Morwenna Thistlewood was taken at a young age by the local Temple of Yondalla to train as a cleric. Part of her training involved an extended excursion via wagon traveling back roads and exploring other communities before returning to the halfling community in Radigast City. On the trip however, the group encountered a quasit that the clerics could not turn; fortunately a paladin that rode with the caravan smote it. At that point, Morwenna realized that she wanted to serve Yondalla in that capacity, protecting halflings and other good races from threats from outside, rather than looking inwards to care for the community as the clerics she rode with tended to do. Her family is quite proud of her decision, even though it means she’s often away from home for lengthy periods.

Morwenna recently left the Temple of Yondalla in Radigast City on a trip to visit a smaller one in Ulek, and has elected to go via ship rather than caravan, as she has never traveled by ship before. She has the distinct impression that the vessel is not headed in the right direction.

Character sheet: Morwenna Glynese Thistlewood [Halfling Paladin of Yondalla]

My story is very old. In fact my story started hundreds of years before I was even born. Let me explain that and why I am recording this journal. My name is Triaa Silverflame, and I am the last member of a proud and strong family. At age 10 my mother, father, brothers and sisters were killed by a demon named X’rious. That day all of my extended family was slain also by this beast with no mercy.

This story has to go back farther for you to understand. My father’s father’s father’s father was a great warrior of some fame. He was known for his great heart and great sword, and his ability to use both. His name was Kr’sian, and his magical sword was named T’riar, whose powers are only known by rumors in this age. Kr’sian had a good friend who was a loyal adventuring companion with admirable skills in magic. The name of this friend has been lost over the years, but this tragedy began with these two men. After an adventure which had uncovered a summoning device. They both misjudged its power.

With the mage having decided that he could control whatever he summoned and Kr’sian having decided he could defeat anything that may break through the mages spells, they decided to use the item. Relic would be the proper word for this device. It is said that the first few summonings went uneventful, but the Relic was just playing with them. One evening they did the normal preparation, the wizard with his intricate spells of protection and Kr’sian with his sword T’riar stood ready. X’rious was waiting.

As the summoning began the mage and Kr’sian were feeling confident, until it began to materialize. X’rious began to appear and they immediately knew the doom of their actions. First it is said the front paws appeared, massive and powerful, they not only appeared but reached right out and crushed two of three small urns that helped the mage focus his protections. Quickly, too quickly the beast fully came to view: the form of a great panther of enormous size, whose flesh was that of lava. Breathing fire and hatred the beast killed the mage before Kr’sian could react. Kr’sian came to his senses as the beast turned on him. The battle was recorded as one of the greatest of its age by our people. Through the walls out into the streets of winter snow the battle raged. Many came to Kr’sian’s aide only to be slain by the beast. Some say half of the community was killed that night trying to stop the beast, all the while Kr’sian fought with everything he had.

The battle went on and on, the beast never tired. It raged through the community and into the woods, Kr’sian trying to take the battle away from his friends and family. Into the woods and up the hills it continued neither getting an advantage over the other, great paws versus T’riar, evil soul versus kind heart. It continued.

It could have lasted forever, until Kr’sian saw his eldest son Tarsil running to his side to help. Knowing his son stood no chance against this beast Kr’sian had to take a chance to defeat this beast before his son was slain. Feigning a powerful lunge, Kr’sian reversed T’riar’s direction and spun into a flurry of short slashes at the beasts flank. Many hits struck true, deeply wounding the beast. Sadly the attack was not enough to down the beast and left Kr’sian with his defenses down. The giant cat struck with power and speed unimaginable. The battle was over; Kr’sian lay on the ground with seared gashes across his abdomen and back, the latter which showed the severed back bones. Kr’sian was alive, but dying. X’rious looked into his eyes, as if reading his soul. Without any warning X’rious turned and charged Kr’sian’s son. Minutes later X’rious brought back the body of Kr’sian’s son in his massive jaws. It dropped the son at the father’s feet, all to see the pain in Kr’sian’s eyes. With all of his physical strength gone, Kr’sian summoned a force from the greatest depth of his heart as he lifted T’riar up and single handedly launched it into the great cat’s eye.

The scream of the cat could be heard for miles. The beast finally freed the sword from its skull and turned back to finish Kr’sian, but it was too late for the final effort he had given had taken his life too.

It is said by onlookers that remained hiding and watching this battle that the beast then changed forms, to that of a human. X’rious then lifted the T’riar in his hands and began casting a powerful spell. The spell ended when he thrust the mighty sword deep into what was left of Kr’sian’s chest. Looking over his shoulder and speaking in common, X’rious shouted to the watchers that he knew to be there, that this sword has been cursed, and that only the descendents if any of Kr’sian may carry it. It will lead them to X’rious when they think they are ready. The powers of the sword have been defeated, and it now carries the mark of X’rious. The beast is said to have bowed once to Kr’sian in respect to the great battle he had fought, then changed back to his fiery cat form and ran off.

Kr’sian had a wife, two sons and two daughters that survived that night. The oldest surviving son took the sword and the quest to avenge his father and his people. As did his son after X’rious had slain him many years later. The great cat returned every so often to test the skill and heart of the sword bearer. Each time many good elves died in the attempt to help.

Finally we get back to where I fit into this story. My family was on the picnic, not far from our home. I remember seeing a man walking toward us, and seeing my father pull the T’riar from its sheath, and hearing the screams the sword makes when it is drawn. I remember the black mist that surrounds T’riar when it is drawn. I remember my father and brothers, and finally my mother and sisters draw their weapons and attack this man. I remember the awe when it changed form. I ran to my family, trying to join them and not knowing why. I will not reveal here the horrors that I saw next, for it is enough that they haunt me. When the battle was over the beast stood over my crying body and pressed his paw into my chest. To this day I have a great scar from the heat and pressure. Then the beast walked away, only to come back to me and drop T’riar on my chest. It then spoke to me. It told me that it could never be defeated. It told me it was going to seek the others today, and when the day is over I will be the last one. It mocked me and said to rebuild my family as the others have.

Later that night when some of the remaining villagers found me and took me back to their home, I realized that the beast had kept its word. And my life began its quest. I have not followed the beast advice; I have dedicated myself to learning to fight. I have not followed the family traditions of developing a kind heart, for I will not let this beast take another family member to keep its game going. No, this game will end one way or the other. I have traveled for many years now, trying to learn skills to fight the beast. Trying to find more out about it. Eking out an existence as a hired sword, traveling from place to place. I do not know how long my journey will be, nor how it will end.

I began this journal so that if I fail in my quest, some other may read this and know of the torment the beast has caused. And maybe, they will be better armed with this knowledge to someday kill the beast X’rious.

Character sheet: Triaa Silverflame [Wood Elf Fighter]

As a young boy, Alexander yearned for knowledge. He would spend hours at different libraries reading everything he could about a variety of different topics. Some things like magic interested him more than others, but to everyone’s surprise, he never developed the talent to cast spells. Both his parents were wizards and even his younger sister could cast certain spells at will. Alexander, however, was never able to even cast the simplest of arcane spells. It was at his 16th birthday that he went to see some clerics of Bobcob. After hours of discussion, and some debating, it was mentioned that he might try to become a cleric. For Alexander there couldn’t have been a better option, and his training began.

A few days ago Alexander left his mentors and went off on his own to search for Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom. These three thing are above all else in his life. So with the blessings of his family and friends he bought a ticket on the first ship that had a spare room. Unfortunately, it was on a doomed boat.

Character sheet: Alexander Von Heilenmen [Human Cleric of Boccob]

A mysterious dwarven female that’s not going home again until she can make her family proud of her accomplishments!

Character sheet: Dora Helisi [Dwarven Rogue / Cleric of Olidammara]