A Guide to Kheriim's Nicknames

People Kheriim doesn't know get a moniker. She may start using names in time. List will be added to as necessary.

Sigrid - Glowy Lady

Gannen - Quiet King

Freja - Princess

Leif - Prince

Anika - Trouble

Halden - Trouble (Kheriim doesn't know there's two of them yet)

Blank - Damn Pirate

Soern - Scary Mage

Ghalib - Smart Lion

Stavros - Strange

Janan - Likes Fire

Aed - Priest

Kheriim's Notes 1

1 of 6month

Teleporting tickles. This was discovered today while travelling with Kaperi to Xanadu. Magical sensitivity could explain the tickling. Xanadu is large, magical, and made of floating rocks. Magical sensitivity in Xanadu induces headaches. The people of Xanadu eat fish. Fish tastes like death.

There are many human-types here of many sizes. The small ones are Faen. The large one is a giant. There are also lizard people, cat people, monkey people and many other not-people type people like in the books at home. There are many people with many titles. What purpose do these titles hold?

Glowy Lady came with a man. She called him Damn Pirate. He was sent away with Prince. Then there was a boat with Prince and Damn Pirate. Damn Pirate imbibed much alcohol. Alcohol is bad. Prince encouraged him. Prince is bad? Prince must be treated nice, even if Prince is bad.

There was a dinner. There was more fish. There were other dead animals too. Damn Pirate and Scary Mage left through the window. They are very unorthodox. There was a man who came in who talked about Harrid. They eat people just like these people eat animals. The man was Strange. Strange also ate dead animals. Damn Pirate and Scary Mage came back with Trouble and Likes Fire. There was much yelling.

Later, Glowy Lady formed a group with Trouble, Likes Fire, Priest, Strange, and Prince. Kaperi says to go. A magic cup must be found.

Kaperi says to go. To go with these people is scary.

Session 1: In Which Sigrid Holds a Summit, Captain Blank's Ship Catches Fire, and a Quest is Begun

5/29
Recap:
Sigrid's summit begins.
Much boring small talk.
Sigrid meets Verrik representative Kaperi and Kaperi's human companion, Khariim.
Soern is late, but arrives. Aed is off doing apprentice-like stuff. Ghalib was invited as a Litorian representative, and, lacking anything better to do, is preventing the drowning of small children. ("Where are your fathers and why are they not watching you?")
Younger twins (Anika and Halden), Captain Blank, and misc. npcs are surprisingly not around.
This turns out to be because Captain Blank is holding his own party in Xanadu's Pleasure Dome. Sigrid is Not Amused. Particularly when it becomes a public nuisance. She yells at both Captain Blank and Halden, who was apparently "supervising". Halden gets sent to bed without supper, poor kid. Janan tries to introduce himself to Captain Blank, but his claim of kinship is not nearly as interesting as rum.
The official dinner of the summit is interrupted first by Captain Blank's ship being caught on fire, and second by the loud entrance of Stavros Xanthis, representative of the human resistance to Harrids on Skaraven.
Blank and Soern discover that Blank's ship was set on fire by Anika and a young man named Janan. After disturbing Janan and Anika's makeout session, Blank finally finds out that Janan wanted his attention because his dead mother claimed Blank was his father. Blank is Not Amused by Janan's choice of methedology.
Soern tattles on Anika to Sigrid, with much added embellishments--"Completely naked. With explosions." etc.
Sigrid is Not Amused, but plans to deal with this later.
Soern tells Gannen & Sigrid that "something" is wrong with the Heart of Sea, wondered if there were other artifacts like the evil sword that might help.
Sigrid decides to ask the closest scholar of Xanadu library (Ghalib! You're knowledgeable! C'mere!) if he has read anything about similar artifacts.
Ghalib is confused by the question, and by the Emperor & Empress talking to him, but answers to the best of his ability.
From what he's read, there are at least three other artifacts of similar origin, one a cup with powers of healing, killing, and prophecy. (lots of power for one cup) They may also be evil.
Sigrid creates a task force to go forth and investigate the matter.
Blank is sent due to his dubious contacts, Leif to make sure the task force actually investigates, Halden to get him out of trouble (and to make he & Leif get along), Stavros to prove Skaraven's intentions, Kheriim to prove Verrik intentions, Aed to provide magical assistance, and Janan, mainly to get him out of her city and away from her daughter.


Quotage:
"It's like Texas. If Texas were a jungle." -Oddysey, re: Verrik lands

"Do you know how hard it is to ride a horse in a dense jungle?" -Artemis, Kheriim
"Do you know how hard it is to save a horse and ride a cowboy?" -Qwerty, Captain Blank
"...You're not allowed to talk anymore." -Artemis

"I don't know where you've been, but mafia bosses are totally good people." -Qwerty, Captain Blank

"Does she understand the younger kids?"-Maggienotmegan, re: Sigrid not understanding her weird older kids
"Yeah, totally. She used to be a terrorist." -Artemis

"The Verrik are all New Yorkers." -Oddysey
"From Texas?" -Qwerty
"Yes...Wait, I can't condone that." -Oddysey

"Okay, Mister Pirate, what is the greatest danger at sea?" -Artemis, Sigrid
"Kraken." -Qwerty, Captain Blank
"Fire!" -Artemis, Sigrid, re: fire safety

"Is there a problem here?" -Rae, Sigrid
"No, no problem. Just that he's never going to catch himself a velociraptor." -Qwerty, Admiral Axe
"But they have caught velociraptors." -Artemis, Sigrid
"Have they? Or are the velociraptors luring them into a false sense of security?" -Qwerty, Admiral Axe
"Well, I don't know about that. I have seen them riding velociraptors." -Artemis, Sigrid
"And I've seen them being eaten by velociraptors." -Qwerty, Admiral Axe

"Ah, he'd float. He's a witch!" -Foole, re: throwing Captain Blank into the ocean

"You're human. You can eat fish if you like." -Foole, Kaperi
"It tastes funny. Like death." -Artemis, Kheriim

"You're the one who set my boat on fire!" -Qwerty, Captain Blank
"And you're the one who let your boat be set on fire!" -Maggienotmegan, Janan

"We were totally just necking, mom; it's okay." -Oddysey, Anika, re: Soern's assertion that Annika and Janan had been sexing it up on a burning boat

"I scratch your back, you scratch mine, except with no actual scratching of backs, instead we do favors." -Qwerty, Stavros

"Stavros is available for all backscratching that is not actual backscratching. All metaphorical backscratching." -Qwerty, Stavros

"I don't get it." -Saganatsu, Soern
"It's nothing. They're pirates." -Artemis, Sigrid
"It's called innuendo. It's when a remark, seemingly innocent on the surface, is actually a reference of a sexual nature. Or about drugs, or death, other adult topics, but usually sex." -Maggienotmegan, Janan
"...Yeah, that flew right over my head." -Saganatsu, Soern
"Well, you are a biter, aren't you?" -Maggienotmegan, Janan

"Well, hello again." -Maggienotmegan, Janan, looking Halden up and down
"...Janan, meet my son, Halden." -Artemis, Sigrid
"Son? Good to meet you. Like the name. Anyone ever tell you you look very like your sister?"-Maggienotmegan, Janan
"No, really?" -Qwerty, Captain Blank, re: twelfth night twin syndrome

Rumors in Xanadu on the Eve of the Summit

"You heard about that ship, the Merchant's Behest, got just past Mixastomere but hasn't been heard from since? I got a cousin who sighted it, he says no way it was the dragons -- it was whales. Giant, ravenous whales. Whole horde of 'em. Any time you sail that far down south, be careful." Tony Sola, down at the docks

"Have you heard who the giants are bringing? Only Mekhel Raghon -- the most gorgeous man in the Diamond Throne. And he's available, and he's royal. Human royalty doesn't count for much back west, but it does count for something." Mira Trai, host of the most fashionable salon in the Red canton

"The Free Faen aren't coming! Probably the Diamond Throne launched another raid to keep 'em out of it, that's smart politics, that is. Wouldn't want the Harrowdeep resistance muddying up their nice pretty party, now would they?" Fezzy Turnbite, quickling faen and full-time resident of the Seafly Saloon

"Gorzam's got hit hard by scurvy this year, harder than most. It's those damn Diamond Throne ships, blocking the trade. Can't get the rum to put their limes in." Oa-Betash, captain of the Midnight Star

"I overheard Ma last night saying -- well, I shouldn't be telling you this, she'd just I was stirring up trouble, but there's a harrid in the city, just this last week, folks have been citing it all over, sneaking around. Wears a cloak, but you can tell. And you know what it must want, coming to Xanadu." Peter Caslingan, errand boy and son of Loretta Caslingan (who owns the best bakery on Xanadu, he'll have you know)

"You know you haven't seen Gannen in a couple of months, right? Yeah, that's right, nobody's noticed it yet, but they will. See, one of his kids did him in, but they're keeping it secret until they can get the succession cleared up. Wouldn't do any good to have the giants know we're defenseless at a time like this. So don't tell any giants, okay?" Erri Blackstone, bookseller

"One of those delegates, just arrived, they've been marked by the assassins. No, I don't know who, and I don't know why, but they have. Heard it from old Tom, and he doesn't tell lies. No, sir." Xayqua, Verrik blacksmith

"I heard from my Aunt Kell last week, her son Zan's gone missing. Whole bunch of the men in those Chak Itzin settlements have, she says -- you didn't know I was from there? Oh, man, the stories I could tell you." Jayne Teller, glassblower

"You know why the giants are so interested in this summit, huh? Why aren't they aren't just staying home, like they belong? I'll tell ya -- 'cause they're about to declare war. The summit'd be just the place to do it, too. It'd have everyone all distracted-like. The element of surprise. So be ready! Don't let any of them giant bastards get away, when the time comes." Irrian Millhouse, veteran

Cap'n Blank's Posse

At the end of the last campaign, Blank began to focus more on getting more personal with his fighting style, hitting people with his sword and casting offensive spells/witcheries. After the second showdown with Monala (which may or may not have been manipulated a bit by Blank so that he could test out his new techniques), he officially founded The Azzirian Order of Xanadu Battlewitches.

Present day, there are 15 official inductees to the Order, the 4 most powerful (aside from Blank himself) are Blanks most trusted Admirals.

Sebastian Moretti, Admiral of the Southeast

lvl 13 Sea Battlewitch

Favored Weapon: Longbow

Sebastian and his younger brother Antonio are from Gorzam. They are about 20-24 years younger than Blank, but knew well of his exploits in Gorzam, spending much of their youth listenig to stories told by Uncle Grizby.  Sebastian was inspired by Blank to study witchery, and took the obvious focus of Sea Witchery. He is a bit more stable thank Blank, but he often let's loose and you wouldn't know too  much difference between the two. Like the sea itself, Sebastian is often calm, but subject to the occasional bout of rage, especially if it involves  his younger brother (either his young brother being antagonized, or antagonizing someone else).

Sebastian commands the Hora Quan naval forces in the Southeast, specifically Mixastomere's Island, The Island of the Jeweled Trees, and the surrounding waters. His ship is Hades Executioner.

Antonio Moretti, Admiral of the Northwest

lvl 13 Sea Battlewitch, Unfettered.

Favored Weapon: Longsword

The younger, less predictable of the Moretti brothers, led a tougher life in Gorzam. As the brothers grew into their teens, Antonio spent less time with Sebastian, and got involved with the rougher crowds of Gorzam. Later in life, Antonio ran into trouble with drug runners operating in Gorzam-Ao Manasa (around year 10ish), and needed to be bailed out by his older brother. Sebastian was already studying Battlewitchery with Blank, and Antonio just stuck around with them, eventualy rising to equal rank of his brother. Although deep down, the brothers are there for each other, there is a reason Blank assigns them to opposite corners of the Spiral.

Antonio commands the Hora Quan naval forces in the Northwest, specifically the islands of Gorzam, Rellik's Island, Pental, and the surrounding waters. His ship is the Sea Wolf.

Halcyon, Admiral of the Northeast

lvl 13 Wind Battlewitch

Favored Weapon: Rapier

Halcyon is a Verrik. She lived in her native jungles learning wind witchery for the early part of her life. She had a fair bit of wanderlust for a Verrik, and went wherever the wind took her.This wind, being magical wind, brought her to Xanadu. She was intriguied by Blanks order of Battlewitches and eventually joined, becoming a major influence on Battlewitchery. Unlike the Moretti brothers, who spend most of their time on their ships, visiting their islands, ect, she spends much of her time in Xanadu, most often the library or religious district. She's happy to go to where she is needed, but trusts her Captains to take care of most problems. However, due to the intresting nature of both her assigned islands, she spends much more time in the field that she would like to.

Halcyon commands the Hora Quan naval forces in the Northeast, specifically the islands of Zho Dan, Chak Itzin, and the surrounding waters. Her ship is the Gray Ghost.

Ax Horrornight, Admiral of the Southwest

lvl 13 Iron Battlewitch, Warmain

Favored weapon: Greataxe

Ax is a Hadozee, an intelligent Ape from the island of Pele Kor. As a sign of goodwill, the Hadozee sent one of their own to work with the Hora Quan. Being strong, and somewhat magically inclined, Blank decided he wanted him to round out his 3 Admirals, and enlisted him as a Battlewitch. At first, Ax was confused by the whole Witch thing in general, but he decided he liked the magical perks it came with, and so is greatful for the abilities he now commands. 

Ax commands the Hora Quan naval forces in the Southwest, specifically the the peninsular border town of Ao-Manasa, the coast, and the surrounding waters. He deals mostly with the problems of Giants, Ao-manasa's illegal black market, and just general border things between The Diamond Throne, Hora Quan, and the Nine Cities.

Sigrid and Gannen's Kids

Sigrid and Gannen have two sets of male-female twins.

The older set:

Leif - Level 10 Runethane - In charge of Xanadu's magic sector

Freja - Level 11 Greenbond - In charge of Xanadu's religion sector

The younger set:

Anika - Level 8 Ritual Warrior - In charge of Xanadu's trade sector

Halden - Level 7 Unfettered - In charge of Xanadu's entertainment sector

Leif and Freja are exceptionally magically inclined. Sigrid's decided that this could be due to the fact that she spent nearly her entire pregnancy in Xanadu (and with the Heart of the Sea). Whatever the reason, Leif and Freya are the most in tune with the Heart of the Sea (though neither of them has mastered it yet). They've basically been competing to master the Heart for most of their lives. Whoever controls the Heart will be the next ruler. Leif is the oldest, so he's the presumptive heir. This makes Freja a little annoyed (she's only minutes younger), so she works all the harder at controlling the Heart.

Anika and Halden don't really care about the Heart of the Sea so much. They might care if they could pull off some elaborate prank with it, but it's really tough to manipulate, so they lost interest. The younger twins certainly inherited their parent's troublemaking streak. Halden's in trouble with his mother nearly all the time. Anika doesn't get yelled at quite so much. Whether this is because she doesn't cause as much trouble or because she's better at not getting caught is not entirely clear. Lately, Halden's been spending a lot of time with Captain Blank. The younger twins are also both excellent swordsmen with light weapons.

An Introduction to Kheriim

Kheriim

Tenth Level 19-Year-Old Female Human Mage Blade (Unbound)

Kheriim was born 19 years ago to a tribe of humans near the border of the Verrik jungles. She was certainly magical in nature and was brought to the tribal elders. Instead of seeing her unusual magical sensitivity as a gift, they decided she was a soul-less demon, anathema to Rallonoch and a threat to their tribe. She was pronounced "Kheriim", meaning she was to be outcasted forever. Her mother was ordered to abandon her to the jungle.

Instead of doing so, however, her mother secretly brought her to the Verrik, hoping they would save the child and raise her. She was taken in by a community, raised not by individual foster parents, but the community as a whole. The Verrik decided that the title "Kheriim" should not be a disdainful one, but one used with pride and it became the girl's name.

She was indeed unbound from birth, but the Verrik didn't believe her to be evil. Instead they believed her unboundness gave her a clean slate and unique perspective. She grew up fascinated by swords and began doing swordwork with her own unique magical spin. She taught herself the art of the Mage Blade with no formal training.

This excursion to Xanadu is her first time out of the jungle.