The Astorian Pact

Scattered Resistance

The Astorian Pact began as most world-spanning organizations do: as scattered smaller groups that eventually came together under one common goal. For the Pact, that goal was freedom for all Astorians everywhere. Eventually comprised of people of all races, spanning all five continents, the Pact began with just eleven people; two groups of rebels who had escaped their bonds and begun wreaking havoc in their respective areas, both encouraged (and funded) by Sun Elven noble Therival Liadron.

Therival Liadron

Sun Elf Cleric
Therival acted as the facilitator and eyes and ears on the inside from the beginning. He and his agents had been keeping tabs on the state of each region and potential allies for Therival's resistance against the Moon Elves. A high-ranking member of the Sun Elf elite (not given any political power, as he was not a Moon Elf, but still a wealthy noble), Therival originally sought nothing more than to aid the other regions of the world in any way he could. He never planned to openly rebel, but was later convinced once they had the numbers and a solid plan to attempt the coup.

The Tassadorian Resistance

After receiving information from Therival, Lilliana's scouts had been keeping an eye on Imperial slave shipments for a barbarian from the north by the name of Lo-kag Horncarver. Therival believed he could be a valuable asset to the Wood Elven resistance. When they finally found him and freed him from his captors, they also saved two other recruits who would become cornerstones of the Pact: a human wizard by the name of Arthan Euralus, and a Halfling bard known as Brandric Swiftcloak.

Lilliana Moonshadow

Wood Elf Druid
The Wood Elves of Astoria are a very secretive people. The ever-changing forests and mists of Mellryn-dor hide many things, not the least of which are the specifics of Wood Elven culture. What little is known describes their forest homes, built in the highest boughs of the trees, where the sunlight dances through the golden-red leaves. They are the worlds foremost experts at archery and stealth, and can move absolutely silently through the underbrush, often taking down their quarry - man or beast alike - before they even know they are there. The Wood Elves never truly submitted to the Empire, as Mellryn-dor is an enormous forest that sometimes seems to live and breathe a life of its own. This made complete dominion near-impossible, and limited the Empire's control to the fringes of the region.

Like most Wood Elves, very little is known about Lilliana's early life, save that she spent it among the forests of Mellryn-dor. No family is listed in any of the history books, and it was not until she became Archdruid that her name truly began to spread. From the moment she took on the mantle, she began resisting the Empire in any way she could. Aided by information and supplies from Therival, Lilliana led her people in open, constant rebellion against the Empire's lackeys and spearheaded the effort of recruiting the other Tassadorian pact members to their cause.

Arthan Euralus

Human Wizard
Before joining Lilliana, Arthan was not a prominent or important man. He was a simple craftsman, living with his wife in what would one day be known as Aseria. He and his wife ran an underground library of sorts, providing their friends and neighbors with books and knowledge forbidden to them by the Empire. In addition, Arthan was a novice practitioner of magic, learning everything he could from the books he had on hand or could find from smugglers and traders who would deal with him. One day, while Arthan was in town gathering supplies for the week, the Imperial Guard received a tip about their illegal "propaganda," and promptly surrounded the house. Arthan returned to find his home in ruins, and his wife lying dead within the rubble.
Devastated and broken, Arthan sank into depression and despair, eventually turning to the only thing he had left: his magical abilities. He waited until most of the guards were gathered in the guard post, just before a shift change, magically put them all to sleep, and engulfed the entire building in flames. The rest of the guard found him kneeling before the inferno, staring into the flames, and arrested him without any fight. He was sentenced to death, and was in the process of being transported to be publicly executed when Lilliana's forces ambushed the prison caravan to free Lo-kag Horncarver. Overhearing the introductions and explanations to Lo-kag, he asked to join as well, and soon became a prominent member of the Tassadorian resisistance.

Brandric Swiftcloak

Halfling Bard
The leader of an Empire-approved trading company, Brandric was not one to help or even take notice of those below him in need. Though he was overseen by a hierarchy of Moon Elf nobles who controlled and watched over every decision he made for "his" company, Tarvanni Traders, he enjoyed a life of relative luxury and ease. In fact, were it not for his constant attempts to woo young ladies into his bedchamber, he would not have even dreamt of getting involved with any kind of rebellion. But when he attempted to win the affection of Philomena, a halfling girl who helped out those in need as best she could, his eyes were opened to the true plight of those not blessed as he was with what meagre power the Empire would allow non-Moon Elves.

From that point forward, Brandric began putting what resources he could toward smuggling for the greater good. Goods, services, sometimes even people if the need was dire enough. His efforts did not go unappreciated...or unnoticed. Soon the Empire began investigating his goings-on and eventually caught wind of exactly what it was he had been doing to thwart their efforts. They placed him under arrest and sentenced him to hard labor for the rest of his life. It was during transport to his new life in the prison camps that a new path opened before him. Lillianna's troops had ambushed the prison caravan in order to free Lo-kag, and Brandric swiftly volunteered to join this new resistance. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lo-kag Horncarver

Goliath Barbarian
A ferocious barbarian from the northern lands of the Frigid Wastes, Lo-kag was born into the Tribe of the Bear. The only son of the Bear King Arrym Slatepaw, he held the title of Claw Prince, groomed to take the King's place when he was no longer strong enough to lead. But another tribe, the Raven, mortal enemies of the Tribe of the Bear (and many other tribes of the Wastes), had other plans. The Raven tribe raided the Bear tribe's sacred hunting grounds, needlessly slaughtering many Elk and Caribou, hoping to goad the Bear into open warfare. King Arrym, hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, challenged the Raven's leader, Talon King Vithok Ruinedfist, to single combat, with the fate of both clans going to the victor. The night before the battle, Lo-kag saw Vithok, aided by an Imperial Moon Elf advisor, applying poison to his weapons, but was seen and caught before he could get away to warn his father. Bound and gagged, he was forced to watch from hiding as Vithok slew his father, the poison seeping into Arrym's veins and slowing his movements enough for Vithok to deal the killing blow. Vithok sold Lo-kag into slavery the following day, banishing him to the lands in the south. It was here Lilliana's troops found him, bound in so many heavy chains he could barely move an inch. Amushing his captors and freeing him, they offered him a chance at revenge, against both the Empire and the Talon King. An offer he eagerly accepted.

The Estruunian Rebels

Once Torugg's clan had freed themselves of their Imperial-given lot in life and took revenge upon the Stoneskin, they set about opposing the empire however they could. Therival heard rumors of the dwarves' revolt and sent an envoy discreetly offering aid, which the dwarves promptly refused. Eventually, however, Therival earned Torugg's trust by providing detailed and accurate information and targets for his raids. By pure happenstance, one such raid on an Imperial outpost led to the discovery of Xior and Virk. Xior had attacked the same outpost in order to free Virk, who had been caught in an Imperial ambush. (Torugg was inclined to leave Virk, as Dwarves have a troubled history with Orcs, but Xior wouldn't leave without Virk, whom, he owed a life-debt to.) The trio worked to grow their little group and further disrupt the Imperial supply lines and trade routes. Eventually, they learned of Jelna and Abraxos, who had been caught conducting illegal magical research. An ambush on their prison caravan freed the pair, and were instrumental in Arashk joining the group. The Achauksta had come to the group seeking aid in freeing his tribe, and Jelna and Abraxos's magical and alchemical knowledge and know-how were well suited for swamp-based guerilla warfare.

Torugg Stronghammer

Dwarf Fighter
Similar to the Wood Elves, the dwarves of Astoria never truly submitted to the Empire. During the Empire's reign, they were a mostly semi-nomadic folk, split into nine remaining clans: the Stoneskin, the Stoutanvil, the Ironblood, the Flintfoot, the Ironeye, the Bloodsteel, the Battlehammer, the Frostbeard, and the Battlebrew. Each clan was prone to create non-permanent settlements in the mountainous, rugged regions across all five continents. Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes, and whenever one clan encountered another, old grudges and feuds would spring up again, more often than not erupting into all-out war, a fact the Empire took full advantage of.

Torugg was born into the Stoutanvil clan. The Stoutanvil were not a bloodthirsty people. In fact, they were, at the time of Torugg’s birth, quite a small clan, known for their skill with metal and stone. Due to their small size, they were constantly harassed and raided by the other clans, who would take their crops, women, and tools, which they would convert into crude, yet strong, weapons. By the time Torugg was of age, he had already lived through several raids, the last claiming the life of his father, Ulrik, the clan elder. Stepping into his father’s role as leader, Torugg harnessed the frustration and anguish of his people to ignite their passion for an end to all of it. He declared the Stoutanvil no more. From that point forward they would no longer be simple farmers and craftsman. They would no longer be cattle for the other clans to pluck from as they chose. Using their superior craftsmanship, they would reclaim the honor that had been stolen from them for so long. They would rise under a new banner; a new name: The Stronghammer. Using the his father's pyre as a forge, Torugg created a great weapon to serve as a symbol of the clan’s might: an enormous two-handed hammer he named Vengryn or “Justice.” Thus, the Estrunnian Rebellion was born, though it was not known as such at first.

The first clan to face the Stronghammer’s wrath was the very same that had claimed Ulrik’s life: the Stoneskin. One of the most vicious clans, known for their supposed impenetrable skin, the Stoneskin were a barbaric people ruled by strength and fear. (It is rumored that they were also cannibalistic, but no proof has ever been found to support these claims, and it is considered rude in modern dwarven society to speak of it.)

Though small in number, the Stronghammer stood face-to-face with the Stoneskin on the battlefield. The battle was fierce, but in the end, the Stoneskin were practically annihilated. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find any remaining trace of that clan in any part of Astoria today, though there are some scholars who believe that the Stoneskin merely fled underground, evolving over the centuries into the race of subterranean dwarves that we know today as the Duergar. It was also discovered that the Empire had provided the Stoneskin with the resources to continue conducting raids upon the other clans, keeping them from uniting or forming any kind of resistance to the Empire's "colonization." Torugg was furious, but now he had a new, much larger target for his vengeance.

Abraxos Windstrider

Dragonborn Sorcerer
Abraxos grew up in the mines of The Adamantine Isle, using his natural affinity for fire to keep the forges stoked and burning hot. He was not a slave, but rather worked as part of a communal mining camp, each member earning their keep under the watchful eyes of the Empire. They were free to leave at any time, but those who did were required to return all "Empire-issued belongings," which was to say: everything they owned, including the clothes on their back. As a red dragonborn, Abraxos was not looked kindly upon by his fellow miners; even less so his Moon Elven overseers. It did not help that he was an advocate for the normalization of Chromatic dragonborn heritage. In normal circumstances, this would be a tough sell, but under the thumb of the Adamant Empire, it was little more than a hopeless dream.

As he got older, Abraxos tired of being limited to just forge work. Despite his efforts to normalize the color of his scales, he could not deny that he absolutely loved fire. He longed to work more with it and learn all there was to know about fire magic. So one day, he decided that he would leave, striding out of the camp with not a stich of clothing to his name. Eventually, he was able to get a grasp of the very basics of illusion magics - at least enough to make himself look like he wasn't completely naked. This allowed him to make his way into a nearby town and look for work that actually paid. He took odd jobs here and there, all the while trying to get a firmer grasp on his innate magical abilities. This led to several mishaps, including the burning of several official Empire buildings and a barn or two, and he eventually had to go into hiding.

One night, as he was on the outskirts of what he thought was a middling sized town, he heard a massive explosion. Peering out from the edge of the wood, he could see that the largest tower in the town had flames and smoke pouring from a massive hole in its side. Entranced by this odd sight, he did not notice the Imperial patrol that had caught sight of him and begun to surround him. Ambushed, he fought his way out the only way he knew how: fire and destruction. After he incinerated a few patrolmen, the rest took to their heels. It was at this point that a gnomish woman popped her head out from the bushes where she had been observing the fight. Introducing herself as Jelna Minwise, she offered Abraxos a chance to put his flames to good use in her research. Abraxos was thrilled, and happily accepted. The pair were later caught and arrested for their crimes and illegal research, and placed in a prison caravan. Freed by Torugg, who had been searching for the pair, they happily accepted his offer to join his rebellion, eager to test out their latest experiments on the hapless Imperial soldiers.

Virk Gagash

Half-Orc Rogue
Like many Orcs and Half-Orcs in this era, Virk was born into slavery. Her mother was a servant to a human slaver backed by the Empire who liked his serving girls perhaps a little too much. The result was Virk, and she was almost immediately cast out of the slaver's household, sold as a "filthy half-breed" the minute she could walk on her own. She was raised in another household's service and was very poorly treated by both the Moon Elves she served and her fellow Orcish servants. None saw her as anything more than dirt because of her heritage, save one.

She was the same age as one of the Moon Elf sons of the household, and he was kind to her growing up. She came to see him as a friend. But as they grew into their late teens, he became more arrogant, crumbling under the pressure from his family to make something of himself. Virk tried to help him as best she could, but he grew more distant, and began drinking heavily. One night he stumbled into his bedchamber completely intoxicated and called her to his service. She helped him into his bed and he attempted to pull her in with him. She resisted, and he became angry, calling her a lowly serving wench and telling her to do as she was told, attempting to force himself on her. She grabbed a fork from his leftover dinner plate and stabbed him in the neck. In horror, she watched as he stumbled off the bed and screamed as best he could for the guards, collapsing to the ground. She fled out the window and never looked back, living on the streets and doing her best to stay under the nose of the Imperials who continued hunting for her.

Eventually, she found a prison caravan full of Leonin, bound for Theogonia. She followed as close as she dared, and eventually snuck into the city and found a vantage point. The caravan stopped outside the Emperor's Arena, where a commotion of some sort was taking place. Climbing to the top of the coliseum, she saw a Leonin chained to an enormous wooden stake in the center of the arena. She watched in horror as one after another of the Leonin from the caravan were brought into the arena and flayed alive before the chained Leonin. Making up her mind, Virk set about sneaking back down to the caravan and taking out the guards. But by the time she managed to get back down and take out most of the guards, only one Leonin was left, and the elderly individual was already being taken into the arena.

She struggled with the guard Captain - he was much bigger than she anticipated - and when he lay dead, so too did the elderly Leonin, with the chained Leonin roaring in anguish. She determined that she would at least save him, and make it up to him for not saving his kin as best she could. She sprinted into the arena, slew the torturers from behind and slung a dagger at the Leonin's bindings, shattering them. She watched as he threw himself into the stands and dragged a fat, pompous-looking Moon Elf noble into the arena, tearing him to shreds with his teeth and claws. When he had finished, he roared an oath to take vengeance upon the Empire for what they had done. She pulled him out of the arena and into the night, covered in his master's blood. He introduced himself as Xior Goldenmane once he had calmed down enough and they had gotten safely away from the chaos they had caused.

The pair lived together in the wilds, ambushing Imperial patrols where they could, until Virk was caught while out hunting for their next meal, and placed in a prison caravan bound for Theogonia. Xior ended up ambushing the caravan at the same time as Torugg Stronghammer, and after some introductions and explanations, Virk and Xior both requested to join Torugg's rebellion. After much grumbling from the dwarf about letting an Orc into their midst, he reluctantly accepted.

Xior Goldenmane

Leonin Paladin
Born into slavery as a part of Imperial breeding programs, Xior grew up trained in the ways of combat. His master had "ordered his birth" for the sole purpose of having a strong candidate for fighting in arena-style combat. He was raised with the understanding that as long as he won, his family - his pride - would be spared from death at the hands of the Imperial furmongers. He was happy to oblige. His fights were all hard-earned victories to be proud of, and he reveled in the glory of the arena.

Then, he was ordered to fight a fellow Leonin, an elder who had displeased another noble master and had been sold into the care of Xior's master. It was supposed to be an easy win, a slaughter the crowd would enjoy, where the helpless victim pled for his miserable life. Instead, the elderly Leonin calmly faced his fate with a smile, asking Xior to act as his heart guided him to. For the first time in his life and fighting career, Xior couldn't bring himself to do it. Something about the way the elder faced death calmly and without fear struck him to his core. He threw down his spear and refused to obey.

His master punished him by making him watch as he killed a member of Xior's family...slowly. And then had Xior tortured and starved for a week as further punishment. To add salt to the wound, his master had him nursed back to health by the elderly Leonin (who introduced himself as Etanin), perhaps hoping to bring out some of the rage that had guided him so well through his past battles. Instead, Etanin taught Xior of Pelor (though he is known under a different name to the Leonin), and helped him see the kind of world his people lived in.

After that, though he was torn, Xior could not bring himself to fight another battle for his master. So, after many attempts to "persuade" him, his master gave him up as a lost cause, and had him chained up in the middle of the arena, forced to watch in horror as first his entire pride, then his mother, father, and siblings were flayed alive before him. Then, Etanin was brought before him, and the same fate was wrought upon him. Finally, they turned their knives on Xior, ready to give him a slow and painful reunion with his pride.

Before they could do so, a female half-orc appeared out of nowhere and barked a command at him, offering him his freedom and slinging a knife at his bindings, sundering them. Without a second thought, Xior grabbed the knife, slew his captors and then leapt into the viewing platform where his master sat watching. He threw the Moon Elf noble into the arena and tore him to shreds with his bare claws and teeth. Then, roaring his Oath of Vengeance against the entire Empire, he vanished into the night with the half-orc (who later introduced herself as Virk Gagash), covered in his master's blood.

They lived in the wilds together for a while, ambushing Imperial patrols where they could. Eventually, Virk was captured while out hunting for their next meal, and was placed in a prison caravan bound for Theogonia. Xior ambushed the caravan as it stopped at an outpost, and was surprised to find Torugg Stronghammer and his forces doing the same. After freeing Virk, they both requested to join up with Torugg, and after a bit of grumbling about letting an Orc join, Torugg agreed.

Arashk Stonescale

Achauksta Lizardfolk Ranger
Arashk was a member of a smaller tribe of Achauksta Lizardfolk, one that didn't have the strength to stand up to the Imperial slavers and scalehunters when they swept through the area. Arashk was able to escape, only to watch as his tribe was hauled away in cages to an unknown fate. Alone and without hope, Arashk wandered northward through the swamp, hiding from patrols and scrounging what he could to survive. Through evesdropping on a patrol, he heard about Jelna's escape from the Imperial research facility, and Abraxos's affinity for destruction against the Empire, and sought them out. He found them after they had joined up with Torugg, and the whole group agreed to help him save his tribe.

Using guerilla tactics (and no small amount of fire and explosions), they were able to free Arashk's tribe from the empire. Arashk was saddened to learn of the murder of his father, the Chieftan, while in captivity, but he stepped up to take his place with an enormous amount of support from the rest of the tribe thanks to his actions. He immediately pledged himself and the tribe to Torugg's group and their cause, an action that was also greeted with much enthusiasm.

Jelna Minwise

Gnome Artificer
An alchemist savant, Jelna excelled in the art of explosions. Whether it be magical in nature, or more alchemical, Jelna could rain fire and destruction on all who stood in the way of her research. Perhaps this is why she got along so well with Abraxos, a master of fire magic in his own right. Jelna was originally "commissioned" to create a new variety of weapon for the Empire, one that could devastate their enemies using the explosive power of Jelna's experimentations. Not one to be tied down or ordered to do anything (unless well-paid to do so, of course), Jelna instead blew a hole in the Imperial research facility and escaped into the night.

After spending some time searching for a place to lay low and safely conduct her experiments in secret, she stumbled upon an Imperial patrol that had cornered a red dragonborn. As she watched, the dragonborn blew three soldiers away with a single blast of his fire magic, and engulfed another in flames from his fanged maw, sending the rest scattering in retreat. Fascinated, she introduced herself to the dragonborn, who likewise named himself Abraxos Windstrider. After that the pair were inseparable, each enamored with the other's ability to produce flames and destruction.

Unfortunately, the nature of their research was not exactly subtle, and they were recaptured as a pair this time, and later freed on their way back to Theogonia by Torugg and his group, who had learned of their aptitude for destruction and sought to enlist them, an offer they happily accepted. They were both instrumental in getting Arashk to join the group, as he came to them seeking aid for his tribe, and they excelled at using the naturally-flammable swamps of Argon to help free the tribe from the clutches of the Empire.

Forming the Pact

As each group began to establish itself and attract more followers, their notoriety grew. Therival, hoping to at the very least encourage the two groups to share resources, arranged a meeting between the leaders. Over the course of several days, the leaders came to agreements about what each was looking for and hoped to gain in their efforts. By the time each went their separate ways once more, they had decided: they would come together as one, providing not only a united front against the Empire, but also a beacon of hope to those who had been oppressed by their enemy for so long.

Thus, the Astorian Pact was born, and with it the beginnings of true revolution in Astoria. The pact began attracting hordes of followers, some they had freed and others who had broken themselves free upon hearing of their heroism. Soon the Pact's banner, a golden-hilted sword - reforged from ten broken pieces representing the ten oppressed regions of Astoria - breaking through the chains of three manacles, began appearing all over Astoria, anywhere Astorians sought to inspire their brethren and encourage them to resist the Empire. It was the beginning of the end for the Imperials, though many years of bloodshed stood between the Pact and that goal.

Forward to freedom.

Founding Date

2 Asdeliar, 1024 IE

Type

Illicit, Rebel

Alternative Names

Rebels

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