Morfans

Another DCC character for the legendary Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad game. He was a dwarven chest maker that served as a men-at-arms for Ian the Minstrel, later known as Formerly Ian. 

Morfans el Feo

Unnakhon

Unnakhon is a young human magic-user sent to a prision island accused of the death of his master. After being dropped unceremoniously on a rocky beach and a couple of hours walking inland he arrived at the town of Oily Messy. The entrance to the Black Maw mega-dungeon (a Dungeon23 creation of Michael "ChgoWiz" Shorten) on a hill near the beach. It's the place where everyone goes inside to get rich enough to get out of the island or die trying...

Ther rest of the party are:

Elmon, the elven fighter
Fenric, cleric of Gulliver
J, the  coughing fighter
Guy Pasteur, cleric of La Matron
Scale, the elven mage

S 7, I 13, W 11, D 14, Co 14, Ch 7

 

Quildor

Quildor is an elf from the forests near the city of Pentastadion (Fomalhaut). He casts his spells not from a spellbook, but from styled vine tattoos on his skin. Once a spell is cast, the leaves of the vine wither. To restore spells he must rest with the tattoos in contact with the ground, regaining Nature's force. 

S 15, I 12, W 11, D 14, Co 15, Ch 15

Rionna

This character was created for another of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. This time he ran the adventure "The Black Tower" (1981) by Midkemia Press. Rionna is a thief and the rest of the party members are:

Ademor the Minotaur (Justin)

Bel-Shaar, cleric of Set (Nick)

Chet the Wizard (Brian)

Balthos (Peter)

Melisar (Aaron)

S 10, I 15, W 9, D 17, C 17, Ch 8

Ekhard the Faceless

This character was created for one of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. He has been exploring the mega dungeon of  "Morthimion" by Gabor Lux. Ekhart is a  human cleric of Phieran the Broken (god of suffering) and henchmen of Shawn. The rest of the party members are:

Shawn, male human magic-user 

Rakol, male human fighter

Crystal, female human magic-user (Rakol's henchmen)

Kolbrand, male human thief (Rakol's henchmen)

Tark, dwarf fighter

Chunn, male fighter/thief (Tark's henchmen)

Modicum, male elf

Boraks, male human fighter (Modicum's henchmen)

He has been disfigured by fire and was saved by Shawn.

S 10, I 7, W 15, D 9, C 15, Ch 3 

Shawn Guardian of the Black Flame

 

This character was created for one of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. He has been exploring the mega dungeon of  "Morthimion" by Gabor Lux. Shawn is a young human magic-user and the rest of the party members are:

Ekhart the Faceless, male human cleric of Phieran (Shawn's henchmen) 

Rakol, male human fighter (Peter)

Crystal, female human magic-user (Rakol's henchmen)

Kolbrand, male human thief (Rakol's henchmen)

Tark, dwarf fighter (Stu)

Chunn, male fighter/thief (Tark's henchmen)

Modicum, male elf (Randall)

Boraks, male human fighter (Modicum's henchmen)

He carries a staff with a magical black candle found in Morthimion's dungeons. Its flame never extinguishes and within its light he can se the aura of magical objects.

S 8, I 15, W 6, D 8, C 9, Ch 8

We also went through "Fane of the Poisoned Prophesies" by Guy Fullerton and "The Hyqueous Vaults" also by Fullerton and others like Allan T. Grohe, Jr.

James Earl Mackie

  James Earl “Jimmy” Mackie, was born on March 17th, 1855 (Age 24) in Sewanee, Tennessee. 

His father died during the Civil War at Third Battle of Chattanooga in 1863, and he and his mother fled to Nashville. After a pause in the hostilities, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1865. 

His mother died in 1869, shortly after they arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, where some relatives lived. He didn’t stay long with them and decided to go West to Fort Smith, where many refugee slaves, orphans, Southern Unionists, and others came here to escape the guerrilla warfare raging in Arkansas, Missouri, and the Border States. The place, despite the absence of federal troops since 1871, thrived and was a bustling community full of brothels, saloons and outlaws, just across the river from Indian Territory (Coyote Confederation).

After robbing a bank in Fort Smith he fled to Tulsa, in the Coyote Territories, and changed his name to Jordan Eugene “Dusk” McCoy. There is a bounty of $600 for his capture. When money ran out he traveled South into Texas and, with two associates, tried to rob a bank in Dallas. The heist went awry, with one of his associates dead and another missing. Unable to go back to the Coyote Territories he fled towards the Mexican border and now goes by the name of Johnatan Edmund Mackay, AKA John E. “Johnny” Mackay.

Aylen the Black & Fress

Aylen the magic-user and Fress the thief were created for a D&D Holmes game run by Aron Clark. Fist, we played The Lichway (1978) by Abie Fiore taht was published in White Dwarf magazine #9. The rest of the party were:

Tark (dwarf)

Balzon (fighter)

Franz (fighter)

Caspian (magic-user)

Later, after exploring The Lichway we delved into The Halls of Tizun Thane (1980), also by Abie Fiore, from White Dwarf magazine #18. This time the party had some new members:

Rollo (thief)

Chad (fighter)

What follows is a summary I put together after the fall of Aylen & Fress.

"Pressed by the fact that Fress wouldn't be able to control Lokota the demon much longer, Rollo and Aylen agreed to move forward into Thaark's four-story tower. Chad followed with his lantern. The bottom room was a richly furnished dining room with a long table fully dressed with china and glassware occupying the center. On one end of the table, a fireplace big enough to roast a boar with a 12-inch tall figurine of a casting magic user on the mantle and a dragon skull on the wall above it. On the other end he table a big mirror. Rollo checked the fireplace but found nothing. While Lokota waited here the rest went through a door and up a spiral staircase. The room was relaxing lounge with rugs and comfortable chairs, and also a fireplace. Upon inspection the group discovered the fireplaces were connected, so Fress and Rollo decided to climb the chimney while Aylen and Chad went up the spiral stairs. Lokota waited in this room after laboriously navigating the staircase. The thieves, Rollo carrying just his sword and Fress a dagger, a torch and his waterskin, nimbly ascended the sooty shaft into a dark room smelling of wool and parchment. Strange snores and mumbling could be heard from the room above. Rollo opened the heavy door to let Aylen and Chad in, the torchbearer's lantern revealing a library with countless tomes, some opened in wooden stands, with the floor covered by a thick woolen rug. Fress called Lokota to get there too. Aylen cast Detect Magic hoping to find something of interest here but only perceived a strong dweomer emanating from the room above. Lokota started to make a strange keening noise that was reciprocated from above and a thunderous voice could be heard through the fireplace. 'Who dares to enter my dominions unannounced!?'

The sound of heavy footsteps lumbering down the stairs set everyone but Lokota, that stood its ground, into motion. Rollo hid around a corner, Aylen behind a bookstand, while Chad and Fress tied a rope to a metal ring and threw a rope down the chimney. Thaark, an apeish fur-covered brute clad in a purple robe and wizard hat, both too small for its frame, bursted into the room. The group was slow to react but the demon looked confused by what he saw. Rollo and Fress tried to sweet talk the fiend but things didn't turned as expected and the demon started to cast! Rollo swung his sword but missed. Fress emptied his waterskin on Thaark. The demon cast Charm Person on Fress but the thief resisted. Lokota moved in and launched a barrage of attacks (claws, talons and beak). Aylen cast Frost Shroud on the demons, freezing the water and dealing more damage. Rollo took a step back and reached for his bow but with his frostbitten fingers couldn't take a shot. Fress moved next to Aylen, that was casting again, to retrieve some holy water from her back pack. Thaark used his magic again, this time a blast of fire engulfed the room. Aylen, Fress and Chad fell burned to the ground. Rollo dived away just in time avoiding the flames. The room started to burn, wood, parchment and wool feeding the blaze. Lokota, apparently unaffected by the fire, lounged forward and teared Thaark's flesh with claws and talons, killing the demon, but also grazing Rollo with its beak in its charge. The surviving thief, ignoring Lokota now free from its master, grabbed some potion from the shelves and urged the demon to help him. Lokota agreed and rushed to help Aylen and Fress; poor Chad was a charred corpse beyond all hope. Sadly, despite Rollo's bravery and efforts none of them made it through.

There he stood, face to face with a masterless demon that longed for a heart to be free. He offered the hearts of his fallen companions, that the demon gladly accepted. As Rollo escaped, Lokota feasted on the corpses Aylen and Fress before flying away from the inferno of what once were Tizun's Halls.

Nimue

This one is a long overdue post about one of my favorites characters so far, one with I've had countless hours of fun and met some wonderful people.

Nimue, a cleric of Cthulhu, was created for a DDC RPG campaign run by Edgar Johnson that would start with The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom.

The rest of the party were:

Banvha the 1st level Halfling
Aram the 1st level Cleric
Vane the 2nd level Warrior
Klaus the 1st level Thief
Grumble the 1st level Dwarf
Jerkal (Gerbil) the 2nd level Wizard

Also, Nimue had a 1st level Warforged named Sybian, an old "murder machine" that we found in an abandoned basement and was given  to her to use in her super creepy rituals.

Here's a little background on it by Adam Muszkiewicz;

"The first thing we found (which happened off-camera and we retconned in as an explanation of where Gabriel's new PC came from) was a man-sized automaton of some sort that we managed to get working somehow and who then joined up with the Purple Tentacle team. Thus, the legend of Sybian the Whoreforged was born. Is he a pleasure-bot of some lost species of super-hedonists? Or perhaps the personal orgasmatron of a dowager-queen from a repressed society of sexual prudes? For now, the only thing that is certain is that Sybian has a "pole-arm" and knows how to use it. Oh, and he has a lantern built into his noggin, so we periodically have to make sure he's all oiled up."

Later, we playtested an adventure that would become DCC #87 Against the Atomic Overlord by Edgar Johnson. I got really excited when Doug Kovacs asked about Nimue to be on the cover. 

DK: I need to sell Nimue to Joseph Goodman.
Me: Tell him she's like a Red Sonja but with dark hair.

DK: Done.

Here'e the video of  What's New at Goodman Games Gary Con 2015 where the module was presented and Doug talks a bit about the characters on the cover, around the 39:00 mark.

 

There are a couple of blog posts about Nimue: Dealing with Dissaproval and The Ritual.

László Béla

László Béla was my character in a Never Going Home campaign run by Adam Muszkiewicz.

He was a veteran of the Austro-Hungarian campaign against Serbia in 1915. The experience left him with a medal and a thousand yard stare. In 1916, during the Burislov offensive in the Russian front, his home village got destroyed in the fighting. Later that year, he received German training in the village of Beuveille, near Doncourt-lès-Longuyon, as the new cadre of the Austro-Hungarian army assault battalions (Jagdkommandos).

In early 1917, he was transferred to the Romanian front as part of a  secret project involving the newly developed A7V German tank.

After that, things started to get spooky...

Nabunassir of Larsa

This character was made for Jason Hobbs Lost in Agata (Emergent Empires) game using the Old-Schools Essentials rules.

Nabunassir is a magic-user of Argonot descent from the former state city of Larsa.

He follows Istreus, the Master of Secrets, god of knowledge, learning, and magic. His holy symbol is the crescent or the tower, while his sacred animal is the owl. The mages and scholars of the Tower of Knowledge pay him allegiance. His worship is conducted in secret, and only the initiated know the meaning of the mantra, “no sooner spoken than broken”.

He belongs to the Cylindros branch of mages, as opposed to the Conicus one.

Zola & Cree

Zola was my first character in Jay Murphy's game set in Rom'Myr Dying Earth and using the Basic Fantasy RPG ruleset. He was a thief from the city of Valla'Tair that ended killed by a bator in the Yonni'Hor mountains.

Drawing by Jay Murphy

Cree was a monster hunter and thief also from Valla'Tair. He had a more extended career, having the chance to explore the multi-verse before coming back to deal with some unfinished business in Valla'Tair, the starting campaign city.

You can check Jay's blog or watch the games on his YouTube channel.

Olobaris

This was my character on Larry Hamilton's Delvers Deep game.

Olobaris is an elven magic user from the Verdant Vale and (former) follower of LUMENOR. His mentor has sent him to The Deep to find its secrets and harvest rare materials for the manufacture of scrolls and potions.

He wears green and blue robes with a dagger on his belt, and leans on a wooden staff. A guard dog named Argo is always by his side.

He spends his downtime in Delvington drawing or scribing scrolls, providing he has enough time.

After his first delve he joined one of the Delving Organizations, the United Delvers.

In his second delve he became Herald of XAGIS, after the party awakened the god of Snow, Crossorads and Magic Users. Now he is spreading his word in Delvington, having attracted a few followers and the atention of other faiths. He has traveled East past the The Deep to Hillford and the surrounding hills to plunder some old tombs.

Hundolfr Æsbiornsson

 

Following the steps of his Nordborn brethren Haf Skappson, just like many others before him, he came to explore the mythic jungles of Kalmatta and plunder whatever treasures there might be among the overgrown ruins.

A Purple Caecilian worm smashed him like a dog rolling in poop.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

Raznaur

 

Wholesome, clever, prudent, nimble and likeable. Nobody could say anything bad about the young Raznaur. He had a promising career in the Guild, maybe too promising for some. And so, those who felt threatened began plotting against and finally framed him. The choices were banishment or death.

He chose banishment to Sindanore, but it was death in the end... (electric trap).

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

(Drawing by Jeff Easley)

Aneela

 

Aneela, priestess of Ninkasi, landed in Sindanore after learning that, after eons of being lost, the famous Chalice of Ninkasi had been found in the dangerous jungles of Kalmatta.

Got blood-boiled by a call lightning from the Horned King.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

(Drawing by Larry Elmore)

The Spaniard

 

A dwarf from the continent came to explore the dangerous jungles of Kalmatta in search of the Demon Stones. He paints his shields red and yellow. 

Still alive in Sindanore after 8 expeditions.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

Nathan Deryondomyn

This character was created for a AD&D 2e campaign (DM: Rous?). 

I was inspired by the movie "Last of the Mohicans" to make this character, specially by the character of Nathaniel Poe. He was a half-elven ranger from the Welkwood who worshipped the elven diety Solonor Thelandira. He had a racoon as animal companion named Rascal. 

I don't remember who were the other members of the group and can't find the character sheet. :(

Update

Updated the content of the pages and will be posting about the many characters I've played since last post, back in 2018. Also about my ongoing Greyhawk campaign in which, after 3 years of playing, the party have achieved important goals.

Seraphim Caligari

+Adam Muszkiewicz set up a new game on Tuesdays, 'Murder Gangs of Ur-Hadad, games of skullduggery and filth on the streets of Ur-Hadad', using the Blades in the Dark set of rules with his own characteristic approach.

The crew is a [Cult] -- the Last Adherents of the Sensate -- devoted to an alluring but sinister demon (the Sensate) that occasionally manifests itself in the real world. They are assisted by a gang of Elite Adepts, cultists of a scholarly and scientific (occult?) bent. The cult operates out of a perfumerie and aromatics shop (secretly an alchemical shop) in a middle-class neighborhood in Ur-Hadad, where they operate a workshop as well as a secret ritual sanctum. 

The cult operates in territory that belongs to the Swaggernauts, but their strongest relationship is with the Bloody Successors, who helped the cult set up their shop (and attendant workshop and sanctum) after the cult's shipments of teleaphrodisiacs were interrupted by adventurers. In the process, the cult ended up attracting some followers away from the Cult of the Gloaming Deeps. Due to their connections with the Swaggernauts, the pawns of the Faceless Vizier openly distrust the cult.

Seraphim Caligari grew in the pirate city of Port Scourge where his family ran an apothecary shop. It was there he met a woman named Caixalla when she entered the business seeking certain off-the-list substance. Seraphim discovered she was in fact "as much a prophet as a purveyor of fleshly delights" in the words of his elders, but sought to learn about the occult from her anyway. She refused at first, but Seraphim took the risk and played the blackmail card. After an attempt on the life of a notorious pirate captain took place, and the victim showed the unique effects of the drug used, Seraphim knew who was behind the attack. She then agreed but made an obscure augury about Seraphim’s future in Ur-Hadad. Years passed and he became in charge of the family business. During that time he learned all he could from Caixalla, until she uttered a bleak prophecy about an impending doom on Port Scourge. Scared by her prediction Seraphim he closed the shop and took a ship out of Port Scourge to never return. Once in Ur-Hadad he and others founded the Last Adherents of the Sensate cult, became acquainted with certain figures (Bloody Successors) and managed to open a perfumes and aromatics shop...