This page is a list of the characters I used to play in the World of Mystery before their untimely and, at times, unpleasent deaths. Each description describes a little of how the world saw them, a little of how I saw them, a brief list of the greatest and worst moments (including details of the deaths), and what they brought to the World of Mystery.
We exist and then we are gone, except in the memories of those we leave behind.
THE DEPARTED
Stryfe, the Masked Rogue
Stryfe was a mysterious figure active from the 1030s to 1101 YAC. He was a vigilante with a tendency to cause madness and chaos amidst his foes. He became a legendary figure of mischief, and his name was often used as a curse for when something went wrong (much the same way Jerry Seinfeld utters the curse-name �Neuman!�). Stryfe was a master of mind-magic�s, martial arts, and covert warfare. He dwelled in the heavens and only visited those whom he wished to plague. As the Masked Rogue, it is rumoured he had a treasure hoard undreamed of and would always have that particular item an adventurer desired, and that if you prayed to him, it would be left for you to find on your journey. Stryfe disappeared from the World of Mystery in 1101YAC.
Stryfe was the first character I played in Jonathan�s World of Mystery game. He was incredibly powerful, but lacked direction (and some would say any sign of morality, ethics and taste). As a result, he was not nearly as effective as he could have been. Stryfe was a case of too much power and not enough idea. He did have several pages of skills & abilities and was capable of defeating nearly any figure in the game world at the time, which was nice. He was fun to be sneaky with though, and had a much greater reach than was ever made known publically.
Stryfe�s greatest adventures were his battles against St Steven in the Swamp Wars, against Hella and her servants in the Mystery Mines, and against both sides in the Dragon-Queen Wars fought in Hell. During those wars he fought as the UNSEEN KNIFE, turning his enemies' strengths upon their weaknesses and causing the implosion of his enemies' power structures through his spreading of madness and chaos. The most deadly opponent he battled was the Ratcatcher - a golem who could counter all of his abilities. (The Ratcatcher golem also neutralised the powers of Stryfe's allies the Green Man and Spectre - both gods in their own right - before being destroyed by the original Watchdog and the Hunter. Some 70 years later another Ratcatcher golem was loosed upon Stryfe's son, Spider. This second and more powerful Ratcatcher golem was destroyed by the modern day Watchdog and Ironthorn, the descendent of the Hunter. Neither knew whose son Spider was. He told them their grand-fathers once saved his father's life. But their grandfathers saved a lot of people's lives.)
It is widely believed that Stryfe was killed by The Web, who destroyed him when it destroyed the Mask of the Masked Rogue.
Rogue Special Abilities -- if you want the full and proper list, consider purchasing a copy of the Sword and Sorcery Compendium...
Martial Arts in Dungeons & Dragons
(The Mask of the Masked Rogue was a powerful artefact of some renown in the World of Mystery. It gave the wearer the abilities of a master rogue in ANY rogue skill. Through this item, Stryfe was able to �power-up� by collecting useful items of nearly every time & type in the game world. Stryfe personally disliked wearing the Mask, but did not trust anyone else to wear it. While the Mask is now destroyed, the original makers should be pleased to know that another character of my karmic line now has the knowledge to make another Mask - stay tuned!)
Virchil �Snake� Deparle
Snake was a ranger of the Westshire and a follower of the Hunter, aka Count Olus Sabot. He rose to prominence during the 1030s due to his involvement in the adventures of The Count and His Crew. His accuracy with a bow and his speed with his swords was as remarkable as his skill at hunting the evil Serpent People of the region. Snake went on many adventures with Hunter, Crusader (his childhood best friend), and the great Watchdog. Eventually Snake left the service of his master and entered the political scene of Secomber. There he rose to the rank of President and was eventually made First Man of the Republic. He was father both to the city and to a large family. He was last seen in 1087 YAC when he rode off with his followers to destroy the Serpent People once and for all.
Snake was a great character for me. It was through him that I really came to know and love Jonathan�s World of Mystery. As Snake, through his involvement in politics at Secomber, I was able to change and shape the game world. Snake was an ordinary guy - he had no super-powers, but he managed to hold his place alongside these super-powered heroes - much like the character of Jack Burton in "Big Trouble in Little China", an inspiration for the character and mannerisms of Snake. One of my most treasured moments in character inter-play came playing Snake when he witnessed Krull Ironshell face down a an angry pack of spider-demons. That such an (at the time) under-powered character was so brave in the face of certain horrible defeat really gave me a boost, both as Snake as a player. Krull Ironshell has been a hero to my characters ever since.
Snake�s greatest adventure was the �hack� through the Mystery Mines to stop the hell-queen Hella (don�t say the name aloud!) with the Count and His Crew. His greatest defeat was at the hands of the Serpent People�s avatar-god, The Black Angel. (He was rescued by, and the beast was killed by, Crusader - as always.) His greatest achievement was the political and military reforms of Secomber, and his greatest legacy was his family, for his lived as the pater familias of a large clan of Deparles (some of these characters are now managed by other players in the World of Mystery PBeM). His disappearance is the source of some consternation, for I had stopped playing Snake some time before. It is feared that Snake is now evil and is the head of the evil organisation known as the Skullguard, which is ruled by an individual known only as �Snake #1�.
Ashan Gaylani, Agent of W.A.R.
Ashan Gaylani, a.k.a. 008, was a second-rate mage. He was pressed into service in the Westshire Agency of Research (W.A.R. - an intelligence and covert operations agency of the Westshire) when it was formed back in the 1030s. While he aquitted himself well in several field operations, his talents lay elsewhere and he retired to act as a supplier and designer of magical items for the agency. He eventually left the agency to set up his own magical emporium. He died of old age in Treekeep leaving no dependents.
Ashan really was a crap wizard. (His highest stat, Intelligence, was only 11.) I named the character after a friend of mine form uni who had a similar background to the wizard. (For the record, I imagine the real-life Ashan had much higher stats!) Ashan the character was fun to play for I really had to stretch the neurons in order to keep that second rate no-hoper alive.
His greatest adventure and defeat are both CLASSIFIED. His greatest triumph was making it out alive.
'Q Branch of James Bond's MI6' - 'Q' Branch
Soluil, the Bard of Metahumans
The self-styled Bard of Metahumans was an oddity of the World of Mystery for many years. He travelled the world learning the stories of super-powered individuals both good and bad. While he was clearly on the side of Good and a being possessng immense power, he rarely participated in actions himself. This trait removed much respect from active heroes and lessened the Bard�s effect. He disappeared for many years only to return recently in Mythtropolis to learn and tell the tales of the Knights Below and the Silver Knot. Unfortunately it seemed the Bard was yet another sleeper agent of the Whispering Jungle, a fact discovered by Cpt Rocco Deparle of the Silver Knot. Upon discovery, the Bard transformed into an avatar figure of the Green Death. He/it was battled by Cpt Rocco and other members of the OGRE Emporium Shipping Company and thus prevented from taking any lives. Before the battle could be resolved, a flash of Green Light stole the Bard away from the combat. None have heard of the Bard since.
Alas the Bard was another character without much direction. What can I say, I suck at playing bards! He had the power to turn into ANY living creature, which really gives you a lot of options when you think about it. But I didn�t. The Bard was retired to NPC status where some really appalling dice rolls meant he was responsible for some of the worst disasters in the World of Mystery, including losing the power-ring of the Emerald Avenger to servants of Evil! No-one, least of all me, mourns his loss.
The Bard�s greatest triumph could be said to be keeping his mouth shut and staying inactive for so many years and thus not getting in the way. His worst defeat or failure, and there were a lot to chose from, was losing his battle with M�Wander the Whispering Jungle to become its servant. Thankfully, a certain hero with an emerald fire fetish was on hand to deal with �that avocado-headed dude�.
Make your own Hero/Character picture - HERO MACHINE
The Sorceror
The Sorceror was a figure of great magical power. Not much is known about him other than that a great city in the clouds, known only in dreams and legends, bears his name.
The Sorceror was a being of IMMENSE magical power, but (surprise!) little direction. He could cast ANY spell. Alas, I hadn�t played in a few years and was a little rusty. The Sorceror was energy photographed the first time I played him. He did do a lot of damage before he went down though.
The Sorceror had no triumphs and only one defeat. He tried to defeat the Red Mage by channelling all the energy of the Plane of Magic at once - hence the energy photograph. He had The Sorceror�s Stand named after him though, which was nice.
Jacques Renarde, Agent of W.A.R.
Agent 003 was, and is, a legend. In a career that�s spanned over sixty years, Renarde accomplished mission after mission after mission for His/Her Majesty�s Secret Service. Originally an agent of W.A.R., Renarde moved on to act directly for the C.I.A. (Chamberlain Inquisitorial Agency). He possessed a rakish charm and amazing good luck that kept him safe and victorious for years. Renarde was renowned for taking extra risks and for romancing many beautiful women. According to rumour Renarde may have been several men, for it is believed his face and height changed on several occasions. Agent Renarde has not been seen on mission since early in 1101 YAC.
A direct tribute to James Bond. Jacques Renarde was a were-fox and a secret agent with barrels of charisma. It mapped so well I thought I would run with it. He did a great job of being the James Bond for the World of Mystery for many years. He even had an arch-rival �Iron-Jaw�, a half-troll with a set of steel jaws who killed his targets by biting their throats! Adventures with Renarde were a lot of fun and often played with various Bond soundtracks playing in the background. Renarde changed his appearance through the use of a magical Hat of Disguise, changing his appearance every couple of adventures (films). Renarde was eventually killed (in the Timothy Dalton phase - my favourite Bond) when his luck ran out and he lost a battle with Iron-Jaw. (My hat off to the player of Iron-Jaw by the way.)
Renarde could not be said to have any one great triumph, nor any great defeat. I leave him with the words from �Goldeneye�:
the screams of all the men you've killed, or if you've found
forgiveness in the arms of all those women
for the ones you failed to protect?
Perhaps another soul will take the name �Jacque Renarde� and begin his adventures anew!
Myth, the Master of Mysterious Magic
Myth was a mysterious, dark and suspicious wizard. He was a part of the Golden Age super-team �The Young Blades�. He didn�t seem to do much and was no doubt simply a hanger-on of the group of heroes. He eventually retired to Daggerford and the Academy of Gifted Youngsters, where he probably worked as the janitor.
Myth was a dead-set legend! He was a wizard-rogue who special abilities were mostly matters of sage knowledge that gave him a great edge over other wizards. He was a master of magecraft, witch lore, superstitions, spell design, item crafting, arcane lore, planar lore, and a host of other magical knowledge skills. He was also a master of tactics and Villancraft (criminal psychology). Alas, he rolled very badly on his �public recognition rolls� and was forever seen as just a dodgy addition to the super-team. I loved playing Myth because it was at a time when I was on top of my game, knew the magic rules, had a clear mind, and had a string of amazing luck. A pity he was only ever played for two sessions before the campaign ended!
Myth�s greatest triumph was when, at 2nd rank, he and the Young Blades were called out by Azalin the arch-mage and whipped his arse! It was a real gaming high-point as Myth�s magical combat plan worked perfectly to take out the way, WAY more powerful mage. His greatest defeat was his death. While he died quietly on his bed, it was as a drug addict. Myth became addicted to the narcotic �Dreamfire� as a way of coping with the loss of his only daughter, murdered by one of his students, and died in poverty and disgrace.
Items for the Young Blades - link to come soon
Myth's Magical Masterpieces (spells) - link to come soon
(Myth was the mentor of Rocco Deparle and schooled him in the mystical arts. The two were like father and son. The murdered daughter was Rocco�s childhood sweetheart and bride-to-be. Rocco was there when Myth died - a hard time for me as a player for it made me remember my own grandfather�s death. The fun continued that game session as Rocco was kidnapped and tortured and the rest of Myth�s household were burned and/or ritually murdered by the servants of the Hags. It was definitely a low-point.)
Hector deSabot, the Fallen and then Redeemed Kensai.
Hector lived a dishonourable life. The son of the Hunter Hector adventured alongside and knew many champions, such as Watchdog. He constantly sought out a code to live by, but never found one and so lived a life as if blown about by the waves, without direction and without honour. As he fought both phsyically and spiritually against the Temple of Elemental Evil he forsaw his own death, failure and loss to the Darkness. After destroying, with his companions, a level of the Abyss, Hector realised the way of the warrior lies in the resolute acceptance of death - knowing this in his heart Hector fought with certainty and purpose even though he had lost his signature weapon, the Emerald Blade. Hector deSabot was slain in combat in the Temple of Elemental Evil defending his companions and the Good Altars. He was cremated on the Altar of Air in tenmonth 1101YAC. An Emerald Blade was left behind on the Altar after his death to serve as a weapon for the next spirit kensai.
River McPlacid, Barbarian Warband leader. River fought alongside the Silver Knot at the Temple of Elemental Evil. He sustained grevious wounds in the battles but lived. For almost a year after his encournter with the Silver Knot, McPlacid wandered the area with his small warband acting on behalf of the Darkmoon Cathedral in the near constant skirmishes against agents of Evil and Undead. As the Cathedral's chosen champion wielded a magical axe which the local barbarian lord taught him to wield. River McPlacid and his warband were overwhelmed and killed during the Zombie War by the forces of the Demon-Dragon.
The Enemies of Daikin Gundai. The list of these fools keeps on growing. I admit, I don't play these clowns. I have no wish to. But they are still ALL dead. Much of the time, Daykin doesn't have a wish to send them on to meet their makers either, but the crazy fools keep picking fights and so the body count keeps growing. So far the list includes wizards, vampires, hell-spawn, several gods and the occassional Horror-Man-Was-Not-Meant-To-Know. Oddly enough while Daikin cuts through these appalingly over-powered enemies like a drunk man cuts through a curry, Daikin will regularly go straight to the deck whenever he is attacked by hoodlums or low-level street scum rogues. Odd. Currently his sights are set on the Dark Lord of Denogoth, a foul necromancer. Daikin is leading a unit of Imperial Sky Knights & Special Forces troops in the war against the Dark Lord. All for the greater glory of the Empire - and for Daykin, a sackful of loot. Currently Daikin is seeking to end the conflict quickly so he can go off and join his friend Snow White for a few cold ales.
