failed ambush on the expeditionary force, he paid for his crimes in servitude and was given an opportunity to study magic after his sentence was fulfilled. After a year of failing to cast a spell, he was sent to the Expeditionary Force upon request from his teachers to gain a more practical sense of magic. Despite suspicions of the request, this was allowed by the Amontya Faelan and Tom was accepted as a member of the Circle of the Arcane where he spends his time and money trying to find answers to not only his home, the cursed forest of Broad Oak, but also his sudden and alarming surge in magical power in all disciplines he is yet to fully understand.

## The Guild of Croesus

### Eauxi (Gestalt)

Eauxi was born to Valclyan parents in the Northern deserts of Ásaterra and from a young age was raised by his father to undertake mercenary work. He was taught the arts of war and fighting and grew in strength as he and his father travelled around the land in search of work. Although his life was uncertain and dangerous Eauxi married a human woman and had several children and was soon to be a grandfather…but his life would never be so simple. The Conscription act and the consequential Civil War torn Eauxi’s family asunder and he and his father found themselves on opposite sides: Eauxi aligning with the Counsel forces, his father with the rebels. The two fought each other mercilessly and it was a close fight, but when it came to the killing blow his father could not bring himself to it and instead left his son and went into hiding. The war raged on and when the capital was taken, Eauxi’s family were killed in the process. Enraged and heartbroken by the loss of his family, Eauxi left the army and went his own way, wandering the land for years. Eventually the hardened Eauxi joined the newly formed Legion and was assigned to the 10th Cohort. On one of his missions acting as a guard for a Cataphract, Eauxi first encountered the Expeditionary Force. Fighting broke out over the fate of a young mage who allegedly burned down her family home and after he was abandoned by his partner, he found himself in the hands of the Expeditionary Force. He was released and later joined the party, firstly as a representative of the Legion and then transferring to the Guild where he recently was appointed its leader- a title he never asked for but was honoured to do so. Eauxi shows conviction and courage and work tirelessly to root out corruption and division in Ásaterra.

### Sir Conrad van Eisenstein (Eigen)

Formerly of the House of Eisenstein, a merchant family of high fortunes though little repute, Conrad was a lesser son. He currently does not stand to inherit much in his family's fortunes, and has never been in such a position. As a result, he scorned the path set for him by the circumstances of his birth and he went out into the world to make his own way.

Although he still bears the manners and trappings of his birth, Conrad is a consummate battlemage and professed follower of the god Sigismund. His faith is subtle in contrast to the more zealous Paladins of the gods, but battle peels away his veneers of sophistication and calm to reveal a ruthless, almost predatory fighter.

One of the longest serving Expeditionary Force members, he has stepped in and out of positions of responsibility over the year, serving as Gastald, Capitan, and Ambassador for the Guild at different times - but also as a Templar of Sigismund. Conrad has sworn himself utterly to the pursuit and destruction of daemon-kind, hunting them from the cold halls of Dubhris to the bewitched forests of the East to the sands of the North. There has been no immediate conflict with his duties to the Guild or to the Guild - in fact, plenty of overlap in that world order is dependent on peace, and a daemonic insurrection would be somewhat... damaging to national harmony.

Now, he serves once again as Eauxi's right-hand and raises his nephew, Lucien, in the arts of magic and cunning.

### Lucien Eisenstein

Although he may have been expected to follow his father into the role of heading up the House of Eisenstein, Lucien chose instead to follow his uncle into the expeditionary force. What is the point of running a household when there are far greater threats to the wider world to be vanquished? With a cheeky grin, the young mage took his place in the force with no doubt and no fear. Between missions, he can be found honing his skills in the Phoenix Fire Academy, advancing himself in the arts of lumo and umbramancy.

### Lady Sapphire Gemlock

Some may ask why is a farmer part of the Expedition, they have every right to do so. Sapphire comes from the rich lands of the West, from a humble farm where they worked to produce only the finest of turnips. It is likely they would have worked in this little village till their death, if only their friend Lucien had not promised them a short adventure into a forest. Simple, foolish and weak willed, Sapphire makes a poor choice for assisting the Expedition in any task. Yet, only time will tell if they prove these qualities or learn to grow past being a simple lost commoner to achieve their distant dream of fame

## The Circle of the Arcane

### Marius [Brenkya]

Also bearing the titles 'Adept of Majik', 'Scholar
of Magma' and 'Servant of the Circle', Marius was born in 1185 BA; 10 years
before the burning of the Grand Archives. He was taken under the tutelage of
Khatar Eldred, a skilled elven healer and terramancer. The two travelled to
Lyverva shortly before it was destroyed. Marius remembers seeing the great
building, walking the halls in awe. After a brief visit they left, however his
master then turned back a few days out saying he had forgotten something.
Whilst awaiting his master's return Marius saw the smoke and the flash of light
as the Library burned. A short time later he learned what happened to Lyverva
and knew his master had died there. He encountered the magical resistance
shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War and instantly signed up for their
cause, spending the entirety of the war doing everything and anything he could.

Marius quickly forgot his
Master’s core lesson; that “Magic exists to help people not to harm them,
magisters and healers be thou for the people.” Marius completely forewent his
healing training from that moment on, instead focusing on developing pyromancy
powers, to burn those who burnt his master. With the end of the war came the
end of his purpose. Marius secreted himself away in the libraries of both the
South and East, devoting himself to research and distancing himself from
politics and the realm of Ásaterra. His research lead him to studying the
primal forces of the land, as the furthest thing from the nobility he could
find, trying to become a pure academic. Marius became so distanced from the
world he barely recognised the passage of time, leading to a number of awkward
situations where he talked about dead men as if they were still alive. Most
notably Selwysi Benedict, who he found out was dead more than 40 years after it
happened and even got his own age wrong repeatedly until someone actually told
him the date. Upon hearing of the joint Task Force from the different factions,
Marius left his comfortable library and joined up. Though not an important or widely known member of the Circle, Marius still believes in doing everything he
can to prevent history repeating itself, especially the persecution of Mages.

Marius never removes his hat in company of others and those who touch his hat immediately earn his ire. His
naginata is a constant reminder of the costs and responsibility of power, though not even Marius is sure whether it is the same one passed down to his
master from his own master and so on, or if it is a perfect recreation.

### Vivian Vihart Illumae [Eyla]

Vivian Vihart Illumae is a stern, uppity half-elf who has no time for foolishness, especially when the fate of the world so frequently hangs in the balance. Intensely logical and brutally efficient, Vivian takes their role in the Expeditionary Force as a combat physician very seriously. While they take little pleasure in it, they also dabble in the dark art of Umbramancy. When they're not on a mission with the Expeditionary Force, they can be found at the Phoenix Fire Academy, where they work as an Alchemist in Residence.

### Ytharra [On Leave]

    Ytharra was raised by her father in the Erendyl clan, a travelling Elven company which specialised in the craftsmanship of unique bows and Elven weaponry. The Erendyl clan are famed for travelling across all of Eastern Ásaterra selling their wares to the noble families and armies of the Elven Lands. Like most of her kin, only those whom Ytharra trusts completely have had the privilege of learning her family name.

At a young age Ytharra discovered that she possessed great skill in the art of magic, taking to it more naturally than others would expect at her age. Her curiosity and thirst for knowledge about her gifts lead her to clan elders who taught her everything they knew. When they would approach the Elven cities, Ytharra would often sneak out to wander the city libraries and book stores, hungry for the knowledge they could contain. Growing frustrated with her limited resources, her Elders told her various tales of mythical creatures born from magical energy.

With just an old wives tale to cling to, Ytharra began her journey of self-discovery. It was along her travels that she met her mentor the mysterious Sparrow. Taking her under his wing, Sparrow provided the knowledge Ytharra yearned for, and this was where Ytharra was able to truly hone her skills in magic.

When The Circle of the Arcane began to form, Ytharra was intrigued and started to follow its development, despite that in doing so she was going against Sparrow’s wishes. Ytharra admired The Circle’s drive for knowledge and so began to offer her services, hoping to help recover the lost texts that were taken from them.

In her latest expedition she was under the watchful eye of Faelan, a mysterious Elf who holds much power within the guild. After thoughtful judgement, Faelan was impressed by Ytharra’s drive, cunning, and intuition that lead to The Circle gaining useful information. It was soon after Ytharra was promoted, becoming a faction commander, granting her the title of Brenkya.

Ytharra is young, and may even appear naïve to the outside eye; but be warned Ytharra is calculative and cunning. Possessing a fearsome dedication to the Circle’s cause, she will stop at nothing to gain the information and knowledge that was once lost.

Ytharra has currently stepped down from her position to embark on a secret mission.

### BHELEN

BHELEN isn't much of a thinker. A former gladiator put through a table one too many times, the dwarf grew up in a miasma of violence and adulation in the arenas of Asaterra and seems an odd fit amongst the Circle of the Arcane. In camp; jovial and crude. In battle; a screaming berserker. BHELEN sizes up everybody he meets, including deities. When he is not seeking greater challenges among the great and the good of the Expeditionary Force’s foes, BHELEN captains a small band of fighters out of Dubhris. These ‘Begstrung boys’ are a tight knit group of warriors who share their captain’s boisterous attitude and competitive streak.

## The Warriors of the Dark Sun

### Jugo (Ciad)

Born 1273 BA in the western
lands of Ásaterra to a minor, albeit successful trading caravan, Jugo spent
most of his young life on the road, travelling from town to city surrounded by
lights and laughter. It was during this time that he learnt the basics of any
rouge; a deft hand and silent feet. After fifteen summers, Jugo left the
nomadic life and journeyed south with the intention of finding The Warriors of
the Dark Sun, and was enlisted by the next winter . Despite leaving the
Western regions, Jugo still maintains a good relationship with The Guild of
Croesus, particularly Spyder, and is still a common face in The Webway. Jugo
excelled with the Dark Suns, and rose through the ranks, honing his skills. In
the year 1292 BA, Jugo was tasked with protecting the Lady Alecto Blackthorne
on an important expedition. It was on this mission that Jugo sacrificed an eye
to the Goddess of Death, an action that has caused much controversy and rumour
among the factions. Despite this apparent weakness, Jugo has only thrived and
continues to perfect his abilities in order to protect the guild and serve Lady
Death.

Following the retirement of Lady Alecto Blackthorne from active
duty, Lady Larka has seen fit to name Jugo her new second-in-command, a great
honour for one still so young.

Common responses to the question "What happened to your
eye?"

- "I bet it on the new generation."

- "It was the entry fee in a card game."

- "I gave it to a friend for safe keeping."

### Bardou (Dàrna)

Bardou is a Wolf Beastkin from the Taghan Woods, but rarely speaks of how he came out of the woods and into The Expeditionary Force. His more 'savage' ways have often caused rifts between himself and other members of The Expeditionary Force, his insistence, early on, of eating his defeated enemies caused many to regard him as stupid and unintelligent. As he spent more time with The Expeditionary Force he bonded with other beastkin and members of The Warriors of the Dark Sun, he can usually be found in Jugo's company, who, has been said to be a bad influence, often encouraging Bardou to play up his savage appearance, lack of intelligence and manners. His belief that the world exists in a circle of life, often leading him to leave 'prepared' bodies for smaller animals, along with his unerring allegiance to Nitphil has lead some to regard him with some level of pity, but behind all this is a strong and proud beast, often wading into the thick of combat with a howl on his lips and a greataxe in his hands.

### Lady Larka Daepad

***See also:*** Lady Larka Daepad

Lady Larka Daepad (b. 1201 B.A) is a half-elf hailing from the Elven kingdom of Valclya, but has lived in Ásaterra for over twenty years. She became a landed lady fifteen years ago for significant services to Ásaterra and in 1281 B.A was promoted to the position of unit commander. In 1278 B.A, she and her close friend Lord Anastasius Opilio d'Maele became the joint legal guardians of Alecto Blackthorne, who served as her Second. Lady Larka is currently in deep cover on a top secret mission.