Ktandeo

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

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 Adventures

Meeting the Red Crests

"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. Intent on finding a magical gateway the would lead back to his 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 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.

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.

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. Finding King Hamanu 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, but was nearly killed

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.

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

The Red Crests

The original 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, a vassal lord of Malran II

Gyvenian, a Mighty Wizard (an immortal wizard)

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

Cosmology of Illesia, the Spells of Illesse

In the beginning was Illesse, mistress of all the magic of the world. She waved her wand and the primordial wizards were created. Each drew from the Well of Elements and created their own realm and all the creatures upon it, which Illesse blessed with life.

The Lord of Earth was Endolsis, who collected the debris from the other lords to create the world, which he named Illessia after his mother. This world pleased Illesse over all others, and for his ingenuity Illesse gave to him her wand and blessed his world with the most fantastic and beautiful of life. Endolsis crafted magical gate ways with his new wand so that all the other Lords and their kin might visit and people his world, making it by far the most beautiful. Pleased himself, Endolsis crafted a fabulous wizard’s tower on a mountain, and ruled benevolently over his folk and all the universe.

It is said that so much magic was what brought the phaerimm, who came in a great tide to devour the Spells of Illesse. The lords threw much magic to defend their own realms, creating great spells, but the phaerimm, unaffected, headed straight for the Tower of Endolsis and the Wand of Illesse. Illesse herself flooded the heavens with comets, meteors, galaxies and stars, but all the spells failed to stop all the phaerimm. Endolsis used his wand to create the great magic of spell rivers to sweep the phaerimm away, which became what is now the Celestial Ribbon, a dazzling column of magic which is still extant. The phaerimm still came however, and so Endolsis crafted his greatest spell, sacrificing himself so that all the phaerimm would turn to stone. They are stone even now, forming the great asteroid belts. It is said that the lesser phaerimm survive in these astral stones even until today, raining down their wrath upon Endolsis’ world, as well as those of the others.

Illesse now crafted the aasimon to watch the borders, but saddened by her son’s death, said she wished to return from whence she came. She gave her wand now to Crosander, Lord of Solar Kingdoms, giving him charge of all aasimon. Illesse then walked the Star Path to realms unknown.

Illessia rests in a clustered solar system, itself but one of fourteen planets the revolve very closely to one another, creating bridges between them from time to time. It itself has three moons. The Celestial Ribbon still stems from the Tower of Endolsis, a radiant pink stream of magical plasma which twists and runs up into the heavens. The whole solar system is called the Spells of Illesse.

With Endolsis’ death, the sparks from his body became those of other wizards, the sparks from the wand becoming the great artifacts which even now are still unearthed upon the world. Upon awakening, these first mortal wizards wondered in their new power, and emulating Endolsis, built towers of their own. Many became great masters of mage craft, and through great accomplishments were raised to celestial dignity, where they were given control of their own solar kingdoms in Crosander’s dominion. These wizards thus became demi-gods, and the people which they ruled became their loyal devotees.

Later History of Illessia

Centuries ago, the Olympic pantheon invaded the world, and displaced most of the old gods. The Olympians mostly dominate the islands to the west of the great continent of the world.

The Quest to Save Virgil from the Eighth

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 Black Mantle, the ultraloth who interdicted Ktandeo and his companions at the town of Madhouse, in the depths of Pandemonium. After coming into the possession of the Key of Mechanus, the Black Mantle and his minions came to take the Key by force. In his hands he bore a terrible dark two-handed sword blazing with black power. Before the Black Mantle could come to use his great sword against his friends, Ktandeo leaped down from his hiding place and wrested the Black Mantle's mighty blade from the ultra-daemon's very hand. Very soon after, Ktandeo returned to his home world of Illessia and to the great wizard-tower home of his mother's friend Gyvenian. There, atop Gyvenian's mighty tower, Ktandeo threw the Black Mantle's sword into the sea. Some time later, during the assault by Ktandeo and his friends upon the dungeon domain of the lich Enco, the powerful priests of Nergal summoned a daemon, and so came forth the Black Mantle. The ultraloth chased the heroes past the vampire lairs and to the bronze doors of Enco's private domain. There, the great eladrin once known to the heroes as the bard Rabaros, but now blazing in his true form of angelic fire, sealed the way and faced Black Mantle by himself. The ultimate fate of either Rabaros or the Black Mantle remains unknown.

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.