Wine Cellars: The Seven Swords of Champions

The Seven Swords were forged with magic and issued to various Champions who have wielded them to great effect in the name of good. In the times since, the Swords have appeared sporadically but they never remain in the public eye for long before disappearing again until needed.

Each of the Swords has a specific gem in its hilt or pommel and is inscribed with runes that can only be seen with magical detection. A keen eye will discern that normal runes are also present depicting each blades name though the runes vary from blade to blade. Each of the Swords has its own distinct type of foe it was forged to combat. The gem of each Sword will emit a pulsating glow when near its target creature and the glow will pulse faster the closer the target gets, as well as becoming brighter the more of that kind of foe there is.

From the Scrolls in the library at Broomsage Abbey we can find the names and types of swords the champions used. The seven are described as follows.

"Spellslayer"-Wizard-Bane (amethyst gem) a long sword created to slay Magic-Users and Mage-like monsters.

Wizard-Bane

“Draugr doom” or "Requiem Aeternum"-Wraith-Bane (moonstone gem) a long sword created to slay the Unliving.

Wraith-Bane

“Gifar grimas”-Troll-Bane (emerald gem) the dwarf short sword was created to slay trolls and ogres.

Troll-Bane

“Lyg Dagnir”-Dragon-Bane (ruby gem) a two-handed sword created to slay dragons.

Dragon-Bane

“Grobbi Drengi”-Swerting-Bane (topaz gem) a dwarf short sword created to slay goblins, orcs and other swerting.

Swerting-bane

“Radag Dagnir”-Beast-Bane (amber gem) a two-handed sword created to slay unnatural beasts and monsters.

Beast-Bane

"Saint's Blade" Hell-Bane (citrine gem) a long sword created to slay the minions of the underworld and infernal creatures.

Saint's Blade

Now and again rumor or tale surfaces promising the location of one or more of these blades, none have yet proven to be true.

Wine Cellars: Rupert the Axeman, vile cretin and wanted man!

Duke Marqest had many men in his employ, though none was as vile as Rupert the Axeman.

Rupert eyes a maiden!

Rupert was in charge of the capture of maidens, who were to be used for ransom or dark rituals depending on the Dukes current mood. Originally he was a ruthless bandit leader who lived on the western border in a large, decaying tower. He commanded many deadly henchmen and notably kept a displacer cat to dispose of unwanted "guests".

He was a ruthless and sadistic man who took great pleasure in the suffering and death of others. He showed as little mercy to his allies as he did his enemies. Rupert was very greedy, when it came to both food and gold. He was so successful in his duties that the Duke bestowed the title of Knight upon him and he became know as Sir Rupert the Axeman. In the final days of the Marqest reign Rupert disappeared and tales of his death soon followed, though no body or barrow has ever been produced.

Proof of Rupert the Axeman's death in the form of an identifiable corpse, or the location of his burial site could bring a reward. Any information or physical proof should be brought to Vicar Osrin at the Chapel in Hamlet of Hemlock.

Wine Cellars: Magick and those who use it...

 There are only a handful of Magic-Users roaming about, and by that we mean those of the Human-kind. Everyone knows the elves have magic in their blood, and the other demi-races seem to have some natural affinity for it.

 Now the most powerful, or as some would say "Frightening" is Radcliffe the Remorseless. He lives

Radcliffe

somewhere along the southern border of Marqest in a tall tower on a hill.
Folk swear that all the local ravens answer to him and he watches through their eyes well.

Some call him "Necromancer" because of his pallid complexion and dead stare, and they cross the road to avoid him if encountered when out and about. A few even believe that Radcliffe once worked for the Duke himself and that he seeks to rekindle the dark power he once enjoyed before the Duke was brought low.

If it is the lore of spell-craft, magical weapons or items of power you seek, then it is rumored that Radcliffe is who you should seek.


Then there is the Enchantress by the name of Sindy-Loo. She is quite eclectic and fond of visitors who come for tea. Her tower is somewhere much closer to the Marqest village proper, though the

Sindy-Loo

exact location is not well known. An expert in all things potion, elixir, trinket, or arts of the oracle it is said there is none better.

Sindy is beloved by the local villagers and welcomed when she infrequently appears. More often than not if you seek the Enchantress you will eventually run afoul of her valet, a swarthy halfling by the name of Harold "Harry" Herbwood.  If you can get on his good-side Harry will take you straight to Sindy-Loo, otherwise figuring out how to locate her tower can be quite the puzzle!





 Then there are the wandering mages, the most notable is Vexus Lustmort; a fire wizard of some ill-repute. His ability to incinerate things is second to none, as many eyewitnesses can attest! The

Vexus

Demon-helmed Conjuror speaks little and all adventuring business is handled by his Apprentice. He has been known to join Adventuring Parties as a Magical consultant. Many believe the Demonic-helm is actually a relic of the Duke's seeking to regain entry to some secret level of the Dungeon!

Vexus seems to be a specialized style of magic-user, and his speciality is FIRE! Silas Pratt ( a Veteran of the Cellar) has stated that the Conjuror was able to walk unharmed through raging flames in order to rescue him when his cottage caught fire after a disagreement with a house-elf. Another witness of the prowess of Vexus is Cthoo the Barbarian bouncer of the Dog-n-Bone tavern in Marqest Village.

The most enigmatic Arcane wanderer of late is the Magician Icirus, a wizened Owl-man from the

Icirus

fabled animal kingdom of Orinthrope. Icirus has shown great interest in the secrets of the Wine Cellars as well as the recently discovered Yonnvarg.

Icirus was until recently a victim of the Square Tower Basilisk, a fate from which was saved by some adventurers. Like Vexus, the Owl magician can be prompted to join an adventuring party if the journey seems interesting to him.






There have been a handful of other Mediums & Seers who have shown up in Marqest to seek the Arcane path, most however are dead or missing somewhere in the Wine Cellars. 

Do you seek to understand the mysteries of the arcane? Mayhap you seek knowledge of sorcery beyond your understanding or skill. These are a few of the ones who might be able to aid you, for a price......