Age: a meaningless question
Disposition: cold, suspicious, haunted
Religious Affiliation: Waertagi
Political Affiliation: Waertagi
Council Votes: none so far - but they promised the Waertagi one last time
BACKGROUND You are Gnethis, elected captain of the Waertagi city-ship Neleomi Breeze. You have steered your people on a Age-long voyage through Hell: now is the time for the world to feel your vengeance!
As a member of the Waertagi race, you are descended from the Saviour-Prophet Malkion's son Waertag. As everyone knows, Malkion was the son of wind and water: Aerlit Kolating and Warera Triolina were his parents. The Waertagi worship the mystical family of Malkion in the manner their founder taught: all the gods and spirits of Air and Sea are known to you and give you aid, from Brastalos, the deadly goddess of Calms and Waterspouts, to Sog, the spirit of Tidal Waves.
Waertag was the first person ever to make a boat and take to the sea. He was a son of Malkion Founder and a Triolini born during the wonders and glories of the Gods Age. In the Golden Age Waertag made many great adventures. Among them are his wrestling with a great Dragon, in which Waertag mostly won. The result of this is that your Waertagi race knew thereafter a special charm to call a Sea Dragon unto them and, with more special magics, could fight it and defeat it. If this was done then the dragon spirit would be bound to the old body and act as a protective spirit for it.
The old body of the animal would be enchanted with great magics which would convert the husk into a palatial and marvellous ship, sometimes as much as one-half mile long and a quarter-mile wide. Each part of the dragon would be used by the sea-going race. These are the origins of the great city-ships of the Waertagi, like your own home the Neleomi Breeze. Aboard the first or these ships Waertag gained his immortal fame in the Darkness when he sailed across the seas of chaos to rescue his kinsmen, the other descendants of Malkion.
The immense ships of the Waertagi ruled the oceans of the Dawn Age. But they were unprepared for the troubles of the Second Age, when the Jrusteli God Learners broke the Waertagi monopoly on the construction and navigation of ocean-going craft. They fought a dire battle against the assembled fleet of your nation, and unleashed the deadly firebergs of Tanian against them: great masses of burning water, an impossibility that destroyed half your people.
The survivors of the battle fled in terror, and for over two centuries the Waertagi remained in obscurity, skulking off the major sea-lanes and living by piracy and brigandage off the rich spoils of the Middle Sea Empire. You were born in the closing years of the Second Age, when the great Armada of all the Waertagi assembled in secrecy and sailed to challenge Jrustela once more. You watched as the island-continent of Jrustela was lashed by typhoons and hurricanes, hammered by tidal waves, and finally drowned beneath the waves of death. You had won your greatest battle, but the cost had been such that the Armada no longer had the strength to combat what came after.
At the end of the Second Age, a great curse known as the Closing struck the Oceans. It radiated from Brithos, the island home of Zzabur the Sorcerer Supreme, and swept all shipping from the waves. Your whole people, who lived on board ships, were all but wiped out by this calculating act of genocide. Some of the great city-ships were driven ashore and ruined; others were driven to the immortal lands whence none can return. Most of them, though, did as your crew elected, and took the Death Currents down into the immense Whirlpool of Magasta at the centre of the world, sailing their ships into the waters of the Underworld, to face the Otherworld as a whole rather than one at a time.
For a timeless Age, your city-ship sailed the primal Seas of Hell. Through the darkness of the Underworld you journeyed in deathless ambience, questing ever onwards. Vile things sought to sink your ship in the Stygian black waters, or lure you aside from your voyage to be marooned on the furthest shores of Hell. Your family and officers were snatched from you; your comrades in the crew came close to despair. But you prevailed: against all the fears and terrors of the Underworld, the course you set was straight and true. Your people had braved Death while still living, and survived! Your mighty vessel rose from the Sea of Styx to reach the circling River of Sramak that encircles the world, and thence back to the Western Ocean, in the Inner World known to mortal folk. Now, now is the time to make yourselves known in the world of men!
Sog City is the ancient home-port of your vessel. It contains a vast dry-dock where her hull can be repaired (and healed!) from the damage suffered on its voyage through Hell; it is inhabited by many thousands of Waertagi who could join your crew to replace the many, many losses inflicted by the denizens and dangers of the Nether World. You have sailed ahead of the Neleomi Breeze in a small Fastship, to scout out the territory and prepare the way for your ship's homecoming.
You arrived this morning to a rapturous reception by many greenskinned Waertagi city-dwellers. Soon afterward you learned that you had fortuitously arrived at the time of an Ecclesiastical Council.
You have decided to use the opportunity to orientate yourself to the new political and economic situation. There will be many great western land and sea powers at this Council and you will be able to see how the Waertagi can now carve a new role for themselves.
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES Your objectives will depend on how you are received by the locals, Waertagi and human alike.
WHO YOU KNOW Abdelcar, Vadeli Observer: this race has been disowned by most right-thinking people as illegitimate (outside the Natural Laws and the Law of the Prophet Malkion). In the past they have been implacable enemies of the Waertagi. Moreover, in this Age of the world they are a powerful seafaring nation. You remember meeting this Vadeli once, soon after you were born, at an ill-judged peace conference.
Judge Grudd, Mayor of Sog City: a human who preserves the fragile rule of Law in Sog City. He may become a foe, if you decide to reclaim the city for the Waertagi through your contacts with the Blues and Greens, but there is no need to let him know this yet.
Guisidio Capratis, Bishop of Neleoswal: this man is from the trading nation of Pasos which has a powerful fleet in the region.
Pelinorius Staarki, Vice-Chancellor of the University: a human who seeks to expound the Mysteries of the Deep. His meddling and false prophecies have escalated the mood of crisis in the city, stirring up dissension between the Blue and Green Waertagi natives. Moreover, he is believed to be in communication with the Brithini Overlords who secretly rule the city from their Brass Citadel.
Portin Dunbar, Hereditary Conciliator of the Council: he supervises the council and will be the one to give you the vote that is your right.
Sathsuis, Bishop of Nolos: this Rokari bishop is a representative of the fleet of the Duchy of Nolos.
RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES You are a follower of those teachings of your ancestor Malkion known to his son Waertag. These are a closed book to the land-dwellers, whose petty preoccupations with Castes and Commandments have no relevance upon the ocean wave. Particularly unusual is their dismissal of all gods, spirits and other entities of Power as "pagan" - Malkion himself was the child of Wind and Wave!
The Waertagi have traditionally remained neutral in the religious controversies of the West, and although it is not necessary for you to maintain this age-old posture, it is what the locals will expect of you. Neither your crew nor yourself will be willing to "convert" to any Malkioni sect.
However, you can use this fact to sell your votes to any faction that will support your aims and objectives.
RUMOURS
TRADE GOODS/SPECIAL ITEMS Arktanian Oysters. You have a limited supply of this magically-potent substance, which many sorcerers make use of in their Immortality Spells. They can be sold, or exchanged for favours and other commitments. Moreover, as Immortality Spells are usually prohibited to pious Malkioni wizards, anyone who wishes to buy these from you is probably easy to blackmail. Worth at least 100 crowns each.
Styx Water. You have a very small quantity of this potent liquid. When applied, it can induce forgetfulness and sleep, and destroys the Undead. Worth at least 50 - 100 crowns each.
Boarding Passes. You have a large number of boarding passes. By ancient (indeed, Scriptural) custom, the holder of a boarding pass is permitted aboard any Waertagi vessel that is travelling in the desired direction and has spare cargo capacity. Your supply includes both individual passes (sufficient for single passengers) and block-bookings (which could be used to transport large bodies of troops). No Waertagi ship will ever transport a passenger who does not possess one of these talismans. Worth at least 50 crowns each - depending on the level of hysteria!
SPECIAL SKILLS/MAGIC Ancient Mariner: You are a man who has been through Hell and back. You have a tale to tell, and a glittering eye with which to transfix your audience...
Carouse: You are adept at having a good time and youre the life and soul of the party. However, you can also use this to extract information.
Contact Blueskins: As a Waertagi Captain, you can contact the stranded Blueskins and attempt to enlist them.
Contact Greenskins: As a Waertagi Captain, you can order the native Greenskin dockers to work for you.
Intimidate: You can impose your will on another character.
Magical Damage Resistance: If an assassin or knight attacks you then they cannot do their full amount of damage.
Summon Sog: At the price of a human virgin sacrifice, you can summon a vast tidal wave. This is normally done to bring your ship into dock, but it could have other uses.
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