Alador
In the wastelands east of the Mekillot Mountains
blooms a desert rose. The village of Alador was founded by a
templar who in a rare moment of insight discovered compassion
for those who toiled under him. Those slaves he freed have
created a new life for themselves in Alador.
Origin/History
Alador is a slave village founded about eight years
before the downfall of Kalak. The founder, a formerly ruthless
Tyr templar named Micayon, was charged with the task of
transporting a caravan of slaves from Balic to Tyr for the
construction of Kalak’s great ziggurat.
Leading a routine reconnaissance patrol, Micayon
stumbled across a half-dozen ruined merchant wagons.
Investigating further, Micayon discovered an unusually large
band of belgoi responsible for the attack. They were holding
the survivors as prisoners. Thinking to add the prisoners to his
slave caravan, Micayon ambushed the belgoi while they were
preoccupied, arguing over how to divide a small human baby for
the evening meal. The battle was fought over the child’s
hoarse, pathetic cries.
The belgoi defeated, Micayon picked up the infant
and its crying stopped. The baby fixed its eyes on the templar
and suddenly Micayon’s wild talent, Empathy, awakened. He
felt a flood of emotion from the infant. Intense love…for him.
Micayon’s mind reeled from the impact. When he
returned to the caravan, he was assaulted by the misery and
hatred of the slaves. He wanted this torrent of emotion to stop.
One way he knew how to stop it was to end their suffering, by
freeing the slaves.
Micayon led a slave revolt against the other templars
and guards of the caravan and diverted his caravan far from
Tyr. The templar settled the slaves at the base of a tall, isolated
plateau where he discovered an oasis that was nearly invisible
from a distance.
The village has grown from the original 168 slaves to a
current population numbering over 300 individuals. Almost
half of these are under the age of 20 and are children of the
original slaves.
Location
The major part of the village is positioned in the
shade of an enormous and jagged outcrop of stone that juts out
of the desert sands. This outcrop of stone is located roughly 30
miles east of Gulg where the stony barrens meets the rocky
badlands, about 10 miles away from the main road from
Altaruk to Gulg.
The top of the outcropping is level and can easily
hold several hundred people. From a bird’s eye view, this
“plateau” is bean-shaped. It slightly hugs around the oasis.
Due to this position, Alador receives only half the usual amount
of sunlight during the day. In addition, the environment is
always cool and the wind calm since the outcrop shields the
village from winds and sandstorms.
The oasis can comfortably support a population of
about 800-900 people. As the population increases, the
villagers construct buildings of adobe that scale the side of the
plateau, and that are accessible through a system of ladders.
Among the places of interest are the Desert Rose,
which serves as the inn and general store. Loralune’s Medicines
Charms & Trinkets is run by the chief midwife and medicine
woman. The Ten Blades is the village’s finest weapons and
armor store. ‘Zana’s Livestock raises erdlu, pack animals,
mounts, and war mounts. Finally, at the top of the plateau, the
village maintains a sentry post where the sun priest, Sol Hokat,
keeps his shrine.
Organization
A council of former slaves headed by Micayon
governs Alador. Meetings are chaotic affairs and usually
degenerate into loud arguments. All meetings are conducted
in the village tavern, the Desert Rose. All villagers are free to
attend and participate.
When Alador is attacked, the villagers defend
themselves at the walls built around the oasis. If that fails, they
will gather all the supplies possible and ascend the plateau to
make a stand.
Outside Relations
The village is somewhat isolated. It doesn’t hide its
existence, but neither does it encourage visitors. Outsiders are
allowed to pass through and stay for a short while, but they are
never allowed to settle permanently, not even escaped slaves.
Only in special cases, such as marriage, are outsiders allowed to
remain. The village may also invite outsiders with special
needed skills to live there.
Woods and skins are imported from Gulg, obsidian
from Urik, small amounts of iron from Tyr, and diverse
foodstuffs from several locations, mostly Altaruk. The main
exports include clay bricks, surplus food, sculpted figurines,
fetishes, and most importantly, weapons fashioned from the
imported materials.
Over the past five years, Alador has become a
clandestine weapons market. Outlaw groups that may not be
able to openly purchase large quantities of weapons in the citystates
can purchase them here; no questions asked. These
include raiders, slaves, thri-kreen, numerous elven tribes, gith,
and sometimes the Veiled Alliance. They also cater to
legitimate concerns (such as merchant houses) that do not wish
to draw attention to the fact that they are stockpiling weapons.
A third of the population is trained in weaponsmithing and
armoring.
At any given time, several agents or personalities
(sometimes in disguise) from various groups and city-states may
be in Alador with their bodyguards. Templars and warriors
who are in the market for quality weapons may also be here.
The floating population typically numbers around 40-50
people. Woe to any defiler who sneaks inside. If caught,
defilers (and preservers) are executed.
Having suffered from lightning fast raids in the past,
the village requires all able-bodied adults to carry weapons and
train regularly in the militia. Primary dangers to Alador are
ironically potential customers: raiders. Humans, gith, elves,
thri-kreen and giants have all attacked the village in its weaker,
early history. Alador immediately ceases trade with any groups
that attack it. Raiders will discover that their rivals receive
excellent weapon deals. Consequently, the number of raids is
steadily declining.
Important Residents
Micayon
Human Male Templar, Lawful Neutral
AC 5 (hide armor, shield) Str 15
Movement 12 Dex 10
Level 10 Con 16
Hit Points 53 Int 16
THAC0 15 (16 Light crossbow) Wis 18
No. of Attacks 1 Cha 14
Damage/Attack: 1d8-1/ 1d12-1 (Bone long sword), 1d4-1/
1d4 –1 (Obsidian-tipped quarrels)
Psionic Summary: PSPs 63, Wild Talent: Empathy
Power Score—18
Attack/ Defense Modes: none / MB, IF, TW
PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 16, MAC 5
Micayon is 54 years old. He stands 6’3” tall with
graying black hair, and steel-gray eyes. His beard and
mustache are always well groomed and he affords the best
clothing his income allows. Micayon looks back on his templar
years with nostalgia. He is very much a man of creature
comforts with a taste for wielding power. He keeps his Tyr
templar uniform and armor in good repair.
Micayon struggles with a habit of assuming authority
and is uncomfortable in the freewheeling governmental style of
Alador. The other villagers view him with amusement; a
bureaucrat forced to be a commoner. He is highly arrogant, but
principled and cultured.
Being the one of the handful of villagers who can read
and write , he is the primary negotiator for the village. He also
performs the same functions for Alador that he performed in
Tyr: an administrator and an accountant.
Zamora'
Female Half-Elf Level Preserver/ Bard, Neutral Good
AC 2 (Armor Spell, Dexterity) Str 13
Movement 12 Dex 18
Level 7/ 8 Con 13
Hit Points 27 Int 19
THAC0 15 Wis 15
No. of Attacks 3 Cha 16
Damage/Attack: 1d3-1/ 1d2-1 (Bone darts)*
Psionic Summary:
PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 8
Wizard Spells (4/3/2/1)
- Coated with Type E Poison, Death/20
Zamora is a middle-aged woman about 44 years old.
She stands 5’9” tall with black hair and violet eyes. She is the
innkeeper of the Desert Rose, a rather large tavern and inn
(often the whole village will congregate there). She maintains a
general store off to the side of the Rose and serves on the village
council.
A former slave, she had been arrested for being a
witch, and was sold to Micayon to be used as slave labor on the
Tyrean Ziggurat. Despite her good standing, if the village folk
ever discovered she was a mage, she could be chased out by a
mob. Some villagers suspect her, such as Loralune. Micayon
keeps her secret and quietly discourages the idea of her being a
mage if it ever comes up. She has no contacts with any Veiled
Alliance.
She enjoys singing for the villagers, telling stories, and
giving sweets to children; especially since this wins goodwill in
the village and on the council. Weekly dances are held at her
tavern. Zamora offers traveling minstrels free room and board
plus tips for every night they perform at her venue. She often
sits with them at the dinner table and exchanges stories.
She recently convinced the villagers to hire a
mindbender (a psionicist) to act as healer, diviner, advisor, and
to help train the militia wild talents. If the villagers find
someone suitable they will offer room, board, and a small
income.
Zamora has three barmaids helping her. They are
Asterra, Charise, and the elf-maiden Nyneva. Nyneva serves
secretly as an apprentice.
Mikastor
Male Human,Lawful Good
AC 2 (Braxat Hide, Dex) Str 17
Movement 12 Dex 19
Level 0 Con 17
Hit Points 8 Int 15
THAC0 20 (18 w/ Short bow) Wis 14
No. of Attacks 1 (Bone long sword)/ Cha 14
2 (Short bow)
Damage/Attack: 1d8/ 1d12 (bone long sword), 1d6-1/ 1d6-1
(bone-tipped flight arrows)
Psionic Summary:
PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 10
This is the infant that Micayon rescued from the
belgoi. He is a strong youth about 19 years old, brown hair,
black eyes. Mikastor is eager to leave the village and intends to
hire himself out to any good employer. He is militia trained,
but wishes to complete his training as one of the legendary
warriors of the waste (a ranger). So far, he has met no one
qualified to teach him.
Despite his youth, Mikastor is quite competent. He
can read, write, and perform mathematical calculations. He
can survive in the desert and locate water. He is quite capable
of serving as a weapons-bearer, or he can serve as a shield-bearer
to protect spellcasters and psionicists. If equipped with a polearm,
he can take occasional pokes at the enemy from behind the
melee line. Also, he can serve as a lookout, spotting new
approaching dangers whenever his companions are caught up in
an intense battle.
Lamorion
Male Dwarf Fighter Lawful Neutral
AC 3 (Rasclinn Hide, Armor Optimization) Str 21
Movement 6 Dex 12
Level 7 Con 20
Hit Points 87 Int 13
THAC0 10 Wis 16
No. of Attacks 2 Cha 8
Damage/Attack: 1d4+8/1d4+7 (steel war hammer)
Psionic Summary: PSPs 37, Wild Talent: Heightened Senses
Power Score—20
Attack/ Defense Modes: none / MB, MBk, TW
PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 17, MAC 8
Lamorion is a middle-aged dwarf with a sharp tongue.
He stands 5’ tall and is quite dusky with coal black eyes.
He runs the Ten Blades for the village, manned by at
least 30 men and women aides. Lamorion has created a
comfortable life for his family here. He is the chief
weaponsmith, armorer, and bowyer/fletcher. He has trained
about a third of the villagers to help fulfill the contracts that
Micayon negotiates.
This dwarf was one of the most valuable slaves that
Micayon was carrying in the slave caravan to Tyr. Lamorion
hails from a long line of dwarven weaponsmith slaves. His focus
and passion is to develop new weapons. He can be hired to
create almost any unusual and uncommon weapons and armor
(such as from the Gladiator’s Handbook) all at premium prices
and only if the necessary materials are available.
Such is his skill that 1-2 weapons of quality can be
found in his store at any given time; usually made of bone, wood,
or obsidian. These weapons grant a +1 to hit OR to damage,
but not both. They sell for 2-5 times the normal price.
Lamorion can finish any weapon or armor project (but not a
weapon of quality) in half the time it takes anyone else. In
short, he is profoundly focused and is a master of his craft.
Lamorion is also extremely rude. He will miss no
opportunities to ridicule other people over their weapons and
armaments (“I’ve never seen such a piece of crap!”) unless he
crafted them personally, no matter what their actual quality,
even if they’re steel or magical.
Lamorion is polite only when he wants something.
What does he want? Lamorion loves to ask warriors to “try out”
his new weapons. (“Those monsters will never know what hit
‘em!”) Micayon has (wisely) declined all of the dwarf’s offers to
outfit the village militia with his “modern” weapons and this
frustrates Lamorion to no end. During council meetings,
Lamorion’s contribution when discussing any threat to the
village is always inevitably the same (“We need new
weapons!”).
Almost without fail, he will approach visiting warriors.
Unfortunately, 90% of his new weapons tend to be impractical
and/or malfunction. Some are so bizarre that even gladiators
sometimes cannot figure out how to use them. In particular,
Lamorion wants to perfect his spring loaded spears tips and
sword blades that shoot off at the hilt guard. If only he can find
some warriors to try them out…
Lamorion is occasionally hired by psionicists and
templars who wish to empower weapons and armor. His skill is
more than adequate to help them. However, it depresses him if
he is asked to use his skills to make anything “normal” (“Hohum…
another sword and spear.”). He constantly pressures his
clients to apply their power to something “innovative.” Unless
he is under strict supervision, Lamorion occasionally takes
liberties with the projects of minor clients and builds
“improvements” into them without telling them.
Contracts for Lamorion’s personal work is constantly
back-ordered. He demands payment up front (for materials)
and some clients have to wait up to two years. Steel weapons of
quality can go up to 20 times the normal cost. It is rumored
that House Wavir wants him back badly.
Loralune
Female Human Chaotic Neutral
AC 9 (Dexterity) Str 11
Movement 12 Dex 15
Level 0 Con 13
Hit Points 4 Int 15
THAC0 20 Wis 9
No. of Attacks 1 Cha 10
Damage/Attack: 1d4-1/ 1d3-1 (Bone dagger)
Psionic Summary:
PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 10
Loralune runs Loralune’s Medicines, Charms, and
Trinkets. She is an old, crabby woman who serves as the local
herbalist, tailor, midwife, and fortuneteller. Her store carries a
wide array of herbs, curative medicines, salves, and clothing.
She is gossipy, jealous, and insecure. She will charge double
prices for those she dislikes. Currently on her bad side is
Zamora who recently convinced the village council to hire
someone professional as a healer (i.e. someone better than her).
Nyneva
Female Elf, Chaotic Good
AC 5 (Leather breastplate, Dexterity) Str 13
Movement 18 Dex 19
Level 0 Con 13
Hit Points 4 Int 16
THAC0 20 Wis 9
No. of Attacks 1 Cha 17
Damage/Attack: 1d6-1/ 1d8-1 (Bone short sword)
Psionic Summary:
PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 9
Nyneva is a barmaid at the Desert Rose. The
Dragon destroyed Nyneva’s elf tribe two decades ago and she
was orphaned. Later, she was mysteriously found on Zamora’s
doorstep. The good-hearted half-elf woman adopted her.
Nyneva is now a beautiful maiden, who stands 5’10” with
amber hair and silver eyes. Now 20 years old, her elven blood
sings to her to wander the world and, like Mikastor, she is
getting desperate to leave the village.
Nyneva is Zamora’s secret apprentice, both in sorcery
and the thieving arts. In addition, her militia training has given
her excellent fighting skills. The time is fast approaching when
she will become a full-fledged fighter/ preserver/ thief. When
that time arrives, she will leave Alador.
She feels intimidated by elven tribes and is extremely
insecure as to how they might view her; an elf raised by
humans. She tends to go too far in trying to win their approval,
particularly elven males. She has yet to learn that most elves
simply don’t care about her or anyone else outside their tribe.
Only Zamora’s watchful eye prevents her from being
taken advantage of. The inn mistress deeply wishes that
Nyneva would display better judgement, but she realizes that
for some people the best teacher is the “school of hard knocks.”
Sol Hokat
Human Male Sun Priest Chaotic Neutral (Evil)
AC 2 (Braxat Hide, Dexterity) Str 15
Movement 12 Dex 17
Level 11 Con 16
Hit Points 59 Int 9
THAC0 15 Wis 18
No. of Attacks 1 Cha 9
Damage/Attack: 1d8-1/ 1d8-1 (Bone Scimitar)
Psionic Summary: PSPs 56; Wild Talent: Control Light
Power Score—9
Attack/ Defense Modes: none / TS, MBk, TW
PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 15, MAC 6
Spells: (5/4/4/3/2/1); major sphere – sun *; minor sphere –
cosmos
Granted Powers: Minor resistance to sun light, enhanced
saving throws (+2 vs. sun, heat, or fire), ignore sunlight (11
rounds), gate in a beam of sunlight.
- For those without access to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
accessory, substitute the fire sphere.
Sol Hokat is an old man, long driven crazy by his
devotions to the sun lords. Living at the top of the plateau (his
shrine), he often stares down angrily upon the villagers
(“Heretics, all of them!”).
Being a sun priest, he believes that living in the shade
is blasphemy. He is constantly scheming how to give the
villagers more sun exposure, so they can receive its “blessings”
(“I’ll blow up the mountain someday!”). The village regularly
sends sentries to the top of the plateau to watch the horizons for
approaching danger. These unfortunate soldiers are forced to
listen to endless hours of sermons. Villagers see Sol Hokat as
harmless. Ultimately though, they may be wrong.
