Amon’Kel, servant of Amon’Zhakar
Amon’Kel. The name rings odd in my ears, for it is not
my hatch-name. Yet, for all its
strangeness, it is the name by which this new world will know me. It is the will of Amon’Zhakar, He Who Burns,
that I take this name and by this name his enemies will know their doom.
My brood-mates chittered nervously as we entered the sacred
chamber. The ancient blade had been
placed upon the sacred stone alter for the ceremony, it’s black blade gleamed
like a sliver of the night sky in the flickering torchlight. We fell to our knees in a ring around the
dais, our hoods pulled low over our brows.
The Brood-Master intoned the words of the ceremony, just as it had been
done for generations and we waited, as every Brood had waited, for
nothing. Nothing had happened in these
ceremonies for a very long time, since the death of Amon’Tzarka, last of the
Chosen.
The Brood-Master’s chanting stopped and those around me
started to rise. I could not. My limbs felt heavy, a red haze dimmed my
vision. I heard a gasp, it might have
been the Brood-Master, I cannot tell, and my skin started to burn. My brood-mates scrambled away from me with
cries of surprise and fear. I rose
shakily to my feet and observed reddish-purple flames dancing along my arms,
over my chest, and down my legs. A
voice, like a hoarse whisper, filled my ears.
It spoke a twisted, tortured language that I, somehow, understood. I knew it was the voice of the long-dead
Dragon, Amon’Zhakar, bound to the black blade and I knew that I was his Chosen.
Though I cannot bear the blade, no living being could, its
power is still mine. As long as I serve
the will of Amon’Zhakar, I will have access to that power. Now, the first of my people in many
hatchings, I go forth into the world of men and elves to reclaim that which we
lost. My people will return to
prominence and reclaim our power in this world as we had eons ago, when the
skies were ruled by our progenitors.
Amon'Kel
Male Dragonborn Warlock 1Medium humanoid, lawful evil
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Armor Class 18 (scale mail, shield)
Hit Points 12 (1d8+4)
Speed 30 ft.
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STR 13 (+1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 18 (+4), INT 8 (-1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 16 (+3)
--------------------
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +5
Skills Insight +4, Intimidation +5, Investigation +1, Perception +4
Damage Resistances fire
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin
Actions
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Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d8+3 slashing damage or 1d10+3 slashing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 2 bludgeoning damage.
Equipment Longsword, scale mail, shield, backpack, component pouch, crowbar, hammer, piton (10), rations (10), rope, hempen (50 feet), tinderbox, torch (10), waterskin
The Party
Theolaerynn Liwanu, High Elf
Rogue
The first five years of Theolaeryn's young life went as would be
expected for any High Elf child born of prominent figures in a larger Elvish
city. While his mother was a healer, his father was a Wizard and expected
Theolaerynn to follow in his footsteps.
On his 5th birthday Theo learned his first cantrip, Ray of Frost, and was incredibly proud of himself. His mother's smile was a ray of light, but his father seemed only slightly less aloof than he ever was, making the moment bittersweet.
Such things are short lived in the eyes of a five year old, however, and it wasn't long before most of the hurt was forgotten and he once again found joy in each and every moment.
Later that year his mother was called upon to assess a previously unknown illness that was found not to be contagious, but did seem to have an arcane element to it. It was thought that if she and her husband looked at it together that they might make more sense out of it. Because the illness only seemed to inflict a very rural village, and because she didn't know how long this would take, she chose to bring Theo as well. It would be good to expose him to rural life, to expose him to a way of life he as yet had no concept of.
Soon Theo found himself in the family carriage, laying in a pool of sunlight, gently rocked to sleep by the sway and dip of the carriage as it traveled over the rural roads, and by the gentle sound of his mothers voice as she talked with his father.
His memory of the days that followed has always eluded his grasp, tantalizing and teasing like the morning mist on a lake as the wind chases it first one way and then another. What he does recall he wishes that he wouldn't. The sightless eyes of his mother, the arrow protruding from her throat, and later the feelings of thirst, hunger and fear. The last of the frugal memories from that time is the sound of a soothing voice, a shocked laugh, and darkness.
When he awoke from that darkness he was in an unfamiliar cottage, in an unfamiliar bed, wrapped in unfamiliar smells and sounds. An early-middle-aged man sat at a well worn but rustic table, pouring over a sheaf of documents. Human eyes looked up and Theo could feel himself being carefully measured and weighed.
John Cobbler. The name still brought mixed emotions. The joy of a life well-lead, and the sorrow of the brief lives of mortal men. Theo was forty five when John joined his ancestors at 70, in the comfort of his own bed in that same cottage.
In that 40 years John had taught Theo all of the important things fathers taught their sons, like honor and duty and the worth of family. He also gave Theo his surname, Liwanu, which means Growl of the Bear. He gave Theo that name, he said, because when he found him in the wreckage of the carriage and its escorts, standing over the days-old corpse of his mother, he used the last of his remaining strength to scream savage defiance as John approached. And then he passed out and did not awake again until he was back at Johns cottage.
John was an Investigator, sharp and observant, and was often called on to look into some of the harder to solve crimes in the rural area where they lived. Not the high crimes of the city, but crimes none the less. He taught Theo everything he knew, starting that very day that Theo first woke in his cottage, setting out to find out what happened to his parents. A task that would take several years, even though it ended up to be one of the simplest and oldest of motives: Greed. One of his fathers rivals had him assassinated, something made easier by that fact that this wasn't something that was typically done in the High Elf city. They were above that sort of thing, or so they thought.
The High Elf that had sanctioned Theolaerynn's father had a lot of power and was thus not sentenced to the death he deserved, but was rather 'retired' to the country, where he would live for a while in luxurious boredom until people forgot about the incident.
Theo was enraged! It took John a long time to convince him that anger was a useless emotion, and that all it did was make people do stupid things like seek vengeance. Vengeance, he said, was for the weak and undisciplined, and it did as much if not more harm to the person seeking it than it did to the person it was delivered upon.
That was Johns first real lesson for Theo, and it was a very difficult one to understand. But with time he did understand, and was able to let the anger go.
When he finally found the peace that comes from letting vengeance go, John taught him his second profound lesson by throwing a head at his feet. Looking down at the face of his fathers murderer he came to understand Justice.
John's passing was very painful for Theo and he began to wander the world, paying his way as an investigator, staying for a few years here, and a few years there. Brief moments in the life of an Elf. Time spent in search of himself.
But now that he is an adult, older and wiser, he feels the need to do something more. What that is he is not yet sure of, but he knows he will recognize it when he finds it.
The first five years of Theolaeryn's young life went as would be
expected for any High Elf child born of prominent figures in a larger Elvish
city. While his mother was a healer, his father was a Wizard and expected
Theolaerynn to follow in his footsteps.On his 5th birthday Theo learned his first cantrip, Ray of Frost, and was incredibly proud of himself. His mother's smile was a ray of light, but his father seemed only slightly less aloof than he ever was, making the moment bittersweet.
Such things are short lived in the eyes of a five year old, however, and it wasn't long before most of the hurt was forgotten and he once again found joy in each and every moment.
Later that year his mother was called upon to assess a previously unknown illness that was found not to be contagious, but did seem to have an arcane element to it. It was thought that if she and her husband looked at it together that they might make more sense out of it. Because the illness only seemed to inflict a very rural village, and because she didn't know how long this would take, she chose to bring Theo as well. It would be good to expose him to rural life, to expose him to a way of life he as yet had no concept of.
Soon Theo found himself in the family carriage, laying in a pool of sunlight, gently rocked to sleep by the sway and dip of the carriage as it traveled over the rural roads, and by the gentle sound of his mothers voice as she talked with his father.
His memory of the days that followed has always eluded his grasp, tantalizing and teasing like the morning mist on a lake as the wind chases it first one way and then another. What he does recall he wishes that he wouldn't. The sightless eyes of his mother, the arrow protruding from her throat, and later the feelings of thirst, hunger and fear. The last of the frugal memories from that time is the sound of a soothing voice, a shocked laugh, and darkness.
When he awoke from that darkness he was in an unfamiliar cottage, in an unfamiliar bed, wrapped in unfamiliar smells and sounds. An early-middle-aged man sat at a well worn but rustic table, pouring over a sheaf of documents. Human eyes looked up and Theo could feel himself being carefully measured and weighed.
John Cobbler. The name still brought mixed emotions. The joy of a life well-lead, and the sorrow of the brief lives of mortal men. Theo was forty five when John joined his ancestors at 70, in the comfort of his own bed in that same cottage.
In that 40 years John had taught Theo all of the important things fathers taught their sons, like honor and duty and the worth of family. He also gave Theo his surname, Liwanu, which means Growl of the Bear. He gave Theo that name, he said, because when he found him in the wreckage of the carriage and its escorts, standing over the days-old corpse of his mother, he used the last of his remaining strength to scream savage defiance as John approached. And then he passed out and did not awake again until he was back at Johns cottage.
John was an Investigator, sharp and observant, and was often called on to look into some of the harder to solve crimes in the rural area where they lived. Not the high crimes of the city, but crimes none the less. He taught Theo everything he knew, starting that very day that Theo first woke in his cottage, setting out to find out what happened to his parents. A task that would take several years, even though it ended up to be one of the simplest and oldest of motives: Greed. One of his fathers rivals had him assassinated, something made easier by that fact that this wasn't something that was typically done in the High Elf city. They were above that sort of thing, or so they thought.
The High Elf that had sanctioned Theolaerynn's father had a lot of power and was thus not sentenced to the death he deserved, but was rather 'retired' to the country, where he would live for a while in luxurious boredom until people forgot about the incident.
Theo was enraged! It took John a long time to convince him that anger was a useless emotion, and that all it did was make people do stupid things like seek vengeance. Vengeance, he said, was for the weak and undisciplined, and it did as much if not more harm to the person seeking it than it did to the person it was delivered upon.
That was Johns first real lesson for Theo, and it was a very difficult one to understand. But with time he did understand, and was able to let the anger go.
When he finally found the peace that comes from letting vengeance go, John taught him his second profound lesson by throwing a head at his feet. Looking down at the face of his fathers murderer he came to understand Justice.
John's passing was very painful for Theo and he began to wander the world, paying his way as an investigator, staying for a few years here, and a few years there. Brief moments in the life of an Elf. Time spent in search of himself.
But now that he is an adult, older and wiser, he feels the need to do something more. What that is he is not yet sure of, but he knows he will recognize it when he finds it.
Alston Nim, Rock Gnome Wizard
Alston
Nim was always a bright and curious child who loved to explore. This got
him into trouble on more than one occasion, usually resulting in a lecture from
him mother and a stern look from his father. He couldn't help himself,
there was just so much to see and so little time. He also never felt like
he got into too much trouble, that was until the falling out. He was
rummaging around his neighbor's garden, playing and eating some vegetables (she
always shared with his family, so why did it matter if he took some now).
The next thing he knows, his mother is there pulling him out and participating
in a yelling match with the neighbor lady. He remembers others looking
on, his father showing up, and a few days later they were leaving the
clan. Alston felt ashamed of this for a very long time, not realizing
until years later that this was the final straw in a brewing feud that went
back years. His parents never spoke of the true reason for the feud, just
that it wasn't really Alton's fault. At the time all he knew was that it
was his fault, and he would never see his friends again.
The
Nim family found themselves a new home many weeks travel from where they had
previously lived, settling in a small cave complex that was large enough for
their family, with room to spare. He remembers his parents stating that
this was a fresh start in a place where they could grow their family beyond
just Alston. This excited Alston, the thought of a sibling, and he
decided it was up to him to prepare for what must be the imminent arrival of a
little brother. He was allowed to roam the surrounding area after what
seemed like an eternity of being stuck in the cave, looking at the same old
rocks. He felt like he could live again, with so much area to explore it
was an exciting time. It was imperitive that he find areas to explore
with his new brother, though curiosity always drove him to fully explore these
new areas alone.
One
day he was following the rock face of his home, and he ventured a bit further
than his mother allowed. The whole area was overtaken with vines and
bushy plants, but behind this he discovered a tiny opening about his
size. Crawling inside, he discovered bones that belonged to some bipedal
creature, a long stick, a book, and some rock with symbols carved on them.
The bones initially made him recoil in fear, but his curiosity again took over
and he got closer. One hand was grasping the stick, and both hands were
extended toward the opening. The pages were almost completely
disentigrated, but he could make out what seemed like words in a language he
had never seen before. He had learned to read a few years before, so this
new language intrigued him. The same letters or symbols appeared on the
stone, but he wasn't sure what it was. The dark didn't help, so he
thought a fire would help. He had watched his mom do this for many years,
and during the recent excursions he got bold enough to borrow the thing used
for lighting fires and wanted to experiment with it. After lighting a
fire he found that he still couldn't read the letters on the stone, even
holding it up close to the light. That's when he realized how close he
actually was, but the fire didn't hurt. That is, it didn't hurt until he
dropped the stone, then the pain was immediate. He tried to grab the
stone and back away at the same time, but the moment he touched the stone he
realized that he no longer felt the heat, only the pain from the burn remained
and that was even minimized.
Over
the next few months he would take more excursions to the cave to study his finding
even more. It was always frustrating as he didn't have enough info to
learn this new language. It was on one of these excursions that it
finally happened: his father found him. Alston was studying the rock and
the book when suddenly the little light that came from the cave entrance was
blotted out and a shape approached. The space inside was so small he had
no place to run to, so he was stuck, and then he heard the familiar voice of
his father: "So what have you been up to son?". Alston braced
for the worst, but instead his father used a calm tone, and seemed genuinely
interested. Over the next few minutes his father explained who he really
is: a wizard who had been searching for a fellow wizard that had never returned
from a quest. Alston had so many questions, he had only heard of wizards
in bedtime stories, he didn't think they were real or that his father was
one. His mind reeling, he barely registered what his father was asking of
him, to repeat a phrase. The words made no sense, but he said them, and
suddenly a light appeared, momentarily blinding him. He heard a satisfied
"Hmph" from his father, then the words that would change the
trajectory of his life: "Son, I think you have an affinity for magic,
would you like to follow in your father's footsteps?"
What
followed was confirmation of his magical ability by other wizards, basic
studying, and some trials. His mother was not happy, she didn't want to
part ways with him so early in life, but her father assured her it was for the
best. He heard things like "lots of power" and "to protect
both you and him". Alston couldn't understand this, he would never
hurt his mother. Did his father think he was a bad child? But
before he knew it, his father was there again, in front of him and with his
mother weeping and saying it would be okay. He wouldn't be away forever,
just for a little while. Looking back, he's not sure if she was lying to
him or to herself.
A
little while turned into months, then into years. Sure, he got to see his
mother occasionally and return to his home (now with a little brother and
sister), but each visit got shorter, and the time between visits grew
longer. He was kept busy with reading in the vast library and practices
in the yard. In the beginning were basic spells like light and
protection, but before he'd be allowed on a quest he had to learn offensive
spells as well. To be allowed this level of power, he had to gain
maturity, which meant more study time, and more time with defensive
spells. Maturity was slow to arrive, slower than his patience. He
tried to find a way into the part of the library where the damage tomes were
stored, but each time he was kicked out and reprimanded. Just like his
time as a child when he was out exploring, he finally got his wish and found a
way to one of the tomes that had Magic Missile. He memorized the words,
returned the book, and made his way outside. He quickly checked to be
sure he was alone, then he said the words he read in the book. He could
feel the power course through him as he stared at the practice dummy, but
instead of firing bolts of energy, they blew up directly in front of him.
He was knocked back and a circle of bare earth appeared where he had been
standing, dirt and grass flying.
He
awoke some time later in the infirmary, his father at his side. Upon
waking, his father gave him the same stern look that he hated as a kid, got up,
and walked out. Alston's ego and feelings were as hurt as his body.
Through accelerated healing he was physically ready to return to studies, but
mentally he wasn't and his teachers refused to let him near the library or the
practice yard for a month. Over time he was able to make ammends with his
teachers, but he knew that they would never forget what he did. He may have
been a child, but they had expected more.
Several
years of study and practice went by, including the study of offensive spells,
and it was time to go on a quest. He was paired with two older
instructors and several his approximate age; he outshone the other children
through his ability to solve puzzles and to take down enemies that the other
children couldn't. After performing just as well in several more quests,
he was put on the fast track to gaining the title of Wizard. After a
dozen such quests, he no longer went out with other children but instead went
as an apprentice, being the only child in a group of adult Wizards.
