Amilko Moonshadow, the Herald of Chaos

   Here we have the personal history of one Amilko Moonshadow, once a simple Theran High Elf, now a Squirrel – and the Herald of the next Age of Chaos.

   Amilko was orphaned at an early age, and was placed in the care of his maternal Uncle, Urith Bene’. Urith was a minor priest, and wasn’t all that sure what to do with a small child (roughly equivalent to a human six-year-old)… He made sure that Amilko was well cared for, well-educated, and introduced to a selection of possible future occupations – but he didn’t keep an eye on his acquaintances. After all, how much trouble could a child that young get into?

   As it turned out, a child that age could get into quite a bit of trouble. Amilko was bright, alert, and agile. He made an excellent lookout for when the kids were up to something. He wasn’t much of a “thief” – but he got pretty good at sneaking, athletics, and tinkering with gadgetry. Things got worse when somebody dared him to sneak into Magus Ymrys Maytheren’s Tower.

   Ymrys was a decent fellow; most of his wards and occult traps were attuned to those who came to steal or work harm. Many of the others were designed to entrap and/or restrain. Amilko didn’t mean any harm – and wasn’t there to steal either. He was just sneaking in on a bet.

   Amilko really was quite talented; he got past quite a lot of things on his own.

   It wouldn’t have been enough – but chaos and entrophy walked with him. Luck and coincidence, focused by an ancient power, conspired to bring him to a sort of destiny.

   The Chaos Orb.

   Ymrys had restrained it for centuries. The forces of order had grown and flourished across the land. The empire was old and stable, linked by a network of gates, it’s government centered on it’s immortal gods. It’s disciplined forces could be rushed to any threatened point, and were more then a match for any likely threat.

   Unreleased, the energies of chaos grew until they could at last reach through Ymrys’s wards, and call a champion to set them free.

   Amilko wasn’t a typical choice, but even the most powerful artifacts and relics have to work with what they can get.

   Enthralled, Amilko reached thru the suddenly- failing wards, plucked the orb from a case that had held it securely for centuries – and tried to make the pretty thing do whatever it did.

   Chaos flowed out into the world. The pulse was strong enough to directly twist reality for miles around the city. Beyond that, chaos only erupted in localized nodes.

   Dimensional rifts.

   The rise of unheard-of powers.

   The awakening of ancient artifacts.

   Curses, blessings, and transformations.

   Less dramatically, the “background level” of chaos began to rise across the world. Rioting, rebellions, factions, treachery, communications breakdowns, storms, and various disruptions.

   Unfortunately, Amilko, while young enough to be extremely malleable, was remarkably willful; He didn’t become a Chaos Lord, ready to issue a challenge to the order of the empire. The power pouring thru him was turned to another course.

   He got cute and fuzzy instead.

   Amilko fled the city, and took up residence in the forest nearby. Unfortunately, however ill- suited he may be for the role’, Amilko is still the Herald of Chaos, a focus of disorder and entropy – doomed to be at the center of disruptive and/or destructive events.

   In his paws, even the most minor things have a way of going seriously wrong.

   On the other hand, if he dies, another agent can be chosen – and he, at least, usually means more or less well.

   Still, he’s been at least partly responsible for a lot of chaos over the last few years.

 

   Some places – and partners – who have been:

   Dun Ishara; This prosperous city was notable for it’s enchanted springs, mining, the Obelisk of Tennin, and the tower of Ymrys Maytheren – who had lived there for centuries, while a the city grew up around him in the mountain foothills.

   Now partly in ruins, it’s inhabitants transformed into monsters, wrapped in a maze of wild magic, and a center for the power of chaos, Dun Ishara is cut off from the outside world. Even those residents who were outside it at the time have found their memories becoming confused – and most of the world has forgotten it entirely…

   The gates stand silent, ignored in the midst of busy squares. Those who traded in the gems and produces of Ishara have turned to other crafts. Some inhabitants remember – vaguely – what they once were, most are lost to their new forms.

   The power of chaos flows through gates, into the empire’s heart, and through it’s veins. The next age is on it’s way.

   Some Inhabitants of Dun Ishara include:

• Darian Muselfi; Leader/Guardian of the local street kids (CG, a level three ranger-rogue type) and currently an Androsphinx. Darian vaguely remembers what he was before – and looks after quite a few small creatures. A fairly good friend of Amilko’s,
• Kandar Sabwell; A self-centered and modestly exploitive young thief (CN, level two), currently a half-blooded Yuan-Ti (Serpentine lower body). He’s very pragmatic, but pretty undependable if there’s nothing in it for him.
• Urith Bene’; Amilko’s Maternal Uncle – and a reasonably competent cleric (level six, the Strength and Animal domains, Str 24, Wis 14) – now a minotaur. He’s not too clear on the past – but is more CN then CE and doesn’t get lost in the city. He tends to sit around and drink beer now.
• Berda Bene’; Urith’s wife – once a tolerably competent witch, if a bit of a household tyrant at times – now an Ogre Mage. Berda’s enslaved a number of the minor creatures around and spends her time supervising things.
• Ymrys Maytheren; An ancient archmage, one of the seven who bound the first age of chaos. He spent many centuries quietly retired – save for his role as the custodian of the Chaos Orb. He didn’t entirely approve of a city growing about his tower – but didn’t stop it.

   Some past adventurous friends include:

   Group One; Travelers In The Wilderness:

• Iasonn Sen Harell; A minor druid who decided to set up a druidic grove and circle in the “old” section if wilderness around Dun Ishara. Oddly enough, no one sees anything wrong with an area of wilderness and ruins simply being overlooked “up until now”.
• Martigan; An agile swordsman who tends to rush in and trust to his astounding reflexes to carry the day. If Iasonn settled down, Martigan is probably still wandering around getting into trouble.

Group Two, Mercenaries and Plunderer’s:

• Hardin Vorkasinn; An opportunistic mercenary warrior, Hardin really liked money. His idea of an ideal mission was to get paid by side “A” to take out side “B” – and to hit side “B” just as they’d exhausted themselves capturing “A”, and thus collect payment, loot, and a fee for selling both sides into slavery. He still runs a modest mercenary company.
• Jerris Sen Kuva’ra; A specialist necromancer and general maniac-depressive, Jerris was the one who gave Amilko a lot of his nastier “ideas” on how to get information out of people. Still, he was very loyal to his friends. When last heard from he’d locked himself away with some magical tome or other.
• Olava Sudantor; A barbaric priestess of Odin (with the Death and Magic domains), Olava had started developing Valkyrie abilities before she was killed in battle, and so often turns up on errands for her bloodthirsty god, to escort souls on their way, or to act as a guide to the otherworlds.

   Ronourakoskalen, The Bringer Of Midnight; An ancient black dragon and master alchemist, with the ability to “bottle” his own breath weapon – or to use it as an arcane catalyst. His agents distribute his horrific poisons, flasks of acid venom, and spirit-imbued weapons all across the empire – and bring in a handsome profit. He had a very bad week some years ago, and still doesn’t know just what happened.

   Marchanburg; Noted for it’s distillery, fine woodcraft and annual bardic festival, Marchanburg is still rebuilding after a mysterious, and near- inextinguishable, fire burned it to the ground.

   Emeril Tons; Emeril ran a magic shop in Marchanburg and tended to be quite wary of his apprentice’s tendency towards magical practical jokes. He’s a bit bitter about the backlash against the use of magic in the city since the fire and has taken up a wandering life using a “gypsy”-style wagon since then.

   Dalos-On-The-River; This modest river valley town found itself on the imperial borders after Dun Ishara disappeared – and was too small, and too unimportant, to have a gate. When it found itself besieged by monsters it turned to Hardin and his friends to help out. This wasn’t a good idea; Hardin and his friends lifted the siege – but blew up a dam upriver and washed away quite a chunk of the town in doing so.

　

   Amilko’s Personal Narrative:

   Why do I have to stay with Uncle Bene’? What `appened to Mommy and Daddy?

   Why do you want me to watch out for Illaran? How can we get candy if he’s not here? Yeah, I always find people first in hide-n-seek, but…

   I CAN TOO sneak into Magus Maythern’s tower!

   I bet he’s got lots’a of neat stuff in there too.

   I wonder if I can make this thing work?

   Oh-Oh.

   The whole cities gone funny!

   Uncle Bene! Uncle Bene!

   Uncle Bene???

   Uncle Bene’ turned into a minotaur!

   ((((((Run away! Run away!))))))

 

   BAD HAWK! GO AWAY!

   HATE those things.

 

   Hello Mr Druid! The old fortress? It’s about five miles over that way, why?

   (Martigan) >Hey Iasonn – why can I understand it too?<

   (Iasonn) >WHAT?!?<

   Why shouldn’t I talk to everybody?

   (Martigan) >It’s an ANCIENT BLACK DRAGON Iasonn! It could use my longsword for a !@#$%^&* TOOTHPICK! What’re you going to do next time it sticks it’s blasted head in here?!?<

   (Iasonn) >I’m barely an Initiate Martigan! You might as well ask the bloody SQUIRREL to stop it!<

   OK! Errr… Well… Next time it sticks it’s head in, I’ll hop on, and ask it to cut it out!

   Hmmm. It doesn’t seem to hear me… Maybe if I go down into it’s ear?… Still trying to get Iasonn and Martigan? Meanie! I’m gonna bang on it’s eardrum until it pays attention to me – if it takes ALL WEEK!

   (Iasonn) >Martigan! Now’s our chance! The things gone nuts! I don’t know what that squirrel’s gone and done, but it’s sure not paying any attention to us! RUN!!!<

   Phew… I thought this thing was NEVER going to tire out enough to fall sleep when I stopped banging. Time to leave I think… I’m HUNGRY. I wonder if there are any acorns around here?

   That dragon did a lot of damage while it was running around…

   I hope nobody was hurt.

   It’s getting to be wintertime. Snow won’t be nearly as much fun to play in without a blazing fireplace to curl up by… I don’t think I can manage one really; Maybe I can get one of those everburning things, a tindertwig would do fine. I’ll have to go into town for one, but I’ve got some little gems left over from that dragon.

   It’s ME talking Mr Wizard! ME!

    ME! ME! ME!

   Stop looking for a ventriloquism spell!

   I want something to keep my tree warm! Maybe that I could push a little extra mana into when it’s really cold…

   Why shouldn’t I be able to use magic? Uncle Bene’ can – and his fingers are really, really, clumsy cause he’s a minotaur.

   So I can pick it up in a week?

   OW! Rotten Cat! Get OFF ME!

   Err… Maybe I shouldn’t channeled that much extra mana through it… The whole place caught fire from it – and it was enchanted to be inex- tinguishable… Guess I shouldn’t have dropped it when it flared up… At least all the people got out…

   Miserable cat.

   It was a lousy town anyway.

   I think I’ll just use a blanket for a bit.

   Maybe I should work on locking the mana into things a bit more instead. There’re quite a few spells that it’d be handy to be able to hold in reserve.

   Twigs seem to work best. I wonder why?

　

   But Hardinnn! It’s NOT my fault! I’m not the one who built a dam here! How could I know that water’d transmit the blast from a Bead Of Force that way? `sides, they said “anything it takes to lift the siege” didn’ they? The bad guys all washed away with the walls an west end of town, so siege is over an we get paid!

   Err… Well maybe it would be better to just loot the attacker’s bodies and leave. The town treasury is sorta buried under mud anyway.

   Do people a favor, and are they grateful? Nooo…

   Spring again, and I’m bored… I wonder what happened to Iasonn and Martigan? Maybe if I hitch a ride in this ogre’s packs, something exciting will come up – and if he even notices I can pay my way with some healing and protective spells.

   Maybe I can find a magus to hook up with for awhile too… It might be fun to look into some other kinds of magic for a bit.

   And it was off to actually start the game… Simply for the whimsy, I’ll be putting the final version of Amilko up; who doesn’t need an epic level squirrel running about?