Notable NPCS/Polaris

This page contains information on some of the most notable and powerful characters on the continent of Polaris.

The Elder Families
The Elder Families are the practical rulers of The City of Peace Abiding, but their power wanes as one reaches the interior of the continent. Members of the Families constitute the Custodial Council, the primary paragovernmental body among the Reasonable Folk. The Families themselves have diverse structures, but each is publically represented mostly by three familial officers: the Doyen/Doyenne and leader of the house, the Armsmaster of the house and the Archimagos.

House Heirflamme - The most powerful of the Elder Families, House Heirflamme's history is legend. Over the house's two thousand year tenure at the heart of the inner city, it has seen hundreds of members come, do great deeds and leave to join the Knights of the Silent World. It is also the home of the greatest of those who failed their trials; the officers of the house are among the most powerful beings in the city, and many of them retain a bitter anger toward the Knights for their silent rejections.

Doyenne - Aleph Heirflamme - Politically, Aleph controls the city. Head of the Custodial Council and the strongest cleric on Polaris outside of the Order of the Third Chance, Aleph's gentle demeanor belies her political cunning and ruthlessness. - Cleric 11

Amsmaster - Hans Heirflamme - Once the city's finest duellist, Hans has leveraged his early victories into a reputation and political power enough to disguise that his skills have atrophied. He holds in his heart a secret terror that his illusion will someday fall and he will be removed from the family. - Magus Kensai 7

Archimagos - Tyr Heirflamme -  Oldest member of the House and one of the oldest living Reasons, Tyr has held his post for over a millenium, content with the ear of the ruler of the city. Known as a man of unparallelled wisdom and knowledge, as well as a great wizard of his age. - Wizard 15

Memorial House - One of the most sought-after and secret of the houses, the Memorial family focuses on secrecy, preferring to accumulate power through the items and books stored in their extradimensional vault than seeking political power. The elders of the house believe that even a very minor spell or artifact can be a source of great power... if it is the only one of its kind. As such, Memorial agents often seek to aquire grimoires or relics of spellcasters while destroying all other copies. While they have been forbidden by the rest of the Custodial Council from attacking the temples of the Sky Elves, they have occasionally waylaid groups of Scholars-Errant and slain them to claim their tomes.

Doyen  -  Jupiter Memoir - An old and canny Reason afflicted with a series of curses and afflictions, the nature and origin of which are kept secret by his house. Jupiter has not left his throne in over a century, the mystic edifice constructed to sustain his life and freeze his deterioration. - Wizard 8

Armsmaster - Favin Memoir - Favin is not one of the great swordmasters of the realm, but has held his post due to his powers as a smithy. Favin was the last apprentice of the armorer of the Knights of the Silent World, and has a burning drive to surpass him through study and dissection of the swords of fallen knights. - Magus Soulforger 7

Archimagos - Oculos Memoir - Archivist and day-to-day ruler of Memorial House, Oculos is thought to be second only to Tyr Heirflamme as a mage. Oculos, however, sees this comparison as unfair- he knows that what he lacks in mysic art, he more than makes up for in knowledge of artifice. - Wizard 12

House Flamberge - Second-oldest of the great houses, the Flamberge concern themselves with the administration and commerce of the city. While this has made them the wealthiest of the families, they remain unable to challenge Heirflamme's control of the city's oldest edifices or Memorial's superior vault. While Flamberge is the most friendly of highest three houses to outsiders, they are still a highly conservative faction in the city and often take a heavy hand in regulating outsiders in the city.

Doyenne - Anima Flamberge - Diplomat and pirate both, Anima's greatest joy lies in the regulation of trade, and she has standing invitations in many ports. She is also one of the city's best duellists, quite probably better than her own armsmaster, but she refuses to participate in the sporting events of the city, considering them beneath her station. - Hexcrafter Magus 12

Armsmaster - Dan Flamberge - A popular figure in the sporting rings, Dan is one of the city's top swordsmen, preferring to end the fight with iajutsu in the opening seconds. Popularly thought to be a man of superior wisdom. - Magus Kensai 11

Archimagos - Sear Flamberge - The most powerful sorceror of the City of Peace Abiding, Sear is thought of as a reactionary and hot-head among the leaders of the city, but she is rarely in port. Much of her activities involve transporting her Doyenne around, a task she undertakes with such gusto that many suspect that the two are lovers of some sort. - Sorceror 11

Other Great Houses

House Aribine - Rivals to Flamberge, Aribine's power rests upon its seacraft, and ties to courts of water elementals. Typically the trading partner for captains who wish to return to the City despite Flamberge's ire.

House Kanis - A seer-led house who remain 'true' to the original promise of the Placid Lord, Kanis is the recipiant of many of the paladins of the Azure Hand who die. Kanis maintains outposts throughout Polaris seeking to rally an army of faithful, and is one of the most numerous houses.

House Democra - A very minor house which rose to prominance by inviting huge numbers of the least-desireable reasons in the City, Democra was eventually forced by sheer numbers to split into several smaller houses. Democra is the 'voice' of those houses in the Custodial Council, and it is held in contempt by the other families.

House Tempos - Lords of the city's circuses, Tempos arranges the entertainment and great fetes of the city. While the members of the house are held in contempt by the three highest houses for their low quality, they are favored above Democra for their parties.

Order of the Third Chance
The order of the Third Chance is a monastic order located in the eastern reaches of Polaris. This order is dedicated to the law- their name comes from the ancient saying 'Cynosure gives all men two chances; he does not count to three.'  The order believes that their lives as Reasons are a second chance to live life right, and therefore tolerate no breaking of the sacred laws. Their agents keep peace in the interior of Polaris, and the powers which dwell in the depths of their temple keep even the most hardened criminals in fear for their lives.

Archprelate Sin - Sin (pronounced 'sign') is the most powerful cleric of Cynosure, capable of calling forth Maruts and Kolyruts, and in much respect by the Inevitables with which the Order deals. He seeks to moderate his impact on the lives of the faithful as much as possible, but is a stern proponant of the law. - Cleric 15

Grand Inquisitor Saros - Master of the Order's police force and informants, Saros is day-to-day administrator of the Third Temple. While he has a fearsome reputation, Saros is actually an extremely moderate and understanding individual, who sees half of his duty as protecting the innocent from his thoughtlessly faithful servants. - Inquisitor 11

Grand Seer Favish - a diviner and the right-hand of Sin, Favish is reknowned as a potent oracle. Much of his information, however, comes from his dream-conversations with elder Servants. - Wizard 10

The Knights of the Silent World
Three Commendatore Commandante command the Knights.

Commendatore Silence - The founder and grand captain of the Knights, Silence is unquestionably the mightest nondivine being on Polaris. He resides now at the heart of the Starlit Sea, having stood guard over the Wishing Star for over a thousand years. - Bladebound Hexcrafter Magus 19

Commendatore Akasha - Archmage of the Knights and legendary mage, Akasha's writings are the foundation of the city's magical community, and his many essays are revered. - Wizard 16

Commendatore Honor - Swordmaster of the Knights and trainer of initiates, Honor's was the last-recorded appearance of one of the Commendatores in public, when she appeared during the Four-hundred and eighty-fourth Starlit Tournament and slew Sevan Heirflamme, the then-Armsmaster of the house and expected champion. - Bladebound Magus Kensai 16

Lesser officers of the Knights are known as Commendatore Ufficiales

Generic Commendatore Ufficiale - Bladebound Hexcrafter Magus 14

Below the officers, an initiate into the knights completes his training regimin to become a Knight Chevalier

Generic Knight Chevalier - Bladebound Hexcrafter Magus 12

The Commendatore Ufficiale are supported by the Chevalier Librarian, a special detatchment of mages under Akasha's sole command.

Generic Knight Chevalier Librarian - Wizard 10

The more numerous arcane orders of the nights are supported by a very small number of Commendatore Preceptor knights, a cleric order who draw their divine powers from The Placid Lord. Unlike the clerics of Gran Cynosure, they do not consider themselves outside of the authority of the Knights, and are therefore bound by the commands of the Commendatore Commandante.

Generic Commendatore Preceptor - Cleric 10

Lastly, a single squadron of highly-specialized Knights comprise the Knights Chevalier Impetum Magorum, who are tasked with the location and destruction or detainment of potent spellcasters. These knights are outside the normal chain of command, and instead report directly to Commendatore Silence.