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Artan, son of Drogun, of the Mrenbar Dwarves of the Crimson Atoll

Born in the Year of Dragon's Reverence, during the 6th year of the 190th King's Age

Campaign: Dark Sun - Sun and Stars Campaign

Background Brief

Born on the Crimson Atoll, the dwarf is a scion of the Mrenbar clan. The Crimson Atoll is home to a culture set deep into the Silt Sea, which knows almost nothing of the outside world. Solid land they hold in fear and mystery, for if they have any contacts it has been with the Dragon's domain in the center of the Silt Sea. Ruled by a hetman assisted by the various ship captains and clan heads, they have held for centuries on the silt, buoyed eternally by psionicists trained in shipfloating. Zhor the Half-Elf brought gold, steel and change.

Artan was initially trained in psionics by Melenarchus, an ancient human clairsentient, who helped spur the dwarf's interest in a world beyond his own. Artan's strict father is Drogun, an able seaman aboard the Dragon's Crest. Artan's maternal uncle is Rokur the One-Eyed, who is 1st Mate aboard the Crimson Drake, and it is he who taught Artan how to fight, and it is he who pushed Artan to become a shipfloater/psionicist for the Atoll, as this is a respected profession aboard the atoll.

Mranen, Zhor's half-elf agent who deals with the Crimson Atoll, picked Artan out for special note, noticing that Artan's shadow would lengthen and come alive as he neared the mysterious gate to Dantareth lodged in an rock outcropping from the middle of the silt. Zhor soon came, to exploit the young dwarf and open up a gateway to another, far richer, world. In the following several years, Zhor took riches from the other world, and Artan learned more about his strange and powerful nature. The episode ended with Zhor leaving seemingly permanently for Dantareth, and with Zhor's enemies attacking the Crimson atoll.

Years later, after he had returned to Athas, Zhor sent after Artan, and so he was brought over the Silt Sea on a great journey to General Xyestes' old citadel, whereat Zhor claimed the Trident of the Navarch, and found psionic enchantment scroll magic written on a wall. Knowing this powerful divination magic would be useless against Nibenay or any other of his great enemies, he used it to find Warrior God.

Character Summary

Conceived at the borders between two realities, a traveler of worlds both within himself and beyond the bounds of Athas, Artan of the Crimson Atoll is already a warrior and psionicist with few peers under the Dark Sun, despite his short career. A friend of Zhor, Artan has used his unique abilities and recently returned from beyond the planar boundaries of Athas with magic and enchanted steel that might elicit the envy of a sorcerer-king. Re-united by his return with the darker part of his nature, Artan's future remains unclear, and the question remains of whether or not he will ever return to the Astral Plane to help free his fallen friend Ktandeo, or if he will remain on Athas, and use his powers and his magic to make himself a power to be reckoned with on that world.

Class: Warrior/Psionicist

Race: Athasian Dwarf

Current level: 7/8

Stats: Strength: 19 Dexterity: 12 Constitution: 21 Intelligence: (17) Wisdom: 15 Charisma: 15

Alignment: Neutral Good

Note: Artan has an ioun stone that grants him an additional point of intelligence while it is 'worn'.

Description

Artan is a rather average looking dwarf, standing at a height of 4'7 with intense, almost ice blue eyes. Like many members of his race, he is well-muscled and has a rather serious air about him. Recent weeks of physical seclusion and meditation have lightened somewhat his usually bronzed skin.

Psionic Summary

Disciplines: Psychoportation (primary), Psychokinesis, Telepathy

Sciences: Mind Link⁰, Superior Invisibility⁰, Teleport, Banishment, Probe, Telekinesis

Devotions: Athasian Breach⁰, Invisibility⁰, Post Hypnotic Suggestion, Sight Link, Sound Link, ESP, Dimension Door, Duo Dimension, Phase, Astral Projection, Pocket Dimension, Dimensional Screen, Molecular Agitation, Control Body

PSPs: 208 (+10 from item when charged)

MAC: -2

MTHACO: 13

Attack modes: Mind Thrust, Id Insinuation, Psychic Crush, Psionic Blast

Defense modes: Mind Blank, Thought Shield, Intellect Fortress, Tower of Iron Will

Associates of Artan

Friends, hirelings and followers

-Brantheon of the Arxestayn: Lost his eye to Kasom, "the Beast of House Tomblador". Artan paid him some funds to help recuperate the immense financial losses he incurred to restore his eye. Sold his estate in Balic to Artan.

-Thellipus of the Arxestayn: Owner of The Owl's Watch tavern in Balic. Poisoned mindbender who ran for demarche against Lochris.

-Kasom, AKA 'The Beast of House Tomblador': Although he may not be the very same beast of gladitorial fame, he is likely a member of the same race, if such exists. Artan helped subdue his rage at The Owl's Watch and transported him to the care of the Cerebran. Artan has promised to help him find Praxion.

-Oloko: Halfling preserver, currently residing in the home of Tomak, son of Cassander. She reads a spell book looted from a defiler the party killed using a focusing crystal given to her by Artan. She seems to tolerate Artan and Tomak, patiently awaiting the return of Liktar Cozen. She wishes to return to her people.

Persons of interest

-Solia: Human female in her late 20's/early 30's. Connections to the criminal underworld and associate of Lochris. Current business partner of Artan in selling magical items to anonymous buyers. She is a thief and is a supporter of the templar order.

-Elianda: human female who tends bar at The Owl's Watch. She is a preserver and has connections with the Cerebran

-Thylix: Associate of Solia. Likely a low level thug/scout.

-Morion Gythes: Former templar and now a socialite. He has a large amount of wealth and is a preserver in his own right. Supporter of 'The Veiled Alliance'.

-'The Tritiarch': Likely master broker for deals to sell magical items. Solia and her father fear and respect this person. Former templar.

-Naramus: High level military leader of House Wavir. His garrison was destroyed by the shadow soul of Artan.

Enemies

-The Obsidian Runner clan of elves, also known as the Chorsh. Artan was accosted by their Leader and his brother in the elemental planes and killed them in self-defense. He uses or possess their former gear.

-Lochris, demarche of the Arxestain. Poisoned Artan's friend Thellipus to achieve re-election to his post. Known associate of Solia, and possibly her lover.

-Empretho: Spoke loudly at the Assembly against Cassander and stirred up public sentiment against him, leading to his indictment.

-The human dual classed bitch who sits at the feet of Morion Gythes and who accused Tomak of lying about the origins of the obsidian sword he wields.

-The lich of Tarona: Powerful and evil undead being who currently controls the city of Tarona. Its phylactery must be located before it can be killed.

-'The Pilgrim': Undead spirit of immense power that protected Artan in The Grey, and then hijacked his body. Killed for the final time by Artan.

Family

Father: Drogun, able seaman aboard the Dragon's Crest (N fighter)

Mother: Arta

Siblings:

Drogar, eldest brother, sailor, KIA (silt horror)

Norda, eldest daughter, priestess of silt, powerful, betrayed the Crimson Atoll

Drendar, wood merchant, moderately successful

Yorgan, sailor, burned badly in Alteric's attack on the Atoll

Yalda, sister with very powerful psionic powers, sailor, captured by Alteric's marauders

Norgod, punished thief and sailor

ARTAN

Dravar, sailor

Nelda, young sister showing psionic potential

Maternal Uncle: Rokur the One-Eyed, first mate aboard the Crimson Drake (LN, good tendencies, strong fighter)

Paternal Grandfather: Draven, former pirate with lost hand

Mrenbar Clan

The Mrenbar dwarves of the Crimson Atoll are one of three dwarven clans there, the others being the Randor dwarves and the Urzgot dwarves.

The Mrenbar dwarves are the largest clan, and before Alteric's attack on the atoll, they numbered roughly 250. The Mrenbar dwarves, like the other clans, are highly suspicious of strangers. In their history, the Mrenbar recall that they fled hardland so as to escape great evil that was occurring there, but this was so long ago they do not remember what it was.

The Mrenbar dwarves hold the focus of accumulating enough wood, stone, and most importantly obsidian floater domes so as to construct their own, strictly dwarven atoll, and before the attack of Alteric, they nearly had enough material to do this.

The leader or uhrnomus of the Mrenbar is Nado, a powerful earth cleric and psionicist. He survived the attack of Alteric's ships. Nado was once captain of his own ship, the Mrenbar, but it was sunk in the battle. It is thought that Nado will become a dwarven banshee for allowing this to happen without dying himself.

Mrenbar and Randor Dispute

The second largest dwarven clan on the atoll, the Randor dwarves, have their focus being the creation of a settlement along a silten field of reeds far to the south. Unlike the Mrenbar, they worship silt, and train their youths with a legendary being called the Old Man of the Sea, who is in fact a kreen of some sort.

The Crimson Atoll

Artan's Life Upon the Crimson Atoll and the Silt Sea

Artan's youth was largely dominated by a perpetual fear of the dark and of losing his shadow in the obscured light in the Silt Sea. Ironically bound to the night during which time indoor lighting was more prevalent, Artan's chief comforts were candles and lamp light, which were more reliable sources of personal shadow than the almost permanently diffused light of the dark sun over the Silt Sea. In the poverty of their house, it was Artan's eldest sibling Norda above anyone else who helped provide valuable candles, although Artan's uncle Rokur kindly gave a precious tin lamp in his youth with a considerable supply of paraffin. Generally only when the silt wind was dim would Artan be safe in venturing outdoors, holding a fragile candle flame or the silt lamp to venture to another part of the atoll and perform whatever chore or business was required.

During calmer days when the silt did not choke the skies and Artan did venture out, then Artan was blessedly free of the worst of worries. Although during these times his shadow would still occasionally assume disturbing forms, it would pose no threat to others, and would not hover near Artan's conscience. However, when the silt was thicker, or when the light was dimmest and the shadow almost gone, the spirit that lived in Artan's silhouette would grow closer, filling his thoughts with dread, and whispering maddeningly to his subconscious mind. Very rarely, when the shadow of Artan's light was nearly extinguished altogether, the shadow-thing would creep at the very edges of Artan's soul and quite literally chill Artan to the bone with an all-consuming cold, which served as the final warning and threat that if the last shred of shadow vanished, the presence would retreat into Artan's soul and body, and from this station wreck its rage against any who were near.

Candlelight was essential to Artan's sanity and well-being while living up the Crimson Atoll. Artan's elder sister Norda, the silt priestess who betrayed her clan and joined the Randor dwarves, held a long-standing soft spot for Artan, for she too was castigated and nearly killed in her youth, although in her case it was for her unforgiving belief and devotion to the silt and the Gray Death of the world. Whatever her personal reasons, Norda became the most diligent supplier of Artan's candles, making them from silt horror oils and the fats of other creatures of the Deep Silt.

Norda, The Elder Sister, Contacts Artan from the Crimson Atoll

12 Thaumast, FY 19: Amidst a silt sea storm, a whirlwind of silt finds its way to Artan, and with it is carried the voice of his elder sister, Norda, the sibling that was apparently the first to discover the nature of Artan's extreme fear of the dark in his youth, and the first to keep a candle lit for the young Artan throughout the night.

Cast out by the Mrenbar clan for abandoning their worship of pure stone and earth in preference for the "abomination" of silt worshiped by the Randor dwarves, Norda was the lover and pupil of Gornehric, an evil but charismatic silt cleric with awesome powers, being able to dive to the bottom of the sea and return with wonders. Norda was exiled from the Crimson Atoll for increasing hostilities between the two dwarf clans upon the atoll, and eloped with Gornehric to distant parts of the Deep Silt Sea. Although unable to actually set foot upon the Crimson Atoll, she returned from time to time over the years, ever increasing in her power over the silt, and giving aid and wealth to the Randor dwarves.

Although distant due to her exile, Norda has maintained an almost maternal relationship with Artan over the years. Indeed, part of the reason why Artan was not thrown into the silt after the pirate attack by Alteric on the Crimson Atoll was because it was known by the atoll council that should they throw Artan into the silt, the entire atoll might suffer the wrath of his powerful elder sister.

The whirlwind message, in the peculiar dwarven dialect of the Mrenbar dwarves, is as follows:

Little brother, I've sent the silt winds twice now, but they cannot find you. I fear the Silt has taken you into its bosom before your time, but perhaps not yet. I call upon the Heart of the Storm for my voice to find you now.

Mother says you left the Atoll with Zhor's man Mranen, sailing for hardland. I wish you hadn't. I could have given you a home among the Randor dwarves, in the Sea Purple Reeds. I would have taught you the secrets of the Silt, and with your powers with the Way of the Unseen, you could have become powerful enough so that no one would dare question you about your Shadow again.

It is as I have told you before: Zhor only wants you for your Shadow brother. He has always wanted to control it. I wish you had not gone. There will only be disaster for you upon the blasphemous hardland brother. Your Shadow was not meant for the apostasy of open earth. I pray to the Silt Wind that you have already left, and that you are on your way back to us.

But brother, now on this third attempt to reach you, I do not only call to save your soul from the impurity of hardland. Mranen came back to the Crimson Atoll, but now he is piloting the Black Sail, that great three-master captained by that elf sorcerer Blacksilt. Blacksilt forced all the strong warriors left from all the clans of the atoll to board the dhows and sail with his squadron. He promised them new floater domes and corrupting riches from hardland for their aid, and threatened them with magic if they refused. Some of the mindbenders tried to kill him, but he killed them instead brother... Mother said he turned them all to ash. Now there are hardly enough minbbenders to keep the atoll afloat, and the uhrnius says it will sink if even just one more mindbender dies.

I came too late brother to try and stop this elf sorcerer, and I fear the worse. They are sailing right for the Heart of the Sea and the Great Ash Storm Artan! Nado is with them, and I think Blacksilt means to use him as a guide to the Forbidden Lands, but even Nado has declared he would never dare to cross the Great Ash Storm again, much less set foot upon the accursed Forbidden Lands at the Heart of the Sea. May the Silt swallow and destroy it!

I am gathering supplies and heroes little brother, and just as soon as I am ready, I mean to sail after them. If the Silt is with me, maybe I can reach them before they attempt to breach the Storm Wall. If not I'll have to go through the Storm and kill the Blacksilt and turn the little fleet around. I pray that you are alive brother, and that you can help me. I have precious few mindbenders, and I could use you. But more than that I need my little brother. Come back to me Artan. Do not leave me and your family for the ways of hardland.

Artan, they took father. He was as harsh and distant to me as he was to you, but he was always loyal, even to you. I have no wish to see him beneath the Silt, before his time. Grandfather is coming with me Artan, and mother, and your brother Norgod. I hope to bring you too.

May my prayers find you Artan. Use the Way, and tell me at least that you still live. If Zhor has taken you, at least know that the sister who lit your candle when you were little still keeps a candle lit in her heart even now, after all these years. Even if the atoll cast me out, I do not wish to see it sink because of some hardland sorcerer's scheme, and I do not wish to see our family sink with it. Help me now keep our family-clan live, and not sink beneath the Silt forever.

May the Silt cleanse and keep you little brother.

Your sister, -Norda

Artan's Past

Dreams and Nightmares of Artan's Youth

Artan has an instinctual fear or phobia of the night, especially totally darkness. His eldest sister Norda apparently figured out that his wailing would stop if a candle was lit. A candle or oil lamp was thus always lit in Artan's room at night, and kept lit, as a matter of course.

Growing up, Artan was treated harshly by many of those on the Crimson Atoll, and was in fact shunned. Some of the people said that he was evil, or even a sorcerer. His parents seemed to ignore this treatment, and attempted to condition Artan to ignore such treatment as well. For the critical years of his childhood, Artan never new why exactly he was treated this way, even by some of his siblings, and would not know until more recently.

When he was older and well into his tutelage with his kind and old psionics mentor Melenarchus, Artan learned that it had been one night when Artan was very young that had sealed his reputation at the Atoll. As was not terribly unusual, Artan would not cease his night wailing. Drago, a powerful fighter and a pirate as well as his paternal uncle, who had recently returned from the Deep Silt, became infuriated by the toddler's crying. Although Drago was warned by Artan's sister Norda that the child would cry even more horribly if the light was turned out, Drago cursed the family for mollycoddling the child, stormed into the children's room, and snuffed out the solitary candle. Artan screamed with such intensity, that it was as if his soul were being ripped away. A minute or so later Drago seized a torch to give the boy fire, but in a violent way, and so returned to the room to deal with the cacophony with his rough hands. According to Norda, who was alone in watching the child, it was at this point that Drago suddenly called out in terror and disappeared himself. Norda ran into the room to investigate, only to find that Drago was gone, that the room had turned a bitter cold, and that the older children had awoken and were terrified. Norda saw why, and herself being terrified, backed away from the child, who had stopped screaming, but who now exhibited himself in some horrifying fashion. The toddler Artan then wandered out onto the atoll dock carrying Drago's torch, and apparently many of the people saw him looking like some type of demon. At last more adults came, but several of them disappeared themselves upon their approach. At last, a silt cleric named Gornehric summoned a great whirlwind of silt which overwhelmed the child and at last subdued the situation. Artan passed out and the torch was snuffed. When Artan's parents reached his unconscious form, they found that his body was bone cold. Apparently the Atoll had a council that night and nearly resolved to have Artan thrown into the silt. The Mrenbar clan of dwarves refused this, taking that such a determination was just part of other clan feuding, and so Artan was spared. Drago, nor either of the other two adults, were never found.

Melenarchus has told Artan that the people of the Atoll said his eyes were spilling trails of pure black mist, and that he had expelled from his breath a great cloud of blackness that had consumed his uncle and the two others.

Ever since this event, Artan has been treated with great suspicion in the Atoll by all those other than the Mrenbar clan of dwarves, and is all but ostracized. The dwarves have ignored this aspect of him, and hated Drago enough that they care little that Artan seems to have been responsible for his permanent absence from Athas. In any case, a light of some sort has always been available to him when the sun sets.

What Artan Knows

Melenarchus, a potent clairsentient and captured shipfloater from a royal Balican schooner, was the slave who comforted Artan in is ostracism and taught him much of what he knows about psionics and the outside world. When their relationship was well-developed, Melenarchus at last informed Artan about his past and nature.

According to Melenarchus, Artan bears no personal aura, which the old clairsentient is particularly adept at seeing. Melenarchus says that eventually he realized that it is Artan's shadow that bears the aura.

Melenarchus explains this condition as being that Artan's soul does not reside in his person, but rather in his shadow. As long as a shadow exists, no matter how small or faint, Artan remains himself. Melenarchus speculates that at night when all lights go out and Artan has no shadow whatsoever, his spirit-self in his shadow leaps into his body lest it be snuffed out with the darkness.

Artan has long speculated that his parents know more as to why he is the way that he is, and he has heard hints from extended family and clan members that something indeed did happen when Artan was conceived. His gruff father Drogun and even his mother Arta have always scolded Artan with impatience whenever the subject is brought up, telling him to return to his work.

The Trilith and Artan's Living Shadow

A manifestation of great power, the spirit that lives in Artan's shadow manifests when the light grows dim for Artan, often in terrifying and disturbing shapes, often staring at Artan when he is still or sleeps. When all light goes out, something that has not happened since Artan was a child, the spirit seems to inhabit Artan's body directly, filling him with incredible cold and dominating his actions. In such a state, Artan's shadow-self seeks to make as large a fire or any source of light as possible, and in a rage proceeds to wreck its vengeance upon any near him, expanding his shadow to great size in the light and consuming many in the abysmal cold of his substance, now turned three dimensional. The true reasons as to why Artan is afflicted with this living-shadow are unknown, but the entity or part of himself that lies within seems as inseparable as anyone is from their own shadow.

Artan also knows that his shadow grew in size whenever he approached the Trilith, an odd outcropping of huge boulders in the silt sea some miles away from the Crimson Atoll. His maternal uncle Rokur the One-Eyed, who has always been kind to and supportive of Artan, was the first to realize this when he took him out as a boy on the atoll's best ship, the Crimson Drake.

Mranen, an outboarder (stranger) to the atoll in recent years, heard about Artan's strange shadow, and decided to take Artan on his own ship to the Trilith. Arriving upon the rocks, Artan saw strange symbols carved into the forbidden islet (it was local legend that a monster dwelt on the isolated outcropping), but more than this, Artan's shadow took on enormous proportions, and upon actually setting foot on the rocks, Artan's shadow took on a three-dimensional nature and seemed to have a life of its own. With the approach of Artan's shadow, the great arch formed by the two great rocks flashed a golden light, and on the other side of the huge boulders the cloudy blue skies, great waves and sea spray of a mighty and true ocean was beheld. More than this, the great portal so opening seemed to cause the symbols on the rocks to glow with a golden light, and there came forth from a perch of rocks a great and shadowy being much like Artan's own shadow. Mranen was aghast, for the shadow giant seemed coming to attack them. Before it did however, Artan's own shadow interceded, and the two forms wrestled amongst the rocks, both of them spewing clouds of inky black darkness. Mranen seized Artan from the rocks and they fled back to the atoll. The shadow giant on the rocks did not follow them.

Although highly disturbed by these events, and although they had returned to the atoll, the half-elf Mranen kept Artan in the cabin of his small ship, not allowing him to tell his family or Melenarchus what had happened. Later that night, with a candle lit in the small silt schooner's cabin, Zhor appeared. Struck by the presence of the tall, scarred and incredibly charismatic half-elf, the sorcerer-psionicist calmed Artan's mind, told him that what he had seen was very special, and that they must return to the Trilith in the morning to see this wonder.

Upon sailing to the Trilith once more, once again the shadow giant appeared with their approach. Zhor attempted to treat with it, trying many languages. It at last responded, and Zhor and the black shadow giant spoke for a time. At last the shadow giant had enough, and spewed forth an enormous wall of black clouds to overwhelm them, which Zhor countered with an equally enormous wall of rainbow. Next, the shadow giant suddenly manifested from the shadow of the schooner's mast and seized Mranen, who was at the floater's dome. Zhor blasted off the shadow's arm with a great blast of lightning, freeing Mranen. From the stub of the arm, a billowing blood-cloud of shadowy blackness poured forth, and overwhelmed much of the crew, sucking them away into blackness, never to be seen again. Artan had stood where many of the vanished crew members had been standing, but was unaffected. Zhor was then seized by the monster himself. With Zhor thus affixed, Artan instinctually mustered his own great shadow, and fought once again with the monster. As his assailant had but one arm, Artan managed to loose Zhor from the shadowy grip, but in the struggle the half-elf was thrown into the silt. Artan/his shadow was then overborne by his opponent, and wrestled into the rainbow wall, which caused Artan enormous pain. In that moment, Artan feared both his shadow's and thus his own death. But the great shadow strangely relented for some reason, and simply held Artan in place. The shadow giant even spoke to him through his blue mouth in an unknown language for a few moments, seemingly in a language of sadness and even sympathy. By this time however Zhor had teleported up from out of the silt, and sent mighty black thunderbolts into Artan's opponent. This nearly slew the shadow giant, and allowed Artan to gain the upper-hand and maneuver him into the rainbow wall instead. The shadow giant howled in pain, then in a pathetic voice said something else to Artan, still in the unknown language, as if a plea for mercy. Zhor called for Artan to hold the monster in place, and with Artan so doing, Zhor cast more magical bolts upon the monster, which at last caused it to fall into an inky black and massy cloud which might have overwhelmed the ship had not Artan thrown the body completely into the prismatic wall, which caused it to disappear.

Not to be deterred by such a guardian, Zhor nonetheless compelled Artan's now manifested shadow to near the great arch, and upon going underneath it, the natural archway flared once again with golden light, and the ocean on the other side was revealed. Zhor stood in wonder.

Zhor and Artan on the Crimson Atoll

For the next several years, this event spelled Artan's fate. Zhor took Artan under his wing at the atoll, and showering presents upon the people there, along with veiled threats, Zhor became the master of the Crimson Atoll. Zhor completed Artan's training in the Way, and told Artan that as he was somehow attuned to the Trilith which was between two worlds, so it was that Artan himself was the child of two worlds, yet wholly belonged to neither. Zhor told Artan that only he could provide the young dwarf with the path through life, for unlike almost all others on Athas, Zhor had been to other worlds and universes, and could guide Artan when he was strong enough. Bound by Zhor's charisma and power, Artan fell heavily under Zhor's sway.

Using Artan, who alone seemed to be able to open the gate to the world of the ocean, Zhor made many other trips to the Trilith. Having brought many outboarder men to the Crimson Atoll from far across the Silt Sea, Zhor set about building rafts, and at length, going alone, Zhor set sail on the seas on the other side of the mysterious gate. Zhor would go for days at a time at first, and then would go for weeks.

Artan saw the secret that he was not supposed to know: that Zhor was returning with large amounts of strange gold and silver coins, and even with steel weapons and armor. Such treasures, kept hidden on the Crimson Atoll, were eventually shipped to overseas on foreign schooners.

Zhor's interest in Artan became ever less as he disappeared for longer and longer trips to that other world. On one or two occasions, Artan asked to be allowed to go with Zhor to the other world, but Zhor explained that given Artan's nature, he was not sure what would happen, or if Artan would even would survive, in another world, and said that for the time being, until Zhor was sure, Artan would have to remain on Athas. The trips continued. One day, yet another outboarder arrived on the atoll. Named Ktandeo, he was a gruff and strange looking blonde man, whom Artan only met for a minute or so. With Ktandeo's arrival, once more Artan opened the gate, and Zhor and for the first time a companion, this Ktandeo, ventured through. Zhor never returned to the Crimson Atoll.

Not long after Zhor's final disappearance, a flotilla of pirates arrived at the Crimson Atoll. A great battle between them and Zhor's minions, who had grown quite numerous over the years was waged, but without Zhor their ships were sunk. The Crimson Atoll itself was nearly sunk, and Melanarchus was killed. They took what remained of Zhor's treasure house, and Artan was seized by their leader, an unarmed rogue named Alteric. Artan was forced to show them the Trilith, and Alteric beheld the ocean from the other world. Confirming that Zhor always returned through the gate only through Artan's presence, Alteric was about to kill Artan, until the young dwarf used his psychoportation to escape. Alteric then instead used his large ships and destroyed the Trilith, pulling the great stones into the silt, and thus collapsing the gate forever.

The Return of Zhor

For two years, Artan picked up the pieces of his life. Although he hid successfully from the mercenaries of Alteric, the Crimson Atoll had suffered greatly in the battle. Many of their people had died, and several of their very precious silt schooners and their invaluable obsidian floater domes had sunk to the bottom of the sea. Artan's uncle Rokur had been killed, and about one third of the atoll had been burned and sunk.

Artan was blamed for nearly all of this, and even his own dwarf clan was about to let him be sacrificed to the anger of the atoll, but the atoll hetman intervened, saying that too many of the mindbenders responsible for keeping the atoll afloat had been killed, and so therefore they needed Artan. The young dwarf was thus allowed to live, but he was now shunned more than ever. These would have been dark times for Artan, for all three of his mentors, uncle Rokur, Melenarchus and Zhor were gone, the gateway the could have been his path to another life was destroyed, and he could see little future for himself save for a virtual slave to the atoll.

Two years after Zhor's disappearance, Mranen, who had escaped from the battle, returned to the Crimson Atoll. He brought word that Zhor was not dead but had in fact returned to Athas, and was on the other side of the Silt Sea, and in Balic. Mranen offered Artan a way to leave the Crimson Atoll, and so the dwarf did in the middle of the night. Roughly a month later, they arrived at Balic, the first time Artan had ever seen the continent, and once again Artan was in the presence of Zhor of Tyr...

Artan in the Astral

Artan projects his spirit into the Gray from a tiny fortress of solid rock in the high red stone hills many miles to the west of Balic, and at the edge of that city-state's traditional borders. The tower is manned by the mercenary soldiers of House Wavir, the great merchant house which proved pivotal in Xal'gren's conquest of the city. Zhor made special arrangements with House Wavir for Artan's presence there to be a secret, and for him to remain well-guarded regardless of how long he might be in meditation.

Artan is kept high up in the fortress in its highest perch, which overlooks the great Athasian wilderness of harsh hills and boulder fields. The sun is able to shine in upon him each day, but for at night, a perpetual oil lamp is kept lit for Artan.

Game Mechanics: That part of Artan's soul which is bound to the Black cannot leave the bounds of Athas, and thus his shadow life-force remains in shadow form on Athas, or more correctly, in the Black. Artan's intellect however can separate itself if Artan attempts to go into the Gray, which automatically occurs if Artan does this. If Artan were to be truly killed in the Gray, in the Astral or in any of the Outer Planes beyond the Astral, all that is of Artan's personality would be destroyed. His shadow soul might however remain on Athas, but without his intellect it would likely be primeval and mindless, and would therefore be a monstrous NPC if anything at all.

Bereft of his shadow soul which remains in Athas, Artan is not afflicted with his fear of the dark while in the Gray or the Astral, and will suffer no ill consequences if in total darkness there.

Note on Artan's Shadow Soul

Artan is incapable of animating his shadow as a deliberate act, and the only times he has ever been able to do so has been when he was at the Trilith, when the effect happened unbidden. It may be theoretically possible for Artan to learn how to do this, but as of yet, he has no such command over this awesome power. When his shadow did animate, Artan's actual body was unmoving, as his body was at such a time more his shadow than it was his actual body.

Timeline

Artan's Campaign Start: 43rd Year of the 190th King's Age, Free Year 18, the Year of Enemy's Fury

-Artan falls unconscious on the Astral Plane while fighting the lich Enco Salorini. Artan is hurled back from the Astral and back into the Gray of Athas.

-Waking up unconscious in the Gray, Artan is met by a powerful undead being called the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim claims that he had been watching over Artan and protecting the dwarf with an illusion while his spirit recovered in the Gray. The Pilgrim told Artan that his body was lost in the Silt Sea near the ruins of the City by the Silt Sea, where nearby lurks the Caller in the Darkness.

-Returning to his personal mindscape, Artan and the Pilgrim were attacked by a wormlike, loosely anthropomorphic being. In the midst of the battle, an ethereal cyclone manifested and sucked Artan to the Ethereal Plane.

-Artan discovered himself in a part of a great battle between earth and fire elementals. Artan chose to assist a female dwarven fire cleric named Zendola, and destroyed with her several elemental beings.

-While travel through the Ethereal to return to the Gray, Artan encountered a philosophic being at meditation upon a great stone case. Passing this being, Artan found stolen from him his figurine of wondrous power by an elf lurking in the proto-matter. Artan turned back to deal with him, but soon discovered the elf had companions, including Zendola.

Magical/Psionic Items

It's not Monty Hall unless I say it's Monty Hall!

As a dwarf, Artan is poorly tuned towards magic. Therefore, many items will have a chance of malfunctioning each time he uses them, or at the beginning of each encounter. Those items identified with an asterix are subject to malfunction 20% of the time. The percentage roll for malfunctioning will be rolled, depending upon the item, either upon each use, or upon the beginning of any encounter.

The Trident of the Navarch

Wt.: 3 lbs.

A psionically empowered trident of submission +3 (Prime Material, Athasian make) (prime material damage: 1d6+3/3d4+2)

History/Description: Forged by the Master Navarch and Polemarch Karos, a mighty Balic templar (18th level templar/20th level psychokineticist), it was lost centuries ago when Karos was slain by the Order. Karos created the trident when he was an 18th level psionicist. The claws of an air drake were made into tines bound by leather and fastened to the beast's spinal cord. The Order threw the trident into the Silt Sea, as it was corrupted by magic, but it was nonetheless recovered by a Balican templar subordinate to Karos. Seized by Xal'gren from a navarch (admiral) of Balic upon his conquest of that city, the trident was given to Zhor and mentally defeated by him at Xyestes' citadel in the barrens outside of Balic.

AL: NE, int very intelligent, Ego:  ?, Personality Score:  ?, Level:  ? Languages: at least Common and Balican... there may be others

Weapon Primary Abilities: deflect silt (+2 bonus on related saving throws), see through silt, detect silt danger (180 ft. range)

Submission: if struck, save vs. spell; if fail, check morale instead of attacking; if failure, hopelessness, cease fighting and surrender for 2d4 rounds

Special Purpose: to slay wizards (bearer receives a +2 bonus on all saving throws regarding wizards and sorcery, and if damaged is caused by sorcery, the damage is reduced by 1 for a minimum of 1 for each damage die rolled)

Extraordinary Powers clairaudience, 30 yrd. range, x3/day, 1 rnd./use; defiler scent, 120 yrd. range, x3/day, 1 rnd./use)

Psionic Summary

MAX PSPS: 124, MTHAC0: 13, MAC: 2, ATTACKS: ID, PsC, PB, DEFENSES: TS, IF, TW,

Sciences: telekinesis, project force, telekinetic barrier, kinetic control

Devotions: inertial barrier, deflect, mass manipulation, momentum theft, control body, control wind, levitation, soften

The Spirit of the Trident: The trident speaks with a harsh and bitter voice. He is usually quiet, but when he speaks it is often with an air of anger and impatience. The spirit of the trident makes it clear that he has endured great amounts of time, and was originally created by and at the hand of a past first templar in Balic.

Notes on the Trident:

Zhor himself his psionically conquered the cruel spirit within the trident, and has bound it and commanded it to obey Artan, who normally would not yet be mighty enough to truly wield it.

The Alferez' Bejeweled Bracers*

Steel Bracers of Defense, AC 4

Wt.: 2 lbs. each.

History/Description: Taken from the Alferez of Tarona de la Fierta, a noble servant of the lich Enco Salorini, these bracers are made of solid and heavy steel. They have a heavy molding of the sitting lions of Ishtar upon them. The cats have yellow gems as part of their eyes, and above them is the six-sided star of Ishtar, with a diamond in the center. A spell in cuneiform magic is set into both bracers beneath the images of the lion, and they are steeped in a film of melted diamond dust.

Earrings of Alferez of Tarona de la Fierta*

Earrings of Protection +3

History/Description: Made of gold, the earrings are rectangular, some 2/3 of an inch high and 1/2 an inch wide. They depict the god Marduk arrayed in armor, and a few cuneiform spells. The obverse of the earrings bear a depiction of the Tablet of Destiny. Worn by the Alferez of Tarona de la Fierta, they were used briefly by Erin until Artan put them on.

The Rod of the Alferez of Tarona de la Fierta

Rod of Smiting +3

Wt.: 35 lbs.

History/Description: Taken from the Alferez of Tarona de la Fierta, the rod is quite heavy, weighing some 35 pounds, and is made of a polished yellow-red ceramic material. The rod is carefully decorated with religious iconography of a dizzying array. The depiction is split into 18 levels or layers, and display a divine warrior and his conquests.

Powers The rod is a +3 magical weapon that inflicts 1d8+3 points of damage (speed 6). Against golems, the rod causes 2d8+6 points of damage, and any score of 20 or better completely destroys the golem. Any hit upon a golem drains one charge.

The rod causes normal damage (1d8+3) versus creatures of the Outer Planes. Any score of 20 or better draws off one charge and causes triple damage (1d8+3)x3. The rod cannot be recharged.

Scarlet Blue Sphere Ioun Stone

Description: The ioun stone grants (Int +1) whirls 1d3 feet from the character's head. The stone is AC -4, with 10 hit points. It saves as hard metal (+3 bonus).

The Onyx Dog*

Description: A tiny statuette of polished onyx roughly 1 1/2 inch in height, it is a carving of a noble looking high sitting hunting dog with sleek limbs and a sleek snout.

Command Word: "Nerago"

Powers: When commanded, this statueete changes into a creature with the same properties of a war dog... the rest remains unknown to Artan at this time.

Alferez's Bronze Ring of Fire Resistance*

Description: Inset with a polished oval deep-red gem, the ring is made of dark bronze. Cuneiform spells dedicating the ring to the god Nusko-Girru wrap themselves crudely and chaotically around the deep-red gem.

Powers: as normal

Enco's Silver Flask*

Wt.: 1/2 lb.

Description: Inset with strange cuneiform, filled with a ghostly substance.

Powers: Unknown.

Gnarled Bone Ring Set with a Great Misshapen Diamond

Ring of Psionic Defense +3

Translucent and Smooth Obsidian Teardrop

Given to Artan by Zhor.

Psionic Enhancement Stone (10 PSPs)

Powers: The stone slowly generates PSPs throughout the day when exposed to sunlight or magic. While a psionicist or wild talent sleeps or meditates, the PSPs slowly transfer into the character's personal psionic strength pool at the rate of 2 PSPs per hour. After this, the stone is without PSPs until recharged by the sun or magic during the next day. The PSPs remain with the psionicist until he uses them, but he can only ever add 10 PSPs to his psionic pool total--he can never at the same time benefit from more than 10 PSPs from this stone.

The Ashen Lucerne Hammer

Lucerne Hammer Polearm ?

speed 9, P/B, 2d4/1d6, wt. 15 lbs.

Description: Called "the Hammer" by the dwarfess Zendola, the polearm is some 7 1/2 feet long. It appears to be made of some sort of compacted ash, giving it a deep gray color. Decorations abound on it, especially at the weapon's heads, but due to the strange substance out of which the polearm is composed, it is difficult to make out just what exactly the decorations depict.

Powers:  ?

Kar'Nathem's Short Sword of Quickness

Steel Short Sword of Quickness +2

Wt.: 3 lbs.

Description: The short sword's blade is slim, and might be a dagger save for that front third of the blade is slightly wider. It is made of a silvery steel. The hilt is made of two intertwined silvery snakes, whose heads face in opposite directions at the base of the hilt, one smiling, the other frowning. A smooth oval black gem of unknown kind is set into one side of the hilt. The opposite side bears a rune of power traced in a black rock-like material. There are no hilt guards. The very base of the blade has a band of small runes written with gold.

Kar'Nathem's Obsidian Long Sword

Obsidian Long Sword +2

Wt.: 3 lbs.

Combat Statistics: Obsidian weapons normally suffer a -2 to attack and -1 to damage. The weapon was well-crafted before it was enchanted, decreasing the penalties to -1 to attack and -1 to damage. As the sword is a +2 weapon, the weapon's actual combat bonuses work out to be +1 to hit and +1 to damage.

Description: Kar'Nathem's blade is pitch black obsidian, and is crafted in the fashion of the Obsidian Runner elf tribe, having an unusually long and thin blade. The wrist-guard is made of obsidian as well. The tines are fairly long, and flair outward at their tips, where there are symbols of power. The center of the cross-guard is sealed with a piece of white obsidian on either side. On one side is the withered Burnt Tree, stenciled in with black ash. On the other side is the Burning Tree. The grip is wrapped tightly in leather, which is sealed with blood-etched symbols of fire warding. The base of the grip ends in a flanged piece of pumice.

Background: The weapon appears to have been made by Kar'Nathem himself, and is the sister sword of Kar'Nathem's cousin, the chief of the Obsidian Runners, Ar'Nievel.

Current Wielder: Tomak son of Cassander

Kar'Nathem's Marble Rod

?

Wt.: 11 lbs.

Description: A white marble rod at about 3/4 inches thick and five feet high, topped with two narrow bands of gold, beneath which are tiny golden runes.

Chief Ar'Nievel's Obsidian Long Sword

Obsidian Long Sword +2

Wt.: 3 lbs.

Combat Statistics: Obsidian weapons normally suffer a -2 to attack and -1 to damage. The weapon was well-crafted before it was enchanted, decreasing the penalties to -1 to attack and -1 to damage. As the sword is a +2 weapon, the weapon's actual combat bonuses work out to be +1 to hit and +1 to damage.

Description: Ar'Nievel's blade is pitch black obsidian, and is crafted in the fashion of the Obsidian Runner elf tribe, having an unusually long and thin blade. It is even longer than most Obsidian Runner long swords, and is slightly thicker, in measure with Ar'Nievel's great size. The wrist-guard is made of gray obsidian, which is thick and heavy for heavy sword-play. The tines of the wrist-guard are fairly long, and flair outward at their tips, where there are symbols of power. The grip is wrapped tightly in black leather, which is sealed with blood-etched symbols of fire warding. The base of the grip ends in a pommel of pumice, which is deeply carved with the symbol of the Burnt Tree, which is colored white.

Current Wielder: Liktar Cozen

Chief Ar'Nievel's Steel Long Sword

Steel Long Sword +4

Wt.: 4 lbs.

Description: The elven chief's long sword is made wholly of shining silver steel. It is very long and quite thick for a long sword, nearly being a bastard sword in size. The blade is all polished steel, and has an unusually long point. At the base of the haft of the blade, on one side, is an embossed image of an armored warrior wielding a great stone maul standing over a defeated anthropomorphic golden lion. The wrist-guard is slim but long, ending in involuted spirals of steel inset with bold bright gold runes. The wrist-guard has a seal of solid steel inset with a single deep rune on one side, while on the other side there is a wider seal with multiple deep runes of bright gold. The hilt itself is all steel which is carved with seemingly thousands of almost microscopic runes. The pommel is two-dimensional, about half an inch thick, which bears a different sorcerous rune on either side, embossed into the steel.

Chief Ar'Nievel's Monstrous Steel Shield

Small Shield ?

Description: The shield is circular, and is composed of an unknown gun-black metal, with hammered nailings ringing the edge of the shield. The center of the shield appears to be made of pure lead, and indeed bears most of the dents and scratches of the shield. The lead bears upon it the image of a horrific monster, which looks very realistic, and is surrounded by five magical symbols of varying sizes, placed at irregular intervals and places on the shield.

Lore: The dwarfess fire cleric Zendola mentioned that the shield drains life.

Given to Tomak, who gives it the gladiator Laedemon.

Basalt Bracer

Wt. 15 lbs.

Description: The bracer is heavy and rough, and was meant for a thinner arm than Artan's. Burning, burnished bronze once glowed within deep notches carved into the black basalt, exuding a great heat, but the passage of time seems to have caused the near molten bronze to burn away into nothing, leaving the large heavy armlet inert.

Lore:

Psionic Powers