This thread is not meant for discussion, which can take place in the various OOC threads of the Ptolus/AD&D game proper.

This here is a reference thread that will provide summarized information about all the people, places and factions the characters interact with or hear about (which means some of this information may be blatantly wrong, if believed to be true). Each entry will then refer to each other, and/or be referenced to throughout the game as it is being played.

Naturally, all entries are going to be updated as the game unfolds.

Here's a summary of all the different entries in this thread so far:

People
Angharad
Bertold
Cadfan the Dwarf
Commissar (The)
Delbaeth the Elf
Erarht the Orc
Maulbert (Brother)
Mundel of Kantz

Places
Dalenguard
Dawnbreaker (The)
Gold Ladder (The)
Goth Gulgamel
Iridithil's Home
Jabel Shammar
Spire (The)

Groups & Factions
Brotherhood of the Sword (The)
Church of Lothian (The)
Imperial Guard (The)
Knighthood of the Rattle and Spear
Order of St. Fharlang (The)
Pactlords of the Quaan (The)

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Ptolus/AD&D Threads on the RPG Site
Pre-game Chat
Player Characters
Experience Points
Out-of-character thread #1
People and Places of Ptolus
In-character thread #1 - The Gold Ladder
In-character thread #1a - Delbaeth
In-character thread #2 - Underground (part 1)
In-character thread #2b - Limbus Sanguineum
In-character thread #3 - Back to the Surface
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Map of Ptolus in 431 of the Imperial Age.

The Spire

Location: Directly west of Ptolus.
Related People and Places: Jabel Shammar, Goth Gulgamel, Dalenguard.

Appearance:



Background: The Spire is a site of great mystery and power. It is said that long ago a good man built the fortress that is still resting on top of it, and that somehow, this man was twisted to evil and became the Dread One, a dark power of legend who ruled the land from the Spire and its fortress, renamed Jabel Shammar. Much later, Ghul, the Half God, built a fortress half-way up its length, which was named Goth Gulgamel. It is from there that he started to conquer the lands around, up until humans, elves and dwarves banded together to stop his madness. Since then, it is said the power of the Spire remains dormant. It is for fear that the powers of the Spire would one day return that the fortress  of Dalenguard was built in its vicinity.

Destination:  unknown.

Dalenguard

Location: Directly east of the Spire.
Related People and Places: The Commissar, the Imperial Guard.

Appearance:



Background: Dalenguard was built by dwarves allied to the Empire of Tarsis to keep the powers of the Spire from returning to Palastan (see the Empire’s map). It is now the seat of power of the Commissar and his men, who are all faithful to the Empire of Tarsis, and allies of the Church of Lothian.

Destination: Keep the evils of the Spire at bay; provide law and order to the people of Ptolus (though in most respects, Dalenguard doesn’t seem to care what happens outside the city walls).

Jabel Shammar

Location: Directly on top of the Spire.
Related People and Places: The Spire.

Appearance: Hard to tell from such a distance. It's a castle for sure, and it seems to have at least three prominent towers as part of its architecture.

Background: This was the fortress of a legendary leader of men who turned to evil long before Ghul the Half God became a threat to the world.

Destination: A reminder of evils past?

Goth Gulgamel

Location: Half-way up the Spire.
Related People and Places: The Spire.

Appearance: Hard to tell from such a distance. It seems to be constituted of a series of fortified constructions directly along the steep wall of the Spire.

Background: Goth Gulgamel was the castle of Ghul the Half God, who tried to conquer the world about five centuries ago.

The Commissar

Name: unknown.
Age: unknown.
Alignment: Lawful.
Allies: The Imperial Guard (underlings), the Church of Lothian.
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: The Empire of Tarsis.
Hangouts: Dalenguard.

Appearance: unknown.

Personality: unknown.

Background: The Commissar is the leader of the imperial forces in the vicinity of Ptolus and its Spire. He acts, in effect, as governor of the city and its holdings, and “acts in the Emperor’s stead” in whichever way he sees fit.

The Imperial Guard



Founded in: unknown.
Alignment: Lawful.
Leader: The Commissar.
Allies: The Church of Lothian
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: The Empire of Tarsis.
Headquarters: Dalenguard.

Beliefs and Organization: These are mostly conscripted imperial soldiers put under the direct command of the Commissar, and are charged by the Empire to assist him in his governing tasks.

Background: unknown.

The Gold Ladder

Location: Within the city walls, just to the north east of Dalenguard.
Related People and Places: Bertold, Angharad, Cadfan, Delbaeth, the Brothers of St. Fharlang.

Appearance:



Background: Bertold bought this place where a tower and a few ruins once stood, and converted them into an tavern and inn for all would-be delvers within the city walls.

Destination: A tavern and inn providing access to the city’s underground levels for a fee.

The Brotherhood of the Sword



Founded in: unknown.
Alignment: Lawful.
Leader: unknown.
Allies: unknown.
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: The Commissar, the Church of Lothian.
Headquarters: unknown.

Beliefs and Organization: "Nah. It's the Brotherhood of the Sword that keeps things from getting ugly with the populace, really. It's a group of war veterans who pledged allegiance to the Church in exchange for a pardon, though the Church itself considers them to be borderline heretics. So they go about town and keep the peace, while the prelates are busy playing politics with the rich and powerful of the place." – Cadfan the Dwarf.

Background: unknown.

The Church of Lothian



Founded in: 477 BE, as Lothian was crucified.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Leader: The Emperor of the Church is spiritual leader of the Church and the Empire, while the actual Emperor of Tarsis is its secular leader. The current Emperor of the Church is Dietmar Venandus Ylestos.
Allies: The Commissar, the Imperial Guard, the Brotherhood of the Sword.
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: The Empire of Tarsis, Lothian.
Headquarters: unknown.

Beliefs and Organization: The Church believes Lothian is the Redeemer of Mankind, and one of the very few mortals to have ascended to Godhood through his martyrdom. The Church’s organization is complex and involves a multitude of various types of titles and corresponding responsibilities, as well as a variety of groups, orders and brotherhoods all under its care and performing a wide variety of tasks all supporting its aims of propagating the Word of Lothian and its influence on the people and imperial authorities alike.

Background: “The Church of Lothian, often just called “the Church,” has been inextricably entwined with the Empire of Tarsis for as long as the Empire has existed. When Delian Von Tessel was crowned Emperor and ascended the Lion-Guarded Throne in Tarsis, the act granted him both secular dominion over the Empire and spiritual leadership of the Church. Even when the Emperor and Emperor of the Church split into two different positions (and thus lineages), Lothianism remained the official religion of the Empire. The Church of Lothian is based around a martyred saint named Lothian who rose from his own grave and ascended into Heaven, becoming the most powerful of the gods, according to his followers. In fact, the harshest of Lothian doctrines maintains that Lothian discovered that all other beings claiming to be gods were actually demons in disguise; this belief teaches that he rose again to bring order to the previously disordered, godless universe.” – Ptolus, City by the Spire.

This explains why other religions are basically outlawed in the Empire, though there is such diversity amongst the people coming to Ptolus to strike it rich that it is nearly impossible for the Imperial Guard or the Church to effectively enforce the law, hence all the shrines and various temples popping up all over the place between the city proper and the docks.

Bertold

Age: unknown.
Alignment: unknown.
Allies: Angharad (niece), Cadfan (aid/friend), Delbaeth (aid/friend), the Brothers of St. Fharlang (debitors), Mundel of Kantz (friend).
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: unknown.
Hangouts: The Gold Ladder.

Appearance: unknown.

Personality: unknown.

Background: Bertold recently built the Gold Ladder and planned to open it to serve as an inn and tavern for would-be delvers. It would also serve as an access to the dungeons under the city of Ptolus. He called on the Brothers of St. Fharlang to help him investigate the place he discovered right below the Ladder. They were victims of an attack while trying to determine what they actually found, and were not heard from ever since.

Order of St. Fharlang



Founded in: unknown.
Alignment: unknown.
Leader: unknown.
Allies: Bertold.
Enemies: The Church of Lothian (?)
Allegiances: The Church of Lothian.
Headquarters: unknown.

Beliefs and Organization: As an Order of the Church of Lothian, the Brothers of St. Fharlang believe in the Redemption of Mankind by its Saint and martyr. Who St. Fharlang was, however, is still unknown at this point, as are the particular missions and beliefs of the Order.

Background: The Brothers of St. Fharlang form an Order that is part of the Church of Lothian. According to Angharad, Bertold, her uncle, owner of the Gold Ladder, helped some of the friars escape "the questions of the Church." In return, the Brothers helped him investigate the place under the Gold Ladder.

The Dawnbreaker

Location: The Docks.

Appearance: A ship of elven design.
Captain: Felnarthir.  

Background: "We were all sailors aboard Captain Felnarthir's ship, the Dawnbreaker. We suddenly found ourselves dead center in a freakish white squall. They usually don't happen so far north, but this one seemed to single us out as it smashed into us. Old Captain Felnarthir got us and the Dawnbreaker through it. However, the Dawnbreaker was severely damaged and we limped into the Bay of Ptolus. The Dawnbreaker is going to be in drydock for quite some time, and so the Captain released the crew here to make their own way." – Rissthil

Destination: The Dawnbreaker is a ship.

Angharad

Age: Late 20s.
Alignment: Good.
Allies: Bertold (uncle) Cadfan (aid/friend), Delbaeth (aid/friend).
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: Bertold.
Hangouts: The Gold Ladder.

Appearance: A cloaked slender figure comes in. [She] takes off her hood and reveals a pretty, long female face with thin eyebrows, emerald eyes and long, dark auburn hair. She starts saying: "They won't have it, Cadfan..." and then stops dead in her tracks, realizing she and the dwarf are not alone.  - (In-character thread 1)



Personality: Empathetic. Helpful. Strong-headed.

Background: Angharad is Bertold’s niece. After the incident involving the Brothers of St. Fharlang occurred in the complex buried under the Gold Ladder, Angharad tried to find some help to recover them. She enlisted the poor children of Ptolus, and found the players’ characters…

Cadfan

Age: Geriatric.
Alignment: unknown.
Allies: Bertold (employer/friend), Angharad (friend), Delbaeth (colleague/friend).
Enemies: unknown.
Allegiances: The Gold Ladder.
Hangouts: The Gold Ladder.

Appearance: You throw a look at your chaperon waiting like you for his boss to come back. A geriatric dwarf with a long white beard and ice cold blue eyes, as it were. He seems weary and tired, though you can see he is hiding it to make it seem like he would be able to take you all in a fight if he had to. Ah! Dwarves: the more these guys grow old and weak, the more they stay the same. - (In-character thread 1)



Personality: Stubborn. Helpful. Genial. Irreverent.

Background: Cadfan is one of Bertold’s aids at the Gold Ladder. He seems very fond of his elven colleague, Delbaeth.