Author: MTG

Neheli's Own - NPC's

by Marc Tizoc Gonzalez (mtizoc@canonfire.com)
(Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.)

While most of the stuff below is homespun, Ellinka comes from Sean Reynold's The Scarlet Brotherhood and the Church of Myhriss at Niole Dra refers to a post to Greytalk by Rip Van Wormer.

Baroness Eridani Kerin Neheli

This thirty-one year old blonde-haired, fair-skinned, and grey-green eyed woman is the commander of the royal battalion of Nehelian Horse Riders. She was born and raised on the ancestral estate just north of Niole Dra. As a scion of a branch of the Nehelian bloodline, Eridani was destined for greatness by virtue of her blood. However, as the second born of her generation, she could probably only look forward to life as a noble rider of Neheli's Own though she would likely become an officer in due course.

However, when her older brother forewent the noble life to take holy orders at the grand temple of Myhriss in the capitol, then the scandalous behavior stirred the court at Niole Dra for several seasons. It also plucked Eridani from being merely raised as a noble rider and deftly placed her as the next in line for the royal command.

True to her blood, the young baroness excelled at all of the requisite sports and teachings with which she was presented. She raced chariots as a youth, became an excellent javelin thrower, and is a master of horseflesh. She also learned the difficult art of reading Ancient Suloise and can trace her ancestry down the centuries via the lore books without the assistance of any scribe.

However, truth be told, in her youth, Eridani was at heart a fop and indulged herself in idleness as often as study or sport. She was mastered by whimsies, and why shouldn't she be since the kingdom had not seen anything resembling the wars of old, of which she had read?

Though they caused strife and sorrow to untold thousands, the Greyhawk Wars were gods-sent for twenty-three year old Baron Eridani. In 583 CY when her predecessor suddenly died, the throne called upon Eridani to advise in the matter of the northern troubles instigated by the legendary Old One. Thrilled to be held responsible for policy, she advised her king to let the Furyondian delegation sweat. By the end of the year however, Eridani assented to the Treaty of Niole Dra. However, the young Commander kept Neheli's Own from the northern expedition, citing the battalion's tradition of defending the heartland of the kingdom and being personally unwilling to venture so far from the capital.

In the following months, when reports of Turrosh Mak and the Pomarjian horde reached the court at Niole Dra, Eridani began to realize her unwitting wisdom in keeping the riders at their traditional garrisons. While her king did not order any aid to the Principality, the Baroness did mobilize the companies to prepare them for the action that she felt coming very soon. The Gradsul Company released several squads of its riders to support the forces at Gryrax. Although the riders did not engage in battle, their presence freed some of Prince Corond's infantry, which quickly marched to support beleaguered Havenhill.

Then news spread south from Hookhill regarding the advance of Ket into the Littlemark. Though she felt a fierce desire to lead her own command and the Flen Company against the ancestral foe, Eridani kept her mind focused and continued to counsel her king to keep the riders in the heartland. In the same month, reports of the Giant Troubles came from the west. Finally, Eridani urged her king to let her send the Flen and Cryllor Companies to aid their longstanding allies. However, her previous counsel had been too convincing: the throne withheld the order while negotiating matters of autonomy with Sterich.

Denied the ability to send the riders across the Javan River, Baroness Eridani nevertheless ordered the company to patrol the eastern shore in force and to assist as many refugees as possible. Eridani even prepared to travel to Flen so as to lead her riders from the front, and she tacitly approved the transfer of several squads from Cryllor to supplement the Flen Company. However, by the time that the throne finally gave the order to ford the river, all that the riders could do was to protect the last wave of refugees from the horde that rushed at their heels. The riders did help to stop the giants from getting more than half way through the Javan River, however. The number of quarrels used during these actions astounded the scribes and depleted the entire supply at Flen. Cryllor transferred its stores to the northern garrison, and the smiths of the Good Hills received incredibly large orders for more.

Finally, later in the year, reports from Gradsul told of the blockade of the buccaneers of the Sea Princes. Almost at the same time, high olve allies in the Dreadwood reported that they were fighting an onrush of strangely freckled and mostly naked humans. While the Keoghish fleet held the pirates' ships at bay, Baroness Eridani sailed down the Sheldomar River to Gradsul and took half of the Company of Neheli's Own to support the olves. In battle for the first time in her life, the young Commander threw off the last of her youthful willfulness and served the throne like a true scion of Neheli.

After the blockade was ended, Eridani returned to the capitol, but she continued to ensure the supply of the companies (sometimes directly from her family estate) and personally reviewed the reports of the patrols.

Although she did not travel to Greyhawk City for the Great Council and the Pact of Greyhawk, Eridani did meet several agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood in Gradsul who tried to tempt the young woman with entreaties to the potency and purity of her bloodline. Her caustic and vulgar response humiliated the vermilion-robed agents and preceded the expulsion of the Brotherhood's diplomatic entourage, which then sailed for Greyhawk City. As a result, a young woman of fair complexion named Ellinka was eventually sent to Niole Dra to observe the baroness.

In the years since the signing of the Pact in 584 CY, Eridani has continued to grow into the mastery of her royal command. She oversaw the recovery of Sterich lands throughout that three-year campaign and was involved in the expedition that took Westkeep. Although she currently is back at Niole Dra, Baroness Eridani keeps close tabs over her far-flung companies.

Baroness Eridani Kerin Neheli (aka Commander Neheli)
10th-level fighter (Dex 16, Con 16, Cha 15). AC 3 (bracers of defense AC 5, Dex bonus), hp 74, AL NG.

Eridani wields the typical weapons of Neheli's Own, however she wears an set of ancestral iron bracers that are older than the Great Kingdom, and as a service to the throne, the mage Bucknard crafted a collection of powerfully enchanted javelins for the Royal Commander of Neheli's Own. Even after the past decade's warfare, Eridani retains two of these. Also, the Commander is ardent in her reverence of Phaulkon and has an exquisite tattoo of the god's angel-symbol that covers the entirety of her back. She stands tall at 5'11" and wears her hair braided down her back with prayer feathers woven in it.

Rider Sorvannis

Sorvannis is a popular name amongst the riders. This nineteen-year-old woman is currently stationed in the captured city of Westkeep. In last year's siege, the rider was blooded when her squad chased down a sally that had broken free of the infantry and was making for Monmurg. While too young to engage in the earlier battles against the Amedian and Sea Prince raiders of the Scarlet Brotherhood, as a youth, Sorvannis did ride with the patrols of the northern Dreadwood, west of Gradsul, and during that time she befriended a trio of olven siblings.

During the woe that follows fighting, she envisions them in their rustic home, and smiles. During the fighting, Sorvannis is a capable rider who is honored to serve the throne and be amongst her fellow riders. At twilight, she prays to the setting sun and is being considered to sergeant her own squad soon.

While she believes in the need to hold Westkeep, she dislikes the marshy region, and wishes either to advance onto the southern plains or to return to her friends and homeland.

Rider Sorvannis of Neheli's Own
3rd level fighter (Dex 15). AC 5 (studded leather, buckler, Dex bonus), hp 21, AL LG.