Wanted: Adventurers
by Giampaolo Agosta, Simone Neri and Francesco Defferrari edited by AllanP from Threshold Magazine issue 21In a topic on the Piazza Mystara Forum, Giampaolo Agosta (a.k.a. agathokles) wondered what NPC adventuring parties might be encountered by a PC group in the city of Specularum around 1000 AC.
This article summarise the responses to that forum topic.
From canon sources Giampaolo was able to identify the following likely adventurers:
Baron Yuschiev
He is identified as already being a Landed Lord by the year 1014 AC in the fan produced Mystara Almanacs. However, he is probably not part of the “old Traladaran aristocracy” because the Almanac entry describes him taking over Vlad Lutescu’s fief of Rugalov, and his followers are Knights by 1015 AC or so. He is likely around 40 years of age in 1015 AC, and therefore around 25 in 1000 AC. Accordingly, he could be a low-level Fighter at that time, leading his own party of adventurers (with a just-sheared Grygory Vorloi, maybe?).
Sir Befrick and the Blades of Vanya
Sir Befrick is a Knight of the Order of the Griffon and appears in the AD&D Mystara adventure “Hail the Heroes” (like Barris Strolojca) as an established Knight. He should also be forming his own party of adventurers at some point around 1000 AC. In the campaign run by agathokles, this party is formed near the end of AC 1000 by members of the Church of Karameikos to hunt a Traladaran wererat, and the group is called the “Blades of Vanya”.
The Company of the Few
In the boxed set “Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure”, it is recorded that this party fought a wyvern on the roof of the city’s Roaring Seawolf inn. This event takes place between Lucas Tormandros’ accession to the position of Townmaster of Specularum1 and the 1012 AC date of K:KoA, so it is reasonable that the Company be active, as a 1st or 2nd level party, in 1000 AC.
Simone Neri expanded on the make-up of “The Few”, envisioning them as a mercenary group, sometimes working for non-noble authorities (ministries, town councils, etc.), sometimes for private customers (merchants, mostly), sometimes on their own. His detail of the group’s membership is in Table 1.
Table 1 - THE COMPANY OF THE FEW
| Name | Birth | Notes |
| Dmitri Yurevich | AC979 | NG Traladaran human male, 2nd-level Fighter The future husband of Aleena Halaran (see PWAII); in Simone Neri’s campaign he’s also the unnamed fighter you play in the two solo adventures of Red Box’s Player’s Booklet. |
| Valeria Laschirigarius | AC976 | LN half-Thyatian/half-Traladaran human female, 2nd-level Mage |
| Katarina Yakovescu | AC983 | LG Traladaran human female 1st-level Fighter |
| Mikhail Sinkovic | AC986 | CG Traladaran human male 2nd-level Invoker A boy prodigy at the Mages’ Guildhall |
| Bela Bethlany | AC981 | CG Traladaran human male 1st-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara |
| Bomblum Wallclimber | AC947 | CG Stronghollow dwarf male 1st/1st-level Fighter/Thief |
Other adventuring parties developed by Simone Neri follow below (with AD&D stats). Some of these NPCs are derived from canon or fanon sources.
Kallergan’s Companions:
A “pure” adventuring group, formed a little before AC 1000 and based in Threshold at the beginning, but moved to the capital soon afterwards. This was Simone’s own PCs’ first adventuring party (party membership changed very soon however). Their members are listed in Table 2.
Table 2 - KALLERGANS COMPANY
| Name | Birth | Notes |
| Lord Claudius Titus Varius Kallergan ‘Calandros’ (shearing name) | AC 978 | LG Thyatian human male 2nd-level Paladin Sheared scion of the Kallergan noble family (family lands south of the Barony of Kelvin, bordering western Dymrak Forest). |
| Dunrik Dunrikos | AC975 | CG Traladaran male 2nd-level Mage |
| Titus Rorrigan | AC975 | NG Thyatian male 2nd-level Cleric of the Church of Karameikos |
| Alexander Locksly | AC981 | NG half-Darokinian/half-Traladaran male 1st-level Fighter [Myrmidon kit] |
| Sergej Rovenscu ‘Zordak’ | AC980 | CN Traladaran male 9th-level Bard [Jester kit] An experienced PC from a previous campaign, exiled from Norwold and now in hiding, joined the party to keep a low profile. |
Traladara’s Wanderers:
An all-Traladaran group, which has begun to make its name known among old Traladaran clans and families. The Wanderers are listed in Table 3.
Table 3 - TRALADARA’S WANDERERS
| Name | Birth | Notes |
| Lady Varjia Rothescu | AC981 | LG Traladaran human female 3rd-level Fighter |
| Yuri Yakovescu | AC970 | LN Traladaran human male 3rd-level Diviner |
| Sasha Ivanovic | AC979 | CN Traladaran human male 2nd-level Thief |
| Stephan Znarovic | AC970 | LG Traladaran human male 2nd-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara |
| Lady Sula Malenkov | AC983 | LN Traladaran human female 1st-level Fighter |
| Ilya Tsodorov | AC971 | CG Traladaran human male 1st-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara |
The Noble Swords:
A warrior-type group made up of scions of lesser Thyatian noble families or petty noblemen, specialised in guard, cleaning, and rescue missions, often employed by the Church of Karameikos, Thyatian aristocrats, and Thyatian merchants. This group’s members are listed in Table 4.
Table 4 - The NOBLE SWORDS
| Name | Birth | Notes |
| Sir Vanyarites Karadelium | AC 977 | LG Thyatian human male 5th-level Cleric of the Church of Karameikos [Noble Priest kit] |
| Lord Xentus Paphrotemkarius | AC 974 | N Thyatian human male 5th-level Fighter [Noble Fighter kit] |
| Lady Constantina Retebius | AC 982 | LN Thyatian human female 4th-level Crusader of the Church of Thyatis) Scion of the Retebius noble family, with lands on the coast south of the Dymrak Forest (see "Karameikos Noble Families" at The Vaults of Pandius for details) |
| Lady Zeninia Glantarentes | AC 969 | LG Thyatian human female 7th-level Fighter [Cavalier kit] |
| Sir Angelic Paphtatribin | AC 968 | LG Thyatian human male 7th-level Fighter [Noble Fighter kit] |
The Ladies for Hire:
An all-female mercenary group, mostly formed of independent specialists who only gather together from time to time to form a “commando”-type group to perform very difficult or delicate missions. The Ladies receive many missions from Duchess Olivia Karameikos and from other noble families, while they are somewhat shunned by the church authorities (due to the presence within their ranks of representatives of many different sects). Members of this group are detailed in Table 5.
Table 5 - THE LADIES FOR HIRE
| Name | Birth | Notes |
| Lady Nina Pyotrev | AC 975 | CG Traladaran human female 11th-level Fighter [Swashbuckler kit] A scion of the Pyotrev Traladaran noble family (other members are Sergei Pyotrev, ambassador to Alfheim [see GAZ5], and Mikel Pyotrev, captain of the Phorsis Guard [see GAZ1]. |
| Alisz Dkany | AC 977 | LN Traladaran human female 6th-level Fighter Alisz appears in JA (pg 159), and in AC 1013 is said to be a retired adventurer operating a weapons shop in the tiny village of Irenke (west of Penhaligon). |
| Monika Radi-Lupu | AC 976 | N Traladaran human female 8th-level Bard |
| Lady Alatiela of Gleymouril | AC 864 | CG Callarii elf female 5th/7th/6th-level Fighter/Mage/Thief A court lady, she’s also a lieutenant in Castellan Keep’s garrison (see my MGAZ1: Central Altan Tepes Mini Gazetteer at the Vaults of Pandius for details). |
| Sophia Besma Folengo | AC 978 | NG half-Alasiyan/half-Thyatian human female 6th-level Cleric of the Church of Thyatis |
| Athemia Lasochitropolus | AC 978 | LN Thyatian human female 5th-level Crusader of the Church of Karameikos |
| Yula Manckiewicz | AC 978 | NG Traladaran human female 5th-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara |
| Ecaterina Stepanovic | AC 980 | CG Traladaran human female 5th-level Mage |
Simone Neri detailed two the “Ladies” as follows:
Nina Pyotrev
CG human female F13;
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 7, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 18;
5'3" tall; weight 112 lbs
Nina is very lean but wiry. She is very beautiful, with shiny long and straight brown hair, often featuring one or two braids. Her flashing, seductive brown eyes have felled a score of men (including Lord Alexius Korrigan, with whom she had a short romantic liaison).
Nina is at some odds with her family due to her lack of respect for proper “womanly duties” (marriage, raising children, be used as a tool for political alliances) and common morality.
She adventures to seek personal thrill, to enjoy herself, and to fight injustice and oppression. She wanders the world but coms back now and then to visit her father or the Duke’s Court in Specularum.
Nina is a fencing master, favoring the use of dueling weapons and totally eschewing the heavy attire of the Karameikan knights.
Alatiela of Gleymouril
CG wood elf female F6/M8/T6;
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 12;
56 years old (elven age, see GAZ5)
5'6" tall; weight 86 lbs. (elven build)
A Callarii elf from a clan in the Radlebb Woods (the name of her native clanhold is Gleymouril),
Alatiela enlisted in the Karameikan army to seek revenge on humanoids (she was captured and tortured by hobgoblins some years ago). She quickly rose to become the captain’s right hand in the “Mountain Storm” battalion at Castellan Keep.
Alatiela has blue eyes and light blonde hair (she uses her hair to hide the left side of her head, since her left ear was cut off by her hobgoblin captors during her imprisonment).
Alatiela wears bracers of defense (AC 2), a ring of fire resistance and owns 10 arrows +1; she favours firing from distance with her short bow, using daggers in close combat.
Then there are several canonical characters who could be added to the list of potential adventurers in Spoecularum c. 1000 AC .
They are:
Devlin Yakov
born AC 982
CG Traladaran human male
1st-level [9th-level in AC 1013] Thief)
He is described in JA (pg 159), and is said to have been for a time an adventuring companion of Misha Mananov.
Misha Mananov
born AC 981
LG Traladaran human female
1st-level [12th-level in AC 1013] Cleric of the
Church of Traladara)
She appears in JA (pg 156), and is said to have fled the Black Eagle Barony at age 15 (thus in AC 996) and to have joined the Church of Traladara’s ranks as priest “a few years later”, “righting wrongs and helping people in need of aid”.
Sir Peter of Kelvin
This character appears in JA (pg 231) as “a knight of some distinction” who suffers from sleepwalking. Could have been an adventuring knight (or fighter, at that time), in AC 1000.
Valentin Dardanus
An adventurer of Thyatian descent (featured in JA, pg 228) who donates 100,000 gold royals to the city of Mirros (Specularum) in AC 1013 in order to build a public school. He does not seem to have retired at that point, and he is surely a high-level and successful adventurer to be able to make such a huge gift to the city. He is probably already active in AC 1000, perhaps as a good Thief or Fighter. (In Simone Neri’s campaign he was for a time an adventuring companion of Aleena Halaran.)
Rufius Andergorn
He appears in JA (pg 15) as a “mage of high and wide repute” in AC 1013, who sells some services in the tiny village of Irenke (west of Penhaligon). He seems to be more an academic type, but could also have gone adventuring around AC 1000.
Claransa the Seer
born AC 966
LG Traladaran human female
20th-level Mage [AC 1010-13],
perhaps 9th-12th level in AC 1000
A pre-generated PC in modules CM1-3 and M1, she then appears again in the PWA/JA series. She is likely a divination specialist, and could already be at large in AC 1000 since she briefly rules a dominion in Norwold before the events of Wrath of the Immortals.
Lucci Dhay
Appearing in module M2), she is a Neutral Thief native to Karameikos, forced to leave the Grand Duchy after being wrongly accused of a crime “many years ago”. Depending on the timeframe you choose for M2, she could be active as an adventurer in Karameikos in AC 1000.
Shebb Woolsey
Appearing in module M5, he was born “160 years ago” (which would mean around AC 840-50, depending on the timeframe you choose for M5) in Kelvin, and seems to have travelled widely. In M5 he is a Neutral 30thlevel Thief, but he likely first left Karameikos many years before AC 1000.
Candella and Duchess
Appearing in module B3, these are two good-looking female adventuring-thieves who ventured into Haven (both are Neutral 2nd level Thieves).
Erren and Sarrah
Appearing in module B12 (pgs 6-7), these are another two good-looking female thieves and dungeon-delvers; both are from Specularum (Erren is a 22 years old Neutral 3rd-level Thief, while Sarrah is a 20 years old Neutral 2nd-level Thief).
Gurdrot (Chaotic 1st-level Dwarf)
Hargrinn Coogan (Chaotic 2nd-level Fighter)
Katzani (Chaotic 3rd-level Cleric), and
Mordrain (Chaotic 3rd-level Magic-User)
These four are all from module B12 (pgs 11-12); they form a group of chaotic adventurers seemingly devoted to robbing and looting.
APPENDIX
STURM’S MYSTARA ADVENTURING PARTY GENERATOR
Based on a City of 50.000 inhabitants (like Specularum), every day/night in the city there are present:
| 1-2(-1) | Local Companion level or higher adventuring parties |
| 1d6(-1) | Local Expert level adventuring parties |
| 4d4(-1) | Local Base level adventuring parties |
| 1d12(-1) | adventuring parties not of the city but from the same nation (70% base level, 25% expert level, 5% companion or higher) |
| 1d8(-1) | adventuring parties from surrounding nations (within a 1,000 miles distance) |
| 3% | chance that 1-2 adventuring parties are present from lands in the same planet but more than a 1,000 miles away |
| 1% | chance that 1 adventuring party is present from the Hollow World/another planet/another plane (probably disguised as locals |
| Every adventuring party has 1d8+1 members. | |
| Adventuring parties are: | |
| 40% | all humans |
| 50% | with one or more demi-humans like elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings |
| 5% | all demi-humans |
| 4.5% | with one or more humanoid or other intelligent being |
| 0.5% | Entirely composed of humanoids or other intelligent beings |
| (these figures could greatly differ depending on the ethnic composition of the place of origin) | |
| In a Country of 500,000 inhabitants, from 10 to 90 new adventuring parties are formed each year (average 50). | |
| Of these parties: | |
| 65% | (average 32) disband within few days or months with or without casualties. |
| 20% | (average 10) disband within one or few years, have at least one casualty and reach only local fame, not necessarily in their home town. |
| 14% | (average 7) are killed to the last one or disappear into the unknown. |
| 1% | (average 1) reach lasting fame and eventually retire in military, nobility or government positions. |
| 0,1 | (average 1 every 20 years) reach great fame beyond their nation and are the subjects of legends and folk tales. |
1 This event occurs in 996 AC according to "The Grand Duchy of Karameikos AC970-AC1000" by Sean Meany