Name:
Notes.
Kurios *Lord* Casteillan, Adonis Cowain. "Dagmars Bane" Royal Guard of Lunaris.

Age:
45

Appearance:

A tall muscular man who is weather beaten and dark hair has long started to gain strands of silver. Bright blue eyes of an unusually vibrant colour. Usually bearded it hides multiple scars earned In battle, hunting and from the lands they call home.

Clad in full armour or lighter grabs of leather, chain mail and stout boots. His sword by his side, dagger and bow. Though a satchel of inks and parchment can also be seen upon him too when peace allows.

6 foot tall.







Race:
Human

Kingdom:
Lunaris

Role:
Veteran Lord Castellion of the Royal Guard.

Veteran Officer of the Royal guard assigned to protect the Princess from threats, external and internal. Also to evaluate the Prince and see if his honour and reputation are truth or lies and report such to the king.

Magic:
An air mage, able to channel the forces of air to increase his speed, agility and move in ways that a fully armoured man should not.

His powers are less developed but has limited use of them in other regards, having gained further training as a senior Knight.

Short Bio:

Veteran Officer of the Royal guard assigned to protect the Princess from threats, external and internal. Also to evaluate the Prince and see if his honour and reputation are truth or lies and report such to the king.

The harsh climate breeds hard people and the hard people breed hardy warriors. Some of those choose to endure and face the Orders trials in the keeps and fortresses of the North.

He is one of them, years of hard training, testing from the beginnings of manhood, pushed hard by both their Masters, their climate, the eternal winters and the battle to survive. Death regularly is a price of failure.

With verging on 3 decades of service Adonis Cowain black hair is streaked with grey, his career began as a squire and skills meant he soon caught the attention of others, an air mage and doing well he was brought under the wing of one of the veteran Paladins who saw him flourish and whose death would cause him to gain his honour name.

During the capture of a keep belonging to a group who turned traitor and to bandity, he avenged his mentor slaying the enemy chieftain in single combat though it gained him a scar in return. His blade shattered by the powerful attacks he with the agreement of all took up the fallen man's sword.

Though bearing no wife or official sons, a few children's shouts have rung off the stone bearing a surprisingly similar look, and at least one of those has already gained a son of their own. 2 of those he shares a soft spot for their mother and has aided them as needed, the others fate has kept them apart…

Though serious and devoted to his purpose he is not a humourless man nore a man who is not without ability to soften when hardness is detrimental. For being pragmatic and knowing when is best to act accordingly.

He has a love for wine, women like many a fighting man but also is skilled with an ink and parchment able to craft landscapes bringing them to life when life allows during the monotony of time in-between terrifying action and adventures.

Those talents have in times of Garrison work taught the drawing arts to others, as a way to earn some extra gold and pass the time.

Misc:

Retinue / Household.

Warsmith, Hector "Stone Breaker '' Master Warsmith of the Royal Guard. One eye covered by a patch of padded iron, a metal arm replacing his right from steel and clockwork of own devising. Hair going grey, his body hard and worn from a lifetime of hard labour and hard life. Solid a keep, he is built more like a fantasy dwarf. Heavy and alot of farmer muscles.

5'8 tall.

A canny, smart and skilled Warsmith who is known for drinking a little too much, a temper, and being Impatient. His accent is so thick even his own kin have had to be told something twice.

Warsmiths are Knights with additional training in multiple aspects, able to conduct repairs of armour, shoe a horse and conduct other repair of weaponry, and other such items until they can be taken for more professional and permanent repair.

Has a drawn cart of tools, anvil and other supplies needed to set up their camp and such along with his horse and spare.



...

Senior Squire Daphne Athenus of the Royal Guard.

In her 20's and under the Lord Castelian in completion of full apprenticeship to Knighthood. A fast fighter and chosen as a fast learner, their suspected air magic means the Castelion was a logical choice if their talents really do fall that way. If so it would surely make her preferences to twin blades a formidable warrioress and earn rank, fame and potential to rise into the ranks of Paladins, Officers and more.

Her height and amazonian build made her stand out at 6'1, she was a prime candidate tall as some men as a teanager.

Is a skilled singer and somehow is able to get on with the grumpy old War Master, and has shown both skill, potential and quick wit to impress even the demanding Lord Castellion.

Now if only they could stop the two Knights keeping on calling her Squirrel to tease them. However the teasing is also a sign of respect that they are considered one worthy of their group.

Name:
Syraeia Leela “Sy-a” Innkeeper.

Age:
24

Appearance:


The blight is more pronounced in some, some pass by as mere humans, others who had to face the depths of the blights turned badly, the powers causing mutation that killed, or caused some to be killed.

Her death, her rebirth was slower than others and the blight caused deeper and more profound changes. A normal woman was blighted beyond the normal but somehow retained her mind.

One eye, ears, her senses. All faced the mutation of the blight.

A smaller woman, slim of build and tends to dress in practical clothes, living in the borderlands food could be scarce and feast and famine was the norm. The Prince's endeavour was indeed a generous one and provided her with new clothes and all the materials to start a new life in Gloomhaven.

Hair is a warm Brunette, often in a braid secured with a hair stick, or some other way to keep it tidy. Often under a hooded cloak or such when out and about if unsure of company.

Due to her childhood and harsh upbringing where food was scarce she did not have the best chances in life. Her height only reached 5'1.

Race:
Blightborn

Blight-Born Traits:
Night vision is clear as day, though bright lights can cause intense pain and prefer the cool, heat is intensified, does not like heat.

Her senses are enhanced and can be increased in power and range to increase drain on herself and others around her.

Her powers when stressed, she can see things that are beyond the visual, into a feeling that she cannot process, that makes no sense, a feeling… a deeper meaning of sorts, from the lie hidden in a truth to the dark intent and pain of others.

Drains psychic energy, though the more people around, the less pronounced the effects on people. This can sometimes phase more into general energy, depending on how her unstable nature functions. Her magic and blight influence have been rather unpredictable and chaotic given her lack of any real formal training.

Kingdom:
Technically Aurelia, though the borderlands were very much contested, her Father was a lunarian, her mother from the sun Kingdom. The line between the kingdoms was…blurred.

Role:
Innkeeper. “The eye of the Beholder.” a large Inn with rooms for accommodations, a large bar area, and kitchen. Personal accommodation attached.

Think of a darker setting, but this is the theme and general style.




Magic:
See blight section.

Short Bio:
Born in the borderlands these areas had long been contested between two kingdoms, wars had been long fought over the region, changed hands, soldiers boots, the ring of steel on steel and the sounds of battle.

Her father was a blacksmith, a fairly prosperous but hard working man in the village. He worked for the border lord, a man who was a somewhat less than kind but survivor. The Lords of the borders were a different breed to the ones of the kingdoms. Her mother was a servant at the castle and worked as a ladies maid.

Life was tough but life was not the worst, it was hard to make a living in the grey zone between the dark and the light. The grey where both sides could so easily become an enemy as a friend.

Then the blight came. The blight brought the end of all she knew, before anyone knew deaths increased time over time, each day the village got worse, the castle's great walls provide no protection from things that can penetrate the water, the food, the air and the ground. The Lords died as much as any peasant. Though a few rare souls faced an fate arguably worse than death.

The blight did not kill everyone, the Lord's son was one of those, he died. Reborn he became a monster and lost his mind, screams and blood rang from the castle as the heir turned on the people within. It's great barred gates held as the fortress burned, taking all its souls, bodies and blight with it. The purple gas seeped out the ground as the black smoke began to die down seeping through cracks in the stone and the blasted ruins of the keep and its towers leaving but a doomed and dead ruin of blackened stone on the horizon.

She died. Her last view as a living being was to see the castle fall, those who tried to flee were gone, those left were unable to flee, too weak and sick to leave. Strength began to fill her limbs, her senses began to waken again. Hunger, thirst and desire for things indescribable gripped her. Hauling herself to the blacksmith's quench tank she finally saw her new face, a cursed face and one that would mark her as an outcast forever.

She was a Blightborn. A monster and the thing that they whispered about around the tavern fire.

There was nothing left. The village was dead, the land had fallen to the blight in such a way no mortal army ever had. No war of sun or moon had brought such horror to the lands that the blight had.

Taking what little she could salvage from the ruins of the Castle, the village and what had not been taken from fear or death's rapid pace that got her to a town in Aurelia. A monster. That many called her now, something to be feared.

When all hope was lost. When all seemed to be at an end. There was light, the Prince was establishing a settlement and it was going to be built close to the affected lands. Certain death maybe, but Syraeia had died once before, a second death might bring peace and no one wished to run the Inn.

And so she found herself leaving with others as its Inn keeper, a place maybe where they might least not kill a blightborn on sight. “The eye of the Beholder” was its name and you could only laugh at the coincidence, fate was a funny thing and you could only laugh or cry at your fate. You might as well enjoy it.

Turns out as long as you hand them strong ale and hot food, many folks seemed to not care, but people always seemed warey especially newcomers. Running the Inn was hard work but rewarding.

Misc:

The inn's sign includes a large painted D&D beholder, painted in a crude style but also very much like the new settlement. Unfinished.

Unlike the Royal Army who serve in their local areas under Lords and chieftains, guarding and protecting their homes. Part time soldiers while also being farmers, farriers, masons and more In their civilian jobs.

The normal everyday people who are required to do so much service every year and respond to the command to assemble when the bells toll for the muster or training.

The Royal guard is different, those recruits are tested harshly at the capital in all manners of things, from intelligence, survival, combat skills and more at a younger age. The various paths will decide whom they want and they will be apprenticed under masters from their orders.

They remain a fully professional force and are deployed far and wide across the Kingdom. Their role is varied though recent years has them taking on more less savoury and secretive tasks.

The main orders are.

Paladins. Specialist bodyguards and Kings own personal unit.
Black order. Executioners and elite members sent when someone or something must be done at any cost.
The order Militum. The main core of soldiers and officers.
Hospitlers. Medics and researchers.
Combat and siege engineers. Pretty clear.
Warsmiths. Trained to maintain basic construction and repair in the field and such.
The King's Eye. Intelligence and research.

Each order is headed by a Master who reports to the Lord Marshal.

The Lord Marshal reports to the king, all except the Paladin Order who fall under the King's direct Household guard and unit.

Age: 23

Appearance: Elara has a subtle beauty about her, with long silver hair cascading like a waterfall and eyes reflecting the moon's pale luminescence. Her skin is fair, almost translucent, with a soft glow that seems to emanate from within. She is slender and graceful, moving with the quiet confidence of one accustomed to the silent halls and shadowed corners of a royal residence.

Race: Human

Kingdom: Lunaris

Role: Handmaiden to the Princess of Lunaris

Magic: Elara’s mastery of lunar magic is deeply intertwined with her Lunarian heritage. Her ability to manipulate light and shadow is not merely a matter of illusion, but a profound connection to the ebb and flow of lunar energies. She can bend light to create pockets of darkness or areas of bright illumination, which is invaluable for navigating the palace’s dim corridors or for creating a strategic advantage during nocturnal activities.

Her control over shadows is equally impressive; she can cast them as tangible extensions of herself, using them to fetch items from afar or to gently cradle an injured bird back to health. The shadows respond to her emotions and intent, becoming playful or solemn as she wills them.

Elara’s healing magic, while not as potent as a dedicated healer’s, is a vital skill in the harsh Lunarian landscape. She can soothe pain, accelerate the healing of minor wounds, and reduce inflammation with a gentle touch and a focused mind. Her healing extends beyond the physical, as she can also calm troubled minds, easing the stress and fears of those around her.

This combination of skills makes Elara a valued member of the royal household, not only for her service but also for the subtle security she provides. Her presence is a silent guardian, a watcher at night, ensuring the safety and well-being of her charge, the Princess of Lunaris.

Short Bio: Elara was born and raised in the capital of Lunaris. From a young age, she showed a keen aptitude for magic, which caught the attention of the royal court. She was trained as a handmaiden and quickly became one of the Princess’s most trusted attendants. Elara came to Dawnhaven at the behest of the Princess, to serve and support her in this new and challenging environment.

Misc: Despite her reserved nature, Elara has a warm heart and a gentle spirit. She is fiercely loyal to the Princess and would do anything to protect her. In her free time, she enjoys studying ancient texts on magic and practicing her skills by the light of the full moon.

Age:32

Appearance:

Orion is a striking figure with a commanding presence. He has a chiselled jawline, sharp cheekbones, and intense eyes that glow a deep crimson red. His hair is a dark chestnut, kept short and often slicked back. As a Blight-Born, his skin has taken on a pale, almost marble-like quality.

Race:Blight-Born (Energy)

Kingdom:Aurelia

Role:Advisor and Protector to the Prince of Aurelia

Blight-Born Traits:Orion was transformed by the blight, granting him the power to absorb and manipulate dark energy, heightened senses, and the ability to drain life force. His specific abilities are a closely guarded secret, however, known only to the prince.

Magic:Orion is adept in shadow magic, able to cloak himself and others in darkness and create barriers of dark energy. His use of magic is discreet, ensuring his powers remain concealed.

Short Bio:Orion Nightingale’s life was one of privilege and promise. Born into the noble House of Nightingale, he was groomed for leadership and strategy. As a young man, he excelled in the military arts and was known for his sharp intellect and unwavering courage. His family’s legacy was one of honour and service to the Kingdom of Aurelia, and Orion was set to continue that tradition.

However, fate had other plans. During a skirmish on the borders of Aurelia, Orion was exposed to the blight. The transformation was agonizing and left him changed forever. He emerged with powers that were both a gift and a curse. His once bright future among Aurelia’s nobility was now overshadowed by fear and suspicion from those he once called peers.

The prince, however, saw beyond the stigma of the blight. He recognized Orion’s potential and offered him a place at his side, not as a monster to be feared, but as a protector and advisor. This act of acceptance was a turning point for Orion. He found a new purpose in his Blight-Born abilities, dedicating himself to the prince’s service. His loyalty to the prince is unshakeable, forged in the fires of adversity and strengthened by the prince’s unwavering trust.

Now, as the prince’s right hand, Orion uses his strategic mind and newfound powers to navigate the treacherous political landscape of Aurelia. He is the prince’s shadow, ever-present and ever-vigilant, a silent guardian against threats both seen and unseen. Despite the darkness that courses through him, Orion’s heart remains true to the ideals of his noble lineage, and he stands as a beacon of hope for all Blight-Born who seek redemption and a place to belong.

Misc:A man of honor and integrity, Orion is a master chess player, believing the game sharpens his strategic thinking.

Limitations & Risks:
- *Energy Consumption*_{: Using his abilities can leave him weakened.}
- *Sunlight Vulnerability*_{: Sunlight can weaken his powers and cause pain.}
- *Life Force Drainage*_{: Must be cautious not to harm others with his draining ability.}

Risks:
- *Loss of Self-Control*_{: Risk of losing control over the dark energy he wields.}
- *Isolation*_{: His nature can lead to feelings of isolation.}

Age: 42
Race:
Blight born

Blight-Born Traits:
Olivia arose with many subtle changes, The blood red irises, her blond hair turned white, tiny points formed on the very tips of her ears. Her skin now as milk white, porcelain in its smooth complexion. The nails turned to black talons.
Abilities: Feeds off emotions
Heightened senses,
*shapeshifting: Olivia can morph her body to nightmares or fantasy for a short time.[think of flexing a muscle for duration length.] This shape increases strength and stamina for the duration only

Weakness: Sunlight and fire. She is also very drawn to fear like people to fast food, but for flavor she loves the sugar rush of passion. Olivia will seek these sensations out if she senses them nearby leaving people mid conversation depending on her hunger. To feed off someone she needs continual eye contact. The max distance is the space of a room or about 40 ft. The closer she is the faster she can feed and physical touch is similar the more skin to skin the faster she can drain.

Kingdom:
Lunaris

Role:
Predator /Baroness /healer

Magic:
Specialization of spatial magic: to pass from one shadow to the next in any location she can see. With heighten senses this would be a half mile in a open field. This ability applies only to herself and things she is touching. With practice or leveling depending on how the system works she would like to make shadows transport others to her.

Short Bio:
Olivia was a daughter of a baron taken by the blight. Originally she was happy, had a good childhood. Learned how to ride horses and court etiquette. She grew up wanting for nothing with her father as her mother had died in child birth.
Slowly dying on her death bed while her father took care of her night and day. When she awoke from her coma changed her father tried to kill her immediately this intense fear of her and panic proved to be his undoing. Olivia fed off of him to his death as his fear and greif made for a very delicious experience. After his death the lands and title passed to him. Unbeknownst to the kingdom when sending out the invites she accepted on his behalf. Summoned to Dawnhaven on the pretense of healer. Though to the prince Olivia would be 'tested' against the local beasts at times to spare the guards against formidable adversaries.

---

---

Ivor was born in a small village on the far edge of Lunaris territory, deep in the wilds. The land was harsh, its winters brutal, but it made its denizens strong and this was no exception for Ivor. Son of his clan’s warchief, Ivor was destined to lead his village after his father, a lineage dating back nearly to the kingdom’s founding. As such, he was trained in the ways of combat and survival, often required to trek deep into the forest to hone his craft and hunt elusive game. When he came of age, Ivor took up the mantle of warchief to lead his people and for a time, all was right in the world.

When the miasma came, the already difficult life Ivor’s people lived, suddenly was put to the test. Game was no longer as plentiful as it once was, crops died as the ground bled out poison and worst yet, monsters roamed the sunless snowscape. People became sick, people died, or worse yet they were mauled and some even turned into the things they had been killed by. Being so far on the outskirts of Lunaris, the kingdom’s ever watchful gaze was already limited, but even further so as they focused on those closest to the capital; Ivor and his people, were on their own. Ivor did his best to rally the other chiefs and tribes together; as a unified front, they were far stronger together, than as rivals stranded on their own. Ultimately Ivor was successful in starting his mission, he gathered allies, banded together the village folk to face the night. He would have succeeded further had he too not succumbed to the blight.

A bear, infected by the miasma, happened upon their camp one night, it tore into his people and Ivor had enough as he lunged at the creature. Ivor was known for his strength, a burly man who ‘could lift a hundred men’ and yet the beast he fought was far stronger than anything he’d faced before. It overwhelmed him, eviscerating him and tossing him aside like a sack of grain. He’d faced death countless times, he felt the end nearing, but something was different, something inside refused. Ivor rose, a new strength within, and he bellowed before charging at the creature. What was at first a struggle, now felt like child’s play as he wrestled the beast with his bare hands. Fur flew, blood splattered, bone splintered under his grasp; e̵̝͂͘͠v̶̮̽͠e̵͛̚͜r̴̭͊y̸̭̠̐̈́t̴̃͒̏ͅḣ̸̤̗̲̔i̶̠͋́̄n̸̟̹͕̍̕g̶̯͔̦̀̈́͠ ̵̡̠͑w̸͎͂͒̿e̶̯͖̅̚ṉ̷̾͐t̶͇͉͈̄͘ ̷̦͚̉r̵̘̿̾͑ḙ̶̇d̶̞͉͔̂͊̅

When Ivor came to, the beast had departed from the mortal coil, leaving behind an energy that flew into his body, a newfound strength unlocked. The moment was too much as he felt all of the blood and the bones and the meat in his body shift, slow at first, then explosively, painfully. A montage of screams accompanied by monstrous roars as Ivor the man, became Ivor, The Wild



Ivor is a variant of blight-born that drains souls, a being’s very life force, to sustain his energy. Most often he uses this one game and wild-life, fresh after killing them from a hunt when their soul energy just releases. He has used his powers on living beings before, but strongly prefers not to abuse that convenience unless necessary. In extraordinary cases, absorbing a particularly potent soul imparts an aspect of that creature onto him. As was when he fought the blight bear after he first turned, absorbing the being’s soul now allows him to transform his body into that creature and gain their traits, albeit at a great cost to his own energy.

In addition to this unique ability, his already impressive strength further increased with the turning, as did his resilience to the cold. Like other blight born he is adverse to the light, which makes this nightscape a godsend and in addition he is somehow far denser than he was before; in other words, he can’t swim anymore.