The main characters for this campaign are :
Ak'iss, Unaligned Male Goblin Ranger (Wesley)
Ak'iss grew up in a nomad tribe of goblins. They followed the trecking steppe ponies around the land. In truth, these were the lifehood, clothes and legends of the tribe. Nothing in their posession wasn't made without at least some bit of these famous horses. They trecked through dangerous territory and the tribe often encountered dangerous beasts. For exactly this reason the tribe had "Shair Min", monster hunters. Ak'iss' father was one of the very best. It was a sign of honour and a rite of passage for young men to slay such a beast. His father taught him everything he knew and when the time came for Ak'iss to prove his manhood, it was expected that he'd come home to bring with him a beast like no other. He did not prove them wrong and to this day still wears the helmet fashioned out of the dire boar he felled then. one day, his tribe followed their herd through hobgoblin territory. The clan had skilled fighters and monster hunters but they were outnumbered and outclassed fighting the hobgoblins. After the battle Ak'iss was given the choice to join the hobgoblin's warband or die. Enduring shame now and choosing to live now and fight another day, Ak'iss has spent the last few weeks together with these hobgoblin skum.
Scales of War background: Monster Hunter
Altaris, Unaligned Male Eladrin Wizard (James)
Altaris is the youngest scion in an old eladrin family - so old that it can be traced back to the glory days of Cendriane, in the Feywild. But as that city was ravaged by time, so was this family. Ruined by the fall of Cendriane, disfavoured by royal intrigues at the Astrazalian courts, exiled to the material plane, the luckless family finally stranded at the Marth Forest. As Altaris was born, his parents wavered between crying with joy, and frowning with worry over what new misfortunes would befall this new generation. But they loved him, and he showed bright promise: a talent for the arcane arts at a surprisingly young age. He acquired arcane potency at a speed that made some mistake him for a sorcerer - until they learned of his vast ability to absorb knowledge. He quickly outgrew what training the elves could provide at the forest. And so his parents gathered what resources they had left to get their son the best tuition they could afford: at the College of Ioun, in Brindol. Altaris now studies there, studying arcane magic and human society in all their aspects. To make ends meet, Altaris sometimes performs detective work for the Lion Guard. His keen observation skills and strong powers of deduction have helped solve several cases of criminal offense; the latest case leading to the arrest of the thief Kip Fargrim. But as the noose closes around some of the crime guilds, rumour has it that a contract is out on a certain fledgling wizard. Captain Kartenix thought it prudent to send Altaris out of town until after Fargrim's trial; and has written letters of recommendation for the guards in Overlook, where allegedly some troubles has occurred and a capable detective might be welcomed.
Scales of War background: Born under a bad sign
BFC, Female Cougar Animal Companion (Joost)
As the halfling and the human travelled, sometimes a strange sound in the woods alerted them but nothing seemed to happen. Growing close to Astrazalian, they kept finding fresh killed animals short before nighttime. One evening, there was no animal but instead a black catlike creature walked into the campsite with a large deer in her mouth. Dropping it at a small distance of the two, the catlike creature moved back to the other side of the campfire and laid down to groom herself not seeming to mind them. As the creature made no hostile intent, they ignored it and cooked the deer dropping a part for the cat. The next days it followed them from a distance, sometimes even leading them making a sound to an easier passage through woods and bushes. As entering Astrazalian, the catlike creature stayed close to the human and seemed uneasy in the big city. As they left again after a few days, the cat seemed to ease and become more playful as it brushed the partymembers against their legs or occasionally licked a hand.
Scales of War backgrounds: Silent Hunter, Forest Warden, Explorer/Guide
Caladon Starbourne, Good Male Elf Avenger (Giovanni)
Caladon is the son of Lord Celathon Starbourne and Lady Laseen, Elven nobles of the Fey City of Astrazalian. The Starbourne family takes its name from a peculiar omen that has marked the birth of the most legendary of its heirs. Once every two or three generations, a falling star is spotted in the sky, on the same night as a great hero of the Starbourne comes to the world. Alas, Lord Celathon's birth was not marked by a falling star, but he hoped that at least one of his heirs would be luckier that he was. On the night Lady Laseen gave birth, a falling star was indeed seen on the horizon. Lord Celathon joy could not be contained, but something unsettled him. His wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. They were named Caladon and Felisin. For many years Lord Celathon interrogated Seers and Oracles, to find out which one of his children was to become a hero, but the response was always uncertain, since the twins seemed to share not only the womb, but also their Soul, and it was impossible to discern the Destiny of one from the other. And so it happened that Lord Celathon took his son and left Astrazalian, hoping that, by living completely different lives, the twin's destiny would also separate, and each of them would be free to follow his or her own path. They travelled to faraway lands, hiding their true identity. And always they were seeking danger, or a new challenge. Caladon became adept in the use of the Elven Longblade (Fullblade), but his father new that there was more to his son than martial prowess. Every night, Caladon would look at the stars, even though his father would have sworn that he was LISTENING more than looking. “What do they tell you, son?” would Celathon ask. The young elf would smile “They’re calling me, Father, they wish me to serve them”. To serve the Stars. Maybe finally Lord Celathon had found the answer to the riddle that had haunted him so long. “I’m going to bring you on one last quest, my son” he told him on a fateful night. What happened later, is a mystery. After many years, Caladon returned to Astrazalian, but the naïve and joyful light in his eyes was gone. A grim determination could be seen in his gaze, and strapped to his back was Stardust, the long-lost ancestral sword of the Starbourne family. His martial arts had been bolstered by Radiant power he could summon with each strike. Celathon did not return, and to those who asked him about the fate of his father, he simply replied “He awaits my return”. More, he would not say. Once home, he spent many weeks in training and meditation, silent for days at a time, until he heard the call to arms of the Town of Overlook. That awakened something in him, and he took his few things, and travelled to the besieged town.
Scales of War background: Auspicious Birth
Dorn Wyrmshield, Lawful Good Male Dwarf Paladin of Moradin (Jeroen)
A member of the Moradihammar, the hammers of Moradin, an elite branch of the faith of Moradin, Dorn's grandfather was sent to the City of Starlight as part of a peace treaty between the eladrin of Astrazalian and the dwarven kingdom that spanned the Wyrmsmoke and Giantshield mountains. For the last couple of hundred years, Dorn's family has lived in Astrazalian as bodyguards of the eladrin nobles. With the death of his father several years ago, Dorn is now the last of the Moradihammar in Astrazalian, maybe even the last in the world. When Lady Shandria, First Sword of Astrazalian, received a message from the city Overlook with a request for military support, she send the elf noble Felisin to Overlook to negotiate. To protect the elf noble, Dorn was assigned to function as her bodyguard. Now for the first time in his life, Dorn leaves the city of his birth and gets a chance to explore the world, hopefully finding clues about his long-lost kin.
Scales of War backgrounds: Last of the breed, Scion of an ancient bloodline, Explorer/Guide
Felisin Starbourne, Good Female Elf Cleric (Fausto)
Felisin is the daughter of Lord Celathon Starbourne and Lady Laseen, Elven nobles of the Fey City of Astrazalian. The Starbourne family takes its name from a peculiar omen that has marked the birth of the most legendary of its heirs. Once every two or three generations, a falling star is spotted in the sky, on the same night as a great hero of the Starbourne comes to the world. Alas, Lord Celathon's birth was not marked by a falling star, but he hoped that at least one of his heirs would be luckier that he was. On the night Lady Laseen gave birth, a falling star was indeed seen on the horizon. Lord Celathon joy could not be contained, but something unsettled him. His wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. They were named Caladon and Felisin. For many years Lord Celathon interrogated Seers and Oracles, to find out which one of his children was to become a hero, but the response was always uncertain, since the twins seemed to share not only the womb, but also their Soul, and it was impossible to discern the Destiny of one from the other. And so it happened that Lord Celathon took his son and left Astrazalian, hoping that, by living completely different lives, the twin's destiny would also separate, and each of them would be free to follow his or her own path. Felisin remained with her mother Lady Laseen, a devote follower of the Fey Deities. With her father and her brother gone, Felisin started to consider the Gods as her new family. She would refer to Corellon as "Father", and she would spend long hours in the Temple. The Priests saw in her potential, and wished to train her in the Dogma of the Gods. But Felisin seemed resistant to their teachings, and did not wish to devote herself to only one God. "How can I love my Father, and not my Mother? How can I choose to whom I give my love?". Felisin also rejected many of the teachings concerning Holy War. "The Gods will not raise their hand against us, for we are their children. They take care of us, nurture us, heal us. They do not make war with us". The Priests of the Temple started to see her as some kind of heretic, but one day something happened that changed their mind. Lady Laseen had taken sick, and nothing the Priests tried could cure her. Felisin took her mother into her arms "You gave me the greatest of gifts, you gave me Life. If only I could give it back to you, so that you may smile upon this world one more day, I would". As her tears fell on her mother's cheek, radiant light spread from Felisin hands, and Lady Laseen fell into a quite sleep. She awoke the day after, healthy as the Sun. Felisin became known in Astrazalian as Glorgil (Golden Star) and Galadwen (Maiden of Light), and offered her healing powers to all that needed them. Recently, she's been chosen by Lady Shandria, First Sword of Astrazalian, to bring Peace and Diplomacy to the allied city of Overlook. Since Lady Shandria knows the heart of Men, Felisin has been granted a noble bodyguard, the Dwarf Paladin Dorn Wyrmshield.
Scales of War background: Auspicious Birth
Kilani Sunderchild, Good Female Half-elven Bard (Marijke)
When a young elven noblewoman appeared on the doorstep of the dwarven Monastery of the Sundered Chain, carrying a newborn baby, the wise dwarves knew not to ask too many questions. The noblewoman requested that her daughter be raised by the monks, leaving a king's ransom to pay for her care. She introdused herself to the dwarves as Loganisella, and while the dwarves suspected that this wasn't really her name, they accepted her story. Loganisella's child was the bastard welp of a human warrior and would never be accepted in her family. Rather than letting her child grow up in shame, looked down upon by the elven aristocracy, she chose to give the baby a life of honor and worthy training. As the father's child had died in combat and she didn't know of any relatives, she turned to the Monastery of the Sundered Chain, whose sense of honor and methods of training she approved of. She requested that her child be raised with a sense of selfworthiness and honor, and be prepared for a hard life. After that, she left, never to return. While she has some of the grace of her elven forefathers and a deepset love for art and music, Kilani's human sense of practicality was enhanced by her dwarven upbringing. Thus she became a rare creature: a bard with little tolerance for folly or beating about the brush. With a straightforwardnes and honesty that amazes many, she manages to bring her message without antagonising anyone. She has great insight in people's intentions, wether they are elven, dwarven or human. She intends to use her skills to fight prejudice between said races and bring them to see more clearly and perhaps learn from one another. Most of all, she intends to make good use of her training, go out and see the world, and have some adventures of her own. She will never make any claim on elven nobility and goes by the name of Sunderchild, intending for that to become a name to be reckoned with.
Scales of War background: Noble Bred For War
Nighthawk, Good Male Human Ranger (Wim)
Nighthawk remembers little of his youth - not even his real name - except for the fact that he was a homeless orphan from Overlook's Shantytown. As he grew up, he became a vigelante, fighting the injustice inherent to his neighbourhood - but in due time, Nighthawk expanded his operations to cover most of Overlook. One day, Nighthawk got caught by the city guard - but instead of facing judgement for his vigelantism, he was offered a "job", assisting the city watch in ways they could not, outside the boundaries of local law. Before he realized it, Nighthawk became a glorified errand boy for the city's watchmen. When the war escalated, a call of arms was issued. Seeing his chance to free himself from the yoke the city guard had put on him, he offered to deliver the call to arms to the Eladrin city of Astrazalian and escort any who answered the call back to Overlook - hoping to join whoever answered the call, or ran into on the way.
Scales of War background: Street Urchin
