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This tavern talk included the wonderful talents of (click for twitter): Matt and Reid
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Thanks zxmattxz for the Follow!
Tavern Talk – Styles of Play and Baybreeze Background
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I would like to cackle in an evil fashion thinking I’ve thwarted you guys with another combo-extra-sode…but it seems that these don’t actually bother people so I’ll have to leave the cackling to Chagur. A little less talk on Baybreeze’s background then due to him, but hopefully you find the discussion meaningful or entertaining or you get mad or something. Come to the website if you can’t see the full background below www.pathlesspod.com.
- Born in the Kingdom of Cecil, Baybreeze Wimble Korren lived in a quiet forest town near the ocean with his gnome father, a woodworker by trade who is known for his wooden masks, and his mother, who assisted in the sale of these wooden items. Baybreeze watched day in and out as men and woman of all shapes and sizes came and went. He sat by the docks and listened to stories of love, loss, and triumph all due to the great sea. He could not accept a life of whittling wood like his father, especially for the creepy witches that would buy his masks. So one day he resolved that next time the tide came in, he would be follow it out.
- Baybreeze stowed away on the ship of Captain Basset who upon finding him, told him that one rule of The Craw is that all stowaways must fight for their lives. He handed his rapier to young Baybreeze and told him to fight if he wanted to live. Baybreeze with no hesitation picked up the rapier scared for his life and the crew all changed from threatening to laughter. Baybreeze has captain Basset’s rapier to this day.
- After 50 long years at sea Baybreeze worked his way up the ranks and built a name for himself on the seas. One night the Captain asked to see him in his quarters, the First Mate, a Tiefling named Tarta was discussing their next big take when Baybreeze arrived and was told to go to bed for the night. The Captain then took this time to explain to Baybreeze that though Tarta was the first Mate she values death over booty and no true pirate can live this way. He was getting old, being human, and in his 20’s when he first found Baybreeze as a stowaway and it was time for him to give up a life of sea. He dare not break the pirate’s code and give Tarta her spot as captain as she had been with him from the beginning, but he wondered if he could convince Baybreeze to retire as well and start a new adventure on the dry land of a new continent along his side. He claimed the next port was his destination and he was sure there was treasure and adventure waiting there, along with a reliable warm, dry, bed for his old body.
- There was only two days left till port when a sudden and violent storm hit the ship. Things were chaotic as they tried to hold the ship and all its cargo together and somewhere at the end of the storm Captain Basset was missing. Most chalked it up to his old age no longer being able to handle the high seas, some only thought but dare not blame Tarta who stood to gain from the loss. Regardless everyone drank all of the cargo worth of ale until they more or less crashed into a dock at port and stumbled onto dry land.
- Baybreeze was in the land of new adventure, and even if he didn’t know before whether he was ready to leave the seas he knew he no longer had a captain he could follow back out at this time. He traveled inward, maybe as a final gift to his resting friend’s spirit.
- He ported in Piazza, a large city with large houses that housed many in separate dwelling. There were men that opened the doors for these houses as if that were their full time job. What else was interesting about this town was that they seemed to have many independently moving mechanical objects. Some for work and some for pleasure, the town was full of vendors that sold little toys that could talk and move their arms with the wind of a key. While he was in port he also looked at the ships, amazed to see that even a dingy cost 2000 gold. The people in this land were definitely something else.
- As he walked around and talked to individuals he found that the city is full of many skilled artificers and even those who work for and with these people are very well off.
- He heard that the land was currently in a war, but not to worry as it has been in one for 200 years now with the neighboring land of Gorm.
- As he walked the streets of town his eyes caught a platinum necklace with a large topaz at the end and two bracelets covered in jewels. He then noticed that they were on a beautiful half elf girl.
- He suavely introduced himself to her as a lonely world renowned pirate in from see in desperate need of a guide through this town, she was not scared nor impressed, but seemed oddly fascinated with him. He later found that there were few gnomes in the land of Felicia and she was greatly attracted to his style of dress (and tattoos?) which was refreshing from the standard trends of their town.
- Within hours Baybreeze found his way into one of the fancy houses with door holders but he was insisted on having to climb through the window around back by the young half elf Adelaide. This house unlike the others only housed one family, and was full of expansive art work and ornaments that Baybreeze could just see the gold pouring out of. Before he had a chance to choose which items to carry he was whisked off by the hand upstairs to a room that seemed rather juvenile for Adelaide unless he had greatly misjudged her age…he hope he didn’t. There were light colored walls with paintings of forests and horses. Around the room were what looked like children’s toys, just more detailed and intricate than he had ever seen. As he looked around the room he saw a shelf in the room with jewelry similar in quality and size and value to what she was wearing. He walked over and asked about each piece gathering appraisal information to save some effort for later. It was while she was talking about the make and specific Jewels within a tiara that the Man whose job it was to open Door shouted “Announcing the arrival of Duke Greggors” at this Adelaide freaked and insisted that Baybreeze go out the window of her second story room. She began to herd him towards it as her father voice trailed toward her room. Baybreeze attempted to grasp just one of the items as she pushed him away from them toward the window and failed. In final attempt he asked for a token to remember her by, something of great beauty and value much like herself that he would have to return so they could see each other again. She agreed and quickly reached toward all the expensive jewelry to grab a rather drab looking stone horse. She told him that her father brought it home from a trip he took up north a couple months ago and strictly told her to keep it safe and hidden because though you can put a value on jewelry and art works you can’t put a value on true magic. Putting this within Baybreeze’s hands and pushing him out the window she called to him that the horse would bring him back later that evening. This yell had called the attention of some wandering town guards whose post the perimeter of the Duke’s Mansion. They then yelled that there was a half man coming out of the Duchesses bedroom and began to pursue. Baybreeze was able to get the slip of them but before doing so yelled you have not seen the last of the great pirate Baybreeze Wimble Korren. In his hiding and keeping distance he found that more and more people were looking at him and it was later that night when a new guard interrogated him of being a gnome near the Duke’s house today that he knew he’d have to leave the town. He really wished he had one of his father’s wooden masks at a time like this.
- Heading further inland not by the traditional roads for fear of being recognized he got to a field of food which seemed to be a farm. Arriving late at night he crashed in a barn and stole water and feed from the animals housed there, he was amazed to see how many animals there were and belts of metal that made long stretches from the feed bin down in front of all the animals in wooden stalls. It was the morning whirring of machines that woke him up. Assuming he was at sea and not expecting all the mechanical noise he made a startled grunt which drew the attention of a nearby Human who was winding these metallic objects with a large key not too far from his location. This man threatened Baybreeze, but Baybreeze was easily able to explain off the situation and get the Man’s name. He was a head Tech, a term foreign to Baybreeze, named Lecky, and they were on Hick’s food processing center.
- Lecky took a liking to Baybreeze who shared stories with him and gave him more attention than most, so he explained the way the food processing center worked which was actually just a really weird farm. The workers were generally underpaid, but the Felicia outlawed slavery so it isn’t slave labor. It functions of using technology to feed and care for more animals and produce more food at a lesser price. Hick’s owns the farm but is never there. He lives in the city of Piazza and actually recently purchased dukeship of the land 5 years ago. Lecky explained this was typical of land ownership, it was traded based on value and possible income. That actually this used to be more wooded and ran by elves back in the day, or so they say. He got excited when he talked of the elves and insisted on bringing Baybreeze to the ruins of the original owner’s home.
- He stated that the owner’s home predated the start of Felicia, though he doesn’t know much else about it. Within the ruins Baybreeze could see it was remarkable architecture with more feeling than functionality, in contrast to the farm/food processing center that ran around it. Lecky excitingly hurried Baybreeze along to his favorite part. A wall sized Marble tapestry that was cracked in crumbling over 80% of its image. It truly must have been a site in its full glory and gave Baybreeze that awe inspiring feel that he thought only the sea could provide. He spent a good amount of time looking over the marble, trying to make out details and ultimately could only piece together an image of people with hands in the hair and in front of their faces with some sort of lines connecting from what may have been the sky to the people. In the corner of the tapestry he also found an inscription in elven that Lecky did not know what he meant, so Baybreeze wrote it down and took it with him.
- In conversation with Lecky Baybreeze also learned of the major highways that connect the north to the south with the capital at the center. The south to the Capitol is Darius Pass, the North to the capitol is Belvin’s way. Lecky encouraged Baybreeze to visit the capital if he really enjoyed the experience of the elven ruins.
- They also discussed magic to a tiny bit and Lecky knew little about it, but states that the Greyjaws up south hold on to much more mystical beliefs and embrace tech less so maybe Baybreeze will find something up there.
- Baybreeze makes it to the capitol hitching a ride on the many caravans that travel Darius’ Pass.
- While there he is greeted by very nice guards, offered free tours of the capitol. See beautiful floral arrangements and very skilled wood work of statues overlaid in silver as well as signs similarly made. He finds that the majority of population in Felicia is Human, Elf, and Half-Elf. That it was founded by slaves on the run from their Master by a guy named Murdok.
- He also couldn’t find anyone who could read his inscription but was told that it was ancient Elvish and only an elf from the old world could read it and there was one such further north, the Duke Penlod.
- He traveled alongside Belvin’s Major Trade River Trinada seeing minor trade towns along the river until he reached Penlod Xiloscient: Duke of MericÍ (Mare-uh-see) which also happened to be the gathering grounds for the armies new recruits. He was surprised to see nothing else on the land other than tents, fires, and one large mansion similar to the elven ruins he saw, but it felt as though it had less heart at least from the outside.
- The door to the large mansion was answered by Penlod who introduced himself as such. Baybreeze noticed over their time together that he was a rather twitchy man and a bit off though very friendly toward Baybreeze who won him over with his wit and charm and most of all the fact that he carried a rapier.
- Baybreeze gets tour of house, notices that Penlod lives completely alone with no servants. He has a son who is out traveling named Quarian and these are the only painted pictures on the wall, though some pictures were taken down or missing given the empty space in certain areas. Penlod showed him his rapier collection and talked of his dream to get a Diamondback rapier, a rapier made out of pure Diamond. When asked why he doesn’t have one he stated they only come from a hidden location in the north east and Penlod only owns rapiers that can be shipped to him or brought by another party. His collection was very impressive and well cared for. Feeling a bit sorry for Penlod and happy for his hospitality Baybreeze offers him Captain Basset’s rapier thinking that this would have been a wonderful resting place for the Captain in his old age, and knowing that the rapier would be cared for much better than he ever could.
- Penlod is unable to read ancient elven anymore as he barely speaks the tongue this past 300 years since he struck his deal with King Murdok and Felicia was formed. Also feeling trusting of Penlod, Baybreeze shows him the house, and Penlod states that he can still feel the magic flowing through things and though he is out of practice this small horse has a great power hidden within it. He suggests that Baybreeze go to Tribeck to the great library there to see if his Elvish could be translated. Additionally there may be someone who knows about his stone horse or at least a book about it. Penlod hopes Baybreeze will come back soon and asks him to stay the night before leaving.
- Baybreeze arrives at Tribeck when the story begins.
Tavern Talk – Warlocks in 5E / Notch Stern Background
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Combosode that may confuse you. Yes it is a tavern talk and yes it is an companion episode for the Lightlessness campaign. Probably a bad idea to mix categories. But did you really want a 20 minute and then a 15 minute episode? Maybe you did…see below for Notch’s background semi discussed in episode.
- Notch is a Tiefling Warlock with a love of all things knowledge.
- Notch grew up in the city life of Piazza, where he lived in a shared dwelling with separate living spaces called a Seperatment. He was always different from birth being one of the few pure tieflings that had come from a time his parents referred to as A-ru-drah (spoken like three barks) which was abyssal for the breaking of chains. He later grew up to learn from his parents what it really meant
- The human Murdok Stromal came to the land with ten thousand men of many races, majority elven and human. They were all slaves until Murdok led a rebellion and they fled from their land across the Tiber (Tib-er) ocean. They worked within a plant creating clockworks for a man known as the Emerald King in the land of Samara, and had stolen parts over time to build a large raft like hovercraft which Murdok had designed. When it was completed Murdok convinced all the plant workers across a large whole of the land’s assemblies to destroy their work places and those clockworks that were in charge of reporting back to the King or winding his soldiers. They made it to the Land now known as Felicia and vowed to gain support through alliances and use their tools and knowledge to build up a force to protect if the Emerald King sent minions across the Ocean. Felicia was mainly inhabited by spaced out families of Elves, some druidic in nature, sects of dwarves which kept separate from the elves, and a united society of Dragonborns with provinces throughout the land. The elves welcomed their brothers in the race among their people and supported their brother’s friends. The dwarfs were promised technology from Samara if they were to share their land and help. But the Dragonborns threatened to send the slaves back to their master as this was their way and beliefs. Because of this the elves out of a desire to protect their kin, the dwarves interested in the technology, and Murdok with his army of ten thousand went to each province and asked for amnesty, if this was not granted they were forced to destroy that province. Ultimately to this day no one has ever come from Samara to regain their slaves.
- Piazza is a shoreline town that is very expensive to live in. Most of the people who live there are in charge of making and designing machines known as Forge. Some big, some small, they all are based off exact engineering to run off fire, water, air, or wound gears. There are those who sell smaller machines with less purpose to tourists, such as toys, or small noise makers known as alarms that hit a bell after a certain hour cycle when set.
- Notch was more or less accepted for his abyssal bloodline and qualities throughout his life, his parents had come from parents who knew the great evil of having freedom taken away and making machines of destruction. Though the mature in his society never treated them negatively he was set apart in being the only pureblood Tiefling in all his learnings by the Half-Evlen Scholar Silvio.
- Silvio always treated notch as a certain favorite due to more than their shared interest in books. He had noticed from a young age that Notch had a spiritual understanding beyond his own and some link to that world. Small things would happen when Notch engaged deeply in discussion about these beliefs in an Old One, which no one had ever taught him about. After assisting in the raising of Notch he saw that Notch was destined for more than being a Forge-head as he would refer too many of the kid’s parents on some occasions. He encouraged Notch to head up north to study among some of the original land dwellers (Known by some in the south as Greyjaws) whose ways of life were still very spiritual and their reliance on Gods and the supernatural unaffected by the Forge that had changed the lives of those in the south. Though Notch’s parents were not happy when asked by Notch to travel up North when he became a man of age, they knew he wasn’t quite right, though they not dare admit it, or mess with their very pleasant social standing among the people. They feared many would have no problem making the slight jump to demonic, which would not go well.
- With some money from his parents for the journey Notch set off up North on the very popular Darius’ Pass and took some turns east in the spur of the moment until he heard of a tribe of dwarves known as the Topart Tribe, in the Scronag Mountains. These mountain dwarves are a close knit tribe that were here before the country of Felicia was united, some argue their existence in these lands rival that of the elves. The strange mountains rarely connect at the base which average 20 to 100 ft. in diameter. From that base they shoot up vertically up to two miles high, all very steep but the rock is solid. So much so that the Topart tribe has hollowed out caves for dwelling within the base of these spire-like mountains. Many in the south know of these mountains and are perplexed by their existence given that there are 233 mountain peaks and a natural explanation for the formation of such a formation has yet to be found. For the dwarves of the Topart tribe the explanation is simple:
- Game and sustenance on the Scronag mountains: Though not readily known or believed by many the Topart Tribe hunts Yeti’s that live and move between spires in the dead of night. The largest of spires have hidden dwellings up high beneath the snow. The tribe also compete with the Yeti’s in hunting griffin’s that make nests at the tips of the spires. Griffin eggs are quite the treat and Notch misses them dearly. While with the Topart tribe for 2 years he had only seen one successful yeti kill. To bring a Yeti to the Topart people is to gain their respect and acceptance to their society.
- The Moon: While living up in the Scronag Mountains Notch was able to learn to climb well from the people and spent many evenings high up on peaks studying and mapping the stars. He had found a strange fascination with the moon during this time which led to random unexplainable events similar to those during his childhood but on a greater scale. He felt powerful near the moon, and over time learned to harness this internal power. One night of a full moon, while training high up a spire Notch was hit by strong winds, within these winds were words in abyssal saying “I am the old one which you seek” “Your true name is (what your character sheet says)” “Your time of learning is complete, head to Tribeck, my children need you”
- Notch stirs over this experience for some time before regretfully leaving the kind Topart people and what had become his home these past two years. He could not shake the itch that there was more for him in Tribeck, and to miss out of the knowledge and wisdom from a new experience was against who he felt he was. Given rations and a farewell celebration of rotisserie Griffin Notch made way to Tribeck.
- Upon arriving in Tribeck, not knowing what else to do, he remembers as a child in Piazza hearing of the great Library in Tribeck which housed ancient information from lands passed, many curated and provided by the dwarves, elves, and Dragonborns who lived here before. The library was formed by the third King Thrombeg in an effort to support new learning when it was found that integration in other areas other than Forge was difficult for the children and grandchildren of the slaves from Samara. The Library was named after the King and is to this day Thrombeg Archive.
- Arriving at the library, he found the place to be quite empty. It still was majestic and full of books, but gently disheveled in places (books in stacks of various sizes, some laying on their sides, fallen between the empty spaces on shelves, and covered in dust. The library itself had a sleeping Human in his 20’s behind a large circular wooden table. Notch approached the table and greeted the man startling him awake. The human’s name was Job, and he quickly apologized for being asleep but no one rarely comes in and he was up late the night before drinking with some of his friends who are scholars of Forge.
- Conversation continues and Job grows interested in the adventures and story of leaving home that Notch shares. Job has grown up in Tribeck, and failed to thrive at crafting, forge knowledge, and entertaining so he found paid lodging and a wage caring for the library. He tells Notch that they have books on the sky, though he doesn’t know where, he ensures Notch he saw them though. When asking Notch what his business in town was or if he had a place to stay Notch fails to be able to adequately answer either. Notch states that the Library’s overseer, Weather Lophandle, may be able to offer him a job, given that he always complains about having to fill in the night shifts when Job has off. Interested in this idea and desperately wanting to find those books Job had talked about Notch stayed in the Library until Weather arrived. Around sun down a rather woodsy looking dwarf came in the front doors of the library, wearing leather, and an animal pelt across his shoulders. He had six small axes in holsters, three on both sides. He had a long uncut beard that was far from even in length. He ignored Notch who was off on the left reading, and walked up to Job who asked how the hunting went. The scruff dwarf grunted in reply. He then introduced Notch to the dwarf, who only asked if he hunted and what his pay would be. Job interrupted saying that Notch has hunted Yeti’s which genuinely sparked Weather’s interest and Notch was given the job at 1 silver a day to watch the library 4 days a week from afternoon to darkness (two hours after sun down).
- While working at the library Notch received a letter addressed to the head librarian delivered by a courier. He offered it to Weather who could care less, then to Job who allowed it to sit on his desk through a week’s worth of napping shifts until Notch felt he must open it. It was indeed a letter, but no-where did it say from whom. The return address was for Quarks, a forge parts town in the south west of the country. In the letter the sender asked for many questions and the books that would hold their answers. He asked for those answers to be found, written and sent back. Notch having no work to do as a soul rarely set foot in the library began this scavenger hunt. The books he searched through for answers were Plants by Fey, Furry and Lovable, and Living off the Land and Loving it. He wrote back the answers and asked to the sender’s name, as well as giving an introduction of himself. A few weeks later he received another letter, addressed the same way, with no acknowledgment of any of his pleasantries and with none of the information he had asked for. Again a list of books and again a list of questions. Notch continued. This went on for months with topics ranging, but they seemed to converge around demonic practices, cults, and nature. With books such as “How to ‘C’ a cult by Boaz, A coup d’état by Mordecai, and strangely a children’s book called: Stories from the Dark by Nerix Featherfoot. It was the final letter that was most interesting, for this one was addressed to one Notch Stern when it arrived from one Bubbles Keyholder
- The final letter read: Not much time. Our research has unearthed them. Cult of the Silver Moon. Bigger than we know. Cure or kill? Ranks and meetings. Medallions and murder. They came from us, in history lost to the Forge. What do they seek? I’ve seen their beasts and they are coming. If you find me with them….kill me
- Notch has heard nothing since and has been unable to gain any more information on the subject. He is comforted by knowledge but desires action and is waiting for the opportunity to present itself.
Morva of Kroach Background
- Named after Ancient Dragon of Legends Moorin (More-in)
- Grew up in the Veyrin (vey-rin) mountains in a silver dragonborn society known as Kroach (crow-ch)
- The Kroach people are an older society of 1200 years with their own laws and economy. They did sometimes trade with the town of Tellus which treated their people kindly. They are the only known dragonborn people in the country of Felicia and are not required to pay taxes or service to the King, but are not official citizens. This means that when they were attacked and all but destroyed there is no legal recourse or search for the murders.
- One month ago Kroach was attacked and all but one dragonborn were destroyed. When the raid occurred all dragonborns ran into Kroach tower for protection. A great magic reshaped their stone gate and left Morva, who was the chief gate keeper now trapped in his post by the reshaped stone. Though he attempted to break himself out, by the end of the attack he was only able to complete a large crack in his stone jail. He was able to look through and see the glimpse of by what looked like many hairy beasts running away some wielding weapons and wearing armor. Morva himself was not able to become free for another 10 hours at which point he searched all of his town for living, but all had flesh missing from all over their bodies, even those who appeared to have been bludgeoned to death or killed with other mortal wounds. In all of his searching he found none alive, filled with rage and but overwhelming sorry he climbed to the highest peak of the Veyrin mountains with no hope of life. Upon this peak, known to the people as Hericaza (Hairy-ka-za) or the Dragon’s nose he sat without food or drink for two days. While sitting at Hericaza Morva was jutted away by rushing warm winds that began to melt the snow around him and the mountain rumbled beneath him. In his state of food deprivation, exhaustion, and depression he was unable to fully grip the situation he did not realize the melting snow beneath him turned from water to ice and he lost all traction and began sliding down the side of the mountain unable to stop until he slid to the horizontal plane of a part of town sliding right into a dead body. The body was that of a strong hunter Kelvin (kel-vin) who he knew well. He had seen this body before, but not until now did he notice that the man’s hand was gripping tightly around an object. He found within a circular pendant made of obsidian with a carved out face of the beast and on the reverse side a circle. Maybe he saw this as a sign from his people’s pride, the dragon Moorin, or maybe he saw his first hope in expelling some of his pent up rage on the creatures or peoples who did this to his people, but a new flame of righteous revenge burned within him and warmed his soul. He headed first to Moorin’s grove where he found a young male elk stuck in thick briars who he thanked Moorin for, killed, cooked, and ate offering a portion to Moorin as was the tradition. From here he went to the closest town Tellus (tell-us) and asked around about the pendant sharing his story. Many were outraged to hear, but all were unable to offer direct help in retribution. A human Jeweler who traded often with his people, Belle, asked to see the pendant and put an expensive necklace chain mixed with small precious stones that she traded for from his people on it so he could wear it around his neck. Belle stated that no one in Tellus does obsidian work, but he may be able to find someone in Tribeck. She knows a jeweler Uno who though he does not work in stone might know who does in Tribeck. Morva followed Belvin’s way and has just arrived in Tribeck and is looking for Uno. He does not fit in and many people have never seen a Dragonborn.
- The mountains are adjacent to Moorin’s Grove which is a small forest (though dense only 3×4 miles in size) of wildlife where the people of Kroach regularly hunted for food and left sacrifices and food remains to Morrin.
- According to the stories of the Kroach people Morrin’s Grove is abundant in life because the Moorin’s magic helps them flourish. The common people tell funny stories about the forest being haunted or dangerous, but it is actually very peaceful.
- Tellus is the closest town to the Veyrin Mountains and is found within a large wooded area. It has one inn/bar. Specializes in trading pelts, clothing, meat and lumber. Population is almost exclusively Humans, Elves, and Half Elves. The founder of the Town is Belvin.
- To the West of Veyrin Mountains is a frozen over lake known as Majakir Ryna (Ma-ja-keyr Rina).
- This is draconic for “The Lake that Gives”. It is a lake that provides all of the fish that make up the diet for the Kroach People. Legend is that Moorin was born out of this lake and flew to the Veyrin Mountain. The people use the water to promote health but would never trade it to others and alert outsiders of its use.
- Kektru Path: A difficult path from Tellus that leads to the Hollow Valley. It is a path only known through the mind’s eye and those who’ve tried to create maps of it always end up lost. It is a niche Job to serve as a guide for those who wish to visit the Hollow Valley in hope of finding the Diamond Back Dwarves
- Hallow Valley is North East on the Continent of Felicia and legend states that it is where the secret passage to the underground city of Gurduck (Grr-Duck) is. Home of the mountain dwarves known as the Diamond Back dwarves for the few weapons or shields that have made it outside their home of pure diamond.
Quarion Xiloscient Background
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Let’s be honest, this posted by accident. Don’t get me wrong this is something we wanted to share with you guys, but it wasn’t scheduled to post today. So enjoy the little audio component with me and Reid if you can and dig into some of the story lore if you desire. Thanks for your support, enjoy the by accident bonus episode.
- Quarion’s father is Penlod Xiloscient: Duke of Merici (Mare-uh-see). He is part of the original elves who inhabited the land that was claimed by and united as Felicia (Fe-li-see-a) by Human Murdok Stromal 350 years ago.
- Penlod has never taken Quarion off the estate. Quarion has noticed over time that is father is a great deal of a shut in and also not completely sane. He has an unhealthy obsession with rapiers so much so that he has spent more time with them then Quarion, he claims that the halls of his keep are a better place than the rest of the world, and he grumbles angrily to himself sometimes when alone as if he is fighting with someone.
- Being of a noble line, with a father who was there to see it all happen, Quarion was privileged to learn the true history behind Felicia’s uniting. The history told and taught by others under orders of the last 9 rulers.
- The human Murdok Stromal came to the land with ten thousand men of many races, majority elven and human. They were all slaves until Murdok led a rebellion and they fled from their land across the Tiber (Tib-er) ocean. They worked within a plant creating clockworks for a man known as the Emerald King in the land of Samara, and had stolen parts over time to build a large raft like hovercraft which Murdok had designed. When it was completed Murdok convinced all the plant workers across a large whole of the land’s assemblies to destroy their work places and those clockworks that were in charge of reporting back to the King or winding his soldiers. They made it to the Land now known as Felicia and vowed to gain support through alliances and use their tools and knowledge to build up a force to protect if the Emerald King sent minions across the Ocean. Felicia was mainly inhabited by spaced out families of Elves, some druidic in nature, sects of dwarves which kept separate from the elves, and a united society of Dragonborns with provinces throughout the land. The elves welcomed their brothers in the race among their people and supported their brother’s friends. The dwarfs were promised technology from Samara if they were to share their land and help. But the Dragonborns threatened to send the slaves back to their master as this was their way and beliefs. Because of this the elves out of a desire to protect their kin, the dwarves interested in the technology, and Murdok with his army of ten thousand went to each province and asked for amnesty, if this was not granted they were forced to destroy that province. Ultimately to this day no one has ever come from Samara to regain their slaves.
- Elven history- Murdok had found safety and employment by the elves who allowed them to live alongside their people. This though was not enough for Murdock who, though free, felt as though he just went from working from one master to another. He schemed with his now freed elven companions to sow the need for a united kingdom due to the threat that the Emerald King would be to their land and how he would ravage nature with his poison. The elves being peaceful people who desperately desired to protect nature were easily convinced. Murdok set forth himself as leader and with the support of his elves brought his united treaty to all the people of the land. The dwarves joined the nation for technology to sunder stone like never before and cut precious stones in ways never thought achievable. The elves agreed to rule provinces of land they already owned and take on the exiles. But the Dragonborn people did not fear the Emerald King and were content, not being part of a nation. They were not against its formation, only asked to keep their land and be worked around within the nation as separate territories. Murdock feared a people not under his control and spread the lie among all the people that the Dragonborns would sell them back to the Emerald King. That they were a threat to unity and peace. Murdok’s ten thousand’s fear of slavery, the Elves fear of destruction of their nature, and the Dwarves fear of loss of precious stone fed the lie until all were willing to raid peaceful Dragonborn camps without discussion with its people or warning. Killing many and driving them North from the South. The battle continued until it reached the mountains of Veyrin where an estimated population of 40 Dragonborns destroyed a great army of 4000 pursuing soldiers within one day. Penlod was not a fighter but there was a tale of the God’s of the Dragon’s ending this internal war. With the Dragonborn number so few by this point Murdok completed his kingdom preparation of clearing out most of the internal lands and began building up his army and empire.
- In time the technology his fellow slaves produced convinced and replaced the olden ways of many elves who found lives of leisure. They were attracted to the life within cities and the affluence it brought (elves being the primary land owners and richest) moved from their forests there. This is the fate of much of the south where elves sold their land as stock in trading to technology tycoons or unions who wished to rise on the economic ladder. There are a few noble elves in the north who have not forsaken their ways, maybe due to their resolve or maybe to the distance from these great and enticing cities.
- Merici is located just north of the capitol in what would be considered midland. Its land is fertile due to its location on the fork of Trinada (Felicia’s largest and longest river) and Trina (a river that forks off of Trinada. The land of Merici serves as basic training for the nation’s army and has been so since Murdok started the nation. Additionally Penlod collects monthly salary for the use of his land and pays no taxes for the past 350 years.
- Quarion’s Mother is unknown and left while he was very young. His father has never given him information other than that she ran away with a lot of money. Quarion has never seen his father leave the estate and does not believe he ever chased after her.
- North on Trinada is a small farming town known as Galdahon which supplies food to Merici for the army and Penlod. It is a different kind of Farm in that the Elvish owner Rog is direct descendant of the original owner (still alive) Yiren. The farm is known for its natural/druidic way of caring for the land and employs elves, half elves, and humans as equal owners of the estate. Some argue that its food is the best but many in a blind test cannot tell the difference.
- Quarion, still respectful towards his father, has asked to take leave to learn and experience the country in which he will inherit a keep. He has headed north and reaches Fingon’s Farm outside of Tribeck when the story starts.