Mezzoloth

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Organized Play Member. 33 posts (377 including aliases). 3 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 3 Organized Play characters. 5 aliases.



Dark Archive

Hey folks,

I'm gearing up to begin running Carrion Crown in the next few weeks, and once of my players (my wife, actually) is looking to play a Bladebound Magus who belongs to the Ustalavian upper-crust. She also has picked family heirloom rapier to be her Black Blade, which will "awaken" when she hits the level 3 threshold.

She named her character Ranada Viorel, but beyond that has left much of the history of her family to me.

So I've hit upon an idea and I figured I'd pitch it to the brain-trust here in the forum, as you seem like a decent sounding board.

The Viorel Family History

Spoiler:

Crest: A black crow on a navy blue field, carrying a silver and purple rapier.

The Viorel family can trace their roots back to the family of an unlanded Ustalavian knight who drectly served the royal Virholt dynasty, Sir Maksim Viorel. Sir Maksim was among a number of members of the lesser gentry to escape the purge of country's nobility, living in exile among other expatriated Ustalavians in Taldor. He would ultimately marry another exiled Ustalavian, creating what would become an ubroken bloodline that leads to the modern day.

In exile, the Viorel family remained faithful to the idea of liberating Ustalav from the Whispering Tyrant, and the restoration of the monarchy. Over the centuries, they were minor - but notable - players in the push by the Ustalavian expatriates to convince the Taldan monarchy to mount an offensive against the undead empire on their border. When Taldor finally mounted the Shining Crusade, the Viorels were among the first to pledge themselves to the cause.

After more than two decades of warfare, the Shining Crusade successfully brought an end to Tar-Baphon's evil, freeing Ustalav from his yoke. In the aftermath, many of the old Ustalavian families that took part in the liberation were given titles - both in recognition of their loyalty service to the country, and because they were among the few verifiable lines of nobility that survived.

Sir Korbin Viorel, for his brave service during the Crusade, was granted the title of Baron of Grayce, in the County of Caliphas. The ancestral Viorel estate, Blackroost Hall, was built near town, which would now serve as an important border crossing with the newly minted country of Lastwall.

Though the Viorel family has tempered it's religious zeal of the centuries since their return to Ustalav, the family has long retained religious ties to Iomedae and to Sir Korbin's own empyreal matron, Andoletta. Over the centuries they have also re-embraced the worship of Pharasma.

Under the Viorels, Grayce has prospered, but has seen limited growth - and remains a provincial, rural community. The town's trade is primarily through produce, wool, and textiles. It is also an important port on the Path River, and makes money through tolls on the Chapel Bridge - a border-crossing over the river that runs through an ancient Pharasman shrine.

The Viorel Family Sword

Spoiler:

Crow

Crow has been with the family for at least as long as Sir Maksim - it's said it was one of a few possessions he was able to take with him during the flight to Taldor, and he entrusted it to his descendents, impressing upon them only that it was important, and needed to return to Ustalav. Any other lore regarding the origin of the blade was sadly lost during the family's exile.

The old rapier has been well maintained by the family over the years, and though the quality has declined over the centuries, it remains an ornate - and usable - weapon. It still radiates the faintest of magic, but seems to have lost any significant enchantments. The swept hilt is made out of Pharasman spirals, and inlaid with amethyst. The tail of a single large spiral stretches half the length of the blade.

Crow has actually been adorning the mantle of the great hall at Blackroost for the past three generations.

Family Secret (My players should stay out)

Spoiler:

Maksim Viorel was actually a squire, not a knight, when he fled from Ustalav - and he was the personal squire of Prince Ardurras II Virholt.

When the Prince was slain in battle against Tar-Baphon, Maksim was overtaken with true, existential horror. He took the badly damaged blade Corpselight from the hand of the dead prince, hoping it's magic would protect him from the undead horde they were facing, and fled from the field. Sadly, the power the Whispering Tyrant had used to slay the prince had also somehow broken the enchantments on the blade. Corpselight was as dead as it's intended wielder. However the squire was able to escape that day... perhaps it was Pharasma's will that he survive.

Maksim ultimately fled the country to Taldor, and spent many years living with the tremendous guilt of a man who felt he had betrayed everything he loved out of cowardice.

Eventually, Maksim was recognized by another former member of Ardurras II's entourage, who had also fled to Taldor. The two bonded, and Maksim revealed the existence of the broken and seemingly disenchanted Corpselight to him. The knight considered the situation, and declared that Maksim would erase his guilt by taking an oath upon the royal blade. In the name of the fallen Prince, and the knight's own empyreal patron - Grandmother Crow - he would swear to protect the rapier in secret, and ensure that one day it would return to Ustalav and its intended purpose. Toward this end, the knight also elevated Maksim to knighthood.

Maksim started calling the sword "Crow," to hide its true identity. The name was deliberate - Maksim still felt guilt over having taken the sword from the hand of the dead prince, and felt the name tied him to his oath to Andoletta. With new-found purpose became an outspoken advocate for the liberation of Ustalav from the rule of the dead. This duty would be passed to his children, and his children's children, until finally Sir Korbin would fulfill it by joining the Shining Crusade and helping bring down the Whispering Tyrant.

By this time, though, the true identity of "Crow" had faded into obscurity. Today the family has no knowledge of the truth of the sword.

Corpselight - empowered by the spirit of a Pharasman psychopomp that willing sacrificed itself to create the blade - is essentially comatose. The Whispering Tyrant's power was enough to very nearly destroy it... but not completely.

My intention is that a combination of Ranada's empowering the sword with magic, and slaying undead with it (its intended purpose) will begin to reawaken the spirit within. At level 3 it will regain "consciousness," but with amnesia regarding it's past. As she gains levels and sword gets more powerful again, it will slowly remember the truth of it's history.

Yeah, I come up with insane backstory stuff like this when given freedom to do so by my players. I like stories, what can I say. Also, I wanted to tie this noble family into Ustalav's history.

Anyway, thoughts and feedback are not only welcomed, but encouraged.

Dark Archive

Yo,

User Northron and I are getting organized play... uh... organized in Edmonton, AB, Canada.

We're aiming to start meeting on the second Saturday of every month, starting at about 12:30pm and running through two scenarios with a meal break between.

The first such meeting is scheduled for Saturday November 13th at Happy Harbor Comics, downtown.

We currently have about a dozen interested players and two GM's - so this is a rallying call for Edmonton-area players and game masters both. The more the merrier.

Though we REALLY need a few more GM's. Ideally we can switch things up so whomever is running a session during the first part of the day can switch off and play in the second.

If you're comfortable putting your e-mail addy on the boards, I can add you my little mailing list - otherwise I'll monitor this thread, and try to answer any questions interested folks might have.

Kudos!