Sadly, two of the original River Voices have died in the two years since the campaign started (1618, current year is 1620). One died a gruesome, horrible death. The other died by his own hand.
[NOTE: The River Voices are minor heroes of the Zola Fel valley. They each
bear a holy mark on their palms placed there by Zola Fel. They are regarded
with awe by the River Folk.]
Garrent Longstride, a Lokarnos initiate from Sun County, dead. Garrent was either the dimmest or unluckiest of the River Voices. Strong and large, he nevertheless could barely swing a sword and couldn't dodge pidgeon droppings. Worse yet, he often found himself mysteriously "in charge," though he was also an utterly incompetent manager and negotiator. He blythely offended the Arroyans after they spent much magic to repair him after an encounter with the Devil-Under-Rubble. Thereafter, the Arroyans politely deflected he requests for spells and healing.
He managed to offend the Count of Sun County by speaking heresies before him (for which he instantly recieved 12 lashes from a dried bull penis). His only mark of fame (besides somehow surviving as a River Voice) was to become an initiate of Yelmalio. Somehow, he managed to convince Count Ironpike that he was competent enough to lead a file of men to deal with the Black Rock incursion. In the end, he allowed two dozen crazed bison Uroxi to freely roam into Sun County, the chaos-touched villagers of Black Rock to escape to Horn Gate and away from the Count's justice, and the ogre children of Black Rock to escape into the wilderness where they continue to plague Sun County to this day. Upon reporting his failure to deal with the Black Rock incident to the Count's satisfaction, Garrent fell on his sword. Perhaps he was pushed. We don't know.
Shore Devonwater, Riverfolk "noble", dead. The only River Folk among the River Voices and a child of a wealthy fisher clan, Shore suffered one ignobility after another. Steadfast and polite, he acted as a vital link between the River Folk, the Zola Fel, and the other River Voices. However, at the moment the River Voices undertook their great adventure against the Devil-Under-Rubble, he was cut-down and taken away by a foul chaos creature. His body was never recovered and the River Voices still mourn for the loss of their young comrade.
Wahakin, Red Stripe Sable Clan Warrior. Wahakin is the most aloof and mysterious of the the River Voices. Always in tune with the spirits of land, beast, and water, Wahakin has ardently followed the Path of Daka Fal. He is quiet and humorous, often blackly so, and polite in civilized company. His ancestor, Wuha, help him defeat the foul broo shaman Toadface and has lead him on the arduous path of shamanhood. Wahakin spends most of his time in the wastes with his bison, chewing spiritweed and interpreting dreams. His accuracy at dream-reading is uncanny and he seems able to show up when he is most needed by his comrades. He spent the last year as a virtual hermit. Wuha finally asked their ancestor Waxha to test Wahakin. Wahakin passed Waxha's tests and has become a Daka Fal shaman.
Bloodletter aka Goldenaxe [real name unknown], Pavisite Uroxi. Bloodletter is an intelligent and highly skilled Uroxi. His axe has often saved the River Voices from certain death. Though brave (but rarely foolhardy), Bloodletter is easily discouraged by bad luck and can become agressive against his friends and the world if things go badly for him. Perhaps that is because things generally go well for him. After killing the Devil-Under-Rubble (he and Wahakin shared the glory of that kill), he met and impressed Sor-Eel, who saw the young, ambitious Uroxi as a possible recruit to the Lunar Way -- and a valuable one. Sor-Eel has made it one of his pet projects to convince Bloodletter, whose Sartarite father was killed by the Lunars at Boldhome, that the coming of the Glowline is both inevitable and desirable. So far, Bloodletter has managed to keep Sor-Eel's corrupting influence at arm's length, but there are signs that his resolve is weakening.
Bloodletter currently spends a great deal of time farming in Garhound, where he lives with his wife, Melisande and their two twin children. He also shares some of the blame for the travesty at Black Rock, but is too proud to admit his culpability to the Count or anyone else. Garrent's suicide stains his soul. Still, Bloodletter is a hero-of-note in the valley and generally thought well of. Once, while fighting an ancient vampire, he called upon Urox with his dying breath. The Great Bull answered and destroyed the vampire by stomping him into the earth. Then the Great Bull saved Bloodletter's life for it was not his fate to die that day.
Naiya Omash, Pavisite [Dara Happan ex-patriate family], Chalana Arroy Initiate. Naiya's family is from Dara Happa, adventurous settlers who came to Pavis to make their fortune on the frontier. Naiya entered the Temple at a young age against her father's wishes (he wised her to enter the Seven Mothers or, like her mother, Teelo Norri). Naiya embraced the teachings of the Healer and was travelling to Corflu to offer her services as a nurse to the Lunar garrison there when the Zola Fel choose her.
She has heroically followed the Temple's teaching and has argued many times for mercy against the River Voice's opponents; she usually triumphs in these arguments. She has put herself in harm's way at least twice - she once took an arrow shot by Bloodletter for at opponent who was fleeing. She has distinguished herself as a negotiator and as a unbegrudging healer (though it was she who informed the Pavis sisters of her comrade Garrent's disrespect of the Healer's Gifts, thus cutting him off from Her powerful aid).
She has thoroughly impressed Duke Raus, Count Ironpike, Sor-Eel, and Gim-gim with her tenacity, machiavellian mind, and compassion. All of them hope to recruit her to their side as she gains prestige in the Temple (though she recently had a falling-out with Ironpike). Naiya rescued the villagers of Black Rock from Ironpike's justice by taking them to Horn Gate where she tended them for a year until they were cured of the chaos sickness that infected their bodies and minds. Ironpike has not forgiven her for that.
Naiya has made the first tentative steps towards illumination, though she doesn't quite understand all that it entails yet - or even that she has stepped on that path. Her illumination is natural and comes from within, a product of her egalitarian beliefs. Illuminates in the valley have recognized this and now wonder how to cultivate and empower her inner light.
Naiya's chief desire is to become a fully vested priestess of the Temple and roam the Zola Fel valley, tending all who live there. She is probably the most deeply committed River Voice and never forgets to perform her Zola Fel rites. She enjoys visiting Kinope and Brighteye at New Bog when she is free of her healing duties.
Naiya befriended the baboon Melo-Yelo and worked hard to convince the Temple
of Yelmalio to initiate him - which she finally managed to do (at great
personal cost). It was this deed that brought her to the Cusp of Nysalor.
[Readers of the list will note that this actually turned out well for the
Yelmalions, who now employ a file of baboons as spies, scouts, and
messengers.]
The Replacements
Garrent's player has not made a new character. Shore's player has made a new character, a Carmanian ex-sorceror's apprentice named Antony. Antony is the son of a Carmanian nobleman and was sent to be an attache for Sor-Eel. Sor-Eel offered Antony to Gim-gim, who was short of agents. Gim-gim, in turn, sent Antony to act as a "liason" between Sun County and the Governor. Antony did well at this first task, which he performed for a year. Antony has become good friends with the Sun Temple librarian, Hector, and has spent a great deal of time learning the customs and language of Sun County. Gim-gim recently reassigned Antony to Duke Raus, whom he serves in a similar capacity as attache to Count Ironpike (but transferring any important information to Gim-gim, of course). Shore met the remaining River Voices about one year ago when he went with them to find and destroy the ancient vampire. He recently met them again when Duke Raus commisioned Bloodletter for a bounty hunt. Though nominally a Seven Mothers initiate, Antony shows little religious depth and thinks of the River Voices broo-ha-ha as so much barbarian superstitious clap-trap. Nevertheless, he respects the remaining River Voices' obvious skill and power: Bloodletter's fighting prowess, Wahakin's deep spirituality and blossoming primitive magical power, and Naiya's purity of purpose and clarity of mind. Fate has seen fit to place him in their company twice, and since Gim-gim has encouraged the associations, Antony doesn't mind hitching his star to theirs for a while. He has even considered painting a stigmata on his hand, even though this might offend the Voices and would not fool anyone on close inspection. (Can you say slimy?)
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