log
Citizen Ian Ikase of Beroea Jarred Jacobs jarred.jacobs@gmail.com
361 648 5446
Conjorer prohibited necro, enchant
Citizen of The Pelos Empire. You are assigned to the reserve bird, Blue Raven
based in Beroea. (A bird has around 730 soldiers in it, it is like a division
in modern military. Reserve units are geographically based and mostly not
calvary) But you have been on “leave” so long you have been taken off the
active rolls and don’t currently have a rank or position. When you return to
Pelos Empire lands you are expected to notify the military so that you can be
assigned to new reserve unit and perform your occasional reserve duties.
Did you want to go to Tricademy? It’s expensive but you could have found some
way afford it at least for a year or so. Until you got bored,
frustrated(they aren’t very martial/military training oriented)
There is none in Beroea. “Tricademy of Skyros” in Psili on Skyros island.
You’d still be a student there in name at least. To “graduate” you must
create a new spell or artifact.
Did you want to have trained in be member of any paidia’s(magic “gyms”)?
http://66.11.112.46:8080/game/rpg/campaigns/dirt/pelos/magic#sample_paidias
Beroea is a large city/colony of The Empire on the Southern Continent.
Skros is large island in the Corcyra Sea towards the eastern edge of The
Empire.
Family:
Gnaeus Ikase, uncle(real father)
Kallisto Ikase, aunt
Gabriel Ikase, father
Julia Ikase, mother
Cobon, trusted servent/ex slave of Ikase
Damaris former wet nurse and servent of Ikase now with in Berorea with House Ision
Ian’s grandfather sired two sons into the House Ikase. The eldest, Gnaeus,
was raised to take over as head of the family and the youngest, Gabriel, went
into military service. Gnaeus was always favored, becoming charismatic and
manipulative. Gabriel was much simpler; He looked up to and admired his older
brother and was never jealous of the attention and favoritism Gnaeus received.
Gnaeus, on the other hand, would became quite jealous whenever his younger
sibling had something he did not.
Gnaeus had an arranged marriage to a homely and cold woman who was unable to
provide him with an heir. Gabriel married for love to a beautiful and kind
hearted woman named Julia. The brothers were fairly close, Gabriel having
genuine love for his sibling and the Gnaeus excellent at deceiving his
little brother. Gnaeus soon came to covet his siblings beautiful wife and
sought every opportunity to seduce her.
He had enough power and influence over the local military to control
Gabriel’s deployment, thus insuring that Julia was left alone for long
periods of time. He used these opportunities to comfort his brothers young
wife, easing her loneliness with frequent visits. Eventually Gnaeus used
his charm and good looks to get into her bed. Soon after the affair started
Gabriel returned and Julia’s guilt and love for him combined with her fear
of being discovered drove her to try and break it off with Gnaeus. The
elder brother had no intention of ending the relationship he had taken so
long to achieve. He arranged for Gabriel to immediately be sent on an
dangerous mission from which was little chance of him returning.
Gabriel never suspected anything. He loved and trusted both his wife and
his brother. He was a brave and loyal soldier and glad to undertake such an
important mission. He did notice his wife seemed distant during their
lovemaking the night before he was to leave and thought the tearful farewell
she gave him was unusual. But he assured her that he would be alright and
that the pressing matter she needed to discuss with him could wait until he
returned. Soon after he left Gnaeus resumed his affair with his younger
brother’s distressed and confused wife.
The news of Gabriel’s death came a few weeks later. Julia immediately ended
the affair despite Gnaeus’ forceful attempt to continue it. She was still
in morning two months later when she found she was with child. Everyone
told her she was blessed to have a child by which she could remember her
husband. But she knew in her heart that the child was not her husbands.
She came to hate and despise her brother-in-law and herself for what they
had done.
Six months later Ian was born. For a time she convinced herself that maybe
the child was her husbands but the nagging doubt and guilt she felt ate at
her. Gnaeus was overjoyed to finally have an heir, for even in his
illegitimacy the child was seen as the legitimate son of his brother and
thus first in line to inherit the family fortunes. Supporting his brother’s
widow and son and even taking them into his household was natural. But
Gnaeus was careful to preserve the legitimate status of his nephew and
stopped pursuing his brother’s widow, having found a younger mistress
anyway.
Gabriel was raised by a loving, though sometimes distant, mother and a
doting uncle. Gnaeus took every chance to spoil the child and culture Ian’s
affection. His mother would constantly tell Ian stories of his father the
hero, who had sacrificed himself to insure the safe return of everyone under
his command from a dangerous mission. He grew up idolizing his father and
yet he also saw is uncle as a father figure. He eagerly signed up for his
required military service as soon as he was of age. Due to his family’s
status and respect that was still awarded his father he soon became an
officer known for the passion and skill with which he battled the Kjore that
slew his father. When his required citizenship stint was up he intended to
continue his military career. But his mother and his uncle would have none
of that. He was the family’s sole heir and a military career was both
unfitting and unnecessarily dangerous. His uncle wanted to begin grooming
him to take over the family, but his mother sent him away to a far off
wizard academy, mainly to get him away from his uncle’s influence.
When he returned from school he found his mother even more despondent than
usual. She’s finally learned that it was Gnaeus who deployed Gabriel on the
dangerous mission that killed him and confessed her affair with Gnaeus to
her son. Ian went to the Public House for a stiff drink and to think about
what he had just learned and work out his conflicting feeling for his
fathers. Finally, Ian went to confront his uncle, his father’s sword in
hand. Upon arriving at his uncles’ bedchamber he discovered Gnaeus already
murdered. Seeing the obvious evidence that a woman had performed the deed
he assumed it was his mother. Hastily he removed the incriminating evidence
and decided to flee his homeland to cast suspicion for the murder on
himself. He didn’t know that his uncle’s latest discarded mistress, had
already turned herself in, her dress soaked in Gnaeus’ blood, and confessed
to the crime.
Gnaeus’ wife, Kallisto, a shrewd high Pelosian, knew all about her husbands
indiscretions, including his affair with Julia. Now rid of Gnaeus she was
more than content to take over the family’s fortunes. She knew her new
position would be lost however if the rightful heir, Ian, ever returned. So
she sent an assassin to track down Ian and solve her little problem. Julia
also sent men to track down Ian and tell him the truth about what happened
to Gnaeus and bid him return to take over the family.
Pregame:
You were born and raised in Beroea but left for The Empire proper.
Eventually finding yourself in Psili, largest city on Skyros island and
capital of Skyros province. While there you take the opportunity to
see(from far off shore, closer visitors are unwelcomed) Galidor’s Tower. It
is located just north of Skyros at the end of The Great Road, on a tip of
the mainland that splits the Theops and Corcyra Seas. Galidor is the
greatest mage alive, perhaps ever. After seeing his tower you have little
doubts to the veracity of those claims. The tower is several hundred feet
high and is topped by an immense crystal/glass/force? sphere.
One day you get a message from someone you do not know, Citizen Rhea (no
last name given). She claims to have served with your father and has
information for you. And bids you come to Scupi, a province of Pelos Minor.
The messge came with a vision crystal(hold it, concentrate “see” mental
images) and a military precept allowing travel on/with any Pelos Minor Navy
vessel. The precept expires in 40 days. Holding the crystal to your temple
it contains several images of your young father and a fetching pelosian
female. They are obviously on “deployment” with some military unit.
Although this unit’s colors/markings are unfamiliar to you. The images are:
the two sparring with broadswords, grins spread across their faces, in front
of a crowd of cheering soldiers. Standing next to each other, with several
other soldiers in a parade/inspection formation. Your father in bed, head
bandaged, eyes closed, she at the bedside praying. The last one is of a
dramatic sunset, pair of towering statues(Sunesh?) in the background and in
the foreground, your father and this unknown woman waving with one arm, the
others wrapped around their waists.
Finding no Pelosian Minor ship coming to Psili anytime soon you sell your
few valuable possessions. Combined with your savings it is enough to buy a
teleport to Symi on Thassos Island part of Pelos Minor. There you have no
trouble getting onto the “Gull Chaser” a Sprigate class(fast light
scout/escort/raider) 14 days later you arrive in Scupi, capital of Scupi
Province. You find no sign of Rhea. You do discover one dubious lead
pointing east to Silvertown. You join the next caravan going that way.
0th session “In search of Madness”
In Silvertown out of funds, you, a dwarf Ungvar, and an insane sorceror
named Kokero, hear tales of the Mines of Madness. Focusing on the part
where lost treasures are mentioned you seek out these mines. But instead
find Kobolds infesting a crypt of Soleth(minor god, of peaceful death)
which appears to have been never utilized before the famed Transmuter
Vervigis made a private lab out of it.
0th session “Lab of Vervigis”
Ungvar feels responsible for Kokero’s condition and stays in Silvertown
while you recruit a new gang to raid Vervigis’s secrets. Faces and names
of which you have already forgotten. On this second attempt you achieve
minor success. Determining that powerful and dangerous transmutations of
Vervigis still linger in the halls of this silent crypt. The leader of the
Kobolds, Tazex, has been transformed into an unnatural abberation. It has
the ability to slip in and out of our existence foiling all attempts to rid
the world of this horror. It harries and taunts you as you retrace your
steps out. In the hallway to the Gong Room it catches the bard with it’s
electrically charged battle axe. Your cleric is able to save him from
never ending sleep here in Soleth’s crypt, but he must now be carried. As
you are stumbling down the ravine. The thing appears at the entrance waving
its purple tentacle “Simple flesh things, hear me! Tazex the Everchanging
is not done with you yet.”
1st session “Deadly Desert part1”
You and your gang travel to Scupi to find reasonable prices for the
treasures you stole from Tazex. After dividing the spoils you all go
separate ways. You decide to head back to Silvertown to try and track down
Rhea again.
The caravan, both ways, was escorted by a feather(9 people) of Pelosian
soldiers on horses who are dressed in black with sandy yellow cloaks and
black and yellow crested helmets. Talking up the soldiers over daily meals
you find out these are the colors of the Desert Condor calvary bird to which
they belong. Also that all but the right wing of the Desert Condor is in
Scupi Province. Most of it is deployed around Scupi itself but the Fore
Section of the left wing is in Silvertown and smaller settlements out east.
The right wing is south and far inland chasing tribes of Zatar(orcs) who
have been troubling the Ka’im(also orcs, but friendly to Pelos) in that
area. You keep mostly to yourself and the soldiers.
Not the same feather both ways. The soldiers that escort the
scupi->silvertown caravan are stationed in/start from scupi. So you going to
scupi caught the return trip of one escort. Although, both times they were
from the Middle Section who’s 1st is Galatea a female common Pelosian.
Hyrmina is 1st of the Fore Section.
On the return trip travel is fast at first along a fine stone road. During
the 4th night the road ends as you pass the crews busily extending the road
east. They are a large number of Ka’im, slaves?(btw slaves are common),
engineers, and soldiers from Desert Condor’s body(“bodies” of birds
typically contain siege, logistics, and similar elements). Along the rough,
rocky trail the caravan’s once good speed is cut in half.
Late on the 7th night a horrible sand storm engulfs the caravan. It was
worse than you could have imagined and gives credence to what you had
thought were absurd stories of winds and sand so fierce they strip flesh
down to the bone. During this the caravan is attacked by unknown
assailants. You never see the attackers.
2nd session “Deadly Desert part2”
Encounter an animated thorn tree from which Dyrkius retrieves a fine red silk
veil. It radiates faint evocation magic. Somehow Ione ends up wearing
this.
You stumble onto a “forest” of stone trees. Many of which are toppled and
broken. You are ambushed by hyena men. After Tariq, Dyrkius fall and
several others have taking many arrows you and Ione attempt to escape. But
you fail to do so.
The hyena men believe you have died and dump you in the desert.
That night you have a bizarre dream. You and the rest of the group are in
what appears to be a city park. In stark contrast to the desert there are
rolling lawns of grass, ponds, creeks, and leafy copse of unfamiliar trees.
The park is full of High Pelosians(strange you see no Common Pelosians),
strolling, frolicking, talking. It looks like a normal day out in the sun
except there are an incredible number of golems, constructs and other
magical servitor beasts walking, crawling, rolling, and flying everywhere.
There’s more artificial beings than people!
Inexplicity you can now read the words carved into the pillars of this
temple. It appears to be dedicated to some nature/forest god. After
solving the riddles a human dressed in unusual green cloths (like nothing
you have ever seen, pants, shirt, many pockets) appeared who looks at each
of you and then says “Don’t open the Flakarg, argh! The seal, don’t open
the seal.” Then looks over his shoulder and disappears.
You awake days, weeks? later in Silvertown, under arrest, and wearing
interdiction manacles(they prevent magic, vision and speech)