A Knight, A Bishop, A Rook, Two Pawns, And A Queen...

The leader of the group may be listed last above, but we will deal with her first.

Princess Kathleen Elizabeth Bowadica Vordaria was the rightful heir of the Vordaria Dynasty of the nation of Kelderland. Her uncle, 'King' Harold, had stolen her birthright and **** her to flee the country. She had made it away with a wealth of gems, jewellery and gold, but much of that money was now expended.

'Queen' Kathleen of Kelderland was comming to the School with the intention of honing her powers as a Cleric of Helios, God of Rulers and the Sun. She would lead her 'court' and they would grow mighty, then return to Kelderland to decapitate the usurper...

'Queen' Kathleen was a young woman of 19 years, still unmarried, still a virgin. She had pale skin, nut brown hair, and hazel eyes. Her face was beautiful, her chest ample, and her skin unblemished. She wore a suit of full plate forged by Master Karrak* and rode a snow white stallion with a peculiar star shaped golden blaze in the middle of his forehead whose horseshoes chimed like bells...
*(More on him later.)

We now go back to the order of the title above.

The Knight was Sir John Roberts, the Queen's bodyguard and most stalwart supporter. An older man, Sir Roberts was lately berived of his wife, Dame Hellen Roberts. It was perhaps for this reason that he was loyal to the Queen's right to rule when so many men he had thought loyal had sided with the usurper. Sir John Roberts saw Queen Kathleen as his ertzats daughter, (his wife had been barren,) and was unflinchingly dedicated to her cause.

Sir Roberts was a cavilear by training, and road a coal black warhorse named Suleiman. He too was dressed in full plate and carried at his side a great flanged mace which had belonged to his family since "time out of mind and beyond". Beneath the armor he was like a great ape given human form, thighs like the trunks of young trees, biceps the size of coconuts, and a jaw which would be The envy of any mountain man. His hair and eyes were of the style of the northern territories, red and green respectively, and few could doubt that he had something of that berserk spirit.

The Bishop's name was Reverend Mariah Shogoth, and alone of the Kingdom's high clergy she had openly supported the Rightful Queen. She had even gone so far as to perform the anointing of rulership before her uncle could falsely claim the crown: which had enraged the usurper and **** them all to flight...

All was not sun and splendor however with the Queen's Bishop. Reverend Mariah Shogoth was a cleric of Nodenz, Warrior God of the Elder Race, and as with all the Elder Gods there was MUCH to fear from his worshippers, for insanity trailed in their Lord's wake...

Mariah Shogoth wore the heavy leather armors of a cleric of Nodenz, and carried the great hunting spear and javalins as her weapons.

"The Rook" was the son of Princess Kathleen's spymaster, a young man of watchful eyes and keen ears who learned much but said little. They had picked him up at their layover in Castle Grunwald on the Tarshan border, and he had proved an excellent addition to thier party.

"The Rook" Laboured under a curse where he couldn't speak or respond to his own name, he could only call himself "The Rook". Princess Kathleen knew from his father that he was actually named "James Bartholomew Jorindell", however.

"The Rook" dressed in black leather, the better to ward off blows and conceal himself in the shadows. He was their party theif and assassin, and was above all good at ferreting out information. His features were fairly non-descript, an average face, medium brown hair, clean shaved, and medium brown eyes. His one distinguishing mark was a small lightning bolt scar just bellow the center of his lower lip: the Mark of his Curse.

Now for the two pawns.

These two were a married couple, Master Karrak Lee and Mistress Angelique Lee. Master Karrak was a brilliant artisan: Smith, Glass Blower, Potter, Tailor: he knew a bit about everything: but smithcraft was his calling.

Mistress Angelique was a hedge-witch: never formally trained by anyone she knew a bit about most arcane magic, but her true power was from a powerful "patron" that she didn't quite understand...

Both of them were fit and lean, with svelt figures in spite of being in thier 40s. They dressed in the simple clothing of peasants and were not interested in rising in station. Their faces were also plane; broad faces, such as was gained from chewing tough bread as a child and working a lot outdoors. Yet, for all that they were commoners and glad to remain so, there was an air of true nobility about them: that kind of purity of soul which so many aspire to and so few achieve.

This party looked down into the valley and prepared for the crossing of the mist, tyeing themselves together...