Archive for the the Talisman Category

The Dragonkin Wars

Posted in Gavin Wel, Lesivith, the Archfey, The Dragongods, the Fey Dark, The Fey People, The North, The Shadow Road, the Talisman on October 22, 2011 by coyoteandthunder

Announcing the publishing of the Valena Quoul, the history of the Dragon Kin Wars in the ancient lands of Unon. Click here or on the picture above to link to the PDF. This book is another chapter in the hugely involved plot of how the shadow grows over this campaign world. I am still experimenting with my idea of publishing a novel version of the campaign world…been working on it for twenty years. When published, of course, I will only use appropriated art with permission. I appreciate all the artists’ talents on this website and if permission is ever requested I will of course abide. For now, the site is published for personal use only.

The Stealing of the Talisman

Posted in Farwalkers, Gavin Wel, the Archfey, The Southern Kingdoms, the Talisman on March 25, 2011 by coyoteandthunder

The Talisman performed gloriously in the Great War at the end of the Sixth Epoch. Phaedra the Artifacer fitted the Talisman with a ramming prow and transformed the river yacht into a boat of war. At her helm, Pennelius the Eladrin raelfaen steered her to victory again and again. With the coming of the Seventh Epoch, Pennelius wed the archfey Osha and retired to the mansions of his ancestors on the banks of the Emerald Sea deep in the Faywild. There they had a son, Oelin.

Ferrus the Radiant stayed in Gavin Wel following the Great War. He wed the witch Hannah Blackruby and after ten years of childless marriage, they divorced with her betrayal to the demon werewolf, Clay. Ferrus continued to train the young knight of the City of the Raven Queen.

Aolyn, following the victory of the Illyria returned to Isselyth with her mother, Aolbeth in the year 1136. The first few weeks with her mother were joyous, as was Aolyn’s relationship with Collynn, the gold dragon who she had come to be a lover. Collynn took Aolyn to the land of Urkuria, a distant realm of dragons, and there they made their love known to eternity.

Aolbeth retreated to some distant realm, either by her own will or by some plot. This mystery sent Collynn looking for her in the Shadowfell.

Hannah and Ferrus reunited as friends upon the theft of the Talisman and its caretaker, Phaedra. Fetching Pennelius from his retirement and Aolyn for her youthful mastery of shiplore, the four took the ghostship, the Black Swan to Solpries, the City of Sea and Sand, from where Pennelius could feel the elemental embedded within his boat, across the astral wind.

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Upon entrance to the City, Hannah performed the ritual of AmonRalam, by which she transformed herself into a mental link between the three adventurers and thereby be able to learn clues as to the location of the Talisman and Phaedra in a most effecient way.

The three met a deathless Blade Noble named Ben Kahl, an ancient general of the Knights of the Ninth Reljyan infantry. Ben, being of good soul, lead them to the Inn of the Seven Winds, where their host, Ghaelia, entertained and fed them with information about the City: the sovereign general of Solpries is Aliabi, a dragonborn slaver Atavist and if there was wrong at play he was most likely its source.

At the Masoleum of the Raven Queen, the Embassy of Gavin Wel at Solpries, Ferrus met Color Tixneera, Aolyn’s cousin and daughter of Tixneera, the elder witch of Sinis Oebyr. They shared a kiss at dawn and thus blessed Ferrus’ Sunblade.

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Unraveling a strange eladrin ailment called the Deluding Whispers meant Pennelius had to struggle against a Dark Shadow Serpent beast, sent from the Dragon of Tyr at Ur-Buraxa. Meanwhile, at the Inn of Seven Winds, Ghaelia was successfully assassinated in a surprisingly theatric show by a belgoi beast. Aolyn tracked the beast, with the help of Ben Kahl to the home of Marquez of the Black Wind, a slaving society. Ferrus, in the Streets of Haro Hill, battled alongside Color Tixneera, the Slaver Nerrius, a dragonborn responsible for the internment of unknown thousands of illegal dwarven slaves.

Pennelius learns that the Atavist Aliabi means to create a device with Talisman called the Psychic Aethiator. He treats with the Dragon of Tyr, who tells him that such a device can only be made with tiefling magic and is used to be made to kill him, the Dragon of Tyr, an enemy of Aliabi for rule over the people of Solpries. The Aethiator can only be infused on the night of the Eclipse, a event taking place the following night!

Marquez, the husband of Ghaelia, had his own wife killed for informing the foreign heroes. Aolyn and Ben Kahl learn that the Black Wind has been supplying the Dragonborn rulers dwarven slaves to feed the Aethiator to attack the Dragon of Tyr. Color shows Ferrus a secret level of catacombs underneath the City, whose heart lies directly under the Arena of Solpries, where a massive tournament is scheduled to coincide with the eclipse.

Reunited, the party goes to the center of the catacombs to find their boat, suspended on chains and linked to some strange, eldritch machine, no doubt bu Phaedra’s enslaved design. The Talisman hangs over an underground cemetery where the died find no rest. Marautai, the father of Aliabi, a dragonborn Raag ghost Crypt lord, an old friend of Ben Kahl from the Reljyan army, now controls a patrol of cinder zombies, all of whom Ben Kahl can name from life. The whole chamber rocks with the cheers of the City at the Arena directly overhead.

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There great battle ensues. All greatly wounded from fighting psychic orbs and bone funnels of blasting winds that rake and with the killing fire of the cinder zombies as they fall, they find Phaedra as Hannah rejoins the group. The Dragon of Tyr, having learned about the Aethiator, decides to destroy everyone and lands in the arena to the horror of the City, scraping and digging to where the Talisman is be freed. In a last desperate move, Ben Kahl blocks Marautai, sacrificing himself and the device is broken from the Talisman as the boat drops to an underground river and the party leaps there on to their freedom.

Cities of the Dead Legions

Posted in Lesivith, Men, Niskantel, the Fey Dark, The Sherriff, the Talisman on August 2, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

From beneath you it devours. With the Ebon Boon, the Feydark has invaded Ethilistyr. Under the City of Copper and Gold, Niskantel, the ancient eladrin masoleum of Marukel has opened and from its horrid maw comes fire, plague and dread warriors who know nothing but violence.

The Ebon Boon was not successfully completed, much to the torturous frustration of the Horned King. There were suppossed to be ten necropoli that sprouted wrathful terror across the Dreamwater. There would have been but not for the efforts of the Sherriff and the risen Revanant, Valen Gildensong, and the deconstruction of Rendgray…a story for another entry. Suffice it to say, that only five cities were able to rise. Bessenthia was closed by the Paladins Zarconus and Ferrus, leaving four cities alive with necotic energy at the coming of winter, year 1111, when the Crew of the Talisman needs to decide where best to put there resources as the sherriff scrambles to muster a defensive strategy against the burning of the cities of men.

Baphomet and The Ebon Boon Ritual

Posted in the Fey Dark, the Talisman on July 27, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

Baphomet lead the Talisman to his secret stage. The very face of lord Ashentaign, sleeping forever in the Ocean of Wine, Relspinoth, poisoned wine that reduces the minds of mortals to mere wind should it even be touched. Baphomet needed the blessing of mortal blood to consecrate the Ebon Boon throughout the world. Employing a Dark elven Necromancer, Venieraye, who had previously written the kidnapping of Maralynn’s population of winged horses, and a Volcanic Dragon named Iagnus, Baphomet lead the Talisman to his sleeping father and there did make mortal combat.

The ritual of the Ebon Boon which occured in the Fey Dark on the Hunter’s Moon was orchestrated by Baphomet to his own demise. The Ebon Boon, an activation of the Ebon Stone as a singular weapon, wielded by the Dark Archfey,  specifically the Horned King, against Ethilstyr to a number of ends. 1.) Five of the nine ancient Cities of the Dead were activated under the military leadership of Raelfaen Revenants who operate from these ill fated places. These twisted undead lords wish Khepathia to be raised from the wilderness of where it once reigned  2.) The twelve Ebon Stone Golems were animated and now march to the will of Lesivith. All of the Ebon Stone figurines that are littered over the country side and in the cities and galeries of men, now form a network of black envenerating energy that feeds the evil that fuels the coordinated effort. 3.) What it all amounts to is a full scale assault and invasion of Ethilistyr by a foreign, necrotic power.

The Crew of the Talisman

Posted in the Talisman on July 27, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

painted figures by Matt Decker, click on photos to enlarge

Pennellius Funere of Osha, Captain.

Henrich Wolfdog Tigean, first mate

Ferrus, Paladin of Kord

Arnithol, High Elder Wyrm of Hyth Anir, in exile

Hanna, Witch of Maralynn

Conorrion, Battle Archer

Fauster, Half Orc Cleric of Melora

Ulik, Eldest Son of Python

Posted in Orcs, the Talisman on July 25, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

The Handsome halforc Ulik the Black, so named for his black eyes, is the mayor of River Tooth. So entitled by Penellius, captain of the Talisman, upon the death of his father and the destruction of the Demon Tongue orcs.

Phaedra, tiefling boatbuilder

Posted in The Sherriff, the Talisman on July 25, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

Whichever country Phaedra works for will profit in war. Her machines are exquisite and her designs are supreme. She built the Talisman and is ready to launch the next six yachts for the Dreamwater Navy: The Caledonia, The Wilderness, The Silver Wing, The Dark Pana, The Green Stone and the Liberty.

The Farwalkers

Posted in Farwalkers, The Sherriff, the Talisman on July 24, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

the Farwalkers of the Dreamwater,
all sworn to the governance and sovereignty of the Dreamwater
and its known sherriff, Tim Tigean

1. The Gold Council of Niskantel, Patron Ilthebyrn
2. The Karakan Orcs, Lord Dakaan
3. Thunderscape Farmer’s Association, Elsir Edmonther
4. The Maian Gatekeeper’s Society, Mayor Carl the Red Ebrithil
5. The Hammerguard Dwarves, Lord Morghann Mordanus
6. The Arts Council of Eva Wyr, Rayvan Ithanadese
7. The Circle of Magic, Ari Bessellyn
8. The Court of the Nine Stars, Druid Lord Garyth Ferdinsten
9. Thunderscape Defense League, Devin Eaglethrough
10. The Radian Knights, Sir Judicia Evernus
11. The Porcelain Warriors of Maralynn, Esgaryth Poswar
12. The Athapathan Nomads, The Blind Druid, Bialla Riantha
13. The Naval Flagship of the Talisman, Pennellius Funere

The Stone spirit of the Dark Pana lies near Maiah. The Stone is where Blendhaven swore to protect the Valley and it is to this day that the Farwalkers do the same.

Anefsina, The Black Petal

Posted in Elves, Lesivith, the Talisman on July 24, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

Anefsina was not always evil. She was destroyed by the crew of the Talisman at the gate to the Feydark in the old church of Corellon Larethian at Maralynn. She had imprisoned Hanna Blackruby, her old apprentice for not turning to the song of the Horned King.

Arnithol, High Elder Wyrm of Hyth Amir

Posted in the Talisman on July 24, 2010 by coyoteandthunder

Forever estranged from both the worlds of his youth and his adopted land of Ethilistyr, Arnithol is fulfilling his destiny by not claiming his right as High Elder Wyrm until he learns fully his place in the outsider prophecies of men.