The Heroes

Jia-rhaz Xil'myriin is a half-drow blade  dancer hailing from the Drow city of Veldor'dhun located near Arrapha in the Kingdom of Amarak. She has spent the last 15 years or so traveling across Eressea before meeting up with the party in Crosswater.

Through the usage of Mask of Many Faces, Jia often takes on alternate forms on her travels. Some of her most common cover identities include:

Lexa

Alexandra "Lexa" Tzahr (Tiefling)

Kensia

Kensia Anzara (Human)

Salandra (Half-elf)

Kallisto

Andromache (Triton)

Vystra (Dwarf)

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He is a young Tiefling who prefers to obscure most of his background. It is not to say that his life has been hugely harder than most Tieflings, but that’s not saying much. The particular Tiefling clan/troop that he comes from were rather like gypsies who traveled as the impulse strikes and entertained yokels and traded exotic goods in mostly small villages and towns  ignored by great merchants southeast and southwest of Aquileia.
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Damaris Spindrift, Commander of the Cerulean Army and Champion of Poseidon's Vanguard, is a triton from the Kingdom of Coralan. She is daughter of Deimos and Malantha

ALIASES:

Maggie the Dragon (in the Pits in Kirkwall)

Hagfish, in the Feywild

Darkness Breaker to the Orcs

General Damaris Spindrift, Commander of the Cerulean Army and Champion of Poseidon’s Vanguard


Damaris Spindrift is the only daughter of General Deimos and Cmdr Malanthe Spindrift in Coralan. As is tradition, the oldest/only child pursues the family vocation, and Damaris was groomed her entire life to be a warrior, rising through the ranks with the understanding that one day she would inherit her father's rank. Everything changed house Akheilos staged a coup, deposing the House of Anemora from the throne in a single bloody banquet in the palace in Riefafa, below the Great Reef. 

Damaris and her father were at the banquet and defended the Anemora royal family to the last. Damaris's last memory of the palace is of falling, mortally wounded, and seeing the King take a trident to the chest. When she wakes up, she is on Skelliwick, A local fisherman had found her washed up on shore, unconscious, and brought her to the local healer woman. The healer woman and her daughter bring Damaris to health. Mara stays in the village doing odd jobs and mourning until she regains her strength enough to leave. She decides to go find work more in line with her skills, and perhaps get farther away from the Coralan kingdom in case the usurpers come looking for survivors. However unlikely that might be. 

She falls in with a white dragonborn, an elf, a half elf, and a tiefling, and starts a new adventure. 


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Taulius Arelius is a wood elf druid descended from the Celadrin House of elves. Growing up in the Valorian Empire, his family life was relatively itinerant, traveling among the larger inner cities of the empire. He grew up outside the confines of the Elvish region as his father, Maratus Kultainen, also known as Animus Arelius, was an itinerant enchanter, serving the high born members of the empire on his travels. His family was never well to do. While his father had talent, and had a way with people, he was also obsessed with regaining the cultural artifacts and histories from the early times before the Rifts were opened. What relics remained and were not lost to the mysteries of time could be found in the treasuries of the noble houses of Valoria, and even they were few and far between. All these things together drove Taulius’s father to wander from town to town and city to city. His desire to be in the good graces of the noblemen also drove his decision to name Taulius according to the language of the empire, though secretly, he gave him an elven name which Taulius held closely to his heart, believing it to be an omen of his destiny. 

As Taulius grew, saw more of the world, and specifically more of the cities and nobleman, he grew increasingly disgusted. He agreed with his father wholeheartedly that the cultural heritage of the elves needed to be recovered, but he felt his ancestral yearnings for the woods and wilderness. The call of nature and older, more natural times was heavy upon him. Late one evening, in his 82nd year, after an argument with his father, he gathered his belongings together and left. He loved his Father, but could no longer bear to live in the cities, and pander to the whims and caprices of the courtiers.

His sister Veria was 16 when he left. 

He struck out towards the Cloakwood, eventually running across a druid named Ibis Athenacius. Taulius discovered that he was once a noble son of a lord of Valoria, but did not wish to grow up to inherit his father’s title. He ran away from home as a youth and began learning of the woods, beasts, trees and plants. Now in his early 60’s, Athenacius was well versed in the druidic arts, and sensing a kindred spirit, took young Taulius under his wing. Together they roamed the woods and heaths until tragically, Athenacius was killed by an Owl bear. Taulius was distracted while on watch and wondered away from camp. While he was gone, the owl bear attacked Ibis and killed him.

Taulius buried his friend, and found a large red feather from the Owlbear, and his mentor’s family crest which he had kept always around his neck on a string. It was a circular metal medallion with an owl on one side, and the face of a warrior goddess wearing a helm on the other. Somehow trusting that despite his grief, that this fate was for his good, tied the feather to a string, and follows it wherever the wind takes him.

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Toura is a Stone Crow woman who was captured and enslaved by the Frostwolf tribe. She was gifted to Klun'Ragthroknaar after the Battle of the Maw. Despite being given her freedom by the party she has vowed to stay with them until her life debt has been paid. 

May the stars carry your sadness away,
May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,
May hope forever wipe away your tears.
And, above all, may the silence make you strong!

— Traditional orcish song
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The World

Ubaldo is mayor of the city of Temris and related to the Crivelli family.  

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Summary

  • Aquileia is the second largest city in the Valorian Empire and serves as the capital of the Aquileian Prefecture. Famous for its timber exports and glass blowing. Has a small but highly concentrated elven population.
  • Nickname(s): The City of Glass
  • Population: ~200,000
  • Demographics: 75% human, 10% elven, 8% half-elven, 3% halfling, 4% various

City Districts

  • The Furnace - Where much of the industry, and especially the glassblowing, is located.
  • Littleheart (or Ilverin as it is known by the elves) - Around 90% elven, this district offers a rare view into elven culture. 
  • Riverwatch - More commerce and lower class residential
  • Hightown - middle class residential
  • Vittorio - high class, gated district full of the upper class. Those who don’t look like they belong are stopped by the Guard and questioned. The residents will usually provide official invitations bearing the family seal showing the validity of the bearer’s presence to the guards.

Notable Places

  • Temple of Bahamut - Hightown
  • Cathedral of St. Flora - Riverwatch
  • Glassblowers Guildhall - The Worshipful Company of Glassblowers. Motto: Lucem Tuam Da Nobis Deo (O God, Give Us Your Light). Located in the Furnance
  • Prefect’s Palace - In Vittorio. 
  • Magistrate’s Villa - Located in Vittorio
  • Hall of Justice - Hightown
  • “The Ship” - Ancient wooden ship that the city elders claim belonged to the founder of the city a thousand years ago. It has been maintained quite well over the centuries, but almost every rich person in town has a piece of it in some form. Some people call it a tourist trap because so much of the wood has been replaced it can hardly be called the original ship anymore. Located in Riverwatch.
  • The Seven Stars - Fancy wine bar, in Vittorio
  • Glassblower’s Arms - Middle class tavern, in Hightown
  • Quiet Lady - commoner’s tavern. Named after a woman of the city whose tongue was cut out by smugglers so she couldn't talk to the authorities. a lot of the underworld business takes place. There is a hidden portion of the tavern, open only to the members of the Fists. Trapdoors, etc. Located in The Furnace.
  • Felix’s Famous Silks - Located in Hightown
  • The Brass Sphinx - Magic Store located in Vittorio
  • St. Flora’s Well - Said to have been blessed by St. Flora herself. 
  • Ridwan Bazaar - Located between Riverwatch and The Furnace
  • The Green Griffin - A modest inn located in Riverwatch
  • The Lion & Lantern - Comfortable inn, located in Hightown
  • Valabar’s Boarding House & Spa - wealthy inn, located in Hightown
  • Mélemar - Elvish hostel, in Littleheart

Notable People

  • Gaius Casca - Prefect of the Aquileian Prefecture. Reports directly to the Emperor. Governs the Prefecture and not involved in city politics except under dire circumstances. 
  • Drusus - the Magistrate of Aquileia. In charge of running the city. 
  • Arian - Captain of the Watch
  • Corasses - Grandmaster of the Glassblower’s Guild, and one of the wealthiest people in the Empire. Known for violently maintaining the secrecy of his methods, and for his opulent parties. The most famous party he hosts is the The Glass Ball
  • Emru Fistslash - leader of The Fists, a criminal syndicate based in Aquileia.
  • Niccolo - Fence. He works with the Fists, but doesn’t report to Emru. 
  • Felix - Owner of Felix’s Famous Silks
  • Alif - Priest of the Platinum Dragon
  • Fozergan - head of the street urchins in The Fists
  • Tolly (Tollian) - Ky’s friend
  • Nadrah - Human female street urchin. She often spoke to Ky about getting away from the Fists.
  • Carlo - Friendly food cart owner who gave Ky food on occasion.
  • Lord Vireo Figulus Athenacius - The nobleman who “adopted” Ky. Baron of Varna. Ky would have referred to him as Lord Varna 
  • Olinda Athenacius - Wife of Lord Varna, Ky would have referred to her as Lady Varna
  • Calidris Athenacius - Son of Lord Varna
  • Drusilla Athenacius - Daughter of Lord Varna

Notable Organizations

  • Glassblower’s Guild - In order to practice the craft of glassblowing in the city of 
  • Woodsman’s Guild
  • Shipbuilder’s Guild
  • The Oakheart Circle - Guardians of the forest and of nature. People in the city don’t know much about them, and the Guardians are often very off putting. 
  • The Fists - Crime syndicate
  • The City Watch - Consists of around 1,300 guards.  

History

  • According to legend, Aquileia was originally an eleven village, thousands of years ago. After the Dark Times, a man named Caradoc discovered the village had been abandoned and took up residence there with his family. It is said that there was a foul beast, some sort of Riftspawn, in the village and Caradoc killed it with nothing but a wood axe. 
  • Battle of Aquileia - During the Amarakian invasion of Valoria, the garrison was soundly defeated outside of the walls, and then the Sword of Bahamut convinced the city to open its gates and surrender. 
  • Siege of Aquileia - While Valoria was attempting to retake the peninsula, there was a siege of the city. The Amarakians refused to surrender the city unless the safe passage for the inhabitants and garrison could be guaranteed. An unconditional surrender was demanded, and thus the siege began. Lasted for nearly two years.
  • Every winter there is a feast of St. Ambrien. It is a joyous festival reminiscent of a Yuletide celebration. The story goes that the city was full of pagans who dark ways had led them into human sacrifice and practices that left many orphaned and alone. But Ambrian came in and explained the beauty of family and introduced the heart of the holy family to the people. One of the ways he did this was by performing a miracle of abundance and providing a feast for all the hungry and alone. So each winter the feast of st. Ambrien is celebrated in joy. The orphans and urchins are fed by the local houses of worship and then they have a citywide contest were the fastest boy in each parish is chosen and then there is a race from a blessed well at an inn just inside the gate nearest the city palace through the city streets and to The Ship. The first of the children to reach the ship and climb the mast is crowned with a glass crown and a purse of treasures donated by the members of the Merchants guild. It is said that no winner has ever gone hungry again and in fact, many of the noble families have adopted winners into their families and the winners have found rare social mobility in victory. Sadly, last year the whole feast was canceled when one of the roughest children was chosen in a district claimed by the Fist. This child was close to victory, but another was head and shoulders above him on the mast and clearly about to win. And there in the heat of the moment the rough child knifed the soon to-be winner. All were horrified and the race and all remaining joys were ended and all that finished the day were solemn gatherings in the houses of worship throughout the city. 

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