Ancients Alive/NPCs

Aria Valenford

Elder sister of Ynnis Valenford. She reversed the effects of a bardic spell that caused Andif to become Enlarged.

Brontalo

Brontalo was a Galik painter working at the plaza Rue Delour. He worked with Radonis (the owner of Yro) at first, but Radonis revealed to Brontalo that all of his paintings were shams---pieces inherited from his ancestors that he would then "present" as if he'd painted them himself. Pitying Radonis, Brontalo first tried to teach Radonis how to paint, but ultimately, in return for part of his wages, Brontalo would paint for Radonis and let him take the credit.

For a while, Radonis and Brontalo were close, but as Radonis tried to take back more of his own wages, the two got distant, various cover stories were concocted and rumors spread, but ultimately it came down to talent, wages, and compensation. However, Radonis did convince Brontalo to do one more painting of him before he stopped. Brontalo's final painting for Radonis was a "self-portait" which had him wearing Yro the crown.

About 5 days later, Brontalo entered the house as Radonis had been expected to pay Brontalo for the final painting, but instead he found Radonis dead near the painting. Yro, discovering that Radonis was risking its existence, killed its owner. Brontalo, worried he would be framed, stashed the body and the Self Portrait away, attempting to sell the city guard on the idea of Radonis "going off on some sabbatical". To make up for the wages he would never get, he would sell the (incredibly mythological and important) Crown to a lowly pawn shop.

When Croach put Yro on at the Pawn Shop, he was instructed on how to find Brontalo, and told to give Brontalo the crown. Upon touching Yro, however, Brontalo fell dead on his kitchen floor, kicking off the great mystery: What is this Crown, what power does it hold, and what to do with it?

Coseismus

Status: Departed Returned, Engaged!

Detective Agotcha

Status: Dead

A Galik-based Firbolg detective who helped the party investigate leads and conduct research. He was one of the very few who suspected that the sudden appearance of Banites, Thriskarn, and the fires of Rue Delour were connected. In a secret banite hideout under the burned Rue Delour he found banites talking about the Crown of Empyrosis. He attempted to kick the adventurers out of the mystery when he realized the stakes, but was instead knocked unconcious, only to return later on when the Lyreguard deemed him smart and quick thinking enough to join the new group known as AFEW.

Unfortunately, when the Banites launched their attack on the Aegirian temple outside of Galik where AFEW was hiding out, Agotcha was killed by an aspect of Iyachtu.

Dutharr

Status: Dead

Eddie the Kobold

Status: Dead

A gregarious Kobold who hosted Kurrtlzaarfaask festivities on Amusa for which Kobold tribes made pilgrimage from all across the realm. He was later brought to Galik to help investigate a lead but was killed in the Banite attack.

Father Chonszul

Status: Dead

An Istishian Archcleric in Galik that sought to destroy the Crown. He opposed, then aided the party for a brief time before his death at the hands of the Banites.

Mahabhuta

Status: Dead

An elderly Eladrin woman who was grandmother to Frori. The party encountered her in Warukami, where her inner demon had taken a material form and frozen the harbor, rendering the port inaccessible. Upon retrieving and defeating the demon, the party learned that Mahabhuta used the Orb and created a great storm long ago but struggled with the guilt that she felt over those actions. Her inner demon vanquished, she was finally able to conclude her Final Winter and pass on peacefully.

Later in the adventure, the team learned much more about Mahabhuta and the other Eladrin sent to Quelmar from the Feywild by the Seelie Court. She and the others fought in the War of Essence, where it was her specific duty to create a colossal storm in order to summon the Orb.

Midnight

Status: Dead (soul in Crown)

Midnight was the chosen daughter of Kossuth who was tasked with carrying the Smothering Pendant and soothing the enraged Crown of Empyrosis. Unfortunately, despite being Kossuth's chosen, Midnight quickly developed a chosen one complex, leading to her making more rash decisions, believing her actions to be righteous in the name of Kossuth.

Kossuth was killed by the Banites in the temple of Grumbar known as The Howling Crag. Midnight was buried with the The Crown of Empyrosis, which inadvertedly transferred her consciousness into the crown.

Nim

A orphaned or abandoned child who lived in Jewelspar. He began to exhibit abyssal traits (horns, wings) from a young age and is bullied and excluded by his peers because of them. He looks up to Maverick as an adult who succeeded in life in spite of his Tiefling features. In exchange for help sneaking around the city Maverick agreed to foster the child.

Radonis Calfenris

Radonis was dead the second the campaign started. It was his death that returned the The Crown of Empyrosis to the general public, and when Croach and Wanda teamed up with Luther and Solum to investigate the mystery around Rue Delour, they inadvertently stumbled into Radonis' house, discovering an old letter to Radonis you can find on the The Crown of Empyrosis page (alongside more info on Radonis).

Roanna and Shalia Redmane

Roanna Redmane was an NPC who lived in Ravendale, and asked for the team's help in recovering her daughter Shalia Redmane who was kidnapped by goblin bandits in the area. After the team recovered Shalia, the two were reunited, but then unfortunately captured again by Banites. Roanna and Shalia were originally sought after by the team due to their family name Redmane showing up on ancient documents referring to some of the earliest followers of Kossuth in prehistory. As it turned out, the Redmanes worship of Kossuth went back even further into Prehistory, and Shalia and Roanna were in fact descendants of Bruneld Redmane, the spirit inside The Crown of Empyrosis.

Salreen

Salreen was an Istishian cleric and con artist who managed to work her way into the secret group known as AFEW. She was first encountered during Galik's great blackout.

The Escapals

A rival team of adventurers who claimed to share the goal of safeguarding the Crown, and felt that they could do a better job. Considering they lost, it would be logical to conclude that they were wrong. The Escapals were Free Defenders in Galik, and used their position to get close to the Lyreguards after learning about the crown in the Galik Gazette.

Members:

• Saph Fire - A Whisper Bard Half Elf, presumably the leader of the group. Status: Dead

• Robin Banks - Rogue Inquisitor Human, excellent sneak and even better liar. Status: Dead - Secretly worked as a plant for the Banites and later helped execute the attack in Galik, where he was slain.

• 32-Tooth Tommy - Status: Incarcerated - After his brief stint in prison, 32-Tooth-Tommy, a lizardfolk ranger, joined in the final assault against The Paladin, eventually making right by his friends by securing their names in the history books.

• Borina the Destructive - Storm Barbarian Dwarf. Status: Dead

Wanted posters of Thriskarn were placed all over Galik after his attack on the church of Istishia.

Thriskarn

Thriskarn was a Dwarf veteran of the The Cavalry Rush who was living retired in the villa of Rue Delour alongside Brontalo and Radonis (see above). Thriskarn put on The Crown of Empyrosis after it was left in his house by Croach in an attempt to be rid of the manipulative headwear. Unfortunately, with Thriskarn being an accomplished warrior, and the crown being freshly reinvigorated with a new spark for violence, the resulting amalgamation creature was a danger to entire city of Galik. The first action Thriskarn-Yro took was to suppress all fire in the city, enabling Thriskarn to sneak around unseen in the night as Thriskarn guided the crown towards the churches of Istishia and Aegir, the most aquatic of the city's religions.

Thriskarn-Yro was successful in destroying both churches, but in the ruins of the Aegerian church, Thriskarn was ambushed by a combination of the Lyreguard, the Free Defenders, a cult of Banites, and opportunistic adventurers. At the end of the epic encounter, Thriskarn had the crown knocked off his head by Grindseed with a well placed bolt, freeing Thriskarn of the crown' s influence as he fell unconscious. Thriskarn was recovered by the Lyreguard and interrogated by a group later known as AFEW. He would then be placed in medical care.