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Prologue
The gods are gone, and
the threat of the
dragons is greater
than ever before.
And you're looking
for a cause, Dhamon
Grimwulf, though
you may not realize
it. ...It seems a cause
has found you."
The unique challenges of the Fifth Age of Krynn call to a set of heroes born in the Age of Mortals, new companions willing to journey into danger unknown to safeguard Ansalon. Though Fate may have thrown them together, they soon come to care about each other, bound by their shared struggles against the Evil of the Great Dragons. These are the Heroes of the Heart. The personalities in this Prologue represent not only warriors but also users of magic and a couple of sneaky types as well. Many appear on cards of the Fate Deck, and all are featured in the FIFTH AGE novel The Dawning of a New Age. Players can use these characters as their heroes for the series of adventures that begins with The Rising Storm. Or they can serve as allies to the heroes that players have already created or will create for this adventure. The best choices for heroes in this adventure are Blister, Dhamon, Feril, and Rig. Other personalities can augment the party, for larger playing groups.
Regardless of whether these personalities become the heroes for this adventure or sideline characters that interact with the heroes, Narrators should familiarize themselves with them before beginning to play The Rising Storm. Blister Nimblefingers
"About thirty years ago, I struck out from my home in Kendermore on an important mission for the Hero of the Lance Riverwind - I was the one who warned the Knights of Solamnia of the coming of Malystryx, the Red Dragon! "Of course, I've never been back to Kendermore - there's not much worth seeing there these days, except Malys. I've never seen a red dragon, let alone one big enough to destroy my whole country. "I've spent most of my life in Hylo with other kender who managed to escape Malystryx. But now that I'm approaching middle age, I've decided to venture out into the world again. I'd forgotten just how much there is to see! "Anyway, I'm not like what most people expect when they meet a kender. Oh sure, I'd like to see what's inside every wrapped parcel, behind every locked door, or inside each padlocked chest. But I've got discipline. I almost never go poking my nose into someplace unless there's a really good reason to do so. "When my curiosity overrides my common sense - umm, I mean when I have to confront the unknown - I'm careful. I'll prod a suspected trap from a safe distance with a spear, or maybe I'll just throw a rock at it. I can snag pouches and other small objects with a fishing line. I have a spyglass I use to peer into campsites. I like to be careful, just like Uncle Tas did: He always knew exactly what he was doing. "I wear gloves nearly all the time because when I was a girl I was foolish and let a trap spray acid all over my hands. (That's how I got my nickname, Blister. Before that, everyone called me Verae.) Now, my hands don't work quite right. I can't always grasp a weapon properly, and fine work, like picking locks, really hurts. Of course, if my companions need me (and who doesn't need a kender now and then?), I ignore the pain and get the job done. "I have a friend, Raph, who is more of a traditional kender. I've made it my job to keep him alive at least long enough to see his next birthday." Game Information
As an afflicted kender, any card Blister
(4 She also carries a magical net-well, she thinks it's magic. If Blister closes to personal range, she can automatically trap a creature smaller than a cat inside the net. To capture larger creatures, she must attempt an average Agility (Agility) action. The net can hold a creature as large as a horse. This kender has acute senses of hearing and eyesight. Appearance Blister has graying blond hair and a ruddy complexion. Her hands and fingers resemble a bird's feet: thin, twisted, and scaly from her injury. Dhamon Grimwulf
"When I was twelve, I caused quite a stir in my hometown by joining'the Dark Knights. I came from a noble but poor family that had never been popular; it pleased me to see the shock in the faces of my neighbors when I rode out of town carrying the Knights' banner. "After several years of training, I became a full member of the Order. My pride swelled when I became a dragon rider, paired with the blue dragon, Gale. "During an attack on the city of Sanction about five years ago, I became separated from Gale, but fought on. I looked for a worthy foe, and my eye settled on a Solamnic Knight. Knowing that a victory over another Knight would win me even more glory, I pressed the attack, pausing only to salute the older man. The Knight gravely returned my salute, and we exchanged blows. The old fellow was good with a sword, but I was stronger. I pounded the Knight to his knees and demanded his surrender. That was a mistake: I had left him an opening, and his counterattack nearly killed me. As I felt my life draining away, I prayed that Her Dark Majesty would give me the strength to land one final blow to slay this accursed Knight. Only blackness answered. "I was taken prisoner and brought to Solamnia, where my opponent tended me himself. Surprisingly enough, I came to admire the man. While I recovered from my battle injuries, I listened eagerly to his stories about Huma, Sturm Brightblade, and other famous Solamnics. His tales and his kind manner toward me made me realize slowly that, although the Dark Knights had taught me honor, they had never taught me compassion. In nightmares I began to see the faces of every man I had ever killed. It made me shudder to realize that, while I was battling for glory, they had been fighting to defend their homes. "When I became well, I resolved to leave the Knights of Takhisis. I realized they had taken advantage of a bitter youth, twisting my anger to their own ends. I had barely made my decision when my fellow Dark Knights came to my 'rescue.' "I shouldn't have been surprised that they tracked me down, but I didn't want to be rescued. In fact, I joined my captor-turned-mentor in defending his home. "Only I survived that battle. When I buried the dead, I buried my old armor and weapons, too - and my old life. "My one option, as I saw it, was to become a sellsword. True, the mercenary life isn't honorable. But it's a better one than I deserve." Game Information
As a rogue knight, Dhamon (5 This rogue knight has acute eyesight. Appearance Lean, muscular Dhamon turns the heads of many young ladies. This young man ties his long, wheat-blond hair back in a pony tail and wears old, plain clothes. Ferilleeagh Dawnsprinter
"I'm usually not one to take sides in an argument. Even among my own people, the wild and independent Kagonesti, I've always been a loner. I enjoy solitude, and I admire - even envy - wild creatures. They live free of the constraints of society. Animals have pure motives: They are never treacherous and kill only for food, taking just what they need. And, for all their purity, animals also know how to enjoy simple pleasures. Overall, I would prefer a solitary life in the wilderness with them to just about anything else. "Now, however, I've gotten myself involved with one of the greatest struggles ever to face Krynn: the battle between mortals and the Great Dragons. I know how to pick enemies, don't I? "I love the wilderness and would sacrifice anything to save it - even my life, fighting those affronts to nature, the Great Dragons. The White Dragon, Gellidus, has transformed my home isle of Southern Ergoth into a vast glacier: All it took was the touch of Frost to turn a land of temperate plains and forests into a polar desert. I have nothing against polar deserts, but I want them to stay where they belong: at the poles! "Other colored dragons have wreaked similar havoc in the territories they have claimed. Where are the metallic dragons? Why aren't they playing their role in maintaining the balance on Krynn? Everyone in Ansalon wants these questions answered. I have made it my job to seek those answers - and a way to thwart the chromatic dragons' schemes. "I try not to let my grim task keep me from enjoying the wonders I see around me, however. There is beauty almost everywhere you look, from the simple grace of a butterfly to the crisp geometry of a dwarven building. Whenever I find myself somewhere I haven't been before, I can't help stopping to drink in all the sights, sounds, and smells." Game Information
As an elf, Feril (6 As a Kagonesti shaman, Feril can employ three schools of sorcery: pyromancy, geomancy, and aeromancy. She also can cast spells from three mystic spheres: animism, alteration, and healing. Her two acute senses are sight and hearing. Appearance Feril is beautiful, tanned, and wildly exotic. Her brown hair falls in waves to her shoulders, like a lion's mane. Even though she has not recently been among her people, the Kagonesti, she proudly wears the strange and colorful tattoos of this race of wild elves. Feril bears a tattoo of an orange and yellow oak leaf on one cheek and another of a red lightning bolt across her forehead. Rig Mer-Krel
"Rig is just a nickname, but it suits me. I picked it up as a kid doing odd jobs on the docks in Sea Reach. I've been a sailor - ever since I celebrated my twelfth birthday by stowing away on a ship. The home I left was not a happy one, but I joined a much larger family - the brotherhood of sailors. Now I'm in my mid-twenties and the helmsman on the Wind Chaser, which runs between New Ports in Abanasinia and the island of Schallsea. "Steering this overgrown ferry in the relatively calm waters of the New Sea doesn't entirely suit my tastes - I'd much rather sail the open sea - but at least it's a job that involves seamanship. I'm at my best when I have salt water in sight. "About two years ago, I was second mate on a pirate ship. We'd board other ships, steal them, and put the crews ashore. It was a lucrative business until our captain became overcautious. He began avoiding vessels that might be armed, and he started limiting our stays in port because he was afraid the authorities would recognize us. The lack of action and the lack of loot made the crew restless. "I should have quit then, but I agreed to be part of a mutiny. I was to be first mate after we had seized the ship and beached the captain. I liked the captain, but I, too, was bored, and I didn't see much difference between stealing the captain's ship and what we'd been doing all along. "The mutiny was bloodless, but when we rowed the captain ashore, the crew killed him - on orders from the new captain, they said. I never got over seeing a man I had once admired lying dead in the sand; it made me wonder what had happened to all those other sailors we had 'put ashore.' "I jumped ship at the first opportunity. Shaon, a bright-eyed lass I had taken under my wing, tagged along. I'll go back to the sea some day, but not as a pirate. Perhaps I'll become a smuggler - I wouldn't mind depriving a dragon overlord of a few steel in taxes." Game Information
As a mariner, Rig (7 Rig is always ready for a fight. Beside his two primary weapons, he wears several concealed weapons: a weighted sash that looks like normal clothing, two daggers in his boots, and two more hidden under his shirt. He wears a fancy hat with a garrote tucked into the headband and conceals razor-sharp blades in the soles of his boots. He even wears a dagger-shaped earring that doubles as a lockpick. Rig enjoys acute eyesight and taste - no one will ever get a poisoned meal past him. Appearance Tall and muscular Rig has brown skin and short, dark hair that mark him as an Ergothian. He favors bright, flashy clothes. Jasper Fireforge
"I'm Flint Fireforge's nephew. That's right: Flint Fireforge, Hero of the Lance, was my uncle. It seems that fate has cast the Fireforges as saviors of Krynn, or at least of Ansalon. Now it's my time to be a hero, and I'll do my best to fill the role Fate has cast for me. "I've inherited my uncle's tolerance for other races, particularly elves and kender. Don't laugh - Uncle Flint's best friends were Tanis Half-Elven and Tasslehoff Burrfoot. I know elves are a bit full of themselves, so I just let them walk around with their noses in the air. Why should I let myself be offended by their behavior? I also don't understand why other people get so upset when kender are around - can't they appreciate a kender's quick wit? I'll admit that I seem to 'lose' things more often when there's a kender nearby, but that's never a problem, because the kender always find my things for me. It would be rude to call a kender a thief or demand my property back: Harsh words are for enemies, not friends. "That's a truth I learned from Goldmoon, First Master of Mysticism. I'm a student of hers at the Citadel of Light on Schallsea. Not only is she my spiritual instructor, she's a personal friend of mine. She even saved my life once, back during the Dragon Purge, before anyone even knew what mysticism was. I just might be the first person in Ansalon ever to benefit from mystic healing. "The world is lucky to have Goldmoon around - she's brought the gift of healing back to a world that has lost it twice now. The power of her spirit has made her an ageless beauty, at least to my eyes (I understand that less enlightened folk see her differently). Goldmoon is a wonderful teacher, and I never tire of working under her guidance. I could happily spend all my days studying with her, but, she has reminded me that I have more important work to do and ought not spend all my time at the Citadel." Game Information
As a dwarf, Jasper (2 Jasper can employ three spheres of mysticism: healing, mentalism, and sensitivity. In addition, he has an acute sense of smell. Appearance Though well into his middle age, Jasper has a jovial nature that makes him seem much younger. He keeps his reddish-brown hair and beard neatly trimmed, as befits a dwarf of his station. Shaon of Istar
"Since the time of the first Cataclysm, my people have sailed the seas, living on our ships (that's how my ancestors were saved from destruction when the land of Istar sank beneath the waves). A few years ago, I decided to explore the world outside rny own clan, so I signed on as a common sailor on a series of ships. "I've joined treasure hunters plumbing the still waters of the Blood Sea of Istar, gone searching for the fabled Dragon Isles, and seen the distant Icewall. By far my most exciting experiences, though, arose during my stint as a pirate. I joined a group of scalawags prowling the north coast of Ansalon, capturing smaller ships. We'd beach the crews, then sell the ships and cargoes. It was a good life. "I suppose I might have enjoyed things a little less if the ship's second mate, Rig, hadn't become my mentor, of sorts. Not that I needed any help learning to be a sailor, but a pirate's life can be rough if you don't choose the right friends. "I liked that independent, carefree life. Even now, I live each day as though it could be my last. Why bother planning for the future? It's foolish - death can overtake any man or woman in the blink of an eye. So I spend my money as I get it and enjoy myself whenever I can. I've never lost a fight, and I never run from one. Maybe that's because at sea there's nowhere to run. Your blade is the only thing that stands between you and a watery death. You either fight to win or you feed the sharks. "Unfortunately, my life feels a little short on excitement right now. About two years ago, the pirates on my ship all pretty much agreed that our captain had gone soft, so we mutinied. We took over the vessel without shedding any blood, and Rig and some of the crew put the captain ashore. For some strange reason, though, Rig jumped ship at our next port. He'd just been promoted to first mate, too. I guess he didn't like the job. "I was curious about where Rig was headed, so I went with him. I don't much like going ashore, but I've found that anyplace can be tolerable when I'm in Rig's company. The big galoot won't tell me so, but I know he loves me just as I love him. "We've settled down for awhile in a place called New Ports on the eastern coast of Abanasinia. We crew a vessel ferrying passengers to the island of Schallsea, where there's some kind of big temple. It's a reasonable job, but pretty boring. At least we spend most of our time on the water." Game Information As a sea barbarian, any card Shaon plays is trump if it involves an attack with the sabre (or other nautical weapons listed in Chapter Four of Night and Day) or maneuvering or surviving at sea. Shaon suffers a -3 action penalty to all actions when visiting any city but Sea Reach on her home island of Saifhum. Appearance Shaon possesses an ever-present, infectious grin. She has dusky skin and brilliantly white teeth and keeps he dark hair short and curly. Raph Tanglemop
"People seem to get pretty mad at me when I'm around. I don't mean to be annoying or anything, it's just that I find anything just beyond my reach infinitely more interesting than what's within my grasp. "My friend Blister fusses over me a lot and says I'm all fingers and pockets. I like the sound of that. She's also always saying stuff to me like, 'Be careful,' 'Keep out of there,' and even, 'No!' I don't care so much for that. She fusses over me an awful lot. "I have to admit, though, that things like overturned carts, angry peddlers, broken furniture, spilled ale, and such seem to pop up a lot more often around me than other folks. I guess you could say I'm a typical kender. "My home is in Hylo, but I've left it to see the world. Wanderlust, Blister says. So far, I've seen tidal waves (but no sea monsters yet), a glacier (where one isn't supposed to be), the vallenwoods of Solace (I've even climbed 'em!), Darken Wood (but no unicorns), and oh, lots more. I haven't even been traveling very long, and I'm eager to see and do all I can every day. "See, there are many, many things I haven't come across yet, like a real dragon (even a small one would do for starters), a ghost (I think I saw a zombie or something in Darken Wood), a giant.... Gee, I guess the list of what I haven't seen could go on for a long time. It's even longer than the list of what I have seen. Sitting round making lists really isn't much fun. Actually it's boring after awhile. I hate being bored. Fortu- nately, I usually can find something else to do. No matter where I go, it seems I can always find a locked door to open (it's nice of people to give me little chal- lenges like that) or something else to get into. Life is good. "I can't say that I like angry people very much, though, and the world seems just full of people who get angry way too easily. "Hmm... I wonder what it would be like to get really angry?" Game Information As a true kender, Raph receives a trump bonus for actions involving sleight-of-hand. Like most kender, he has a collection of pouches stuffed with odds and ends he's picked up. When a pouch gets full, Raph simply drops a few things and finds something new to carry around. In addition to acute eyesight, Raph has an excellent sense of smell. Appearance Raph Tanglemop, young by kender standards, looks something like a bright-eyed little human boy. However, a closer look reveals an adult's lean face and body. His reddish hair is loose and unkempt, which gives him his name.
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