Acrozatarim/Icons

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The Lord-Commander[edit]

The man who would be Emperor.

Usual Location: The seat of the Lord-Commander's power is his fortress-palace in Dar Urazel, the capital of Huron, but he is no stranger to the rigours of campaign warfare.

Common Knowledge: Ritually elected from amongst the Huronese Clan-Lords, the Lord-Commander is a martial exemplar who has ruled Huron for nearly two decades. His ambition is to sweep all the Drakkath into his grasp and rule as a new Emperor, although unrest and resistance frustrate his efforts. Everyone in the Drakkath has a place in his grand vision, as long as that place is part of the new Drakkath Empire.

Characters and the Lord-Commander: The Lord-Commander and his spymasters always need agents to work with a free hand in the Drakkath, to bear diplomatic tidings or deal with problematic enemies.

Allies: The Lord-Commander regularly purchases mercenary contracts from the Flame Guildmistress, and also does business with the Manipulator General. It's no secret that he has offered good trade terms to the new Merchant Prince. Some whisper that, when his ambitions have seem most distant, he has even sent envoys to the Shadowfury to seek her dark counsel.

Enemies: The Magistrate's nation lies directly in the path of Huronese conquest. The Hierophant is equally threatened and, besides, a new Emperor should be of Sukumvarang stock and not a Huronese upstart. The Thornmaiden has no desire to see her clan-lands swept into the Lord-Commander's embrace, nor does she accept any would-be Emperor's authority over the wildlands. The Frost Envoy spreads word of potential alliance to those who stand firm in the way of the Lord-Commander's ambitions.

The True Danger: Whatever the Lord-Commander does, there will be war and turmoil. Success will mean a Drakkath pitched into conflict and beset by battle; failure will mean a weakened, collapsing Huron that can no longer protect itself from the surrounding threats.


The Thornmaiden[edit]

The priestess of blood and earth.

Usual Location: Where the wild reaches of the Drakkath are broken into the landscape called the Harrow, there the Thornmaiden holds court over the Circle of Thorns.

Common Knowledge: The Thornmaiden is the head of the Thorn Circle and a widely feared figure; under her leadership, the Circle aggressively pursues its goals of seizing geomantic sites and demanding the eradicating of Elder taint. She is a priestess of wild, bloody incantations and widely believed to be a champion of Lliras; she is also a revered figure amongst many of the gnoll tribes, and those that follow her often paint their muzzles red.

Characters and the Thornmaiden: Characters who spend much time in the wilderness often have a relationship of some sort with the Thornmaiden, even if they only know enough to fear and respect her. Those who more directly work with or as part of the Thorn Circle are even more likely to have contact with her.

Allies: The Thornmaiden accepts the Hierophant's position as a spiritual authority, but does not believe herself to owe him any genuine subservience. The Magistrate and Thornmaiden have clashed but at times set aside their differences to deal with Elder corruption or servitors. The Truth-Seeker has managed to gain some favour with the Thornmaiden and there is sometimes co-operation between their agents.

Enemies: The Manipulator-General is, in the eyes of the Thornmaiden, a blasphemous villain who she will see destroyed. She has no desire to see her lands become part of whatever 'civilisation' Huron's Lord-Commander believes he can offer as his influence encroaches into the Drakkath. Both Magistrate and Thornmaiden agree that the Shadowfury's Dread Marches must be purified.

The True Danger: If the Thornmaiden is pushed too far, she may draw too deep of the Circle's blood magic and become a true paragon of primal wrath.


The Flame Guildmistress[edit]

The shepherdess of the flame.

Usual Location: Pyre, a heavily fortified bastion at the edge of the Drakkath near Carthagia and Huron, serves the Flame Guild as a headquarters and is the Guildmistress's home.

Common Knowledge: A veteran of countless arcane clashes and field battles, the Guildmistress is a master strategist who is limited by her caution; she struggles to keep the Flame Guild intact and neutral in the face of careless clients and vengeful nations. Outright war brings profit and yet also threatens the Guild's existence; every Guild life lost is a prized battle-mage gone, and the Guildmistress is painfully aware of this. Sometimes she wonders why her people should die for the petty-minded nations that surround her.

Characters and the Guildmistress: The mercenary war-mistress often has need of more mercenaries in turn - spies to provide intelligence, soldiers to provide bodyguards for Flame Guildsmen, and advisers to aid in dealing with clients and the politics of the Drakkath.

Allies: Both the Lord-Commander and Manipulator-General are regular clients of the Flame Guild; the mineral wealth of Killanon has recently resulted in the signing of a contract with the Vault-Keeper. Some even say Flame Guild envoys have gone as far as distant Ascaria to negotiate with the Wolf-Chosen.

Enemies: The Flame Guildmistress is slowly losing the battle of remaining neutral in Drakkath politics. Both the Hierophant and Truth-Seeker's peoples have been on the wrong end of Flame Guild contracts, and both Icons hold a grudge against her because of this.

The True Danger: The Flame Guildmistress is Keeper of the Sacred Fire, an arcane bond that links all of the Guildsmen together. If she were to become corrupted, the entire Guild might fall; and if she decided to seek the position of Empress herself, she would have a small army of utterly devoted war-mages to support her.


The Hierophant[edit]

The experimental theologian.

Usual Location: The high temples of Phusaratham are the spiritual and worldly base of the Hierophant's power, host to the priests of untold sects and churches and guarded by a small army of temple guard.

Common Knowledge: Once, the whole Drakkath Empire was the spiritual congregation of the men and women who held the title of Hierophant in Phusaratham, and this Hierophant seeks a new time of such unity. His great strength is his influence and respect, stretching far across so many faithful of so many creeds; and this is matched by his vision as the man who has instituted new investigation of the very nature of the divine, as if he seeks to unlock the very secrets of the heavens.

Characters and the Hierophant: For obvious reasons, the Hierophant often has need of those with divine power to serve him; furthermore, he has a great deal of time for those who can reveal something new to him about the nature of divinity in the world.

Allies: The Hierophant has a cordial enough relationship with the Thornmaiden, though some say she is suspicious of his ambitions. Both the Magistrate and Silver Warder also pay him respect as the spiritual hierarch of the Drakkath. It is muttered that he negotiates with the Frost Envoy to seek alliance with High Kyros even as he sends emissaries to the Wolf-Chosen at the same time.

Enemies: The Lord-Commander would see Sukumvarang become the heart of the Huronese Empire and the Hierophant made his vassal. The Merchant Prince is a new thorn in the Hierophant's side; the White Bay has room for only one canny political operator. Perhaps more than anyone else, the Hierophant remains aware that, distant as it may seem, Baalshegarath is a cancerous threat.

The True Danger: If the Hierophant perishes, those who bear Elder taint will have a much easier time of enacting their dark plans. If the Hierophant manages to unlock the truth of divine nature, his ambition may drive him to acts of hubris with world-shaking ramifications.


The Magistrate[edit]

The harshest judge.

Usual Location: While officially she dwells in the high court of Adbar, the Magistrate and her agents operate beyond that nation's borders with alarming frequency.

Common Knowledge: A holy judge, the Magistrate is the highest-ranking Solanthaarian Inquisitor. She sees the Drakkath as a land that has fallen from grace, that has lost the order of the long-dead Empire and has been swallowed by crime and anarchy. She seeks to undo that damage, wipe away Elder taint and bring about justice. the Magistrate and her enforcers give a fair trial, but they are mercilessly practical and their punishments are severe.

Characters and the Magistrate: The Magistrate sometimes needs trustworthy, zealous agents to help her enforcers with bringing those who breach her laws to justice

Allies: The Magistrate has the approval of the Hierophant - for now. Sometimes the Magistrate and the Thornmaiden see past their differences and unite as champions of the Younger Gods. The Eagle King believes that the Magistrate will achieve great things if she can only temper her cruel nature, perhaps even become a new Empress one day.

Enemies: The Huronese threaten her homeland with invasion, and so the Magistrate opposes the-Lord Commander. The Shadowfury is a blatant example of Elder taint and the perpetrator of evil acts - nevermind that she serves as a rather apt warning to the Magistrate of just what happens when a desire for retribution is allowed to go unchecked. The Vault-Keeper opposes the spread of the Magistrate's influence and certainly takes issue with her practice of destroying what she believes to be 'evil' knowledge.

The True Danger: If the Magistrate gives in totally to her ruthlessness and becomes a true tyrant, she will cease to be a force for order and instead become one of oppression and conquest.


The Truth-Seeker[edit]

The patron of truth.

Usual Location: The Truth-Seeker almost never joins his agents and hirelings on their expeditions, instead remaining at his family residence in the northern countryside of Naseria.

Common Knowledge: An influential and extremely wealthy Naserian noble, the Truth-Seeker is neither the head of his House nor holder of any significant governmental position; yet he still sits at the centre of a wide network of scholars, scavengers and spies. He is dedicated to unearthing great truths of the world - of the past, of gods and monsters - and under his patronage lore-hunters across the nations pry at ancient ruins, practice eldritch experiments and steal knowledge from those who would simply hoard it.

Characters and the Truth-Seeker: The Truth-Seeker is the spider at the centre of the web, and is entirely reliant on hirelings and agents to dig up lore for him - he always has need of trustworthy agents of any walk of life, but particularly those of a more arcane bent.

Allies: The Truth-Seeker's network appears to cross over with that of the Solitary Flame, and the two seem happy to deal with each other. The Merchant Prince is willing to make transactions with the Truth-Seeker as long as an appropriate price is paid. The Truth-Seeker's agents have occasionally worked alongside servants of both the Thornmaiden and Magistrate when their goals are mutual, and has shared information with both of them when he deems it necessary.

Enemies: The Vault-Keeper has little time for the Truth-Seeker's alarmingly incautious approach to knowledge, especially that which has been kept secret for a reason. Likewise, the Silver Warder finds the Truth-Seeker a reckless fool who would unearth and free that which should remain under lock and key. The Manipulator-General is an outright foe, not just due to war between Naseria and Carthagia but because of the eldritch secrets that the Carthagians have pried from the strange excavations beneath their mountains - lore that the Truth-Seeker highly prizes.

The True Danger: One day, the Truth-Seeker's hunger for secrets may result in him digging something up that he can't put down.


The Shadowfury[edit]

The avenger for whom no price was too high.

Usual Location: At the heart of the Dread Marches stands a bastion of black and silver, lair of the Shadowfury.

Common Knowledge: Some of the Icons might know what dark rage drove the Shadowfury in the past, but most people only know that she created the Dread Marches one hundred years ago in a cataclysm of dark magic and Elder technology. Forging an army of twisted beasts and undead, the malevolent genius of the Shadowfury scourged the Drakkath until her forces were defeated. But time seems to have tempered her anger, and the surviving people of the Marches are now her vassals and students, arcanists and furies learning the secrets of the sinister path she has walked. Exactly how the Shadowfury is still so hale and healthy after a century is not clear.

Characters and the Shadowfury: Few have the strength of heart to venture into the Dread Marches, but those that do often seek tutelage from the Shadowfury in becoming a fury empowered with dark energy or in the arcane arts of necromancy and daemonology.

Allies: Few icons are allies to the Shadowfury, or even acquaintances - in part because she has outlived most of her contemporaries. The Manipulator-General has sent envoys in recent years, seeking to unearth what knowledge has made the Shadowfury such a gifted creator of horrors. The Vault-Keeper grudgingly owes an oath of aid to the Shadowfury, one sworn by his predecessor; he is too afraid not to honour it but thankfully she has not yet come calling. The Eagle King fought against the Shadowfury as a youth, but the two seem to have come to some strange sort of accord born from mutual respect; the Eagle King mostly keeps her own counsel about the whole affair.

Enemies: Most Icons feel hostility towards the Shadowfury. The Thornmaiden and Magistrate both consider the Dread Marches a pit of evil that needs to be purified; the Flame Guildmistress and Lord-Commander see it as a strategic problem that needs to be overcome. The Silver Warder has a warded prison set aside just for the Shadowfury and looks forward to the day that the ancient fury becomes a permanent, unwilling resident of Pharam Sung.

The True Danger: The Shadowfury's rage has calmed, but if it were stoked once more to a blazing inferno then would she once again demand the world pay the price in blood and darkness?


The Manipulator-General[edit]

The twisted genius.

Usual Location: The Manipulators' greatest Hall is in eastern Carthagian, where the Manipulator-General attends to his laboratories and oversees the training of apprentices.

Common Knowledge: The Manipulator-General is an unparalleled biothaumaturgist, a genius fleshtwister with a mind of cold and detached rationalist. He is responsible for the dizzying array of new fleshtwisted creatures that have been spawned by the dark vaults of his Manipulators, and even the lesser magi of his order fear his utterly clinical approach and the icy ambition that drives it.

Characters and the Manipulator-General: While the Manipulators won't generally train a mage in biothaumaturgy if they are not Carthagian, the Manipulator-General demands a constant stream of fresh twst subjects, tissue samples, Elder technology and forbidden lore to push the science of fleshtwisting even further, and isn't picky about how agents and mercenaries acquire it as long as they are successful.

Allies: The Manipulator-General supplies fleshtwisted products to the Lord-Commander's nation, and often acquires the Flame Guildmistress's contracts to supply guardian battlemages. The Shadowfury and Vault-Keeper both have knowledge that the Manipulator-General craves and, on rare occasions, he has managed to barter some from them. The Solitary Flame seems wary of the Manipulator-General but has sometimes dealt with him.

Enemies: If the Manipulator-General has his way, the Truth-Seeker's nation will fall under the yoke of Carthagian rule and its sorcerous bloodlines will be biothaumaturgically analysed. The Thornmaiden is some sort of primitive yokel who has decided it is her duty to get in the way of progress and needs to be stamped into the dirt. The Magistrate's agents seem to take a dim view of the Manipulator-General's agents and their activities.

The True Danger: If the Manipulator-General ever slips off the precipice of sanity, the creations that he would forge in his madness would be a threat to all.


The Vault-Keeper[edit]

The guardian of knowledge.

Usual Location: The Vault-Keeper rarely strays far from the Great Vault in Killanon.

Common Knowledge: The Vault-Keeper holds a sacred position in Killanon, and is responsible for that nation's repository of Drakkath Empire-era texts and artefacts. More than that, though, the Great Vault has become home to an unknown amount of Dawn-era knowledge and technology, lore that the Vault-Keeper guards with a ferocious level of determination and political savvy for such an old man. He believes that only the most worthy should have true knowledge, as only they can be trusted to use it wisely. Of course, he's the one who gets to define the worthy.

Characters and the Vault-Keeper: When news reaches him of a discovery or find that attracts his interest, the Vault-Keeper is quite happy to dispatch mercenaries and agents to secure it for the Vault. Scholars who attend Killanon to learn from that nation's repository of lore may also have the dubious pleasure of trying to convince him to give them access to certain pieces of stored knowledge. However, those who willingly and freely bring him lore that he was not aware of can win his favour and a rare opportunity to delve into the Great Vault.

Allies: The Vault-Keeper usually doles out small fragments of precious knowledge to those of influence who come seeking it, giving him leverage over those like the Manipulator-General. Both the Merchant Prince and the Frost Envoy currently court his favour, as much for political alliance with Killanon as for the lore that he guards - though some note a particular and peculiar tension between Vault-Keeper and Merchant Prince when they have personally met. The Flame Guildmistress has now agreed to provide the Vault-Keeper with magical protection against his enemies.

Enemies: The Truth-Seeker is directly at odds with the Vault-Keeper over the matter of secrets and lore. The Wolf-Chosen has stirred fires amongst the Ascarians that threaten Killanon, and the Vault-Keeper doubts that Dharummut's champion will show much regard for the Vault's precious contents. The Solitary Flame has personally stolen from the Great Vault, earning the eternal hatred of its Keeper, while the Eagle King has a long and ongoing personal feud since the Vault-Keeper refused to grant her lore that would have let her save a prized student.

The True Danger: Quite apart from the general academic damage that the Vault-Keeper's miserly grasp of so much lore may cause, there may come a day when a great threat or disaster can only be prevented with the knowledge that he so greedily keeps secret - and that he may not be willing to give that knowledge away.


The Merchant Prince[edit]

The power no longer behind the throne.

Usual Location: The Merchant Prince is most commonly found at the residence of House Pendarme in Corinte.

Common Knowledge: The Merchant Prince is not the new ruler of the city-state of Corinte now that the monarch has been deposed; he's not even technically the head of House Pendarme, as that role is taken by his nephew. But everyone knows that he is the most influential man in the city, and indeed in all the city-states of the White Bay - a canny politician with an incredible head for trade and treachery. Some even say that he is a sorcerer, and he is certainly feared as much as he is respected - but the other merchant Houses are willing to bow their heads to his authority in this time of tumult and change.

Characters and the Merchant Prince: There's not a doubt that the Merchant Prince is spinning innumerable schemes, and many find themselves caught up in events that are his work without ever realising the true architect of their situation. When matters demand a more direct form of intervention, the Merchant Prince makes use of many agents and mercenaries. Something that seems rather out of character for a man of his position is that he sometimes seeks out fledgeling mages for an audience, an experience that often seems to set them on a course towards dramatic events.

Allies: Now that the king of Corinte is out of the way, the Merchant Prince is entertaining negotiations with the Lord-Commander, the Vault-Keeper and the Frost Envoy, although he surely can't keep friendly relations with them all at the same time. In the past, he has sometimes been willing to deal with agents of the Truth-Seeker.

Enemies: The Hierophant and Silver Warder are both threatened by the emergence of this new power in the White Bay. The Solitary Flame is not an outright enemy, but each Icon's web of influence spreads far and sometimes clashes or becomes entangled with the other

The True Danger: Changing the status quo in the White Bay could mean the whole area becomes mired in unrest and turmoil, but the real problem is that the wider powers of the Drakkath just don't know what the Merchant Prince's agenda is yet.


The Solitary Flame[edit]

The fire that burns in the darkness.

Usual Location: Those in the know say that the Solitary Flame probably spends most of its time in Zhatan and the shadow of the Black Tower, but it's hard to tell what is the truth with a near-mythical figure.

Common Knowledge: Shadow-prince of a network of spies, smugglers and criminals, the Solitary Flame is some sort of being that has its fingers (or talons or tentacles) in innumerable pies across the Drakkath and Huron. The general assumption is that the Flame isn't even human; certainly few have ever met it. Its grasp over its web of vassals is strong, and it certainly possesses some sort of supernatural capabilities, but exactly what those capabilities may be are disputed amongst those who discuss such topics. There's an almost religious bent to the inner circle of the Solitary Flame's organisation, and some believe it to be a servitor or cultist of the Elders.

Characters and the Merchant Prince: Most hirelings and agents work at some remove from the Solitary Flame. Some rare few, however, are granted personal audience when a particularly important task or duty needs to be performed and the Flame needs to know that they are trustworthy. It needs messengers and couriers more than it needs mercenaries and murderers, and often dispatches such hirelings to other Icons, rapidly bringing them to the attention of the powerful figure who they are delivering to.

Allies: The Solitary Flame has had reason to send messages, warnings or gifts to many of the Icons at one time or another, although few seem to appreciate this. The Truth-Seeker is perhaps the closest the Icon could claim to being an ally. The Eagle King seems to have some sort of understanding and mutual respect with it, as long as the Solitary Flame's schemes don't cause disruption in Grum-Tarath.

Enemies: In a rare act of personal intervention, the Solitary Flame actually infiltrated and stole from the Great Vault of Killanon - something that the Vault-Keeper will never forgive. The Lord-Commander has little patience for what is essentially a criminal overlord operating in his lands. The Merchant Prince and the Solitary Flame are wary, respectful rivals. The Silver Warder would like to detain and imprison the Solitary Flame, but she doesn't seem convinced that it's actually a physical entity at all.

The True Danger: If the Solitary Flame turns out to have a genuinely nefarious agenda, it has the network of minions and the personal capability to cause a massive amount of damage.


The Silver Warder[edit]

The sacred huntress.

Usual Location: While the Glass Panopticon in Pharam Sung is the seat of her power, the Silver Warder is often on the move; her swift warship, the Rose-Petal Prince, is a common sight along the coast of the White Sea.

Common Knowledge: The Silver Warder is the high jailor of Pharam Sung and a cultist of Aasor. She is a dual-aspected being; on the one hand she is a diplomat and political figure who trades in the captivity and enslavement of prisoners from far and wide, and on the other she is a holy huntress who must track down and catch those whom the high priests of her faith judge to have evaded the just punishment that they deserve. When on the hunt she ceases to care about petty mortal laws and morals; there is only the prey and the pursuit, a sacred engagement. Characters and the Silver Warder: On the hunt, the Silver Warder's entourage use local mercenaries, guides and informants to help track down the lady's chosen quarry. She also values those who can reliably provide information about ancient artefacts and dangerous individuals who would be best contained in Pharam Sung's warded cells.

Allies: The Silver Warder pays the Hierarch the respect due to his position of spiritual authority. In theory, she works well with the Magistrate - the Magistrate as judge and she as the executioner - but true co-operation between the two remains uncommon. She holds prisoners - political or otherwise - on behalf of both the Lord-Commander and the Frost Envoy. They say that the Eagle King was her teacher before she accepted the bejewelled silver chains and manacles of her position - something that greatly strained their relationship.

Enemies: The Merchant Prince has little patience for the Silver Warder's assumptions about her authority and freedom to go where she pleases. The Shadowfury is said to have openly laughed and derided the notion when she heard that the Warder wished to incarcerate her. The Solitary Flame plays a shadow war with her agents and spies. The Truth-Seeker would rather prefer that he had her favour, so that he might see just what secrets the cells of Pharam Sung hold hidden, but for now they remain at odds.

The True Danger: If the Silver Warder's vigilance fails and the deepest and oldest of the warded cells of Pharam Sung are broken open, who knows what will spill out into the world?


The Wolf-Chosen[edit]

The charred shaman.

Usual Location: The Wolf-Chosen travels amongst the Ascarian tribes, but is still often found at the great bone fortress of the Shattered Claw.

Common Knowledge: In most of the Drakkath and Huron, little is known of the Wolf-Chosen; he is a looming figure behind the growing raids from Ascarian marauders, the shadow cast by the flames of Dharummut. They say that the Great Wolf manifested itself in an avatar of blood and fire and challenged the Brothers and Sisters of the Ash Lodge; one man bested it, his flesh burned and rent, and ate from the ancient carcass of the Wolf Excarnate to became the god's champion. Now he is a shamanic vessel, a figure of war and flame.

Characters and the Wolf-Chosen: The heroes and cunning-folk of Ascaria flock to the Wolf-Chosen's banner, seeking to serve him in the raids on the weak northerners and the fiery retribution that will surely be laid upon High Kyros. Beyond the cold south, there are those who seek vengeance or are possessed of too great a rage who undertake the incredible peril of a trip to seek audience with the champion of the Great Wolf in hope that they can receive the training and teachings of the Ash Lodge.

Allies: The Merchant Prince seeks to maintain the city-states' old trade-ties with the southern people for furs, ivory and the herbal drugs that the Ascarians concoct from strange steppe-flowers, and that means negotiating for safe passage with the Wolf-Chosen's warriors. The Hierophant wants the Wolf-Chosen to acknowledge his spiritual authority; perhaps he dreams that the Ascarian marauders can be harnessed into an army that will rebuild the Empire rather than tear its scraps apart. It seems that the Wolf-Chosen has himself sought out alliance with the Thornmaiden, sending petitioners to the Circle of Thorns.

Enemies: High Kyros is the great enemy of the Ascarians, and so the efforts of the Frost Envoy are anathema to the Wolf-Chosen. Killanon lies in the path of the Ascarians as they are pushed aside by High Kyros where the Vault-Keeper wonders and fears at what the Wolf-Chosen may do; and already Ascarian raids into Naseria are worrying the Truth-Seeker.

The True Danger: If the Wolf-Chosen lets himself fall into the fury of vengeance and the bloodlust of the despoiler, the Ascarians may become a ravaging plague that sweeps forth to pillage and destroy.


The Frost Envoy[edit]

The mischievous deal-maker.

Usual Location: The Frost Envoy can be found in any of the courts and halls of the land; she regularly returns to the capital of High Kyros to report and acquire new instructions, but rarely stays there for long.

Common Knowledge: The Frost Envoy is the right hand of the Frost Council, their representative to the northern lands of the Drakkath. She is considered to be extremely intelligent, beautiful and dangerous; no few would-be assassins have met their end in her presence. Wherever she goes, she feeds on a constant diet of political meetings with those who rule, secretive rendezvous with the rebellious and the criminal, and surprise visits to those who possess or hoard arcane lore. She stirs up trouble and pits powers against one another; above all, she seeks to form some sort of buffer against Huronese hegemony - and perhaps to prepare the way for High Kyros instead.

Characters and the Frost Envoy: Those who seek the arcane lore of the cryomancers often seek her out; she's willing to entertain such notions in return for service, often trading a greater amount of northern eldritch lore in return for what icy secrets she doles out. Wherever she goes she needs agents, spies, informants and sometimes mercenaries, as long as they're willing not to ask too many questions and can get the job done.

Allies: A few unfortunate enemies of the Frost Envoy have 'disappeared' into the jails of the Silver Warder; the city-states of the White Bay are important trading partners and the new Merchant Prince has necessitated fresh negotiations. The Vault-Keeper and Hierophant both seek alliance with High Kyros.

Enemies: The Lord-Commander is hardly amused at the Frost Envoy's efforts to frustrate his ambitions. The Wolf-Chosen's people are being pushed before the inexorable conquest of the Frost Council. While he may not be aware of it, the Frost Envoy would like nothing better than to subvert the Truth-Seeker's influence and gain access to the secrets that he has dug up from the past; High Kyros seeks arcane supremacy, after all.

The True Danger: The Frost Envoy has a tendency to make promises that she can't necessarily keep, and to take risks for her own amusement; ironically, she could be the cause that draws High Kyros into war in the Drakkath, and then all shall tremble before the vast arcane might of the Frost Council.


The Eagle King[edit]

The ancient teacher.

Usual Location: Once, in her younger days, the Eagle King was a wandering hero of the lands; now she rarely leaves the halls of her sect in Grum-Tarath.

Common Knowledge: The Eagle King is the most famous of the five Waterfall Kings of Grum-Tarath, the leaders of five powerful martial and philosophical sects. She technically holds no greater authority than the other four, but it is her wisdom, her prowess and her past that more outsiders have heard of. Now her sheer age has left her a spiritual leader where it is younger adepts and exponents who go forth into the world, and she seems to be content to be a teacher and example to others. The truth is, of course, that this extremely canny old woman is more involved in the outside world than might appear, and certainly has a knack of sending the right people to the right places to create outcomes that they never themselves suspected they would cause.

Characters and the Eagle King: Many who would seek guidance in the martial and meditative arts pursue the Eagle King's tutelage; even more come to seek her wisdom on other matters, or hope that in her great age she has seen or heard some vital truth or secret that is of import to them.

Allies: The Silver Warder was once the Eagle King's finest student, until she was recalled to Pharam Sung to become the ritual prisoner of the Mercury Cell; despite that transformation, the Eagle King still has some fondness for woman the Warder once was. She sees potential in the Magistrate, and has turned old rivalries into accords of respect with both the Solitary Flame and the Shadowfury.

Enemies: The Vault-Keeper has earned the Eagle King's enmity a long time ago, and a bitter grudge exists between the two Icons. The Eagle King watches the Wolf-Chosen warily, and considers what she may have to do to protect Grum-Tarath from his depredations; always aware that the Frost Envoy is a part of the real source of the trouble that has come from Ascaria. Strange exponents and practitioners of unusual and foreign arts and philosophies have started to appear in the Drakkath, presumably brought in from far away to aid one of the Icons in their schemes, and while she has not yet idenfitied which Icon is responsible the Eagle King is troubled by this turn of events.

The True Danger:


Baalshegarath[edit]

The city of the Elders.

Usual Location: Baalshegarath itself sits far across the wasteland to the west of Huron.

Common Knowledge: Baalshegarath, when it is spoken of at all, is called a dark place, a pit of evil, a bastion of Elder cultists and still-loyal servitors. Many consider it a distant concept, even a myth.

Characters and Baalshegarath: If Baalshegarath does extend its tendrils of influence into the Drakkath, then it is likely that it makes use of the most morally compromised and corrupt to serve as its agents - murderers, spies, saboteurs and cultists.

Allies: Who would dare ally with the Elders themselves? Sinister figures such as the Shadowfury might barter for corrupt lore, and there are those who would point the finger at the Manipulator-General and the Frost Envoy and suggest that they are the sorts who might do similar.

Enemies: The Hierophant knows of Baalshegarath, but it's hard to tell how much of his watchfulness against the city is paranoia and how much justified. The Lord-Commander shirks the call of the War Pilgrimage to reclaim the old Huronese lands to the west for now, but that might one day change.

The True Danger:


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