Friday, June 24, 2011

Top 10 Villians

Stories and Heroes are only as good the villains. It is the villain which creates and defines the struggle in the story. Often the hero defines himself, who he is, what he stands for by comparison to and opposition to the villain. With no conflict there is no story there is no drive there is no artistic expression of the human condition. And with no villain there is no conflict.

Knowing the importance of good villains I have always strived to create real and compelling motivated villains. Villains that in their own way speak to a type or kind of evil in the human condition. Characters that can help us understand what is evil and why, villains that were compelling and capable of creating a world and story where real and motivated heroes could flourish.

In tribute of these bad guys I have consulted and compiled a top 10 list.

10) Name: Trevor
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Affiliation: Black Raven

Motives: To become the most powerful.

Rival: Tassadar, Logar, Mordin

Notable Accomplishments: Over 9000 years built the Black Raven secret society to infiltrate every known culture and organization. Became a Lich and ran the organization to a peak efficency. He was told by Sabel, an insane god, that if he could steal the seals from the Isle he would be made into a full god, the next step as Trevor saw it in his search for ever increasing power. Bringing the full weight of the Black Raven against the Isle from with out and with in, he decimated the Genevan populace and spawned legions of bad guys for groups to contend with. Defeated and outsmarted by Filtch, who inherited the Black Raven from Trevor, Trevor found himself exposed and destroyed by Mordin, Logar and Jerico. The Raven wars was the first real test of the new Genevan council and strength of the Isle, one historians still debate if its pass or fail.

Artistic Meaning: Trevor represents greed, and that it can not be satisfied. Greed for power led him to betray his own king, led him to sacrifice his life and live as a decaying lich, greed caused him to risk the life he had built with immortality infinite power and wealth until he was finally destroyed. If you can not learn to be satisfied and find happiness with out power and wealth, no amount of power or wealth will buy it for you and in the end your quest for such will destroy you.

Quote: "I want the seals I don't care the cost."

9) Name: Tatyanna
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Affiliation: Volturm, Darkness's court

Motives: To be loved, to serve Darkness

Rival: Bella, Tyros, Darkness, Galan, Guy
Notable Accomplishments: In the begining, she loved a man who should be unlovable-- then Derick now Darkness. He gave her the gift of eternal life shortly after he granted it to himself but not just as a puppet as an equal vampire bride. The once truly good and charitable Tatyanna found herself now a monster drinking the blood of peasants and innocence, aiding the man who made her this do the worst things imaginable until her unbeating heart turned numb. She was cast out, exiled by Darkness as he was threatened by her power. She then more than anything else wanted to be loved. Enhanced by the vampiric abilities of beauty and charm she has traveled the world and history looking for the best men and woman she can find and forcing them to love her. In a way, a moral vampirism, as she forces and demand they give little by little until their moral strength is nothing but a hollow shell. Then what does it prove to be loved by someone horrible she moves to the next. Her jar of hearts if you will grows and destroyed an ancient Jong, the Showgun order and colony in Talyun, Hyrule, and Arvan. She eventually decided to layer herself for protection in sheets of secrecy and loyalty of her followers. She even manipulated and forced the Den to release the defeated and imprisoned Darkness, hoping that such and act would grant her true favor in his eyes. He accepted as something that a lesser should do for a greater and so she remains unloved tortured.

Artistic Meaning: Confusing affection for love she seeks ways to comfort and justify, even excuse her evil. Can't one be evil and still be accepted and loved. Why must I be a good person for society to accept me, the good must love and cater to me even if I am a wretched monster. When someone does something bad or becomes a bad person they can either, confess they are bad and strive to correct their character, or justify that it is not them that is wrong but the world for judging them and find ways to cope. Though those ways to cope only only more self destructive and often destroy others with you and in the end never bring the peace that does living a good life.

Quote: "I've been living a lie their is nothing inside. Bring me to life." To Guy is seducing him attempting to gain his love.

8) Name: Horseman
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Affiliation: Dark friends

Motives: To execute the will of the Dark One and while waiting for him whoever evil that opens the seals.

Rival: Logar, Andrea, Swift
Notable Accomplishments: When Thorn released them their massive power shook the earth as war pestilence famine and death reigned. They are four individuals all powerful and evil enough to warrant their own of only seven unbreakable seals which the gods created to house their enemies. Countless millions died under their terror until the heroes were able to put them back in their seals.

Artistic Meaning: While they are powerful and devastating their effect on the game is almost purely the fear of letting them out and the need to keep them contained. It shows that some things some evil needs to be restrained and removed from us and more importantly that it can.
Quote: "What is thy bidding?"

7) Name: Frenchman
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Affiliation: The Merovingian bar

Motives: None, just to do what he must, what he is driven to do, to survive as his environment demands he must.

Rival: Many

Notable Accomplishments: Starting as a simple low level necromancer with a shrewd business sense and understanding of economics he began to barter and manipulate. Seeing that people also do what they perceive as their immediate best interest he lost all faith in the notion of choice. And thinking if choice was not real and people simply reacted than he could get anyone to do anything he wanted. This philosophy has proven most profitable as he has one trade at a time seemingly become all powerful. He knows all there is to know about anything he can know, seems to have the ability to grant any wish to any person for a price, though it is unclear if this is due to some wish granting power or just clever manipulation and tracking of previous deals and favors owed him. He has in his debt long lists of powerful demons humans and others which serve him and his interests with out fail. Yet his plans and efforts are never tainted maliciousness or intended to harm for the sake of harm. He simply brokers deals for profits and executes exactly what is brokered. Many PCs have called him an enemy yet most of them have asked for his help.

Artistic meaning: He represents a purely casuist philosophy and shows what can happen when that philosophy reaches its natural apex stating that with no choice there is not right and wrong no good and bad, simply how things are.
Quote: "Choice is an illusion. Granted by those with power to those who have none." All the time.
"You see there is only one constant. One universal. It is the only real truth.
Causality. Action, reaction. Cause and effect.
"

6) Name: Raquel Al - Thorn -- Serpent of Darkness
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Affiliation: Darkfriends, Drow of the underdark

Motives: To destroy his father Raquel Al- Shatel

Rival: Raquel - Al Shatel

Notable Accomplishments: From the begining of his life he was on the wrong path. Kidnapped from his father's home and raised by drow as an instrument of revenge against the hero who had caused them so much trouble. It was the physiological impact on Raquel of facing his own son that allowed Thorn to obtain the seals and release the horseman. For this deed, and to balance the creation of the isle, the dark gods of the universe all promised a portion of their power to the Serpent of Darkness. He was the first High Priest of the church of Malekite and the voice of the Dark One's forces while Ishmael slumbered. He have manipulated kingdoms committed genocides and let loose the horseman on the world more than once.

Artistic Meaning: He shows the danger and folly of obsession. Particularly hatred. All he did and all the pain he caused all stemmed from the fact he was raised to hate Raquel with out reason. Hatred for the sake of hatred with out cause is foolish tragic and too common in our real world.
Quote: "Come and See" Proclaimed as he opened the first seal and released the horsemen.

5) Name: Dark One -- Abbadon the God of Perdition. Leaf blighter, father of lies, the Dark Lord, the End.
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Affiliation: The True order of the Multiverse

Motives: To reclaim the multiverse by unraveling the order that sprang from the void of chaos in the beginning.

Rival: The Isle of the Winds, Zeus.

Notable Accomplishments: Every religion and creation story starts the same. From the chaos or the void came order or that the gods structured the chaos to make order. That primal chaotic force is the Dark One. Just as something structured randomly was generated by the chaos so to did the chaos randomly become self aware. This happened after Zeus was king of the heavens and it was from him Addadon strove to remove the multiverse and do all it knew how to do -- chaos. Despite having the self aware presence locked in the seals, many manifestations from alternate futures, legends and most notably Ishmael, discussed later, have defined the world on a level unimaginable. Many times the entire world, the whole of the story and every decision in it are defined by the metaconflict of Dark One verses the Light.

Artistic meaning: In the way he is the true nature of the multiverse that the gods fight against to maintain a bright world, the dark one shows how mankinds true nature of sloth and selfishness must and can be fought against to build a better, if not perfect, world. And to not fight it just because its the natural state is a mistaken philosophy.

Quote: "..." Chaos does not speak it is simply a force.

4) Name: Darkness
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Affiliation: Black Raven, His own

Motives: To twist all free will in the world to his own.

Rival: Cumin, Raziel

Notable Accomplishments: His mortal life ended by Lord Cumin his strong evil was so powerful that is self incarnated as a vampire. To known record the oldest and most powerful. His powers are diverse and all reaching, the scariest of which is his ability to reach into ones dreams. This world of dreams is as helpful to him as it is mysterious to the rest of us. He is evil and he IS evil. No light in his soul, no delusion about being on the right side, no sympathetic fall from greatness ... his is a magnificent villain for his simplicity and how he shows that evil really isn't that complicated.

Artistic Meaning: That beneath everything and all the faces evil may wear it is just the desire to execute your selfish will regardless of the cost to others.
Quote: "No matter how bright the sun or how hot the fire, the Darkness always returns, it is like the one true constant. All shall fade." Musings he makes to a group of PCs while studying the campfire.

3) Name: Ishmael - Navigator of Chaos, Leader of the Chosen, Fallen Son of Thunder, Crownless King
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Affiliation: Forsaken

Motives: Hold Zeus accountable for past crimes and build a perfectly just world.

Rival: Galan, Atrayu, Raquel, Zeus

Notable Accomplishments: Once Samuel blessed son of Thunder where he led his people and worshiped Zeus ushering in an era of peace and prosperity for his people. He then learned his mother had been raped then killed by Zeus in an attempt for the King God to high his sin. Ishmael then entered a Holy Crusade to stop the tyranny this unjust god inflicted the world to. Seeing himself as the only true hero willing to sacrifice everything so that the multiverse can be made right he was the one that created the Dark One's doctrine and teachings, he who gave the Darkfriends purpose and direction, he who is the true mastermind and driving force behind all the Dark One's success. It was he who first learned how to navigate the random forces that are chaos magic and taught that skill the other forsaken opening nearly unbounded power. However he does not just want to release the dark one and welcome oblivion he has also been searching for and sculpting the perfect candidate to rebuild the just world after the current one is erased. Now as his plan and schemes are unraveling he is becoming more desperate to achieve his goal as he knows only he can.

Artistic Meaning: Where do I begin? That the boundaries of morality we set up for ourselves have to be obeyed no matter the reward of abandoning them, because when you say the ends justify the means you soon become what you hoped to stop. That when you confess no moral authority there is no guidance for your ethical behavior.

Quote: "How long does a paint try to correct a flawed painting before picking a new canvass" Said to Olivia in attempt to explain why he needed to destroy the world.

2) Name: Malekite -- Prince Regent of the Crystal Empire, Sith Emperor, One Winged Angel, Angel of Death
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Affiliation: DemiGod of Death under Hades

Motives: To brutally afflict the good, prove that all mankind is evil and gain as much power and position as is possible.

Rival: Many but primarily Logar

Notable Accomplishments: The original DD villain. First son of the Empress, may she live forever, Andrea she loved him but saw evil from the beginning. Established a large underground church and army that seeks to serve only him. Destroyed the Showgun order and conquerred Midgar. Defeated the God Sabel, tricked Logar into making him a DemiGod, and forced many dieing souls to do his bidding. He is heartless, ruthless and beautifully brutal. Siding with the "good guys" when it suits him is relationship with the forces of light is complicated and dramatic. Every character and every storyline has involved Malekite and his ambitions to at least some degree.

Artistic Meaning: Vain ambition and power for the sake of power may gain you power and position but nothing that gives you true happiness.

Quote: "Only fools go where angels fear to tread" Spoken to a group of adventurers who ventured to the underworld and were not allowed to leave alive.

1) Name: Khan-- Spear of Goser, Fist of Pain, Lion of the Goserain, Glorious Strategist
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Affiliation: Church of Goser, Church of Tyr, Ishmael's forces

Motives: Unknown

Rival: Galan/Jarod priest of Marduk

Notable Accomplishments: Khan is my favorite villain because of both how real he was and how difficult he was to deal with. A gifted master of strategy. He never enters a scenario for which every contingency is not already calculated and covered. His strategic mind left little room for morality. More PCs have fallen to Khan and his plots than any other single villain. Yet he operated with a code of honor that was impeccable and unquestionable even by his enemies, often leaving them wondering if fighting him and stopping him was the right thing to do. And eventually it was that streak of honor Galan used to change his loyalties to the light. Currently in the underworld with mysterious motivations. Does he intend to help Ishmael open the red prison or has he set up the ultimate plan to stop if from happening? His true motivations are a mystery but if the past is any indication he will achieve the goal he has in mind.

Artistic Meaning: That no one soul can be so far in the dark they can not find the light. That no matter how evil are how wretched a man or a view point some good can be found in there and should be nurtured. The most important lesson of all.

Quote: "I have released the prisoners" Said upon delivering the dead bodies of all the citizens of Babylon to the high priest of Marduk in honor of their agreement.

There it is my take on the top 10 DD bad guys. agree? disagree? comments?

Friday, June 17, 2011

Who is who

I thought it a good time to layout a little of the foundation of the world we are playing on. It, of course, like any good story is primarily built around the people in it. I thought I would create a quick diagram listing the main characters and their relationships. The "quick" part proved to be impossible. But I tried. I have attached here the best I could mock up the foundation characters and their relationships. I am also including a short commentary on who each is.

Straight lines represent family ties. Curved lines indicate some other strong relationship. Those circled in Black have died. Those circled in GOld have ascended to godhood and those in blue are nobility or royalty. (Click to enlarge)



The best place to start is Andrea since she was the first character.

Andrea Silvermoon: The first Empress, may she live forever, of the Crystal Empire. Their sigil is a gold griffin. She united 7 kingdoms as she became an Archmage. The climax of her progression was being raised as a Demi Goddess by the Fates to serve them a seer. She remains the Mother of the Crystal Empire and its patron goddess.

Swift Litefoot: The human thief who, from humble beginnings as a thief in Dragon, met the right people. In particular, he met Andrea Silvermoon and rose through the ranks of heroes with her. Eventually he became Proxy of the Lord Aries, and the King of Thieves. He was killed by his own wife (Andrea) when he and his peers faced their first real failure. He was outsmarted in a test he orchestrated to name the next king of thieves. Swift and Filtch Greyfoot set up a race of sorts to steal the Seals of the Dark One's prison. Filtch won, which drove Swift to madness. He raised an army and slaughtered thousands in an attempt to get the Seals.

Empress Anastasia Silvermoon: The Defender of the Faith, Keeper of Light, Defender of the 7 Kingdoms, Mother of the Empire, Empress of the Crystal Empire. MAY SHE LIVE FOREVER. Half of the world's population, give or take, lives and dies by her command. She is kind, generous and strives to be as wise as her mother. The last child and only daughter of Andrea Silvermoon, she rules now in her place from the Crystal City of Andreal of an empire that spans more geographical area than our planet Earth.

Eric Silvermoon: Second son of Andrea and Swift, this man shuns the nobility and power that his birth would give him and guards the Crystal Empire from the creatures which lurk in the Dark Wood. He is "good," in his own way, and both loves and hates his family.

Malekite Silvermoon: Few people have ever had more impact on the world of men than Malekite. First born of Andrea, it is said that the residual effect on her body of her storing and using magic imbued her son with great power. He is evil, vile, ruthless, dark and wretched in every way imaginable. His quest for power has made him Emperor of the Sith. He created an underground culture in the Empire that would destroy their Empress and make them serve him. After receiving a God-wish for the completion of a rather difficult quest, he forced the gods to make him a DemiGod. He is the Angel of Death, charged by Lord Hades with collecting the souls of the dead from the mortal plane and taking them to the underworld. Called "The One Winged Angel," he enjoys his life, but plots for even greater power. His dark and brutal influence is all too often seen and felt in the mortal plane. He is chief rival and counter stroke to Logar Mogath.

Morgan La-fey: Man of noble birth chosen by Malekite to marry his younger sister Anastasia because it was the best political move. Despite being married to the Empress, may she live forever, he has little direct political power outside of his military positions.

Rin and Cortana: The toddler twin daughters of The Empress, may she live forever, and Morgan La-Fey. Rin, born seconds earlier, is the heir to the throne.

Shishimaru Landstar: The Lord Captain Commander of the Imperial Forces. His personal command, or "fist," is the elite 501st Legion. Lord Landstar is the ultimate reluctant warrior. In love with Anastasia from the moment he saw her, he lives to keep her save and see her will executed. Though he and Anastasia love one another deeply and have the occasional moments of passion, they both have chosen to remain in loveless marriages. Shishimaru feels it is simply the path on which he was born. Or built, rather. He was a creation of the Empire's Mandalorian project to built the super solider. He was the first survivor of the procedure. He was then trained to be the ultimate fighter by Malekite, though Shishimaru grew to hate the man. He despises the Empire for what they have done to him and feels alone in a world, but stands by Anastasia. He cares little for his own life and nothing for his own goals.

Ghost: Shisimaru's twin and the result of a completely successful Mandalorian project. As the ultimate super-soldier, he possesses powers beyond what any man can hold. He does all he knows how to do: kill. Those who pay his outrageous prices are guaranteed a successful mission. He sends letters to his targets, giving them 3 days to prepare. He is currently on retainer by Filtch Greyfox, who funded his retirement in exchange for Ghost killing whoever is brave enough to kill Filtch.

Raquel Al-Shatel: The Vanquisher of Shadow, Hunter of the Horsemen. From the Al-Kadeem world, he was married and had children 3 times. All were slaughtered by akingdom of Drow he had a rivalary with. This instilled a hatred for the Dark Elves and the sure knowledge that Paladins should never get too close to anyone. He rose to the level of Proxy of the God of Bravery Hajama and was purged of all fear, except his fear of snakes, and made to not age. He traveled to the Isle of the Winds to mentor and train Logar, eventually coming to see him as a son - as Logar could protect himself.

Logar Mogath: The Rider of the Wind, Keeper of the Seals and now the God of Righteous Judgement. He sees the world in clear and strong lines of good and evil. Evil should be destroyed at all costs. "It is a war that can be won if the good would just be more committed." He established the Isle of the Winds with a wish spell to create a place where evil could not dwell to use as a starting point to eliminate all other evil. Eventually, with the movement of the Seals to the Isle all the gods solidified that ward making it unbreakable. He was the military arm of the emerging Imperial Colony of Geneva and was instrumental in its independence. Today he judges the content of the souls who pass to the afterlife.

Katherine: Logar fell in love with a thief, quite by accident. The only thing his iron will could not conquer was his love for her. She cleaned up and stood as a faithful wife to the Rider of the Wind. But his passing to godhood caused her to turn to her old ways and eventually kill herself out of shame.

Tassadar Mogath: The Bringer of Hope. Logar and Katherine had twin boys. Tassadar was born first and he grew to be strong, compasionate, merciful, kind, selfless and noble. As Andrea's magical power made Malekite powerful, so did Logar's righteousness instill power in Tassadar. He rallied mankind to defend their homes and lands against Trevor Seguin in the Raven Wars. (Seguin was a lich,trying to capture the Seals.) With his father's ascension to demi-godhood, he rose to sit on the council of Geneva and brought the old Human empire under Geneva's banner. He also inherited the position of Keeper of the Seals. The battle to protect the Seals not only consumed his life, but his soul.

Luther Mogath: Luther always resented that his brother was better, and therefore more loved by his father. Never able to live up to the standard his brother set, his hatred eventually led to his giving himself to the Dark One in an attempt to steal the Seals. He was stopped and killed by Raquel. Raquel never fully forgave himself.

Illyena: Tassadar's first love. Through following Raquel's advice he shunned her to keep her safe. The lost heir of the elven Enron throne, she chose exile while allowing Filtch to place an imposter and puppet on the throne. She was later killed in a failed attempt to claim her throne. Enron currently remains a province of the Expanded Genevan Kingdoms.

Vadellya: Left on the doorstep of the Mage school of Mordin's School of magic and Mischief, she grew up a prodigy of magic to a powerful mage. Meeting her family and finding connections to the Greyfoot throne, she was married to Tassadar as a political union that was also blessed with love. Her family heritage allowed the Greyhavens to solidify under Genevan rule. However, she fell to the temptations of the Dark One to protect her son. She died a darkfriend but was later saved due to an experiment between Logar and Malekite to determine if humans were inherently good or evil.

Geirzon: Geirzon is the son of Vadellya and the God Malekite. She made a deal to escape the grip of death and in return allowed Malekite to bed her. The result was Geirzon, a child who pulsates with power. Logar cleaned his soul, leaving the choice to walk good or evil up to Geirzon. He chose good and commited to it fully. He now lives and trains in the Crystal Empire under the hand of Eliana Mogath Silvermoon.

Mordin: Few elves have ever matched Mordin for ambition. One of the few apprentices that Andrea ever took. He learned powerful magic and became an arch mage. Along the way he collapsed the fragile Human empire and founded the Isles of Geneva as a colony of the Crystal Empire. The ruling member of the first council of Geneva. His genius led to huge economic prosperity and political influence of Geneva. His ambition led him to become a Gold Dragon and he eventually followed his masters footsteps and also ascended to godhood under the Elder God Chronos to become a watcher and protector of Time. Andrea and Mordin's relationship remains close as they strive to protect and preserve the best future.

Polaridin Tel Al Mordin: The only son of Mordin. He was left large treasures, estates and a body full of powers to unlock. He started with no knowledge of his father or their connection. As he grew in power he found his power and a large tower in the wild, unclaimed area beyond the Spine of the World. Prophecies connected him to be either the Savior or the Deceiver of the world. Destined to either unite Dragonkind against the opening of the Red Prison, or to trick Dragonkind into their own destruction. His destiny is not yet fully clear. He has however attempted to break from Geneva on good terms, but his choice of allies and need to follow his destiny and not oversee his growing kingdom continue to build raising hostilities.

Drakus Truehammer: Rarely do you find a heartier, rougher, tougher, or braver Dwarf in all the underdark or overworld. From humble beginnings as a Dwarven fighter, his path has led from good to evil to good. Drakus became the personal body guard of Tassadar, and led his Dwarven clan to victory against a demon invasion. The Dwarven clans rallied behind him and joined Geneva as Drakus was raised to the Council of Geneva, where he sits and leads today.

Filtch Greyfox: The Fox. Mordin's childhood friend. Mordin remains the only one that Filtch has any true or sincere feelings of friendship for. He is the longest sitting member of the Genevan ruling council, even though he sits in secret, unknown to the public. Despite that, his greatest power comes from the series of secret societies and criminal organizations he owns and runs across the world and multiverse. Wealthy to an infinite point, he pursues his goal of always being on top. A larger part of him wishes he could hand it all in for the life of a farmer, but he is in far too deep to ever get out alive and realizes he will meet his eventual demise at the hands of some up and coming crook. He is masterful at staying exactly in the middle of the road, playing both sides against the other, leading to his greatest benefit. Currently his more shadowy dealings have been made known to Atrayu, the current Keeper of the Seals, who has ordered General Galan to arrest him. He is in hiding. This is alarming because it was prophesied that the way to release the Dark One was to expose Filtch's evil to the Keeper then offer to make him a Forsaken. An alarming scenario since he is the only living person who knows the true seals actual location. He is one of the most complicated and deep characters to ever be in the game.

Remus Underguard: This Gnome is the complex but fun-loving right hand man of Filtch. He operates large sections of the Black Raven for the Fox. Married to a Genie who he wished she would get her greatest wish: she would be loved and cared for. He would love to overtake Filtch and is waiting for the opportune moment.

Kief/Kife: Filtch's brother who was appointed as head of the Fox's Den-- The intelligence and thieving agency that 'serves' the Council of Geneva to gather intel and run the needed black ops.

Jank: Of Filtches hundreds of illegitimate children, Jank is one who tried to expose and destroy him. His efforts have only earned him being locked up to rot in the Sigil prison.

Rumor: Being directly under Filtch ;) in the den and other areas, she operates much of the bureaucratic movements of the Den from her post in the Journey's End Inn in Atlanta. A constant Chameleon she changes identities and names constantly. Her greatest service to Filtch is in jealous rages, killing mistresses and bastard children.

Margaret: A mistress that was not found and destroyed. Little is known or confirmed but that she is a weretiger and a darkfriend.

Swipe: On this list as a classic example of Filtch's addition to the worlds population. The alleged child of Filtch and Margaret who is just finding his weretiger heritage.


It is these Characters that began and expanded the story and the world that we know play in. It is their story and their world. I will attempt to add further posts like this with additional generations of characters.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hyrule

Our once great Kingdom, now stands divided and broken, on the brink of destruction into death and cold. I am afraid that to save it I may destroy it. Despite my precautions, my act of desperation could unleash something worse -- but what could be worse than what we have.


I feel it necessary to review the history of our once great kingdom, than maybe one day if I fail to save our kingdom someone can remember us and remember Hyrule.


From the time since the Dragon's made the first of us from the dust of the earth and ash of the fires that burned the grey woods, the Elves served the Dragons. The Elves served the Dragon's well and with out fail despite the tryranny and oppression the dragon's inflicted upon them. The Council of Wyrms charged these elves with building a prison for a great criminal a dragon who had merged with the dark powers. The Elves succeed and built a powerful prison far far away from their home.


Generations later some elves grew tired of the oppression and followed the maps to the far away land and build a home free from the Greyfoots, free from the Dragon Lords and free from the Lord Dragons. They found a beautiful land with struggling forest and native pixies.


They helped the Tree Ents spread the forest from the shore to the mountains. The first King was named Link Hyrule, the deliverer. Upon his death the Kingdom of Hyrule devoted all resources to building a tomb to honor his wisdom and ability in establishing their new kingdom. They hid the tomb so it could not be defiled. And Hyrule prosperred.


The princes and Kings of Hyrule devoted themselves to virtue and temperance knowing that the morality of the leadership would reflect upon their subjects. This created a kingdom in complete harmony with the land and forest. They build the Crimson City in the middle of the Kingdom and ruled with morality and virtue.


Ruled by virtue the kingdom flourished cities emerged through the land and all the dark creatures of the forest defeated and kept at bay. Art, science, music and magic all flourished and expanded in this time of peace and cooperation for thousands of years. Art and magic and military might combined into the construction of golemns. Golemns could protect the cities, keep the forests safe so that no elf need spread violence. The golemns came to stand as the ultimate symbol of Hyrule society.

The irony is that the Dragons created the elves to serve them out of dust and ash and the elves fled only to create golemns to serve them from dust and ash.

With the Death of the King two brothers shared rule. The older and most virtuous the heir took the title the Crimson prince. It was then that she came. Skin as cold as any winter devoid of happiness and joy. She brought with her others of the cold skin and men who transformed to fearsome beasts. The Crimson prince loved her. He was mesmorized by her. She used him to spread her power and influence. Many of the peaceful Hyrule citizens became blood thirsty monsters under her rule. The two brothers split dividing the kingdom. The younger brother orderred the construction of thousands of golemns to fight the seemingly immortal invaders who had corrupted the mind of the crimson prince.

The conflict came but the younger brother was trapped on the east of the great river and could not activate the golemns. The druids and the rangers of the forest fought for the younger brother. The war continued the cold ones ruling the west and the north mountains and the East being safe. The cold ones can not be held forever the running water of the river seems to slow them, if it was not for that the whole of the kingdom would be overrun. They have killed the tree ents west of the river and the forest is scourched with death that can not be regrown.

The whole once great Hyrule will fall under the control of this Black Velvet if I do not stop them. I have decided as coruler of Hyrule to find and awaken the Demon Dragon so long ago entombed by our ancestors. I hope that in exchange he will grant the power to chase the cold ones from our land, maybe then the forest can regrow.

As I go to do this, I do not know what will happen to me or what will become of me. I pray that if anyone is left to remember, that you know I was once a good person. All I do I do for Hyrule. I pray that she be saved in the end.

The Greatest Sin

He chuckled at the name. The tournament had not been looking for the greatest warrior, though he was certainly that. Zui Sui meant greatest sin or most sin. It was for that title that fighters around the world fought in the Dragon Arena. It was he who won. Victorious because of the Frenchmen. One day he would be rid of him but for now their relationship served its purpose.

The Frenchman ensured he won the tournament. Winning the tournament brought thousands of warriors to his call from all over the world and beyond -- Demons his own lightning barrier brother even. He was careful to squash rumors when they started to call him Vigeta. Though he may in fact be that prophecied warrior he wanted to complete his current task and then have the power to defend the wrath that would come when that title was claimed...He would defend it, it was HIS title.

His thousands followed him west of dragon to the great dune sea and beyond. Toward what legend called the heart of darkness, toward the Genevan army. They were to attack and destroy that army. Glorious as that maybe only a distraction from the Frenchman's real goal. The object bound and sealed that he kept inside his very body, called to him seemed to leak a power he new he could tap into given the time. The object was meant for Ishmael, Crownless King Navigator of Chaos. He was promised eternal life and lordship in the new world of the Dark One's making if he buy delivered the object. Equally as motivating was the fact he had bartered his soul to the Frenchman that he would complete the task.

Though the temptation still grew, if only he knew what it was maybe then he could find a way to harness it. It was a long walk to the Heart of Darkness perhaps he had time after all.