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)