Meet the Characters --
Archmage of the Universe
and the Meet the Characters page for Dark of the Elvenwood
and visit the Art Gallery to see various artists' images.
Adventure is good to this self-imposed exile
from the Emerin. He never would have expected it of himself, coming as
he did from a background of quiet and scholarly pursuits, but the wide
world with its dangers and excitements appeal to him. With good friends
at his side, faithful Darkfire upon his shoulder, and the promise of Cat's
love to be his forevermore (not to metnion the delighted surprise of discovering
he has a daughter), even the prospect of a seemingly-hopeless quest doesn't
daunt him. He has no idea of the terrible fate that awaits him, or how
suddenly hope can be shattered into pieces.
Finding his sweetheart Ilgilean wounded and near death brought out the protective side in this little black drake's nature. His mental presence gives her the strength to go on, and when a similar tragedy severs Darkfire's own magebond, Ilgilean is there for him to help return the favor.
Of all the things she has been called upon to do in her life, Cat has always most dreaded a trial by water. When the young elfkin thief sets sail with her friends, she finds how valid her fear was, for the sea and its denizens mean to rob her of what she values the most. But as the leader, and with the fate of all Thanis resting in her small, clever hands, she has no choice but to go on, and hope that her own minor magical abilities will make up for the loss of their wizard.
No matter how many times he says he's getting too old for this, the mighty orckin warrior-priest never turns from a battle. Whether it's orcish pirates, superstitious hostile villagers, or even Solarrin himself, Alphonse is ready and willing to take on the fight. He'll find, however, in the vast desert land of Kybora, that there are some things even his strength and skill can't defend him against.
A gnome-of-all-trades, Greyquin finds himself at home wherever he may be. In the traditional dress of a Kyboran nomad, climbing the rigging with the crew of a ship, or dining with a fierce desert chief, this cheery fellow is always ready for the next bit of fun. His eclectic skills come into play when he realizes he might have the key to help Cat unlock her magical potential, and ensure the survival of their party.
When someone hears that Sybil is engaged, the logical question would be "in what, and with whom?" She enjoys basking on deck in the tropical sun, can't stand the horrid stifling garments that women are expected to wear in Kybora, and her flirtatious ways are an endless trial to her husband-to-be (on the condition that they triumph over Solarrin). No less a trial for Rayke, as well as others of their company, to realize just what a Talopean wedding ceremony entails.
Rayke, still and probably always struggling with the inherent jealousy that comes when a traditional kind of guy is in love with a priestess of the Goddess of a Thousand Pleasures, does his best to curb Sybil's wild ways. He remains a solid and dependable fighter, always ready and able to let a sure sword blow solve any problem.
He is on top of the world and enjoying every minute of it. The revenge for which he has dreamed since he was an ugly crippled outcast back in Gnome Keep is now at hand. The Highlord is under his control, the city as well, and with just a little bit of tweaking here and there, it shall prove no problem at all to bring about the continent-spanning war he craves. While he doesn't exactly have loyal followers, he has plenty of people cowed and terrified of him, and that's good enough for Solarrin!
The elven mind does not adapt quickly nor well to sudden change. For Alinora, it has been one sudden change after another since waking in her tomb to see the youth she loved grown into a stranger. Small wonder, then, that as the helpless houseguest of Solarrin, her sanity has suffered quite the blow. Her only companion is her faithful orcish maid-of-all-work, Zura, and her only dream is to fly, like a bird, far and free from all of this mirsery. That, and to take care of that crossling harlot Cat Sabledrake once and for all.
The young Highlord -- so called because of his spoiled little-boy looks and demeanor, for all that he's thirty years old -- has realized that old adage: beware of what you wish for. He has all the money and attention he ever wanted, and all it cost him was his father, his freedom, and his mental well-being. Because certain truths that should have been self-evident about his new Archmage are beginning to become known to Jarrell, but there's not a thing he can do about it. Unless he can somehow find the strength and willpower in himself to seize the reins of his own destiny, and choose a bride before Solarrin and his grandfather choose one for him.
The problem with venom is that, unless you happen to be a snake, it seeps out to poison your own soul. That is the case with Vondra, whose envy and bitterness consume her to the point that she lashes out with her witchery-ways against those she feels have wronged her.
Poor Pellander, a Junior Librarian doing some moonlighting as the world's least-capable spy, is in far over his head. To his credit, he knows it, but to his dismay, there doesn't seem to be much of anything he can do about it. If he wants to help his absent boss, Arien, he has to do the bidding of the Nightsiders.
The time has come for One-Eye to break the promise he made to Duncan Farleigh. But given that Duncan's dead and the Nightsiders owe his son no particular loyalty, this doesn't prove to be that great of a stumbling-block. He dispatches Calidar to make mischief among the nobles, and relies on his own son Stryker to get close to the Highlady-to-be ... with one unexpected side effect, when Stryker gets closer than he's perhaps meant to get. But One-Eye knows that something must be done against Solarrin ... not only to keep the Archmage too busy to look for Cat and her friends. He has to be prepared for the very real possibility that their quest will fail.
The Lord's Retreat is a popular place for intrigue under the guise of socializing. It is here, in the private card salons and the dining rooms, that many of the deals that make Thanis function are made. Chief among the players are the Baroness Jolda, whose prized ruby becomes a target and a weapon, and Lord Taron, whose willful daughter defies him to attend the Highlord's Ball.
Thanis is blessed to be on good terms with both the elves and the dwarves ... for now. Whether that will change, once Roderick of Montennor and Aethelyn Fistrel report to their respective leiges with news of what the other intends, remains to be seen. The Hachlanians, Thanis' neighbors to the west, make it very clear that some insults, especially those against the king's cherished daughter, will not be tolerated.
