“I live in a world of fire and sand. The crimson sun scorches the life from anything that crawls or flies, and storms of sand scour the foliage from the barren ground. Lightning strikes from the cloudless sky, and peals of thunder roll unexplained across the vast tablelands. Even the wind, dry and searing as a kiln, can kill a man with thirst. This is a land of blood and dust, where tribes of feral elves sweep out of the salt plains to plunder lonely caravans, mysterious singing winds call men to slow suffocation in a Sea of Silt, and legions of slaves clash over a few bushels of moldering grain. The dragon despoils entire cities, while selfish kings squander their armies raising gaudy palaces and garish tombs. This is my home, Athas. It is an arid and bleak place, a wasteland with a handful of austere cities clinging precariously to a few scattered oases. It is a brutal and savage land, beset by political strife and monstrous abominations, where life is grim and short.” – The Wanderer’s Journal
This adventure takes place immediately after Freedom, that saw the fall of Kalak, the Sorcerer-King of Tyr. The summary can be found in this post below and the full adventure can be found at the following link:
Inactive: Leader:Nakir Tiki-Tiki [Harn_Winterfell]: Male Halfling, Shaman, Elemental Priest Theme Nakir left on a mission to convince the Halfling Ogo tribe to stop supporting Hamanu's army
Summary of the previous adventure and recent events in TyrShow
For generations unto generations, every city of Athas has been dominated by powerful sorcerer-kings, fierce tyrants who rule unchallenged the scattered great oases.
Unchallenged, that is, until now, for at last one city has overthrown its oppressive lord and freed itself from the shackles of blind tradition.
Tyr, once known as a decadent sprawl of slavery and vice, has roused itself with terrifying energy. It was a storm long brewing. For two decades, the slaves, citizens, and nobles of Tyr suffered under the increasing madness of King Kalak, struggling at his command to build a massive ziggurat in the heart of the city. Its purpose cloaked in mystery, the people only knew that it was destroying them.
First, there were extra taxes to pay for material, and then more and more slaves were pressed into its construction. Output from Tyr’s greatest resource, its fabulous iron mines, slowly dwindled as Kalak concentrated all the city’s efforts on his ziggurat. The citizens, then the nobles, began to suffer as trade with other city states languished. Although they were worried, the fear of Kalak’s ire was sufficient to keep the nobility cowed. It was only in the last few months that the oppression grew too great. With the ziggurat nearly complete, Kalak’s obsession reached new extremes. The host of High Templar Tithian, Master of Games and Public Works, formed press gangs to scour the streets, enslaving the poor and indigent. The Templars commandeered almost every slave in the city, from the meanest bricklayer’s apprentice to the wealthiest nobles’ last few field-hands. With the plantation workers depleted, nobles’ fortunes teetered on the brink of ruin and the city faced eventual starvation. Yet to this all, Kalak turned a deaf ear. The little concern he once had for his people seemed to vanish like smoke.
It was in one of the press gangs’ sweeps that Mika the agent assassin of House Wavir and Iandak the proud Half-Giant barbarian from the mountains were captured. Zaffa, the female Mul gladiator and her friend Tak-Tha, the Thri-Kreen hunter just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the noble Verassi of Minthur provoked them and started a fight with his bodyguards in the middle of the Elven Market. Templars, in search for any excuse to enslave freemen, did not take long to appear and capture them with an overwhelming force. Meanwhile, the Half-Elf bard, Eksperry, was looking to establish connection with the Tyrian Veiled Alliance since he was from the Altaruk’s cell. He found himself sitting right next to the preserver Mahlanda in a tavern, as she was trying to escape from Templars and their Half-Giant retinue. Once again, it did not take long for the Templars to use the lack of answer to their questions as an excuse to take everyone in the inn prisoner.
That’s how all five characters were unfairly made prisoner and sent to the slave pens. There, they labored under harsh conditions, threatened with death every day, to build Kalak’s monumental folly. In the slave pits, the characters had opportunities to come into contact with various factions and characters. They befriended Urrgos the big hearted but slow witted half giant as they saved him from elven bullies. They saved the gladiator Lissan from a certain death at the hands of her rival Kanla. They defused plans from traitors within the slaves’ ranks. They accomplished a sabotage mission given by Malhanda from the Veiled Alliance. While a diversion raid from the Veiled Alliance was taking place at night, the characters placed a magical amulet inside a summoning chamber within the Ziggurat. After the mission was accomplished, Eksperry was snuck out of the slaves pens by his fellow Veiled Alliance members to continue the fight against tyranny on the outside.
This is when the party befriended the fierce and somewhat scary Halfling Shaman, Nakir Tikki-Tikki. The five eventually got noticed by gladiator overseers and moved to the gladiatorial pits for training. As the Ziggurat was nearing completion, the High Templar of the Games and of the King’s Works, Tithian, was more in need of good fighters, than of slaves. The group started training relentlessly and easily won their test fight against an Id Fiend.
Then the day of the games arrived. Ostensibly, the games were meant to celebrate the completion of Kalak’s rainbow-colored ziggurat and they were to be the greatest spectacle ever staged in Tyr. Everyone, even the lowest slaves, was expected to attend. Most came by choice, for the contest was free and promised to be at least a small spark of relief from Kalak’s strangling reign. Stragglers and slaves were herded to the great arena by the sorcerer-king’s Templars. With the stone tiers filled to near overflowing, the stadium thundered as the crowds screamed for their favorite warriors on the sands below. The group of characters took part in three different major events, culminating with a pyramid fight. They won and became recognized as champions. Then, watching from the stands, they witnessed the final event of the day, another fight on top of the obsidian pyramid, this time involving pairs of gladiators and a Gaj sitting at the top.
Just what happened next, and why, is unclear. It is generally agreed that the gladiator Rikus threw his spear at King Kalak at the same instant that a huge explosion burst over the king’s balcony. Some say Kalak died instantly; others maintain he escaped to his palace. Whatever the result, the people tried to flee, but they discovered that the stadium gates had been sealed. The people, panicked and acting on some instinctual urge, turned on the Templars, symbols of Kalak’s oppression. Suddenly, hundreds of people, then thousands, died where they stood. Golden streams of powerful magic flowed from the dying toward Kalak’s ziggurat. From there, sinister greasy smoke rose over the city. In hindsight, some survivors claim the dragon had come, its terrible magic bringing death to all. Others blamed the rebels who had angered King Kalak.
While the citizens rioted in blind panic, Kalak’s slaves, lead by the characters seized the opportunity to break to freedom. At the same time, unknown to everyone, the small group of rebels hunted down and slew the wounded, but still powerful, King Kalak. With the sorcerer-king’s death, his deadly magic ended. Only after the gates to the stadium were forced open by the characters did the panic begin to subside.
High Templar Tithian’s appearance in the King’s Balcony finally caught the crowd’s attention. Holding aloft Kalak's crown, Tithian proclaimed himself King of Tyr and in a single stroke freed all of Kalak’s slaves. Mika took advantage of the celebration to discreetly escape and go back to House Wavir, as she had no doubt that her employer would need her services for the upcoming times of unrest. Now Tyr is something new on the face of Athas, a free city-state. Rikus, the gladiator champion, and Agis, the noble rebel, had anticipated that the transition would not be easy. They hired Zaffa and her friends to enforce security in the streets and accomplish a series of missions to restore order. They introduced them to two trustworthy rebel agents, Luusi, the Eladrin elemental mage and Azimuth, the Dray Bard/Warlock to help them in their tasks.
As expected, following Kalak’s assassination, riots flared throughout the city. The Templars, suddenly weakened, were the targets of much revenge. Mobs of newly freed slaves attacked the townhouses of their former masters, only to be driven back by squads of half-giant soldiers. Roving gangs of homeless were quickly and sometimes brutally suppressed. But the new king of Tyr was not about to let the city fall into chaos.
In the months following, the new ruler of Tyr has struggled to solidify his control over the city. Democracy and freedom are strange and foreign concepts to people so long oppressed. But with hard work, trial and error, and with the help of the characters, the free state of Tyr has edged its way forward.
The King: Tithian, former High Templar and new king of Tyr, is supposedly the most powerful and important man in the city. Although he lacks the sweeping powers and absolute rule of his predecessor, Tithian is immensely popular with the masses. He is hailed as the man who toppled the insane and sadistic Kalak and who freed the oppressed slaves; and the king does nothing to change this attitude. Although he lacks the powers of a Sorcerer-King, Tithian’s popularity gives him great influence over the other factions of the city.
The Council of Advisors: One of the new features of democratic Tyr is the Council of Advisors. Shortly after the revolution, the Senate was abolished, primarily to break the senators’ power. In its place, Tithian and others established the Council. Council members are leaders of the different classes: nobles, Templars, craftsmen, paupers, and former slaves. The members were elected by their equals, although the elections were often exercises in bullying and machine politics. In addition, the merchant houses have been granted advisory (non-voting) positions on the council. Although the Council is composed of many different factions, it is also a faction that must be dealt with. Many council members are discovering the advantages of their position and more than a few are attempting to pass laws for their own benefit.
The Nobles: Although stripped of their senatorial rank, the wealthy old families of Tyr have retained their traditional status as nobility. The nobles (still called senators, although some prefer Lord or Lady) are mainly concerned with protecting their own privileges and power. The nobles are divided in their support of the new king. He has, albeit reluctantly, slashed Kalak's draconian taxes on their estates, but he also created endless difficulties when he freed the slaves that used to work the plantations. The nobles support him and the new democracy only so long as it does not threaten their interests.
The Templars: Since Kalak’s fall, the Templars of Tyr have been living a precarious existence. The revolution has literally stripped them of some of their powers. Although this is not widely known, Kalak’s death triggered a wave of violent revenge against the hated Templars. In the weeks following the assassination, no Templar was safe on the streets. Although weakened, the Templars still form a powerful faction. Only they are skilled in keeping the peace, ensuring food reaches the markets, controlling the precious water supply, and even preventing outbreaks of disease. Aware of this, the new king has worked to restore order and protect the surviving Templars, or most of them; Tithian’s old enemies have been noticeably absent from their posts. The Templars hate the rebels, yet are forced to look to the new king for protection. Any one of them (particularly the High Templars) would love to overthrow Tithian, but such a deed is simply not possible at the moment.
The Craftsmen: The skilled tradesmen are new to politics and have no unified agenda. Their most pressing issue is to reopen the iron mines, since many of them rely on its ore for their livelihood.
The Free Farmers: One of the largest blocs in the city is that of the newly freed slaves. They have also proven quite troublesome. Freed without property or plans, they indulged in rioting and looting. Only a combination of Tithian’s strong hand and the doling out of King Kalak’s estates (engineered by Senator Agis) restored order to the city. These new landholders are now known as the government farmers. They are strong supporters of King Tithian and fierce advocates of everything democratic, no matter how extreme. The government farmers are openly antagonistic toward the nobles and merchants.
The Tenant Farmers: While some freed slaves gained homesteads, the majority wound up back on the estates of their former masters. Their old masters have “generously” rented small plots of land to the former slaves, quickly ensnaring their tenants in the coils of debt. The tenant farmers are finding their lot worse now than ever before. Although the tenant farmers have no love of their new landlords, they are afraid to protest too greatly. Most tenant councilors find it best to support their noble landlord or just stay quiet and let their vote be bought. The hope they felt in their first few weeks of freedom is slowly being crushed out of them.
The Dispossessed: Even with all King Tithian’s social programs, pushed through by the greet humanitarian Agis of Asticles, there are still many poor and homeless in the city. To them, the “free” elections were a farce. Many of this faction’s candidates to council were supported by other factions, and money and thugs ensured the votes needed to elect them. Most of these councilors see their seats as a means to improve their own lots. They can be relied on to vote with whoever offers them the best bribe or looks most likely to win on any issue. Indeed, money and fear are far more important than right or wrong for these men.
The Merchants: The merchant houses that do business in Tyr had never had much say in the city’s politics before. As advisors to the council, the merchants have no vote but can still use their considerable influence (the threat of a trade embargo) to ensure the sanctity of their licenses.
Titian of Mericles, King of Tyr, Former High Templar of the King's Works Tythian is much less powerful than Kalak was but imensely more popular as he abolished slavery in Tyr. As a Noble, former slave owner and Templar, Tythian has no issues with putting Merchants Houses and the masses to heavy contribution. Agis of Asticles, Nobleman, Revolutionary leader Agis is one of the intrumental revolutionary leaders. He works for the greater good of Tyr. He wants all factions to contribute equaly Rikus, Champion Gladiator, Revolutionary leader Rikus is one of the intrumental revolutionary leaders. Rikus is a former slave of Tithian. Rikus enjoys a great popularity for thowing the spear that supposedly killed Kalak. His popularity is especially great amongst former gladiators and anyone with a martial background (army, guards, etc). He bears no love for Nobles and Templars and will always be suspicious of these two classes, and putting them to extra contribution as much as possible. Neeva, Champion Gladiator, Revolutionary leader Neeva is one of the intrumental revolutionary leaders. Neeva is a former slave of Tithian. She was Rikus' partner during the games and commands a good deal of respect amongst former gladiators. Like Rikus she bears no love for Nobles and Templars, though her attitude and behavior are less extreme than his. Sadira, Sorceress, Revolutionary leader Sadira is a former slave of Tithian and is believed to have contributed heavily to the downfall of Kalak. As and Arcanist and likely (former?) member of the Veilled Alliance, you suspect she bears no love to Templars. Jaseela Erikles, Noblewoman, Revolutionary Jaseela is a noblewoman, ally of Agis of Asticles. She has apparently done some work from behind the scenes to help the revolutionaries. She is not as extreme as Agis who wants to promote equality amongst all classes. She still wants the Noble houses to run Tyr and maintain most of the wealth and power. Vildeen Tyrthani, Nobleman The Tyrthani are an ancient and well respected Noble House, vassal to the Erikles. His House had been thriving under Kalak and lately he has been slow in contributing to the war effort. Turloff, Craftsman and Councilor One of the elected craftsmen on the council, Turloff challenged the Merchant Houses in council, accusing them of price fixing, to take advantage of Tyr's situation. Verassi of Minthur, Nobleman Son of Trevalis Minthur and heir to the house of Minthur. An arrogant condescending noble, who got Zaffa and Tak-Tha arrested and sent to work on the Ziggurat after provoking them into a fight.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ====== Luusi, level 4 Eladrin, Wizard (Sha'ir) Dark Sun Veiled Warrior (+2 to Nature) Theme: Athasian Minstrel
FINAL ABILITY SCORES STR 8, CON 15, DEX 10, INT 21, WIS 10, CHA 13
STARTING ABILITY SCORES STR 8, CON 14, DEX 10, INT 18, WIS 10, CHA 11
Luusi was once a noble born daughter of one of the Houses of the Wind -- a legendary point of light in the ever disappearing world of the feywild. As the void encroached on her home, her father begin sending his children out to 'keep an eye' on the nearby land in Athas, to make sure that intruders didn't accidentally discover their home. In reality, he was preparing his offspring for their new lives in the harsh environment of Athas because he knew that it was just a matter of time before their home was gone forever.
Luusi was out on patrol when the wardings failed around the area that had been her home. All at once, she began to hear stories of a ruin deep in the wasteland that had not been there before. Rushing home with the utmost of dread, she discovered what she had feared to be true -- the place her heart dwelled was gone.
She traveled to another bastion of her people, even though the journey was long and dangerous. Now that the areas of the feywild were no longer connected, she had to sojourn across the harsh climate of Athas in order to reach it. She thanked the foresight of her sire that he had made her learn how to survive in the desert. Upon her arrival, she was told that all of the feywild was shrinking -- it had not just been her home. Soon, none of it would exist anymore, and her people would be exiled and doomed to live out the rest of their lives with the other races of Athas.
An anger was born in her that day -- anger at the defilers that had ripped the magic out of the land and destroyed not only Athas but her world as well. She made a promise to herself and her vanishing kin that she would protect the areas left and avenge those already gone from that day forward.
Now, Luusi traverses the length and width of Athas, keeping an eye on the Sorcerer Kings -- whom she considers to be little better than parasites -- and biding her time while planning how to get rid of them. When she hears tales of other arcane users, she hunts them down and destroys them, further protecting what is left of her home and hopefully prolonging the life of the feywild as long as possible.
Once Luusi got wind of the revolution, she did everything in her power to find out who was running things and how to get in good with them. Proving herself to be a worthy addition to Agis (without giving up that her first alligence would always be to her people in the feywild), she quickly rose in the ranks. It was she who added Azimuth to the ranks, since he was well placed to spy on the new king's family. Now, she and Azimuth have a new mission, new companions, and a new path to tread through the sands of Athas.
Graceful dancer's build, small stature (5'3" -- short for an eladrin), long brown hair, purple pupil-less eyes. Mostly wears red and blue silks in the cities while she's performing, but otherwise wears linen pants, tank top and a wrap to pull over her head while traveling. Second language is Primordial. Her djinnling familiar is called Aejej, which means 'whirlwind in the desert' and even though she's a tiny thing, she can definitely stir up lots of trouble even unprovoked.
Speed: 6, fly 4 (hover) Constant benefits: Forceful Gusts -- You can slide one ally adjacent to you or to the djinnling 1 square as a minor action. Active benefits: Gift of Wind -- When you use an arcane daily attack power, you slide one creature adjacent to the djinnling up to 2 squares, and the djinnling shifts up to 2 squares. Elemental Conduit -- Once per encounter, you can use your familiar's space as the origin for a close arcane attack power.
Pending music to listenNakir Tiki-Tiki proudly serves Chief Urga-Zoltapl as one of the selected two hundred halflings chosen to serve Hamanu the King of Urik. Nakir has learned quite a bit in his short time of some of the customs of humans and others and is curious to observe and learn more. He finds the horror that many regard him and his kind amusing almost to the point of hilarity. Still ever advantage is key in the service of Chief and King and well, Nakir is one of those halflings that consumes that which he kills.
Yellow cat-eyed and tanned, Nakir is content to follow the commands given at this time though he does miss the Forest Ridge and all of its splendors. Nakir has come to Tyr under orders of Hamanu and has managed to get himself captured in order to carry out his instructions. One of his orders is to not starve himself to death as halflings are wont to do in slavery.
His appearance is as the image shows, and he has blood red tattoos and tribal markings over much of his body and his teeth come to slight points due to the filing and curing in his role of witchdoctor. Curious yet vicous, wise and almost fiendishly clever he has bound himself to the spirits of Athas and then in turn have bound themselves to him.
He is fond of tribal tunes and is adept at the flute and drum and can easily craft most of the items he needs to wear and use given the most basic of tools.
Having now experienced gladiatorial battles and witnessing the same from the arena seats not to mention the very exciting personal interaction of group dynamics with a Thri-Kreen, Nakir is ready to experience more of the varied cultures and customs. Having also succeeded in his mission by the God King Hamanu of Urik it is also time to report his missions success. Not many other of his kind manage to survive the arenas let alone help bring down a Sorcerer King. The spirits whisper greatness about his arena companions and so he will watch over them and guide their spirits and claim them when they should fall.
Daily Powers [_] Action Point [_] Spirit of the H. Flood [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]
HP: HS: AC: Fort: Ref: Will:
Core 38 7 17 14 15 18
RndX 38 7
Temp: 0 Surge: 9hp Init: +3 Speed: 6
Resist: none Saves: +5 vs Fear MBA: RBA:
Things of note:
Shaman Powers: See Shaman Powers of Note Feat: Versatile Expertise: +1 to hit with Staff and Totem * +2 to AC vs Opportunity Attacks Combat Round X Notes: •
Erdlu Category: Mount Price: 75 gp Description: The erdlu is a smaller version of the crodlu. Its body is covered in tough scales, and its folded forelimbs sprout useless wings. Hardy and fast, this drakelike creature is a fine riding beast for a Small rider. It is too skittish to be trained for war, however.
Speed per Hour
Speed per Day
Normal Load (lb.)
Heavy Load (lb.)
Push/Drag (lb.)
4 miles
40 miles
160
320
800
Erdlu Medium natural beast (mount, reptile) Level 1 Skirmisher XP 100
HP 28; Bloodied 14
Initiative +5
AC 15, Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 12
Perception+1
Speed 8
Traits
Medium Steed
A Small character can use an erdlu as a mount.
Escape Sprint When an erdlu runs, it gains +4 to speed, instead of +2. The erdlu and its rider don’t grant combat advantage when running.
Standard Actions
Beak At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. AC Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage.
Str 16 (+3) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 13 (+1) Con 12 (+1) Int 2 (-4) Cha 8 (-1)
Zaffa was born as a slave in Urik, bred for psionic power and raised to fight for the entertainment of others. Much of that, however, was beyond the walls of any arena: Zaffa instead took part in open-air skirmishes in the wastelands beyond the city. She and whatever team of slave gladiators she was assigned to didn't always win, but she always survived -- and she always learned something.
Then there came a day when there weren't quite as many guards around the makeshift battleground as usual; the spot the slave masters had chosen didn't form a natural enclosure as it normally did; the gladiators were not as focused on one another in their thirst for blood as they generally were. Both teams joined together to fight their way through their guards and made a break for the Tablelands.
But the slaves had neither the skills nor the resources to survive a trek through the desert. One by one they began to grow weak and drop. When their pursuers caught up to them, though her strength had dwindled, Zaffa managed to survive the encounter -- alone. With no other option, she plodded on through the wasteland.
Zaffa awoke from her semi-conscious state as she fell face-first into a pool of water. She looked up to find herself at a small oasis. After inhaling mouthfuls of water greedily and tearing open the strange fruit she'd found there, she slept sprawled out in the shade.
She felt a presence nearby as she awoke. A humanoid creature with blue, fishy skin stood atop the pool. Zaffa leapt to her feet and readied her weapons, barking a challenge. The creature stared into her eyes, calming her, and explained, "This world has fallen. Once all of Athas was like this oasis, and now that is all gone. But it shall rise again.
"You... are not ideal. But you have the potential to help heal this world, and that is why my power will now be yours."
Zaffa felt more aware as the strange creature vanished. After staring in awe at the world around her and adapting to how much more of it she could see, Zaffa leaned down to get another drink and noticed that her slave master's mark on her forehead was now gone. After packing up a few pieces of fruit, she once more stepped out into the wasteland.
After a few days' walk, Zaffa came across the town of Altaruk, where she found work and companionship. After a night of partying with her newfound drinking buddy, the half-elven bard Ekspery, Zaffa found herself hired by House Wavir to fetch a lost caravan along with a few others: Tak-Tha the Thri-Kreen hunter, Saranikta the seeker of knowledge and Gotho the benevolent monk.
Tracking down the wagon and dealing with interlopers along the way proved to be a challenge, but it was one of which the group proved themselves very capable. They were able to find the wagon, rescue a few House Wavir employees, catch up to and tame inixes in the wastes and get the wagon back to Altaruk before nightfall.
Having proven their worth, the group (minus the monk Gotho and with the addition of the House Wavir agent Mika and fellow Mul Corinth) found themselves hired to escort a caravan into Tyr -- and straight into a string of misunderstandings that led Zaffa back into slavery and her companions along with her.
Tasked to build King Kalak's pyramid, they suffered under toil and anguish but met new friends: Iandak and Urrgos, both of giant blood. Saranikta and Corinth, however, have not been seen since. Two opportunities presented themselves: first, a Veiled Alliance plot to sabotage the pyramid, Ekspery having arranged for the group's involvement before disappearing himself; second, a bout of workyard violence that got them noticed and sent to the arena.
Zaffa, in spite of herself, felt at home fighting for others' pleasure. She, Tak-Tha, Mika, Iandak, Urrgos and the halfling shaman Nakir bested their enemies -- even taking down an id fiend -- and, in the end, were declared champions.
But this paled in comparison to what they experienced next: they witnessed the wounding and fall of Kalak, King of Tyr, heretofore thought to be untouchable. As his death spasms rocked the arena and threatened to kill all in attendance, the champions rallied slaves and freemen alike to fight their way to safety.
With Kalak dead, Zaffa -- and all Athas -- knows that the sorcerer tyrants are not invincible. A tortured existence under their thumbs is not inevitable but can be cast off. Born into slavery and thrown back into it on the whims of a single noble, Zaffa is determined to do whatever she can to spread Tyr's newfound freedom.
Zaffa is tall and broad, well-muscled and strong, with skin that was dark in the first place and is tanned even darker. She has a tuft of thick copper hair on top of her head (after having had her head shaved before entering back into slavery) and wild eyes that match except for a slight greenish tint. Her features are very squared off, with a prominent jaw and a high-bridged nose. Her body and face are covered in all manner of tattoos; though most are simply black or light gray in plain geometric patterns, there are a few spots in bright colors with pleasing designs. Her ear lobes are stretched out by round bone earrings. Despite all of this, she is not necessarily ugly; there is, if nothing else, a touch of primal, exotic beauty to her. Also, in spite of the circumstances of her birth and the life she's lived, she has fairly few scars, something she owes to her psionic abilities.
Zaffa's chest, throat, hips and extremities are protected by kank hide, with a red loincloth adorned with kestrekel feathers for less practical purposes. A mixture of horn and scales of various animals also cover the vitals, as well as her left lower arm and leg and right shoulder. Befitting her new role (and to cover the loss of her topknot, which she has become sensitive about after regaining her freedom), Zaffa wears a light cloak and hood that matches her loincloth. Everywhere else (her midsection and thighs) is left bare. She wields a warhammer and throwing hammers made of bone and dense rock, as well as a large, oval-shaped shield made of baazrag leather, inix bone and a large shell.
Zaffa is ignorant of many things, but battle is one thing she knows inside-out. She knows the value of a companion. She knows when it is best to keep a clear head and when it is best to go all-out. She knows what to watch out for.
Zaffa has a gruff nature, but she is not uncouth. She is as given to boisterousness as she is to reticence, depending on the situation. She loves to laugh with her comrades-in-arms and to curse at her enemies, understanding that at some point those roles may change. She often can tell when others are lying and has a pretty good idea of when to point it out and when to let it pass.
Zaffa almost enjoys taking a beating, proof to her of just how tough she is.
Her experiences since her first escape from slavery have softened her demeanor considerably. Seeing King Kalak deposed has led her to believe that she must use her strength to fight tyranny and end slavery wherever it is found.
Minor Action, Close burst 1 Target One creature in burst Effect Zaffa marks the target until she uses this power again or until the end of the encounter. Augment 1 Target One or two creatures in burst
Free Action, Personal Trigger An adjacent enemy marked by Zaffa shifts. Effect Zaffa shifts 1 square. Special Zaffa can use this power only once per turn.
Standard Action, Melee 2, Knockback Warhammer +1 +10 vs. Will Target One creature Hit 4 damage, and Zaffa pulls the target 1 square. Until the end of her next turn, the target can move only to squares that are adjacent to her. Critical +1d6 damage Augment 1 Range Melee 5 Hit As above, but Zaffa pulls the target 4 squares. Augment 2 Range Melee 5 Hit 1d10+5 damage, and Zaffa pulls the target 4 squares and knocks it prone. Until the end of her next turn, the target can move only to squares that are adjacent to her.
Immediate Reaction, Melee 1 Target The triggering enemy Trigger An adjacent enemy marked by Zaffa deals damage to her ally with an attack that doesn't include her as a target. Effect The target takes force and psychic damage equal to the damage that its attack dealt to Zaffa's ally.
Minor Action, Personal Effect Zaffa teleports an object she is holding in one hand to an unoccupied square within 10 squares of her or to a willing creature within 10 squares of her.
Standard Action, Knockback Warhammer +1 +10 vs. AC Target One creature Hit 1d10+5 damage. Until the end of Zaffa's next turn, the target takes a penalty to attack rolls equal to the number of Zaffa's allies adjacent to it. Critical +1d6 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square. Augment 1 Special When making an opportunity attack, Zaffa can use this power in place of a melee basic attack. Augment 2 Hit 1d10+5 damage, and the target is blinded until the end of Zaffa's next turn.
Standard Action, Knockback Warhammer +1 +10 vs. AC Target One or two creatures Hit 4 psychic damage, and Zaffa marks the target until the end of her next turn. If she targets only one creature with this power, the attack deals 1d10+1 extra damage. Critical +1d6 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square. Augment 1 Hit As above, and Zaffa also marks one enemy adjacent to the target until the end of her next turn. Augment 2 Attack Type: Close burst 1 Target Each enemy Zaffa can see in burst Hit 1d10+5 psychic damage, and the target is marked and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of Zaffa's next turn.
Free Action, Personal Trigger An attack hits or misses Zaffa for the first time during an encounter. Effect Until the end of her next turn, Zaffa gains 5 resistance to all damage.
Standard Action, Knockback Warhammer +1 +10 vs. AC Target One creature Hit 2d10+5 damage, and Zaffa pushes the target 4 squares. The target and each enemy adjacent to the target at the end of the push are slowed until the end of Zaffa's next turn. Critical +1d6 damage
No Action, Personal Trigger Zaffa starts her turn. Effect Zaffa ends any ongoing damage or any dazed, slowed, stunned or weakened condition currently affecting her.
Free Action Trigger Zaffa pushes a target with a weapon power or a critical hit with this weapon. Effect The target falls prone at the end of the force movement.
Standard Action, Personal Effect Zaffa spends a healing surge to regain hit points and gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of her next turn.
Standard Action, Knockback Warhammer +1 +10 vs. AC (Zaffa has combat advantage for this attack.) Target One creature Effect Before the attack, Zaffa shifts her speed. She can move through enemies' spaces during this movement. Hit 2d10+5 damage. Zaffa's movement does not provoke opportunity attacks from the target until the end of the encounter. Critical +1d6 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square. Miss Half damage. Effect Until the end of the encounter, Zaffa gains a +2 power bonus to speed. In addition, when she shifts, she shifts 1 extra square.
Standard Action, Close burst 5 Target Each ally in burst Requirement Zaffa's second wind must be available for her to use. Effect Zaffa uses her second wind, and each target gains 14 temporary hit points.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ====== Azimuth, level 4 Dragonborn, Bard/Warlock
Hybrid Bard Option: Hybrid Bard Will Hybrid Warlock Will Eldritch Pact (Hybrid) Option: Star Pact (Hybrid): When an enemy under the effects of the Warlock's Curse drops to 0hp you gain a +1 attack until the end of your next turn. This bonus is accumulative. Hybrid Warlock Option: Hybrid Talent Option: Bardic Virtue Bardic Virtue Option: Virtue of Valor: WHen an ally drops an enemy to 0hp within 5sq they gain 4 temp HP. Dragonborn Racial Power Option: Dragon Breath Constitution Type: Lightning Dark Sun, Inherent Bonuses Theme: Dune Trader Background: Tyr - Embedded Spy (+2 to Streetwise)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES STR 9, CON 16, DEX 10, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 18
STARTING ABILITY SCORES STR 9, CON 14, DEX 10, INT 15, WIS 12, CHA 15
Minor Action; 1/rnd curse the enemy closest to me. Warlock powers to an additional 1d6 dmg and when enemy is dropped to 0hp gain +1 to attack until the end of next round.
Arcane, Implement, Thunder Standard ActionRanged10
Target One creature
Attack Charisma vs. Will
Hit Charisma modifier thunder damage, and you push the target 2 squares. As a free action, an ally of your choice can make a melee basic attack against the target before, after, or during this forced movement.
Effect You teleport an object you are holding in one hand to an unoccupied square within 10 squares of you or to a willing creature within 10 squares of you.
Encounter Quick Formation Dragon Breath Majestic Word Clarion Call Slick Negotiator Song of the New Dawn
Daily Stirring Shout
FEATS Level 1: Enlarged Dragon Breath Level 2: Hybrid Talent Level 4: Strength of Valor
ITEMS Rat Killer's Coat Leather Armor +1 Spoiler:Show
Property Resist 5 vs Swarm attacks, Move through a space occupied by a swarm without provoking opportunity attacks.
Out on the Silt Sea sometimes a traveller's only friend are the stars that guide them. Azimuth's father knew that well and taught his son to identify the moons and constellations intimately. The youngling knew all of thier names and would lie upon the deck of his father's vessel The Stormrider and speak to them at night. His knowledge surpassed that of his father's and his reputation amongst the tribe was that he could feel the stars in his bones and see them even when the sky was blotted out by duststorms.
His father was a merchant and Azimuth had no greater ambition than to amass wealth for his people hidden out in the wastes in their secret towers. but this was not to be. His father had a reputation of trading with anyone willing, and this brought them in contact with some of the shadier element's of society. One such element was a slaver named Borja, a desert hardened dwarf with a face half-destroyed by some unknown terror. Azimuth's father Arc dealt him supplies to keep the slaves alive and the dwarf owed him money that they'd agreed upon previously. But when the time came to make the exchange, Borja decided to renegotiate the terms giving himself a 100% discount in exchange for their lives. Well, a dray never forgets an agreement and Arc would not accept the terms, so he was murdered in front of little Azimuth and his crew along with his son were taken as slaves. Azimuth made a bargain of his own on that day with a power he could barely understand. In exchange for the power of the cosmos and the protection to see him through the coming trials he would be an emissary of the strange powers that came from the skies.
He was sold in the market for quite cheap due to his pathetic size and weird race. He spent much of his early life as a household servant preparing food and cleaning. It was here that he learned the slave songs and spent much time singing along. His own people's songs were embedded in his soul and sometimes he would sing those too, but they were a bit too outlandish for his fellow servants. But his owner saw the potential of having a unique form of entertainment and encouraged him to sing at gatherings for his company. Most found it horrendous but a few raved about its novelty. And thus his owner found an eccentric buyer who'd give him double the price he was bought for. This began a series of transactions that put Azimuth in many different households of ever increasing influence. He honed his craft and learned to tone down the foreigness of his songs while still maintaining their uniqueness. His songs could soothe troubled souls and lull a whole party to sleep. It was at the hieght of his carreer that he was sold to Agis of Asticles who had a different role in mind for him.
Agis taught him to be a spy and listen in on all the intrigues that would go on at his parties, to be able to pump the other household servants for information and to use guile to intimate himself with important people. He was then gifted to Agis' old freind Tithian where Azimuth worked for years as a spy until recently being freed. Azimuth is happy to help in Agis' plots and Tithian's peace keeping efforts realizing that it gives him the chance to put many of the city's denizens in his debt. And a Dray never forgets his debts. He has always kept a keen eye out for the dwarf Borja in order to make good on what he is owed. When the time comes for him to take it he will not do it for revenge, but simply for buisness. Borja made a deal with his father, he will take the payment from out of the dwarf's hide.
Unlike many of his race Azimuth does not appear to be strong and healthy at all. He walks with a hunch, often wheezing and stumbling. He is shockingly thin, his arms appear to leather wrapped tinder, and he will rarely make eye contact unless he is trying to unnerve someone. He learned long ago that appearing helpless is the best way to avoid attention and even those who'd prey on someone similar could be bargained with. The only time he drops this facade is when he is performing his songs which does with pride, standing tall and proud honoring his people with his voice. When the song is over he drops back into a hunch and wheezes all the more to imply what a strain it is. But the servants know better, they've often seen him walking strait and full of health, he may be scrawny but he has inner strength. There are also many who swear that he knows magic and can curse a man just with an odd look and a snarl. But his act is so good that no one believes these observers.
Azimuth takes in his surrounding with a keen eye and has a great memory for details. He has built up many contacts in the streets due to living in so many affluent households and can call on favors when in need. He has an uncanny knack for survival for one so seemingly doomed from birth. He also sleeps very little and can be seen standing under the moonlight, rasping at the sky in his strange tongue. To whom he speaks or why is anybody's guess.
Azimuth also has fondness for the noxious drink broy and will almost always have some on hand, much to the detriment of anyone who has to smell his breath. He's been known to make deals unfavorable to him to get more when his supplies run out.
Iandak was once a member of a tribe living in Firepeak Vale deep in the Ringing Mountains. Born the son of the tribe shaman, Iandak was raised to revere growth, water, and flowring things. During his youth, Iandak became disenchanted with the raids against other tribes or nearby merchant trains. He understood it was the heretige of his people to compete and fight, to allow the savagery of the land to strengthen them and test them, but he sensed a greater purpose.
On his 23rd naming day, he set out from his village to travel Athas and learn what the land had to teach him. Considered a great warrior in his own right, Iandak's departure was met with scorn and confusion by his fellow tribesman. Only his father, the tribe Shaman, gave his blessing. Upon leaving the Ringing Mountains, Iandak came to realize that the world was very different. Enormous seas of sand as far as the eye could see sweltering in the heat of an unrelenting sun filled him with fear, but fear had never stopped him before. Using his natural talents and instincts, Iandak was barely able to survive by following a trail of oasis and shelters until he met a traveling caravan, where he offered his services of protection for food and shelter. Iandak spent the next several years traveling with merchants, caravans, and the like, all the while learning more about the greater world of Athas. During this time, he has learned to control the wild swings of emotion experienced by his people enough to survive daily interaction in strange communities.
Recently his travels brought him to Tyr, where men said Kalak, the cruel lord of the city, used defiling magic fueled by exquisite gardens to rule with an iron fist. Unsure of what part he could play in restoring the balance of nature, he entered the city to gain his bearings and earn some coin before making his next decision. Almost immediately, Iandak was attacked by a Templar and half-giant press gang and enslaved to build the Sorceror king's might ziggaraut. Stripped of all possessions and pride, he was set to work in the slave pits. There he met a most unlikely group; A female mul gladiator, a half-elven minstrel, a hunting Thri-kreen, a tiny human woman shrouded in mystery, and a creature that seemed to share some of his own giant lineage.
Through many struggles, trials, and intrigues, Iandak began to feel a sense of belonging and protectiveness for this motley group. The bard mysteriously vanished and the party was moved to the gladitorial arena, but another member appeared to whom Iandak felt a closer kinship. One of the wild halfling barbarians was thrown into their fighting group, a speaker of the spirits to whom Iandak was passingly familiar because of his own familial ties. With this group, Iandak survived the fighting pits and was finally rewarded with the sight of an enormous uprising that lead to the death of Kalak.
Unable to process all of these events, being completely alien experiences for him, Iandak is currently following Zaffa and the rest of the group while he tries to find his feet once more.
Standing well over 7 feet tall, Iandak is built like a spire. His relatively narrow waist and lean body are contrasted by wide shoulders. His skin is pebbled with tiny lithoderms and marked by the natual tattoos common to his people. His face bares a long scar from the left corner of his mouth all the way back nearly to his ear, as if someone had cut through the flesh of his cheek. This scar gives his face an oddly sardonic expression, a permanent half-grin grotesquely exaggerated. Some of his flesh hangs loose from weeks of undernourishment and hard physical labor in the slave pits, and his face is drawn and slightly hagard. Covered in fresh wounds, the worst is a short, thick scar on his forarm, puckering into a rough, craggy mark he will bear for the rest of his life. He is dressed in tough hides and bears several weapons, among them a few short throwing spears and a pair of thick obsidium-edged blades long enough to be called swords.
Iandak at rest is a methodical creature, slow of speech and hesitant to express his opinions, particularly if he is feeling especially angry. Though he can achieve some semblence of eloquence in his native Giant, his common is not nearly so practiced, creating odd speech patterns. Iandak obsessively tries to live in communion with the land, never taking more than he thinks he will need and stopping senseless destruction of the environment. The concept of defiling fills Iandak with loathing and anger.
In combat, Iandak often taps the more volatile side of his race, allowing his passion and emotion to lend strength to his swings. He seems to move with a grace unnatural in one so large.
Recently, Iandak has begun learning to lean on the strength of others to make up for his own failings and weaknesses. His natural pride makes this difficult, but feeling deeply in over his head with regards to the complex politics he finds himself facing, his choices are to run or rely on others. And Iandak rarely runs.
FEATURES Mountain's Tenacity (Racial): +1 Racial bonus to Will Powerful Athlete (Racial): Roll twice and use either result when making an Athletics check to jump or climb. Barbarian Agility (Class): Gain +1 AC and Reflex when not wearing heavy armor Rampage (Class): Critical hit on a barbarian power grants a free MBA once per round. Whirling Slayer (Class): You can wield a one-handed weapon in your off-hand a treat it as an off-hand weapon. Once per round, when you bloody an enemy you can shift 2 squares as a free action, and each enemy adjacent to you at the end of the shift grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
POWERS Primal Guardian Power: Mark of Thunder (DSCS p. 58) Barbarian at-will 1: Whirling Rend (Primal Power p. 11) Barbarian at-will 1: Pressing Strike (PHB2 p. 51) Barbarian encounter 1: Whirling Frenzy (Primal Power p. 11) Barbarian daily 1: Thunder Hooves Rage (Primal Power p. 12) Barbarian utility 2: Combat Sprint (PHB2 p. 52) Barbarian encounter 3: Whirling Step (Primal Power p. 13)
ITEMS Amulet of Health +1, Backpack, Belt-pouch, Waterskin, Fire Kit, Hempen Rope (50ft), Hide Armor, 2x Bastard Swords, 2x Javelin, Climber's Kit, 5x Survival days, 5x Torches, 66gp 5sp
Once per round, when you bloody an enemy you can shift 2 squares as a free action, and each enemy adjacent to you at the end of the shift grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Standard Action, Bastard Sword Target: One Creature Effect: Before the attack, you shift 2 squares. You can move through an enemy's space, but you can't end there. Attack: +10 vs. AC Hit: 1d10 + 6, and you push the target one square. If you are raging, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.
Standard Action, Bastard Swords Target: One Creature Attack: +10 vs. AC Hit: 1d10 + 6, and an enemy adjacent to you other than the target takes 1d10 + 2 damage. If you are raging, add your Dexterity modifier (+3) to both damage rolls.
Move Action Effect: You move your speed. During the move, You gain a +5 power bonus to acrobatics checks to balance and do not sink when moving over soft and brittle terrain, such as dust, silt, mud, snow, or thin ice.
Standard Action, Bastard Swords Close burst 1 Target: Each Creature in burst Attack: +10 vs. AC or Ref Hit: 2d10 + 6 damage Miss: You take 1d6 damage, with no modifiers
Standard Action, Bastard Swords Target: One Creature Attack: +10 vs. AC Hit: 1d10 + 6 damage Effect: You shift Dex mod squares (3). If the attack hit, you deal 1d10 + 2 damage to one or two enemies that are adjacent to you at some point during the shift.
Standard Action, Bastard Sword Target: One Creature Attack: +10 vs. AC Hit: 1d10 + 6 thunder damage Effect: You mark the target until the end of your next turn. Until the mark ends, if the target makes an attack that doesn't include you, it takes 5 thunder damage.
Free Action, Bastard Sword Melee 1 Trigger: Your attack reduces an enemy to 0 hit points. Effect: You shift 2 squares and then deal 1d10 + 2 damage to an enemy adjacent to you that you can see
Standard Action, Bastard Sword Target: One creature Attack: +10 vs. AC Hit: 3d10 + 6 damage Miss: Half damage Effect: You enter the rage of the thunder hooves. Until the rage ends, you can move through 1 or 2 enemies' spaces during each of your turns. When you move through an enemy's space, your next attack against that enemy during the same turn deals 1[W] extra damage.
As expected, following Kalak’s assassination, riots flared throughout the city. The Templars, suddenly weakened, were the targets of much revenge. Mobs of newly freed slaves attacked the townhouses of their former masters, only to be driven back by squads of half-giant soldiers. Roving gangs of homeless were quickly and sometimes brutally suppressed.
But Tithian, the new king of Tyr was not about to let the city fall into chaos. In the months following, he struggled to solidify his control over Tyr. Democracy and freedom are strange and foreign concepts to people so long oppressed. But with hard work, trial and error, and with your help, the free state of Tyr has edged its way forward.
During the past two months, you have indeed completed a series of small missions for some of the lead revolutionaries. Rikus, the fierce Mul gladiator, who threw the heartwood spear that hit Kalak, had you crush a handful riots to restore order. Agis of Asticles, the psion-nobleman of conscience had you -reluctantly- act as bodyguard for a few Templars until they regained their "footing" and position of power. You even accomplished one small mission for Sadira, the beautiful Half-Elf revolutionary, rumored to be an Arcanist. She needed to "borrow" a magic item from the Templar's quarters.
It is during those days that Tak-Tha, the proud Thri-Kreen Hunter who had accepted Zaffa as his clutch leader, expressed his feelings of "home sickness". All these intrigues and conspiracies were too alien to the Thri-Kreen, who needed the simple thrill of the hunt. One morning, he bid farewell to the group, with the promise to hunt together if their paths cross again. He set for the wilderness, away from the city and the intrigues of the soft skins.
Today is a day like any other lately in Tyr. It is noon, the sun is at its highest and the air as warm and heavy as a forge's. The streets are dusty and reek of detritus, a proper system to clean them up has yet to be put in place.
The streets are busy though, and the Elven Market even more, with the noise of commerce and negotiation. A completely bold dwarf is haggling with an Elf over some obsidian hammer. A human couple is looking at a roll of refined fabric, no doubt stolen considering the contrasting dirty outfit of the Elven merchant. A tatooed halfling female over there is looking at a handful of agafari javelins, testing the weight and balance in her hand.
But you have no time to look at any of these goods. You cross the market quickly and with purpose, keeping a hand on your purse and an eye out for pick pockets and hidden daggers. The Elven Market's reputation has not improved since the fall of Kalak after all.
You reach your destination, a small unremarkable mud brick house covered in dirty and peeling yellow paint. After checking that you have not been followed, you step through the heavy green curtain that covers the door. Inside, you recognize the familiar figure of Agis of Asticles standing in the corner of the room, arms crossed in front of him, a shoulder against the wall. There is a table in the center of the room with half a dozen chairs around it.
Agis seems especially tense this day. Only after you are seated does the councilor stir from his shadowy corner, and then it is to check carefully that no one has followed you. Returning to his side of the table, taking a seat, he finally speaks.
"Thank you for coming to this meeting, especially on such short notice. There is trouble brewing for Tyr, perhaps you have heard rumors of it. No? Well then, let me be the first to tell you. The word from King Tithian and the council is that Tyr is under attack."
Seeing your nervous looks, he quickly corrects "I dont mean this instant. I mean that King Hamanu, the Sorcerer-King of Urik, has dispatched an army to capture Tyr and claim it for his own. Hamanu styles himself a warlord, although he relies on Tyr for the iron in his weapons. Apparently, King Kalak cut off supplies long ago and now Hamanu is coming to reopen the mines under his control. Tithian has told the council and even appointed Rikus, that templar Styan, and noblewoman Jaseela as commanders, but only because I think he wants to get rid of them. The army is going to need help if we want our free city to remain free. I'm counting on you for some of that help."
Zaffa nods as Tak-Tha explains his desire to return to a simpler life in the barrens. "I getcha completely, buddy." She clasps a hand over the exoskeleton of his shoulder. "T' be honest, I ain't sure I'm made for all 'is either -- too much thinkin' to this kind a' tik an' not enough instincts. Go on home, but know that we'll always welcome ye back." She chuckles. "It ain't like ye'll ever have any trouble findin' us."
"Goodbye, frien'."
Zaffa enters the mud brick house, relaxing her squinted eyes. She pulls her hood back and nods to Agis as she sits.
After the nobleman speaks, Zaffa growls quietly. Hamanu... She looks to the others to see their reactions before venturing a response.
Nakir nods at Tak-Tha's statement and gives him a fingerbone necklace he had been crafting. "This so you do not forget the soft-skin clutch. Keep yourself safe for I will not be there to eat you if you fall and then your spirit will be lost. Hunt well my friend."
****
"Hamanu is Great Lion! Great friend of Nakir's people! Great honor to serve him for the tribes. Nakir here because Great Lion sent Nakir to topple weak and cruel Kalak. Only reason Tyr is free now is because Nakir came here. Great Lion surely would welcome hands in friendship and the gifts of iron mines that Kalak denied him. Nakir will go. Nakir will bring your terms to Great Lion."
The months in Tyr have taught Iandak many lessons. No longer does the half-giant stare about with quizzical interest as the group travels through the elves' quarter. His hand is just as firmly covering his own coin pouch. His thoughts briefly travel to Urgoss, currently working as a shoulder-thumper in a weapons shop in the merchant's district, but his friend had adapted quite well to life in this strange city and there was a task at hand that needed doing.
Entering the house behind the other, glancing behind in case of suspicious activity, he enters the room last. Listening quietly while leaning easily against the wall with arms crossed, Iandak's only reaction to the speech is a noticable tensing of his body at the mention of attack.
Urik must be home to another of these 'Sorceror Kings.' Abominations, blights, all of them! I wonder what this 'army' is? From the sound of it, it must be like a large raiding party, which would make 'generals' like raid leaders.
Catching Zaffa's curious glance, he just shrugs. He has followed her instruction closely, gradually trusting her leadership more and more as the months have gone by. His distrust of the leadership of Tyr, Tithian in particular, is easy to distinguish. Though he is friendly with the wild halfling and works well with the Luusi and Azimuth, his loyalty lies with the mul.
Verassi of Minthur, Nobleman
Beak 
At-Will
