Marthiel Runners

The Marthiel Runners are a group of 4 adventurers based in the Furunheim town of Marthiel. Primarily dealing with ‘minor’ threats such as giant animals, the odd cult, and escort quests – the Runners dream of more.
Founded by the Ice Elf Battlemaster fighter Oris Brokenaxe, the party also consists of an Ice Elf cleric of Freya named Tae, a half-elf druid from the mirthwood named Farris, and an Aedrinaran Mage from Kriegerholm named Geldur Spellstorm. The group formally had a barbarian, a Bronze dragonborn named Rastaff, who died fighting Gnolls in the Sudalfenland.
Despite being nearly a decade old, the Runners have accomplished little in terms of grand quests or adventures. They did help the Elders of Sudalfenland push back the gnoll invaders in Endstarre of 1052, losing one of their own in the process, but were minor players in the grand scheme of things.
In the last month, the party began investigating a mysterious set of disappearances in Marthiel and realised all the non-elf population were being sent to prison. Confronting Olisander, the Runners were charmed by the Primal Mask and turned on their only non-elven member, Geldur, handing him over to Olisander for imprisonment.
Despite their enchatment being remedied and managing to seek vengeance upon Olisander Dirthstone thanks to Doomed 2 Die, the recent spates of losses have left the heores longing for more to prove themselves as true adventurers.

Members

Oris Brokenaxe

Oris was born in 841, 3e in Marthiel. A child of peace and from a good home of lumberers, Oris was one of three children, their family living in a hut just outside of town. At the age of 79, an Owlbear would tear his family apart, Oris fighting for their life to defeat it – eventually killing it with a broken axe hilt. Despite passing his ‘great trial’ to become an adult, the young man was brokenhearted by the death of his entire family. Torn by what had happened, Oris joined Olisander Dirthstone’s army as a squire and trained to become a knight in 1014. Oris would join the 40 year war, fighting alongside Olisander, Elder Tiristar Furyborn†, and King Hardrada of Aedrinar in key battles throughout Tumbria.
Returning a fully fledged knight, after the war Oris sought greater adventures. Founding the Marthiel Runners, the fighter became a guild leader and adventurer, travelling throughout Southern Asrinheim from Tyris Ren to Krakenpost hunting goblins, owlbears, yeti, rogue necromancers and the occasional wyvern.
In 1052, Oris led the Runners to Sudalfenland to help fight gnolls. After a mistake made by him, their party were ambushed and nearly slaughtered. Their dragonborn companion and Oris’s closes friend, the Barbarian Rastaff, scarified themselves to let the party escape. Oris has let the death hang over him, carrying a keepsake portrait of his fallen friend with him at all times and has become questioning their leadership.
Oris was helped by the party cleric Tae and the Runners stayed together despite their loss. Tae would also push Oris into investigating the missing non-elves of Marthiel, and they discovered that they were being illegally detained in the town prison. Oris was unsure about confronting Olisander Dirthstone about what was happening, but was convinced by the party. Turned against their only non-elf member, Geldur Spellstorm, Oris had the wizard imprisoned and was enchanted to forget about them.

Tae

Tae was born in 951, just before the outbreak of the pig plague in Marthiel. Her family were poor famers on the outskirts of town that were among the first infected. An orphan as a baby, Tae was sent to Ferenvire to live amongst the Charitable Sisters of Freya and was raised in their cloister.
Raised in the temple, Tae learnt the Freyan ideals of love, openness, charity, and healing. At only 69, she passed her great trial in abjuring a rogue demon summoned in the Ferenvire Arcanium alone. Continuing to serve the sisters, the outbreak of the 40 year war and the wounded returning to Furunheim inspired Tae to look beyond the temple walls for belonging.
Tae travelled Aedrinar, spreading Freyas message and helping the destitute. She would come across the mage Geldur in Kriegerholm, and the two became inseparable friends and returned to Marthiel where they met with Oris Brokenaxe. Recruited by the fighter into founding the Marthiel Runners adventuring party, Tae became an invaluable healer and heart of the group.
Tae was nearly killed when the party entered the Sudalfenland in 1052 to fight gnolls, and was barely conscious when her barbarian companion Rastaff sacrificed himself to save the party. Tae helped mentor the rest of the party through the loss, and kept the adventurers together.
When the party discovered that non-elves were being disappeared in Marthiel, she pushed heavily to investigate and was keen to confront Olisander Dirthstone when the truth the vanished were being held in the town prison. Convincing group leader Oris to go to Banestorm Keep and question Olisander directly, she was unprepared for the charming effects of the Iron Mask and was forced to turn on her closest friend, Geldur.
Along with the rest of the party, Tae was enchanted to forget about Geldur and was convinced to go investigate the Unearthed Primal Elf fortress in Krakenpost. Stopping at the Waterway Inn, Tae came across a fellow Cleric of Freya named Pryia. Pryia realised Tae was enchanted and used a greater restoration to remove the effects, causing Tae to have their memories returned. Not long later, The Dark Enchanter attacked the inn and Tae was knocked unconscious trying to fend off the autumn wizard in the bathhouse, where they were rescued by Doomed 2 Die.
Tae took part in the siege of Marthiel, and asked the party to help her free those trapped in Darkstone Prison, helping to battle against the prison's warden, the paladin of Hel Halsir.

Farris

A young half-elf born to a short-lived druidic circle in the Mirthwood, Farris was born to a member of the Spiraldyr tribe and a human ranger from Odinsthrone. Raised in their enclanve, their circle far away from civilization, their circle was betrayed by a green hag named Sister Ulla – forcing Farris to run to nearby Marthiel for help.
Meeting up with the Marthiel Runners, Oris and his party were more than happy to help and ventured into the grove to kill the hag. The party battled through magical tricks and horrors and managed to defeat the witch, but most of the circle were lost. Those who did survive ventured to forests new, and Farris joined up with the party.
Farris struggled to form friendships but has been breaking down his barriers and learning to let people in and trust them. Preferring the company of the towns animals, Farris still has a lot to learn. Like the rest of the runners, he was mind controlled by Olisander when the party went to Banestorm Keep to confront the Dark Enchanter about the missing citizens, and was amongst those who turned on their friend and party member.

Geldur Spellstorm

Geldur was an amateur wizard from the Aedrinaran city of Kriegerholm who longed to prove himself in battle using his knowledge and wits rather than his axe. Considered a 'disgrace' to his more traditional family for his learning of spellcraft - he quickly took the oppertunity to leave the port city alongside his new friend Tae when she arrived.
Alongside the cleric he joined up with the Runners and his knowledge and arcane prowress proved invaluable to the vaniri adventurers. By the time of the Dark Enchanter, Geldur was the only non-vaniri member of the party and thus imperveous to Olisander's mask. When the group confronted Olisander, the enchanter forced Geldur's friends to turn on him and he was locked up in Darkstone Prison.

Rastaff the Barbarian

Rastaff the Barbarian was a Dragonborn berserker raised in Marthiel and joined the militia young. Proving himself as a warrior and shock trooper during the 40 Year Warw, Rastaff made up for his lack of education in his brute strength and kind heart. Becoming firm friends with Oris, the two would be the founding members of the Runner's after the war.

Rastaff died holding back a Flind attacker, allowing his party to escape during their failed quest in the Sudalfenland. His loss hit the party hard, and they've struggled to come back from the grief of his death.

Assets

The Runners own a small manor house in the south of Marthiel they've dubbed the Marthiel Adeventurer's Hall that acts as a guild headquarters and living space for their members. The manor also boasts a trophy room, library, cells, and training facilities.

History

Founded in the aftermath of the 40 Year War by war buddies Oris Brokenaxe and Rastaff the Barbarian, the group put out the call to adventurers on the island of Furunheim to join them in Marthiel. The party recruited travelling cleric of Freya and Furunheim native Tae and her recruited Aedrinaran friend, the Aedrinaran wizard Geldru Spellstorm of Kriegerholm.
The party were found by the druid Farris, who was seeking revenge on a hag who had destroyed his druid circle within the Mirthwood. When the group defeated the green hag, the druid joined them and their party was complete.
In 1052, Oris led the heroes to Sudalfenland to battle against the gnoll invasion. The demonic army proved too much for the lower- tiered adventuerers and they were nearly wiped on, saved only by the heroic sacrifice of their barbarian, Rastaff. They group remained in mourning, only taking smaller level quests in the aftermath of the conflict until Duskfall when local magic item dealer Huru of Oskunstrond vanished.
Investigating, the party discovered many non-elven citizens of Marthiel had been vanished and they chose to confront the town's governor, Chief Olisander Dirthstone, who revealed himself as The Dark Enchanter. Using the Masks of the Primal Elves the elven members of the party were enthralled and they turned on their human member, Geldur, and had him locked in prison.
The remaining 3 members decided to travel south to Krakenpost a week later to take part in the 'dungeon sweepstakes' organized the by Order of Labelas and the village's mayor. At the Waterway Inn, the party's cleric was cured of the enchatment before they were all attacked by The Wizard's Four. Oris and Faris would be taken away as prisoners alongside Geldur in Darkstone Prison, whilst Tae was left for dead.
The cleric would be healed and rescued by Doomed 2 Die and joined them in freeing the rest of her party, with the group being remeided of their enchatments by Zedithir and Gallus.

Founding Date

1044, 3E

Type

Adventuring Party

Location

Krakenpost

Appearances: 3

• Session 121: The Wizard's Four pt.2
• Session 122: Prison Break
• Session 123: Lair of the Dark Enchanter