Description
A black winged avian woman dressed in lightweight armor appears sleek and
dangerous. Rows of sheathed daggers line her belt making it look like a strip
of teeth ripped from the maw of some terrible beast. Her talons are fearsome
looking in their bladed metals and leather laced up just below her knee. Each
hand holds a sinister weapon giving her the visage of an angel of death.
Sight of this ill omen will surely be the waking nightmare for many in the
days, and nights, to come. Such an agile-looking birdlady, dressed as she
does and armed as she is, would make for an impressive ally or daunting
enemy. Whichever side you end up on, one thing is for certain: the side
looking at the pointy end of her beak, talons, and daggers will retain scars,
or a tombstone, that will speak of her legend.
Role
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: The Chain Gang
Added Fri Mar 20 12:36:52 2020 at level 10:
"Beat yer wings, ya scrawny bird bitch!" Shouted the duergar slavemaster.
Vantiglia flapped her wings at a steady pace as she pushed air deeper into
the narrow tunnel.
"Thas better, YES!" Clapped the duergar.
Rows of miners lined the dank crevice as pickaxes found purchase in the stone.
The song of their labor rang and echoed throughout the tunnel in a chaotic
cacophany that left your ears feeling duller with pain as it continued.
Vantiglia was one of hundreds of arials linked by chains who formed a pipeline
of fresh air from the surface to the darkness below. They would beat their
wings for hours as the air rushed into the tunnels. Giant siltscreens were
placed around the miners to capture the dust and keep the work focused on
following massive gold veins deep into the stone. Mining in this style was
much more dangerous but incredibly profitable as ordinary mines could not
go so quickly before deadly gasses gathered and suffocated the miners. There
was also another urgency dedicated to this operation; mining before the nearby
drow found them.
The kingdoms of Aran'gird and Teth Azeleth were beginning to find their
respective borders growing ever closer, and skirmishes over mining, capturing
one another to make slaves, and bartering the captured for mining equipment,
gold, or wares was becoming more frequent. The name of the game now was
finding the gold, getting the gold, and getting out before the other even
knew you were there. This new style of mining was all the rage as it was
quick, effective, and extremely profitable. However, it was even more
expensive than an army of Thoqqa once it was all put together.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: A Higher Purpose
Added Fri Mar 20 12:38:33 2020 at level 10:
"Thas it for today, pull it back and pack it up!" Issued the duergar
slavemaster to the teams down the line. Grunts and nods followed down duergar
by duergar and the sound of mining slowly began to halt. Scores of sweaty
duergars, svirfnebli slaves, and chained arials began to exit the tunnel and
into the light above. Deposits of gold ore were slung in thick rothe-hide
sacks, tools were gathered, and the stench of sweaty, greasy duergars found
their way out of the pitch-black darkness. As the last one to leave gave a nod
to the slavemaster, he turned to Vantiglia and said "Yer lot is in luck, bird
wench! The King can be affordin' many a new hobby an' this minin' team is
turnin' in their pickaxe handle an' pickin' up oar handles! HAR! The King
wants us to work out the kinks in 'is new bloody sneak ship for haulin' gold
quick across the seas! An' we're stringin' you lot to the ship to pull the
bloody thing while we be paddlin!"
Vantiglia did not like the idea of more work, but the idea of fresh air, sky,
and sea breezes would be a welcomed change to the duergar stank.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: Ship Shape
Added Fri Mar 20 12:39:48 2020 at level 10:
The next night, Vantiglia found herself on the dock of a secret, seldom used
harbor in the Hamsah Mu'tazz Seaport. The duergar King had arranged for no
prying eyes to be around during the maiden voyage of his latest creation, and
in the cover of darkness it would set sail. It was a sleek, black sliver of
a ship nearly 30 feet long with a shallow hull and black sails, and on the
back of the ship, in shining golden letters read "Lunar Schooner."
"Consider this yer promotion, ya filthy, feathered felon. Key to this
operation be silence so when yer see these lanterns in the crows nest light
up, yer an yer feathered friends quit beatin' yer wings and get back to the
ship. Ya hear?" Prodded the duergar Slavemaster with a poke to her ribs.
Vantiglia nodded.
"This be a test of the quickness, so we be hittin' the seas wit no cargo to
be seein' how many knots we can pull out on a clear night. I want each of ya
bloody birds to be beatin' yer wings like yer arse be in fire. An' if yer
don't follow me orders, I'll be lightin' yer arse up wit a flamin' arrow, ya
hear?!" Prodded the duergar Slavemaster again with another poke to her ribs,
but much harder this time.
Vantiglia winced and nodded again.
"Yes, Captain," chirped Vantiglia.
"Good," said the duergar.
As the "Lunar Schooner" pushed off from the docks, sleek, black oars slid
from within the ship and the rowing teams pushed the ship onward into the
darkness of night.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: The Lunar Schooner
Added Fri Mar 20 12:41:07 2020 at level 10:
The duergar Captain gave the signal and a team of one hundred arials took to
the skies tethered one to another by incredibly strong, but light chain from
the bow of the vessel.
"No sails yet, let's be seein' what bird power can be doin' on its own," said
the duergar Captain to the crew.
As the lead, Vantiglia was first off and the weight of the others was great
until their collective strength could pull the line taut. With a few unified
chirps, she brought order to the other arials who followed her command. The
team of arials began to beat their wings in unison and the ship began to
accelerate on the open water. The ship would lurch forward drastically with
their collective flapping, and the duergar Captain would grip the stearing
rudder with a maniacal and almost fearful laughter.
It was working a little too well.
The one calculation the duergars had not made was the actual weight of the
ship empty versus how much a hundred arials could collectively pull. Each
arial could pull their own weight and another two hundred pounds easily. Soon,
over twenty-thousand pounds of lift began to race the sleek ship over the
water, skipping waves at times with reckless abandon.
Vantiglia looked back to the crows nest and saw a light begin to glow in a
lantern; The signal to return.
Though it was another light some distance ahead that had her attention; The
eerie glow of what could only be the active volcano of Kiadana.
A plan began to formulate in her mind and in a few moments of chirping, she
rallied her feathered friends to beat their wings like never before. To not
hold anything back and carry this ship up, up, and away to fiery freedom.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: A Lunar Landing
Added Fri Mar 20 12:42:00 2020 at level 10:
The bow of the ship began to lift off of the water and in an instant the aft
was all that touched waves. The captain was in no way prepared for this
misadventure as many crew flew overboard while he held onto anything he could
when the ship became verticle.
The ship would quickly rise into the twinkling night sky higher and higher.
It flew just as a ship shouldn't and as the arials flew onward, the ship
started to spin and twist the chain at the base of the bow from side to side.
Reaching the top of Mount Kiadana, the hot winds began to lift the arial wings
higher, adding lift but also spinning the ship even more violently. The force
was too great for them to counteract and as the chain spun, so did they. In a
twist of cruel fate, the forces on the chain snapped it in half, freeing only
a quarter of the arials, leaving the other half tied to the ship, no longer
a group strong enough to pull the ship which was now falling in a death
spiral, hurtling into the fiery lava below.
The ship fell quickly, pulling the arials with it as Vantiglia could only
watch helplessly as her friends and foes fell. The ship hit the lava.
*PLOP*
*HISS*
A nearby patrol of fire giants looked around quizzically and said to one
another "Wut dat? Yuh smellsin chickens?" One said to the other.
"Yuh, dinner ready den" it replied as they went about their business.
Vantiglia
Added Fri Mar 20 12:43:57 2020 at level 10:
The cost of her freedom would go on to break Vantigilia's soul as it drove her
to a deep, dark depression full of anger and murderous despair. Her self
soothing would only be found in killing other creatures to make them feel
her pain. The lurking visions of that night will haunt her for the rest of her
days so she occupies herself in pursuits of self indulgence. A sword for hire.
A bodyguard. A mercenary. They're all the same to her and so she works to
create a name for herself and carve out her fortune in blood.
If she were to assign herself to a cause, she could easily be swayed by the
Empire to fight for their army.
If she where to believe in a god, they would have to be as dark and brooding
as she was.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: Metamorphose
Added Sat Apr 11 00:07:51 2020 at level 51:
The darkness in her mind was soul crushing. It was the only thing she had
remaining that made her remember she could care. If she didn't care, then she
wouldn't feel so angry all the time. She wouldn't want to scale a mountain
of writhing and confused elves with only a pair of iron daggers, just to hear
their screams as she reached the summit of Mount BloodElf. Sinking a dagger
into an elf had been her art, but it was so boring and anyone could do it.
Who was she kidding, the Dark Lord Gaspare was right. Anyone can stab an elf
and make a mess. It lacks specificity or direction. No, she was going to have
to try harder than any other point in her life. She was going to have to let
go of her failures that led to her freedom and she was going to have to turn
a new path. A War Mistress is one thing, but an Emperess is something more.
She had been focusing on seat of War Mistress as an Elite Blade in the
Imperial Army but what she had not considered was a larger seat. It had not
even crossed her mind at this point since Gharzhaks being named, but now...
The Dark Lord awakened something inside of Vantiglia that could only be
called inspiration. The Dark Lord sees something that Vantiglia could not
see beyond her own beak. Her vision was too narrow because she had not been
dreaming. She was stuck in her nightmare of death, wanton destruction, and
orders from higher up. She doesn't want to follow the Emperor forever. No,
that would be a fate worse than death. She wants to call the shots. She wants
to lead the dark army. She wants the glory. And a plan to make it all happen?
Let's hope it's better than being strung along on a frigate chain gang and
tossing yourself in Kiadana. The only lesson she truly learned was that
sometimes, bad luck for others can be the best luck for you.
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: The War Mistress Rises (Part 1)
Added Thu Apr 23 20:54:01 2020 at level 51:
The Dark Lord Gaspare had finally seen Vantiglia in a different, darker light.
Where she had been unworthy of the seat, suddenly, she was thrust into it. Her
devious plan had worked. She had hired agents to kidnap the War Master and
Emperor and get them out of the way for an extended vacation. It had only cost
her a few thousand gold, but the plan had worked so well, none would ever be
the wiser. No proof of the incident would ever crop up and with a clear path
ahead, Vantiglia would rise just as she imagined. It all went a little
something like this...
The gold was not so much for the kidnappers as it was for the incredibly
expensive materials. Each target would need specific methods to be extracted
without raising suspision. With her time spent in Aran'Gird, Vantiglia knew
all too well the vices of duergar. Gharzhak was addicted to massage parlors and
the women of the night in Hamsah Mu'tazz. A heavy dose of opium in his grog
and when he woke, he would be locked up in a whitesteel cage in the belly of
a ship heading to a slaver camp far off the Western Aryth. There was something
to be said of scorned women, and the harlot who helped Vantiglia has been
burned far too often by the Gharzhak itch. She initially offered to help for
free.
Now, the Emperor, this is where the expense was highest. There was zero margin
for error. Failure would mean back into the mines as as slave, and likely
daily beatings for being Anathema to the Empire. Or perhap worse, a zombie to
serve as the Emperor's foot stool. This was a plan that could spare no
expense. Sourcing the materials was not easy; a coffin made completely of
silver, and then tarnished black to match the one the Emperor would meditate
within. She had first noticed the black coffin when one of the black sect
had raised the wrath of the Emperor by stumbling into it when the Emperor was
inside. The noise from the argument was enough to draw attention for miles.
Next, was to hire a mage knowledged in greasey magic. Once the Emperor was
inside, a hidden latch would lock whatever was inside. Thick velvet and wool
was lined to muffle sound, but a screaming mummy can wail louder than most so
the coffin would have to be slid down the stairs without anyone seeing. A
rogue had been paid to fill the Palace with smoke as to let the coffin slip
out and down quickly and into a waiting carriage. From there, the horse and
buggy would quickly make its way to a hidden boat off the calm dock through
the fields south of the Palace, and after that it would be sunk with its
cargo to find its way to the bottom of the great whirlpool on the Aryth.
(Continued in Part 2)
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: The War Mistress Rises (Part 2)
Added Thu Apr 23 20:57:40 2020 at level 51:
Buying a boat, horse, buggy, silver coffin, rogue, mage, and much, much more
was indeed quite the expense, but now that Vantiglia walks free of opposition
into the seat of War Mistress, the cost seems so reasonable. As long as the
bagged bastards do not float to the surface in the future, Vantiglia might
very well get away with one of the greatest feats never to be heard by any
other soul. Safe that way. And now her next step, assembling a council of her
closest companions in the Empire to vote for her as Empress. This should be
impress Lord Gaspare.
All she has to do now is figure out how to make friends...
The Chronicles of Vantiglia: The Curious Case of Zufan the Bard
Added Sat May 9 17:49:11 2020 at level 51:
As explained by Zufan and retold by Vantiglia Black, War Master in year
246 of the 6th Age.
A young bard found themself oathed by blood to the Imperial Army. He told
Vantiglia he joined in pursuit of a woman he loved, but that she had been
enlisted into the Imperial Black Sect. Clearly he had terrible taste in women.
In her own conquest or foolish endeavors, she died. And seemingly any reason
Zufan had joined to be with her, was lost.
However, he quickly realized he did not care about her anymore and that he
instead only cared about the growth of the Empire. Just the right amount of
heartlessness Vantiglia appreciated. The young bard would rise quickly in
his guild, a master of the comedic arts, so much so that he believed himself
quite the jokester. On one such day, Vantiglia ordered the bard to give his
amulet of the troll to the High Priestess as Inaj desired it, else risk the
High Priestess making the bard Anathema.
The bard sat in silence for an hour or two. No movement.
Shrugged with indifference and then cut his own throat, never to be seen or
heard from again. To this day, it was the best joke Vantiglia had ever heard.
To think, what great heights this bard could have climbed to! A master of
emotion, conflict resolution, and even comedy. Truly, this amulet must be
powerful to invoke such a response that would risk life, limb, darkness,
and order.
And that is the tale of Zufan. A short story in the tale of ages. A smudge of
ink on the history of Thera you might mistake for a real character in the
book, but be sadly disappointed to find it was only a gnat crushed when the
pages were shut.
There would be no blood reckoning to teach, just a shallow grave to step over.
Would this be the art Vantiglia wished to show Lord Gaspare? Her ability to
cause conflict and let the strings of fate paint a picture none can predict?
It was certainly interesting to see the politics of such commands play out
before her and Vantiglia had learned something. Perhaps even a reason to
mention the late Zufan in her own Chronicles; a lesson that no matter how
much smoke others might blow up your rear end, when presented with real
choices that change the fate of history, if you keel over and die, no one
will remember you. So you must push back at all times. You must use that
passion for your time alive to make a name for yourself, however famous or
infamous. She would thank Zufan for this lesson in how not to live; an aimless
heartbroken lover of amulets, or one who will carve the world out so deeply
none can deny you had lived.
PK Wins
Mar 22, 2020|Lv 27|Galadon|Pokko vs 1: [27] Vantiglia (100%, backhanded blow)
Mar 22, 2020|Lv 29|BattleRager Village|Pokko vs 2: [34] Flaerk (24%, circle stab), [29] Vantiglia (75%)
Mar 24, 2020|Lv 34|A Wagon-Marked Road|Leuoa vs 3: [35] Squiee (50%, beating), [34] Vantiglia (33%), [37] Gharzhak (15%)
Mar 25, 2020|Lv 34|Ruins of Delar-Tol|Thozur vs 2: [30] Arnvruak (65%, fatigue), [34] Vantiglia (34%)
Mar 27, 2020|Lv 36|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Majeva vs 1: [36] Vantiglia (100%, blast)
Mar 27, 2020|Lv 37|The Citadel of Ostalagiah|Salximsali vs 1: [37] Vantiglia (0%, acid blast)
Mar 30, 2020|Lv 48|The Imperial Palace|Arythan vs 2: [48] Vantiglia (100%, cleave), [51] Vae (0%)
Apr 7, 2020 |Lv 49|The Battlefield|Zabbas vs 1: [49] Vantiglia (100%, wrath)
Apr 9, 2020 |Lv 51|The Pass|Zabbas vs 2: [51] Chanya (0%), [51] Vantiglia (100%, venomous slash)
Apr 9, 2020 |Lv 51|The Imperial Lands|Jaane vs 4: [51] Vantiglia (19%, crush), [51] Chanya (5%), [51] Itzenxilaatl (57%), [51] Inaj (16%)
Apr 9, 2020 |Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Jaane vs 4: [51] Inaj (0%), [51] Itzenxilaatl (65%), [51] Chanya (0%), [51] Vantiglia (34%, bleeding artery)
Apr 14, 2020|Lv 51|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Eybaen vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, cranial hit)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|Outside Hamsah Mu'tazz|Maghivada vs 3: [51] Chanya (0%), [51] Angaph (0%), [51] Vantiglia (100%, parting blow)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Ajanfindel vs 2: [51] Angaph (0%), [51] Vantiglia (100%, poison)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|BattleRager Village|Thozur vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, wrath)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|The Eastern Road|Admund vs 2: [51] Inaj (4%), [51] Vantiglia (95%, defilement)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|Keep of the Righteous|Maeneekoni vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, parting blow)
Apr 19, 2020|Lv 51|Keep of the Righteous|Admund vs 2: [51] Inaj (0%), [51] Vantiglia (100%, bleeding artery)
Apr 20, 2020|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Jaane vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, bleeding artery)
Apr 21, 2020|Lv 51|Forest of Prosimy|Nisto vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, bleeding)
Apr 22, 2020|Lv 51|Bramblefield Road|Dahken vs 2: [45] Dzalvin (0%), [51] Vantiglia (100%, parting blow)
Apr 23, 2020|Lv 51|Galadon|Tikkan vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, defilement)
May 5, 2020 |Lv 51|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Ynol vs 2: [51] Vantiglia (94%, poison), [46] Huuomd (5%)
May 5, 2020 |Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Vlaff vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, crush)
May 5, 2020 |Lv 51|Northern Foothills|Eybaen vs 2: [47] Neilla (31%, claw), [51] Vantiglia (68%)
May 5, 2020 |Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Vlaff vs 2: [46] Deklast (6%), [51] Vantiglia (93%, piercing venoms)
May 6, 2020 |Lv 51|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Vlaff vs 2: [41] Doilen (35%, parting blow), [51] Vantiglia (64%)
May 6, 2020 |Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Vlaff vs 2: [51] Inaj (5%), [51] Vantiglia (94%, bleeding artery)
May 7, 2020 |Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Vlaff vs 3: [41] Doutrobelynn (28%, fatigue), [37] Targung (53%), [51] Vantiglia (17%)
May 7, 2020 |Lv 51|The Imperial Lands|Merahaid vs 2: [51] Inaj (11%, defilement), [51] Vantiglia (88%)
May 8, 2020 |Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Lehrna vs 2: [51] Wijara (70%), [51] Vantiglia (29%, defilement)
May 9, 2020 |Lv 51|Arkham|Polunt vs 3: [51] Doutrobelynn (16%), [51] Zufan (28%), [51] Vantiglia (55%, defilement)
May 15, 2020|Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Lokloq vs 2: [51] Saffaeh (10%), [51] Vantiglia (89%, venomous slash)
May 15, 2020|Lv 51|Mount Kiadana-Rah|Flagit vs 2: [51] Saffaeh (46%, claw), [51] Vantiglia (53%)
May 15, 2020|Lv 51|The Open Plains|Juzwoz vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, bleeding artery)
May 18, 2020|Lv 51|The Dwarf Forest|Sephmylla vs 1: [51] Vantiglia (100%, defilement)