Jan 26, 2021 3:16 am
The tale of Isaret's Black Mantles begins during the closing days of the Last War.
Brother fought brother over the legacy of the kingdom of Gallifar, even though the original claimants had been long dead. The destructive conflict quickly spread to neighbouring countries, and soon the entire continent was at war, for one reason or another.
In the far-flung southeast corner of Khorvaire, the lands that eventually became known as Q’Barra had its own conflicts underway. Q’Barra was rich in deposits of Eberron dragonshards, minerals that are highly sought-after for their use in magic; grinding dragonshards into dust endowed those with magical talents to use the dust in place of material spell components, as well as during the creation of many magical items, and by the various Houses to create such iconic technologies as the Lightning Rail and elemental airships.
So rich was the soil of Q’Barra that many tribes of savage races - orcs, trolls, ogres, and their ilk - sought to control the resource for their own ends.
It was during this particular conflict that Isaret Zoukurk, a female half-ogre, figured that she’d had enough of taking orders from leaders who were dangerously short-sighted, constantly leading their soldiers into countless defeats and pointless stalemates.
So, instead of being ground beneath the heel of the mindless war machine, she decided that it might be better to be the one giving the orders. And if she could make some coin at the same time, so much the better.
The half-ogre struck west, traveling halfway across Khorvaire, seeking out the perfect place to set up shop. At one point, she considered the city of Metrol to be her home base, but the fighting in the area was just too intense for her liking. Besides, she got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach about being in Cyre. She continued west, towards Breland.
Her gut feeling was on the money; not a month after she left the country, Mourning Day happened, effectively destroying Cyre as it had once been known. Had Isaret remained, she would’ve died - or worse. Stories and rumours began to circulate about bodies that didn’t decay, the dead rising, horrific mutations, and much, much worse.
After taking several freelance jobs on behalf of multiple benefactors, Isaret finally settled in Starilaskur, a city of 60,000 in northern Breland and a major lightning rail stop. It is a junction for travellers going south in Breland, as well as those bound for Zilargo and Thrane. Several House Orien trade roads also pass near or through Starilaskur. It seemed the best place to set up shop without getting gouged on property taxes like what had been happening in Sharn.
Starilaskur is also a very multicultural city: In addition to the races brought in by the lightning rail, the town has the only established road into Darguun, the splinter nation formed when goblin mercenaries captured a sizable chunk of Cyre before the Mourning. It also forms the end of the only lightning rail branch line going into Zilargo. So, on a typical day, one could see gnomes, halflings, hobgoblins, elves, humans, and practically every race in between walking the streets; traders, magewrights, soldiers, and diplomats tending to their business.
In short, it was the perfect location for one to set up a mercenary company: Access to transportation and skilled labour aplenty.
Finding a building to purchase as a base of operations proved problematic. The end of the Last War saw an influx of refugees, making available properties scarce. After some time, Isaret finally found what she’d been looking for: A cheap building.
The dilapidated tavern, formerly known as "The Absent Moon", had been condemned for unknown reasons, but a carefully-placed bribe and a subtle threat later, Isaret became its owner.
A search through the tavern’s records revealed some interesting information. The place was, indeed, originally a tavern, but at various points through its storied history it had been converted into a brothel, a warehouse, a library, and a magic shop, among other ventures. Upon unlocking the front door, Isaret came to understand several… Quirks… About the former tavern.
First, somehow the interior space seemed to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the exterior suggested. Many first-time visitors often feel a slight sense of disorientation, possibly vertigo, when passing through the main entrance.
Then there are the walls. Every Wir at noon, the colour of the walls changes. Isaret could never figure out why, nor how. What was more odd was that the colours sometimes seemed to match the local seasonal festival themes.
In the cellar, there are three doorways that had been very efficiently sealed up; by means manual or magical, probably both. It had been suggested that, at some point in the past, the building had been used as a base for smugglers, the doorways supposedly leading to tunnels snaking their way under the city. It was also said that some gruesome end befell the owners at the time, resulting in the sealing of said tunnels. Further rumours and speculation suggested that the portals led to extra-planar space. Isaret tried everything she could think of to get past the barricades, but nothing worked - not even a good, strong maul.
And then, there was Obess.
Obess Illifora is - or rather, was - a human female sorcerer. Having died under mysterious circumstances, she was unable to pass into the afterlife, and was instead bound to the building that had previously been home to her barely-profitable magic shop. It was more of a side-project, a means of income while she researched new spells and enchanted items. She was no artificer, but she was known to cobble together unique magical products. Obess has no knowledge of how she died.
Obess came with The Absent Moon. No matter what Isaret tried, Obess wouldn't go to 'the other side'; or anywhere else, for that matter. Isaret resigned herself to the ghost's presence, and instead offered Obess the position of librarian, in charge of the large cache of books left over from a previous tenant. The ghost was pleased at having a purpose other than the bog-standard "haunt the building" and took to it with aplomb. Shortly afterwards those living on the property discovered that Obess delighted in her own brand of practical jokes, such as casting an illusion to make a staircase appear to have one more step than it actually does.
Others came to Isaret's employ over time.
Norfrig Grimjaw wandered into Isaret's establishment one afternoon, thinking it still a tavern, and never left. The stocky dwarf has proven himself invaluable to the organization, becoming de facto VP and the half-ogre's right hand, despite his profound deafness and unusually brusque outward attitude. He’s been accused of having a heart of gold, but would promptly disabuse the accuser of the notion.
Hearing that the organization was growing and feeling the burning need to cook for as many people as possible, Mantissa Proudmead pushed her way into the kitchen one day and refused to leave - even under threat of violence - but once the others tasted her roast dinosaur, resistance fell away. That pleased the halfling to no end, and she has been delighting patrons and employees alike with food of all sorts - whether they were hungry or not.
One day, well into the Black Mantles' operation, a large noise could be heard in the building's attic; as if on cue, an aarakocra named Zanno Sqeccoshraw arrived at the building's doorstep, convinced that a rare and near-extinct bird had taken roost in the building's upper floor. The druid insisted on being allowed to investigate (and did find a rather large nest, but the age of said nest was in question). Zanno did eventually become a productive member of the Black Mantles, though his primary motivation in life was to find a home for every stray animal he met. This often angers Isaret as these animals tend to make their homes in the most inconvenient of places.
Aleksy Erramun - a fallen paladin - was actually working for the competition, but Isaret felt pity for the often-drunk goliath and offered him a better job. Though his work pays better, he's still very much addicted to the bottle. Sober, he's a formidable presence on the battlefield and a prolific poet.
Mantissa, happy with her work and employment in Isaret’s corporation, invited Hiltrude Fasco - a distant cousin, several times removed - to join up. The diminutive ranger was a crack shot with a bow, despite the lack of stereoscopic vision. Years before, she took to wearing an eye patch, convinced that it would help her dominant eye target more effectively, but by the time she disproved her theory, the covered eye had degraded to the point where the eye patch became a necessity. Her cheery demeanour never faded, however.
Out of the back of the building stands a garden, set up by a former tenant who happened to be an herbalist. It had lain fallow for quite some time... Until one day, Standsley - a human female of ancient but indeterminate age - was found by Isaret, quietly and calmly working at the flora. When politely asked to leave, Standsley simply replied, "Well, then who's going to look after these?" and continued working. She never asked for money; she just wants to work on the plants. She is, however, a font of knowledge and advice to those seeking such things. Though the garden looks better now than it did when Isaret first took possession, the task of getting it "back into shape" never seems to be any closer to completion.
Despite reaching a truce with Obess about permanently altering the structure, the Black Mantles’ headquarters still needed a lot of upkeep. Putting out word and interviewing many candidates, a diminutive goblin named Skrukt Okz was hired as the resident handyman; he became the leading candidate because he already owned his own set of tools. Skrukt and Norfrig have an interesting relationship, trading insults that seem caustic to the outsider, but is all in good fun. At least, that's the story that Isaret spins.
In addition, Isaret has built a network of outside contacts, making them available to associates as needed… But those are stories for another day.
Brother fought brother over the legacy of the kingdom of Gallifar, even though the original claimants had been long dead. The destructive conflict quickly spread to neighbouring countries, and soon the entire continent was at war, for one reason or another.
In the far-flung southeast corner of Khorvaire, the lands that eventually became known as Q’Barra had its own conflicts underway. Q’Barra was rich in deposits of Eberron dragonshards, minerals that are highly sought-after for their use in magic; grinding dragonshards into dust endowed those with magical talents to use the dust in place of material spell components, as well as during the creation of many magical items, and by the various Houses to create such iconic technologies as the Lightning Rail and elemental airships.
So rich was the soil of Q’Barra that many tribes of savage races - orcs, trolls, ogres, and their ilk - sought to control the resource for their own ends.
It was during this particular conflict that Isaret Zoukurk, a female half-ogre, figured that she’d had enough of taking orders from leaders who were dangerously short-sighted, constantly leading their soldiers into countless defeats and pointless stalemates.
So, instead of being ground beneath the heel of the mindless war machine, she decided that it might be better to be the one giving the orders. And if she could make some coin at the same time, so much the better.
The half-ogre struck west, traveling halfway across Khorvaire, seeking out the perfect place to set up shop. At one point, she considered the city of Metrol to be her home base, but the fighting in the area was just too intense for her liking. Besides, she got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach about being in Cyre. She continued west, towards Breland.
Her gut feeling was on the money; not a month after she left the country, Mourning Day happened, effectively destroying Cyre as it had once been known. Had Isaret remained, she would’ve died - or worse. Stories and rumours began to circulate about bodies that didn’t decay, the dead rising, horrific mutations, and much, much worse.
After taking several freelance jobs on behalf of multiple benefactors, Isaret finally settled in Starilaskur, a city of 60,000 in northern Breland and a major lightning rail stop. It is a junction for travellers going south in Breland, as well as those bound for Zilargo and Thrane. Several House Orien trade roads also pass near or through Starilaskur. It seemed the best place to set up shop without getting gouged on property taxes like what had been happening in Sharn.
Starilaskur is also a very multicultural city: In addition to the races brought in by the lightning rail, the town has the only established road into Darguun, the splinter nation formed when goblin mercenaries captured a sizable chunk of Cyre before the Mourning. It also forms the end of the only lightning rail branch line going into Zilargo. So, on a typical day, one could see gnomes, halflings, hobgoblins, elves, humans, and practically every race in between walking the streets; traders, magewrights, soldiers, and diplomats tending to their business.
In short, it was the perfect location for one to set up a mercenary company: Access to transportation and skilled labour aplenty.
Finding a building to purchase as a base of operations proved problematic. The end of the Last War saw an influx of refugees, making available properties scarce. After some time, Isaret finally found what she’d been looking for: A cheap building.
The dilapidated tavern, formerly known as "The Absent Moon", had been condemned for unknown reasons, but a carefully-placed bribe and a subtle threat later, Isaret became its owner.
A search through the tavern’s records revealed some interesting information. The place was, indeed, originally a tavern, but at various points through its storied history it had been converted into a brothel, a warehouse, a library, and a magic shop, among other ventures. Upon unlocking the front door, Isaret came to understand several… Quirks… About the former tavern.
First, somehow the interior space seemed to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the exterior suggested. Many first-time visitors often feel a slight sense of disorientation, possibly vertigo, when passing through the main entrance.
Then there are the walls. Every Wir at noon, the colour of the walls changes. Isaret could never figure out why, nor how. What was more odd was that the colours sometimes seemed to match the local seasonal festival themes.
In the cellar, there are three doorways that had been very efficiently sealed up; by means manual or magical, probably both. It had been suggested that, at some point in the past, the building had been used as a base for smugglers, the doorways supposedly leading to tunnels snaking their way under the city. It was also said that some gruesome end befell the owners at the time, resulting in the sealing of said tunnels. Further rumours and speculation suggested that the portals led to extra-planar space. Isaret tried everything she could think of to get past the barricades, but nothing worked - not even a good, strong maul.
And then, there was Obess.
Obess Illifora is - or rather, was - a human female sorcerer. Having died under mysterious circumstances, she was unable to pass into the afterlife, and was instead bound to the building that had previously been home to her barely-profitable magic shop. It was more of a side-project, a means of income while she researched new spells and enchanted items. She was no artificer, but she was known to cobble together unique magical products. Obess has no knowledge of how she died.
Obess came with The Absent Moon. No matter what Isaret tried, Obess wouldn't go to 'the other side'; or anywhere else, for that matter. Isaret resigned herself to the ghost's presence, and instead offered Obess the position of librarian, in charge of the large cache of books left over from a previous tenant. The ghost was pleased at having a purpose other than the bog-standard "haunt the building" and took to it with aplomb. Shortly afterwards those living on the property discovered that Obess delighted in her own brand of practical jokes, such as casting an illusion to make a staircase appear to have one more step than it actually does.
Others came to Isaret's employ over time.
Norfrig Grimjaw wandered into Isaret's establishment one afternoon, thinking it still a tavern, and never left. The stocky dwarf has proven himself invaluable to the organization, becoming de facto VP and the half-ogre's right hand, despite his profound deafness and unusually brusque outward attitude. He’s been accused of having a heart of gold, but would promptly disabuse the accuser of the notion.
Hearing that the organization was growing and feeling the burning need to cook for as many people as possible, Mantissa Proudmead pushed her way into the kitchen one day and refused to leave - even under threat of violence - but once the others tasted her roast dinosaur, resistance fell away. That pleased the halfling to no end, and she has been delighting patrons and employees alike with food of all sorts - whether they were hungry or not.
One day, well into the Black Mantles' operation, a large noise could be heard in the building's attic; as if on cue, an aarakocra named Zanno Sqeccoshraw arrived at the building's doorstep, convinced that a rare and near-extinct bird had taken roost in the building's upper floor. The druid insisted on being allowed to investigate (and did find a rather large nest, but the age of said nest was in question). Zanno did eventually become a productive member of the Black Mantles, though his primary motivation in life was to find a home for every stray animal he met. This often angers Isaret as these animals tend to make their homes in the most inconvenient of places.
Aleksy Erramun - a fallen paladin - was actually working for the competition, but Isaret felt pity for the often-drunk goliath and offered him a better job. Though his work pays better, he's still very much addicted to the bottle. Sober, he's a formidable presence on the battlefield and a prolific poet.
Mantissa, happy with her work and employment in Isaret’s corporation, invited Hiltrude Fasco - a distant cousin, several times removed - to join up. The diminutive ranger was a crack shot with a bow, despite the lack of stereoscopic vision. Years before, she took to wearing an eye patch, convinced that it would help her dominant eye target more effectively, but by the time she disproved her theory, the covered eye had degraded to the point where the eye patch became a necessity. Her cheery demeanour never faded, however.
Out of the back of the building stands a garden, set up by a former tenant who happened to be an herbalist. It had lain fallow for quite some time... Until one day, Standsley - a human female of ancient but indeterminate age - was found by Isaret, quietly and calmly working at the flora. When politely asked to leave, Standsley simply replied, "Well, then who's going to look after these?" and continued working. She never asked for money; she just wants to work on the plants. She is, however, a font of knowledge and advice to those seeking such things. Though the garden looks better now than it did when Isaret first took possession, the task of getting it "back into shape" never seems to be any closer to completion.
Despite reaching a truce with Obess about permanently altering the structure, the Black Mantles’ headquarters still needed a lot of upkeep. Putting out word and interviewing many candidates, a diminutive goblin named Skrukt Okz was hired as the resident handyman; he became the leading candidate because he already owned his own set of tools. Skrukt and Norfrig have an interesting relationship, trading insults that seem caustic to the outsider, but is all in good fun. At least, that's the story that Isaret spins.
In addition, Isaret has built a network of outside contacts, making them available to associates as needed… But those are stories for another day.