I.    WHAT ARE THE POLITI AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

        The Politi Order is a society of mages who can work a particular type of magic, known in short-hand as "thread magic." The Order was founded roughly 1500 years ago on another, distant continent of Ifreann, and has had a checkered history ever since.  Organized in independent chapter houses, the Order always has been somewhat fragmented, with no clear hierarchy or overall leader, just a loose and slightly bickering "governing" council.

        There are three ranks in the Order: a Dominti (male) or Dominta female)  is a master mage, and wears three silver loops in their left ears; a c'hanati or c'hanata is a journeymen or journeywoman, and wears two silver loops; an a'dalin (both genders) are apprentices, and wear a single silver loop.  A Politi mage of journeyman or higher rank may have a personal bodyguard known as an Evandin, or "Oath-bound," usually someone with some magical ability of their own and ability to see, if not manipulate, thread magic.

        The position of Evandin evolved as a way for Politi mages to protect themselves from one another; although a mage is sworn not to harm members of her own chapter house, there is no such obligation not to raise the thread magic against members of other houses.  But a Politi mage cannot raise the magicks to strike against any Oath-Bound; by such an act, the mage risks having the threads and her own mosaic reject her.

        Many Politi mages are members of the Shalidar race, a long-lived race (the oldest surviving members currently are known to be in excess of 800 years old) with human features and a unique racial affinity for thread magic.
 
        The Politi's continent of origin is one in constant political flux.  A number of independent countries and city-states vie for dominance.  Thrown into the mix to contribute to the turmoil are other schools of mages, trade guilds, and a hodge-podge of human and non-human races with their own political agendas (including the Shalidar Council, consisting of representatives from the Shalidar High Clans). Intrigue, conspiracy, and outright war are a way of life.  The Politi, however, belong to a teaching Order, whose primary purpose is to train their students; the official stance of the Order itself traditionally has been one of neutrality, though each individual mage is free to throw his or her support behind any particular political cause.

        About 70-80 years ago, that policy changed, and the Order was drawn into a political conflict in which different factions schemed for control of the Shalidar Council.  The Order itself divided into a number of different groups, and while some favored remaining neutral, the rest split between two opponents. An extended period of fighting broke out, pulling in armies from a number of countries and city-states.  In the end, one candidate emerged triumphant -- and set about arranging to have the Order declared outlawed even though a small number of Politi mages had supported him.  Though the hostility has died down somewhat in recent years, in a number of places on the home continent, wearing the distinctive silver loop earrings or grey clothing of the Politi Order is grounds for immediate arrest and execution.

II.    HOW DID POLITI MAGES END UP IN MONTFORT?

        Because Politi mages still are viewed with suspicion and distrust in many parts of their homeland, the Order has started establishing small chapter houses beyond their traditional borders.  Over ten years ago, a small number of mages, both human and Shalidar alike, moved to the kingdom of Claremont and established a House in the town of Montfort.  At that time, Montfort and the local Red Dragon's Inn were renowned for tolerating people of different racial backgrounds and magic-users of all varieties.

        The Order sought to maintain some level of secrecy, however, as some of the mages in Montfort still had bounties on their heads in their homelands. Since the master mages in the House -- Paul Rustin, Johanna Pierce, and Kallin So -- also were weavers, the chapter house was established under the cover of being a weavers' guild.  Local Montfort tradesmen and tradeswomen were recruited to join as full partners, and a successful business was established.  Under that facade, the Politi mages continued to train their students.  Four years ago, Lanaera Koltke arrived in Montfort to assume leadership of the Weavers' House.

        That policy of relative secrecy turned out to have been a wise decision once the Church of the Redeemer and the Republica took control of the city of Montfort.  Neither organization cared to tolerate magic-users who were not allied to them, and set out to eliminate any "rogues."  For a while, the Weavers' House managed to escape close scrutiny, staying out of  the local politics and carefully not drawing attention to itself.

        Then, Grand Inquisitor Blayne arrived, and in attempting to track down Morrighu, a Bean-Nighe or banshee, who herself was a weaver and had moved into the Weavers' House, Blayne discovered that the business housed an enclave of Refuser mages.  Two days later, Blayne returned with an impressive array of Church forces to conduct the Cleansing of the Weavers' House.  Most of the residents of the House managed to escape, and took refuge in a farmhouse ten miles north of Montfort, owned by local merchant Barnabas Portnoy.

        Meanwhile, Blayne had managed to capture three members of the House: Linnell Seris, Lanaera's apprentice; Wyland Koltke, a Politi journeyman and Lanaera's grandson; and Uralia Felder, a non-mage weaving apprentice.  Wyland and Uralia were thrown into the Church dungeons and marked to be Cleansed on the pyre at a public execution.  Linnell became Blood-bonded to Blayne, and was seduced by him.

        During their time in hiding at Barnabas Portnoy's house, the Politi endured an attack by Loup Garou, participated in a battle at Griff's Field Cemetery with Blayne, managed to capture the Grand Inquisitor and lose him again, picked up a number of allies (including Colonel Delgado of the Republica, who arranged to provide healing assistance to their wounded, and who showed up to help finish off the Garou), and hoped to free Linnell, Wyland, and Uralia at the public Cleansing and Festival announced by Blayne.

        That Festival erupted into riots, and half the city was destroyed. Wyland and Uralia died in the process, most of the household evacuated to Jord, and Linnell eventually returned to the Politi -- who discovered that while she had been with Blayne, she had been Embraced and turned into a vampire by the Grand Inquisitor.  The Politi, with the aid of Allenel Gilford, have taken refuge outside the city of Jord, 150 miles south, and have left Montfort to the Church.

III.    WHAT IS THREAD MAGIC AND WHAT IS THE MOSAIC?

        Thread magic, in the most basic sense, if simply one way to work spells.  Politi mages see magical energies in the environment around them as colored threads, which can be grasped, spun, and woven to cast spells of almost any kind.  (Threads also originate from the life energies of the mage himself, and the "heart-thread" pulses with every beat of the mage's heart; breaking that thread would kill the mage.)  The threads are something short of alive -- they recognize mages capable of using them, and sometimes almost seem to communicate with those people they favor.  Politi mages also can see "colors" around one another and non-Politi; essentially, these colors are what others would call aurae, and can indicate a person's health and their mood.  Each person's colors are unique to that individual, and with few exceptions, one shade can mean something different for different people.

        A Politi mosaic is central to using thread-magic.  Each chapter house has one, and every Politi mage is trained to use thread-magic by learning to walk the patterns of the mosaic.  Magical energies are woven into "flows," which are then locked into magically-etched channels in the mosaic.  At the Weavers' House in Montfort, the mosaic rested in the granite floor of an open courtyard.  At Barnabas Portnoy's house, the Politi mages prepared an oak floor in a large gallery at the back of the building to hold the mosaic.  In the refuge outside Jord, the marble floor of a ballroom became the mosaic.

        The flows of a mosaic are more powerful, and more unruly, than the threads that exist in the general environment.  Politi mages themselves are one source of the flows in a mosaic -- upon death, if a mage is not isolated from a mosaic, his or her life energies can be bound into the mosaic itself.  The mosaic is used as a training device, and as both a source for and amplifier of magical energies.

        The ability to use thread-magic and a mosaic comes with a price.  A Politi mage is "keyed," or bound, to the mosaic of the chapterhouse to which he or she belongs.  Destruction of the mosaic in question easily can mean death or disability to any mage keyed to it.  Furthermore, use of the thread-magic basically is addictive -- loss of the ability to use the threads results in a wasting away of the Politi mage and eventual madness or death.

IV.    INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES

        The Politi Mages

        The master mages:  Four master Politi mages resided at the Weavers' House in Montfort at the time Grand Inquisitor Blayne Cleansed the chapterhouse.

        Lanaera Koltke, though not the oldest or most experienced, is the head of the household.  Shalidar by birth, Lanaera has the appearance of a human woman in her late thirties, though her hair is completely iron grey and she actually is about 70 years old.  She is an unforgiving woman, quick to anger and long to hold a grudge, jealous of her authority and more likely to insult than to praise.

        Lanaera came to Montfort four years ago, after the Weavers' House had been operating for six years, and brought with her two apprentices, Linnell Seris and Deanna Foley.  Her grandson, Wyland Koltke, already belonged to the household.  During the recent upheavals in the homeland, Lanaera belonged to the group of Politi that advocated maintaining neutrality.  Lanaera has re-established the Politi house in Jord and now focuses upon rebuilding her life after Wyland's death, and training her new apprentice, Drywen Regelli -- the grandson of her old opponent from the homeland, Mesani I'Se.

        Kallin So was one of the original founders of the Weavers' House in Montfort.  Also Shalidar by birth, Kallin is a scion of one of the Shalidar High Clans and he appears to be in his early thirties, with black hair and blue eyes;  his actual age is roughly sixty.  Kallin is a combat mage by training, most gifted in casting attack spells and in crafting very strong magical wardings.  Before coming to Montfort, Kallin was centrally involved in the on-going fighting in the Politi homelands, and is best known for overseeing the protection and eventual evacuation of the city-state of Wyndham during a long siege.  During that particular battle, Kallin himself was captured and held prisoner for two years before eventually being released following long negotiations by his family. After that, he decided to retire from combat and lead a relatively quiet life as a weaver.

        Kallin's relationship with Lanaera in Montfort always has been a bit of a rocky one.  She likes to maintain authority and discipline, and he is known for not following orders.  Following the Cleansing of the Weavers' House, the household split loyalties between Kallin and Lanaera, as she was furious with him for two decisions he made without her consultation or approval.  First, he made a deal with the devil -- Colonel Delgado of the Republica -- to obtain healing assistance for the Politi wounded.  Second, when he etched the new mosaic in Barnabas Portnoy's house, he deliberately designed it so he could drain the energies into himself at will so that he could better protect the household and fight the Grand Inquisitor.  It is not possible to overstate the hostility between Kallin and Blayne; Kallin would like nothing more than to see the Grand Inquisitor's head upon a stake.  His first priority, however, is and always has been to protect the other members of the household, and rather than stay in Montfort to participate in the downfall of the Church, Kallin has withdrawn.

        Paul Rustin is the most senior Politi mage in the household, and with Kallin So and Johanna Pierce, one of the original founders of the House in Montfort.  Shalidar also by birth, Paul is in fact one of the most respected members of the entire Order -- and, at roughly 700 years, one of the oldest Shalidar alive.  His face is lined and his hair a dark brown heavily colored with white.  Paul's magical specialties are spells of concealment, and teleportation, and he always has been the diplomat and peace-maker of the household.  His students in Montfort included Veril Tennent, now a journeywoman, and Lanaera's grandson, Wyland Koltke.  Paul was one of the last Politi to leave Montfort for Jord.

        Johanna Pierce was the fourth master mage, with two students in the household, Emerson Harrell and Fredia Rinil.  Johanna, unlike the other Dominti and Dominta, was human, in her early sixties, known to Paul Rustin since her childhood, and like Kallin was a combat mage.  During the Cleansing of the Weavers' House, Johanna battled with Blayne in the Ethereal Plane, and was killed by him in a second encounter several days later as she protected the mosaic as it was moved to Barnabas Portnoy's house.  Her energies were bound into the mosaic by Kallin upon her death. She left behind a husband in Montfort, Richard, and four adult children in the Politi homelands.

        The Weavers' House also contained a number of journeymen and women, the c'hanati and c'hanata, all of whom emigrated to Montfort from the Politi homelands.

        Veril Tennent, Paul Rustin's human student, resided in the household with her husband William and her five-year-old daughter Karolyn. Veril helped protect the mosaic while it was moved to Barnabas', and led the first round of evacuations from Montfort to Jord.  With the assistance of Nalin, a Montfort native and non-mage weaver, Veril set about establishing a new home for the household on an estate outside Jord.

        Emerson Harrell, Johanna Pierce's student -- part Shalidar and part human -- met his wife Lisabeth in Montfort.  Trained as a combat mage, he remained in Montfort long enough to participate in the fighting at the Cleansing of Wyland and Uralia before following his wife and the other non-combatants to refuge in Jord.

        Wyland Koltke, like his grandmother Lanaera, was Shalidar.  A student of Paul Rustin, and a life-long friend of his grandmother's apprentice, Linnell Seris, he was arrested by the Grand Inquisitor in Montfort's marketplace with Linnell.  Wyland shared a dungeon cell with Uralia Felder, a non-mage apprentice, after she was captured in the Cleansing of the Weavers' House. Church Inquisitors tortured him, and the magic-damping spells of the Church dungeons isolated him from both the mosaic and thread-magic.  Thus, during his imprisonment, Wyland started to lose the thread magic and go mad.  By the time Kallin and Fredia tried to rescue Wyland and Uralia from the Church pyre, he already was beyond help.  He died in Kallin's arms, but the other mage bound his life energies into the mosaic.

        Fredia Rinil, is twenty-five years of age, is Shalidar, and a Politi Journeywoman. She has rich brown hair and brown eyes, and while not a classic beauty, she is pretty.

         Her family was one of the families evacuated from Wyndham by Kallin So, and the Rinil participated in the negotiations to free Kallin.  Though Fredia was quite young during the evacuation, she is furiously loyal to Kallin, as is her nature. She was sent to train at the Weaver's House when her abilities began to manifest themselves; her talents lie with fire and offensive workings. However, at the time Kallin was not taking any apprentices and she was given to Johanna Pierce to train, since Johanna was also a battle mage and a friend of the Rinil family.  Fredia's temperament matches her abilities; besides a strong sense of loyalty she has a quick temper and a wide streak of stubborness. Her direct speaking has yet to be tempered by experience or years.

        During the battle at the Weaver's House Fredia was gravely wounded while providing protection to Geiren, Yon, Deanna, Gwion, and Uralia. She also owes her life to the Republica's healers.

        Fredia evacuated to Jord, and when she is now helping prepare the new house, she is dodging three determined suitors who are vying for her attention.

        Deanna Foley, nineteen years of age, first came to Montfort as Lanaera Koltke's apprentice.  Human, with a trace of Shalidar blood, Deanna is tall with brown eyes and long curly brown hair.  She met, and became lovers with, Wyland, though their relationship was interrupted when he advanced to journeymen level. She herself was "Raised" to c'hanata only days before the Grand Inquisitor discovered the Weavers' House. Deanna was seriously burned during the Cleansing of the Weavers' House in trying to protect Gwion, Morrighu's and Geiren's six-year-old adopted son. She later was healed by Sue -- another Refuser and priestess of a god of light, Lathander.

        Deanna fought the Loup Garou when the werewolves attacked Barnabas Portnoy's house.  She also took part in the fighting at the Festival and Cleansing of Wyland and Uralia; at the beginning of the Festival, she met a half-elf thief, Silverfox, who protected her throughout that day.  Her subsequent love affair with Silverfox met with Lanaera's severe disapproval.  After Wyland's death, Deanna eventually followed Veril to Jord;  Silverfox went with her.

        Three apprentices, or a'dalin, belong to the household.

        Linnell Seris, a human, came to Montfort with Lanaera and her fellow-student Deanna.  She already knew Wyland, and she and he were close friends.  Linnell was "arrested" in the marketplace by Blayne and separated from Wyland, and soon was ensconced in Blayne's luxurious apartments in the Church. Blayne, a 3000 year old Vampire, quickly Blood-bonded the seventeen year-old girl, and allowed Linnell to believe that Wyland had been harmed by Drywen Regelli.

        Linnell became part of Blayne's Coterie, friends and lovers with him and the other members, Kitrina Tvyvar and the Lady Selene.  During the night of a battle in Griff's Field Cemetary between Blayne and a variety of Resistance forces (including Kallin), Linnell slipped out of the Church, and was attacked and seriously injured by Vinash, a Templar of Sh'aljien who had come to Montfort in search of High Inquisitor Semareth.  With Selene's intervention, Linnell was brought to Blayne, and rather than let her die, the Grand Inquisitor Embraced her, turning her into a vampire like himself.

        Linnell eventually learned that Blayne had been responsible for the Weavers' House and Wyland's death, and following a confrontation he allowed her to leave the Church.  A half-elf, Darmon -- who had allied himself with the Politi during the Garou attack -- searched her out and returned her to the Politi.  For various reasons, including her vampirism and an angry attack against Deanna Foley, Linnell has lost the ability to use the thread-magic and was rejected by the mosaic.  Though Kallin and the other mages have managed a temporary fix by reweaving the mosaic, she lives on borrowed time.

        Demetrius Middleton, a Claremont native, joined the Politi household days before it became a target for the Grand Inquisitor's persecutions.  A young man in his late teens, Demetrius has a strong untapped potential for using magic, and stumbled into the Weavers' House quite by accident.  After being tested on the mosaic, Demetrius became Kallin So's first apprentice in years.

        In the days that followed, he had occasion to attack the Grand Inquisitor himself -- twice.  First, during the Cleansing of the Weavers' House, Demetrius struck Blayne with a large dye-pot, and was unceremoniously tossed aside.  Then, during the final showdown at the pyre where Wyland and Uralia were set to be burned, Demetrius leveled a magical attack upon Blayne that distracted the other long enough for Kallin, Fredia, and Demetrius to escape.  After Wyland's death, Demetrius evacuated with Deanna, Emerson, and the others to Jord, where he remains a student in the household.

        Drywen Regelli is a recent to the household.  Shalidar by birth, Drywen is the 21 year-old grandson of Mesani I'Se, another Politi mage who is the long-time enemy of Lanaera Koltke.  Drywen could not obtain training in his home city of V'ezal; in looking for proper instruction for him, Mesani decided to send him to Lanaera in an overture to settle their differences.  For the first few months he was in Montfort, Drywen worked as assistant editor of The Montfort Mime, the local newspaper and Resistance cell.  Drywen was not actually accepted as an a'dalin by Lanaera until several days after Wyland's death, and he was promptly evacuated to Jord where he now continues his studies.

        Elizabeth Gazsi, slender, with blue eyes and black hair, is the newest apprentice to join the Politi.  An off-worlder who was transported by Ifreann by unknown means, Elizabeth was noticed by Veril Tennent and Fredia Rinil while playing the saxophone in a tavern in Jord.  Since her music seemed to manipulate the threads, she was invited to perform for Kallin and Paul -- and subsequently invited to study Politi magic.

        The Non-Mages

        A number of other non-Politi resided in the household in Montfort.  One, Nalin -- a master weaver and area native -- oversaw much of the day-to-day operations, and her uncle, Halay the cobbler, was a member of the Resistance and was killed during the battle at Griff's Field Cemetary.  Nalin helped Veril with the first round of evacuations to Jord, and set about establishing a new home there.

        The Politi also encountered Morrighu, a weaver and Bean Nighe -- or banshee -- and her family.

       Morrighu was born of a High Elven family about two thousand years ago, but roughly five hundred years back she married a human nobleman - against the wishes of her family. To him she bore two daughters and three son, and when her husband died she went mad with grief - allowing herself to waste away.

      At the time of her death Morrighu became a White Lady, or Bean Nighe, to her family, serving as their teacher in life and guide at death.  Sadly for the banshee, she outlasted the entire of her husband's line.  Morrighu thought she would fade away or join them in the Void, but she lingered on - seeing thousands of conflicts and triumphs across the world.  In time Morrighu found a half-starved soldier wandering in a winter forest, whose only memory was his name - Geiren; he was so battle-shocked that he had the innocence of a child, his terror having driven him mad.

        The Bean-Nighe took mortal form, becoming a white-haired Elven woman with a cold, crystalline beauty. She has bound herself to this mortal so she could care for and protect him, and so they have travelled as husband and wife, with her earning a living with her sewing and hand weaving. Their tranquility was broken when Geiren gave into curiosity about a town called Montfort and slipped away in the night.

        Morrighu went into Montfort, and with the help of Prince Kristov's Watch [David Wendt, [email protected]], began to seek her husband. The Watch at that time consisted of Kristov, his brother Mikhael, Yon, Corwyn, Sylphie, and Shan.  They quickly learned that Geiren and Corwyn, who had sought to help Geiren, had been arrested by the Limpia. [Order - Dave Womack, [email protected]] It was through Prince Kristov's efforts that the men were released, but not before they had been horribly tortured and poisoned with an overdose of loosh. The Republic had also marked the honorable Kristov as "dangerous" and set out to discredit the Watch in the eyes of Montfort.

         Meanwhile, Morrighu had been able to pull Geiren back from death, and with the much needed assistance of Sylphie's and Shan's spirit ally, both Geiren and Corwyn were healed of most of their wounds.  For the pain the Republic officers had caused Morrighu lay a curse on Colonel Delgado, Marco, several soldiers, and two healers. One healer was spared eternalsuffering when she gave her life aiding Geiren and Corwyn.
 
          The next few weeks in Montfort saw a whirlwind sequence of events, which included Prince Kristov putting an orphan boy, Gwion, into Morrighu's and Geiren's care; Morrighu aiding the spirits of those who had been murdered by the Republic; meeting Lanaera Koltke and subsequently moving her "kin" into the Weaver's House; officially adopting Gwion; Blayne's discovery of her existence and the fact that her death song eased the pain of his own curse - the song she can sing only if one she protects dies.

          Before the battle of the Weaver's House, Morrighu was arrested by Colonel Delgado and made a political prisoner.  Morrighu discovered, however, was it was less an imprisonment than protective custody.  Originally she considered that her good treatment was due to the fact that she might be able to help free Enrico, a wraith, from his bindings to Proctor John.  But as time went on, and the casualties to the Politi mounted, Colonel Delgado proved to be a good friend, doing what was in his power to aid the people she cared about. She made sure to free him from the curse she had placed upon his head.

        The Bean-Nighe's full enmity now rests on the Grand Inquisitor Blayne, not only for the suffering he caused Gwion, the Politi, and the spirits, but on account of his murdering Geiren by torture four times.  By killing and then resurrecting Geiren, Blayne used her husband's deaths to cause Morrighu to sing for the Grand Inquisitor's pleasure.

         Presidente' Padilla also proved to be an unexpected ally, and when the Church attacked the Republic's, Bank Morrighu was more than happy to lend her aid to the defenses.  Before the Presidente' left Montfort, he granted her the freedom of twelve political prisoners, whom she took with her to the refuge that the Politi offered.  Carr, a seven year old boy, is one of the ex-prisoners, and is now part of [Warrens].

        Since the attack on the Bank, Morrighu has been living with the Politi, doing what she can to help the ex-prisoners. Her original plan was to stay with Geiren when the Politi left for Jord; she knows he will fight the Church and she wants to do what she can to protect him and heal the wounded land and people.  However, her pregnancy will change her plans.

        Geiren is a thirty-two year old human, with long black hair and haunted brown eyes.  Until recently, he had no memory of his past, except nightmares, but now he remembers that he was an officer in an army on a far different world. The nightmares, his amnesia, and his arrival on Ifreann were all caused by a devastating magical attack during battle.

       His imprisonment and torture by the Republic cost him two fingers on his right hand, but the healing that was needed to cure his mangled body brought him back to sanity.  He had not been long recovered and in the Watch when Prince Kristov was murdered and the Prince's brother, Mikhael, called to return to their father's kingdom.  This left Geiren and Yon to investigate the murder, which honor demanded they do, for they were the only two Watch members left - Corwyn was a recluse, Sylphie had long since left, and Shan had to flee because he was accused of Judge Gilford's murder.

      This promise also required Geiren to swallow his pride and rage and request permission of Colonel Delgado to hunt the murderers. He was surprised that the Colonel gave it. A priest named Marcus [Michael Fairbanks] came looking for a friend named, Derek, and after learning of a possible connection between Derek and Geiren's investigation, Marcus joined up with Geiren and Yon. [Terror - Michael Fairbanks.]

       Geiren's investigations were interrupted and his anger re-directed when the Church attacked the Weavers' House, blinding Gwion. It was Geiren who came to the painful realization that the only help they might get for their wounded was from the Republic, and he was more than willing to share the burden of whatever price was asked with Kallin.

     When Smith and Dalmanae helped rescue Blayne from Kallin So's hands they took Geiren prisoner.

        Blayne used Geiren is his elaborate plan to cause Morrighu to sing a death song - Geiren's death song. Her singing eased Blayne's eternal pain. The price for the Grand Inquisitor's momentary release was for Geiren to die each night - carved apart in sacrifice by Mage Guard, then resurrected by Blayne. And each night his soul would travel to the realm of the Hunter - who finally took pity on Morrighu's and Geiren's suffering, since Morrighu was spirit-kin. The Hunter returned Geiren to life after the fourth death - marking him by rearranging the scar glyphs into his own ancient runic pattern, and "blessing" Geiren with a "gift." Geiren is now covered in scar glyphs from neck to toe, and his the ability to project madness into whoever looks into his eyes. This only seems to occur during battle, when Geiren is nearly a berserker. Mercifully, Morrighu is usually able to calm him.

      Normally, Geiren is a quiet, caring man who is tied to the land and the people he loves. The only deep hatred he harbors is towards Blayne and the Church. Before the Republic left he made his peace with Colonel Delgado - the man who helped protect Morrighu and Gwion.

      Gwion [originally played by David Wendt] is a seven year old orphan, whose parents were killed by thieves from the Thieves' Guild. Prince Kristov executed the murderers and gave Gwion over to Morrighu to protect.

      The boy is from a wealthy gypsy family, and Kristov left funds for his upbringing.  Since he was under her eternal care Morrighu and Geiren adopted the child. Gwion also has a knack with music and magic. The Politi's threads respond to him, but his magic seems more tied to music than color. Not even his possibly permanent blindness has slowed him, and the Loup Garou would not harm him.  Gwion himself has adopted a stray kitten that Sue brought with her; the cat originally came to Montfort after being rescued by Bond Isaacson from a fate as a sacrifice to the Dark One.

        As a banshee, Morrighu had contacts with the undead in Montfort -- and after the Republica's and the Church's mass executions, there were many ghosts in town.

       Morrighu's active ghost allies were: Lucc, Elenia, Serun, and Elektra.  These spirits have each had adventures of their own and seemed to have attached themselves to certain people.  During the destruction of the Church of the Redeemer, however (and the accompanying devastation of Montfort), all four ghosts found themselves driven into mortal bodies that had been raised by Proctor John.  They are now readjusting to mortal life in unfamiliar forms.

       Lucc is the son of Lagis and Walita, and brother to Marla and Skete. In life he was a blond-haired, strapping nineteen year old farmboy.  He died at Limpia hands because he tried to aid a girl they were "arresting." He now seeks to protect his family and keep an eye on Kitrina Tvyvar, the fox woman, whom he considers a good friend.

       His mother, Walita, is still recuperating in Little Montfort, after barely escaping death at the hands of the Limpia, because of her activities with the Mothers of Montfort. His father, Lagis, is mad, and is a wild man roving the woods around Montfort.  Marla, eleven, and Skete, six, were evacuated to Jord. They are nearly feral themselves, and have a strong affinity for Nature; they are now part of the [Warrens] thread.

        Elenia was a eighteen year old girl, who was killed by the Limpia because she was searching for her lover, Harl. Elaine's mother, the Widow Cherit, created the Mothers of Montfort to help search for Montfort's missing children and loved ones. The Widow Cherit was later murdered, along with most of the Mothers. Elenia now watches out for Gwion (as best anyone can since the boy wanders easily into trouble).

         Serun only recently returned to Montfort, after having been placed in a magic sphere by Dalmanae when he discovered she was a Church spy. When he was alive he was apprenticed to a jeweler but executed for his anti-Church commentary. His appearance is of a well-dressed twenty year old, with long reddish hair.  At the end of the [Church] thread, he found himself occupying the former body of a Church Inquisitor.

        Elektra is the radical of the spirits, but has turned her energies to trying to free Fran from the Church's mind control and the Republic's indoctrination. Elektra saved the child from the arrow of a Church archer, which was to martyr the child after Proctor John had "exorcised" demons from her. Since then Elektra came  to Fran in dreams and tried to set up scenarios that will help chip at the girl's training, without much effect. In [Spirits] Elektra, along with Darmon, Fran, and the other spirits, sent Uralia's tormented spirit on.

            A number of non-mages were killed in the fighting with the Church. Jana Wells, a journeywoman weaver, was murdered by Deacon Geod during the Cleansing of the Weavers' House, leaving behind a husband and a teen-aged daughter, Aylima. An apprentice, Neal Grayslake, was eviscerated by the Grand Inquisitor during the same encounter.  And at the end of that battle, another apprentice, Uralia Felder was captured.  Uralia spent some time in the Church dungeons, tortured by Inquisitors, before she, with Wyland, was led to the pyre for a public execution.  After her death, her ghost lingered on, mad with pain and grief, before Elektra, Fran, and Darmon healed her spirit.

        Recurring Characters

        A number of other people in Montfort have had on-going contact with the Politi, and assisted them in their efforts to survive the Grand Inquisitor's determined pursuit.

        Thomis Parch is an Evandin, an Oath-Bound sworn to Mesani I'Se.  Although more than half-Shalidar by lineage, Thomis is completely blind to magic (which makes many Politi consider him unworthy of being an Evandin).  Mesani sent him to Montfort with Drywen, to guard him until such time as the younger man would be accepted as an apprentice by Lanaera  Koltke. Thomis spent a couple of nights as Blayne's guest in the Church, attended a dinner party hosted by the Grand Inquisitor, participated in the fighting at Griff's Field Cemetary and at the Festival where Wyland and Uralia died.  With Drywen safely away to Jord, Thomis is now free to pursue other quests -- and has chosen to leave in the company of Laurelyn Hillrover, a lovely auburn-haired storyteller he first met not long after arriving in Montfort.

        Barnabas Portnoy, an old man in his mid-sixties, is a successful merchant, and a lapsed cleric of a minor god known as Tancred.  He long has been a client of and a friend to Allenel Gilford, and at Allenel's request provided his rental house ten miles north of Montfort as a refuge for the Politi.  Marked by long mustaches, a pot-belly, and an ever-present pipe, Barnabas also is guardian to the orphan boy, Tobias Portnoy.

        Tobias, known more commonly as Toby, is an inquisitive ten-year-old who had the good fortune to find the protection of Barnabas and Allenel, rather than the Church or Republica, after his parents died.  Toby ran messages among Resistance cells in Montfort, when he wasn't talking to interesting people in the Dragon's Inn or out digging for rocks or exploring the badger warrens that riddle the countryside about Montfort.  He participated in the battle with the Loup Garou, but eventually was sent to the relative tranquility of the estate outside Jord.

        Allenel Gilford is the scion of a long-esteemed Montfort family.  The only lawyer in Montfort, Allenel was the oldest son of Judge Gilford, a respected jurist who was murdered by the Republica.  Allenel's younger brother, Aparnel, likewise was killed by the Republica, and his sister Irellia disappeared in the company of Shan L'Arain, who rescued her from her father's assassins.  Allenel himself later fled into the night just steps ahead of a squad of Republica officers; Kitrina Tvyvar, reporter
with the Montfort Mime, saved him and he took refuge in the newspaper offices.

      Kitrina Tvyvar is a two hundred year old (young adult) Fox Woman.  In human form she looks to be about twenty-six, has long russet hair, with a widow's peak, hazel eyes, and a slender face.  Her canines are sharper than normal. She was sent from the mountains by her mother to investigate the spread of the Church, which seemed to be decimating magical beings.  Since she is young she only has her shifting ability and the ability of illusion; it won't be till she is older that she will have a Fox woman's more potent magics.

        Not long after her arrival to Montfort, Kit signed on as a reporter to the Montfort Mime, and very shortly met up with the Widow Cherit and began investigating the "disappearances" in Montfort.

        It was shortly after Allenel's rescue that Kit was captured by Inquisitors and given over to Blayne, since he needs the blood of magical beings.  Kit became Blood Bonded to him and a member of his Coterie, where she became close friends with Linnell and Selene.

        After Linnell left the Church,  Kit spent most of her time in fox form, and stayed with Allenel, whom she considers a good friend. Reverting to fox form is a safety valve for Kit's sanity - she is still too young a fox woman to deal with the stresses of torn loyalty. She knows what Blayne has done, but she has also sensed that he does honestly care about Linnell, Selene, and herself. The deepest guilt she feels is over the lies she told Linnell about not knowing about Wyland - lies told because she didn't believe Linnell would survive the truth.

     Kit gives her friendship and love wholeheartedly, and is highly protective, and these remain in her personality, but she can't deal with the intricacies of human emotion and the cruelty of the world. Only now is her analytical skills and questioning mind reawakening as her spirit heals.

        After Allenel became friends with Drywen Regelli and Thomis Parch at the Mime, he arranged for Barnabas Portnoy to provide shelter to the Politi.  Furthermore, when the Politi decided to move to Jord, Allenel used his contacts there to help Veril, Nalin and the others to evacuate non-combatants.  Allenel has been instrumental in sponsoring the rebuilding of Montfort following the riots and other destruction at the Festival.  He recently learned from Shan L'Arain that his sister Irellia died of a fever not long after her disapperance.

        The Politi first encountered the half-elf thief, Silverfox, during the attack by the Loup Garou, but he slipped away at the end of the battle.  Deanna Foley then met him the next day during the Festival preceding the Cleansing of Wyland Koltke and Uralia Felder.  Silverfox is marked by a blessing of good luck, that operates to help him escape even the most perilous situations.  He has a few other tricks up his sleeve, including a magical ring and some ability to cast spells.  Deanna has fallen madly in love with him, and the feeling is mututal.

        Another half-elf, Darmon, found himself dropped into the midst of the Loup Garou attack and has been involved with the Politi ever since.  From another world beyond Ifreann, Darmon is a skilled fighter, with a magical sword that he can reshape so as to conceal it as a belt around his waist.  An herbalist with heightened senses and the ability to talk to most animals, Darmon is known for approaching difficult situations with an amazing calm.

        The foreign warrior Yon briefly lived in the Weavers' House, and helped protect the residents during the Cleansing.  At the end of that encounter, he engaged the Grand Inquisitor in a sword-fight in which both combatants were injured.  Yon, who speaks little common and who can drink gallons of Thunderspirits without any visible effect, seeks to bring honor to an honorless land.  In recent months, he has been associated with Prince Kristov's Watch, has protected Geiren, and has helped the priest Marcus search for his missing friend Derek in the [Terror] thread.

        Shan L'Arain also happened to be at the Weavers' House when it was Cleansed.  A former member of the City Watch under the command of Prince Kristov, Shan had left Montfort for a while after saving Irellia Gilford from Republica assassins.  To Shan, nearly seven years passed while he was on another world (where Irellia died in the interim), and he moves towards a final confrontation with his own demons in another storyline.

        Sue, a young ice-elf of fifteen, provided invaluable assistance as both a healer and a fighter.  She came to the Politi at Barnabas' house after Geiren went in search of those with healing abilities.  Sue once was Quallion, a male priest of a god of light, Lathander, but in the [Jaws] thread Quallion was changed to a female by a strange series of events.

        Amaranth Talorin first came to Montfort to find out how her brother, Alexandrin -- a Legentor -- had died.  She discovered that he, like many others, had perished on the pyre, Cleansed by the Redeemer.  Amaranth caught the eye of the Grand Inquisitor, who at one point -- irritated by her tendency to mouth off at the wrong moment -- tossed her into the Church dungeons for a brief visit.

        After escaping, Amaranth decided to try to leave Montfort, but before she could manage to do so, she ran into Toby.  The boy led her to Barnabas' house, where Amaranth met the Politi; she participated in the conflict at Griff's Field Cemetary, where her support for Blayne earned her Kallin So's firm enmity.  The next day, Amaranth left Montfort for Jord to deliver a message for Allenel Gilford to arms smugglers who were to deliver a cache of weapons to the Resistance in Montfort.  There, Amaranth fell in with the Quisling Brothers Circus -- unknown to her, the smugglers -- and ended up returning to Montfort.

        A number of victims of the Republica have encountered the Politi.

        Laurelyn Hillrover, a storyteller/musician, stayed at Barnabas' for a short time after the Republica withdrew from Montfort.

        Laurelyn is twenty-eight year old human, with auburn hair and blue eyes, and a fine, rich voice. She grew up in the fishing/smuggling village of Morrow's Hold, and is a daughter of a woman from that village and a member of the Hillrover clan, which is one of the mountain clans. Until Laurelyn was fourteen she divided her time between working on the boats, and living in the mountains with her father's people. She only has two minor, magical gifts - the ability to call fish and to control some wind.

         When a troubadour came through the village he heard Laurelyn singing, and talked her into apprenticing herself. Much as Laurelyn loved both her kin and her two homes, she was more than willing to leave the harsh and oft bloody lifestyle. The troubadour was in the hire of the Lord and Lady Kiever, who held lands down in the south, and there Laurelyn lived and trained.

       Laurelyn became very much a member of the family, and not only had the Kiever's patronage, but their cousin's, Lord Michner's. They often gave her gifts, including a bay hunter and a Dalmatian. The hunter she named Beast, because both animal and woman loathe one another.  The Dalmatian's name is Jem;  the three year old Dalmatian was transformed into a human by Alfred the Faery Dragon, and had a cameo appearance in the [Circus] thread.

        After Beast bruised up a hoof while they traveled Laurelyn had to stop in Montfort, and during her wait ended up involved with the Resistance. Her original involvement was when Librandt formed a cell, consisting of Basha, Sa'Eve, Laurelyn, Sue, and Ursula. (She had met Sa'Eve and Librandt during her endeavors to aid a young bard, named Justinian [the first Amulet thread].) Laurelyn's storytelling performances at the Dragon's Inn came to the notice of the CRS and Colonel Garcia, and she was hired to tell "approved" stories to the Young Guardians. Laurelyn took the job in hopes of acting as a spy, but she was kept under  such tight watch the opportunity never presented itself. And Laurelyn has a deep sense of guilt over her part in indoctrinating the children and the fact that her association with the Republic kept her safe during the battles and well-fed during the famine. She also came to be friends with the Republic soldiers as she performed for them and talked to them. She came to be close friends to Lt. Javier (Sam Gonzales) of the Foreign Legionnaires.

       Only two of the Young Guardians decided to stay when the Republic left, Fran being one of them, and Laurelyn took them into her care.

        Laurelyn's uncle, Brion Hillrover, first came to Montfort with Allenel Gilford, Thomis Parch and Drywen Regelli after those three had visited the fishing village of Morrow's Hold to contact smugglers.
 
        Brion is the youngest of four brothers, and is the war piper for the Hillrover clan. He is in his early thirties - stands over 6 foot with a large, muscled frame, and long auburn hair and beard. His favorite brawling weapon is a blackthorn shillelagh, and his sword of choice is a bastard sword.  Brion now heads the volunteer watch among the survivors of Montfort, and helps provide guard services for Allenel.

        Francine Larson stayed at Barnabas' for a while after the Republica forces left the city.  Six-years-old, a believer of the Church, and member of the Republica's Young Guardians, Fran was brought to Barnabas' by Laurelyn Hillrover, but was quite disturbed to find herself living with witches condemned by the Church.  After consulting with Fran's mother, Ursula Larson, Barnabas Portnoy arranged to deliver Fran to Church relief facilities in the tent city shortly before the final Politi withdrawal from Montfort.  In an ironic twist, not long afterwards, Ursula Larson -- who was wounded in an attack upon a squad of Church Inquisitors -- was herself delivered to healers in the same place.

        Bond Isaacson had a brief interaction with the Politi.  He first encountered them when he found himself involved in the same fight where Ursula was injured, and then found himself teleported from the scene of that conflict into the tent city.  Bond Isaacson is the last of the Mirror Mages, a charming, handsome man who caught Amaranth Talorin's eye before she was sidetracked into the Church dungeons.

V.    WHERE DO THE POLITI GO FROM HERE?

        After the Politi's withdrawal from Montfort, the characters spun off into a number of new threads and storylines.  Threads already in progress include:

        [Star Dreamer]:  Cathy Mosley leads this thread, in which Laurelyn Hillrover goes in search of a Flying Dutchman-type legendary ship known as the "Star Dreamer" in an effort to atone for the role she played in working for the Republica and helping teach the Young Guardians, and to ask a boon of the "Star Dreamer's" captain.  Thomis Parch, Politi Oath-Bound, accompanies Laurelyn on this quest.

        [Warrens]:  Becca Ward leads this thread, which is set at the new Politi estate outside the city of Jord.  The storyline focuses upon a group of children, including Toby Portnoy and Cathy Mosley's characters of Marla, Skete and Carr, and their efforts to explore Jord's own version of the region's badger warrens.  Something unpleasant lurks in the tunnels, and the children will find out what it is.

        [Circus]:  Gary Couch leads this thread, which centers around the Quisling Brothers Circus, headed by Lunt Quisling and his "brother", the were-grizzly Rowl.  Besides running the Circus, the Quislings run side businesses of a tobacconist's shop and smuggling.  Amaranth Talorina fell in with the Circus, at least temporarily.

         [Shadows]:  (led by Becca Ward):  A number of characters involved with the Politi shall launch themselves into a quest to find a "cure" for Linnell's vampirism -- or at least a way for her to work the thread-magic despite being Kindred.  The half-elf Darmon spoke with Blayne, who directed them to a possible solution at Golconda, in the Plains of Nod.  Darmon himself, Kallin So, Paul Rustin, Yon, Geiren, Elizabeth, Kit Tvyvar, and a guide -- Lyell Cardenas -- accompany Linnell on her journey.  This storyline will divide into another, separate thread when Kallin So -- who still is a wanted man in the Politi homeland -- finds his past comes back to haunt him.  A group of bounty-hunters, in the [Bounty] thread, will be following the group.

        [Council]:  Allenel Gilford's "quest" ("led" by Becca Ward):  Not so much a story with a purpose as a background in Montfort after the end of the Church.  Allenel Gilford, created by Dave Womack and currently played by Becca Ward, will be involved in rebuilding Montfort after Proctor John's downfall.  A number of different political factions are expected to form -- Blayne and his supporters, a Mage's Guild, a Tower Guard, etc. -- and Allenel will be involved in all the scheming.

        [Politi] itself continues, with the household re-established on a large estate outside the city of Jord.  Silverfox arranged to purchase the estate for a non-existent "Lord Solin," and there Lanaera Koltke and the other members of the household will attempt to resume a peaceful life of teaching and weaving.  Whether they will succeed is anyone's guess.

Back to Home Page