Connor O’Cort is an Urban Paladin, more interested in Law and People than fighting EVIL in a dungeon somewhere.  He has been nearly disowned by The Church, as he is the Dirty Harry sort of Paladin. But his Divine still invests him with power, even though The Church denies him.

Heather Langdon is his sidekick. (If asked, Connor is her sidekick). She has the ability to channel more divine energies than anyone her age should be able to. Being of a clerical magical bend, she is interested more in helping people than in church politics and obligations. This need to do Good, has estranged her from her order in The Church. 

Appearance
Both are from the West Isle, giving them their distinctive appearance of fair skin, reddish hair, and impish smiles. Both are in their early to mid 20s. This is a fantasy Ireland from a fantasy Europe. The campaign they were created for was set in a fantasy Ireland.

Connor is a brick of a man, good sized and solidly built. His features are as rocky and rugged as a brick as well, though his emerald eyes do glitter under his craggy brow. His reddish, blondish hair, is kept short to fit easily under caps and helms.

He wears "normal clothes" for the lower part of town rather than the uniform of his clerical order. He is a bit dirty, a bit scruffy, and a bit worn, in appearance. He will often be wearing bits of armor with his clothes, and often a chain reinforced leather vest.

If out looking for trouble, he wears a somewhat shiny suit of plate and chain. This would not be that unusual for a paladin, except that it has "less than heroic touches": small spikes that run along the edges and populate the shoulder plates, the sharp ridges on all the exposed edges and the gothic look of the plate. It is like his armor is that of someone "evil", and it is. He took it off a cooling corpse, cleaned off the black and red enamel (as well as the blood), and fixed the rent in the chainmail. 

Willowy and graceful, Heather is the opposite of the solid muscle that is Connor. She is thin, with gentle curves, and nearly as tall as Connor (who is not a short man). Her wavy red hair and blue eyes frame her pug nose and cute smile. Her reflexes and dexterity are amazing.

She does not wear the floating robes of a mystic initiate that she is supposed to wear. She wears clothing of the everyday people she is among. Only a silver holy knot on a chain is the only sign that she is religious.

History/Background

Connor was a child in Cort, a good sized fishing town on the eastern edge of the West Isle. He was a temple boy there at his mother’s urging. When he got recruited for The Doggers, the temple guards, he thought he had found his calling. He was never a "good boy", but he believed in doing the right thing. In Cort, like most of the Eastern Canton, there were troubles between the Reformed Church and The Church. The Doggers in that Canton saw true action, rather than just ceremonial duties.

Forever the problem child, he was often at odds with his Senior. It was a classic case of doing things "by The Book" vs doing "what needed to be done".  Connor constantly disobeyed orders and "going beyond his mandate" to help both The Faithful and "those other Faithful".

It surprised Connor more than anyone else when, The Light shone upon him. He was quickly ushered to Uthren. There he went through his trainings. He did passably at his scroll learning, but excelled at his combat training and tactics. Here, going against your Senior had more consequences, so Connor was always cleaning this or that, carrying heavy things, and doing duties away from the compound. He enjoyed the city, and occasionally did some good deeds while he was out.

Connor was assigned to a company, and he "sojourned" (the Church word for quested/ adventured) dealing with EVIL. It was monsters, demons, ghosts, and one small dragon. Connor, as was his contrary nature, questioned what harm most of these creatures did?  One slum lord in Cort harmed more people every day than one lone Spectre in North.

After completing his apprenticeship, released more to get rid of him than as a sign he completed it, he drifted into the towns and cities. He never advertised himself as a paladin of The Church, unless forced to by circumstance. Working in the "scruffy parts of town", he helped root out real evil. He eliminated smugglers, slavers, those that would use children, those that assaulted the poor, those that organized thieves/ assassins, corrupt enforcers, those that took an unlawful share of wealth, or took someone’s coin and provided not the services promised (like slum lords or scam artists), and so on. He actually enforced the laws of the land and tried to make things better. He often moved up beyond cleaning up scruffy areas of town, to the root causes - those really behind things. Since the evil found in cities often reached up into higher political places and wealthy pockets, The Church began to have difficulties because of his action. Censure after censure, disobeyed order after disobeyed order, the Church eventually washed their hands of him. Yet The Light did not. He is still invested with his abilities granted from The Divine.

Heather started as a young girl in the East Quarter of the Isles. Found by a local priest who discovered her during The Rite of the Children, she was soon whisked off to The Seminaries. She was quite the prodigy, excelling in all her teachings both mystical and theological. She challenged them with her arguments of faith. She defeated them in the arcane circles and exhibited great skill in her craft.  She was charismatic and a natural leader. Everyone in the Adept Orders expected great things from her.

She was constantly pestering her seniors about working in the missions. She wanted to deal with people and help them, not heal the rich when they paid The Church, not deal with Order and Church politics, not do what is good for The Church, but what is good for the people. Yes of course, The Church did good works. They occasionally let her into the missions, but they did not want to squander a resource such as her on things anyone could do.

She quickly became tired of being a "trained bird" pulled out for special occasions or for rich patrons. Being so close to the administration of things, she saw the worldly side of The Church and it sickened her. Being tied to The Great Temple by her order vows, she could only leave when the Great Senior let her. She "arranged" to be listed as traveling to The Great Temple in the North. Through a small "clerical error" the arrival date was never filled in. She will arrive at the Great Temple in the North eventually. But for now, she will work for the good of the common people.

She wanted to do good and help people. That of course led her to a dangerous situation.

Connor had been wandering for a while when he first met Heather. Both were working to stop a child labor sweatshop that had connections to The Dark Church. The tale is a bit different depending on which of the two you talk to. Both claim to have saved the other and the day. In fact the two will argue like an old married couple about that day. No matter what is the truth, it comes down to their mutually helping the other out of the tight spot and together taking down the Noble Follower of the Dark One.

As things got "excited" in the district, the two traveled on. They have traveled along the roads. They travel to towns or cities and try to bring Honest Law (Connor) and Goodness (Heather) to the peoples.  They have stopped any number of "wrong doings", mostly slavers, dark cultists, smugglers, and corrupt priests.

Special Equipment

Sprinkle with magic items to match the power level of your campaign.

There is the matter of "that damm horse" that keeps following him around. It is a massive whitish Charger of good training. He tries to get rid of it, even sold it a time or two, but it keeps following him. And to be honest, it is handy to have around from time to time. It comes in like the cavalry all the time. It is a moody and temperamental beast, much likes Connor. (Think Tornado in the recent Zorro movies).  However, according to Connor, "The dammed horse is more trouble than it is worth."  Yes, if you are a DnD player this is his Paladin Mount. He just does not want one

Sprinkle with magic items to match the power level of your campaign.
She still has her Order of the Adept Badge and Robes.

Modus Operandi
They will stop in any town or city, settle into the low quarters. Heather will often pick up an odd job here or there, or take a tiny payment for being a faith healer/ midwife (much less than The Church normally requires for spelled healing). She says she follows her "divine inspiration". However, it really seems to be what ever job she thinks will be fun. She is quite a skilled tavern server (but never a wench). She frequently picks up such employment. No matter what the job, her job seems puts her in a position to find things out about the town and the condition of things.

Connor comes across as a Hard Ass, who does less than savory work. He bills himself as "someone who solves problem". If he jumps some "low lifes" who are committing some crime, he will tell everyone that he was hired to do such by someone. If he has to investigate someone, he will say he is hired by someone to break in to said person’s place. Thus he comes across as just another lowlife himself. This lets him work in the low circles.

After a while, people just assume the two of them are a couple, despite their protests otherwise. They do spend an awful lot of time together and Connor often breaks the fingers of anyone who gets "too fresh" with her.

Also after a while people begin to hire Connor to deal with various problems. In another time, he might be called a private detective".  Those that are righteous, he follows up on with a vengeance and solves the problems and sets things to rights. Those that are less than righteous, he will often turn down saying, he has too many jobs right now or will look into them long enough to take down the evil.  He and the local magistrate tend to be on "first name basis" after a time. Often time this friendship is on the sly to avoid tarnishing either ones reputation.

The two of them have picked up additional companions from time to time: Fineous a master thief with a heart of gold but a very random personality, Gort a kilted Northerner/ Orc, Zylas a wizard of questionable morals (aren’t they all?) who find certain (evil) behaviors "distasteful", and The Monk Tuck (a fat monk with a quarterstaff who is also disenfranchised from the church).

They will stay for a while, usually a year or three, usually dealing with the evil that men do, and leave after it becomes semi-public knowledge that they are "the good guys".

Roleplaying Notes

He is not a Camelot kind of Paladin. Think modern paladin, think police officer.

Have you seen the Dirty Harry Movies? There you go. Do your best Clint Eastwood imitation (squint a lot and gargle some gravel), and throw off some one liners.

Connor believes in The Law and that the Law should be applied to all people equally. He wants the Laws to be as just as possible, and only when he feels they are unjust or unrighteous will he work actively against a law.

Note: Bending a law or six in pursuit of the law or justice does not seem to bother him.

Connor is actually a master of intimidation. Between his size, his build, his glare, and the equipment he carries (a really big sword and that spiky gothic plate), he looks terribly intimidating. He then acts the part.

"Drop it and leave, or you can just die!" is his common line. It causes most of the local thieves and toughs to wet themselves, drop their knives/short swords, and run. While Connor is more than willing to kill people (for a good cause), he prefers not to.

"If I catch you doing this again…." trailing off, leaving the punishment to the imagination of the wrong doer in question is another common line.

"I can make him talk. Get me that cage of six starving rats, three plums, and a candle, from my place."  Again, when said in an intimidating manner, the imagination of the wrong doer runs rampant. In fact, Connor just picks three random things. It is the fear and imagination that usually makes them talk. He never needs to actually do anything more to make someone talk. At worse, he might break a finger saying something like, "while we are waiting, lets play a game.. you tell me what I need to know and I don’t break a finger." After the first one, they usually talk.

Connor is the master of the disarm. He carries a long sword. Using its longer reach he can often disarm street thugs and other minion before they can even close on him. However, he can disarm people in hand to hand just as easily.  Connor often supports himself by taking away the weapons of the local lowlifes (directly or through intimidation) and sells them to the weapons smith (who in turn sells them back to the thugs, draining them of cash).

She is friendly, cheerful, and helpful, without being annoyingly so. People just seem to trust her and treat her like a sister, daughter, best friend, child they never had, or a noble princess.

Her goal is to help people. Anything else is secondary. She will always "break character" to help people out, often dragging Connor in on it.

"Trust me, I can help" should be engraved on her crypt, just because she has said it enough. (Followed by, "Don’t mind him, he is just a grumpy ass", on Connor’s tomb next crypt over. )

She has a knack with children. She can get the fussiest baby to be quiet and the most unruly child to behave. She also has a perfect "mommy voice" when she needs it. Some see this as "being touched by the divine", as it is mentioned in the scripture about the divine’s way with children.

She is quite chaste, despite local rumors to the contrary. (She will flirt a bit. In honesty, she is all talk, no action.) She feels the religious vows of The Church quite heavily. She actually follows all of them, even though many priests just pay them lip service.

Heather uses a "big swingy thingy" in combat. Given her nearly supernatural dexterity and agility, she is almost effective with it.  She has also been trained to use a knife and hand to hand by Connor, because "Sometime, I won’t be around."

Appearance
The good Doctor himself is tall and broadly built, a handsome man who has, apparently, taken good care of himself, at least until the most recent of years. His hair is a neutral, sandy color, somewhere between blonde and brown, and his amber eyes are sunken and bloodshot within his head. A constant tic pulses in his forehead and cheek, thrumming in tune with his emotions. He favors simple, but presentable clothing, and often wears a plain brown smock, splotched with darker browns and purples.

Jillia, meanwhile, is a slight woman, of dark hair and the palest skin, her eyes a hard, open black, as if they had no pupils, and her gaze is distant, unfocused. Her skin, meanwhile, is always cold and hard to the touch, but most disturbing is that despite her fluid motion, her eyes never blink, and her breast never rises nor falls with the breath of life…

History/Background

Once, years ago, Dr. Henry Adamson was a normal doctor, caring for the ill and infirm in a small office in the capital city. Like many such doctor, he had a nurse, one whom he eventually fell in love with and married, Jillia. And, in time, Jillia fell ill with one of the wasting diseases of the time, and despite all Dr. Adamson’s efforts, she slipped from him, dying late one night beneath the light of the full moon.

And when he rose the next morning, Dr. Adamson stared into his mirror, as he declared, “Death, too, is a disease, and I shall be the one to conquer it!”

The finest alchemists, chemists, and pharmacists he could find he drew upon, giving each orders for small concoctions,  potions and salves to warm the body, to contract the muscles, to provide air where there was none. All these things and more he gathered, adding each to the piece by piece treatment of deaths symptoms that he was gathering, as he swiftly depleted his own wealth. And all this time, too, he was forced to preserve the body of his test subject, his beloved Jillia. In the end, he was forced to petty crimes and graverobbing in order to support his income, to pay for all these things, but his keen mind and desperation allowed him to evade justice. And in the end, when he added all these things together, they worked, after a fashion.

The eyes of the woman opened, her skin warmed, and when asked, she stood. But, in this moment, Dr. Adamson realized his failure. All the symptoms of death, he had treated, but the creature standing before him had no soul, no life. And in that moment, he moaned, his mind reeling in terror from doing that which no man can do.

They would need to flee, that much he realized. Flee where he could begin anew, and find a way to bring her soul back… or to kill that which was already dead.

Special Equipment
Dr. Adamson may or may not have access to a full surgeon’s kit, appropriate for technology. He will have armed himself, an arquebus if available, else an /extremely/ sharp scalpel if not.

Roleplaying Notes
Much like Dr. Frankestein, whom this character is based on, /heavily/, this character should be loathed and feared by the townsmen for what he’s done. Mob justice may be gathering when the PCs encounter him. Otherwise, he may have fled it, and is seeking a place to hide with his creation, and may seek succor from the PCs. He will likely be nervous in any case, and perhaps feel guilty for what he has done. Unlike the typical necromancer, he’s done what he could to better mankind… but neither he nor humanity are ready for the ramifications of the results.

Jillia… well… she’s dead. Her body may get up and move around on command, but she’s dead, Jim.

Appearance

Dr. Vincent is a tall, gaunt man.  He wears a long hooded cloak that he is never seen in public without, and keeps his face covered with a scarf in addition to the hood.  He seldom speaks, and when he does, his voice is a hoarse rasp.  The scarf, hood, and cloak hide terrible burn scars that cover his face and most of his body.

He is usually accompied by his companion, a very attractive, silent woman whom he calls Etellia.  She acts as his servant and seems to regard him with affection.

History/Background

Dr. Emil Vincent was a brilliant and well respected doctor.  He was perfectly content with his life, and lived quietly with his wife Victoria, whom he adored utterly.

Then came the fire.  Someone set Vincent’s manor ablaze in the night.  The few servants he kept fled unharmed.  The doctor and his wife were not so lucky.  They were trapped inside, and by the time the fire died down enough to contain it, it was too late.  They found Victoria, barely alive.  She died within a day.  The good doctor couldn’t be found at all.  He was presumed dead.

Unknown to any one, Vincent escaped the fire.  He was alive, but his face was burned beyond recognition.  He had also lost his mind, driven mad by his injuries and the death of his beloved wife.  In his madness, he decided to punish those he deemed at fault for her death: the ones responsible, the servants who fled, and the local village doctors who let Victoria die.

He waited, and he planned.  He planned the most fitting death for each of his victims, and he gathered as much information as he could about each of them.  The arsonist was a local drunk, who had had an arguement with Vincent a week previously.  However, Vincent was convinced he had been paid to do so by a rival doctor.

In the midst of his planning, Vincent met Etellia, a beautiful, silent woman, who quickly became his companion and servant.  She tended to his few needs, and was an integral part of his plans, usually acting as bait for male targets.

Authorities were shocked and disgusted when the deaths started.  The first was the man who had been the butler.  He was found in a locked room, with thousands of bees that had stung him to death.  Soon after, another servant was killed, this time by a golden unicorn statue that had literally been catapulted across the street, impaling him.  The maid was killed while she was sleeping, after her face was covered with a plant mixture and her room filled with locusts, which ate her face down to the bone. 

It didn’t take long for the authorities to make the connection, and they tried to protect the others from the mad doctor.  However, Vincent was always three steps ahead of them, and had a way around every precaution they took.  He was impossible to find, or to stop.

Vincent’s murderous activites were not restricted to those he’d planned to kill; anyone who got in his way died as well, and in terribly imaginative ways.

Possibilities

Perhaps one of the future victims knows they’re on the list, and wants protection.  The PCs could be bodyguards, or could be hired to do what the authorities could not and find Vincent.

Perhaps one of the people killed was a friend or relative of one of the PCs, and they don’t want to take this lying down.

One of Vincent’s targets has died or fled beyond reach, but in his madness he doesn’t acknowledge that, so he’s fixated on someone else… say, a PC or important NPC.

The PCs have gotten in Vincent’s way, one way or another.  Maybe they’ve been investigating too closely, or are trying to foil one of his plans.  Or perhaps they just offended him without even meaning to.  Either way, now they’re marked for death.

Vincent has completed his revenge, but it has not satisfied him, and he’s been going ever crazier.  So he’s found another group that needs to be ‘punished’ in his own special way. 

Roleplaying Notes

Dr. Vincent is very, very smart and very calculating.  He’s also completely obsessed with his revenge.  All of his crimes are well-planned in advance, and demonstrate his imagination.  The murders he’s been planning for revenge are all fitting in some way, those who just get in his way are killed in amusing ways. 

He’s a type that plans for every contingency, so GMs will have to do the same.  His plans are very elaborate, but take preparation.  At the very least, he will always have an escape plan.  (Riff cards may prove useful.) 

He himself is not much of a threat, physically; the danger is in his cunning.  Etellia can be as much of a threat as necessary, as she does all the heavy work required.

As long as the PCs don’t actually see him die, they can defeat and “kill” him, and he can come back later to torment them.

Appearance

Feher is a stooped, elderly man with wild white hair.  He wears a pair of rather ugly spectacles to compensate for his poor eyesight.  His clothes went out of style sixty years ago at least, but have been well cared for.  He is a rather craggy individual, and is not given to polite interaction.

Veidt is a tall, thin young man, with very pale skin and rather sunken eyes.

History/Background

No one is quite sure where Feher is from, and he has never given a straight answer to the question.  He travels a great deal, driving a rickety old wagon from destination to destination.  He carries very few personal belongings, most of which fit into a single large bag.  The sole exception is a large, heavy crate that stays in the back of the wagon, usually sealed tightly shut, and big enough to hold a full grown man.

It holds Feher’s source of income, and what he says is his pride and joy: a young man he calls Veidt.  Veidt, he says, is afflicted with a peculiar condition, causing him to sleep without ever waking.  He exhibits Veidt, allowing curious villagers to poke and prod the young man, who does not respond in the slightest.  To all appearances, he is unquestionably in a deep sleep.

Once the spectators have satisfied themselves, the second portion of his so-called “act” begins.  Upon Feher’s orders, Veidt will stiffly get out of his crate, standing there slackly until given another order.  He mumbles simple responses to direct questions from his master, without ever once waking.  This somewhat gruesome spectacle nets Feher a fairly comfortable living from curious villagers.

Special Equipment

Other than a few possessions, Feher owns nothing of interest besides the crate in which Veidt sleeps.  He discourages people from investigating the crate too closely, to the point of threatening people he catches around it.

Possibilities

Feher is nothing more than a showman, exploting people’s attraction to the bizzare.  Veidt is an actor he employs to pretend to be asleep.  When supposedly in his crate between shows, he doubles as Feher’s servant, stagehand, and teamster.  Skillful use of makeup hides his identity during performances.

Veidt is Feher’s son, and is truly a narcoleptic.  The old man has gone rather funny from the strain of caring for his helpless son.  Rather than trying to put effort into finding a cure, he ghoulishly makes a spectacle of Veidt.  At this point, he is actually likely to violently resist anyone curing Veidt.

Feher is a magician who specializes in various forms of mind control.  Veidt crossed him once, and was put into a deep sleep.  Now he slavishly obeys Feher’s every order.  He finds Veidt very useful for punishing other people who get in his way; despite his confinement and condition, he is a remarkably strong young man, and he’s killed more than once.

Appearance
Human?/ Male/Middle Aged
He is of average build and height. His clothes are passible for his station, but you can tell he is not paying much attention to them. His hair and beard are kept very short and very neat. He is developing a salt and pepper look in his hair.  His eyes are the only distinctive feature. With an overhanging brow, he seems to be perpetually squinting. His bright green eyes still shine even though they are practically veiled.

History/Background
The Magistrate has something of a reputation for Solomonic wisdom and the determining of past events.  While the magistrate is not a stupid man by any stretch of the imagination, his reputation stems from his assistant rather than his innate abilities.  Grisus is that assistant.

Grisus was raised in a scholarly monastery after his mother passed. This clerical environment was unique as it actually studied scholarly material and magics, rather than simply focusing on faith and prayer. Upon achieving his majority, Grisus took the civil servant tests to become a magistrate. Grisus passed all the tests to be a magistrate with high marks, yet did not become one because of his lack of connections AND his apparent desire not to play courtly/ political games. So he was attached to a Magistrate as an assistant.

That was twenty years ago. In that time, he has used his keen eyes, his strong logic skills, and some alchemical abilities to assist the magistrate in determining the truth of the situations they have investigated. Together they have resolved the truth of many criminal and civil situations, and from that truth they have applied the law.

Special Equipment
He has a small case of powders and alchemical tools that he uses to collect and understand the clues he finds.

In addition he has a number of powerful looking glasses, allowing him to see small things.

Roleplaying Notes
He is a fairly quiet man, always looking about and examining things. He seems distracted.  He is always assembling evidence in his mind which will tell him what is going on around him and what has happened in the recent past.

He is not shy, just quiet. He often asks people questions, which sometimes seem out of context or distracting.

He will often ask indelicate questions, but he only does so when searching for the truth. Since he seems so innocuous that people often answer them.

He prefers things to people, as people are known to lie to serve their own ends (or that of their liege).

He has a pet ferret which is often hiding in his cloak.

Appearance

Hamako the Black is a short, middle-aged man, with a developing paunch and receeding hairline.  His over-large, hooked nose and close-set eyes only serve to make him even more unattractive.  He tends to dress in ill-fitting mage’s robes, and has a habit of deliberately attracting attention to himself.

History/Background

Hamako the Black is an odd, and unpleasant fellow.  He claims to be a wizard, and to be sure seems to have done some things that only could have been accomplished with magic.  Still, he is far from the typical member of his trade.  He’ll sweep into a village and demand the best room at the inn, the best food, and often gold and goods, and terrifies the locals until they give him what he wants, usually without being paid.  His mute servant, Mouse, an albino, sickly, undersized boy of fifteen, plainly regards his master with a combination of terror and hatred.  Many don’t like the harsh way Hamako uses his servant, but none so far have been brave enough to intervene.

If any dare to defy him, or show doubt of his magic, he will make an example of them, usually in a terrible way.  In one village, he made a man shrivell up and die right in front of their eyes.  In another, he called up a storm that wrecked the village and destroyed the fields.  Despite his apparent power, however, he is a coward, and will run from some one on or above his level.

Though he calls Mouse his servant, the boy is really little more than a slave.  He is not paid, and should he do anything that annoys his master, he suffers for it.  Though Mouse dreams of running away or escaping his abusive master, he lacks the force of will.  Hamako bought him from an orphanage when he was very young, and has by this point in his life broken him completely.  Though he will not hinder someone opposing Hamako, he is too afraid to take any positive action to help.

Roleplaying Notes

Hamako is the ultimate form of bully.  He preys on those weaker than him, and runs from those stronger.  He has never fought a fair battle in his life.

However, he has a secret.  He is almost incapable of performing any magic on his own.  He has the knowledge, but the power is lacking.  But there is one thing he can do, and do well, and that is to steal the power of others.  His primary source is his servant, Mouse.  Mouse is the son of a mighty sorcerer, and Hamako recognized the raw power the boy possessed.  So Hamako accquired him, and cut his tongue out to ensure that Mouse could never speak any spells against him, if he ever gained the knowledge.  He also kept him illiterate so that he couldn’t gain the knowledge.  Mouse knows that Hamako is stealing his magic, for Hamako lords it over him, but he can’t prevent it.  The constant drain on his magic and the physical abuse he suffers is slowly killing Mouse.  When he dies, Hamako will simply find another ‘servant.’

Possible Hooks

A local village is looking for someone, anyone, to rid them of Hamako the Black.  What self-respecting adventurers can resist defeating an evil wizard, particularly when there’s possible monetary compensation in store?

Exhibiting some profoundly bad judgement, Hamako encounters the PCs and demands tribute.

The group decides to help Mouse, either because of their own consciences or on behalf of someone who’s hired them.

Hamako has found someone with even stronger magical power than Mouse, and intends to take that power for himself.  The PCs are hired to either prevent a kidnapping, or retrieve the person in question.

Another wizard or the mage’s guild has discovered Hamako’s secret, and want him punished.  For one reason or another, they can’t or won’t go after him themselves, and so hire the group.

Appearance
Like two bats outta hell, they tore through the night. Hazen & Grib, two Necros trying to make a name for themselves in a world that doesn’t want them. Streaks of black and white, blurs in the night. Grabbing a body here, a bone there, and stopping a few menaces…

Hazenbrazen and Gribaldy now look like your average Necromancers, decked out in dark clothes and bone armors. They both have shocking white hair that matches their pale faces. The differences lie in the attire mostly. Gribaldy’s armor has a dark brass color too it, while Hazen’s is jet black with bone hilights. Hazenbrazen has a bone helmet and bright blue eyes. Gribaldy is known for his black leather glove he wears on his right hand, he says it keeps the spirit in his wand from possessing him. His eyes are a dull brownish green.

History/Background
They began to amass a following of the dead and of the living. Not as oppressive to their minions as most Necromancers, they allowed them free reign as long as they didn’t harm innocents, and threatening detsruction if they did. But there were always plenty of evils to be vanquished, and those of the living were happy for these new heroes…

Hazenbrazen and Gribadly met at the Arcane University when they were simple adepts. They formed a fast friendship, had many zany adventures, and ultimately decided on a darker future.

They took up study of the Dark Ways of the Necromaster, and soon they had learned the basics. There seemed to be a number of paths they could follow. Gribaldy took up the Way of the Minion, deciding he wanted to amass legions to do his bidding. Hazenbrazen went with the destructive Way of the Bone, mastering the basics, he was able to launch a barrage of biting teeth at his opponents.

Over the years, Hazenbrazen and Gribaldy travelled with many group of adventurers. Hazenbrazen’s favorite, and brief love interest, was Heather a rogue archer with a holy bow. They bow’s Aura of Thorns was a huge help, if caused damage done to Gribaldy’s skeletons to partially reflect back upon the attacker. It was a powerful tactic, but its Holy nature weakened the skeletons fighting powers, and the love was not meant to be. So, as the story goes, Heather left the H&G team after an awkward encounter with Hazenbrazen.

Currently, Hazen and Grib (The H&G Duo), have taken up defense of a mountain town besieged by demonic forces unleashed from an ancient crypt. They can be found there with a small army of skeletons and villagers. They are slowly winning but the PCs may be able to help, and earn a powerful ally.

Special Equipment
With a complex wave of his bone wand Hazenbrazen launched a spear of summoned bone that rippled the air through several enemies, nearly killing them…

Hazenbrazen’s:
He carries a wand of bone he calls "White" and the Shrunken Head of Oul, together these items give him a major boost to his already masterful bone summoning abilities.

Gribaldy smacked a skeleton with the shrunken head he carried and ordered it into the fray, and, simultaneously, caused a fallen enemy to rise to his feet and fight for them with a flick of his wrist…

Gribaldy’s:
He also carries a wand and shrunken head. His wand is known as The Black Key and it a powerful summoning tool. The shrunken head he carries is simply used as a shield or to shake, in anger, at people.

Roleplaying Notes
Hazenbrazen & Gribaldy are a happy duo, fond of good cheap ale and any woman that will have them. They tell gruesome tales of nights spent traveling with the living dead, then laugh with those who feel queasy. They do have a battle cry, they like to yell "Full Force!" when attacking, it is said to be some sort of private joke they share.

Hazen and Grib are buddies untill the end, if one is down, the other will rush to their aid and administer healing. This rarely happens with them firing teeth and bones from behind bone walls and a swarm of minions.

Details the Powers of the Necromasters
Hazenbrazen’s Way of the Bone:
Hazen has three types of attacks and three types of defenses.

Attacks:
1. Teeth. Small sharp pieces of bone fly out in a fan-like patternm ripping into enemies with frightening force.

2. Spear of Bone. Summons a javelin from the deapths of hell to implae enemies.

3. Bone Spirit. By sacrificing a skeleton Hazen can used its unique undead life-force to create a damaging ball of light that homes in on the nearest enemy target. It is slow moving, but persistant.

Defenses:
1. Bone Armor. Summons pieces of bone to circle around him and deflect incoming attacks.

2. Wall of Bone. Causes a wall made of bone to erupt from the earth and block enemies.

3. Bone Cage. Creates a Wall of Bone around an enemy.

Gribaldy’s Way of the Minion:
Grib has three types of minions he uses.

Minions:
1. Skeleton Warriors. A undead creature made of bones, when created all flesh and meat falls to the ground, they are typically equipped with cheap swords and shields, not being capable of more advanced weaponry.

2. Skeleton Warlock. A creature that dies that had the powers of magic can be raised in this fashion, it is capable of unleashing blasts of Eldritch Energy.

3. Revive the Fallen. Gribaldy can reanimate a dead enemy to its full natural fighting power, but only for a brief while.

These are, of course, in addition to their other magical powers gained through the study of wizardry, necromancy, and illusions.

Appearance

Hisa appears as a very attractive pale young woman, with long dark hair she keeps pinned up.  She typically dresses very elegantly.  She has two expressions, a sort of detatched boredom and outright fury.  She does not speak.  Unless she makes an effort to hide them, her eyes are solid shiny black.

History/Background

She gasped, trying not to choke on the blood in her throat.  Her vision was blurred, and she could only see shadows and shapes.  Her fingers were bloody from clawing at the ground, trying to drag herself along.  The pain had receded to a dull annoyance.  All she felt now was the rage.  He’d pay, the one who had done this to her. 

Hisa was a girl from a small village.  She had everything, beauty, pleasing talents, and a wealthy and aging father who doted on her.  She naturally had many suitors, but she did not like very many of them.  One in particular did not take no for an answer, despite being sent away several times.  When it was announced that she would marry the son of one of her father’s friends, this man decided to take what had been denyed to him.  He abducted Hisa, raped her, and then brutally murdered her.

Two shadows moved toward her, but she could not make them out.  Low voices drifted to her.  She tried to cry out, but that man had taken her voice and all that came out was a low gurgle.  
"She won’t last long.  Even if she was found now." 
"Mmm, she has fire.  She won’t lie quietly."

Hisa’s death was so violent and her rage was so great that it was impossible that she would simply pass on.  Her spirit lingered where she had been killed, nearly berserk with fury, even after the death of her murderer.  For almost two years, the area she haunted was considered a deadly place.  Then something changed.

"Well, she’s calmer, now.  I suppose she woke up."
An indistinct shadow approached her, and someone gently lifted her face.  "She understands pain, and the hate there is appealing… but no.  Too much rage, no appreciation for the beauty of suffering.  She’s of no use to me."
Another shadow approached and repeated the process.  "The right or wrong doesn’t matter to you, does it?  No.  You want to punish everyone now, not just the guilty.  I can’t help you."  The shadows melted away, leaving her to do as she liked.

Hisa was not a normal ghost.  Her fury and lust for revenge were enormous, greater even than that what kept normal ghosts from the afterlife.  Her feelings were so strong that they took on a life of their own, bound together by the last vestiges of her personality.  Hisa’s ghost became a demon that fed on revenge. 

No longer bound to her place of death, she wandered.  She was drawn to those who desired revenge, and fell into a pattern of helping such people.  It didn’t matter who they were, who they wanted revenge on, or what the greviance was.  She helped a knight track down and destroy an evil wizard, and she helped a murderous overlord destroy the hero who had ruined his schemes.  It was all the same to her.

Abilities

Hisa does not have any overtly "magical" abilities; her focus is more physical.  She is much, much stronger than she looks like she has any right to be, and a good deal faster than normal humans.  She is also remarkably resilient and hard to injure.  It is possible to "kill" her, but it is only temporary and just makes her very angry.  It may take a long time, but she will be back eventually.

Hisa has a particular knack for locating her or her companion’s prey, a gift that those she associates with often find invaluable.  She also has a rudimentary instinct for finding people’s weak points (psychological, physical, whatever), although she usually lets her current companion worry about finding something exploitable.  She will always let her companion decide how to handle pursuing their revenge.

Roleplaying Notes

Hisa is usually very calm and acts in a calculated manner.  However, it is possible to make her mad, and then she is prone to violent rages.  She will do whatever her current associate wants her to do as long as it’s in pursuit of revenge (seduction, bait, violence, whatever).

She is completely mute and normally shows no expression at all.  Since she can’t speak to give her name, she allows her companions to call her whatever they wish.

There are some downsides to attracting Hisa’s attention.  A vengeful obsession strong enough for her to notice is a fundamentally self-destructive behavior, and her presence just makes it worse.  Her unquestioning help and abilities often tend to fuel god complexes (which the people she associates with are already prone to). And once her current companion has satisfied their revenge, she’ll move on… possibly helping the very people her former companion went after.  That’s not even taking into account any possible ramifications for dealing with demons in general.

Hisa usually chooses her own masters, but she is a demon, and she can be summoned.  It would probably be a *profoundly* bad idea, of course.

Currently, Hisa’s companion is Dr. Emil Vincent, a homicidal madman.  His obsessive drive for revenge is what originally attracted her, but his manner towards her reminds her (vaguely) of her father, and she’s developed a sort of affection for him.  He calls her Etellia (he simply liked the sound of it), and she functions as a servant and companion, in addition to assisting with his schemes for revenge.

Appearance:
She’s a deceptively short woman, and looks younger than her twenty-three years.  She tends to dress in sturdy black trousers and a gray-blue tunic.  She wears leather arm guards, similar to those used by falconers.  Her hair is an unusual blue-black shade, and falls to her shoulders when she wears it loose (most of the time).  Her bright green eyes greatly resemble a cat’s.

Background:

There was once a tribe of humans that was referred to as “the Wild Ones.”  The Wild Ones evidently had a peculiar link to the natural world around them; each person born in the tribe had an affinity for a particular type of animal.  This went far beyond “spirit animals” of other tribes.  The Wild Ones took on some of the physical characteristics and temperments of the animals.  It was also said that the Wild Ones could speak with them.  Of course, this is now dismissed as legend and myth, for the tribe of the Wild Ones was lost generations ago.

Which brings it to Jade.  Jade, unbeknownst to her, is one of the last descendents of the lost tribe, as is her older brother.  The bloodlines have of course thinned out, and any characteristics of the Wild Ones appear erratically within the family line, and are not as strong as the original tribe, but they are still there.  When Jade was born, her eyes were observed to greatly resemble a cat’s; she was also evidently blind for the first few weeks of her life.  (Her parents were not alarmed, having experienced much the same thing with her older brother).

Jade has an affinity for cats.  She has always been small, but is deceptively quick and agile.  Her sense of balance is incredible, her vision is exceptional (especially in the dark), and some of those who know her well tease her and say that she has nine lives.  This may or may not be true, for Jade also has a knack for getting herself into and out of very dangerous situations. 

Jade is afraid of dogs, and can be very aloof at times, but those who know her forgive her for it.  She is also very independent, and has a tendency to go wandering.  However, she is also very patient, and has been known to wait in hiding for hours for something she was watching.
Jade and her older brother Jeremiah are in the employ of a magician named Reyjen, as hunters and bodyguards.  Jade is a surprisingly tough woman, and many consistently underestimate her.  Jade considers Reyjen a very good friend, especially since he once saved her life, and the life of her brother.

Roleplaying Notes:

Anyone who spends enough time with Jade and is sufficiently familiar with the stories about the Wild Ones should eventually make the connection.
Jade, although she realizes that she’s odd, doesn’t really know that she is a Wild One. 

Jade’s peculiar nature might attract attention, which could be either very good or very bad, depending on the location and culture.

Perhaps the PCs might need the services of a very good hunter and/or tracker.  If they are well-enough known, and know the right people, Jade and her brother Jeremiah might be just the people they want.

Once a person has earned Jade’s trust (which is no small accomplishment), she can be one of the most loyal friends anyone can ever have.

Most people at first think that Jade is a child or a teenager, because of her size.  This almost always should lead to people underestimating her badly.  This woman isn’t the greatest fighter in the world, but she can and will kick major butt if she figures there’s a reason.

Appearance:

Jeremiah is a big, powerful-looking man, who doesn’t look like anyone you’d want to meet in a dark alley.  His hair is the same peculiar blue-black shade as his sister Jade’s, and it tends to remind one of a mane.  He usually dresses in dark colors.  His ears are slightly pointed, which sometimes leads people to the false impression that he is elven.

Background:

There was once a tribe of humans that was referred to as “the Wild Ones.” The Wild Ones evidently had a peculiar link to the natural world around them; each person born in the tribe had an affinity for a particular type of animal. This went far beyond “spirit animals” of other tribes. The Wild Ones took on some of the physical characteristics and temperments of the animals. It was also said that the Wild Ones could speak with them. Of course, this is now dismissed as legend and myth, for the tribe of the Wild Ones was lost generations ago.

Jeremiah, like his sister Jade, is one of the last descendants of the Wild Ones.  The bloodlines have of course thinned out, and any characteristics of the Wild Ones appear erratically within the family line, and are not as strong as the original tribe, but they are still there.  (It’s actually very unusual to have two in the family.)  Jeremiah was blind for the first few weeks of his life (again, as was his sister).  This alarmed his parents, and his pointed ears lead to no small confusion.

Jeremiah’s affinity is for wolves.  His sense of smell is nearly unrivaled, and his hearing is excellent.  He’s also very strong, and much faster than you’d think a man of his size would have any right to be.  He can track damn near anything, but he’s never cared much for dogs.  He also tends to be something of a loner.  However, he is fiercely protective of anyone he cares about. 

Jeremiah and his sister Jade are employed by a magician named Reyjen as hunters/bodyguards (positions they excel at).  Most people are smart enough to not pick a fight with Jeremiah (although they usually don’t use the same caution with his sister.)  Reyjen has been the siblings’ friend for years, and once saved their lives.

Roleplaying Notes:

Anyone who spends enough time with Jeremiah and is sufficiently familiar with the stories about the Wild Ones might eventually make the connection.

Jeremiah realizes that he and his sister are oddities, but he doesn’t know much about the legends of the Wild Ones.
Jeremiah’s peculiar nature might attract attention (although it’s much more likely to be his sister that does that), which could be either very good or very bad, depending on the location and culture.

Perhaps the PCs might need the services of a very good hunter and/or tracker.  If they are well-enough known, and know the right people, Jade and Jeremiah might be just the people they want.

Jeremiah is extremely protective about the ones he cares about.  He doesn’t go out of his way to pick fights, but he never shys away from them, either.

As he crept along the wilderness trail, mighty Thornar couldn’t escape the feeling of being watched.   His keen senses couldn’t detect anything, but instincts that had served him well through dozens of perilous adventures screamed out that some hidden peril hunted him.  He whirled in place, a dagger poised to throw, but saw nothing on the trail behind him.  Only the gentle swaying of the brush revealed that something had been there moments before.

The wary veteran felt a cold sweat run down the back of his tunic.  What force, what mysterious threat hunted him so relentlessly?

When Kranno was a young goblin pup, his grandmamma Borgamoth yanked on his ears and told him, "You ‘lil scrat!  Ye’ll ne’er amount te nuttin!"  By goblin standards, this was considered wise career advice, so he bent his efforts to being as inconspicuous as possible.  His skill at skulking and lurking increased with each passing year, until he could practically vanish from sight.  His ability to avoid notice and light fingers allowed him to avoid anything that resembled work, but he still didn’t know what he wanted to do.  Skulking and lurking posed few challenges to him and was starting to seem pointless.  Even clinging from ceilings and disguising himself as shrubbery had started to seem blasé to the bored goblin.

That was when he met Vonyich Festelgabber.  A struggling scribe and author, Vonyich hoped to convince an influential Count to sponsor a volume of his poetry (Ye Fullnesse of Springe, a collection of 522 execrable poems and 2 mediocre ones).   Unfortunately, the nobleman’s servants curtly turned him away:  He couldn’t even approach the man.  While Vonyich had many admirable traits, tact, stealth, or good timing were not among them.  By human standards, he was awkward, but by goblin standards of stealth and cunning he was appalling.  His ineptitude amazed Kranno.  In a rare moment of pity, Kranno offered to shadow the haughty nobleman and discover how he could best be approached.

"Then ye Mighty Wizzard Goldfinch did generously share ye most secrette lore of his order with ye lesser wizzards, swearing them to secrecy.  He did urge them to reveal thys to no onne, for ye elders of his order would be sure to slay them all if his ruse was discuver’d."
- From "Goldfinch, Hero of ye People", published shortly before Goldfinch’s disappearance

When Kranno met with Vonyich the next day, Vonyich was amazed at the information his runty ally had discovered.  He was struck by an inspiration:  He wrote a pamphlet about the nobleman’s heroic efforts to preserve the Kingdom ("Count Zigmund, ye Man and ye Legend").  It was an instant success, despite its many factual errors and exaggerations.  His publisher was so pleased, he urged the author to produce more as soon as possible.  None could compare with Kranno’s stealth, nor could anyone compete with Vonyich’s gift for hyperbole, so unlimited wealth and fame lay before them! 

"Theron merrily boasted that he was ye mosst accomplish’d rogue in all ye Kingdom, since none butt him would have ye witte to have stolen ye Crown Jewels by hiding them withyn a stuff’d duck."
- From Theron, Master Thief

Together, Vonyich and Kranno chronicle the adventures of all the greatest heroes and nobles in the land.  Great sorcerers, mighty churchmen, renowned noblemen: all have been stalked by the canny goblin, then immortalized in print by the imaginative author.  Whenever an epic quest is undertaken, wherever a perilous adventure awaits, the cunning of Kranno and the purple prose of Vonyich will be tested again.

Appearance
Kranno is unusually scrawny, even for a goblin.  He has mastered the art of looking innocent; nobody will ever catch him staring or doing something suspicious.  Even if he were caught clinging to the ceiling of the King’s Counsel Chamber, he would try to look as if he belonged there ("Aye’ll have thet spot scrubbed off in jes’ a minute more, guv’ner").  He carefully chooses his attire to be as inconspicuous as possible:  In the wilds, he may cover himself with brush and weeds, in a city, he is likely to disguise himself as just another underfed tradesman or servant.  His most unusual feature is his protuberant ears, which have foiled his plans to disguise himself on more than one occasion.

Vonyich Festelgabber is a pale and gangly fellow, who never did see why he should waste his newfound wealth on new clothing.  His ill-fitting attire is threadbare and spattered with ink.  A good 6 ½ feet tall, he can be instantly spotted in a crowd, as his bright red hair tends to spring up in every direction.  Much cheerier since he teamed up with Kranno, his cheerful smile reveals some of the most rotten and yellowed teeth in the realm.

Appearance:
Human/ Male/ 60s (he looks older than he is)

The Magistrate is a tall, gaunt man, who age shows in the thinning and sagging of his once powerful form. His features have become stronger and sharper over the years due to sagging and stretching skin. He is almost a caricature now. His eyes are still green, but have lost much of their luster. His greying brown mop is in a bowl cut that was once the height of fashion. It was ill suited for him then as it is now. His clothing is fairly new, of his station, and impeccably kept up.

History/ Background
Magistrates are agents of the State. They help enforce the laws, pass rulings and judgements, make sure the local governance follows the laws and opinions of the state, and take accountings of local wealth and taxes. Each district’s magistrate helps keep the district running well.

Magistrate, all anyone really ever calls him anymore, came from a minor noble family. His superior education and connections allowed him to succeed at the Magistrate’s Test and secure a position.

He has served well for a number of years. His strengths are oration, etiquette, a near perfect memory for noble lines and orders, and the ability to work through the red stamps (bureaucracy). While these are helpful, they are not always enough to complete his duties.

It was true, his first few years as a magistrate were rocky. However, over the years, his prestige and reputation have grown (especially since gaining his assistant). He is well known for his wisdom, reasoning, and ability to find solutions. He is quite well known for it across the land. He is often called in for special cases and events.

Special Equipment
Signet Ring of Office

Several Traveling Trunks

Roleplaying notes
He seems a bit off, like he is not really here.

He has a grand fatherly air about him. Sometimes that can be annoying, as he treats full grown adult men as young children.

He is always polite and usually diplomatic.

He always has a wise saying or carefully chosen phrase ready for every situation (look up a book of quotations). He will often be quoting historical and legal references.  Sometimes the relationship to what is going on around him is vague.

He often spends a great deal of time in contemplation, sitting or standing out of the way, his fingers templed and touching his lips. He can stand there for hours, ignoring most of what is around him, all the while his assistant is scurrying around.

The secret to his success is actually Grisus. Grisus’s keen logic and observations provide the best answers in most situations. Grisus has almost no diplomatic skills (except the wisdom to know when to listen), so it takes the Magistrate to take in what Grisus has deduced and present it in a politically and legally appropriate way.

Appearance
Moraten is almost unreasonably tall, and thin to the point of gauntness.  He is very dark skinned, and has shoulder length black hair that generally refuses to look combed.  He has very, very pale blue eyes.  He wears loose, dark gray clothes, and usually a much patched cloak over them.

History/Background

Moraten is a ShadowKin user, and was born into the service of the lords of Jernos.  However, unlike many of his cousins, Moraten has always resented this.  This is partly to do with an incident in his childhood; he had a twin brother who did not have any shadow-talent.  His twin managed to hide this fact until they were seven years old, when the young lord conducting their training found them out, and was duty bound to kill him, which he did.  Moraten has always had a grudge about that.  (It is important to note that he does not hold a grudge against the instructor personally; he understands that it was a result of the system in place, and it was a quick, painless death.) 

Despite his resentment, Moraten was eventually assigned to the royal family as the bodyguard of Princess Althista, second heir to the throne, partnered with Saja Jyn.  He was given a job and he will do it well, but that’s more because A. he’s rather fond of the princess, and B. Saja asked him to (the major reason).  He is one of the best fighters of the ShadowKin, and he is respected for it.

Special Equipment

Moraten carries a jointed metal staff that he usually keeps collapsed under his cloak.

Roleplaying Notes

Moraten is outwardly very calm and slow to act, but under that he’s really a very angry man.  This will not come out in his behavior, generally speaking, all though if he is pushed too far the results can be spectacular.  He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he uses an oddly formal style. 

He is a man of his word: if he says he will do something, it will be done, and he usually gets upset if anyone besides him does it (he is known to have promised a particular person that he would kill him some day, and has prevented anyone else from doing so.)  He has sworn to protect Althista, and he will, although if it came down to it, he would value his partner Saja’s life over the princess’s.  (Oddly enough, the princess is well aware of this and Saja is completely clueless about it).  This only applies to oaths he made of his own free will; oaths he was not given a choice to make he will freely break.

Princess Althista aside, Moraten really does not like any of the royalty or nobility.  If he was given the opportunity and could convince Saja to go with him, he would desert without a second thought.  He will also cause chaos if given an opportunity to reasonably do so without repercussions and if he’s annoyed at the main victim of the chaos, but he is not an anarchist by any means.

Appearance

Saja is a tall, slender woman.  She is extremely fair: very pale skin and long white hair.  In fact, she would be considered an albino except for her eyes, which are a very dark gray.  She always wears a black uniform with the crest of the royal house of Jernos on it. 

History/Background

Saja is a ShadowKin walker, born into the service of the lords of Jernos.  She showed much promise during her training, and was assigned to the royal family itself.  Originally, she was trained to be the Court Assassin, but upon the birth of Princess Althista, second heir to the throne, Saja was reassigned to the position of the princess’s bodyguard and later companion.  While she takes her duty seriously, the court politics often irritate her, and she doesn’t respect many of the nobles.  She isn’t as disrespectful as her partner Moraten Li is, but she often comes dangerously close.  She is devoted to her charge, and considered completely trustworthy by the immediate royal family.  She is periodically asked to perform missions (spying and the occasional assassination) in addition to her normal duties.  However, she was assigned to the princess, and Saja understands that to mean that the princess’s orders take precedence.  This has led to a few conflicts with other royals, and at least two accusations of subordination.  So far, she’s gotten away with it.

Special Equipment

Saja has two folding fans with sharpened steel ribs that she fights with when violence is unavoidable.  She is very good with them.  The appearance of the fans is such that she can often take them places where weapons are prohibited without being challenged.

Roleplaying Notes

Saja speaks in a very formal fashion with anyone she is not very comfortable with, which is pretty much everyone but her partner and Princess Althista.  She will always be somewhere around both people; if she is not, she becomes very nervous.  She is very devoted to Althista, almost scarily so.  She would think nothing of laying her life down for the princess’s, although she will try to arrange things so that it isn’t necessary.  The only other person she feels worthy of that level of devotion is her partner, Moraten Li, and she feels he can often take care of himself.  She dislikes violence, but will not hesitate to use it in the defence of her charge or her partner, or if ordered to in the course of a mission.  For someone who is a trained assassin, she is rather averse to killing.

Appearance
Both are old decrepit human males. Both are wrinkled, mostly bald, with shocks of white hair on the sides of their head, with large noses. Statlerus is shorter and rounder, Waldorus is taller and longer in all things.

(Think the two hecklers from the Muppet Show)

Yes, I know this should be two separate posts, but since they never seem to go anywhere without the other, they are effectively one npc

History/Background
These two guildsmen have been friends since forever, yet they never agree. Unlike most people, they have paid attention to the history of things and all the news since they were born.  Since they have managed to retired (too cranky to die, quips Waldorus) they now take their leisure sitting together in parks or cafes (and later - taverns) talking about the world and current events and what is wrong with everything. Since they are both fairly deaf, these discussions/ arguments are fairly loud and you can’t help but overhear the two cranky men discussing what is going on in the city.

Special Equipment
A pension from their guild after they retired. Amazing. Most people do not live this long.

Roleplaying Notes
Two cranky old men with wry senses of humor - think what would happen if two Mark Twains sat next to each other drinking coffee and smoking. They like to crack jokes, usually at the expense of a political/ guild/ noble figure. They are both cynical, yet if one puts forth a cynical point, the other feels obliged to put out an opposing point. These two are great social commentators of their day. (in fact, a young writer at a nearby table or bench is copying down what they say… to create a history and commentary of sorts of the city).

They are useful to impart bits and pieces of the political and social situation to the characters.  These two rant at each other as the PCs are walking by, and you get an amusing moment and a little piece of info imparted to the players. If asked something about the city or city history, they probably know the answer… and will start a rant about related subjects.

Feet pad across the velvet night,
Chasing shadows through moonlight.
Yeah, smell my desi-ire,
let it light you afi-ire,

Cause I’m stalking you now,
and I always catch my prey,
Cause I’m stalking you now,
I’ll catch you with ecstacy

Cause I’m stalking you now,
and I always catch my prey,
Cause I’m stalking you now,
I’ll catch you with ecstacy.

Appearance

Seh’Ahna(Stalking Feline), the Kel’Regar of the two, is tall, yet surprisingly soft in appearance for a Kel’Regar female, her dark, cocoa-brown limbs lacking in the definition that many Kel’Regar women possess, while the huge shock of permed blue hair has gone beyond exotic.

Her partner in crimes against good taste, Tara Watt, is a voluptuous human girl, sharing nearly the same dark coloration as her partner, save that her mass of permed hair has been bleached to a silver blonde, dark roots peeking through frequently.

For their stage appearances, they have adopted a uniform of black, skin-tight synth-leathers, augmented by seemingly random silver-appearing jewelery, all of it large, sparkly, and foremost, the distilled essence of glam rock. 

History/Background

Sel’kel’Satha was often teased in her youth on Regar, derided as soft and boyish, with a marked appreciation for the arts and music, and little taste for conflict. Often, the jeer came that she should burn off her budding breasts and go join a male’s commune. But she never could quite take that step, as there was a missing edge to the men.

It was as a young woman that she finally had the opportunity to leave Regar, and entering human space, she found that edge that was missing in the music of the Kel’Regar males. She found it in what the humans called "rock and roll."

Encountering a struggling young musician by the name of Tara Alderman, it was not long before the two girls had come to respect each other’s talents, Sel’kel’Satha’s as a vocalist, trained by simply singing along to human music, and Tara’s ability with the electric guitar. And together, they plotted their arc of concerts, eventually reconstructing at least the appearance of that ancient style, restoring the hair band to its proper place on the stage, and choosing their stage names to fit.

Special Equipment
Besides their normal musical equipment, the Neon Tigresses pack a complex autonomous unit to handle their bass and drum lines during concerts. Sel’Ahna is typically on keyboard and vocals, while Tara Watt is usually on the lead guitar.

Roleplaying Notes

With a hard, driving guitar line, and compelling vocals bordering on the erotic, the Neon Tigresses tend to attract rough and tumble local fans, more than a few, both male and female, hoping to ‘score’ with the ladies of the band. Unfortunately, they also prefer to play in smaller, rougher venues, usually local bars. The combination of alcohol and their presence has touched off a multitude of small riots, which rather excites them.

While intended more for color than for plot points, the girls could be seeking extraction from some place they’ve made trouble in, be in the process of making trouble around the PCs, or even need insertion to some place where the cops are aware of what they can do. Alternatively, they may need help dissuading the local roughs from playing with them… or persuading them to play. It’s hard to tell with these two.

"Got a mark for us, sis?"
"Him, over there."
"Hmm, plenty of money, but he looks kinda.. pudgy."
"I’m tired of stringy meat. It’ll soften him up, make the flavor more savory."
Out where there’s no elder Kel’Regar to keep her in check and poorly organized human policing at best, Sel’Ahna may have fallen into her distant ancestors habit of having their lovers for breakfast, quite literally, and may have dragged Tara into it as well. The PCs may be asked to investigate the disappearance of a local, or be marked for the full course himself.