Ktandeo

Ktandeo, "Warrior God" of Desci, Son of Anservial and Ares, Lord of the South of Smowlark, Last of the Red Crests.

Ktandeo, son of Ares, "Warrior God", Lord of the South of Smowlark Island

Family and Vital Lore

Race: half-divine, half-human, Son of the Enmarch People

Mother: Anservial, Daughter of Desci from Mount Manechest in the Sahtgarte Mountains

Father: Ares, Son of Zeus

Wife: Lady Elatie

Early Life

His Mother Anservial, and the Birth of Ktandeo

Warrior God is the son of Ares, born to the mercurial warrioress Anservial, a commoner and member of the Red Crests, an adventuring party who had by that time conquered with their army the whole of the Smerdennin Isles, a lush archipelago well known for its tyrannical wizard-king Mantris and his ettin army. Their own wizard-warrior Malran took the throne after it was won by the Red Crests. Anservial became a fascination for Ares, and in her appeals for a child (for all men were intimidated by her), Ares raped her and gave her a warrior god son. Jealous of this however, Aphrodite cursed Anservial in that all men were for thereafter obsessed with her. She was forced to flee to her home amongst the Enmarch peoples of the Sahtgarte Mountains. She lived high on Mount Manechest, amongst storm giants loyal to Kronus, until her death in a massive battle against fire giants only a few years later. Thought to be a god by the remaining storm giants for his prodigious strength, he eventually was beseeched by the townspeople below to join an adventuring party. He never managed to return to the Smerdennin Islands.

Early Adventures

Meeting the Red Crests

The Sahtgarte Mountains near Desci, the land of Ktandeo's birth.

"Warrior God" was rediscovered by the mighty Red Crests already late in their career, when they returned to the Enmarch Penninsula upon the Continent. There, at the village of Desci, near Mount Manechest amongst the Sahtgarte Mountains, they came to the home of their former and long dead companion, Anservial. At Desci they heard of the incredible strength of a young man from the top of the mountain, a young man who was raised amongst the storm giants. Coming before the storm giants, the Red Crests learned that this young man was none other than the son of their slain companion Anservial. The young man had no name, but the giants said that it was certain that because he was so fierce and so strong that he could be nothing other than the son of the War God. Amused and half believing this legend, the Red Crests adopted the son of Anservial, and called him Warrior God.

Adventures with the Red Crests

Little is known of Warrior God's early adventures with the Red Crests. Certainly the Red Crests were already mighty when they met the son of Anservial, mighty enough that they wielded great magic, magic which they shared with Warrior God readily enough. Under their ready tutelage Warrior God quickly proved to be a mighty fighter, and won renown and respect. His adventures with the Red Crests took him throughout the Enmarch Penninsula, and even to the Spells of Illesse, the celestial landscape beyond the bounds of the world Illessia itself. By the end of his adventures with the Red Crests, Warrior God had earned himself strong armor, sword and even a girdle of magical strength which magnified his already great power many times over.

Zhor, the Mul and Initial Adventures Under the Dark the Sun

Having taken his leave of the Red Crests for a time, Warrior God adventured in the Sahtgarte Mountains, his homelands. There at a mountain inn, in a supreme act of fate, Warrior God fell into a magical gateway, leading him to the city of Tyr and the world of Athas, the world of the Dark Sun.

Instantly Warrior God found himself confused with a young half-elf and a mul, being chased by templars, lead amongst them being Khantane, a villain who was to plague Warrior God for many years. Unable to find a way to return to his home world, Warrior God joined the odd company of the half-elf named Zhor and his mul companion.

Finding themselves in a battle with the evil Khantane and his minions, the Mists of Ravenloft presented themselves, whisking away the great evil of Khantane along with his adversaries. This was their first journey to the Demi-Plane of Dread, where they met several natives who joined in their adventures, including a young warrior named William and a native of Athas named Alteric, a thief. At length, the mists took Warrior God, Zhor and their mul friend back to Tyr. In Tyr, the various heroes, including William and Alteric, formed a loose group known as the Knights of Tyr, so named and champion by William, an off-worlder. They were founded to resist the evil templars and sorcerer-king of Tyr.

Intent on finding a magical gateway the would lead back to his own world, Warrior God and his companions instead found an alternative gateway outside of Tyr, which led them to another plane of existence.

Warrior God, Zhor, the Mul, the Beastlands and Beyond

Arriving upon the Beastlands, Warrior God and his companions Zhor and their mul friend found themselves in a war between men with muskets and even cannon. The war was a great one, fought amongst an infinite forest. But Warrior God and his companions escaped the suspicious musketeer soldiers after much trouble. Adventuring through the woods, they found that Khantane had followed them to the Beastlands via the same magical portal, and had brought Tyrian soldiers and templars to assist him. These were at length outwitted and defeated, although Khantane himself managed to escape with his life.

Helping locals resist a great evil, Warrior God, Zhor and their mul companion descended upon a medusa and her minions upon a strange island, and slew her. They escaped Khantane again, but this time with Zhor's new power, enabling him to physically travel throughout the planes. They traveled to the Astral Plane.

In the Astral Plane, they had several adventures, but these adventures culminated in being captured by the githyanki. They were taken to their adamant citadel, but managed to escape. There on the fortress, they seized from the castle's supreme commander his powerful special silver sword. The githyanki were enraged, and although the heroes escaped, they would never forget the theft.

At length, the heroes reached Sigil, the City of Doors. Here they had even more adventures, but in the end they discovered a portal leading back to Athas. Warrior God, his heart guided to bring aid to that dying world, followed Zhor back to the world of the Dark Sun.

Nearly three years before the liberation of the city-state of Tyr, Zhor, Warrior God and their mul companion escaped from the Happy Hunting Grounds and to the Silver Void. There, amidst several adventures, they were captured by the githyanki and held so as to be inspected by their supreme commander. Instead, Zhor used his powers and stole the supreme commander's special silver sword, a weapon of great power. Although this weapon was lost to Zhor, the githyanki have never forgotten this theft. Almost twenty years later, the githyanki still remembered the face of Ktandeo upon his return to the Astral Plane, even though he was but a companion of the actual thief. They demanded the return of the blade, and will do almost anything to capture Ktandeo so as to torture him for the weapon's location.

Adventures in Athas

Warrior God and his companions were criminals in Tyr, and so fled. Constantly on the move, and pushed by the impetus of the psionic-wizard Zhor to find greater and greater power, the small party undertook a great many travels and adventures. Zhor betrayed the preserver-wizards of Tyr when they asked for his aid, and now chased by them as well, the party traveled into the Ringing Mountains, and even crossed into the Forest Ridge and even beyond. A mighty ranger and friend of the Preservers found them and punished Zhor by cutting open his flesh with a sword of wounding, afflicting him with permanent vertical scars running up his face and the full length of the his body. Thus shamed but released, Zhor led the party as far as the Dragon Crown Mountains, where they were approached by secretive psionicists and preservers who tried to possess the party to join the Preserver cause. Zhor reluctantly agreed.

Word of the offenses and broken promises endured by the Tyrian Veiled Alliance from Zhor traveled far. Possessed of deep secrets of the Veiled Alliance including even knowledge of the hidden avangion, the most powerful members of the Tyrian Veiled Alliance could not risk Zhor's maverick quest and ordered his apprehension, but ordered this perhaps more so because in their anger they could not brook Zhor's defiance and indignant attitude towards their most treasured secrets and goals. Word of these offenses reached a mysterious and powerful ranger of the remote Hinterlands, and he discovered Ktandeo and his party once they passed the Forest Ridge, finding them in part due to an instance of Zhor defiling within the halfling rain forests. The great ranger parleyed with them, but like his preserver friends in distant Tyr he became angered and offended by the aggravating words and tone of Zhor. He became outraged when Zhor flippantly insulted the cause of the secret avangion, expressing a willingness to sell the treasured secrets he had been entrusted with to the templars. In his anger, the ranger subdued Zhor and threatened his friends, and after binding his unconscious form, the ranger used his wicked sword of wounding to inflict the half-elven mindbender mage with the vertical lacerations which were to accompany him for the rest of his life.

Teleported back to Tyr, the heroes after a time were sent to discover mighty magical powers to rival the power of the sorcerer-kings of Athas. Several adventures amidst the ruins of Athas and on ruined merchant expeditions found new and mighty magic for Zhor to command, but saw Warrior God ever weaker compared to his magical and psionic companion, who became ever more imperious over Warrior God and their mul companion.

Sent by the Veiled Alliance on a new quest for a mighty magical item, they traveled across Athas and through Salt View with many adventures, then came to the city-state of Balic, where Zhor was captured. Drawing the interest of king Androponis himself, Zhor and the monarch nearly destroyed each other with the power of the Way, trying to disintegrate one another. Zhor managed to escape in the confusion. Finding that agents of Khantane were chasing them, they left the city. They adventured in the Sea of Silt for a time, resting at various villages and islands. After a considerable amount of time they even met Fylo, the giant friend of Agis of Asticles, and walked upon the Isle of the Oracle, where the Dark Lens lay. They did not however discover the Lens, and so at length left the sea and journeyed inland, intending to return to Tyr. Zhor used the Way, but having difficulty in the Gray, they descended back from the Gray near Nibenay.

The Heroes in Nibenay

The heroes reached Nibenay, looking for aid from the Veiled Alliance against the defilers. Meeting them, Zhor once again offended the Veiled Alliance of Athas with his arrogance and betrayal. They fled in a magical duel, which brought the Nibenese templars. They were at length and after much death captured, and were for a time imprisoned. Condemned for preserver magic and for harming the city templars, the heroes were thrown into the great arena of Nibanay, but prevailed, even against mighty beasts. A faction of the Veiled Alliance of Nibenay aided in their escape.

Humbled by his recent plight, Zhor summoned up all his magic and psionic might and left the company of Warrior God. Zhor flew to the highest tower of the sorcerer-king Nibenay's palace, the Naggaramakum, and blasted a great hole in the palace wall. Daring to fight the sorcerer-king himself, Zhor wounded the monarch, but not before being nearly killed himself. Zhor teleported away to further his own adventures, leaving Ktandeo alone.

Warrior God on Athas

Warrior God left the company of the mul, and once again returned to Tyr, where he became involved with the successful revolutionaries there, who had recently overthrown their king and fended off the armies of Urik. He came to their assistance, but once again encountered his companion Zhor, whom himself became an agent of the revolutionaries. Zhor attempted to use the Way to influence Sadira, the revolutionary leader and wizard amongst them. Disaster followed, but nonetheless Warrior God and Zhor assisted the revolutionaries in routing out the threats of former templars to the city. Once again they faced Khantane, now with a steel mask over his face due to injuries, who was chased out of the city.

Valistor and the Lake of Golden Dreams

Warrior God and Zhor now focused more upon Khantane, who apparently had just given his loyalty to a powerful defiler named Valistor, who was building a town amidst the Smoking Crown Mountains east of Urik. With a force allied to Tyr, they helped destroyed one of Valistor's mercenary armies, which had designs on allies of Tyr. Khantane had led this army, but once again fled.

Seeing that this Valistor was becoming a great threat, Warrior God and Zhor traveled north to Urik, and fought a t'liz (undead arch-defiler) allied to Valistor, along with associated kaisharga. Finding certain templars of Urik interested in destroying the petty rival that was building a town so close to his own city, the two heroes came with Urikan allies to the Lake of Golden Dreams. Here, Warrior God ventured down into the boiling waters via magical protection to explore the mysteries below, but was nearly killed when the party on the surface was ambushed by a force led by now Lord Khantane.

Lord Khantane attempted to have Zhor join with him in loyalty to Valistor, and even invited he and Warrior God to Valistor's court in the Smoking Crown Mountains. There, they met Valistor, who was nearing power enough to become a sorcerer-king himself. Valistor even claimed that he was protected by the other sorcerer-kings, and that he would soon have magic enough to make subject much of Athas. Zhor and Warrior God instead insulted Valistor, and teleported away.

Not long after Zhor and Warrior God helped destroy yet another caravan army belonging to Valistor that was threatening Balic, whose king was now absent.

Lord Khantane meanwhile had once again been absorbed by the Mists of Ravenloft, which came even to take Zhor, Warrior God and their mul friend for a time. Khantane, now being undead and all the more powerful, nonetheless still failed to kill the heroes. The Mists at last relented and returned the heroes to Athas along with Khantane, although Zhor and Warrior God were deposited back in Nibenay.

Alteric and the Gold Plot

Learning from the Nibenese Veiled Alliance that defilers loyal to Nibenay were interested in Walis the last gold mine of Athas, the heroes traveled there. While at Walis, they learned that their old companion Alteric, who had become a great thief lord, and Nibenay were going to attempt to destroy the gold of Walis so as to increase the value of the immense amounts of the metal Alteric and Nibenay already possessed. The heroes succeeded in stopping this, but not without being attacked by king Nibenay himself. Zhor and Warrior God were nearly killed, but Zhor once again used the Way and they fled back to Tyr.

"Alteric and Zhor had a long history going back over a decade. They had been friends once, both being allies to a group known as the Knights (to use that ancient word) of Tyr, but with the dissolution of the Knights, Alteric had found other pursuits. He became an assassin, a murderer and a master of men, and before long he controlled a vast criminal network over all the Tablelands, and elevated himself to a power great enough to make deals with sorcerer-kings. Unfortunately for Alteric, this power was only fleeting, but nevertheless, the arch-rogue had continued to be a thorn in Zhor’s side for years afterwards. It was Alteric who had destroyed Zhor’s own crime ring and sunken his base in the Silt Sea, chasing him off-world, and although those days of evil were long over, Zhor still owed his old nemesis a serious payback. And hopefully, Zhor thought, a final one." -From the Chronicles of Zhor, Book X

Soon after this, Zhor and Warrior God teleported across Athas to assist in chaos with the Order in the Dragon Crown Mountains in the Hinterlands. They aided a power preserver and avangion in this, namely the Sage, but Zhor mocked the cause of the powerful wizard, and so neither Warrior God nor Zhor assisted further in the Sage's plans regarding the Dragon Crown Mountains and the mysterious palace at the center of it.

Zhor Betrays the Veiled Alliance and the Druid Council of Athas

Zhor and Warrior God, returned to Tyr, found that they were invited to a very secret meeting of mighty preservers and druids at a remote mountain far to the north of the Tablelands. Zhor, full of "haughtiness and arrogance" flaunted the intense security of the event, which brought about disaster, as can be read below from the Chronicles of Zhor.

"During the twelfth Free Year of Tyr, five years before that time, the second Council of Druids was held in the great hills north of Urik. The druids were the last keepers of Athas, the protectors of what land the defilers had not yet ravaged and sucked. Long ago the sorcerer-kings had declared war on the druids, and ever since, these priests of nature and life had been slowly exterminated, until they were virtually no more. By now there were no more than a few druids, here and there, wandering off in the deserts, protecting what little left they could find. Yet despite the destruction vented upon them by the sorcerer-kings, the druids did not fade out. No, on the contrary they learned how to survive, slowly growing once again in numbers, enough so that by the twelfth Free Year of Tyr, they could regroup to discuss the demise of the remaining sorcerer-kings.

And not just druids attended either. Within the ultra secret meeting amongst the mountains, all those who believed in the future of Athas came to be there. Preservers. Warriors of faith and virtue (what few there were). Priests of the four great elements, as well as priests of rain. Two spirits of the lands attended, as did three elementals. But most importantly of all, the only three avangions on Athas, Kornugard, the Sage, and Oronis, the King of the secret city of New Kurn, were present. It was they, these hopes of Athas, who orchestrated the whole council, and it was they who were the first great hopes and pillars to the cause of good, if there were such a thing on that cursed planet. Their presence there was a great risk, but they deigned it all worth it.

The Druid Council was to be the meeting of hope for Athas, and it would have been, but the defilers were near.

Great spells protected the meeting within the mountains, the psionic enchantments of the avangions themselves, but still all was breached. Zhor of Tyr, who had begrudgingly attended, did so with particular malevolence and disregard for the absolute security of the meeting. His haughtiness and arrogance had cost them dearly that day.

Zhor was tracked to the meeting by the Shadow King’s assassins, and hardly had it begun, when it disrupted. Almost half those attending perished. Even Zhor narrowly escaped. Although the three avangions escaped, their existence was now known and exposed. The entire council was a disaster, and the druid resistance suffered a defeat they might likely never recover from."

The great hill atop which the Second Council of Druids met in the twelfth Free Year of Tyr. It was here, on the north part of the world, that the carelessness of Zhor brought the soldiers of Nibenay, who stormed the Council through magical and psionic gates. Druids and preserver wizards were killed in large numbers, many allies and heroes died, spirits of the land and avangions were exposed, and the hill was defiled by Nibenay himself. Ktandeo escaped with a spirit of the land, if only narrowly. It is highly unlikely that any such Council will ever convene again.

-from the Chronicles of Zhor, Book VI

Warrior God only narrowly escaped the mass murder, but this time he did so apart from Zhor, who was chased by the very best of Nibenay's warriors.

The Fall of Lord Khantane and Valistor and the Death of Warrior God

With the destruction of the Second Druidic Council and the exile of Zhor from the preservers and druids of the world, Zhor spent a long time away from Warrior God.

Warrior God had fled with the shared magic of the preservers when Nibenay's massacre came. Into the wilderness Warrior God went, having several adventures until he at length found himself in a ragtag band of preservers and druids near Urik who were planning to destroy the army of Valistor.

Almost at the same time of the destruction of the Druid Council, king Hamanu of Urik had at last brought his army and destroyed Valistoria, the walled town being constructed as the city of Valistor. Valistor had escaped to his army, which wielded a powerful magical item which could threaten even the sorcerer-kings themselves.

The armies of Urik, Nibenay and even Tyr came to deal with this threat, and met Valistor's army in the valleys between the Smoking Crown Mountains and the Lake of Golden Dreams. Warrior God fought in this battle, killing many warriors loyal to Valistor. Zhor on the other hand absorbed with his psionic powers the mighty spells of Valistor and his lieutenant Lord Khantane, then used the golden magic orb of Valistor to channel the energy right back upon Valistor, Khantane and their army. All were destroyed, and Valistor's power was thrown down forever, even if the golden orb was from that time on no more.

In the aftermath of the battle, Warrior God, weary and wounded, wandered after other defilers, as it was thought that since so many were gathered for the battle, a great many of them could be thus killed all at once. Hearing strange noises from a perch far and away up the Smoking Crown Mountains, Warrior God climbed up a crevasse to see what it was he heard. He beheld there the three remaining sorcerer-kings. King Hamanu and Nibenay he knew, but Warrior God did not recognize the monstrous draconic and skeletal form of King Dregoth. Warrior God overheard their plans to divide Athas amongst themselves, but was discovered. Alas, he was consumed by the super-heated sand and fiery breath of Dregoth of Guistenal.

Dregoth, the undead dragon-king of Guistenal, destroyed Warrior God with his breath of fire and super-heated sand after the Battle of the Lake of Golden Dreams, in the 13th Free Year of Tyr. Warrior God did not know his killer at the time, but has since learned. Dregoth remains the most powerful foe Warrior God has ever faced.

The Resurrection of Ktandeo, and the His Appearance in Dantareth

By Free Year 15, Zhor had begun a great thieving guild battle between himself and Alteric, with Zhor in the east and Alteric in the west of the Tablelands. Wishing the return of his friend and a supremely capable and trustworthy bodyguard, Zhor sent agents to the gorge of Warrior God's death, and found there a speck of grease on a rock; all that remained of Warrior God. This speck was taken to a necromancer, who from this tiny bit of nothing grew a whole body: Warrior God's. With a powerful wish he was returned to life, Warrior God reborn.

Now distancing himself from the scandalous name of Warrior God, he now tookt the name Ktandeo, after the mentor of Sadira of Tyr. Marching with Zhor's agents towards Balic, they were intercepted by a great tribe of thri-kreen while staying at a ruined mud fort. Ktandeo only barely escaped with his life, but slew a huge number of thri'kreen warriors.

After this, Ktandeo continued towards Balic, where he was met by more of Zhor's agents, although not by Zhor himself. He was there taken to a gladiatorial school, one of the finest in Athas, where for three years Ktandeo studied every weapon and style of fighting he could master. He trained mightily, and in the end became a fully trained Athasian gladiator, ready to assist Zhor in the increasingly amoral and criminal activities he was pursuing.

Not long after, Zhor and Ktandeo were reunited deep into the Silt Sea, upon an atoll whose inhabitants had never seen land.

By this time, Zhor's agents had already discovered another magical portal, leading to sea of water instead of a sea of silt. After the loss of several agents who failed to return from the portal, Zhor and Ktandeo entered, only to discover the portal was one way.

Ktandeo, Zhor and the Gondolas of Dantareth

The plenty of the world of Dantareth stunned Zhor and made Ktandeo miss his home on Illessia. They traveled inland, until eventually they reached Urstwater. Ktandeo and Zhor reached the city near the height of the conflict between the Ordosians and the heroes of Dantareth. The Knights of Ordos became especially worried over Zhor, for since he was an Athasian he was immune to the Powers and their priests. Whereas Ktandeo merely wished to rest and take in the glories of a lush and alive world, Zhor was driven by interest in magic and gold, both of which he planned to bring back to Athas to increase his power there. Zhor thus followed the Ordosian Knight Gepsillium, and by encountering him, Zhor learned much of the Ordosians. Zhor and Ktandeo assisted Virgil and Thrius in the Goblin Hills, and fought in the Underdark there, dispersing petty Ordosians who were looking for the traitor Ordosian Gepsillium. With Thrius, Zhor found Gepsillium, and together they heard almost the entirety of the Ordosian conspiracy.

Ktandeo and Zhor fought in Urstwater in the massive battle against Rathramian. By doing so they helped cement their relationship with the Gondolas and Ceruleans, the two great adventuring groups of Dantareth. There Zhor also learned of the Grilek Gem, an incredibly powerful psionic item which could double Zhor's already awesome psionic powers. Zhor thus wished to stay with the heroes of Dantareth for the pursuit of power, while Ktandeo allied with them more out of the intention to stay with new friends who were already proving far truer than Zhor, and so that he would remain in a world of a similar spirit to his own and amidst people and lands far more congenial than that offered by the harshness of Athas.

The Gladiator Ktandeo on the Great Quest of Virgil

Resting for a time with the heroes of Dantareth in Mirsaki, the collection of heroes eventually embarked on a great quest to deal with the Ordosian threat once and for all. Ktandeo was amongst their number. This great quest is detailed chiefly in Mondecalm's Memoirs. In short, they traveled throughout the Kingdom of Pompiers, getting in many adventures. Leaving Pompiers, they traveled to the East, getting in many more adventures, until they learned enough secrets to follow the Ordosians to a celestial body called Half World. They traveled to Sigil, the City of Doors, and there hired a spelljammer of great power. The spelljammer went through a portal to the Prime Material Plane, and then traveled an enormous distance to Half World.

Enduring yet more adventures and hardships, after many months, the heroes arrived at Half World, where they at last dealt with champions of Ordos. Here Ktandeo fought his hardest battles to date. The Ordosians were defeated, and the Triune God was split by Virgil.

Ktandeo had by the end of the adventure fallen in love with the Cerulean woman Elatie. He married her in secret in Mirsaki, the ceremony quickly officiated by the young Roger Kiesmar. Using Balathar's coo coo clock, Ktandeo, after nearly twenty years away from his home world, took Elatie to his home world via the City of Doors.

The Return of Ktandeo to the World of Illessia, or the Spells of Illesse

Warrior God now returned with Elatie to Illesse. In short order they sailed to Smerdennin island, the old seat of the Red Crests, Warrior God's old adventuring party. At the port they discovered the court at Smerdennin, where the young wizard-king Malran II now reigns in the place of his father, the Red Crest wizard-warrior Malran. They were welcomed by Malran, but found that he was under attack by an original member of the Red Crests, the wizard-king Narnewal. Achieving a splendid naval victory with Elatie against the king-wizard Narnewal’s forces, Katandeo received his mother’s rights amongst the remaining Red Crests, and now rules the southern proportion of the Island of Smowlark and its tributaries for Marlan II.

The Red Crests

The first adventuring party of Ktandeo son of Anservial, the original Red Crests are now mostly deceased or retired. Ktandeo was the last member to join the party of the Red Crests, who allowed him into their ranks due to his legendary strength and because he was his mother's son. The original members are listed below, followed by their progeny, who although not linked together in their own adventuring party, still hold some respect for the relationships once held by their parents.

Anservial the Warrioress (KIA) ---> Ktandeo, Lord of the South of Smowlark Island, vassal lord of King Malran II

Malran the Warrrior-Wizard King (deceased) ---> Malran II, King of the Smerdennin Islands and the Enmarchians

Bassilian the Warrior (in dotage) ---> Kasseran, Lord of the North of Smowlark Island, a vassal lord of Malran II

Gyvenian, a Mighty Wizard (an immortal wizard)

Narnewal (a mighty wizard-king of a southern island)

The Quest to Save Virgil from the Eighth

Ktandeo Leaves Illessia

Building a hall and lodge for himself on the wild southern portion of his island in the shadow of the Blue Mountains, within the space of a year Elatie and Ktandeo made themselves into powerful lords, even if their subjects were few.

While in his second year as Lord of the South, Ktandeo was accosted by godlings and great fiends, even at his great hall, all regarding the legendary Virgil and a sudden appearance absence. There also came a celestial being that resembled a bear named Perseus Silverpaw, who informed Ktandeo of the sudden absence of his Gondolan friend, and how only Ktandeo might have the might to help from Virgil from the Eighth Layer of Hell.

Ktandeo accepted the quest, somewhat against the wishes of Elatie, but did not go alone, traveling with a planar woman name Erin. Elatie in the end accepted her husband's new quest, and gave to him her magical elven sword, a weapon of great power. Elatie would remain, acting as Lady of the South.

As Silverpaw was cursed with a mechanical semblance upon using powerful magic to find a way to the 8th layer, Ktandeo and Erin had to go by foot to try and find a way off their world. They first came to the court of King Malran II, who could not provide Ktandeo with a way off world. Malran's bard did however speak of Enskialian, a powerful priest who might have the power to accomplish such a feat.

Ktandeo then elected to travel after this Enskelian, a priest of Ouranos, who was said to have the power to cast the astral spell. Wandering into the wilds of his island, Ktandeo and Erin had many adventures. At last arriving before Enskelian and his seven daughters, Ktandeo was bidden to steal the sacred giant sheep of Melenkar from the fire giants of Reckrar in the Brezghul Mountains, and to take the head of the coastal topaz dragon Gygilius. Ktandeo and Erin fought the giants, but could not defeat them all, so Enskelian summoned a great demon named Bugharest to frighten the giants into submission. The giant demon accomplished this fear amongst the giants, but it began to destroy the land and threaten men nearby, including Enskelian's daughters, who had come with Ktandeo and Erin to help. After a prolonged battle, Ktandeo and Erin slew the fiend, and Ktandeo took the tanar'ri's horns as a trophy.

Ktandeo and Erin then turned to destroy the topaz dragon. In the great battle, Ktandeo managed to slay the dragon, but was cut down by the kuo-toa minions under the thrall of the dragon. Ktandeo's body however was saved, and by the power of Enskelian, Ktandeo was raised from the dead.

Honored by Enskelian and his daughters in the priest's cave by the sea, the astral spell at last was cast, taking Enskelian, some of his daughters, and Erin and Ktandeo into the Astral Plane. He took with him a suit of green field plate armor which he had won from the dragon's hoard.

Ktandeo in the Astral Plane and the Madhouse of Pandemonium

Within the Astral, Ktandeo had several adventures, met another party coming to try to save Virgil, and debated with Enskelian as to the exact method on how to reach the Eighth, and even ventured to exiled devil-lord's sanctum to find the secret of attaining the 8th layer, although Ktandeo backed away before he entered the fiend's lair. After this, githyanki in an astral inn recognized Ktandeo, and chased him away from his companions. Eventually, Ktandeo's silver cord was cut by a githyanki silver sword, but before his spirit died he managed to dive through a color pool.

Finding himself with a new planar body in the strange town of Madhouse in Pandemonium, Ktandeo had many adventures there. After dealing with many evils, Ktandeo heard of an item called the Key of Mechanus, which could open any door without its key. Ktandeo at length found its secret hiding place deep in the recesses of Pandemonium, and achieved it. Alas, his uncovering of such a powerful artifact drew much attention, and back at the town of Madhouse, he was accosted by fiends.

Allies, those he had met in the Astral who were also looking for Virgil, had at last found Ktandeo, and began to prepare magic to aid in their escape from Pandemonium. Amidst the escape attempt, a mighty fiend called Black Mantle came to take the Key, but Ktandeo resisted the fiend and took from him his mighty black sword of power.

Ktandeo used magic to return to his world, where he appeared on the island of Gyvenian, a mighty arch-wizard and original member of the Red Crests. Gyvenian aided the son of Anservial, and granted Ktandeo a wish of magic resistance. Ktandeo rested and gained wisdom from Gyvenian. Before he was sent back now physically to the Astral Plane, Ktandeo threw Black Mantle's evil sword into the sea from the top of Gyvenian's tower. Gyvenian then sent Ktandeo back to the Astral Plane.

Ktandeo, Erin, Artan and Katoran, in the City of Tarona on the Astral

For his recent heroic deeds while back from Athas, the god Ares now watched his son most carefully, and sent a proxy to be near his son.

Meeting back with his friends on the Astral, they were greeted by Artan, an agent of Zhor, who had breached the Gray of Athas to come to Ktandeo's aid.

Welcoming Artan's presence, they pressed forward, but were chased by an astral dreadnought, whom they managed to escape with the help of Artan's psionic powers. Ares was not pleased by this running away, and so menaced Ktandeo with Phobos, his demi-god of fear in battle. Phobos was at least prevented from destroying Ktandeo.

Ares planned to give his son another chance to prove he was not a coward, and was about to beckon the githyanki and other fiends to his son's presence, but instead Ktandeo on his own chose to seek new and immediate adventures.

Hearing the call of a sulking bard named Rabaros, Ktandeo saw the astral-exiled city of Tarona, which was apparently under the tyranny of an aged but cruel mage named Enco Salorini. Ktandeo decided to help. Many adventures were had in the city, and both Erin and Artan faced dangerous foes and the minions of gods. They eventually met the grandson of the rightful ruler of Tarona, a young wizard named Katoran, and with his help began to effect the rebellion of the city.

Finding their way into Enco's palace, the heroes saw Enco himself, who apparently was an undead horror. Interrupting some mighty spell, Ktandeo attacked Enco, and even destroyed his physical form, although his soul escaped into his hidden inner sanctum.

The bloated original body of Marquese Enco Salorini. The lich lord of the city Tarona de la Fierta on the Astral Plane, he was the slayer of Ktandeo, son of the Warrior God. Using a macabre spell of death, Ktandeo was seized by a black demon and gibbeted on a cruel iron hook. As Ares denies his son death save for by the sword, the demi-god hangs there still, awaiting his salvation, the victim of too-mighty spells.

Amidst it all, Phobos, the divine servant of Ares, grew impatient for Ktandeo's lack of brutality and for not simply destroying Enco wholesale. The proxy Clearchus of Sparta thus appeared once more when, at Erin's request, they try and leave Tarona, for Enco, Erin thought, was too powerful. Ares himself grew wrathful at this, and gave Clearchus great power, for he would not suffer his son to be a coward. Clearchus was destroyed, if only barely, by the arms of Erin and Ktandeo. Yet Phobos still menaced, and so they returned to the city to finish what they had started.

After dungeons and more adventures the heroes at last discovered the password to Enco's secret domain. Organizing a great attack, they fought their way through the lich's defenses, and passed his door.

In the great fight that followed, Enco at last appeared, and used his magic to defeat the interlopers. Ktandeo was seized by a terrible spell, and was impaled on a spike. Erin and Artan fled and returned to the Prime Material Plane respectively, and the cause was lost.

Ares, the God of War, and the Fate of Ktandeo

Hung by the hook of Enco's spell, Ktandeo is bound by the power of Ereshkigal and Nergal, with whom the lich has made dark allegiance, for the support of the divine. Horrified by his son's grizzly death by magic, and pleased by his fearless combat against the lich, Ares has prevented the actual death of Ktandeo. Since Nergal is Enco's patron, Ares cannot simply whisk his son away from his horrific condition, and so Ktandeo must stay in Enco's power until he is freed by some outside champion.

Ares has thus turned to Artan, for as an Athasian he is outside of divine power, whether Nergal's or Ares' own, and has demanded that he return to wreck vengeance upon Enco and return his son from the clutches of death.

Long absent from Ktandeo's life due to his near two decades on the world forbidden to the gods, Athas, Ares has seen with pleasure that his son has become mighty in violence and battle, and due to his hard training on that desert world, is nearly without peer. But Ares remains distant from his son, for the god of death in battle will not be truly satisfied with his son until Ktandeo stands triumphant over all his enemies, having slain them all. Always watching from Olympus, the great war god has reacted with impatience when his son backs away from battle, or shows signs of fear or even caution, and has nearly destroyed Ktandeo once for appearing to retreat. But now, having seen his son fight vampires, fiends and most recently a powerful lich, Ares contemplates a mighty destiny for his son Ktandeo, and so pleased is he with his most recent fighting that he will not suffer his son to be slain by mere magic sponsored by an over-reaching and rival god. Thus Ares prevents his son from dying while gibbeted on a cruel meat hook, and suffers him to hang there, steeping in hate and woe, until such a time that he can be released from the spell, and spell doom and vengeance upon any who stand against him.

Lady Elatie

21st level lawful good human female fighter

Str 16 Dex 16 C17 Int 12 Wis 18 C16

HP 133, THAC0 0, height 5 ft. 10 in., weight 128 lbs., Religion: elven/Mandadorian, Armor Class: -4 (Elatie now generally sacrifices her third attack, bettering her constant AC to -7

Weapon Proficiencies (11): long sword (2), one-handed weapon style (3), halberd (1), dagger (1), short bow (1), heavy crossbow (1), spear (1), footman's mace

Non-Weapon Proficiencies (13): Common Pompiersian (0), high elven (1), Enmarchian (1), etiquette (0), flute (1), animal handling (1), land-based riding (horse) (1), tracking (2), endurance (2), running (1), blind-fighting (2), bowyer/fletcher (1)

Weapons: long sword +4 (Royal Coronation Elven Blade of Prince Vathian III of the Court of Ranriel crafted of purest mythril. The base of the blade is stenciled with the oak leaves of office with clusters in liquid diamond, crowned with a Mandadorian looking halo of stenciled gold and sealed with the runes of the crowned prince of the Council of Ranriel. The other side of the base of the blade is etched with a prayer to Exodus, the blade of Ean Delasius, appealing to the god to lead the elves to salvation. The hilt is also crafted of pure mythril, and is magnificently etched with runes of power and inset with several large diamonds. The wrist guards flare with oak leaf clusters of silver and gold.)

Armor: elven plate mail +4, damaged to +3 (Royal Coronation elven plate made of the purest mythril, it is dedicated to Prince Vathian III of the Court of Ranriel. It is stenciled with the oak leaf clusters of office. On a broken armor plate over the heart is a less well-crafted mythril replacement plate, etched with the copper, silver and gold halos of Mandador)

Magical Items:

- elven noble mantle (black with silver runes): +2 to saving throws versus magic, +1 bonus to charisma

- ring of shooting stars

- golden lion amulet: +2 bonus vs. fear, endurance proficiency, +1 bonus to all physical damage inflicted, can yell louder than almost all other humans, shout once every nine days

- ioun stone (carrot orange heartstone): +3 bonus to charismatic reaction adjustments, immunity to charm and all domination and mental enchantment spells, +1 bonus to strength, +2 bonus to all fear checks

- ioun stone (black-purplish spindle): immune to all death-related spells and magic

- pearl earrings of gorgon death: immune to all petrification magic and hold person and related spells

A teenage Elatie in 881, during her early days with the Ceruleans at Elfhome, where she proved herself to be an unrelenting firebrand, and the animating spirit of that adventuring party.

Lady Elatie, Wife and Lady of Ktandeo in 888 A.M.

Description:

Current Disposition: Nearly slain during the final battle on Half World, Elatie bears a great many wounds, and although still quite young, her blazing spirit no longer burns so bright. Elatie had loved Daken, the first leader of the Ceruleans, and although he did not love her back, she was devastated by his death at Urstwater by Rathramian.

As Ktandeo is considerably older than her, Elatie looks on Ktandeo as a protective father figure, as well as her husband. She relies on Ktandeo for protection and support, and has effectively retired from all adventuring. Regardless, should Elatie even be provoked, she would immediately demonstrate herself as being one of the greatest warriors any assailant is likely to meet.

A Selection from Scripture: On the Relationship of Ktandeo and Elatie

"Elatie and Katandeo had just returned from their most recent scouting mission. Their equipment lay strewn about the bottom deck, half taken off their bodies. In either of their hands were mugs filled with some of the ships remaining brew, which, despite the prodigious amounts taken for their voyage, the passengers had managed to consume. Both Katandeo and Elatie rarely drank, and it was showing.

Katandeo eyed the woman. Elatie was lithe, attractive woman in her mid twenties. She was tall with blue eyes and rich brown hair which hung straight from her head, going down well passed her shoulders. From their previous discussions, Katandeo learned of Elatie’s history. Elatie had been born in the small military retirement town of Degrada. Her father, a colonel, kept her from anything to do with the military, favoring her a lady and of stature beyond that of war. However, due to the dark forces which had enveloped the entire Dantareth region a few years before, things changed. When things got bad, her father decided to move he and his daughter away, but Elatie ran away, joining the one she loved, Daken, in a childish but miraculously successful campaign against the monsters which ruled Degrada. Her father looks for her to this day, but she evades him. Elatie, Daken, and their friends Dordo and Sanyo started out, and later, were joined by their young priestly friends Bokston Ladram and Quarleth. Their aid to the elves of Elfhome, and their gaining as gifts numerous elven mails and blades which sheds blue magic, eventually drew forth their company name, the Ceruleans.

Katandeo had learned all this and liked it. He liked the fact that Elatie had joined such a group, and enjoyed their irony that despite all her skill with the sword and with war, she still preferred to dress and act as a couth and proper young maiden.

But right now Elatie, her elven plate mail half taken off and her mind drunk on Thrius’ beer from Dwarven Forge slouched like a man, belching and carrying on.

Katandeo was mesmerized.

He knew how many of the men on board adored her. He knew that she still was grieving over Daken’s death. But Katandeo leaned in anyway, getting closer to her lips."

Memoirs of Mondecalm, Book IV

A Selection from Scripture: The Enchanted Weapons, Mail and Treasures of Elatie

"Elatie stood tall in her elven field plate. The armor had been made for an elven man, but due to the smaller size of Elatie’s womanhood, she was able to wear it. The armored plating, due to heavy use, had several new plates. Her light brown hair was pony-tailed to the back of her head. In her hand was a leather sheath containing her blade, an enchanted elven long sword. She had a heavy double crossbow and a rather large quiver attached to it. Elatie wore a black mantle embroidered with silver runes, and had a golden amulet of a lion across her breast. Her ring of shooting stars, made of pure glass inlaid with electrum, glittered in the red sunlight with an evil glare. Two ioun stones, one of carrot orange in the shape of a heartstone, the other a black-purplish spinarette, floated about her body defensively. Her pearl earrings of gorgon-death hung beautifully like stars." Memoirs of Mondecalm, Book V

Errata

Enco, the lich lord of Tarona, now holds Ktandeo in his thrall. Aloft on his hook, the power of Ares prevents Enco from truly killing the warrior, and so he keeps him, designing whatever dark fates he might devise. With his patron as Nergal, Ares cannot save his son from Enco's dungeon, although he can sponsor champions to save him. However, if any champions ever come, surely Enco will not be easily defeated. Armed with great power and cunning, Enco is capable of most any evil. His designs inscrutable, he may harbor some horrific fate for the deathless man hanging upon his hook, but for now Ktandeo's fate remains dark save for all but Enco.

Zhor's Letter to Ktandeo, Given to Him By the Dwarf Artan Upon Their Meeting on the Astral Plane

Dear Warrior God,

My dear friend, for a second time we have long been apart, and I have wondered if you are well, what happened with you and the Dantareth warrioress Elatie, and if you still practice the sword, or have gone into a retirement. I have stolen magic from a vault of our old enemy King Androponis, and it is very powerful indeed, strong enough to see you in my mind's eye for at least a moment, even from Athas. And where do I find you? Adrift in the Astral Plane! Alas, I am consumed with toils here that I need not burden you with, but which prevent me from coming to aid your personally.

Instead, I send you a trusted agent, a hardy denizen of the Silt Sea who has a most special gift; the ability to leave Athas! He is young for his race, but already has a vibrant skill with the Way, and an interest in the martial arts. In any case, he longs to leave Athas, and so I shall teach him and send him to you, in the hopes that he may bring you some aid, that he will learn under your wing, and that when he returns he may tell me what you quest for again. I am sorry I cannot send more, but my youthful dwarf friend might surprise you yet. I have never seen his talent before... it is as if he is divorced from Athas, and unaffected by the Gray which makes it near impossible to leave.

In any case, I wish I could be with you, in the Astral once again, as we adventured there oh so many years ago. Please treat this friend whom I send in my place with kindness and patience, and may he aid you well. If you are in great duress, he will return to Athas, and if possible, I will come to your succor.

May the gods of your home treat you well, your friend by the Sword,

-Zhor of the Hi'pachi

The Seven Daughter's of Enskelian

Beautiful daughters all dedicated to the service of Poseidon, god of the sea.

Enskelia, the eldest, cares for Ktandeo, in the Astral with her father

Senmera, second eldest, in the Astral with her father

Poseidena Maier, third eldest, naive, a necromancer and a priestess, in the Astral with her father

Poseidena Minor

Enmora

Perion

Anmarana