Ravendil Shadowstar

Details

Size: 6ft. 1in., 125 lbs. with a wiry build.
Age: 60
Eye Color: Silver
Hair color: Black
Distinguishing Features: Steely Gaze
Birthday: Born on Geheimnistag, the Day of Mystery, 2462 years since the founding of the Empire by Lord Sigmar.
Astrology: Born under the sign of the Gloaming, Sign of Illusion and Mystery. On the day of his birth Morrslieb, the Chaos Moon was sighted as a grayish green full moon eclipsing the sun. This did portent a great flood will come the following spring.
Dooming: Thy end be a mystery.
Religion: Raised to worship Asuryan (Elven High God), with special reverence for Lileath (Elven Goddess of the Moon, Dreams, Prophecy, and Forgivness).

Background

Ravendil is a high elf was born to Amendil and Istrarielle Shadowstar in 2462 in the Reikwald Forest. He was the younger of two brothers by nearly 40 years. Both brothers showed a great affinity for magic and for one another. Together they seemed to resonate and compliment each other, and many in their community believed that they might be destined for a great magical destiny.

Unfortunately, they were a family for only a very short time by elven standards. The dreams of the brothers were often haunted by visions, and just before their 20th year together his brother departed to follow a vision. In the absence of his brother, Ravendil seemed greatly diminished. To distract him from his melancholy, his parents focused his training away from magic and towards woodland lore. This he took to like a fish to water.

Over the next few decades, Ravendil trained diligently in the ways of the woods. As the years passed, he never gave up hope for the return of his brother. He did note, though, that all was not as it seemed with his parents or the elven community in which he lived. Too many of the elves, he noted, were ready for war, and too few were families. Over time, fewer and fewer elves lived in the community. In 2520, his parents left, on what he was told was a trip to investigate possible Druchii (Dark Elf) involvement with a Chaos Horde. They did not return. Alone in the world, Ravendil, decided it was time to depart the nearly abandoned outpost, and find his own way in the world.

This is the world as Ravendil knows it. The truth is a bit more complex. He is neither Asur (High Elf), nor Asrai (Wood Elf). His parents have hidden the truth of his nature from him. Ravendil is actually a Shadow Elf of Nagarythe, descended from Aenarion himself. Being neither Asur, nor Asrai, in the Old World he is an elf without a people. His parents were part of an expedition sent to the Old World to hunt the Druchii, their most bitter and hated enemy. The knowledge of where they came from was known to Erlaen, who was born in the Shadowlands, but kept from Ravendil. It was felt that the knowledge might harm him in the Old World . This did not stop the Shadow Elves from instilling in Ravendil proper Shadow Elf values, however. He was raised to value the more martial and violent aspects of his nature, and with an unhealthy and malevolent hatred for Druchii and chaos.

Ravendil is a very independent elf, used to having to be self sufficient. He believes in the inherent decency of all sentient beings, as long as the creature is not green, chaos, or a dark elf. However, he also does not believe in second chances, so once you have proven yourself untrustworthy, your life is no longer of any value. His latent, but suppressed magical talent manifests itself in an almost preternatural stealth and sixth sense.

Recent History

One morning while out hunting a large Elk that had wandered far from the gaming trails, Ravendil found himself similarly struck with a profound wanderlust. He spied a human caravan moving westerly along a human road that split the Reikwald forest between the Skaag Hills and Hagercrybs. With no real reason no to do so, Ravendil abandoned his hunt, and began to follow the caravan at a safe distance. This new hunt took him to the gates of Bogenhäfen, the closet he'd ever been to a human settlement. There he was accosted immediately by the gate guards who demanded he pay an ear tax, a concept complete foreign to Ravendil. He was saved by the timely intervention of a Sigmarite initiate by the name of Martin Aulenbach. So began his life as a traveling vagabond, an elf with no home to speak of.

While in the city, Ravendil had time to explore. His new traveling companion spent the day in prayer in the temple to Sigmar within the Gottplätz, as Ravendil took in the sites of the human city. Eventually he found a tavern near the Gottplätz, and awaited his new friend. While in the tavern, a party of treasure hunters led by Hartungus "Hart" von Roftman recruited Ravendil to guide them to a forgotten elven ruin near Schilderheim. After gathering up Martin, the party departed on the trip.

On the journey, Ravendil faced substantial racial predjudices, both from the towns to which they travelled and from their new traveling companions. He began to grow uneasy in the presence of humans, and of them only the young Martin seemed trust worthy. No incident better illustrated human predjudices that as they approached Holthusen. There their river barge was stopped and forbidden from enterign as long as Ravendil was aboard. Though he offered to disembark, this was not good enough for one of the guards who boarded and attempted to assault Ravendil for no crime other than being an elf. Quick thinking allowed Ravendil to cool tempers without bloodshed, but the party was still forced to journey around the city and make camp in the dark forests north of the city. In the dead of the night, there in the wilderness came the first ambush by the Cloaked Men. The ambushers were dispatched with only cursory clues to their identities, and their only known motivation to capture the elf alive.

The party continued deep into the darkness of the Reikwald, facing little more opposition save a brief bear attack. They found the ruin as they had expected, though not quite as abandoned. Digging in the long forgotten stones appeared to be dark cultists. The party slipped by them unnoticed, following the clues on Hart's map to lead them to a hidden treasure. This treasure turned out to be a perfect sphere of warpstone tucked away inside the Elven Warpstone Prison. Hart then revealed his own nature as a mutant and attacked the party. He proved no match and was put down without casualty. The party quickly quit the site and decided to seek help, for this matter was beyond them. They stole the cultists raft, and began quickly polling up river to Altdorf.

Along the way they encountered a barge belogning to a Sigmarite high priest on his way to a grand council of priests. This, the group decided was what they needed, and they hailed the barge. After being taken aboard, they shared their story, and various parties listened with various intentions. One in particular, took to a dark purpose. The priest's witch hunter took aside two of the party Berthold Menckenberg and Meinhardtus "Mein" Menckenberg and beat them to death in an attempt to interrogate the "truth" of the matter from them. He futher sought to intimidate Ravendil and Agathe Helermann by showing them a string of mutant and beastmen bodies that the barge was dragging; "trophies" as he called them. This had the effect of causing Ravendil, Martin, and Agathe to fear for their own lives, and, in the darkness of a fogged in night, they snuck aboard their raft and made for the shore.

Wet and exhausted, the three survivors crept along the shore line until they could find a road. They continued eastward, hoping to make Altdorf. As the road neared the river again, they beheld the sight of the Sigmarite barge listing, abandoned near the shore. Ravendil and [[[[Martin Aulenbach|Martin]] ventured aboard to discover the fate of those they had left the night before. There they found the witch hunter clinging to his last breathe who told them of agents of chaos coming in the fog, and of artifacts that he would never give them. In his maddened state, the heroes put him down. Martin took his weapons as artifacts of the church, and the two scoured the boat. Together they found a mask that reeked of chaos magic. They dared not use it, but took it with them.

They made their way further up the road to Rottefach, where they sought refuge. In an inn there, the mask was stolen. The only clues led them to a barge on which a traveling acting company resided. As the party sat to watch the play, it quickly became appearent that the actors knew them, and that dark forces were at play. The party was attacked, and all the actors save the ring leader were slain. Sadly Agathe Helermann fell to one of their blades. As Ravendil and Martin explored the barge, it was revealed that these were not actors but cultists of Slaanesh. Once this was explained to the authorities, and all were satisfied that Sigmar's justice had been done, Ravendil and Martin continued to Altdorf.

In Altdorf the Martin contacted the cult of Sigmar, who directed him to their templars. Using Hart's map, Martin was able to secure a company of Templars of Sigmar and the dwarven sergeant Thuramir. The party set out by river barge, with the intent of docking at Schilderheim and taking a smaller boat to the landing near the elven ruin. Along the way the party witnessed a burning Rottefach. Heroically, the party and the Templars lept from the moving barge onto the town's docks and battled rampaging beastmen. Ravendil put down the majority of the monsters, while Thuramir saved the main Sigmarite temple from an overzealous priest intent on keeping its artifacts from the beastmen. With their bloody task down, and casualties counted, the group reboarded the barge to tackle their main task.

The barge docked in Schilderheim, and the party set out, with several boatmen in tow. The followed the trail set on the first trek to the ruins. Once there, they discovered the landscape much changed. A recent violent rainstorm had triggered a violent landslide that had nearly buried the ruin. In place on the cultists as well, now were walking rat men and a chaos spawn crafted from the former mutant Hartungus "Hart" von Roftman. The party party and templars battled the Skaven menace, but were betrayed by the Templar captain. The captain slit the throats of the boatmen and nearly succeeded in back stabbing Ravendil. All was not lost, and in the end the party prevailed. The Skaven and chaos spawn were put to the torch, and the now deceased captain was proven to be a servant of the vile rat men. The bodies and the map were put to Sigmar's cleansing flame, and all were sworn to secrecy about the events that took place. The Templars returned to Altdorf empty handed with stories of beastmen and a ruin reclaimed by the forest. The party disembarked at Weidemarkt, to heal their wounds in one of Thuramir's favorite inns.

After a long night of drinking fine dwarven ales, the innkeeper Ulrich told a tale of beer and glory. Then he asked Thuramir to return a Rune of Fortitude to Clan Kargin near Helmgardt. Thuramir agreed, as did Ravendil, who had nothing better to do. Martin, in a drunken stupor, did not want to be left out and agreed as well, not knowing to what he was agreeing. The party took the rune, and returned to Altdorf, promising to bring back many casks of fine dwarven ale for Ulric. From their they ventured south towards Helmgardt and Axe Bite Pass. As they were leaving Altdorf, they spied the resplendant knight errant, Joans Mendy, at the head of merchant caravan belonging to Johannes Grissman.

A long day of travel brought them to the Star's Buck tavern where they again met up with Johannes and his caravan. Not one to let opportunity slip by, Thuramir Jorunnson negotiated a healthly salary for the party to guard the caravan all the way to Helmgardt. Within days this proved a fortutious deal Johannes as the carvan was attacked by Sigmarite zealots while resting at an inn. Thuramir proved the hero of the day, saving the merchant and many of his friends from a suicide bomber, while Ravendil dispatched their murderous leader. Then again but a day later when the party was set upon by beastmen. After beating them off, it was revealed that the beastmen had been driven from the Reikwald by Ravendil's own fellows, who asked for his help. Ravendil was torn by a sense of obligation to friends or countrymen. He saw the caravan to Bogenhäfen, then joined the hunt. There was little sleep to be had over the next three days, but Ravendil's archery skills were beyond compare, even amongst his countrymen, and he took many beastmen horns. Three days later, he rejoined the caravan as it set out southward again. The brief time with his countrymen had hardened Ravendil's spirit. Not as content as he had been with aimless wandering, Ravendil's wander lust was tempered with a call to battle.

Spirits were low, as profits were low in Bogenhäfen. Johannes attributed this to being unable to complete his tribute to the merchant god Handrich, due to the zealot attack. He had higher hopes as they traveled south. As they neared Helmgardt, goblin wolfrider attacks became frequent. Ravendil took to riding out in front of the caravan. Finally, after several goblin ambushes, and passing a few ransacked caravans, the party and their charge arrived at Helmgardt with minimal loss of life and no loss of cargo. Johannes Grissman was very greatful and payed the party's wages gladly.

Within the city, Martin and Thuramir Jorunnson went to deliver the Rune of Fortitude and learn about the plague that was striking the local garrision. Ravendil was left to his own devices, and began gathering supplies and making plans to hunt the orcs and goblins that followed the orc Broken Trunk within the local hills. When his fellows returned, they brought a tale that revealed that Ulric had, in fact, stolen the rune and made the party an unwilling part of a grudge between him and Clan Kargin. Thuramir volunteered the party to set things right, and Ravendil agreed to go along with the plan. That night Joans Mendy revealed to Ravendil that he has been having dreams of a pending disaster and that he believes that he is being called by the Lady of the Lake to service as a Grail Knight. Ravendil spoke of the prophetic power of dreams, and the weight that he people placed on them. Together they were met by unexpected visitors in the form of Eldril, Handmaiden of the Lady, and Erlaen Shadowstar, Ravendil's brother. They revealed the truth of Joans' visions, and told them that a sign will appear that will guide them. Ravendil agreed to accompany Joans Mendy on this sacred quest, and his brother entrusted him with a single Magic Arrow.

The following morning the three adventurers set out to Groz Zorn with the dwarven priestess of Valaya, Skalfkragella "Ella" Karginsdottir, and two human bodyguards Berthold and Gustav. Their first stop was a logging camp that was overrun with goblins and an orc. Once these were put down, Ravendil was witness to the brutality of the greenskins, and felt it necessary to put down a human survivor who had gone mad. They continued upwards, eventually climbing a once hidden stair to the great, windswept plain of Groz Zorn. Upon that forsaken meadow, they gazed westward and beheld a great black spot that appeard far off in the sky, to the sound of distant battle. A sign Ravendil sought, and a sign he now had. Turning back to the task at hand and entering the depths of the dwarven hold, they found horrors untold. Greenskins and a giant spider had made this once noble deep their home. This was not the worst of it. Signs were everywhere that it was not the greenskins that had destroyed the hold, but the maddening influence of chaos. The party obtained the book of Valayan lore, and departed without plumbing the depths. Leaving that task for a later time. The party returned triumphant, though Ella's mental state did not fare well.

This task done, Ravendil and Joans departed across Axe Bite Pass for the lands of Bretonia. The two were met with great cheers, as a knight errant of Bretonia was returning in triumph, and in the company of an elf. Truly this was a grand and auspicious sign. They were given a hero's welcome at Montforte and Ravendil experienced first hand the subtlties of Bretonian politics. Martin stayed behind to argue with the cult that he had proven himself worthy as a Sigmarite, and as a Silver Hammer, and was now ready to face true evil as an Exorcist of Sigmar. His arguments proved persuasive, and his license was begrudgingly granted. Martin and Thuramir would depart late in the day to follow the others into Bretonia. With their late start, they could not cross the pass that day, and they stayed the night in Hochpointe, and cought up with the party late the next day.

The quest was an urgent one, with only a fortnight to reach Bordeleaux on the far side of Bretonia, and so they could not tary at the court of Montfort. Joans obtained for them space on a barge sailing the River Grismirie to Turris Vigilans. From their, they would embark overland to Bordeleaux. To accompany his friends, Joans sent his trusted page Joan de Huet. Meanwhile, Joans himself would be traveling north to receive the honors due him, before he could rejoin the group. The trip was fairly quiet, with the party taking the time to learn of Bretonia, its language, geography, and politics from Joan de Huet and their merchant host. A brief adventure in Gisoreux saw Thuramir and Martin infested with fleas from some peasants, all in the name of aquire sufficient beer to keep the dwarf lubricated for the trip. Still they made good time and reached Turris Vigilans ahead of schedule.

In the city of Turris Vigilans, Martin put his exorcist license and smooth tongue to work in obtaining for himself a detailed account of a demonic possession and subsequent exorcism. The knowledge contained within the tome was forbidden to most, but would prove invaluable should he face such an oppoent in the battle for the Empire's soul. With no other business to conduct, the party made good time on the road south, arriving in Bordeleaux a two days ahead of schedule.

Ravendil made his way to the castle Bordeleaux, where he met with his brother Erlaen and the lady Eldril to discuss the portents and intelligence efforts. While they waited for news, Erlaen brought word that Martin Aulenbach was summoned away to deal with a Sigmarite issue in Helmgart. Martin departed quickly, with a promise to return when he could. With just the two of them now, Erlaen revealed the existance of the Order of the Green Shield with the White Lady, and assigned Amendil to train Ravendil. On their first mission, in the company of the recently arrived Joans Mendy to the Boneyard they were ambushed by Skaven.

Meanwhile Thuramir Jorunnson went to work for Guilhem Gillemet at the Inn of the Golden Dome. His first task was to locate the missing dwarven floor manager Milos. Along the way, he picked up the services of Elionor Mallet, and the two of them confronted the loan shark Otz Labaye and his dog Otis. Finding only cursory clues to the fate of Milos, Thuramir agreed to accompany Guilhem to an underworld meeting in the Boneyard. They were ambushed by skaven as they crossed the water, and Guilhem was last seen disappearing beneath the waves.

Soon after the ambush, Ravendil, Amendil, and Joans, who had dealt with a Skaven ambush of their own, arrived at the Boneyard. The reunited party made their way to an reefed ship that had long ago been secured and coverted into a covert underworld meeting location. While searching the ship, Thuramir was struck by the singular scent of troglodytes. As the party searched for signs of such a creature, a lone skaven with a pair of human slaves approached and set fire to the vessel. The skaven was cut down by Ravendil's arrows, and the slaves were secured by the heroes. Thuramir and Ravendil then decended into the hold below. There they met a zombie guard wearing a warpstone necklace. The creature was quickly dispatched. Curiosity getting the better of him, Thuramir took the necklace. The chaotic energies surged through him, but fate intervened and he began violently wretching and dropped the amulet before any mutations took hold. It was obvious at this point, that the entire situation was a setup. Amendil then freed the slaves from their chains, and together the heroes and slaves made their way back to the Duke's Castle.

At the council, our heroes took council with Joans and Erlaen. The slaves revealed that they had reached the surface through the inn, and Erlaen's spies discovered that Guilhem was not dead, but back at the inn as if nothing had happened. As they were talking, pumice rained from the clear sky, shattering roof tiles and sheet glass windows. Then, just as suddenly, the pumice evaporated. With the results of their recent adventures, and information gleaned from the slaves, it quickly became obvious that something was amiss at the Inn of the Golden Dome. Joans requested a levy of troops from the Duke.

Joans, Thuramir, and Revendil took the contingent to the inn. Along the way they saw ample evidence that those with means were abandoning Bordeleaux. With the Duke's authority, the troops quickly locked down the inn, while the slaves led our heroes and several men-at-arms through the back entrance to a hidden trap door. The trapdoor led to a network of sea caves beneath the city. There they found evidence of recent excavations.

Ravendil insisted that they should discover what the miners were up to, and so the party was set to follow the new tunnel. Thuramir took point and scouted down the tunnel. His scent was picked up by a band of troglodytes, and he ran back to the party with 4 of the beasts chasing him. As the creatures emerged from the tunnel, the humans were struck with fear. Thuramir and Ravendil suffered no such weakness and began systematically cutting down the creatures with a hail of arrows and crossbow bolts. As the first one fell, the humans regained their composure, and joined the fight. With the troglodytes dispatched, Thuramir returned to scouting, only to run into the largest and meanest of the troglodytes. He fought hard, but neither could gain an advantage over the other. Ravendil, hearing the commotion quickly came to his friend's aid and put the beast down with a few well placed arrows.

Eager to get away from the stench of the expiring lizards, the party continued down the tunnel. Thuramir led the pack, while Ravendil watched for ambushes from the rear. The tunnel led Thuramir to a large excavated room, wherein a second warpstone sphere rested. This second Warpstone Fane was not abandoned as this first. No, the troglodytes has been excavating it as the command of their mistress, a Druchii Witch Elf.

The Witch Elf quickly took charge of the situation, and openly taunted Thuramir, going so far as to ensorcell him to bring Joans into the room so that she could show off the weapon that would destroy Bretonia. The stubborn dwarf's will proved stronger and he demanded answers from the elf, rather than submitting to her will. At this point Joans and his two men-at-arms arrived. Seeing the deteriorating situation, the Witch Elf turned her magics against the humans, dazing them, before striking down Thuramir with bolts of dark energy. In pain, Thuramir cried out for Ravendil, who came running. By this time the Witch Elf had escaped.

Ravendil was incensed that a Druchii was here and had injured his friend. Took off alone to chase her. The chase led through twisting, branching caves, and Ravendil dropped arrows so the others could follow. After a few seconds Thuramir and Joans regained their composure and joined the chase. The elves had a long lead by this point, with Ravendil almost upon his prey. At the last moment, the Witch Elf summoned a daemon. Pausing only briefly, Ravendil fired the black arrow through the beast, banishing it back to the warp. The delay was long enough, however, and the Witch Elf escaped.

Following the escape of their quarry, the party, with Erlaen and Eldril, returned to the Warpstone Fane. There they aquired some of the Druchii's notes and treasure. Their investigation was interrupted by some event that drew Erlaen and Eldril back to the surface. Upon surfacing, the city devloved into chaos as a large commet fell from the sky and impacted somewhere near the Silent Isle. The group made their way back to the castle, where it was determined that the Duke would be needed. Ravendil and Thuramir departed then to fetch the Duke while Erlaen began to study the Druchii's notes.

Insanity

Having recently left the idyllic world of the Elves tucked away deep in the woods, Ravendil is only now awakening to the true horrors of the larger world.

• Witnessing the string of dead mutants and beastmen dragged behind a Sigmarite river barge.
• Witnessing the orcs defiling the bodies of the recently killed, draining their blood into large buckets, as one might drain a game animal.

Kills

Bear 1
Beastmen: 7
Chaos Cultists: 3
Druchii: 4
Giant Spider: 1
Goblins: 5
Humans: 9
Lesser Daemon: 1
Mutant Beasts: 8
Rat Ogre: 1
Skaven: 7
Troglodyte: 3
Zombie: 1

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